The Beginning of the Longest Winter Starts in Small Village of Lanzerath, Belgium – December 16th 1944

Eighteen men of I&R Platoon Hold Back German Battalion for 20 hours

Disclaimer

Before starting my usual overview section, I wanted to take this time to spell out a few things:

1. Yes, if you have followed my other Valiant Defense Chronological articles, you’ll notice this is NOT Castle Itter (you’ll understand in a bit)
2. This is a preview of a game that has not released yet, Kickstarter looks to launch in early January as of today
3. As this is a preview, usual disclaimer that rules, artwork, and components might change
4. I was lucky enough to not only playtest this game, but designer David Thompson convinced me, (easily I might add) to include it in my Valiant Defense After Action Reports
5. I used the Table-Top Simulator workshop for this playthrough, but it still includes most of the fabulous artwork!

Now that I have that out of the way. Let’s continue…!

Overview

By late 1944 the allied push into France had progressed quickly from Normandy through France, into Belgium and was quickly nearing the German border. While on one hand this was good for Allied forces. It also came with supply problems that plagued further advances all along the front. In response to these issues, the Allied strategy involved sparsely defending a section of Belgium around the Ardennes Forest.

Both the rough terrain and lack of obvious strategic cities would work to the Allied advantage. This lead to the area surrounding the village of Lanzerath to be patrolled by a single platoon of 18 men. Luckily the platoon took the time to dig in along the tree line to the west of the town. This provided a good defensive position looking at the town across an open field.

The German strategy at this point was a very bold one. They also knew that the Allies were spread thin. However, with the Soviets pressing them on the eastern front and Allies approaching Germany’s western border, Hitler had gotten desperate. Under the cover of bad weather, reserve units mobilized to the area just east of Lanzerath near Losheim. On the morning of December 16, 1944, when the attack launched the Allies were caught by complete surprise.

The I&R Platoon only had a few machine guns and were primarily trained to perform scouting and reconnaissance. This was not a unit that was intended to hold a defensive position along a front line. Knowing this the Platoon leader: Lt. Lyle Bouck ensured that his team not only had well-constructed foxholes, but he deployed his few machine guns to maximize their fields of fire along the ridgeline. The team performed regular patrols of the area by Jeep and kept lookout for enemy advance. However, they hoped they would be reinforced soon before the enemy decided to attack.

First Attack Wave

Morning – 1030

German advance

The worst fear of the men of the 394th infantry had come true. The Germans had called up reserve forces and out of seemingly nowhere and immediately charged their positions. Knowing that they are well dug in Lt. Bouck gambles and uses the first few moments to better position some of his troops along the front. Knowing that his best gun, the M2, was not in optimal firing position, Bouck sent someone to retrieve it.

The Germans continued their attack and the initial riflemen charging up the hill momentarily stopped. They seemed almost befuddled by the string of fence near the edge of the American position. Just as the entire charge was losing momentum someone, possibly a platoon leader, emerged and shouted a few sentences. These few words shook the soldiers from there trance. They then were able to cut the fence and continue their advance nearly reaching the first of the American positions.

Simultaneously, the first of the MG-42 crews set up near the edge of the battlefield. From this position, they could provide optimal covering fire for the advancing troops. If the American forces didn’t act quickly, the battle might be over before it even started.

American Defenses

After recovering from their initial shock, the soldiers of the I&R platoon quickly recall their basic training. The I&R Platoon may not have been trained to repel a frontal assault, but they would not give up easily. Two members from “B” squad moved to closer positions along the line. The first man took aim at the soldiers that breached the fence and managed to eliminate one of the attackers.

At the same time two soldiers, Spring and Fort, each make it the radio-equipped jeeps. Springer pulled his map and marked out the artillery coordinates hoping the artillery crews weren’t napping. Fort dialed his radio to the battalion CP channel. He hoped he could relay details of this attack and call for reinforcements to the very tenuous position.

Continued Pressure

Stalemate of forces

The German force continued to press the attack all along the front. Near the right flank another group of Germans were stuck at the fence row. This time before they could cut the fence, defenders along the right flank were able to eliminate the threat.

Meanwhile, one defender reached a foxhole only to trip one of several booby traps set by defenders as a last-ditch defense. The explosion from the carefully placed grenade slowed the advance so the M2 could be placed and provide cover fire. The defenders pushed the Germans back to the fence line, however additional MG-42 teams set up. This time they were able to successfully pin defenders.

Bouck’s men continued to fight smartly. The men in the foxholes knew they had good cover and used this to their advantage. They held fire until they had a greater chance of hitting their targets at close range. This point-blank defense, along with the carefully placed machine gun fire, was able to hold most of the attackers back.

Attack pulls back

Several minutes into this attack, both radio operators are successful in calling for help. Springer was able to relay coordinates back to artillery teams and they lay down fire along the ridgeline. Fort was able to contact battalion and alert them to the attack.

The allied artillery fire and ferocity of the defenders causes the Germans to eventually abandon their assault. They pull back and re-group for another attack. The defenders use this time to reload and repair the fence breaches. All they can do is hold out and wait for the next attack.

Late Morning – 1100

Renewed Assault

The defenders of Lazeranth Ridge had very little time to recover. Only a few minutes after the end of the first attack, the second wave began. This attack started much like the first, with Germans charging directly up the hill at the defensive line. However, the Germans this time began to probe the flanks of the American line. This started to stretch the eighteen-man line to its breaking point.

Similar to before, both Springer and Fort dashed to their radio positions. Both men hoped they would be able to again reach reinforcements to assist in the defense. This time however, the Germans augmented their assault with mortar teams. The first effectively damaged Springer’s jeep before he could call the artillery strike. The badly damaged radio was not able to reach the artillery teams this time. The men of the I&R Platoon would have to hold out without artillery support.

After the loss of the artillery radio, Fort hastened his call. He was able to successfully radio a second intelligence report back to command, before returning to the line.

Increasing stress

As the fighting intensified, both sides emplaced their machine guns for optimal effect. The Americans for their part, repositioned the M1918 on the right flank. From its new position, the fire team would be able to adjust fire into the flank and middle of the battlefield. The Germans for their part increased MG-42 fire along the line, suppressing the right flank.

On the left side of the field, the Americans were able to take out an MG-42 team. The M1918 crew was able to successful hold the right flank through the attack. Just as before, the Germans were forced to pull back and re-group. Again, Bouck and his men gathered themselves and prepared for round 3.

Afternoon – 1400

Uneasy cease fire

After the second attack, the German leader made contact with the American force. The request was made to Lt. Bouck for a cease fire. This wasn’t because the Germans were afraid of losing, but they made the request to retrieve wounded from the battlefield. Lt. Bouck didn’t necessarily believe this request, however he couldn’t deny his men needed rest. While the German medics entered the field, Bouck set out to prepare for the fire to be broken.

Concentrated Fire

The uneasy truce with the attackers didn’t last long. By 1400 a third wave of attackers charged up the hill. They did not even wait for all the medics to leave the field. This time the attack began with concentrated mortar fire. A mortar fire that the defenders noticed was much more accurate than previously.

One defender finally realized what had happened. The medics were focusing on the defender’s positions more than tending to the wounded. Word got out to the rest of the platoon very quickly. The defenders immediately focused their attention to the medics and searched for the forward observer that was coordinating the fire. Luckily, they were able to quickly identify and eliminate this imposter. Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining “medics” fled the battlefield. After the forward observer fell, mortar strikes again became less precise.

Danger Close

The Germans for their part, used this mortar fire to advance quickly. Early into the attack they had already breached a second booby trap. The defenders seeing this, concentrated rifle fire as the attackers approached holding them off. Several times it looked as though the defenses would be breached. However, the defenders’ well placed machine guns were able to keep hold the line.

The attackers were able to disrupt several defenders along the way. However, the Americans were always able to quickly recover and keep their morale high. Again, the Germans retreated, and the Americans counted their blessings. However, as the Americans took stock, they were dangerously low on ammunition. The M1918 was completely spent and the other guns not far behind. Bouck knew the team would not be able to hold out much longer.

Dusk – The Final Assault

The last attack wave came near dusk. This time the Germans meant to end the small resistance quickly. Lt. Bouck, sensed that the Germans were getting desperate. He considered his options:

1. He could try and send runners back for support, but if attacked he might not hold
2. Alternatively, they could destroy the remaining guns in case captured, but he might need those guns to survive
3. Lastly, he could dig in and give it everything he had

Bouck decided to take option three. Knowing the Germans tried three direct assaults, he reinforced the flanks. “Surely, they wouldn’t try the same thing again, would they?” he thought. Luckily, he wouldn’t have to wait long for an answer. Shortly after dusk the Germans launched another attack. This time Bouck’s gamble paid off.

Final Blitz

The Germans came hard and strong at both left and right flank. Neither of these positions had the obstacle of the fence to slow assaults. Quickly the last of the machine guns pushed attackers back. This time however, the addition of Fort and Springer on the line bolstered the defense.

Wave after wave blitzed the flanks. After the machine guns ran out of ammo each defender took turns shooting trying to conserve their shots. With each flank fortified with as many men as could fit, the center foxholes only had one defender each. A few times these front defenders were almost breached, as enemy snuck by defenses. However, just as before, as each enemy closed the gap they were cut down and the line held.

After the most brutal fighting of the day, the last of the German attackers fell back. Exhausted, out of ammo, and cut off from headquarters, Lt. Bouck surveyed his options. He knew that his men had given everything they had and fought valiantly. If it were up to him, they would each receive as many medals as the army could give. However, they were in no more position to fight, and the Germans still had fresh units. His only likely outcome was a surrender, but at least he could spare the lives of his men.

The 18 men of I&R Platoon 394th Infantry Regiment 99th Infantry Division, had held a for 20 hours. In this time, they were able to radio back the size and location of the enemy. All they could hope for was that it would be enough for the rest of the division to stop the German offensive in its tracks.

Wrap-up and Final Thoughts

Whew…! This game is BRUTAL. And it does so without any Howitzers, Stukas, or Structural Fire! This game more than any other game in the series pushes the expectations of what came before it. David has made some really interesting changes to mechanics here, and do they make the game tense, without adding a lot of fiddly bits.

For instance, NO LONGER, can you use an action to recover an exhausted defender. Once they are exhausted, they either stay that way until the next attack period, or you must use a Command or Assist action to “revive” them. This is offset by the fact that the game rules come with minor and major actions. The minor actions such as: move to adjacent position, fire rifle, re-load a machine gun do NOT exhaust your defender. They do count towards one of the five actions each round, however. The major actions such as: Command, Assist, and calling in intelligence or artillery strikes not only use an action each round but will exhaust a defender.

It’s worth noting that you might have seen that I had disrupted exhausted defenders. the only action an exhausted defender can take is to remove a disrupted token.

Another wonderful addition are the machine guns. To differentiate their strength for the first-time different dice are included. The defender’s standard rifle for the most part uses D8’s to attack, the M1918 and M1919 use D10, and “Ma Deuce” uses D12. Couple this with the fact you can use ammo tokens to attack multiple times, and the guns FEEL powerful. I find this especially true if you pair a machine gunner up with another team member with the Inspire attribute. Much like before this adds and ADDITIONAL die to your machine gun attacks. The Germans will never know what hit them!

The last change is the way defense works. In previous games, the integrity of the building contributed to how secure a defender is. Lazeranth Ridge abandons any structural integrity. David mentions that this was because the foxholes were especially well constructed and very difficult to penetrate. The difference here is that each defender has a valor rating. When attacked the attacker must roll at or above that rating to score a hit.

All in all, I think this might be my favorite volume in the series! The changes make for an incredibly tense game, in some ways more than any other. However, they also have some of the most powerful additions in the machine gun adjust fire ability. As par for the course, the attention to detail put into the game is stellar and I’d be remiss in not mentioning the artwork of Nils Johannson. There is a reason Nils is one of my favorite artists in the business.

In closing, I can’t recommend this game enough. If you like the streamlined nature of Castle Itter you will love this game. The new mechanics freshen the game but are similar enough it will be easy to pick up for veterans of the series. That said if you really like the larger scale of Pavlov’s House or the extra phases of Soldier’s in Postmen’s Uniforms, this game might feel like a step back in scope. Don’t let it fool you though, David not only included the standard tactics cards to increase difficulty, but he included several alternative set-ups to lower and increase difficulty. Lastly a competitive variant again is included, though let’s face it, that is mostly for teaching rookies the game as this is a solo game first.

As this is a preview look for the game to launch on Kickstarter in January. Trust me you won’t be disappointed!

Now that I’ve finished this small detour in the Ardennes, my last stop is Austria, 1945 in the strangest battle of WW2. Stay tuned and we’ll explain what makes the battle so strange in the next post.