Command Ops : Battles for the Bulge : Assault on Saint Vith
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Our final objective is in sight, and hopefully we can continue our momentum and drive right into the heart of Saint Vith before the Germans can dig in. We currently hold three objectives, Steinbruck Crossing, Lommersweiler, and Breitfield. Lommersweiler is proving contentious as it’s only held by support elements and some worn out anti-tank guns. I’m moving an Infantry company in to help. All other forces are reinforcing the objectives, except for my mechanized infantry on the East flank, and the newly arrived reinforcements from the 4th AD.We now have the 37th Tank Battalion, the 25th Cav Recon, and the 53rd Armored Infantry Battalion. These new forces will be the spearhead of the push into Saint Vith..imageframe-3 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
A closer look at Lommerweiler. At the moment a single German infantry company is lurking nearby. The village is held by an AAA battery, two HQ units, a mortar platoon and an AT platoon with 3 AT guns. Not an ideal defense. I’m going to send in Bravo Company, 10th Armored Infantry to help shore up the defenses.
This is one of my Cavalry Scout units. A nice little punch and hopefully mobile. They’re going to support my mechanized infantry heading up the East flank. I’m not entirely sure what they might run into or if the Germans will receive any reinforcements so I’d like to strengthen that line..imageframe-4 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
We start moving, and about 15 minutes pass when I notice this.
Oh boy. This just got serious. I hope my armor can get to Saint Vith before the SS does!.imageframe-5 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
Off they go! That is a very nice column!
The current path takes them into Breitfield where they will reorganize and then move in to assault Saint Vith..imageframe-6 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
It was a race to see who could secure Saint Vith first… and the Tigers won.
The Germans sacrificed the 12th Volksgrenadiers Division HQ to halt our advance. Their stubborn resistance halted us for nearly an hour. And that hour let those tanks roll in.
So far I can see a dozen PZ IV’s and… 14 Tiger II’s..imageframe-7 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
My only hope to avoid a bloodbath is to hammer that East flank with artillery and make a hole for my mechanized infantry and cavalry to get in. If, just if, they can do that, then the attack might succeed..imageframe-8 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
This is getting intense.
I am raining down artillery and hammering the flank, but still my armor can’t push into those Tigers. I set the orders for one of my armor battalions to head in on the West flank. I’m not sure what they might run into, but we need to get into the soft spot.
If there is a soft spot..imageframe-9 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
I’m skirting around Saint Vith on all flanks. I’m moving infantry to the rear while the majority of my armor heads to the west. My mechanized infantry and my cavalry is holding on the east flank. Not to mention non stop artillery. Which is good because all of my airstrikes… cancelled.
At the moment the Germans assaulted my cavalry with a light flak unit. That, I think, was a bad idea. It’s down by 20% and it’s barely in the tree lines..imageframe-10 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
Night came and the assault halted, but just for a moment. While I was sending out orders my cavalry came under fire.
The Tigers came out to hunt. This is an amazing stroke of luck. Just above the Tigers, on the other side of a ridge, I have an entire Battalion of mechanized infantry and a couple of companies of Shermans. This is a chance to knock out those brutes while they’re away from their support.
At the same moment I’m sending the rest of my tanks in, and hard. If we can wrest control of the city now, then we’ll have the advantage in the morning.
Losses have been heavy, but we managed to destroy a brigade supply base. So maybe this will hold out. Maybe….imageframe-11 img{border:0px solid #494848;} 
Wow.
This is getting intense.
The feint worked and after pummeling the East flank with my artillery they shifted everyone to that side, and then my armor struck on the opposite side. Two entire battalions of armor pushed into the West side of the city. Now they are in the midst of the SS units and splitting them apart. This has been raging on for a few hours, but we’re finally pushing them out. But just barely.
Then I find the Tiger II’s. In the chaos of the battle I assumed they were engaged, until I see them pop up at Breitfield. The defense there is weaker than I’d like, but they’ve got a company of AT guns for support. At this point the Germans are down to four Tiger II’s. I can’t believe we’ve already knocked out ten of them, So things are hopeful!
At the same time they push on the Steinbruck crossing with two understrength companies of infantry. I’m not worried here, but I don’t want a weak spot to pop up. Not far away are my artillery.
When the sun rises though things will really get difficult. I have units in difficult positions, some in the open, and the daylight will be brutal.
The barest beginnings of the steel dawn tint the Eastern horizon. But it’s looked that way for hours, the raging of the artillery has made it look like the sun tried to rise all night. Now the battle rages in the city of Saint Vith with all of the forces struggling to hold the best defensive position. The sun is rising…
