#16_05: The 1st SS Pz Korps - PzC 05 Bulge '44

West Wall, 0800 Dec 16th, 1944: This is a "What If" scenario depicting the part played by the 1st SS Panzer Korps for the first 6 days in the Battle of the Bulge. Where possible, the actual historical events have been portrayed, but some changes, of necessity, have been made to make the scenario more enjoyable. Suggested play as Axis human or PBEM. On the night of Dec 15th, 1944, German commanders gave their men the watchword from the Fuhrer himself "Forward to, and over, the Meuse." The Battle of the Bulge began the next morning. In the north, the 6th SS Panzer Army, selected by Hitler himself, as he felt he could depend on his beloved Waffen SS to get the job done, would provide the main effort. The 1st SS Pz Korps was to be the armored fist of the Army. It was comprised of the 1st SS "Liebstandarte Adolf Hitler" Pz Division, 12th SS "Der Jugend" Pz Division, and 3 Infantry divisions, the 3rd Para Division, the 12th and 277th Volksgrenadier Divisions. The plan called for the infantry to punch a hole through the thinly held US front line, allowing the 2 armored divisions to stream through to the west, all the way to the Meuse, and then on to Antwerp. The difficulties faced were enormous, the terrain in the Ardennes is treacherous, especially in the winter. The routes across are not suited to any type of warfare, particularly using armor. The Pz divisions could not deploy in the accepted sense, instead they divided into Kamfgruppen, intending to move along 2 primary routes. The 1st SSLAH intending to use the southern, and 12th SSDJ the northern route. However, the release of the armor was flexible to allow the infantry time to open the 'holes'. Of course, the order to advance came late but, initially, it met with great success. Then a combination of heroic US small unit actions, lack of fuel, ammo and the treacherous roads and tracks, led to it stalling. [Size large]