St. Vith Examples of Play

 

Example 1: Combat

In the picture to the left the movement phase has just ended and the battle phase is beginning. Each side must give battle orders to their units.

The German orders are Unit A and Unit B will ATTACK Unit 2 while Unit C ATTACKS Unit 3. The units Reserve 1, 2, and 3 were designated reserve units during the movement phase.

The American orders are for Unit 2 to DEFEND HEX and Unit 3 to DEFEND ALL.

The results of these orders are that Unit A and B will attack into Unit 2's hex. If Unit C had not attacked unit 3 then, by virtue of it's DEFEND ALL command, unit 3 would have moved into unit 2's hex to aid in their defense. However, since Unit C did attack Unit 3 its DEFEND ALL command is canceled as it must defend its own hex first.

 

Following the battle orders we now have the situation at left. German units A and B are attacking American unit 2. German unit C is attacking American unit 3.

For this example lets say the attack by unit A and B is successful while unit C fails.

Unit C must move back to its starting point in hex 0.

Unit 2 having lost to Units A and B must withdraw. The only possible route is to move into hex 3 which is still in the ZOC of units A and B, so it continues into hex 9.

It could not move into hex 1 because it would not be moving farther away from Reserve 1 which it can do by moving into hex 3. It could not move into hex 8 because it would not be moving farther away from unit C which it can do by moving into hex 9. It could not move into hex 4 because it would not be moving farther away from Reserve 1 which it can do by moving to hex 9.

Let's say unit C's attack was successful. Then the only route unit 2 could use to withdraw would be to hex 1 then hex 4. Even though hex 1 and hex 4 does not cause unit 2 to move farther away from the known enemy units Reserve 1 and Unit C, it is not moving closer to them either, so this is a valid withdrawal route. For this example though unit 2 withdraws to hex 9.

Finally, German units A and B can not remain together in the attack hex so one of them must move back to their start hex. The German player elects to return unit A to its original hex.

 

Prior to the breakthrough phase we have the situation to the left.

Reserve 1, 2, and 3 will now conduct their breakthrough movement. The Germans want to get as far down the road as possible so they order reserve 1 to breakthrough first, reserve 3 to breakthrough second, and reserve 2 to breakthrough last.

Reserve 3 moves 1 hex left to the road, then enters unit B's hex. Even though this hex is in the ZOC of unit 3, unit B's presence negates it so reserve 3 may continue moving. It does so by moving to hex 3 where it must stop because it is now by itself in unit 3's ZOC.

When reserve 3 enters hex 3 it again places the withdrawing unit 2 in enemy ZOC, so unit 2 must withdraw again and does so by moving to hex 11. It could not move 1 hex SE because it would not be moving farther away from unit C which it can do by moving to hex 11. The same goes for hex 10 and Unit A.

 

We now have the situation to the left and its time for reserve 1 to do its breakthrough movement.

It moves 1 hex SE onto the road (2 mp), then continues into unit B's hex (3 mp), then reserve 3's hex (4 mp), then into hex 9 (5 mp), and finally into hex 11 (6 mp).

Note that when reserve 1 enters hex 9 it again places the withdrawing unit 2 in enemy ZOC so it must continue to withdraw. It continues by moving to hex 12, and when reserve 1 moves into hex 11 it withdraws again  along the road off map, etc.

 

Now its time for reserve 2 to do its breakthrough movement after which the map looks as it does to the left.

It moved 1 hex SW down the road (1 mp), then continues into unit B's hex (2 mp), then reserve 3's hex (3 mp), then into hex 9 (4 mp), then into hex 11 (5 mp), and finally into hex 12 (6 mp).

Another strategy the Germans could have used is to encircle American unit 3 by having reserve 1 use all 6 movement points to enter hex 8 and then have reserve 2 use all six movement points to enter hex 7.

You can see why you want to defend in depth (especially on roads) when at all possible, as once a unit is forced to withdraw it must keep running until breakthrough movement is complete.