Lorraine, France, November 8th- December 16th 1944 Story : By early November, 1944 the soldiers of Patton's Third Army had given up on being "Home by Christmas." The incredible advances of the previous months had given way to stop and start pushes towards the German frontier. The Allied supply lines were stretched almost to the breaking point. Patton begged for more ammunition and gas, but Ike had decided that Monty's campaign in the north was of primary importance and would receive the bulk of the supplies. On the other side of Third Army's lines, the German Wehrmacht had finally recovered from the retreats of the previous months and had managed to establish a strong defensive position along the Moselle River in the Lorraine region of France. The old fortress city of Metz was the strongest link in a chain of fortresses the Germans had occupied since 1940. Third Army had attempted to take Metz by storm in September but had been bloodily repulsed. By November Patton was ready to try again. Despite torrential rain and a corresponding lack of air support, Third Army began its offensive on November 8, 1944 with an attack south of Metz by XII Corps. The going was slow because of deep mud everywhere. The Germans were well-entrenched and casualties mounted. As XII Corps pushed northeast XX Corps to the north (minus one division sent elsewhere) attacked on November 9, pushing southeast in an attempt to link up with XII Corps east of Metz and encircle the fortress. This encirclement was completed on November 19 and, as a few units stayed behind to reduce Metz, the rest of Third Army plunged onward towards the Saar River bridges at Saarbruecken and Saareguemines. German reinforcements had been dribbling into Lorraine and pockets of resistance were common but these were mopped up in short order. Third Army reached the Saar River on November 23 and Metz had officially fallen a day earlier, on the 22nd. By the first week of December 3rd Army had established well-defended crossings over the Saar and effective German resistance West of the Saar had ended. Third Army's offensive had been costly, over 22,000 casualties in just over 3 weeks. German casualties were far greater. Patton had envisioned a quick strike across the Moselle followed by a thrust to the Rhine and beyond. The stiff German resistance and horrible conditions in Lorraine had put an end to those plans. Hitler would soon dash those hopes still further as, one week after the Lorraine campaign ended, his final offensive in the Ardennes began. Third Army would be desperately needed elsewhere.

American units : 20th Corps: •

•

•

•

•

HQ 1 M8 + 1 Jeep + 1 MG Crew 4 155mm Gun + 1 57 mm AT 2 Rifle +1 Engineer 2 M4A3E8 + 2 M4 Sherman + 1 105mm M4 th 5 Infantry Division 1 105mm Howitzer 1 MG Crew + 1 Bazooka + 1 Flamethrower 1 Engineer + 1 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 2 Green 90th Infantry Division 1 105mm Howitzer 1 MG Crew + 1 Bazooka + 1 Flamethrower 1 Engineer + 2 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 1 Green 95th Infantry Division 1 105mm Howitzer 1 MG Crew + 1 Bazooka + 1 Flamethrower 1 Engineer + 2 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 1 Green 10th Armored Division 1 M10 + 1 M12 1 M4A3E8 + 2 M4 Sherman + 1 105mmM4 1 Rifle + 2 Veteran +1 MG Crew

12th Corps:

•

• • • • •

HQ 1 M8 + 1 Jeep + 1 MG Crew 4 155mm Gun + 1 57 mm AT 2 Rifle +1 Engineer 2 M4A3E8 + 2 M4 Sherman + 1 105mm M4 26th Infantry Division 1 105mm Howitzer + 2 MG Crew + 1 Bazooka 1 Engineer + 2 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 1 Green 35th Infantry Division 1 105mm Howitzer + 2 MG Crew + 1 Bazooka 1 Engineer + 2 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 1 Green 80th Infantry Division 1 105mm Howitzer + 2 MG Crew + 1 Bazooka 1 Engineer + 2 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 1 Green 4th Armored Division 1 M4A3E8 + 2 M4 Sherman + 1 105mmM4 1 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 1 MG Crew 6th Armored Division 1 M10 + 1 M12 1 M4A3E8 + 2 M4 Sherman + 1 105mmM4 1 Rifle + 2 Veteran + 1 MG Crew

19th Tactical Air Command: • • • •

409th Bomber 1 A-20 394th Bomber 1-B-26 371th Fighter 1 P-47 368th Fighter 1 P-38

German units : 1.Armee: • • •

• • • • •

89. Korps 1 Rifle 13. SS Korps 2 Veteran + 1 Green + 1 Panzerfaust 1 MG Crew + 1 15cm Gun + 1 88mm AA/AT 82. Korps 1 StuG III 2 Green + 1MG Crew + 1 Panzerfaust 1 88mm AA/AT 361. Volksgrenadier Division 2 Veteran + 1 VolksGrenadier + 1 MG Crew 1 Panzerfaust + 1 75mm AT 416. Volksgrenadier Division 2 Veteran + 2 VolksGrenadier + 1 MG Crew 1 Panzerfaust + 1 8cm Mortar 19. Volksgrenadier Division 2 Veteran + 2 VolksGrenadier + 1 MG Crew 1 Panzerfaust + 1 8cm Mortar 462. Volksgrenadier Division 1 Veteran + 1 VolksGrenadier + 1 MG Crew 1 Panzerfaust + 1 75mm AT + 1 8cm Mortar 559. Volksgrenadier Division 2 Veteran + 1 VolksGrenadier + 1 MG Crew 1 Panzerfaust + 1 8cm Mortar

• • • • • • • •

48. Volksgrenadier Division 2 Veteran + 1 VolksGrenadier 1 MG Crew + 1 Panzerfaust 36. Volksgrenadier Division 3 Volkgrenadier + 1 MG Crew 1 Panzerfaust + 1 8cm Mortar 347. Volksgrenadier Division 2 Volksgrenadier + 1 MG Crew 1 Panzerfaust + 1 75mm AT 17. SS PanzerGrenadier Division 3 Veteran + 2 sdKfz 251 1 75mm AT + 2 MG Crew + 1 Panzerfaust 25. Panzergrenadier Division 3 Panzergrenadier + 2 sdKfz 251 1 8cm Mortar + 1 MG Crew + 2 Panzerfaust 11. Panzer Division 1 Panther + 1 Panzer Mk IV H 21. Panzer Division 1 Panther + 1 Panzer Mk IV H Jagdgeschwader 23 und Jagdgeschwader 85 1 Bf-109

Scenario rules : Use the optional rule Mortars as support weapon. The battlefield consists of LW (light wood), HW (Heavy woods), CL(Clear), CI (City), TO (Town), HI (Hills). 1. Armee Headquarters HW01 CI02 LW03 CI04 CI05 LW06 HW07 CI08 HW09 HW10 LW11 LW12 HW13 CL14 HW15 HW16 LW17 LW18 LW19 HW20 LW21 CL22 LW23 HW24 LW25 LW26 CI27 TO28 CI29 CL30 LW31 CL32 CI33 LW34 HI35 TO36 CL37 LW38 CI39 CL40 20th corps Headquarters 12th corps headquarters CI02 – Saarburg CI33 – Luxembourg

CI04 – Saarlouis CI27 – Thionville

CI07 – Saarbrucken CI29 – Metz

CI08 – Sarreguemines CI39 – Nancy

In bold, the Westwall.

Add 1 Barbed Wire, 1 Dragon’s teeth, 1 Mixed Minefield to each zone and an additional Fortified Building in the each City zone. In italic, the Maginot line.Add 1 Pillbox to each zone. 1.

Turns 12 Turns. Each turn represents 3 days.

2.

Supply The U.S. player receives 30 points at start and 6 supply dices each turn. The German player receives 20 points at start and 4 supply dices each turn. Supply points remain hidden during the game.

3.

Special cards Each player has a 50 special cards deck (2 identical cards max.). He must choose them according to the deck restrictions of annex 1. Each player draws 1 free card each turn with the possibility of buying only one other card at the cost of 6 points. Each player takes randomly 6 cards from this deck before the game begins.

4.

Weather At the beginning of each turn (except on turn 1), the German player rolls a die. 1-2 Cloudy: -2 to AirFPs and air recon. +1 for the next weather roll. 3-6 Heavy rains: No aircraft may fly. All motorized units have 1 MF only.

5.

Headquarters The 1. Armee Headquarter is north of the Siegfried line. The 20th U.S. Corps Headquarter is south of the CI33 – CL37 line and the 12th U.S. Corps is south of the LW38-CL40 line. Each HQ has no stacking limit. Units can move from one friendly headquarter to another as if it was a clear zone. A unit that is not connected to its HQ by friendly units controlling a zone attacks with a doubled cost in supply points and can not refit.

6.

Useless pontoon bridges Once per game, the German player can use a Demolition special card on the LW22, CI23, TO24, CI25, CL26. This simulates the high, fast waters of the Moselle. The pontoon bridges themselves were saved, but their approaches were completely underwater tendering them useless until the Moselle once more receded.

7.

Westwall reinforcements As soon as the U.S. player conquers a Maginot zone, the German player receives in his HQ 1 28cm Rocket and 2 15cm Gun (once per game). This simulates the heaviest artillery fire that Third Army had yet experienced when fighting across the Saar river and through the Siegfried line.

8.

SS units All infantry units from the 17. SS PanzerGrenadier Division and the 13. SS Korps have +1 Inf, +1 Def.

9.

Trenchfoot The German player may play twice per turn a Trenchfoot card on an U.S. unit that has moved or assaulted during the previous turn (one card per unit). This simulates the high rate of noncombat casualties that roughly equaled combat casualties for the month of November.

10. Others Only assaults and refits need supply points, reinforcements are free and come in play as indicated below.

Set up and reinforcement : Turn 1 : START. The U.S player begins the game. The weather is cloudy.

Turn 2 :

German :

The 89. Korps deploys in HW24, HW16,CI08 the 13. SS Korps in HW13, CI05 the 82. Korps in CI29, LW21 the 361. Volksgrenadier Division in CL32, HW24 the 416. Volksgrenadier Division in LW25, LW17, LW26 the 19. Volksgrenadier Division in CI27, LW19, LW26, TO28 the 462. Volksgrenadier Division in CI29, LW21, TO28 (dug in status) the 559. Volksgrenadier Division in LW31, LW23 the 48. Volksgrenadier Division in LW23, HW15 the 17. SS PanzerGrenadier Division in CL30, CL22 the 25. Panzergrenadier Division in HW01, CI02 the 11. Panzer Division in HW13, CI05, CI04, LW12

U.S. :

The 20th HQ deploys in the 20th HQ the 5th I. D. in CL37 and the 20th HQ the 90th I. D. in CI33, LW34 and the 20th HQ the 95th I. D. in HI35 and the 20th HQ the 10th A. D. in TO36 and the 20th HQ the 12th HQ deploys in the 12th HQ the 26th I. D. in CL40 and the 12th HQ the 35th I. D. in CI39 and the 12th HQ the 80th I. D. in LW38 and the 12th HQ the 4th A. D. in the 12th HQ the 6th A. D. in the 12th HQ

German :The 36 Volksgrenadier Division and the 347. Volksgrenadier Division deploy in HW01, CI02 or in the German headquarters. U.S. : The 409th Bomber and the 394th Bomber are withdrew Turn 4 : German : The Lehr Panzer Division arrives in CI08, HW07 or in the German Headquarters. Turn 5 : German : The 21. Panzer Division deploys in CL22, LW23, CL14, HW15. Turn 12 : END (at the end of the turn)

Victory Decisive American victory: The U.S. player must control Thionville, Metz, Nancy, all zones from the Maginot line and at least four zones from the Siegfried line. Minor American victory: The U.S. player must control Thionville, Metz, Nancy, all zones from the Maginot line and one zone from the Siegfried line. (Historical) Minor German victory: The German player must control all zones from the Siegfried line and five zones of the Maginot line. Decisive German victory: The German player must control all zones from the Siegfried line and at least one city between Thionville, Metz, Nancy. Draw: All other situations.

Multi-players (optional) Three players: Two U.S. corps commanders: 12 Corps 20 Corps One German Armee commander The U.S. supply and aircrafts are divided after a two minutes negociation between the American commanders (supposed to be the quick decision of Patton).

Historical reference points Turn 4: Turn 8: Turn 12:

Metz falls. Third Army has some crossings over the Saar. Third Army stops its offensive and starts to turned north to strike the flank of the German penetration in the Ardennes.

Annex 1 Below are written the special cards that players can not use in their deck. AMERICAN Weather related cards Cards with the word Hitler written on it Obstacle related cards Conscripts desert Espionage George Patton Manpower shortage Omar Bradley Partisan activity Railhead Reinforcements Russian offensive Sabotage

GERMAN Weather related cards Cards with the word Hitler written on it Obstacle related cards Fortification related cards Baseplate Blow dam Channel storm Demolition (except for scenario rule 6) Divisional reserve Erwin Rommel Espionage Monty throws a fit Overextended

Traffic jam Troop convoy Trenchfoot Assault boats Bazooka team DUKW Flamethrower MG Crew Pontoon bridge Airborne drop Divisional reserve No retreat Nude resistance Roadblock Sabotage ammo

Railhead Reinforcements Supply strike Trenchfoot (except for scenario rule 9) Waffen SS (except for scenario rule 8) Ferry Flamethrower MG Crew Panzerfaust Pontoon bridge Wurfrahmen 40 V2-Strike

Credits The campaign of Lorraine 1944 for The Last Crusade was created by Florent Coupeau.