Briefing
LORRAINE 1944 Patton crosses the Moselle Version 3.0 1. UNIT COLORS U.S. XX Corps: Blue on GREEN U.S. XII Corps: Black on GREEN German 1st Army: Light Gray on GRAY SS: Black on BLACK Fortresses: Red on GRAY 2. EVENTS It will rain almost constantly. The first winter storm of the season may strike after turn 5. 3. HISTORY By early November, 1944 the soldiers of Patton's 3rd 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 3rd 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. 3rd 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, 3rd 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 3rd 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. 3rd 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. 3rd 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. 3rd Army would be desperately needed elsewhere. 4. NOTES 4.1. GERMAN NOTES Your fortified and entrenched position is your best asset. Your units are relatively weak and not particularly mobile so make the best you can of your initial defensive line. Don't move fortified units unless you have to. You can try blowing the bridges over the major rivers but the U.S. forces have a lot of bridging equipment. Your reserves will trickle in from the north and east. Use them to counter U.S. breakthroughs in your line; you don't want American tanks roaming behind your lines. Above all else, make him pay heavily to get through the Thionville----Metz----Chateau-Salins line. 4.2. U.S. NOTES It's like this: You're assaulting an entrenched enemy in a fortified line across a flooded major river and the enemy has orders to die where he stands. Expect heavy casualties. Keep in mind that even though your units have very high ATT and DEF ratings compared to the Germans, their defensive positions will give them great staying power. You're attacking along a very narrow front with a lot of men so equipment density will be high, increasing casualties even more. On the plus side, you have a vastly more mobile force, including a great deal of bridging equipment. If you do achieve a significant breakthrough, exploit it with your mobile forces. Todd Klemme

Briefing

LORRAINE 1944

Patton crosses the Moselle

Version 3.0

1. UNIT COLORS

U.S. XX Corps: Blue on GREEN
U.S. XII Corps: Black on GREEN
German 1st Army: Light Gray on GRAY
SS: Black on BLACK
Fortresses: Red on GRAY

2. EVENTS

It will rain almost constantly.
The first winter storm of the season may strike after turn 5.

3. HISTORY

By early November, 1944 the soldiers of Patton's 3rd 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 3rd 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.

3rd 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, 3rd 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 3rd 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. 3rd 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.

3rd 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. 3rd Army would be desperately needed elsewhere.

4. NOTES

4.1. GERMAN NOTES

Your fortified and entrenched position is your best asset. Your units are relatively weak and not particularly mobile so make the best you can of your initial defensive line. Don't move fortified units unless you have to. You can try blowing the bridges over the major rivers but the U.S. forces have a lot of bridging equipment. Your reserves will trickle in from the north and east. Use them to counter U.S. breakthroughs in your line; you don't want American tanks roaming behind your lines. Above all else, make him pay heavily to get through the Thionville----Metz----Chateau-Salins line.

4.2. U.S. NOTES

It's like this: You're assaulting an entrenched enemy in a fortified line across a flooded major river and the enemy has orders to die where he stands. Expect heavy casualties. Keep in mind that even though your units have very high ATT and DEF ratings compared to the Germans, their defensive positions will give them great staying power. You're attacking along a very narrow front with a lot of men so equipment density will be high, increasing casualties even more. On the plus side, you have a vastly more mobile force, including a great deal of bridging equipment. If you do achieve a significant breakthrough, exploit it with your mobile forces.

Todd Klemme