Blitzkrieg Rolling Thunder - Battle of Bulge - Sauer-Linie near Echternach

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In December 1944 the front line basically ran along the former border of the Reich. Montgomery’s clever plan to occupy the bridge near Arnheim in Holland with airborne troops and thrust forward towards Germany in 1944 had gone completely wrong. Now the allied armies were planning and preparing a "conventional“ offensive against the Reich.
The main frontal section in the almost impassable terrain of the Ardennes in Belgium was regarded as a "forgotten" frontal section. Hardly a shot had been fired for weeks there, yet it was exactly here where the German High Command was planning its final offensive.
The operation was launched under the codename “The Watch on the Rhine“ and was to concentrate all reserves of the German Reich in a final decisive offensive. Field Marshall von Rundstedt, who was the most dangerous and cleverest German commanders according to Patton, concentrated the forces of three armies with a total of 6 tank divisions for the offensive in the Ardennes.
Rundstedt’s plan was based on four decisive factors: the effect of surprise, the concentration on a thin frontal section, the massive implementation of superior tanks and the experience of elite troops. Not forgetting the fact that the Allies hadn’t been able to reinforce their troops in the Ardennes quickly enough. The strategic targets of the offensive were the destruction of the western front, the occupation of the port of Antwerp and the realization of a separate peace treaty with the western powers.
On December 16, 1944 at 5.30 a.m., American soldiers awoke to the sound of a murderous bombardment on the Ardennes front. Then the German troops attacked in a 3:1 superiority in numbers. 250,000 experienced soldiers thrust westwards in deep snow flurries followed by Panther tanks and heavy "King Tigers”.
German command troops, in American uniforms, were operating behind the allied front, taking strategic bridges, giving wrong commands and creating mayhem among the Americans.
The German offensive came as a surprise to the allied Supreme Command. The allied front was completely overrun and only isolated units managed to put up resistance at certain places. While G.I. POW’s marched towards the east in long columns and walked along the bitter road towards captivity, the German paratroopers were sitting on the loading areas of their half-tracks smoking looted Lucky Strike cigarettes and rolling towards Bastogne.
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The American newspapers have reported extensively about the defenders of Basogne on the front page, but the successful defense battles in St. Vith and Echternach were actually integral to the overall success.
Take immediate command over an especially dangerous front section near Echternach on the German-Luxembourg border where the River Sauer separates the American and German troops.

December 20, 1944. American soldiers have been defending the Sauer Line near Echternach for 5 days. The American soldiers are close to exhausted, frozen, low on ammo and food and close to collapse. However, they have exacted a high toll on the attacking German forces. The Germans, despite their high losses, press on with their attacks.
The Germans have the best tanks the Reich can offer. The artillery divisions, equipped with rocket launchers, open fire on your positions. The constant snow storms make it almost impossible for the superior U.S. Air Force to operate.
General Patton leads his troops forward in blitz marches. Hold your positions till General Patton’s tank army arrives! Some of his forward troops have already arrived at the battlefield. The supply situation is good. The remaining troops are already on their way to the front. Your Sherman tank, slugger tank destroyer and repair vehicle losses will be compensated for by resupply.
Attention: Do not bomb the German bunker positions in the north! There are American POW's there. You will receive detailed instructions later as to how you should proceed.
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