UNDER THE NOEL TREES*
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DATE: December 25, 1944*
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BATTLE TYPE: Germany advance vs. USA delay*
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Two-Player PBEM Game*
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CHAMPS, BELGIUM:  Christmas Day found the American garrison at Bastogne surrounded. The Germans marked the holiday with an assault on the hitherto quiet northwestern perimeter-with Bastogne as their goal. Spearheaded by Kampfgruppe Maucke of the 15th Panzergrenadier Division, the attacked pushed off at 0300. They pierced the line of the 327th Glider Infantry and proceeded eastward, while farther to the north Grenadier Regiment 77 of the 26th Volksgrenadier Division broke into Champs and engaged Company A, 502nd Parachute Infantry. In response to the battle in Champs, Companies B and C of the 502nd were ordered forward to positions east of the village. Kampfgruppe Maucke split up at dawn, with the smaller element moving north to bypass Champs where it encountered and destroyed two U.S. tank destroyers at a cost of two tanks. It then unknowingly advanced to a collision with B and C companies.*
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AFTERMATH: The paratroopers, alerted by the gun duel with the tank destroyers, fell back into the woods from where they soon opened fire, inflicting heavy casualties on the panzergrenadiers and forcing them to dismount. Two more unsuspected TD opened fire at a range of 400 yards and quickly destroyed three tanks. Two more were knocked out by bazooka fire. One tank penetrated the line only to be destroyed in the streets of Champs by Company A (who never relinquished their hold on the village), and the last withdrew to Hemroulle where it surrendered after finding that the remainder of the Kampfgruppe had been annihilated there. Yet another breakthrough-this time just over a mile from Bastogne-had been averted.*
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NOTES: This scenario is based off of Avalon Hill's Advanced Squad Leader (ASL) scenario 23 with some minor modifications.*
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Sources:  ASL Scenario 23*
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Design by:  Don Lazov*