Encircling Aachen Axis force composition issue

SamuraiN

Member
For some reason, in game, the Germans got a full battalion (506) of 36 Tiger IIs, which was not there historically. There was a Schnelles battalion 506, but no Heavy Panzer Battalion 506. Otherwise, the Germans would have superior armour. I tried the German side, and my counterattack wiped out all tanks of 30th Division and destroyed about half of it with little loss, before I turned my Panzers towards the south. Did not continue afterwards.

I guess a victory on the American side is still possible, as long as the AI commits those panzers into the counterattack at Alsdorf so that I can bog them in an urban fight with my infantry there while try to make breakthrough down south in the northern shoulder. Also, in game, there is a big gap in the German defence through Gressenich in the rear area, which means a armoured pincer through the Stolberg corridor (again) will completely destroy the German rear. I transferred an infantry battalion to plug it, but the Germans in the Solberg corridor has completely no anti tank weapon there unless ARTY is used in direct fire role. This cannot be historically accurate.
 

SamuraiN

Member
Sounds like it only makes the scenario more interesting.
If you mean one strength there and one weakness here achieves some kind of balance, that does not apply to AI which cannot exploit them. Namely, it cannot use its strength very effectively while in defence, but it often times cannot find weakness while on offence.
 
For some reason, in game, the Germans got a full battalion (506) of 36 Tiger IIs, which was not there historically. There was a Schnelles battalion 506, but no Heavy Panzer Battalion 506. Otherwise, the Germans would have superior armour. I tried the German side, and my counterattack wiped out all tanks of 30th Division and destroyed about half of it with little loss, before I turned my Panzers towards the south. Did not continue afterwards.]/QUOTE]

What order of battle for Axis forces are you using to determine this?

I guess a victory on the American side is still possible, as long as the AI commits those panzers into the counterattack at Alsdorf so that I can bog them in an urban fight with my infantry there while try to make breakthrough down south in the northern shoulder. Also, in game, there is a big gap in the German defence through Gressenich in the rear area, which means a armoured pincer through the Stolberg corridor (again) will completely destroy the German rear. I transferred an infantry battalion to plug it, but the Germans in the Solberg corridor has completely no anti tank weapon there unless ARTY is used in direct fire role. This cannot be historically accurate.

Again, what information (history narrative or map) on the Axis dispositions are you using to determine whether or not the scenario dispositions are historically accurate?
 

GoodGuy

Member
For some reason, in game, the Germans got a full battalion (506) of 36 Tiger IIs, which was not there historically. There was a Schnelles battalion 506, but no Heavy Panzer Battalion 506. Otherwise, the Germans would have superior armour.
I just stumbled over this.
The heavy Bn 506 was committed in the Aachen sector, actually.
Strength on the 1st of October 1944: 33 Tiger II operational, 10 Tiger II under repairs/maintenance.
3rd of October: start of shipping to the Aachen sector, the unit was deployed in the Arnheim region in September.
Due to transport problems, the first tanks arrived at the target destination (Aachen sector) as late as 7 October (5 Tiger II), followed by a 2nd contingent on 10 October (12 Tiger II). The redeployment was then finished on the 12th of October, where the last tanks/personnel arrived at Grevenbroich.
Total amount of trains: 9.

The 506th was then assigned to the LXXXI AK.
The first deployments were missions carried out together with the Panzerbrigade 108 on the 8th of October near Alsdorf and on 11 October with the Kampfgruppe Bayer (of the 116th Panzer-Division) in the Würselen sector.
Between 12 October and 21 October the 506th Heavy Bn was assigned to the 1. SS-Panzer-Korp and directly attached to the 3rd Panzergrenadier-Division.
Between 14 and 16 October the Bn participated in relief efforts of the 3rd PG which attacked towards Aachen (sector Verlautenheide) to open a corridor to the defenders of Aachen/into the city. This is where the 506th had full strength again (on 14 October) in theory (minus the preceding losses/damages), as the transport problems mentioned above didn't allow for deploying the unit as one body, before.

On 20 October the Bn had 10 operational Tiger II, 27 of the tanks were under repair, 3 total losses near Aachen, 2 damaged tanks had to be shipped to the factory or facilities in Germany, due to the heavy damages.
On 22 October the LXXXI Korps reported 37 available tanks in Heavy Bn 506, 18 operational, 19 tanks under short-term repairs, 6 total losses and the 2 tanks shipped (see above) to a location inside Germany.

After the defenders of Aachen surrendered (21 October), the 506th was reassigned to the LXXXI Korps and redeployed to support the defense West of the river Rur (Gereonsweiler area). The Bn had 35 operational Tiger II at its disposal on 31 October, again.
 
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