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Abandon Ship!

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Title
Abandon Ship!
Description
In an effort to determine the strength and location of the Germans before Bastogne, Company I of the 501st Parachute Infantry was ordered into the town of Wardin. Upon reaching the village a roadblock was found, astride the Wardin-Bastogne road. A short firefight ensued, routing the outnumbered German defenders. The …
Publisher
Date
1944-12-19
Scenario#
193
G44
Scenario Description
In an effort to determine the strength and location of the Germans before Bastogne, Company I of the 501st Parachute Infantry was ordered into the town of Wardin. Upon reaching the village a roadblock was found, astride the Wardin-Bastogne road. A short firefight ensued, routing the outnumbered German defenders. The paratroopers took possession of the dreary Belgian house and organized a defense. Not long afterwards, the sounds of approaching tank engines grew louder and louder—signaling the arrival of the Panzer Lehr Division. The 130 or so men of Company I were no match for such a force. They fought bravely -- one man knelt with a bazooka in the middle of the street and knocked out the lead tank before return fire cut him down, other men with bazookas accounted for three more – but there were more panzers and too many panzergrenadiers. Captain Wallace gave the order to “Abandon Ship!” He later died leading a small rearguard around the roadblock, keeping an escape route open for his men.
Location
Wardin, Belgium
Battle Name
Battle Narrative
The Siege of Bastogne was an engagement in December 1944 between American and German forces at the Belgian town of Bastogne, as part of the larger Battle of the Bulge. The goal of the German offensive was the harbor at Antwerp. In order to reach it before the Allies could regroup and bring their superior air power to bear, German mechanized forces had to seize the roadways through eastern Belgium. Because all seven main roads in the densely wooded Ardennes highlands converged on Bastogne, just a few miles away from the border with neighboring Luxembourg, control of its crossroads was vital to the German attack. The siege was from 20 to 27 December, until the besieged American forces were relieved by elements of General George Patton's Third Army.
Narrative Source
Combatants
German
American
Additional Information
Scenario Type = Standard
Collection:

Geolocation