The Relief of Peiper

by GeneralHowitzer | Jul 21, 2026 | 1944, Armor, Artillery, Combat Cards, Infantry, Location: Belgium, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Western, Winter, Winter Wars

The Relief of Peiper

Relief-of-Peiper_terrain

Relief-of-Peiper_overview

Relief-of-Peiper_Axis_right

Relief-of-Peiper_Axis_left

Relief-of-Peiper_Axis_center

Relief-of-Peiper_Allies_right

Relief-of-Peiper_Allies_left

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The Germans threw everything they had into one last gamble to rescue Peiper’s trapped Panzers at La Gleize. They failed. American infantry, paratroopers, and armor slammed the door shut, cutting off every road to freedom. Out of fuel, out of options, Peiper abandoned his tanks and slipped away on foot, leaving behind the pride of Hitler’s armored force. The relief never came—and with it died the momentum of Germany’s last great offensive in the West.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 4

Complexity:

Conditions:

Winter

Context:

Historical

Location:

Ardennes Forest

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, plus the Axis can gain a medal by exiting off the back row

Battlefield:

Winter countryside with trees, hills, and an impassable river

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, 2 Artillery

Axis – 9 Infantry, 3 Armor

Special Rules:

1. Winter Weather – all units can only move two hexes

2. Blow Up Bridges – Allies can sacrifice one sectional card to blow up a bridge in that section; but they forfeit one Command Card for the rest of the game.

3. Winter Combat Cards – each side starts with one Winter Combat card, which can be used anytime with the other Command card played. Each time a Recon (sectional) card is played, you can choose one more Winter Combat card.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Prevent the Axis forces from exiting out the back row!

2. The Allied Artillery are absolutely critical to prevent the forward advance of the Axis.

3. If the Axis are pushing hard toward the back exits, you can blow up a bridge in that section by forfeiting a section card.

4. Eliminating the German tanks is critical so that they can no longer shoot at you across the river.

5. Don’t forget to use the Winter Combat cards in conjunction with your regular Command cards at every opportunity. They can give you a great competitive edge.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. The Axis Infantry can make a great push up the center with the right set of cards. But make use of the forests and towns to advance forward. But you need to cross the bridges before the Allies blow them.

2. Keep pushing forward toward the Exit hexes.

3. The left section also presents a great opportunity for a forward assault.

4. Don’t forget to use the Winter Combat cards in conjunction with your regular Command cards at every opportunity. They can give you a great competitive edge.

Author:

Link:

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Resistance on the Scheldt

by GeneralHowitzer | May 7, 2025 | 1940, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Infantry, Location: Belgium, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic

Escaut - Schelde: Resistance on the Scheldt

May 1940—Belgium. The Ghent bridgehead’s gone, the line’s buckling, and the enemy’s coming fast. But those Belgian boys? They didn’t flinch. They stood tall along the Upper Scheldt, and by God, they fought like hell.

May 20th, the Germans tried to cross near Gavere and Oudenaarde, slipping through the Scheldt loop. But the 10th Belgian Infantry Division wasn’t having it. They hit back hard at Zingem, backed by dead-on artillery, and shoved the enemy right back across that river like yesterday’s garbage.

Meanwhile, the British Expeditionary Force was dug in south of Oudenaarde, watching the flank all the way to the French border. And when it came time to blow the bridges? They did it right—every span destroyed, nothing left for the Nazis to use. That’s how you do a withdrawal—scorched and smoking.

But the Germans weren’t done. After licking their wounds at Zingem, they regrouped behind the Koppenberg and came back swinging on May 21—infantry, Luftwaffe, and the river running low enough to wade. Despite a hell of a stand by the Brits, the Krauts got a foothold. That foothold became a push—toward the Lys, toward the coast, toward the final stand.

May 28, King Leopold III surrendered. Belgium was down—but not for lack of courage.

You want to talk guts? Talk Zingem. Talk the Scheldt. Talk men who held the line until the last minute. The field was set, the players were in position, and history came charging through the smoke.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5

Axis – 6

Complexity:

Conditions:

Countryside

Context:

Historical

Location:

Belgium

Year:

1940

Theater:

Western

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, plus Exit Rows for Axis; a town medal for Allies, and a Permanent Medal if the Allies blow up two bridges.

Battlefield:

Countryside with a river cutting across the field.

Troops:

Allies – 9 Infantry, some with machine guns, 1 Artillery

Axis – 9 Infantry, some with machine guns and mortars , 2 Armor, 1 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

Axis Strategy

Battle Reports

Author:

Originally prepared for Belgium 2022; also used in The Finest Hour Open, Chicago 2025

Link:

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