Each task force commander in Patton’s 3rd Army controlled a group of scout cars, Stuart tanks, Shermans and motorized infantry. A number of steep ridges would shield our advance on the rear of the German armored column, and there were only two bridges that led into Bastogne.

Each turn began with all commanders rolling a six-sided die to determine the number of action points available to them. Overall initiative was determined by which team had the most 6s. Commanders and task force leaders could distribute some of their action points to their junior officers, allowing them to perform more actions per turn. However, a defending player could interrupt an opponent’s action if they won initiative, which would later have costly implications for my Stuart tanks!

Combat was simple, and players rolled six-sided dice to simulate an attack. Only 6s counted as hits, and it took one hit to destroy light tanks or infantry, two hits for medium tanks and three hits for heavy tanks. It also cost points to move or rally troops pinned down by enemy fire. Army group commanders could also call for a smoke barrage, artillery support and air cover. Units in cover behind a hill or in a forest reduced an opponent’s firepower by half.

"It’s about rolling a lot of dice," Panzeri said. "Everyone gets the chance to kill and be killed." In this case, the Germans did most of the killing! Emulating the German concept of schwerpunkt, Joe, the overall 3rd Army commander decided to allocate the majority of his forces to a powerful attack on the left flank, leaving only a few tanks to screen his right flank. The Germans took a surprising course of action, and deployed all their tanks forward, leaving none to guard against the oncoming 3rd Army. The panzers hoped to make a quick dash across the two bridges on the frozen river, and seize Bastogne before our relief forces could arrive.