Low Vosges Nightmare - Operation Nordwind

Welcome to LOW VOSGES NIGHTMARE, a depiction of the bitter battle that took place in Wingen, a town at the foothills of the Low Vosges during early January, 1945. Wingen sits in a small valley along the Moder River between Bitche to the north and Saverne to the south. Described in the following bucolic terms, “...the village and the surrounding area looked very much like a winter scene one might expect to find on a Christmas card back home. Smoke rising from a few chimneys made the houses appear warm and inviting...” Wingen would erupt on 3 January 1945 and become the focal-point of Operation Nordwind.

This module consists of eight scenarios, all playable on a new ‘winterized’ historical map. This new map is not indentical to the previous ‘green’ paper edition and has remastered levels, buildings and uses a KGP-style woods, icy river fills, and more. Ownership of the ASLRB, plus modules providing American and German Nationalities is required.

The stirring drive by Patton’s 3rd Army is credited by many historians with being the decisive blow that saved Allied armies during Hitler’s Wacht Am Rhein offensive, aka “The Battle of the Bulge”. The re-deployment of the 3rd Army also played a part in the next act in the play known as the waning days of the Third Reich. Hitler, von Rundstedt and Blascowitz looked to the Alsace region for what would be the final major attack on the Western Front following the failed Ardennes offensive.

On December 22, 1944 plans were laid for a New Year’s Eve offensive code named “Nordwind.” Four German infantry divisions were to attack east of Bitche with the aim of capturing the Wingen-Wimmeneau-Ingweiler road. Success of this first stage would allow armored units to erupt from the Low Vosges mountains and push into a bridgehead across the Rhine north of Strasbourg.

During the first days of January 1945 German forces pushed out of the Low Vosges forests to capture the towns that lay along the snow-covered route of attack. One of these towns was Wingen, along the Moder River. American units there were initially caught by surprise as battle-hardened troopers from the 6th SS Mountain Division stormed in and captured the town. American reinforcements were soon pouring in from the west and the south and despite bitter fighting, by January 5th the German offensive had been brought to a standstill. Lacking exits from the Vosges, planned armored reserves stood idle and Operation Nordwind ended in failure.

What you get with each copy:

A set of 10 scenarios set on the winterized historical map

Color special rules in 3-hole format

Three sheets of color, die-cut counters, 648 in all > including a brand new 280 ½" Winter 6th SS Mountain Division sheet - with Infantry not included on the upcoming Nationality sheet + brand new 88 5/8" counter sheet -- all the German and AFV/Guns needed to play the scenarios + an addititonal BONUS counters sheet: Winter US Bulge Infantry 2016, another 280 ½" die cut counters~!

Color folio

An all new 'winterized' historical map on 4 boards with many changes over the previous 'greenie' edition, including more detailed village terrain! Ships in 1-2 weeks.