PMZ Campaign: Orleans 3

Report from General Obstfelder,
commanding First Army
The third battle for Orleans, dated December 24th 1944

General Knobelsdorff has been out of communication since his command centre was overrun on 17th December. Information on the battle is sketchy but it appears he deployed on a ridgeline with armour and infantry spread out along the front overlooking open ground. He had no heavy tanks available, but they were supported by two companies of Jg Pz4s.

The Americans attacked in mass and, while their lead units were forced back by accurate fire, the American airforce pounded our positions in great numbers, disrupting our front elements. Taking advantage of this, the Americans pushed forward with their second line and overran our forward positions, causing units all along the line to fall back. The Volkssturm units proved particularly unreliable.

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The view from behind the German positions. In the foreground, the German units are withdrawing, badly damaged. The American airforce are bombing the remaing units on the ridge while their troops at the rear are poised to break through.

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The Americans then committed their final reserve which punched though our line, overrunning the command centre and opening a wide corridor though our lines, precipitating the entire Korps to retreat. This in turn caused the First Army to withdraw to the river Seine.

I have been placed in command of First Army and am fortifying positions along the banks of the Seine with those units I have remaining.