Beyond the Rhine: The Campaign for Northwest Europe, September 1944 - April 1945^*

Beyond the Rhine is volume 14 of the Operational Combat Series: a huge simulation of the Western Front from September 1944 to April 1945 for seasoned wargamers.

What's it about?

After a string of heavy defeats, the German army falls back to the Westwall. The Allies expect to be home by Christmas. They won't be. Rough terrain, foul weather and German stubbornness largely offset Allied material superiority. Battles such as Market Garden, the Hürtgen Forest, the Bulge, Nordwind and Remagen don't stand alone here. They are part of one connected front.

Scale and components

• Hexes of 3.5 miles, turns of half a week
• Units from battalion to division
• Four maps, roughly 44 x 66 inches in total
• More than 1,000 combat units
• 58 random events such as fuel shortages, lost couriers or rail strikes

Special rules

Rhine bridges can be blown and repaired, and pontoons can span the river. Allied air power is built into the terrain and weather charts. The Ruhr, the Saar and the port of Antwerp matter through simple economic rules. The Ardennes offensive gets its own rules for off-map buildup and surprise. Optional rules add even more detail, for example German Kampfgruppen.

Scenarios

1. The full campaign: 4 maps, 70 turns
2. Fall '44 and Spring '45, each with a Montgomery or Bradley version: 2 maps
3. Ardennes campaign: 4 maps, 40 turns
4. Smaller scenarios such as Operation Queen, Nordwind or a Bulge game on a dedicated map

Conclusion

A monster in the best sense. If you know OCS and have room for four maps, you get the whole Western Front in one box. Defensive-minded players will feel at home on the German side. Newcomers should look elsewhere: the full campaign takes dozens of hours.