This staff ride examines the operations of the US Third Army in the encirclement of Nancy during the 1944 Lorraine Campaign. The field study first overviews the US Army’s breakout from the Normandy beachhead and the subsequent 500-mile pursuit of the German Army to the Moselle River (August 1944). The field study then examines the US Third Army’s various efforts to cross the Moselle River in September 1944. The primary focus is on the US XII Corps. The first portion of the staff ride provides a detailed study of the 80th and 35th Infantry Divisions’ efforts to secure the bridgeheads. The field study then goes on to provide an in-depth examination of the 4th Armored Division’s breakout from the bridgehead and its 35-mile attack to encircle the city of Nancy. Lastly, the study examines the subsequent German counterattacks which became the Battle of Arracourt.
The Encirclement of Nancy Staff Ride is fully exportable to any organization that has access to the Army-authorized gaming software, Virtual Battlespace 3 (VBS3). The exportable package includes full instructor support materials, student readings, and instructions on how to use everything. There are also links to three AUP documentaries about the campaign. Please see below.