[img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/e7ca6972533d34c1775440a304751bba7eb04326.png[/img] In December 1944, the situation in the cold Ardennes was heating up. The German troops did not give up trying, if they could not push the combined Allied forces back into the English Channel, they would at least halt their advance and fortify their own positions. One of the towns on the route of the German counter-offensive was Bastogne, where the main roads through the mountains converged. The U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division, supported by tanks and field artillery, heroically held the town’s defense despite their limited resources and bad weather conditions. Even after the siege, the battle for the town continued for almost a month as Allied reinforcements arrived, putting an end to the entire German counter-offensive. [h1]New mission - Mountain Pass[/h1] The Siege of Bastogne and other battles of the winter of 1944 in the Ardennes have become a new source of inspiration for us. Bone-chilling cold, deserted outskirts of a serene European town, networks of trenches and hastily set up field camps of the Allied forces in the middle of the forest - you'll be able to explore all of these in the new mission "Mountain Pass". [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/b5f1d54faf0539b7e593767e191f2446b5bf6b33.png[/img] The war has already left its mark on these once peaceful places - destroyed tanks and abandoned vehicles scattering the landscape. And the closer you move to the strategically important transportation hub, the more of them you'll see. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/9e9825c8c0d6df6d1f9169961fac974716f18c11.png[/img] Both sides have numerous reliable covers and just as many ways to bypass them. Typically, due to the difficult terrain. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/f47f2a7e2aac302ea14e8e945860b49c61ad07ba.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/02fa2fb3067ccc514303e0cea6df234e02d4446f.png[/img] The height difference makes it impossible to see the entire battlefield from a single point, but tanks can cover all the main directions along the roads. To avoid being caught in the crossfire, tank commanders will need ingenuity. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/5f4a0b7250abc0074d8ee48965f5605edd66b2d4.png[/img] Among mountains and fortifications, the infantry will have an easier time, because where a tank would get stuck, a soldier can get through without any problems. [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/4fb5e69273b23b014e25d1f845ba73335ffdff59.png[/img] [img]https://clan.cloudflare.steamstatic.com/images//44849866/6bbc91b2a8381af4bcc61238bfd5099ca57549e4.png[/img] The pinnacle of the entire offensive will be the battles for the railway station and the administration building - the key structures of this impregnable region. Bring warm clothes, commanders!