The History
MMP’s upcoming Heroes of Rochelinval HASL highlights the Battle for Rochelinval (Belgium) fought in January 1945 during the Battle of the Bulge as German forces withdrew across the Salm River on the northern shoulder of the Ardennes offensive. Rochelinval, a small hamlet above the river, covered the last active German bridgehead in the area, and the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion (attached to the 82nd Airborne)—already badly depleted by earlier fighting and extreme cold—was ordered to capture and hold it to cut off the retreat.
The attack began early in the morning and immediately ran into intense machine-gun, mortar, and artillery fire with little effective artillery support available. A Company suffered catastrophic losses in the initial push, and the battalion commander, Lieutenant Colonel Wood Joerg, was mortally wounded while observing the battle. Despite heavy casualties, B and C Companies pressed forward, and the Americans fought into the village in close combat.
By midday, the 551st had taken Rochelinval and captured more than 400 German prisoners, sealing the bridgehead. The action ended the battalion’s Bulge fighting and helped close a key German escape route, but the unit was left nearly destroyed by the combined effects of combat and exposure.
Module Contents (New)
(The following information is courtesy of Jean-Marc Palmier, the module designer.)
Rochelinval is a small village in the Ardennes that sits on the Salm River, a stream that runs north/south. It has the only bridge between Trois-Ponts and Grand Halleux and thus saw the German army pass through it three times during WW2: once in May 1940, then again in December 1944, and finally in January 1945 when they retreated through the area.
This Heroes of Rochelinval HASL mini-module consists of the following:
- One 23” x 32” HASL map depicting the village of Rochelinval and environs in the summer
- One 23” x 32” HASL map depicting the village of Rochelinval and environs in the winter
- 10 scenarios
- 6 are played on the HASL map(s)
- 4 are played on mini-maps included on the scenario cards
- An information map (not playable) that describes the general area around Rochelinval, showing the relative locations of the 10 scenarios and various HASL maps, as well as the movements of the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion between January 3 and 7, 1945 (see last image in gallery below).
- We are thinking of adding a Campaign Game, depicting the events of January 6, 7 and 8 1945 and played on the Rochelinval Winter map.
- It hasn’t been decided yet whether to include this Rochelinval in the KGP Reprint, or to sell it as a standalone pack (Action Pack style) or include it in an ASL Journal.
- Release date: Unknown
The summer map is used for the May 1940 and December 1944 scenarios. The winter map is used for the January 1945 scenarios.
The main ‘protagonist’ in this module is the 551st Parachute Infantry Battalion, an independent battalion attached to the 82nd Airborne Division. They are present in 5 of the 10 scenarios. This unit suffered through absolute hell during those six cold days in the Ardennes forest, going from 643 men to 110 men in just six days, a staggering 83% casualty rate. The 551st, being an independent battalion, was kind of the ‘bastard child’ of the Airborne force and often didn’t receive adequate support in terms of artillery and armor. For various reasons, their feats of arms never received the widespread recognition that other Airborne units enjoyed, and they remain to this day a relatively unknown unit.
When I read the book Messengers of the Lost Battalion: The Heroic 551st and the Turning of Tide at the Battle of the Bulge by Gregory Orfalea, I was fascinated by their accomplishments and felt compelled to tell their story by developing an ASL mini-module for them. As I researched the subject, I realized that the area of Rochelinval saw even more action throughout WW2, and I included the events of May 1940 and December 1944. Even Peiper himself and his surviving troops from Kampfgruppe Peiper went through the area on December 25, 1944, while retreating towards German lines, and ran into elements of the US 505th PIR. This is the subject of one of the scenarios.
Other units present in the scenarios include the 505th PIR and 517th PIR (also from 82nd Airborne), the Belgian Chasseurs Ardennais, the 62nd Volksgrenadier Division, the 18th VGD, the 1st SS Panzer-Division LAH, and the 9th SS Panzer-Division Hohenstaufen.
As more information becomes available, I’ll update this article.
(Updated: June 26, 2026)
Academy out!
GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!! 
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I enjoy HASL modules, and “Heroes of Rochelinval” looks like a great addition to the series.
On the WNDY Podcast from 24 June, Brian and Curt were discussing the matter. Either adding Rochelinval to the future KGP release or as a mini-HASL in a future Journal. Another item was discussed was the need for a CG to go with it.
Addendum:
Two ASL Scenarios cover this action:
GOYA, G18, The General, Volume 29, Number 2
Victory at a High Price, GJ142, Grumble Jones
Also, in May 1940, Belgian Troops tried to stop the German Invasion.
Of all the rumored asl stuff in the pipeline, this one I’m most excited about. Beautiful maps. Interesting subject. Not too big. Themed scenarios. mini pocket scenarios. Sold!!