Victory Conditions: Each side must clear the hilltop or eliminate the most steps with the German count being doubled.

Initial Set-Up: Smoke is available to both sides. British start with Initiative 4 and the Germans Initiative 2. The German 88mm is dug-in in the light woods on top of Hill 112. German Pz IVHs approach hill from southwest and Panthers from the southeast. British units begin in Baron, a town northwest of hill. British Infantry are loaded on APCs. British will attempt to charge the 88mm AA with its tanks and eliminate it before the artillery can fire a second round.

9:00am: The first Sherman that climbs hill is hit and reduced by the 88. It doesn’t disrupt and continues its approach. The remaining armor follows the trail to the center of the hill. The Panthers move north to approach the hill from the east. The loaded British APCs move east along the trail to the north of the hill to stay out of sight. The Germans lay a line of smoke and the Pz IVHs climb the hill on the southwest. Hopefully, the smoke will last.

9:30am: The smoke disappears leaving the Pz IVHs exposed. The Shermans fire twelve salvos and manage to reduce and disrupt both Pz IVH Units. The 88mm blasts an adjacent Firefly. It is reduced but doesn’t disrupt. Instead of using Direct Fire against the dug-in 88mm the British armor charges and assaults the German artillery. The high German morale keeps the 88 from disrupting. Meanwhile the British infantry dismount and climb the hill to the north along with a Firefly. When the Firefly summits it is seen by the Panthers and the Panthers easily shred the Firefly. The Pz IVHs retreat off the hill to re-group.

9:45am: The infantry advance south. Shermans move closer to engage the 88mm at point blank Direct Fire. The 88mm kills another Sherman. The Pz IVHs rally.

10:00am: Finally, the Sherman’s Direct Fire eliminates the 88s although the German Lieutenant manages to escape. The Pz IVHs combine. The Panthers move back north and are immediately flanked on three sides with Shermans and the infantry. With the British high Initiative, they will assault before the Panthers can react.

10:15am: The Germans get Initiative! The Panthers shoot uphill into the adjacent hex with three Sherman Units. They manage to destroy ALL THREE Shermans! The Infantry then assault the Panthers. The reconstituted Pz IVH moves north using the hill to conceal it from fire.

10:30am: The infantry continues to assault the Panthers, but the Panthers still have a lot of fight left. Meanwhile the Pz IVH continues its advance north while the British armor in the middle of the hill waits.

10:45am: The Stuart IV joins the assault just as the infantry call it quits and retreat out of the assault hex. The APCs are chasing the German Lieutenant who is trying to find a target for the German OBA.

11:00am: The Panthers eliminate the outclassed Stuart and rally. The Lieutenant is finally overrun by the APCs. The Germans prepare for the final charge to the hilltop.

End of Game: The Pz IVH charges uphill from the west. It takes all the British armor’s opportunity fire to destroy the German’s western advance. This leaves the Panthers to the east an unopposed advance.

Neither side cleared the hilltop. The British lose 23 steps and the German’s only lose 5 steps. The German count is doubled to 10 but they clearly inflicted more steps than they lost so the victory goes to the Germans.

Lessons Learned: Smoke works better for the side with higher Initiative. The German Lieutenant needs to free itself from the 88 and act as a forward observer. A British leader needs to advance to be a FO to possibly eliminate the 88 using OBA. Like all armor, the Panthers are vulnerable to Assault but with a DF value of 11 they will take out a lot of infantry before they go down. The Germans should attempt to eliminate easy British steps and make a final run for the top of the hill toward the end of the game.