After an uneasy night, all hell broke lose when German Hitler Jugend troops found themselves in assault range of the American 99th Infantry Division.

With dawn breaking, the Germans immediately neutralized all American vehicles. However, while this was happening, the Americans made a strong bid for the Northern town. Defending SS troops suffered great losses and building by building, they lost control of the northern town. Two platoons of Panthers that came to the rescue of the Hitler Jugend couldn’t even slow the Americans down and were demolished within minutes.

Meanwhile, threatening units of the 12th Volksgrenadier took up positions on the eastern wooded hills but they were wiped out when a tremendous artillery barrage kept pounding them for more than an hour. Not one German unit or leader survived this rain of hell.

At 9.30, firing ceased and a stand-off ensued. The Americans had a tight hold on the northern village, whilst a few rugged SS and 2 platoons of PzIV held the southern town. Both sides had not the means nor the intentions of attacking the other because of the other side’s artillery threat. And so VP were counted and the Americans took it 45-39. All could have been very different were it not for the murderous american artillery support. Or as my opponent pointed out after the battle : «Es hat Hölle geregnet ! »