Notes: 1. We are playing the spotting rules AS WRITTEN. Thus, elevation advantage of itself is NOT treated as being limiting terrain; it does grant spotting range increases and -1 drm to AT fire when directed from a unit at lower elevation against one on higher. We like the way this plays as it opens up the battlefield and allows the GER side some better use of its longer range ATF which helps mitigate the typical massive UK advantage in OBA. 2. British player flipped 12 of 14 leaders drawn to the "better" side. 3. We noted the possibility of the GER side playing for a draw as the UK must inflict six steps loses for victory (and hold three of the five town hexes). So we agreed that neither side interprets its orders as just hunkering down and riding it out.

Play Errata: played the Achilles as though they were both full strength, not reduced.

Heer units move towards a roadblock along the northern road towards St. Manvieu. This attack has been decimated by OBA and the on-board mortars. German side rolled boxcars (12) twice in succession during a compound morale check. So much for vaunted 9/8 morale.

SS Gren attack along the southern road was met by three UK RIFs and some armour. The armour was broken up by PZ-IVH and Marder fire and the Grens have inflicted two step loses on RIFs. The presence of a +2 morale UN captain, however, has effectively recovered any morale loses. UK return fire has killed a step of the Marder. Air DF (drew the +2 ATF plane) disrupted one step of Heer PZ-IVH, but double-fives rolled for the ATK --- whew! from the German crews as their vehicles rocked from the near misses.

So after turn three: * German southern attack going reasonably well, but still several hexes away from St. Manvieu. * German northern attack stymied. * Germans hopes of advancing armour up close behind a heavy rain (low spotting range) has not panned out: will likely have to trust to fate in order to lure out the UK armor still hidden in the town.

Turns 4 & 5:

British & Germans armor exchange long range fire, but British have an advantage firing from within Dug-In or Town hexes. Germans lose a second Marder step and two Heer Pz-IV steps to fire from 17-lbr and Firefly. Germans take out two Achilles steps (two killed previously) and a step each of an M-4 and Firefly. Waffen SS DF and Assault destroy four RIF steps and two leaders blocking the southern road approach. Heavy British OBA on turn 5, however (two 42-col and a 30-col) kill two Grenadier steps and demoralize the half-step HMG. Germans rolled no OBA after turn 1.

At this point, the British have killed the requisite six steps for victory, have a disrupted half-step of M4; disrupted half-step of Firefly; a good order full step of M4 (kept hidden in a western town hex) and still most of their infantry. The Scots Borderers were subject to morale reduction 7/7 due to step losses.

The Germans have two good order Pz-IV steps and the Stug-IIIH + 2.5 Waffen SS Gren + 2 Heer Gren.

Loses:

British: Captain; Lt; 3xRIF; 2xAchilles (note these had erroneously been played as starting as full strength not reduced); 1xSherman; 0.5xFirefly; 1xBren; 1x6-lbr for a total of 7 steps of INF/guns; 7 steps of armor; 1 step of Bren. 22 countable step losses.

German: SS-Haupsturmfuhrer; 1.5 SS-Gren; 1xMarder; 1xPz-IVH(Heer) for a total of 3 INF step losses and 4 steps of armor. 11 countable step losses.

Although the Germans might have been able to regroup and make an attempt to close on St. Manvieu, the OBA disruption and kills on turn 5 make it unlikely that the requisite three town hexes could be contested, much less controlled, particularly with only four turns remaining. Two would have been required even to reach an adjacent hex preparatory to an assault even assuming no DIS/DEM from DF and/or OBA.

I think the best chance for the German force in this action would be an early series of very low visibility numbers from rain coupled with some poor artillery draw rolls on the part of the British. Due to the mud restricting movement, the British can effectively delay by placing road blocks that are covered by their armor in the town hexes.