The 8 turn scenario forces the US to push down a road into ajacent hex range in order to have a chance in this little gem. Germans hold a town with 4 entrenchments and 3 strongpoints and a force of 5 Grens, 1 HMG, an 81mm mortar, a 20mm gun, a 75mm AT gun, wagons to tow the guns, and a StuG IIIG, with 2 16 fctor OBAs. The US attacks with 5 Inf, an Eng, 2 HMGs, 2 M4s, 2 M4/76s, 2 M5s, an81mm mortar, and 9 halftracks. The Germans set up the entrenchments south of town starting adjacent to but not blocking the road and then to the northeast and northwest hexes still adjacent to the town. I randonly drew and placed the 3 stronpoints without looking at them, the first blocking the road at the south edge of town, the other two northeast and northwest in the first two town hexes. A Gren and the 20mm gun went in the entrenchment to the left of the road, the 75mm AT and a Gren in the entrenchment to the left of the road, an infantry in each of the other 2 entrenchments, and the mortar and HMG in the middle of town at 0709, and lastly the StuG at 0710, hoping to ambush or assault anything that got into town. The US started down the road with the M5s leading as happened historically, followed by the Shermans and then the halftracks. I kept the Major, an infantry and an engineer dismounted and moving forward to the left and the Cpt and 2 infantry dismounted and moving forward on the right. The mortar moved up for one turn before dismounting on the road hex in the edge of the woods where his LT coul also spot for OBA. The plan worked pretty well, and while the first two turns saw the 75mm AT gun roll moified 13s, killing both M5s early, OBA and direct fire killed both AT and AA guns, allowing the armor to assault the first town hex and the Major with his stack to assault the first entrenchment on the left. As it happened, the 3 strongpoints pulled and placed were 1 3-4 nd 2 unoccupied, so the assault on the one blocking the road opened the door and there ended up being nothing immediately beyond the door to stop the US attack. The Major on the US left and the captain on the US right assaulted entrenchements, the Major not so lucky even with the engineers but the captain took his with little trouble after the AT gun had already been destroyed by OBA and the infantry was demoralized. Tanks and haltracks ran into town to soften up defended hexes while one infantry/hmg/halftrack stack was assaulted by the last German defenders in town being the German captain leading a Gren, an HMG and the StuG. German rolls 7, US rolls 3, StuG loses a step and everyone else is disrupted or demoralized. In the end, the US holds 2 entrenchments an 3 town hexes, with 14 German step losses, vs the Germans holding 12 points of town hexes, the remaining town and entrenchment hexes being challenged in assaults, and the US having lost only the 8 steps from the M5s, 27 points to 20, US marginal win. The muddy conditions and bad weather, aside from keeping vehicles on the road and slightly slowing down foot troops, had little overall effect. I did discover that one assault on an entrenchment included a US Sherman that shouldnt have been there due to the mud but only as I pulled the counters from the board. Count that overzealous tank platoon as having bogged down but maintained their firepower in support of the infantry and engineers. Great little game.

Author	Blackcloud6
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany
Play Date	2022-05-12
Language	English
Scenario	InoG018

Set this one up to play a quick game in an afternoon. The Germans defended the town in typical fashion with the bunkers on the flanks supported by entrenchments. The Stug III platoon and ATG were in the forward town hexes supported by Grenadiers and the HMG>

The Americans attacked with the M5s in the lead as they did historically and then brought in the Shermans followed by the Armored Infantry. The Americans attempted to get as much on board as possible to maximize firepower but got clobbered by direct and indirect fires in the first few turns. However they were able to wear down the Germans over time and gained a foothold in the town, took out two Strongpoints and than gained two trenches. But US casualties were too high and the Germans controlled too many VP hexes. It ended in a major German victory.

Maybe it is better for the US to just come in with a few leaders and pound the German positions with artillery and then attack. Also, for balance, the Germans should get less, or even no, VPs for holding town/entrenchment hexes.

Yet the scenario was fun, it didn't bog down at any point.

Copied over from older game into the new version:

*When I set this scenario up, I noticed you should pull the counters from Elsenborn Ridge not Battle of the Bulge as it requires an M4/76 and I pulled my German counters from Cassino for the Strong Point counters. I also thought how can the Americans win this, with only eight turns, Mud that keeps all the Vehicles on the South Road and both side with equal Artillery?

*Ok, let give it a shot and see? I tried doing what the historical conclusion said in the scenario and charged all three units/counters of M5-Stuarts right down the Road but with different results, as the StugIIIG & the 75mm gun took out all 6 steps worth. Now I am thinking this will be a waste of effort but I must continue trying. So I moved 2 M4 & 1 M4/76 Sherman Counters adjacent to the Germans, as everything that could hurt them, already activated, so I would hope to activate first next turn and keep all my Infantry loaded in the M3 Halftracks, safe from German Artillery but close to the jumping off point for action. However I did unload one stack of Infantry, to spot for their Artillery. The Germans had I nice defense, with entrenchments, Strong-Points and city hexes but their forces are not very strong.

*With some luck, the Americans rolled very high on their next activation, taking out the StugIIIG with six shots from the stack of 75mm & 76mm Shermans, then the American Artillery demoralized the German 75mm gun as well. Now things are looking a little better for the Americans and a hole is being to open for them. *With the proceeding turns they are able to take Three entrenchments, and two town hexes and leave two town hexes being contested. With the combine Infantry, Artillery & Armor, they work a little magic.

*The Germans lost the following steps: 2-StugIIIG, 1- 75mm, 1-strongPoints , 4-Infantry, 2-HMG, 1-20mm, 2-Wagons, 2-Leaders, which equaled 13 point for the Americans. *The Americans lost the following steps: 6-M5/Stuarts, 1-Infantry, Which equals 13 points for the Germans. *Remember tanks steps count double! *Town hex points: 6-German, 6-American, (2- hexes contested, no point for those). *Entrenchment points: 6-American, 2-German. *Total points: Americans 25, Germans 21. Only a four point difference which results in a draw! So close for the Americans, as one more point would have done it, but time ran out.

*This played out much closer then I thought it ever would and with only eight turns, the Americans are very hard pressed, especially in the muddy conditions. But this is a fast playing scenario to try out and is a good one to play solo, with a low unit count. You never know what scenarios might surprise you!