The US had a good defensive line along the hill. The Germans did manage to flank it, eventually and the fight was on. The decreased visibility works to the Germans advantage as they used the woods on the flank to maneuver without being hit. When they did close, the US close range fire and German assaults went back and forth numerous times with neither side gaining an advantage until one side suffered loss and demoralization. Even with that happening, in the end the US had a mere 2 point advantage. Draw.

GI's set up dug-in around the perimeter of the southwest hill with one HMG on the 40m summit and the other on the southeastern part of the hill. The US mortars set up to the southwest in the woods behind the front line. The Germans decided to try to use the southern light woods to their benefit and set up all their units as far south as possible. At the start the Germans advanced toward the dug-in GI's and were able to avoid any serious damage on their approach. Over the next couple turns they suffered some disrupted and demoralized units which really took away from their attack. Three Grens and a leader assaulted a dug-in infantry unit, but were immediately demoralized and evicted from the hex with heavy losses. Some of the northernmost American units then left their dug-in positions to pursue the demoralized Huns southeast. For the next few turns both sides spent time rallying units and getting in ineffective shots. The Germans near the southern tip of the hill assaulted a lone dug-in GI infantry platoon, but had no luck and were thrown back with heavy losses. Late in the game the Germans mounted an assault on the same hex they had tried to take previously, but this time the dice went their way and they eliminated the GI's. They then assaulted the nearby mortar units but it was too little, too late. The game ended and the Americans had a major 41-15 victory. Although this one went the Americans way, I could easily see the Germans winning this one with a little more luck. Definitely worth playing more than once.

The set-up for the US suggests that they must spread out on the only hill terrain on B9 (the SW hill only by scenario instructions) to prevent German set-up from "surrounding" them (due to a "no closer than 3-hexes to any US unit prescription"). Neither US nor German leader draws were particularly spectacular. Both sides had two leaders with +1 combat bonus. Visibility is 2-hexes throughout the 12-turn scenario.

German approach is in two groups from the East: the northern one has the HMGs and is intended to pin the US northern units whilst the southern group attempts to approach and infiltrate/defeat US forces on the southern hill/light woods hexes.

Early turns see the Heer manage to get a foothold in the south and a few steps are lost on each side due to OBA and/or compound demoralization. As expected with 7/6 morale, Volksgrenadiers are subject to morale failures, but the limited visibility means that they only need flee a hex or two to evade spotting in order to attempt recovery.

Middle turns see the Germans give as good as they got in the southern area. In particular, the Volksgrenadiers were able to obtain excellent results with modest firepower. Thus, despite about a half-dozen black and red markers on fled units, the 47th VG division had more-or-less claimed the light woods.

Turns 7 & 8 were noted for the US forward artillery observer finally locating his spectacles. Rolls of '2' and '3' on the 30-col BF did for a combined 3 step losses and the 9-1-1 feldwebel. As importantly, this sapped the strength of the attacking forces in the south leaving the Germans only able to hold ground whilst US units recovered.

The US pushed an INF+LT out to allow OBA in subsequent turns to pound German units that had been recovering in the north (i.e. the HMGs!). The 47th VG was able to infiltrate a reduced INF onto the Northern foothills.

At game end, the US held a rough hexagon of hexes and controlled a few periphery hexes whilst the VGs held a good section of the woods and a few northern hexes.

German 47th VG: 11 hexes x 2 + 6 US steps = 28 VPs US 1st INF: 10 hexes x 2 + 10 German steps = 30 VPs

One hex was contested by an ongoing assault.