On Christmas Day I started pushing counters on "A Manhay Christmas" - thus, on the anniversary.

The Germans set the StuG and Panther platoons dug in on the northern slope of the big hill on Board 25, with good fields of fire to Board 22, and widely spaced to make crossfire harder to achieve. On Board 24, the ATG's set up on the forward edges of the east and west ridges, with the ATG in Town 1105 accompanied by a GREN for protection. The mortars set up well back in the light woods out of LOS but still in range of the town, and the balance of the infantry (including both HMG's) set up in Manhay, occupying every hex and doubling up where able.

The Amis set up their armor and non-halftracked infantry dug in near the south edge of Board 22, with the M4's in position to advance to crossfire positions on the Panther and the TD's (and M4/76's) in range of the StuG. The M3's - in 3 stacks, each stack carrying one INF and one HMG - started further back in the towns, hidden in that limiting terrain until the AT fire threats were neutralized.

That happened soon enough. The first US shot, despite firing uphill at the dug-in StuG, reduced and disrupted it. Its return fire accomplished naught before it was eliminated in Turn 2. The Panther was tougher, dropping a step of M4's before they even got moving, and taking out several more as they set up their crossfire (eased by the removal of the StuG from the equation) and began their AT barrages. Eventually the TD's, freed early from other obligations, had to come over to assist, and the M4's had to move adjacent. Once the Panther was out of the way, the non-mounted infantry advanced to the south brow of the large hill, and the still-numerous US armor advanced under cover of light woods, with a couple of units drawing close enough to the ATG's to draw fire. Once located, the 75/41 was taken out by OBA (and its accompanying infantry sent fleeing) while the 75mm lasted a little longer before also knuckling under the big guns. Meanwhile, the halftrack infantry had been advancing while out of LOS of any ATG's, until they were gone (though once in a while the 20mm AA would get a shot with its "0" AT strength against the "0" of an M3 - but it was locked into assault as soon as possible.)

The foot sloggers approached Manhay as quickly and cohesively as they could, under fire from mortars and then infantry as they closed on the town. The units lucky enough to reach adjacency intact jumped into an assault along with some armor, in the strongest German defense hex - an assault which was still in progress at game's end, and which the Germans generally got the better of. Meanwhile a second powerful assault entered the northern tip of the town, while the halftracked infantry motored to the south end of town. Though suffering from point-blank DF and mortars when they dismounted, eventually that group got several more assaults underway. Finally, a couple of armored platoons jumped two 81mm mortars, removing them from the ranks of bombardment fire for the rest of the game (but somehow not eliminating them until the final turn.)

For a long time, the German defenders hung on doggedly in Manhay. It was not until Turn 16 that two hexes were ground down to empty, and there were no undisrupted Germans that could move in and re-start assaults without emptying their own hexes. At the end of the final turn, besides the US-controlled (and German-controlled) hexes there were still three assaults in progress - the original one, plus two that were down to one reduced GREN each for the harried SS.

By virtue of holding two hexes of Manhay - and with no Germans anywhere near crossroads 0709 on Board 25 (a victory consideration I quite frankly forgot about when setting up the Germans), the Americans scored a Minor Victory - they lost well over the 10 steps the Germans needed to take out to deny a Major win, even without counting tanks double. But the GI's weren't very far from failing to grab the two hexes, and thus losing outright.

Final losses, in steps:

American - 5 M4, 1 M4/76, 5 INF, 1 ENG - plus 1 leader

German - 2 StuG-IIIG, 2 Panther, 1 75mm, 1 75/41, 2 81mm mortar, 6 GREN, 2 HMG, 1 SK9, 2 Truck - plus 3 leaders.

This is an excellent scenario - lots going on, and seems pretty well balanced.