*It’s been since August since my last play in Elsenborn Ridge, one of my all time favorite PG games, so I was longing for playing another scenario. I used the winter maps as well!

*This scenario looked tough for the Americans but win lose or draw I like playing this game. The point objectives for both side is for control of hex 1105 on map 24 for 10 points, town hexes on board 22 for 2 points or 3 points depending on which side and eliminated units. The major problem for the American is that the Germans start setup and controlling the board, with a couple of Panther units & a Pz IVH unit with Infantry, HMGs, 81mms, SPW 251 and off board Artillery. But worst of all, minefields, 9 of them! Hey but this will still be fun trying. The Americans have just a few more Infantry units then the Germans but their off-board Artillery is pretty strong. Their armor consists of the following units: 2 M4, 1 M4/76, 1 M4/105 & a reduced M36. No engineers either!

*The Americans enter on the West side with just their Infantry at first, trying to skirt the hills as cover. Once they gather enough strength, they charge up the hill in groups, trying to pry the prized St. Edouard Sanitorium town hex from the Germans but run into minefields, tank/artillery/Infantry fire. The Americans are already taking losses but call in their own artillery fire and bring in all their armor to take some pressure off their Infantry. A lot will depends on who activates first in the next round for the armor part of this battle.

*The Americans do active first but the M36 & M4/76 score zero penetration hits but surprisingly one of the M4 75’s rolls a 12 score and a hit on a Panther unit, as the Panther was also on a hill hex, but hey I’ll take the points where ever I can get them. The Americans also assaulted the other Panther unit, to keep it occupied and took out a German Infantry step and a SPW 251 and the hex # 1105 was a disrupted mess but this was the high level mark for the Americans. The next couple of turns reversed the American gains, as the Germans pulled more units from other areas of the map to reinforce the hex 1105 area. The mines began to take a total on the American Infantry and the point blank direct fire as well. The Panther pulled out the Assault hex, the Pz IVH joined the Battle and the Americans lost the M4/76, M36 & M4/105 units.

*Presently the Americans are too weak to attain any objectives and must pull out with artillery cover and the two M4 75mms or risk totally being destroyed. Time to call the battle; pull the units out, as tomorrow is another day. This is a difficult battle for the Americans, it can be won, but I bet only one in four times. My weaker American tanks survived the Battle but not the higher AT valued armor. The Infantry got pounded trying to get through the mine field with all kinds of direct fire. Yes the American Artillery helped a bit but not enough to carry the battle and the Germans came away with a Major Victory. This said, it was still very fun to play and I called the battle at about 16 or 17 turns, as there was no hope in changing the situation.