Germans tried a four-grouping broad defensive front to keep the US from a narrow single axis attack. US pushed forward leaders however s.t. their OBA and 2 mortars (with some good rolling) took out an early Gren step and got in some disruptions. The SS really had to fall back into the "farm" and hope that reinforcements might allow an end-around to take a road hex. Not looking good after the SS rolled a 6 & 8 on the 30-col DF table (with US making most of the morale checks) - loosing their big opportunity for significant damage as US approached. Thus, the bulk of US forces are mostly intact and now adjacent to the farm. Did kill off a half-step of M5 armor though, with the SPW251/22. Trying to keep those soft skin SS recon vehicles alive in the face of two platoons of M4s and the one platoon of M5 is a trick.

Essentially, on turn nine: SS holds Antoine Farm, but has US units on three adjacent hexes (and is getting hit by OBA/mortars as the US player is "magic" vis-a-vis friendly fire!). SS has lost two GREN units; a half-step of the SPW251/22; and a leader; US has lost a half-step of INF; a half-step of M5; and has an ENG and INF DEM and DIS respectively. SS has an SPW251 making an "end around" and the two PUMAs have just come on board. The question for them: engage boldly to try to hold Antione Farm or try to loop around to hold a road hex. Very little chance, I think, of the SS doing both unless die rolls shift dramatically.

Turn 10 was indeed dramatic: US launched a three hex, eight unit combined DF/assault against SS HMG/ENG in Antoine Farm (AF). Roll of 12 on 30+ DF col killed two steps; followed up in the same segment by a US assault roll of 6 (on the 18 assault col) for another two step losses (yes, three six die results in a row - an yes, my opponent is the spawn of ... when it comes to die rolls!). In one fell turn, the US obliterates the SS in that town hex; taking AF and pretty much ending any chance for a German victory. However, the Pumas that arrived on the previous turn, rolled a 9 and two 10's to kill an M5 step and two M4 steps.

Remainder of the game saw the sole German Gren step surviving trying to work its way around to establish itself on the road east of Antoine Farm: to no avail as they were interdicted by OBA and US INF units. The Pumas and the SPW251/22 attempted an "end run" to the south edge, but are cutoff by further US INF/HMG and the remaining Sherman (US got "lucky" with an initiative roll on turn 13 that allowed the PUMAs to be assaulted before they could get off AT fire on the last US M4 (hopefully clearing the way to the road for the other). The SS did have one valiant SPW (regular) platoon adjacent to the EW road survive three rounds of assault vs. a US leader + HMG + INF, but was killed off by the M4 on the last turn.

So, a major victory for the US (holding both Antoine Farm and keeping the EW road east of AF clear). It was fairly tense, though, until really turn 13 (of 14) where it became clear that the Germans would not be able to get and keep a unit adjacent to the road.

Whilst there was some good and bad rolling on both sides, the US side had an inordinate # of very good attack rolls on the DF and BF tables, whereas the German side pretty much was rolling 6-8's save for some fairly good AT rolls. In the words of the US player when I just asked him if he'd concede that he got the best of the die rolls: ::cackling:: "Yes, I think I'd concede that."

So whilst a frustrating scenario for the German player (classic too much to cover with insufficient forces to do it), it was dramatic until the end (over the last five turns) when the issue was whether the US would get a major or only a minor victory.