Set Up: The US set up with two companies forward on Map 25. One dug-in along the reverse slope woods and road. The second company dug-in in the south east woodline in supporting distance of the company defending the road. The BN HQ and weapons company set up HMGs and Mortars on Map 23 along the road and field next to the town and in somewhat supporting distance of the main defense of the road. The AT Gun was set up dug-in on the north east ridge line able to range the road and any units that penetrated the initial defense.

German Attack: The US successfully negated the initial turns of artillery due to their set up. However, the Germans took advantage of strategic movement to infiltrate and bypass the main defensive line to get a company across the clear and into the town before visibility increased.

Turns 1-7: The German attack went poorly. The regiment lost 6 steps by turn 5, as the US called down artillery virtually on their positions or next to them. Then the Southern US company left their position and counterattacked north up the hil to repulse the Germans. On Turn 6 an amazing 9 German steps were eliminated without a single US loss!!! It seemed like a one sided victory.

Turn 8 - 18: The tables then turned with the arrival of the second echelon of the German attack. On Turn 7, the US lost 6 steps while the Germans lost 3. The US defenses began to break and be overwhelmed by the combined assaults of Hetzers and HMGs. The counterattacking US company, left out in the open and exhausted from their successful attack was cut to pieces by the Germans and hunted down in detail off the map. The US AT gun was too far out of range to threaten the Hetzers most of the time, and when it exposed itself, German Artillery silenced it.

German HMGs and the infiltrated company proceeded to suppress and disrupt the US weapons company and BN HQ and prevented it from having much impact on the main battle on Map 25.

By game end, the Germans successfully cleared Mapboard 25 for a minor victory and had to retrograde off of map 22. Step losses: US: 21 of 33 (64% casualty rate - combat ineffective) Germans: 32 of 54 (59% casualty rate - combat ineffective)

US considerations:Consolidate your BN into a single strong point on the reverse slope of clear area of Map 25. Hex 0309 and the surrounding road hexes are Key terrain. Breaking your BN up to cover more of boath map boards makes you susceptible to being defeated in detail. It is better to deny the Germans a single road hex on Map 25 and if you hope to win the scenario. Try not to unveil your AT gun until you have to or else it will be lost to artillery. Consider using it as a mobile reserve or keeping in in an entrenchement where it will have a higher survivability rate. Otherwise, your only option to defeat the Hetzers is to go onto an offensive assault and hope bazookas work. Chances are a smart german player will not let you get that close or leave his hetzers unsupported.

German considerations: Leadership, leadership, leadership. Keep your chains of command solid so you can mass your firepower and assault in large waves and overwhelm the US. Also, you need to have leaders designated with recovery operations to get stragglers and disrupted infantry back into the fight. Do not expect your artillery in the beginning turns to have any effect as a smart US player will stay out of observation. Consider mounting infantry on your hetzers as a mobile assault force once they come on. Consider massing your 81mm mortar into one unobservable hex to have FP 24 mortar attack to increase your indirect fire power.