Set-up & Strategy:

Germany:

Strategy: The Waffen-SS start with an under-strength battalion of grenadiers (on foot) plus an assortment of guns including 2x75-mm ATGs and 1x88-mm. They also have some on-board artillery in the form of a 120-mm heavy mortar and 105-mm howitzer. With this force, the Germans are faced with two mutually disparate (a geographically extensive) tasks: try to prevent the US 3rd Armored from controlling all woods/town hexes on board 26 (a US objective) and to delay the lengthy E-W road long enough for reinforcing elements from SS Panzer Regiment-2 to arrive (related to two US objectives). A classic conundrum: should the Germans forget about holding board 26 in favor of multiple road blocks or try to force the Americans to “waste” time chasing down & assaulting holding platoons on board 26? Do the Germans place their ATGs “up front” to create early havoc or hold them back to cover the more open terrain of board 27?

Set-up:

Board 26: 1xGren+ldr dug-in on easternmost 40-m hill hex (1205); 3x81mm in woods 1001; 2xGren+ldr in hamlet 0605; 1xGren+20mm in village 0403; 1xGren+1xHMG+ldr in village 0303. These latter two hold the main E/W road.

Board 27: 1xGren+1xHMG+ldr dug-in on 0708 & 1xGren+ldr dug-in on 0903 (road blocks); 75mm+ldr in woods 1106; 75mm/41+ldr dug-in in field 0406; 88mm+Gren+ldr in 20m town 0511 (road block). Artillery in towns 0816 & 0717 (spot from 60-m effective).

United States

The four objectives are summarized as: clearing board 26 and clearing/holding the E/W road and exiting steps off the western board edge. In particular, time is of the essence as armored German reinforcing elements are reported by intelligence to be en route. Fortunately, the US brigadier general in command of CCA of 3rd Armored has forces to deal with both. First, a battalion of infantry that starts on board 26 in limiting terrain (NOTE: THERE IS A CONTRADICTION IN THE US SET-UP INSTRUCTIONS) no closer than four hexes to any German unit. I chose to interpret the spirit to be that US forces would be set up “hidden.” This force will be detailed to clear board 26 of Waffen-SS infiltrators. Second, an under strength regiment (two battalions) of M4s (how I interpret 19xM4) and a light armored battalion and tank destroyer elements along with another battalion of infantry. This force enters the battle space on the eastern edge on turn 1 (or subsequent based on traffic control).

The US commander determines that the high ground and town on the western edge of board 27 must be taken and held at “all costs.” The light armored and reconnaissance units will be ordered to by-pass road blocks and drive westwards. The mass of the armor will bull its way forward pushing aside any opposition leaving the infantry to clean-up. The cigar-chewing US commander envisions Das Reich armor reinforcements being bushwhacked at close range as they arrive. The mass of green counters looks mightily impressive on his plotting boards.

Set-up (board 26): N.B. predicated on US set-up in LT only.

3xInf in towns/woods (hexes 1209 & 1210); 2xInf in woods (0911); 3x81mm in woods 0812 and 57mm in 0712; 2xInf in woods 0511; 2xHMG +2xM3’s in woods 0512; 2xINF + 1xEng in towns 0212 & 0213.

Armored forces enter the board’s east edge on turn 1 or later (not all units must enter on turn 1).

Play: Solo play home rule:

German artillery/AT guns (only) in LT are considered “hidden” from aircraft until they fire. If they move to another LT hex, they are still or become visible to aircraft: the hidden status only pertains to their original “camouflaged” positions.

Turns 1 & 2. Perhaps most significant in the first two turns was that Fog-of-War rolls ended the turn with only a few (mostly insignificant) US activations remaining. Put another way, the US side has been able to accomplish the vast majority of its intended activity without interruption.

By the end of turn 2, the US has a bit of a bloody nose approaching the board 26 axis-held town hexes and had three steps of M8 armored cars shot up by 75 mm anti-tank fire (one gun demoralized by subsequent OBA), but now have 30 steps of armor on board 27 and armor units now adjacent to the board 26 town hexes ready to soften up the SS grenadiers holding those villages preparatory for infantry assaults. Total step losses: Germany = 1; US = 6.

Turn 3. No fog-of-war roll allows US full deployment of force. SS road-block on 0903 eliminated by a ‘12’ roll by M5’s; 75mm in 1106 destroyed by OBA; casualties to Gren steps in board 26 village hexes. US armor now adjacent to 0708 road-block and the 75/41 ATG. US losses were an M10 step to the 75/41; two steps of M4 (the 88mm uncovered); 2HMG steps and an M3 (DF kills from villages). Both villages 0303 and 0605 in jeopardy and 0403 is likely to fall as well. Too much US firepower and no “luck” from FOW. Total step losses: Germany = 6; US = 16.

Turn 4. German units flee village 0605 upon morale check failures: flee to swamp. US assaults 0403 inflicting heavy casualties on the SS-troopers, but defensive fire and artillery do for an ENG platoon. German anti-tank fire takes out two steps of M10 and one of M4. US air inflicts a disruption on the 88mm. The SS road block units in hex 0708 fall back to protect the 88mm. Fog-of-War ends turn early leaving US with fragmentation of the battlefield although village assaults are proceeding. Total step losses: Germany = 8; US = 24.

Turn 5. US assaults finally win the day. Village hexes 0403; 0605; and 0303 all fall by turn end. German dying fire and artillery kill an infantry step and the 75/41 gets a last step of M10 before being assaulted by two platoons of M5’s. US armored units on board 27 move to the SE hill spur on board 27 whilst the 88mm recovers morale. Fog-of-war roll again keeps US from consolidation work. However, with board 26 essentially clear (just needing to clear two mortar steps from a woods hex and dig out a Grenadier/leader from a swamp), the US can now begin the job of regrouping/morale recoveries (10 units are demoralized) and moving forward its remaining infantry forces. A major decision is whether to attempt to rush steps off board now (25 for a VC) hopefully before SS Panzer Regiment 2 reinforcements arrive, or to pull back, regroup the armor and infantry; have it out; and rule the board at game end. It all depends on SS Panzer Regiment 2’s march discipline (i.e. when a 5/6 is rolled on a d6). Total step losses: Germany = 13; US = 27.

Turn 6. US consolidation & reorganization/recoveries with no love to the Germans from FOW rolls. A 42-col OBA on the 88mm gun hex rolls a ‘7’ which the SS-gunners make. Das Reich artillery kills a half-step of demoralized ENG and the 88 takes out two steps of M5’s that were assaulting the 75/41 gun emplacement. New US positions: 2xM5 + 4xM4 on 0913, 1013, 1113 on 20-m hill on B27 (these both constitute 24 total countable steps for board exit and also cover the entry road hexes 0815/0916); 2xM4+2xM5+1xM8 in woods 1006-1008; 5xM4 on road at B27/B26 line; 2xM4 each in 0305 (village) and 1103 on the 40-m hill of B26. Infantry attempting to get itself moved up and clean up two remaining SS grenadiers (in the swamps) preparatory for defending the B27/B26 line and moving westwards. Germans have two grenadiers+ldrs in two swamp hexes and two stubborn mortar steps whose time appears to be about up as US armor and infantry has finally reached them. The 105-mm is disrupted by US airstrike. Two grenadier platoons, an HMG, and the 88-mm (with strong leader support) hold 0611, 0511, 0410 which the US must reduce to attain a VC. Turn 7 looms … are those the treads of SS Panzer Regiment 2? Total step losses: Germany = 13; US = 32.

Turn 7: In fact it was. Germans roll ‘5’ on turn seven for appearance of SS Panzer Regiment 2 reinforcements: the armor secures the southern hedges and 40-m summit. The infantry and SPWs follow the road bend northwards around the 40-m summit (save for two grenadier platoons that huff it on foot in support of the tanks. US M4s (four platoons) & M5s (two platoons) allow them on board (and two other M4’s move up in support); and get in a step loss to a Pz-IVH through a hedge whilst M5’s move up for an adjacent cross-fire shot next turn (if there is one for them). US artillery again rolls a ‘7’ on the 42-col vs. the 88mm gun and the US artillery commander is sacked on the spot. The Germans take advantage of the American miscue and kill two steps of M4’s. US armor back at the B27/B26 edge destroys one of the pesky SS-grenadier platoons that had “gone to mud” in a swamp hex. Other DF kills a mortar step. Again, no FOW rolls allow the US to consolidate and recover.

Turn 8: Germany wins initiative by 1 which is not good for the US. Although in LT, six platoons of M4 and two of M5’s are now spotted by Waffen SS panzer units. Panthers take out two platoons totally, leave another two reduced and demoralized; a Pz-IVH platoon kills a step leaving the reduced platoon demoralized; and two Pz-IVF2 likewise kill a step with a demoralization (eight steps in total). The M5’s assault a lone Pz-IVH that couldn’t activate (better chance on the assault table now that there was nothing left of the M4’s to attain a crossfire bonus) and disrupt it! The 88mm gun kills off another survivor before it is, finally, punished by US OBA. Likewise, a US assault finally destroys the pesky 75/41, but not until it also takes a final step of M5s. Withering American DF from two INF platoons does what a stacked M4+M16+Scott cannot killing the lass of the two full-strength grenadier platoons that had been getting its act together in a swamp. Yet again, no FOW roll allows US to consolidate and recover.

At end of Turn 8, the Waffen SS have six full strength grenadier platoons + two full strength HMGs + 5 SPW-251s. Armor is three PzV; two Pz-IVH; two Pz-IVF2 (one reduced Pz-IVH is in an assault with two platoons of M5s). They hold the entirety of the 20-40m high ground on the West of board 27. The US has the two M5s which, even if successful vs. the panzer IV reduced platoon, will then soon fall prey to other German armor. The two surviving reduced & demoralized M4’s on B27 are now in the woods to the south and east of the hill spur. The remainder of the Americans are oriented as follows. North group: 3xM4 + 3xINF; Middle group: 6xM4+6INF backed up by 3xINF+1xHMG+Scott/M16/1xM4 near village hex 0605; and South group: 2xM4+4.5xINF+some a reduced DEM/DIS step of M10/M8 respectively.

Total step losses: Germany = 22; US = 61 (tanks counting double)

The remaining US objectives are clearing a road that runs though several town/hill hexes; exciting steps off the west edge; and trying to get the step loss balance back in its favor. To my mind, the only plausible one would be exciting steps by an infantry march en masse westwards. The Germans have sufficient infantry to screen their armor; hold the towns/road; and inflict serious punishment on the US. The US also risks the Germans bolting Eastwards to retake a town/woods hex if it leaves insufficient force to hold B26. Thus, optimistically, a minor German victory, but I’ll “call” this one a major with the US gaining only one of its four VCs.

This scenario came down to two rolls, primarily. First, Germany getting its reinforcements on the first turn of availability with a good deal of American armor caught “in the open” just a turn or two from sealing off the West edge (or making German entry much more expensive); and, of course, Germany getting initiative on turn 8 which allowed them to shoot up a mass of Shermans who were stuck in “no man’s land”.

That being said, this was a great risk/reward scenario. The Americans went for a bold attempt to push its armor forward to grab the high ground. As “history” would have it, they were about 15-30 minutes too late.