First of the four mini-series concerning Road Junction (RJ) 278. Germans set up with a Grenadier platoon in village hex 1208 and an HMG in 1207. The hauptsturmfuhrer leading these two platoons was a grizzled veteran of the Russian front (11-1-1). Another grenadier platoon was dug-in at 1106 holding the open terrain from the river to RJ 278 (hex 0907) held by dug-in platoons of Pz-IVH and SZ234/2 armored cars.

US drew, or rather flipped very poorly in the leader draw. Only one of seven was to the "better" side and only one leader had a morale bonus of +1 and another an attack bonus of +1. Lacking leadership, the US really needed to pile up its force. The mortar stack was in 0909; 3xINF in 1009 (to attack over the hill/field terrain); and the rest of the INF/HMGs were in hexes 1214; 1315; 1115; 1215;1316.

Things started off poorly for the Americans. A 2X result against an HMG platoon by OF! Otherwise, Turns 1 and 2 were positioning, defensive OF, and bombardments. Two US INF platoons were sent on a southerly "end around" the large fields (woods => fields as per Scenario instructions) to threaten RJ 278 directly.

Turn 3. Americans take their one aircraft; roll for the P47 with the x2 AT value; they roll to strike the hex; DF does nothing; a single '6' roll; roll to have US pick unit to take step loss; bye to a Pz-IVH step. The other is disrupted, but recovers. US loses an INF step to DF.

Turns 4-5 has desultory results. Lots of disruptions/demoralizations to US forces as they try to soften up the village hexes. Assault against dug-in hex 1106 leads to an SS grenadier step loss each turn, but US units fragmented by morale failures. US "end-around" reaches RJ 278, but OBA demoralizes the attackers.

Turn 6: US finally gets an assault going vs. village hex 1207. Both this and next turn lead to a bunch of M1's which go poorly for the US (Germans passively defending and recovered morale on their activation if lost during US assault phase). Turn 7 ditto, though US loses two INF steps to compound demoralization. Attacks vs. RJ 278 broken up by morale failures.

On turn 8 (of 9), SS reinforcements arrive (4xGren) which seals the deal. No possibility for US to take three objective hexes in two turns with these reinforcements now on board.

Although not a victory condition, total steps losses: Germany = 4 (PzIVH step counting double); US = 5.

This might have gone the other way with a stronger leader draw for the US, especially with some combat bonuses to help defeat the town defense col shifts. Reading the scenario, however, this appears to have played out as a simulation almost identically to the historical result.

I've played Obsession Junction, #3/4 of the RJ 278 series. That one was quite exciting.