First - thanks to campsawyer for his dogged endurance and pushing a full 10+ hours of gaming to end at 4AM his time, while I was wide awake in Korea...

Summary: MAJOR GERMAN VICTORY (61 VPs vs US 11 VPs). A fun scenario with a lot of possibilities, but it seems the scenario is the Germans'to lose. As it portrays an "ambush" scenario the US player can expect to fight from the start, and the victory conditions make a US victory difficult.

Mission Analysis: Elements, 3rd Armored Division were to attack to seize Munsterbusch and surrounding villages in order to defeat the local German defense.

Friendly Assessment: The US had about a 1.5 advantage in firepower, superior maneuverability, initiative, and morale. However my artillery firepower and air support were fickle and my leadership below average. The terrain favored the enemy, as well as his AT quality, range, and artillery support. His superior leadership,the likelihood of being able to opportunity fire more than me, as well as the defensive bonuses of the town and being dug-in and hidden in a double blind would off-set his disadvantages in morale and initiative. I believed getting to Munsterbusch with enough force to dislodge him would be impossible. To win I believed needed at least the four towns on the south board, and to have caused +4 more step losses on him relative to me.

Enemy Most Likely Course of Action: I believed my opponent would reserve his tanks on board 24, and deploy only 1 x 75mm AT GUN, and INF GUN on board 22 along with a Reinforced Infantry Company in the towns. My logic was that he would play conservatively to go with the "known win" of holding Munsterbusch while significantly attriting me as I tried to make it to board 24.

Enemy Most Dangerous Course of Action: I feared he would place all his AT systems and tanks on board 22 and block my use of the cover offered by an advanced through the light woulds and make it extremely costly to take the towns on board 22. However, this set up risked that I would not use the open southwestern corridor in a massed armor envelopment to bypass board 22 to strike at his more vulnerable Munsterbusch. Forcing him to dislocate his force from their defenses on board 22 to attack me on board 24. This of course it what he ended up choosing to do, assessing I'd take the cautious approach through the wooded southeast.

My Course of Action: The US was organized into four task forces 1. Fire Support - (2 x HMGs, 1 x 81mm, w/ M3s, 2 x M4/76, and an attached Inf PLT w/M3 for recon) 2. Combined Arms - (2 x INF PLTs w M3s, 2 x M4s) 3. Reinforced Armored Infantry Company ( 4 x INF PLTs w M3s) 4. Reserve - 2 x M18s

The fire support task force was to establish a support by fire position vicinity hex 0513 and on order follow and support the Armored Infantry Company. The combined arms force was to advance north through the woods to seize village in hex 0914. The Armored Infantry Company was going to be the main effort to seize the towns in 0608, 0708, and 0809. Based on success conditions, I had to be prepared to exploit north to seize Munsterbusch.

My Execution:

0800-0900: The Americans approached from the Southeast and established support by fire positions. I drew first blood, reducing an enemy OP in 0710, but My recon platoon was obliterated from an AT gun in 0914, followed by an M4/76 PLT by an AT gun in 0809. At the cost of 8 steps, I was able to defeat 1 AT Gun and 1 Infantry step. Infantry resistance around 0914 was stronger than anticipated... indications of the most dangerous course of action were now showing. No matter how I thought I'd mitigate it... I was being ambushed.

0900-1000: I altered my main effort to avoid going into the open and instead focus on seizing 0914. Efforts to wait patiently and let my arty, air, and direct fire destroy the other AT Gun were unsuccessful. At turn 7 I was behind schedule if I hoped to have any chance of seizing any other towns and decided to attempt a frontal assault against 0914... disaster. I was massing forces in adjacent hexes around 0914, when the Germans exposed their Hetzer in enfilading fire. Subsequently, in a rash, bold, and ultimately foolhardy move, I moved my Lt. Col commander into the beehive of close quarters direct fire that was in 0814 - where he was killed by opportunity fire. This resulted in all my forces being unable to move on turn 8. The German Panther tank, exposed his hiding place in 0608 and made quick work of one of my M18 platoons as it attempted a near impossible shot against the Hetzer. The following turn, the fire fights ensued- ad I failed to get any real results against the hell in 0914. The end result of my folly was 19 steps lost over 3 turns where the Germans lost two Almost all of it in hex 0814.

1015-1100: I was finally able to get an INF platoon into the village and lock the AT Gun into melee as my remaining combined arms force moved into the town. The German Infantry sacrificed the AT Gun platoon in an attempt to withdrawal the infantry and leaders - but they were nearly all cut down as they left the town. German Armor was then able to destroy the remaining American armor and M3s in the village, leaving me in possession of a rubbled village full of wrecks. (another 5 steps lost and 3 german steps lost)

1115-1245: At this point-the US was combat ineffective. I still retained enough capability to defend my costly gained village ( 1x M18 PLT, 1.5 x HMG PLTs, 1 x 81mm mortar, 3 x INF, 2 x M3s, 1 CPT, 3 x LTs). If this were a real world mission, I would have consolidated here and have gone no further...I reconstituted a small mobile task force and proceeded in an attempt to probe Munsterbusch in the hopes of establishing a lodgement in an undefended part of the town. However, the German interior lines were able to reposition infantry into the town as well as the Panther on the opposite side of the valley. The small US force (M18, 1 x INF, 1 x HMG, 1 x CPT, 1 x LT) failed to find an opening and lost the M18 to German opportunity fire. Under a white flag, the Germans allowed the remaining Americans to withdraw so the exhausted forces to both reconstitute.

CASUALTIES: German: (25% casualty rate) = 2 x AT PLTS, 1 x WAGON, 1 x GREN CO (3.5 PLTs), 1 x LT US:(76% casualty rate) = 2 x Tank companies (4 x M4s, 2 x M18s), 1 x INF CO (3.5 PLTs), 3 x M3 PLTs (9 x M3s), 1 x LT COL

OBSERVATIONS:

MVP: My votes is for the AT GUN in 0914 for its ability to garner all my focus and contain the US attack. And of course the German Sergeant as the Most valuable leader who led the defense of 0914 and survived to harass the town as an OP for the remainder of the game. The German might vote my LT COL has his MVP for dying and paralyzing my advance long enough for him to decimate me.

US LESSONS: 1. Try using your mobility and armored mass to dislocate your adversary. The visibility rules might help you. It is the only way to get in his decision cycle and close in on his AT advantages in range. 2. Do not have any dependance on fire support and aircraft. The aircraft might be able to take out a german tank if you draw a P47, but that will be rare. 3. Do not be rash to attack, or lead with your commander. 4. Do not plan against teh enemy your WISH to fight, but the enemy you WILL fight. We often tend to think of the Most likely course of action as different from the most dangerous course of action. It is prudent to believe your opponent will figure out the best way to defeat you up front... plan for that.

Double Blind Note: This scenario was played using double blind rules. I do not suggest it as the scenario seems to advantage the Germans; with hidden set-up for all his forces and not just his AT Guns, that gives the Germans a tremendous edge. I enjoy double blind rules as they add to the fog of war, but of the 3 games I've now played double blind, both as attacker and defender, the defender has been the winner; and two of these were decisive. Just an observation.

Balance Suggestions: 1. 4 VP for each town hex under American control 2. Allow Germans to play hidden set-up of their tanks (16.6) until they move/fire/or are spotted (including aircraft spots) 3. Do not play double blind rules.