Played face-to-face against Matt W.

As Matt and I finished the scenario of the month earlier than anticipated, we searched for another Elsenborn Ridge scenario we could fit in the afternoon and settled upon this one. Same map and similar victory conditions to the scenario of the month, and night again.

I spent the first four turns moving my German troops westward, south of the town. The American artillery managed to slow down a few units - I think I even lost a grenadier step - but I was happy with my command chain remaining mostly intact.

I now had to make a decision: do I keep my forces in one group to attack the central town or do I detach a small group to take over the single town hex located west? I decided to delay the decision until I took a foothold in town.

I moved my armor next to the town, as they were not nearly as vulnerable to opportunity fire and artillery, and I did not think the American commander would attack them outside of town. Matt surprised me and sent a few platoons to assault my tank destroyers. The assault lasted a few turns and although I lost a platoon of tank destroyers, it did make it easier for my troops to gain a foothill in town. A fair trade or at least one I can easily accept as necessary.

The Germans focused next in trying to shake the American troops dug in between the town hexes with direct fire and bombardment. No luck at all; all American troops broke rather easily today except for this stubborn group.

Instead of going to Plan B (assault this stubborn group), plan C (send a detachment to assault the town to the west), or D (move a small group north to contest one or two town hexes), I spent too much time waiting for the Americans to weaken.

It finally dawned on me time was getting critical and I sent a detachment led by my colonel to take over the town to the west. I assaulted the town without waiting for the two other platoons 400 meters behind because I thought my colonel was safer in an assault then out in the open, a juicy target for the powerful American artillery. With his last breath, my colonel said “you guessed wrong”. This loss made it very likely the Americans would earn a minor victory as my reinforcements would not be able to get closer to town for this turn and the next. I tried one more attack in the main town but it was stopped by opportunity fire.

I shifted my troops to limit the damage to an American minor victory but it was not to be; the American artillery decided it was time to obliterate one last platoon and achieve a major victory.

I rate this scenario a “4” from the German side as I had to make (or not) several critical decisions.