US set-up tried a bit of a forward defense:

Dug-in INF + M3 in 1008 (lt woods + hill hex) to defend the track and approach to the personnel bridge across the Ambleve into Stavelot. Inf + 3-in gun in the eastern back hamlet (thought to put the gun forward to keep the SPW's honest - which it did for a while). Dug-in INF + M3 in 1011. The ENG + HMG's were in Stavelot warding the road/track with one holding the personnel bridge hex. The M18 was dug-in on the 20-m hill hex 0317 covering the main bridge at a range of 7 hexes (I thought to "cover" the bridge this way vis-a-vis the Panthers, but in the end used this to attack SPW's that had looped south to aid the Grens).

The first three turns looked well for the US as the Waffen SS got a bit crowded up and out of position, perhaps reflecting some poor march discipline (or the player just not thinking very clearly). Turns four-seven though were disasters as the Germans took advantage of some devastating die rolls on large DF attack columns. Whole hexes of US troops disappeared in a matter of minutes in contrast to the fizzles on the first few turns; that and US survivors were spent recovering morale rather than returning fire.

The SS also sent an engineer + gren + ldr to loop around the southern woods and make a river crossing in 0712.

The M18, after shooting up some SPW's attempting to force the main bridge, finally ran into the town as the panthers, having reduced the eastern hamlet to rubble, moved SW to cross. The dart and shoot ploy worked for one step (rolling a '10')of PzV's before the M18's were sent to their reward. German DF continued to roll extremely well, which is to say, extremely accurately for their commander.

Other key elements were the obersturmfuhrer 10-1-2 draw which made morale failure on the Germans a challenge and the Germans won initiative every turn.

Although a Major German Victory, had the German DF rolls not been so devastating (even with town or dug-in advantages), with time running short, more risky assaults would have been necessary. Final step losses were six for the Waffen SS (including one step of PzV); sixteen steps to the US.