End Result: Minor American Victory (US + 7)

Given the slowed movement due to weather and the US VT-fused OBA, the German advance from the south was split into two elements, the larger to the west and a smaller (with the HMGs) to the east. Both were goose stepping for all they were worth to get into the light woods terrain. The Board 25 elements were split into three elements holding various high ground of the large board 25 hill (worth 10 VPs).

The US had four HMG+INF pairs on the east of board 9 in clear terrain (two elements dug-in on the road, the other two on the 40-m feature). This placement (1) denied road control; (2) forced German units into clear terrain to achieve approach/assault; and provided excellent spotting. As the German eastern attack group infiltrated the light woods, one of those US pairs pivoted NE. This resulted in something of a "Mexican stand-off" between 4xGREN + 2xHMG for the SS vs. the 4xPARA + 4xPARA for the US. Btw, this section of the US was lead by Captain America 11-2-1 facing off against Hauptsturmfuhrer Ieativanforbreakfast 11-1-1.

The western German attack group had to run about 3 turns of US OBA to make it fully into the woods. Here's where the title comes in. Presumably, a sharp-eyed US spotter could distinguish the shoulder boards of an SS obersturmbannfuhrer (10-1-2) and in go 3x42-col OBAs in succession on the same hex (16-col + 3). Get this: US rolls '6' three times in succession (hence the AAR title). On turn three, though, the US draws heavy blood - bottom line is three GREN steps lost + a DEM GREN and Scharfuhrer before the SS finally makes it into the cover of the large woods.

Meanwhile, the US pushed 4xPARAs up to attempt an infiltration of the board 25 hill. After some slow movement, eventually the SS managed to defeat/repel this element at some cost to itself (but see below).

US reinforcements arrive on turn 9. By now, the western German force is engaging the western blocking/holding force on the road and pivoting to approach the US crossroads element. The 75mm was placed to cover the road. It gets off one shot for a hit on an M3 bearing an INF unit (3 VPs) thinking this "sure thing" was better than the lesser chance at a Sherman. US OBA deals with the now spotted AT gun.

So to make a long story short, the US was able to push (some of) the reinforcements up into board 25 to join up with the surviving initial units and re-enter hill terrain to deny the Germans the 10 VPs for keeping that clear. Meanwhile, the US was not pushed off the road holding both the eastern section with the US western group eliminated and the central group engaged and in trouble (but they held that section long enough to get the armor through). Thus, is was the ability of the US to hold (or failure of the Germans to block) the NS road which allowed the US to deny the Germans the crucial 10 VPs for maintaining the Board 25 hill clear.

The problem for the Germans, of course, is that there is no quick, easy way to block that road. Doing so in open terrain invites death from above. In retrospect, I should have had that western German force move north then immediately NE (through the woods) to engage the center (and allow the western US force to attack in the flank)which would then have made it much more difficult for the US relieving force to push through northwards. Of course, it should be noted that it takes about ten turns for the Germans to get to the crossroads (at a minimum) if they hike through the woods. To be honest, when I started the scenario, I really thought that the US reinforcements were likely to be needed to regain or retain the board 9 E/W road.

So a tactically challenging scenario.