US Set-UP: 2xINF in the one-hex town 0914; 1xINF in two separate hexes on the 20-m hill in the NE; INF+HMG in two center town hexes; ENG + M16 in another. Stacked the M3's in proportion to the foot units. 3xM18's lurking south of the center town complex; the entirety of the rest of the armor park (4xM4 + 3xM4/76) on the reverse slope of the 20-m NE hill. The 57mm dug-in over on the western board edge on the road.

German Entry: I read the instructions as the SS must enter on turn one. This forces the Germans into a long line for entry. 1xPzVIb+1xSTuGIII on each "wing"; 1xPzVIb along the road; the ENGs and HMGs mostly aligned to move South towards 0914.

German perspective: ignore the exiting units VC. Aim for a minor victory by killing US steps and a broad dispersed approach to minimize US VT-fused artillery effectiveness and capture town hexes by assault.

US perspective: the tank battle must be fought in LT. If the Germans can fire all their armor in one turn, potentially the entire US armor park (10 units) could be annihilated. Fight two infantry battles: (1) early one in the woods/hill and for the 0914 town; (2) then force the stormtroopers to make a slow advance through the snow and ice under US bombardment.

Early Stage:

NE: Germans enter in a line; US pushes its INF+M3+Ldrs on the NE hill north - this allows them to see through 1 light-woods hex at 20-m and OVER 1 light-woods hex at 0-m and spot German units whose, perforce, entry hex was clear terrain. US OBA does what it seems all to common -- Grens take a beating. US OF fire also effective. Germans decide to use the StuG-III to shoot up the M3's to soften approach and assault. US swarms its armor park around the PzVIb (the protecting Grens had a rough time); lose four steps (two units). {{OK, I'll concede a DEUS EX MACHINA here: I gave the US 1 activation initiative on the subsequent turn}}. US then assaults the PzVIb with 3xM4's; shoots up the StuGIII with the surviving M4/76. The Tiger II's lose a step, but roll a '4' on their morale save. Choosing AT fire, they kill an M4 step and DEM the half-step. German assaults clean up in about three turns. End Result: US INF cleared away with one M4 (the other one entered the assault: Germans lose 1xPzVIb + 1xStuG-III; US loses 2xM4 + 3xM4/76).

Center and West: US rolls the dreaded '2' on the 16-col for OF killing an SS-ENG. OBA kills another GREN step. But then, after a careful massing and set-up (with StuG's clearing away the M3's); a wiff on DF attempting to soften up the 0914 town, the German assault rolls a '6' on the 24 col with US a 1 on the 18-col; worse, US have both the leader and surviving INF demoralized. These units were "cleared up" the following turn.

In short then, the first five-six turns looked like an overwhelming US victory was in the works with the Germans being severely hurt in the NE and taking it on the chin in the approach south in the West-center. But, as above, the stormtroopers backed by their surviving armor crushed the US blocking town hex.

The battle now moved into the open central section. The US attempted to cross-fire bringing the M18's west and north and the two surviving M4's from the East: now, though, the Tigers could brew up the US tanks and tank destroyers three movements (due to restricted movement) away. US OBA finally got a case of the sixs; sevens; eights; and finally, after about three or four scenarios, German OBA scored a key hit against a town hex (DEM'ing a US HMG).

I think the panzer grenadiers were strongly motivated to clear those towns (SS didn't roll less than a 4 on six assault attacks); the Germans cleared the last town hex on turn 17 - and surviving units (there wasn't a lot) loaded up in the town hexes to batten down.

So a minor German Victory, but two battalions of the 12th SS panzer division had been savaged to achieve it; and the Heer lost a precious platoon of King Tigers (at the cost of a battalion of US tankers). The Hitler Jugend held the battlefield, but they were exhausted and no longer an offensive force for further southward advancement.

Great scenario with different kinds (and phases) of action; and a lot of tension with the German dash against time across open ground (with restricted movement) in the face of heavy US VT artillery.