Vince & Wayne have written excellent narrative AARs so mine will be pithy.

Playing solo with an entire side hidden required some "acting" and a few coin flips for direction.

German set up has the mine-heavy line to the western side; wire-heavy side to the east just before the woods that front the large hill in the NE section of the two-map area. Not having Airborne, I used Cassino for the strongpoint draw. Strongpoints and entrenchments covered "holes" where, say: mine-mine-wire-mine-mine.

Since the US could not be aware of the lack of German units in either the southern (entry) board 22 towns or the LT on the eastern edge, I had the 3rd Armored forces move northwards in three groups: INF+tanks to the west; INF+HMG in the center; INF + tanks to the east, skirting the woods. Once they approached the board 22/23 edge, the entire force swung to the west where I decided to punch through the two wire hexes that were gaps in the run of mines and which lay before a board 23 town and some fields. Because of the initial advance, this attack arrived in "waves." I kept a few M3's as holders for the towns against any German infiltrators.

US tankers rolled over and cleared the wire only to run smack into a German AT nest and a lurking STuG-III platoon. Despite US loosing four steps of armor (1xM4 + 1xM4/76) and some INF/M3's to push through here, reinforcements - which are contingent on US losing tank steps - did not arrive. It was not until turn 9, with another M4 lost in a town assault, that the US took the '1' result again the tank to precipitate the arrival of a battalion from the Big Red One. So essentially, by turn 12, the US 3rd Armored has penetrated the German western line and ensconced itself into the SW 3-hex town and fields of Board 23. The reinforcing elements from 1st Infantry Division split up with a company moving to reinforce 3rd Armored and the rest moving north on the eastern side to make an attempt at the hill terrain on the eastern section of board 23.

At turn 12, German VPs = 44 US VPs = 26

The remaining US armor decides they've done their part so they sit in the town (not particularly wanting to cross open terrain with more lurking German armor likely about); a US HMG, M3 and an INF hold the fields. This is used as a hinge as the US sends two companies of INF (mixed from both divisions) to attack the five-hex town in the NW section of board 23. Meanwhile, the other elements of the Big Red One engage blocking forces behind the eastern wire and, pushing forward, into the woods and slopes of the 40-m hill seeking out German strongpoints and entrenchments.

A vicious assault and artillery battle ensues for the five-hex town. The outcome is not in doubt, but the US pays a price in blood and time to clear the town (Germans were the beneficiaries of one of those 1:6 assault roll outcomes that makes the other side tear their hair).

AT turn 19, the score is: Germany 35, US = 31.

Both sides feel a bit desperate. The US has the force edge, but are running out of time. The Germans are just plain running out of material.

The last StuG takes a chance by uncovering in the middle board woods to kill an M3 step. The US armor, which had been idling for some time whilst the ground pounders did their dieing, charged forward to set up flanking shots. German initiative saw to it that the StuGs sold themselves for an M4/76 platoon. Ensuring turns saw US forces try to consolidate and launch further attacks/assaults.

By game end, the Germans still controlled two entrenchments (another was in assault) one of which was on the large hill denying the US that bundle of VC points.

Game End:

German VPs: 31 US steps + 3 entrenchments + 0 towns (board 22) + 0 towns (board 23) + 5 (a unit on the hill) = 39

US VPs: 26 German steps + 6 entrenchments + 4 towns (board 22) + 5 towns (board 23; 3 pts each) + 0 for not controlling the 20/40-m hill = 51.

Differential of 12 for a Minor US Victory (range of 5 - 15)

Very enjoyable scenario with a lot of movement and "leap frogging," both positionally and with armor and infantry each taking the lead at different moments.