Note: Winter (post-harvest) field rules in effect. Mud. Only 12 turns. Reinforcements for both sides contingent on a 5-6 roll beginning on Turn One.

Germans set up their three mines to the north of Hamich (B10 town); ENTs to the west and SW. SP draw was a 9-4, a 5-4, and one unoccupied. The JgdpzIV and a GREN set up north along the road.

US: INF + 2xENG attack across hill/ltwoods from the SW; HMGs + ENG + INF due east along the road; the M4’s & Jumbo support; the M10’s and 81mm are in the town on B23. With the fields harvested and no longer LT, the US armor will face a dash against the jagdpanzer or be forced to move slowly through the hills/woods and the Heer could bring the tank destroyer south along the road.

The orientation of this battle reminded me strongly of Return to Lutrebois in Winter Soldiers.

The US HMG’s + ENG take some morale hits on their approach; likewise, the Heer HMG guarding the approach to Hamich from the west is DEM’d (but does not flee due to being in an ENT). US armor takes the expected hit from the 75/L70 guns, but only single steps and one platoon saves morale and the other is only DIS’d. The M10’s then charge forward.

US INF + ENGs make their approach to attack from the SW.

The Heer get initiative and the M10’s are obliterated, but fire from the JUMBO and surviving M4 kills a step of the jagdpanzer IV, DEMing the other. The GREN moves south to reinforce the town as the US did not send INF vs. the panzerjagers.

On Turn Four, German reinforcements arrive (a full company borne on SPW’s and a Panther). US reinforcements do not arrive until Turn Eight (which means they will arrive too late to affect the battle).

With enemy reinforcements arriving and their own in doubt, the INF group surges forward hoping the hill/light woods will allow them to approach the ENT’d GRENS protecting Hamich from the South. The 12th Infantry grenadiers opportunity fire is withering (three ‘12’s in succession on 11/16 col DF attacks – and this using a home-made cardboard die roller – basically, the dice bounce down off of three alternating ledges and tumble out the bottom into a box: this avoids the “helping hand” drama). The US is left with a weakened force with serious morale problems (four platoons with black markers) and the 116th panzer grenadiers are approaching along the trail on their schutzenpanzerwagens.

This simply turns into a route as the Heer 12th INF holds Hamich and their OBA and mortars keep the HMGs, who can only move one hex/activation anyway, further slowed by Disruption; the 116th slams into the disoriented troops of the Big Red One; and the Panther prevents surviving US armor from interdicting the SPW’s (or, more to the point, when, out of desperation, they did engage, killing three of them, they were themselves destroyed).

I found this scenario flawed. US reinforcements are foot units (save for another M10 and M5). INF + FLM units have movements of ‘2’ with mud rules or, put another way, they can move three hexes along a road (3x2/3=2). It requires six-seven turns for US reinforcements simply to move to the western outskirts of Hamich much less engage in combat. Thus, if the US does not roll a 5-6 by turn 4-5, their reinforcements are essentially useless. The only US hope then is a failure of Heer reinforcements until after the US can infiltrate the town.

The other suggestion for future players might be to consider using the 2xtrucks to transport the HMG's along with the INF along the "southern route approach." Even along a road, with MUD rules an HMG platoon moves one hex at a time. The 57mm ATG's could have been useful vs. the SPWs, but not having those HMGs in action early is a major loss of US firepower.