Night scenario (1-hex visibility) and MUD. No hill terrain as per scenario mods.

US Set-Up: Attempted to set this as though I did not know that entry would be on the south board edge. US sets three groups strung along the N/S road whose control is the primary scenario victory condition. 2xINF at 0905; 2xINF at 0714; INF+HMG 0709 (crossroads); HMG at 0811; 57mm 0808; 81mm 0607. Rationale is that these groups were set to block the road north from infiltrators that had circumvented previous groups.

German Attack: 6xINF + 2xENG up the east edge thence NW to attack the crossroads units via approach through the light woods. 2xHMG + 1xINF + 1xENG + Hetzer + 81mm north along the road.

After an alarming friendly fire episode demoralizes an ENG platoon, an '11' on the 22-col not only kills a US INF step in the southern roadblock, but DD's both surviving platoons. Germans set off in pursuit of these fleeing units. Eventual German assault prevails, but an HMG and the Hetzer are DD'd; US also rolls a '2' on the 8-col BF table DDing another platoon. By Turn Eight, the VGs have the road and southern board clear, but require several turns to recover morale; regroup units w/ leaders. The Hetzer does not recover to good order until Turn 16 (game decided by then).

The Middle-Board battle initially goes well for the US. The Americans are frustrated at the lack of X results, but the Volksgrenadiers are consistently repulsed by morale failures and a recovery/approach/take fire/flee/ ... cycle begins. In the meantime, the two US INF platoons from the north move south, one to spot/attack the morale recovery "park" and the other to reinforce the 57mm hex.

Not until units from the south arrive do the VGs finally get a break. Two weak "M" results lead to compound demoralization on the lone US HMG. With initiative the next turn, the Germans assault and, whilst killing a US step and ejecting the survivor, the Germans units themselves are morale hurt. Taking a chance, the US sends its HMG+INF crossroads units into this assault hoping to take advantage of the weakened Germans: they roll a '1' and the Germans avoid compound demoralization step losses and are themselves demoralized by German defensive fire. After two turns of both sides recovering or, on the German side, exiting and refreshing, a MAD assault turn with carnage on both sides. Unfortunately, the US cannot sustain this.

This assault hex persists in a weakened state and the Germans assault the INF to their North. They can run a lone platoon north along the road to claim control whilst both sides wear down in the two assaults (they already control the south).

Net result is a German Victory.

PS I placed the US set-up from the perspective of a simulation rather than play-my-side-to-win: hence the somewhat piecemeal defense in depth along the road rather than a line barrier along the south edge. Will be interesting to read AARs from alternative set-ups.