The German 10th Panzer Division drove forward at daybreak on December 10, 1942 to drive the US forces out of Djebel Bou Aoukaz. The US placed infantry and HMG units on the ridge west of the east trail (WERT) with M3’s positioned west of it. Mortar, AT, & M6 platoons were situated behind the hills to the west of WERT to cover the central and flank corridors. The Germans advanced west with tanks and ground units on both flanks. Other ground units and the 50mm artillery were placed on the ridge east of the trail, with a battery of mortar and 25-pounder units behind the ridge. Early in the battle, a Pz.IIIJ platoon moved too far ahead of the infantry units and was eliminated by the 105mm group on the north flank, a mistake would not be made by the other tank commanders. Panzer and ground units moved on the south end of the WERT, while the others on the north flank waited for infantry or OBA to take out the now-spotted American 105 unit. American M3’s on the WERT quickly discovered the danger from 50mm and panzer fire and took shelter behind the hills after two platoons had been destroyed. By 0815, the 105mm group had been eliminated by German infantry, and the M6 was destroyed by a Pz.IIIH unit. German units had engaged the Americans on both the north and south ends of the WERT, with the Americans holding fast until 0900 hours. At that point, both sides were attempting to rally many of their units and reconstitute positions, and scattered US units still held part of the ridge. Over the course of the next hour, rallying of disrupted and demoralized units continued on both sides while the US fought a guerilla-style battle to keep units on the hills in Sector 77. A mortar and two US M3 units were lost, as the M3’s tried unsuccessfully to stay out of the line of panzer fire. A concealed 37AT unit scored a hit on a reconnoitering Pz.II platoon on the south flank, but the 37AT and two more M3 units were eliminated by German infantry and panzer fire. By 1015, an American HMG unit had reoccupied the WERT behind the German front line, and the few remaining American units were breaking through the center to aid that unit. At 1030, the stalwart US 37AT platoon on the north flank finally fell to a German combined assault after holding out for over half an hour and slowing the German response to the breakthrough. By 1100, the American units on the WERT were surrounded by Germans, and the last US infantry unit with its two officers fell at 1115 hours, giving the Germans a minor victory.

The scenario is played on a long map (34”) and the Germans need to achieve two objectives related to clearing all hills on the eastern map and the 60-meter ones on the western map (only 5 centrally located hexes) without losing 10 steps, tanks counting double. The biggest challenges for the American player are to slow the German advance and eliminate 10 steps, and for the German player are to clear the eastern hills and make a run at taking the far-flung 60-meter hill hexes. A strategy of positioning the Americans with strength on the eastern map was used in this scenario in an attempt to slow the German advance to the west and attempt to both claim 10 steps and hold at least one hill hex on Map #77 while doing so. The strategy fell short by a single German step, which was quite possible to achieve, and by the loss of the last American unit holding a hill hex on the last German chance to take out the unit. So, a potential American major victory became a minor German one with the last 2-3 rolls of the game going perfectly for the Axis. German victory would be much easier if it weren’t for the “mud rules”, which significantly impede armor and truck movement for the Germans. The US started with all units on the eastern map, and strategically withdrew two infantry & two M3 units to the 60-meter hills; in retrospect, if one of those infantry had been left further east, the outcome might have been different. The final count of steps lost was: American, 25; German, 9.