The 5 is because this was a 28-turn nail biter, no telling if it was going to be a win for one side or the other or a draw right to the 28th turn. With such a small counter density, I saw this as a quick game, even with that many turns, but the German reinforcements came in on the first turn available, changing everything. The Germans start out holding 3 of the victory hexes with very light forces. A single Gren platoon and LT in 0613; a Gren, a reduced HMG and a wagon in 0313 with an LT; and a Gren and reduced HMG in hedgerow terrain at 1015 with another LT. Reinforcements may come in starting on turn 14 with a roll of a 6. US start with 2 Paras and 2 reduced Paras, a Col and an LT within 2 hexes of 0604, and get automatic reinforcements of 2 more Paras and a reduced Para, a CPT and 2 LTs on turn 4 from the north edge road at 0501. The Airborne get an OBA of 16, but Para leaders may not spot for it. Since they are all effectively Para leaders, I ignored that special rule, else the guns would never have fired. Visibility lengthens as daylight comes but with the US moving into and through swamp part of those first few turns, the reduced visibility didn't really effect anything. The US started with the initiative and split into two forces, the LT taking 1 full and 1 reduced platoons towards the town at 0613, and the COL taking the other full and reduced platoons towards the lock in hex 0711. The Colonel got his target hex occupied quickly enough but the LT and his force wisely exchanged fire from a distance waiting for the reinforcements to arrive, and the US Paras maneuvered through the swamp rather than on the road so that they could approach the town in 0613 from multiple directions, and the Germans defending could only fire back at any one of those stacks. The US managed to assault into that town well enough but the reduced Gren held out with the help of a 10-1-2 leader, while part of the US para element with the COL chose to move forward through the swamp and try to take the next town at 0613, nearly succeeding. Things changed quickly when the German reinforcements came in, and the Germans holding the eastern area at 1015 decided they could try to race (if you can call it such in the swamp) to the lock hex. The US Col decided to break off with 2 reduced platoons and secure the lock hex, which worked out well, but this sacrificed the town hex at 0613. The Paras succeeded in taking the town at 0412 causing the Germans enough casualties to reduce their initiative to zero just in time as the German reinforcements approached in two stacks, trying to first soften up the town from one side and then take it from the other. The town in 0412 became pretty bloody as the Paras first lost a platoon, but then a roll of 2 defending it caused the German attackers to lose half of their force, followed by another 2 in the next assault phase, the Germans losing the rest of the stack. The German major in the other stack that had been trying to provide fire until the assault then took over the attack and lost half of his force quickly. The Paras by now had had their casualties slowly accumulate to where their initiative was only a 1, but lost no more while the Germans became bogged down, fighting in 0412 doing no more than exchanging morale damage and watching both sides rally and be demoralized again. The US Colonel called OBA and directed fire defending the lock, adding to the carnage to the east of the lock. On the final turn, one side or the other had to take the town for a win, but in the end, the town remained contested as both sides rolled poorly in that last exchange. The US still controlled the Lock but without holding anything else, the best they could do was a draw. The Germans were not in control of the 4 hexes they needed for a win. So, game over in a draw. Great game.

Author	Daedalus
Method	Solo
Victor	United States
Play Date	2022-05-18
Language	English
Scenario	AirR004

Germans set up by splitting their forces to defend both crossings of the Mederet. The US set up in. ancestral position in order to threaten both German positions and keep them from reinforcing each other once the US made its move. The US decided to go for the stone bridge and sent a small force to defend 0711 and threaten the RR bridge. The Germans reacted by sending half their force across the bridge and threatening hex 0711. This forced the US to abandon its original plan and make all haste to get to 0711. The Germans won the race to the hex despite several attempts by the US forces present to engage with direct fire in order to break up their attack. The US forces closed in and after several fire fights at close range the US gained the upper hand and were able to successfully assault the hex, wiping out the German force. They then turned their attention on the Stone bridge. the turn four reinforcements were critical to the mid-game fight. The German at the stone bridge were able to put down some very effective direct fire on the US as they approached the bridge but, over time the US recovered, closed the distance and their direct fire from adjacent hexes had a devastating effect on the defenders. This resulted in a successful assault to capture the stone bridge and the elimination of all units save a lone leader. From their the US moved off the bridge and established dug in positions forming a perimeter to meet the expected German Reinforcements which never showed!