Again, this features a pretty miniscule amount of German defenders (5 GREN, 2 HMG, 2 AT Guns and 5 x Airborne Strongpoints of which half the mix is unoccupied), garnished with 10 x Wires, 10 x Mines counters and an entrenchment if they set up outside a town. With this overstretched force, they have to defend two villages across 2 boards.

The Americans get a battalion, 9 x INF, 3 X HMG, 2 x MTR and 3 x 18 OBA.

The maps used are not a bad representation of the Hofen-Alzen area. Two very closely located villages joined by a main road with surrounding forestry. The name of this game is to inflict casualties and gain or hold as many village hexes over 20 turns. Most points win ! SIMPLE RIGHT !! (In theory, but as always more testing in actuality)

‘Hofen-Alzen Ridge’

Hofen & Alzen 14th September 1944

Scenario completed : 29th May 2010

Seeking to penetrate to the Roer River dams, the U.S. VII Corps first had to widen the break in the German "West Wall" fortifications at Monschau. A battalion from the 60th Infantry Regiment, reinforced with tanks and tank destroyers, had the task of taking the ridge from the hastily-assembled German division holding the sector. While the West Wall positions - here called the Scharnhorst Line - were known to the Americans, unknown to them the German division command had assigned its only experienced troops to the sector.

Although experienced, the German defenders had a big area to defend and consisted of a mere 2 companies of Grenadiers, 2 batteries of AT guns and 2 HMG platoons. They also would man where able the strong-points built nearby. Against these, the Americans sent a battalion from the 9th Infantry Division, supported by attendant MG’s, mortars and access to artillery modules in strong number. The German had a quandary. He had to defend both Hofen and Alzen, but how many of his meager numbers to commit in each village? In the end, he decided on defending the forward village of Hofen with the AT platoons and two infantry platoons. Around the outskirts of Alzen, the buildings had been booby-trapped and mines laid on the perimeter, thus giving total protection on its edges. The HMG platoons were entrenched forward of Alzen covering the main road for any US advance once Hofen was inevitably taken, and the forest area to the left of Alzen was laid heavily with barbed-wire in its ‘lighter’ areas to slow any enemy movement from that side to a crawl.

Given 5 1/2 hours to gain an advantage in the area and take the majority of the village buildings before darkness fell, the US commander ordered his men forward into Hofen at 1400 hours. As the Americans advanced through the village they soon discovered their enemy lurking around the village centre. At 1430 hours an intense gun battle commenced where the Americans were able to lay down a very strong fire base and call in that artillery support on the defenders. Despite this storm, the Germans holding the village retained their morale and continued to fight hard, and by 1515 hours, the Americans had already suffered 40 casualties there.

Losing patience, and frustrated with the poor co-ordination of the supposed artillery support, the US commander ordered his infantrymen to close in and clear each house one by one. The Americans entered assaults into the village and there began a much longer than expected tussle that would frustrate the attackers. There was one red-faced moment for the attackers during the struggle. Nobody had ensured the battalion Lt.Col had been escorted, and in Hofen, he was swiftly taken prisoner by a band of surprised German Grenadiers that stumbled on his unguarded field HQ as men from both sides entered houses to clear the enemy!

Meanwhile, the rest of the US battalion pushed forward. Most advanced towards the entrenched HMG positions, whilst another platoon flanked northwards to penetrate the dense and wired forest area to the side of Alzen. Once more, though prevalent, US bombardments from supporting artillery modules were pretty inaccurate, but the Americans managed to close with an entrenched area with negligible casualties. Again, they had to assault the German positions. By 1700, though waning, there was still German resistance going on in Hofen. The US attack too seemed to be floundering and unlikely to achieve its objectives in time. As a result of this, the US commander became more bold, brash and maybe reckless in his attack.

Everything was being flung at the enemy positions and a company of infantry was sent to probe Alzen. The Germans, facing this energetic attack were now being stretched and pushed to their ultimum levels, and with dusk closing in, Alzen’s commander knew he would have to try and hold the village perimeter against the determined ‘Amis’.

Hofen finally fell around 1715 hours, and the beleaguered entrenched German HMG platoon covering Alzen, broke out and attempted a local counter-attack on a nearby hamlet. Meanwhile, throwing all care to the wind, the US commander, refusing to wait for the next day ordered his hard pushed infantry into Alzen and across the minefields and booby-traps.Cue the Hollywood George Segal at Remagan moment. This is where the bedraggled US officer sticks a stubby cigar in his mouth and lurches forward immune to all flying metal around him.... and this is just what happened.

The American GI's braved close range German infantry fire from Alzen. This fire may have been sporadic as they had had to take their time carefully navigating through booby-trapped buildings themselves, not believing the Americans would have gone through the minefields and thus now, being forced to defend its perimeter. Of the GI company attacking Alzen, one platoon became too disrupted to advance further, as they were stuck in mines and pinned down under heavy fire too. The other two companies pushed through into the outskirts of the village, assaulting house-to-house against the two enemy platoons. Yet another of these American platoons could advance no further, although it was disputing the buildings, as it become hard hit and slowed by booby-trapped buildings and a determined enemy causing it to become somewhat demoralized. The final platoon was in full battle-lust mode, contesting part of the village with the Germans.

This outlandish last minute and desperate effort swung the battle from what was an evenly matched affair to a full-on American victory. What looked a draw suddenly provided an 11 point swing to the Americans. They had taken 6 pts from the German count by entering the village hexes under the heavy fire and ignoring the minefields AND SURVIVING, they had also captured 3 points themselves by controlling one of those hexes and not contesting it. There were also two German step losses elsewhere for another 2 points = 11 in one turn !

Amazingly, the gamble had paid off! In what could have been a horrible slaughter of US troops, instead we had Hofen invested, albeit taking longer than expected, the road entrenchments had been cleared and American troops were fighting in Alzen too. It had been a hard fought and desperate affair but with a US win.

Casualties in the five hour battle amounted to around 182 Germans and despite high early losses, just 77 Americans.

GOOD FACE-TO-FACE SCENARIO

At first glance I though I would really have my work cut out as the US commander to win this one. The German forces have plenty of fortifications to assist in the defence. As it happened the US did scrape a win, using artillery to nullify the A/T guns the Americans advanced to the edge of the minefields surrounding the town. As the game neared its end I took a deep breath and ordered the troops to run throught the mines, braving point blank fire the plucky GI did as ordered and when all the smoke had cleared I had grabbed enough town hexes for a lucky win.