May take some heat for this title :-)

US objective is to take a 3-hex village; a five hex town; and two entrenchements. US sets up on the 20-m hill of B24.

German Set-Up (all B23): 2xstrongpoints (5-4 and 3-4) set up in the village. ENG+HMG entrenched in 0706. GREN+HMG entrenched in 0905. 75/41 in 1005; GREN in 1106, 2xGREN in 0906, and 2x81mm in 1006.

Phase I (Approach): A rough go for the North Carolinians. German artillery and OF much more effective than US. 75/41 gun gets in a step kill on an M4 8 hexes away (through a light woods) in 0301 and, as in a previous action, US artillery has a dogged time getting rid of this unit, albeit they do keep it busy with morale recovery. Initial US assaults against the strongpoints in the village are frustratingly poorly executed (read, three '1' rolls on the 18 col in succession). The FLM unit had been kept back for use against the ENTs.

Phase II (close quarters): US finally clears the village by turn 7 and tries to consolidate formations disrupted by German fire. Farther west, likewise the US suffered an M4 step loss (both M4' hit by the ATG DD'd and flee and do not recover in time to participate further). The US perhaps foolishly makes an assault against the 0706 ENT ... fortunately, perhaps, both sides fizz a bit on the assault, but the US side is disrupted ... so for several turns, the US does nothing in the assault (with the Germans content to wait it out) except recover and attempt to bring up the FLM unit (it is D'd twice and take until turn 15 before it can.

German efforts to interdict the FLM, however, allow the western attack group to recover cohesion. Also, finally a good US OBA strike puts the German units holding the 0905 ENT into a recovery cycle allowing US units to approach adjacent. Despite, however, marshaling sufficient force to get onto the 30 DF col, definitive results are elusive.

End Game: The GREN in 0905 is finally eliminated, but German artillery (and an unfortunate friendly fire result) again disrupts the US attack cohesion. To the East, finally the FLM enters the assault and obviates the ENT first fire: US go in with their surviving full strength (Dis) M4, the FLM, and an INF + 9-1-0 captain - attack on the 30-col vs. a 24 defensive fire: both roll 6's! In fifteen minutes of the hottest fire known in PG, a full HMG + reduced ENG are eliminated for the Heer; and a full platoon of INF lost for the NC Guard. US morale also DEMs the M4 though the FLM platoon holds steady. But, time is out.

US captures 3 town hexes and a single entrenchment. The Germans have left two town hexes unoccupied and the other ENT is held by an HMG. Thus, a German victory.

Step Losses: Germany = 9 US = 10 (not relevant to the VC). Also note that the US force remaining has the following morale situation:

Demoralized: M4(red); M4; 3xINF; 1xINF(red). Disrupted: LT (9-1-0) and 2xHMG. Remaining German units (essentially, a full company) are all good order.

This game played over skype with captwoosey. It was my 4th game out of 5 that had a smaller force trying to hold onto a town whilst attacked by a larger force. So it was quite a well-set formula for now. However, very excitingly, for the first time, one of my battles would host a platoon of flamethrowers. Unexcitingly, the Yanks had them :-(. The attacking Americans would also be confronted by muddy conditions. To the report.

The Americans intent was to capture the whole of Wurselen within a four hour period and fortifications around it. There were actually two villages here including a couple of entrenched positions containing an MG platoon and grenadier platoon in each. One was also laced with pill-boxes. There were only two other grenadier platoons and some mortars to defend the rest of the village. At 1245 hours a battalion from the 119th Infantry Regiment began their advance towards Wurselen albeit having to fight with the mud as they approached. As well as Wurselen itself, the two entrenched positions on either side of Wurselen to the west and east would also be objectives. The infantry approach was quite direct, but a company of M4’s flanked Wurselen to the east at some distance and a company of MG’s supported the attack. Instantly, both sides felt the wrath of the enemy’s firepower. US MG’s were hit by German OBA and one step of M4’s were wiped out by German 75’s. The Americans responded by pulverizing the German AT battery in Wurselen with their own OBA and in doing so, killed the German garrison commander, a Major. Fifteen minutes later, US OBA was turning enemy soldiers into meat with yet another hit on the town on a grenadier platoon. In response, German MG fire riddled a US AT battery being towed on their trucks. Survivors from this AT battery ran off and left their guns. After this opening half-hour of mayhem, the battle settled down with the US infantry approaching the town and beginning to form fire-lines. The Germans spent their time trying to hold their morale whilst firing dangerous bursts at the US attackers when able. By 1500 hours, only one further step of US infantry had become casualties over the two hours of battle.

But the Americans had well set their battle line and had been throwing in lots of small arms fire supported by the power from their OBA and 3 mortar platoons. The tank company was also pouring in firepower from the south-east side of the village as well. At 1530 hours, things got bloody once more. Both sides engineer platoons became casualties in the on-going exchanges. American fire really began to tell over the next hour as German losses mounted, even amongst their officers and all they could do was to hold some semblance of resistance up in the shape of some form of good order units in key places. The German officers here were seemingly quite poor responding to fire in the most un-heroic of ways most times. One could only presume that they had spent their last 4 years training officers back home and had just been sent to the front ? The town of Wurselen was beginning to look ready for the taking.

With this in mind, at 1615 hours, the Americans went forward towards the town and the entrenchments on its flanks. Though their engineer platoon was no more, they did still have a flame-throwing unit held back ready for the close to contact. As infantrymen, MG teams and tanks rolled forward, a German MG unit targtted the flame-throwers and a well aimed burst sent these canisters of terror to ground and then fleeing back to their own lines.

Assaults were launched continuously at the German positions, and though they were gradually worn down with always more of them demoralized than in good order, there was always at least somebody clinging on. There is no doubt the American forces involved in this battle would have cleared Wurselen eventually, but in the time frame given they fell just short. Their main attack was probably launched too late and given they had been in position to do so for some time, it was an unfortunate loss for them. Had the flamethrowers made it through too, I think victory would most definitely have been assured. Streaky German win !

Casualties: US 9 steps, German 7 steps.

Well, Im gonna have to be honest here and state that had captwooseys close to contact come earlier, perhaps two turns, then the game would have been up. Also, had those awful flamethrowers gotten through, then they would have added 12pts in combat, plus a column shift for being engineers AND negated first fire of the entrenchments. Truly horrific prospect. So the Germans were lucky here with the lateness of attack and the breaking of the FLM unit. On their debit side, the German officers performed atrociously. They all kept breaking, therefore losing leadership modifiers, and of the 3 out of 5 that had modifiers, they were all eventually eliminated. I reckon this game, is balanced, poss a 55-60% favour to the Americans, maybe not ? More plays will tell. What I can say is that captwoosey is worryingly coming up to speed in game knowledge and is about ready to take on all comers (when he gets bolder with the final punch). Standard game, rated a '3'.