This game was played over skype in 2 sessions with Tony Langston. Tony is quite new to PG and wanted a smallish game that would bring armour to the fore combined with infantry. He chose this scenario to do that after we rejected some that may have been too big. The aim was to go through the game with Tony, trying some moves that perhaps normally one might not so as to demonstrate the game mechanics. Having come off as a loser in doing so, I don't think I can bring myself to do so ever again :-) Here's the AAR followed by some post-game thoughts.

At 0800 hours the less than eager troops of the 18th Volksgrenadier Division moved forward, hurriedly looking for cover in the light wooded area slightly southeast of St Vith. Meanwhile, their mobile battalion of StG’s advanced along the main road ready to lay down supporting fire on the company of GI’s in the town and also to stave off any enemy armour that might show itself. Little did they know a whole company of Shermans had already been dispatched to the area by the Americans and were just over an hour away. Powerful American artillery disorganized the StG’s before they got any time to find good firing positions and actually demoralized most of the crews immediately. However, the VG’s advance was going well and they managed, with their numbers, to get close to St.Vith whilst the remaining StG’s dealt with US light armour support, including a heavily armed M16. This armour was knocked out within 30 minutes, and things looked to be going well for the 18th Volksgrenadiers.

What they had not bargained for was the high morale of the few GI defenders and the Germans repeated attacks on St Vith’s outlying houses were being met with determined resistance. These most often ended with the German conscripts coming off second best and being left pretty down-hearted. Furthermore, whilst US OBA was proving horribly effective in damaging the German advance, German OBA spent more time hitting its own men than scoring hits on the enemy ! Nonetheless, the determined attack continued as only the clearing of St.Vith would be an adequate result for the Germans.

Then, at 0915, to the horror of the Germans, American tanks made a surprise early appearance. A StG platoon was dispatched to deal with these adversaries and initially made some telling hits. However, the M4 gunners seemed to be masters in their art, and with a true-aim, were able to pick off numerous StG’s that dared face them. Despite losing half their number, the remaining US tanks rushed to the town, braving further AT fire from StG’s and surviving the ‘running the gauntlet’ to make into St.Vith.

In the town, the fighting had reached a peak in the town square of St.Vith. A vicious close-quarters battle here had the Americans suffering casualties, but the Germans even more. Rather than call in good order and fresh platoons, the German officer here ‘bugged’ out his demoralized troops en masse and in so doing without any support, lost 2/3’s their number in casualties and surrender.

The writing was on the wall. Around half the German infantrymen had become casualties, surrendered or headed for their own lines, and the majority of their assault guns had been hit. The high-moraled Americans, though losing all their original armoured forces had fought tenaciously and refused to budge.The arrival of the armour support now meant it was time for the Germans to re-think the attack and return later with other plans. Losses were 9 INF steps and 4 AFV steps for the attacking Germans and 1 INF step and 10 AFV steps for the Americans.

Well, I didn't enjoy losing, especially as the initial infantry attack went well. That said, I should have seen the writing on the wall early on. Tony's first OBA strike was against the German armour and achieved an X forcing Morale checks. Two platoons were demoralised! My OBA friendly fired 6 times, causing problems on the '7' moraled Volksgrenadiers, and when his M4's entered, needing a 6 on 1 dice on just the 2nd roll, the game was going to be up. I could not break the Americans 8/8 in assaults, and with only one leader with a morale modifier, my troops crumbled. My final excuse was his Shermans never bloody missed a shot. Horrible experience and revenge is in the air when we meet at Huchlen Town ! That all said, we had a lot of laughs (mainly at my expense) and I rate this as a competitive scenario (see overall results) and it gets a '3' rating