Pertinent house rules: Double-blind, Fast mech, Hill crest, Turretless AFVs, and Op-Fire from the flank.

The Americans have a daunting task in this scenario. With a reduced battalion of troops, little artillery, and about a company of mixed tanks, they are facing a full grenadier regiment with armor support.. The only real advantage is the 15 ½tracks augmenting the infantry fire strength. I had the Americans in scenario 9, now it's time to pay the piper.

Not expecting to hold the hill (for 30 turns), I plan a reverse slope defense. I avoid the woods as it looks like an artillery death-trap to me. The main defense will be on the bare side of the ridge. I cover the gap against the woods with infantry, the bulk of the infantry goes on the back of the bare summit (note the hill crest reference). Armor and backup APCs are on the flanks to kill scouts, and delay the enemy until I can shift reinforcements. I watch the eastern slope with infantry pickets. My SPAs and mortars are on the western board 12 ridge.

German troops begin to deploy in front of my hill position. German OPs start working around the woods to the north. I spot the STGIIIs, in a pack, just south of the wood copse. Then something weird happens. My opponent rushes up the hill, attacking my main position directly, and a flanking thrust from the south. I unload with everything I can as he comes up on the hill. I'm not sure I buy the “eyes on the hill” explanation he gave later, anyway the attack is driven off.

I send scouts around to the northeast wooded area to get an idea of what is coming my way. Coming around the hill is a reinforced company with IG and ATG support. The AT guns seem to just be setting up. My M12 and M7 fire over open sights, demoralizing 2 visible ATGs and killing an IG. I also shift troops to deal with the grenadier company which my artillery also mangled. Just as the melee begins, 2 previously unobserved ATGs (the 75mm guns) open fire on my M12 and M7. The M12 dies after surviving several bad AT rolls, the M7 having survived intact, rushes deeper into the woods. My mortars also gained the attention of his artillery. They survive, but not with style. They retreat out of sight and to rally, and join the M7.

There is a lull in fighting. I've killed 11 steps, with 3 more steps demoralized in the melee to the west of the woods. I have lost 8 steps in doing that. The STGIIIs have moved into a blind spot in front of the 60-meter hill. The Germans are regrouping. Something developing over in the big woods, but I can only see the edge..

A huge mortar barrage falls on my hilltop foxholes, followed closely by heavier artillery. I think I know what's in the woods now (I had suspected, but didn't expect that it to hurt so much!). The assault ends with the demoralized grenadiers demise. Just about that time the ATGs start picking off the supporting APCs. The infantry there gets blasted by artillery before they can disperse. Very little of that stack will survive the game.

My armor on the southern side of the hill moves to engage, or bait, the STGIIIs. (I have my M18 and M4/76 waiting in the center of the ridge, 4 hexes away). The STGIIIs decline the challenge (because of the turretless rule) and run down the hill. I op-fire on the last one, who stops (ie: turns to avoid the flank fire penalty), both shots miss. The last ATG is hiding in the small copse on board 14, for just such an opportunity, he misses his shots too. The STGIII tries to move away again, I op-fire again, he stops, again, I miss again, but this time the ATG doesn't. The M4/76 goes up in flames, the M18 scoots. A couple more shots are traded in like manner, resulting in the escape of the STGIII and demise of the Hellcat.

In the mean time I am being brutalized by the heavy bombardment. I am taking casualties, but score a couple myself. That makes the 15th & 16th steps against the Germans. My ground-pounders are mostly dead (6 steps remain, 4 of which are demoralized).

This end. We call it with a German victory after 16 turns. It would have been worse for me had the German mortars deployed sooner and his scouting method had been a sneak-n-peek. Not a bad scenario, despite its apparent foregone conclusion.

{Side Note} it is interesting how closely the US OOB in this scenario mimics what survived from Sc 9 - gives this one something of a campaign feel.

The Germans have a depleted 3-battalion regiment of infantry supported by a company of StuG-IIIGs and a towed AT (75/41) company. These are augmented by, for a change, copious OBA (4x16 + 1x20) and 6x81mm + 1x120mm mortars on board.

The US is a morale weakened 7/6 force of which about 40% are reduced units (suffered from previous day's combat (Sc #9).

The Heer send one battalion west in the center to press/hold US forces there and prevent/delay shift of elements from the northern section. The main attack force attacks in the south (along with the assault guns).

The US cannot afford to have its armor contingent tied up in assaults to be picked off by the panzers. A long-range duel with the StuG's results with the US taking advantage of the high ground and/or dug-in positions whilst the StuG's rely on their 75L48 gun performance. In the end, these forces more-or-less destroy each other.

German artillery is simply too much for the US, even dug-in. With 7/6 morale and a good portion of their force already reduced, the US is on the receiving end of what it usually dishes out, compound demoralizations and step losses. Whilst the Heer are likewise 7/6 morale - and thus there were several protracted and costly assaults - the hammer-and-anvil attack in the south cleans up quickly, followed by a slow march northwards to clear the forested northern peak.

The Heer recapture the Donnenberg: they will hold the heights until RoRB #1 (IoG #26) - now playing.