The 317th and 318th regiments of the American 80th infantry division and CCA of the 4th Armored Division. Against them were elements of the 3rd Panzergrenadier division and the 553rd Volkgrendiers.
Here are the details:
The German set-up:
I'm getting a better handle on tactics, when to use them, when not, when a shift is better than a doubling of strength. Overall, I think shifts are more potent.
Reinforcements (CCA) for turn 1:
More beginning photos:
The Americans must take two objectives, in addition to holding their own. The objectives are the little crosses, and stars - the marker flips.
The Americans start with a tactic that allows them to move an unspent German unit using road movement. They moved the Wespe artillery, and pounced on it, destroying it.
The Germans repaid them in kind by moving the 155mm battery, and crushing it.
Using this tactic takes a lot of op chips, and perhaps there is a balancing mechanism, but it seems very "gamey." I think I will either remove it as a tactic, make it scenario specific, or change it to only move armor or infantry units.
The Americans seize the hills and punish the Germans for the attack on the 155.
Germans 3rd attacking CCA. Those elite panzergrenadier battalions pack a wallop.
The Americans crack the German line by attacking the Volksgrenadiers and support.
They manage to isolate a battalion of the 553rd defending an objective marker. A series of attacks follow. Them Volksgrenadiers with prepared positions in the forest put up quite a fight.
At first I thought the Americans had this in the bag and would move on to flank the rest of the German position. This marker was relatively isolated and seemed like an easy mark. By the time they were finally cleared out, the game was in its last few turns, and there was still a second objective to take. Here...
With only a few turn remaining, the Americans attacked in earnest. Fortunately, they had gotten good position early in the game, and could attack from several sectors.
Final assaults that take the Volkgrenadier position and the second objective.
In the last turn, and in overtime, the Germans Counterattacked desperately. It got to a point where there were no more tactics available, but they didn't dare reset because the game could end at any moment.
Meanwhile, the Americans conserved op chips and swapped in fresh units whenever a group got too worn. In the last turn of the game, with the Germans fairly beat up, the American launched a series of attacks that crumpled their left flank. Well, the Volksgrenadiers in the woods held, wouldn't you know it.
I'm still thinking artillery need 2 hits. They are just too fragile. I used carpet bombing on the Volkgrenadiers, and the Germans reciprocated with replacement battalion. If I had carpet bombed the artillery, then it would have been out permanently. Still, given the allied air superiority in the late part of the war, perhaps this is how it should be. I will probably change the name of the tactic to "Piper Cub Spotter," or something like that.
