A battle fought over randomly generated terrain, giving us all an opportunity to practice with the rules.
The Germans are hidden near a crossroads, the Americans have been ordered to take the crossing at all costs.
The Americans began the game by using their 105s to bombard the solitary grove of trees in the middle of the table, thinking that that's where enemy troops might be waiting in ambush. They then advanced as fast as possible towards the battered trees.
There they did indeed meet a German infantry platoon, but that had suffered badly from the bombardment (both from shells and splinters of wood) and was wiped out out after a single round of melee.
Whilst the Allied left flank seemed to be secured, on the right flank the advancing Americans ran into an enemy MMG platoon and two StuGs.
This could have been very painful for the Americans, but the initial German fire proved largely ineffectual: certainly not enough to slow down the American advance.
Meanwhile, a platoon of Stuart light tanks tried to get through the gap between a hill and the trees, but the narrow passage was covered by one of the StuGs. In response, the Americans reinforced their light tanks with a pair of 57mm anti-tank guns.
Whilst the American infantry take cover on the hill, the remaining Stuarts decided to gird their loins and heroically charge the StuGs head-on.
At this point we ended the game. This wouldn't have been the end of the fight itself: that would have carried on with the Americans advancing very slowly and the Germans awaiting them in their works. It would have been a real grind! As to who would have won...well, it would have been hard work for both sides, but troop quality (and therefore activation dice) favoured the Germans
Burt Minorrot