Captain Biederman commanded the German forces (2 75 mm AT guns, 3 platoons of infantry and a dug in Luftwaffe 88mm AT/AA in the very back of town that could cover either road thorough town). He was ably assisted by Lts. Judge and Compton.

Captain Turrill (with the aid of Lts. Minton and McIntyre commanding his flanking platoons) had 3 full strength infantry platoons augmented by 2 medium machine gun sections with a heavy weapons platoon of a further two medium machine guns and 3 60mm mortars in position and ready to go. He also had five Sherman tanks.

The American objective was to seize the road through the village. The American commander had no off board artillery at his control and no close air support but he did have an allocation of a fairly hefty preliminary bombardment. Unbeknownst to the Germans, the American commander had the possibility of seeking and getting additional off board 105s for artillery support in the event he found he was up against a full German company. Turrill knew he had to distribute 5 preliminary barrages across the German positions and that was decided without knowledge of the location of any of the German troops except for one....they spotted a dug in PAK 40 75mm gun and crew on the US left flank in the farm house yard at the crossroads before H-Hour. He was given the opportunity to pummel that position with HE and smoke from his on board 60s at the very start, which was not something the Germans expected.  Americans knew they had to push across pretty wide open spaces to reach the hedgerows on the edge of town so speed in furtherance of the assault was essential.

Lt. McIntyre on the American left flank pushed up very swiftly. He had the good luck, although he didn't know it, to be advancing against a platoon that had been thoroughly mangled by the preliminary bombardment and was moving away past the farm house behind it to reorder itself. The sole defense against McIntyre's force was a medium machine gun in the upper stories of the farmhouse. It had it's chance and it made the most of it racking up heavy casualties in one squad of the American platoon. The Americans also soon  discovered to their horror that McIntyre’s platoon was positioned directly under one of the three pre-registered artillery targets the Germans had set before the game. The German 8cm mortars were lucky enough to land on target right in the middle of the American platoon while it was still half way across the open terrain in the front of the German right. McIntyre persevered but lost a large number of casualties and had a lot of unit confusion. They fetched up on the hedgerow near the farmhouse and could do little more until reorganized.

Meanwhile Lt.Minton and the platoon under Captain Turrill pushed across the center and right while pushing reconnaissance blinds across the creek and up the far right side. The tank platoon clattered up the edge of the stream. Things were unfolding slowly for the Americans advancing in this sector. (Let this be a reminder to us all that when concealed troops come off of their blinds they better put their poker chip in the bowl or it won't get drawn! Ah, the fortunes of war.) The Americans did get unstuck and moving just in time, since the German spotter shifted his mortars to a second preregistered target—right in the middle of the advance in the center. They weren't completely out from under the target before the mortar bombs fell...this time to considerably less effect. As with McIntyre's platoon, the machine gun sections took the worst of it and were never able to be useful to the Americans after that.

While the right flank was pushing forward, Captain Turrill ordered up two Shermans to press down the center road toward town and aid the beleaguered American left—Captain Biederman was personally on the scene on the German right, patching them up and ordering them forward to press McIntyre and shoot at Minton’s platoon pressing the center. Biederman had dashed to his right flank to aid inthe reordering of his remaining troops and pushing back asquad of Lt. McIntyre's—they managed to close assault it and knock McIntyre’s last functioning squad out of the game. The tanks rolled forward down the main Road and the lead tanker discovered to his horror that the Germans defending were aided by a fixed Luftwaffe 88 on the far end of town. One shot and the Sherman blew to bits. The American left was out of action entirely. The Americans shifted their 60mm mortars to the 88s and soon ran off the shaky Luftwaffe gunners, who drove off down the road without their gun.

The US tanks were coming up on the right, but not in it yet. The US right platoon, with the center platoon in support, after a brief exchange of fire, pushed boldly forward, crossing the main road into the village and took it to Lt. Compton’s German platoon in the orchard on the German left. Lt. Compton had been wrong footed by the American blind on the far right—he positioned one squad and an NCO to fight a platoon coming across the stream—but that blind turned out to be a dummy. When the close assault came that squad was caught in the middle of the apple orchard instead of under cover of a fortified hedge. The bayonet and grenade duals were sharp and decisive—with casualties on both sides, but the Germans were exterminated or captured to a man. This exposed the second German AT gun in the back of the orchard. A particularly effective and energetic junior sergeant used his initiative to launch his third closes assault of the day and the gun crew and its NCO were wiped out. Sgt. Rock will certainly get the Silver Star for this if his platoon commander, Lt. Minton, is honest and doesn’t take the credit for himself. At this point, the Americans pushed up in the center and discovered an untouched platoon under Lt. Judge in the solid stone buildings in the middle of the village. The Germans in the center and the platoon with Captain Biederman were threatened with being cut off from escape.  

At this point, the US commander now had confirmation that he was up against a hefty force. Finally, he would be allowed assistance from higher command—the  use of a 105 battery and a reinforcing company. The Germans knew the jig was up. The position of the American troops was such that Lt. Judge’s remaining platoon in the two stone buildings in the center of town and Hauptman Biederman’ platoon on the German right flank might be able to slink out of town but not without further casualties—but they certainly wouldn’t be able to hold it. We called it at that point.

The German did a such a good job of battering the Americans in their approach and bleeding them in close combat actions that the Americans didn’t have enough men left to bag all the remaining Germans in close combat even with close armor support Nonetheless, it was obvious to all the players that as soon as the Americans could bring up any fresh infantry from off the board the day would be theirs. If the sneaky Germans had put their 3rd platoon on the board earlier the Americans would have had the benefit of another battery of 105 at their fingertips. Had they had that at the beginning, it would have been crucial. Not a single German Panzerfaust or panzerschreck got a shot off at any of the American armor. They were so effectively smothered by the aggressive American infantry that it didn't have much of a chance. In fact neither of the 75 millimeter German tank guns got a shot off at anything either. The terrain was just not friendly to long range AT shooting.

Joe Patchen