Orders phase

This little German armored car IS annoying! I am sitting here and looking at the map and having big respect for the German commander for such a bold move. With its 50mm cannon the car indeed has enough power to threaten my Sherman, especially with a flank shot from such a short distance. Additionally, the armored car cuts off any retreat for my Sherman towards the town as the Panzer IV comes closer. I can still move the Sherman off map to the north, but I bet that the tank commander is starting to sweat. So am I.

Luckily, the armored car is not completely hidden by the house. There is still some LOS to it, and I order my Sherman to target it ASAP (before it can move back behind the house) AND pivot so that the front armor faces the threat. The Panzer IV is well out of LOS now after my Sherman moved back, and will take at least one turn to move forward and get a clear shot at my tank.

The stats for the German armored car. However, there is still that little ? behind the unit's name, so the actual stats might actually differ.

To help out the now encircled Sherman, I hope that the remaining M4 in the town will be in position soon to get rid of the bold but nevertheless annoying car. Unfortunately, the going through the snow is slow (and I don't want to order my Sherman into fast movement to avoid the risk of bogging down again), and as much as it hinders the German advance, it has also a negative impact on getting my defenses in place. In fact, with my MLR in the east virtually gone, the Germans have now a small advantage since they can use the roads.

The last M4 in the town is moving forward. Currently, the LOS to the enemy armored car is blocked by the elevation, but I hope that as it moves forward, the LOS will be clear.

In and around the town, I am adjusting my defenses slightly. I order one MG team (seen in the above screenshot in the right house) to move further south to reinforce my rifle platoons there, and at the same time order one bazooka team north. The reason is that I can see strong German infantry formations (probably two platoons or more) marching up in the south which strengthens me in my opinion that they will try to cross the river there. So I move my bazooka team further into town to avoid having it overrun by enemy infantry.

The southern flank - I sense that this will be the German point of attack as they will try to move their infantry across the river. Since my bazooka team would be one of the first defenders that would have to face the enemy infantry, I order it to move further into town and behind my rifle platoon.

But I do more - I also shift one of the two rifle platoons on the southern hill further south and forward to support the half platoon and the two MGs already in position there.

The rifle platoon on the southern hill is moving forward to get in contact with the half platoon already in position. Since I seriously expect an attack from this direction, I want to avoid having the half platoon too far forward without support. The two MGs on the southern hill have a good field of view down there and will support both defensive positions.

Now to the forward position along the southern road. It's a slaughterhouse down there, I have to admit. The only more or less effective unit is the bazooka team (actually only one man left) - all the others are panicked or routed. All have taken heavy casualties. So far, all my orders to retreat were futile, since heavy MG fire from the approaching German infantry and halftracks pin down anybody who leaves cover and makes them turn around. Desperate, I order them again to scramble to the rear, but with little hope that any survivors will make it. But, looking around the flank, I also make a discovery. Suddenly, I see another knocked out halftrack! Did I miss a kill from the bazooka team? I doubt it! A little puzzled, I order the bazooka gunner to target the closest halftrack and then quickly try to forget what's happening down there...

The bazooka gunner has little chance to hit that enemy halftrack at 164 meters distance... but what else can it do? It does spot another knocked out SPW near the house... I wonder what knocked it out???

I am sweating. I wonder how that is possible lying in the snow on that hill with freezing temperatures, but sweat is running down my forehead. The see-saw of battle fate is buzzing fast - one minute ago I was bouncing up and down after getting those enemy tanks, but out of a sudden the situation is growing more serious fast. Oh boy...

Action phase

The turn begins with a mortar barrage on my forward positions in the trees near the bridge. It seems to be relatively small caliber (81mm?) but the barrage intensifies fast throughout the turn and does cost some casualties. Even more so, as the rifle platoon and MGs down there are engaged by the armored car and MG fire from further back at the same time.

An airburst from an enemy mortar is killing a couple of men as the platoon is returning fire at the enemy armored car.

The armored car, BTW, was able to quickly pull back behind the house and hence get out of sight of my Sherman near the woods before it could get off a shot.

David vs. Goliath, with only a house in between...

This is very annoying, as it not only threatens the Sherman, but also proves to be a serious obstacle to get my two HMGs back from their forward positions (guess I should have done that much earlier...)

Cpl Nugent with its .50 cal MG team has already suffered serious casualties to its team as it tries to lump all that heavy gear to the back under heavy MG and HE fire. The other MG team (a .30 cal) is pinned but not panicked.

Robbed of a target, the Sherman instead turns its turret to fire at some infantry moving down the central road and joining up with the squad which made it in the beginning of the game into one of those houses there.

The Sherman fires HE rounds and its mounted MGs at the advancing enemy infantry, but with little visible effect.

Shortly after the beginning of the mortar barrage on my forward position, some heavier stuff starts falling down on the town! The block house on the south-eastern edge of town takes a couple of direct hits but keeps standing, and some more impacts are visible on the roads. Luckily most of my units are in good cover in the buildings and not caught out in the open as the Germans were a few turns ago. Luckily, too, the block house seems to be really well European style, since my rifle platoon hiding on the first floor doesn't even take a scratch...

A huge blast shatters a few walls and the roof as it hits directly into the block house. My bazoka team (moving further into town), is luckily far away to not be hurt by the blast...

...but also my rifle platoon in the building is unharmed. They have taken a few casualties in the city fighting in the previous turns, but are so far not affected by the heavy artillery. And heavy it must be - look at the size of that crater! Ohmygod! 150mm?

Along the southern road, the slaughter is coming to an end. My bazooka team manages to fire off another rocket at one of the halftracks, but again only scores a near-miss. Shortly after, the Platoon HQ is annihilated. It's only a matter of seconds before the remaining GIs will decide to surrender.

The bazooka gunner manages to fire off another rocket in the face of heavy enemy fire, but misses again.

Shortly after, with the enemy coming within 100 meters and less, the enemy fire becomes overwhelming...

Throughout the whole turn (as the previous turns since it appeared), the roar of my fighter bomber is heard. I did hear several dives, but never was able to spot any particular damage. Until now...

An enemy SPW (near the center of the map by the burning farm building and the knocked out Jumbo), is being strafed by my fighter-bomber! It dives and blazes away!

Struck by lightning... the fighter bomber knocks out the halftrack by two accurate bursts from its on board MGs! The mounted infantry bailes out, probably taking some casualties...

Now THAT also explains the mysterious knocked out halftrack in the south! I decide to scout out the map and yes, I find another knocked out halftrack further east, near the southern woods! I didn't even notice, and the pilot has taken out three enemy halftracks!!! To borrow an expression from the British: bloody excellent! (I can hear Fionn saying the same, just without the big grin on the face :-))

I decide to take a good overview over the battlefield. Pleasently suprised, I find only a handful of halftracks in working condition left! And at least one of them has its gunner killed! However, further east I can also identify some "light armored vehicles" hiding behind two houses. I am not sure what this is, but it sure looks like some kind of reserves for the final push into town...

A look at the battlefield from the east towards the town. Two unidentified vehicles are hiding behind the houses. The other halftracks near the stone wall are both knocked out!

So actually, I find myself more pleased than I thought I was at the beginning of this turn. IF I manage to knock out the last Panzer IV, and IF I manage to get rid of that armored car behind my Sherman, then the Germans will have to attack the town by foot, across the river and lots of open ground! That's a lot of if's, but it's better than I thought the situation was at first.