As Henri's opponnent in this game I'll weigh in too. Definitely one of the best and hardest fought games I've played. I can think of three times in the game I thought: Crap! I'm screwed! FOW and luck really are queens of the battlefield.
My strategy at the beginning was this: Use the M10 to keep his armor at bay (not necessarily kill it, but keep it from running all over the place. and hey - If it got kills on things I wasn't going to complain.) Use four two squad manouvre elements and my Sherman 105 to gradually assault the town. Let him take it and then use the 105 to dig his men out of buildings gradually.
Now, on the first turn my M10 popped a puma, but got chewed to little gooey bits by his Hetzer. At this point I thought: Crap. I'm screwed. The 105 can't kill the hetzer unless Henri made a huge mistake with it, which I wasn't counting on.
Anyway, main attack force was 2 two squad mini-platoons supported by 1919s and a 60mm mortar. They were advancing through some woods when 81mm mortar fire fell on them bigtime. one of the 1919s fell with 2 casualties and the mortar took 1. I also lost 5 riflemen and 1 man from the platoon HQ to this barrage.
By this time my 105 was in town beating the crap out of his right flank. I think it broke about 2 squads and a schreck. Unfortunately, with two hetzers he worked in a beautiful side shot on my poor tankers (all of whom lived to run away luckily)
However, my two mini-platoons holed up in buildings by the 81mm fire were flanked. Bad. He had a full platoon to their immediate left and one to the immediate center. I did have their reserve (2 squads, and the company HQ) moving up, but it was going to be late. Things were looking very very bad. Again I said: Crap! I'm screwed!
At this point both of us were calling in mortar fire on the town and one shell (I don't know whose) hit the large light building his left platoon was holding and set it on fire. His HQ and one squad came charging out right into the guns of my men. This was (in retrospect) probably the decisive moment of the battle. It gave me time to reinforce my men and set up to defend the major VL.
Unfortunately there isn't much you can do with:
4x Rifle '44 (Depleted)
1x Platoon HQ (Depleted)
2x M1919 MMG (Depleted)
1x .50 HMG (Full strength!)
2x 60mm Mortar (Out of Ammo)
against two Hetzers. Except die-a-lot. Which a bunch of my guys did. The reason Henri didn't see anyone running out of the buildings he collapsed is that my whole PHQ and one whole rifle squad were casualtied in them. This was the third time I thought: Crap!! I'm screwed!!
Luckily, the Hezter's worthlessness against infantry is matched only by the feared and mighty M7A3E4 Truck "Truck" armed with fenders and a copious supply of tires. They quickly ran out of ammo and proceeded to poke holes in my remaining men and buildings with AP shot.
Now, I did have one more 2 squad manouvre unit off in the wings. As the game was drawing to an end they swept out of the flank full on ammo and ready to rock. Without this reserve I would have definitely lost. I had a total of 2 points of ammo left in the town. 1 with a 3 man broken rifle squad and 1 with a platoon hq. Having a good reserve for the endgame makes a HUGE difference.
All in all this was one of the most fun and best fought games I've played.
The lessons I would learn are:
1. I agree with Henri: Hetzers are lame against anything but tanks. I think the only mistake he made in the game was getting two of them instead of maybe a stug or stuh. (I made a couple of mistakes, like losing my on the first stupid turn M10...)
2. I agree with Henrie - German Riflemen have a really hard time dislodging US Riflemen without some big HE-whomping fun to back them up.
3. Reserves Reserves Reserves! Lots of them! Tactical and Strategic! I had half my force as reserves and this really made a difference.
4. Umm - Luck is the Queen. If that building hadn't cought fire I lose. Fast. Can't emphasize this enough. I'd rather be lucky than good any day.
All in all, a tight, well fought battle!
- Photon