This is a night scenario from "Baraque de Fraiture" with an 8 squad German bicycle patrol attacking a US force of 4 2nd line squads and two AA halftracks. To win the Germans must control 3 buildings, with each destroyed/Recalled halftrack counting as one building controlled.
The Germans enter on the south edge, which includes both the N-15 highway and the N-28 since the playing area is reduced. Brian split the Germans into two groups and used both roads, stopping just out of NVR (2) and formed up his attack on the three building cluster on the N-28. When I finally had LOS to his units, they were just three hexes from the first building, and in a strong assault position. The Americans have a +1 drm on starshell attempts, and failed to get any on their first attempts.
The American's best hope is to get the AA halftracks some good shots, but mine failed badly. The first one, a M15A1 with an 8 FP MA and 12 FP CMG, got one attack off before the MA malfunctioned. German infantry was slipping around the flanks out of NVR, passing every Straying check, and making menacing noises trying to get PF's. The second ht, an M16, comes in on turn 3, and I sent it up the N-28 to help extract the first one. Its bounding fire shot pinned a hs closing in on the M15, which then took its own bounding fire shot with the CMG and malfed it. Rolling for the MA was too risky due the VC, so I rolled for the CMG disabled it. I did manage to save my now weaponless M15, but the loss of that FP pretty well sealed my fate.
THe German infantry methodically reduced my own infantry and occupied all three buildings by about turn 4. The M16 managed to break two squads in one building leaving just a German hero. I had a concealed hs advance in for CC, but the hero cr'd it and that was about all I had left.
According to the scenario aftermath, the Germans had been traveling on the N-15 when they bumped into the crossroads position. I don't know if the intent of the designer was for the Germans to use the same approach, but the scenario as printed allows both highways to be used. This really makes the defense difficult, since the N-28 gets the Germans within striking distance of the buildings very early and the American has to set up four squads to defend two widely-seperated roads.
There aren't a lot of options for the Americans, but I think if I played this again I'd get both leaders out front with a hs in hexes that can see as far south as possible, like EE9 and EE16. The hs are there to shoot at the first target available to place a gunflash and allow the leaders to try for starshells. The M15 gets placed where it can get some shots into illuminated areas, maybe someplace like CC15. Be careful with the hts; they have an unusual gun arrangement and can't fire through the front VCA, so they have to face away from where your targets are. Best advice I can offer though is don't malfunction the guns and mgs.
Although I didn't particularly enjoy this playing of this scenario, I would try it again with a different defense. I still think its too tough to defend both highways, and really think the Germans should be limited to the N-15 for historical reasons. I've sent a question to Nadir at Frontline, but haven't heard from him yet.
Steve Kyle