"Going for Givet"

Randy did a good job with his air placements. To breach the Meuse, I need to maximize the number of crossing points by moving up to as many adjacent hexes as possible. In addition to a counterattack near Dinant, I plan to go for Givet. Further north, I will continue to maneuver to force the US to retreat or risk encirclement near Namour. Artillery is brought forward towards my Schwerpunkt next to the Meuse; I will need it to help defend any crossings I get as well as solidify my defensive capabilities. The 23AM German reinforcements continue to make their way to the front - they will provide a reserve for fire brigade usage should the US get frisky. I do not envision any US losses this turn and it's looking ever more bleak that I will reach the magic 48 number.

Post Combat Comments:  The Germans score two D1's on their combats.  As the LQ would indicate, pretty pathetic results.  A four-NW bombardment on the three units in Dinant failed to shock any defenders; OKW has called for Ober-Artilierist-General Mitchell to report to the Meuse front.  While I never like to take attrition losses, capturing Givet gave me no small solace.  Randy will now have to defend several more hexes along the Meuse.  85% of my forces are now arrayed between Namur and Givet; I have the forces but do I have the time to force a bridgehead?  We shall see...

Both sides cry out for better combat die rolls. I was keenly disappointed to have won all three bombardments and then lose the 1-1 (-1) attack on Dinant, resulting in a step loss to one of my few remaining 6-5-4s. My air interdiction served me well in that I was able to keep the Germans away from some of the Meuse River hexsides that I would otherwise have been unable to prevent. Tom did well to focus on Givet, which proved to be an easy capture.

This is fast becoming an Allied balancing act, albeit an interesting one. How do I cover all of the Western Meuse River hexsides while maintaining a relatively strong defense? The two incoming 5th Armor Combat Commands are a real godsend. Their arrival allows me to shuffle the stronger 3rd Armor further westward. I will use two air interdiction to keep the German main effort focused between Givet and Dinant, while setting up a strong Allied artillery presence to deliver any necessary "stonk" at the critical points. I may very well have a tiger by the tail in doing so. The bottom line is that the Germans will cross the big river within the next couple of turns. The challenge will be getting the panzers across, because they require an intact bridge.