"Send in the US Airborne!"

My only trick move was what I'd call a "delayed Angriff":  I broke my attacks into two components and had Randy resolve a bunch of preliminary attacks.  The second bunch of attacks started off with an Angriff 2-1(-2) that could have also been resolved as a 3-1(-2) regular attack.  (Of course, the intent of the Angriff was to surround an adjacent defender.)  Why break up the attacks?  The main goal was to see how my initial attacks went before deciding whether or not I needed to risk a battle that would only be 'won' on a 1 or 2 die roll result.  Additionally, there was a chance that Randy would decide to take a chance and commit artillery to another battle which would raise the possible Angriff odds to 3-1(-2).  Against a player of Randy's experience, though, I'm confident he evaluated the situation with the Angriff possibility in mind.  Breaking up attacks is often advisable, especially if you don't want to strain your brain too much with conditional combats and advances.

Post-Combat Comments:  The gimmick worked!  Randy obligingly rolled a 1 on my Angriff attack and the ADV 2 result allowed me to surround the 9/47 regiment.  The die rolls clearly were better, as measured by impact, than the only slightly above normal LQ rating would indicate.

With 3 US units eliminated and another unit taking a hit, I'm satisfied with this turn's attrition.  I'm a little concerned with the number of bridges Randy's been taking down and will husband my bridging resources carefully.  (2 of 8 used so far.)  My next near term goal will be to maximize my opportunity to capture the Francorchamp fuel dump intact; I suspect it is in 1809 because he defended it this turn but this may be part of some elaborate ruse.  =)

IMO, this turn resulted in the best attack die rolls so far. Tom took a big chance with a 2-1 Angriff, and I think he should be commended. The 1/3 chance of a successful result not only eliminated a full strength 5 ER unit, but opened up the Northern shoulder as well. The somewhat negligible downside is that he may not be able to attain a follow-up flanking attack with either division of the 1st SS Panzer Corps due to the Angriff advance locations. Had the attack not succeeded, I think the German 18AM turn would have been a bit of a wash. That's now hindsight. To retain a strong, Allied Northern shoulder will now be a challenge.

The upcoming turn will be the last with the Army Boundary in effect, and I plan on using it to my advantage. Prior to 18AM, I wanted to direct some of 6th Pz Army toward Eupen. Now, I definitely think otherwise. Eupen and the forest hexes to the SW are low hanging fruit for the panzers. For this reason, I very much need to hold at least one air unit back to cancel German ground support on a key attack. This means Skorzeny will get his sneak attempt after all. The only alternative is to give Tom the least tantalizing target. Tom may cleverly decide to avoid attacking it this turn to surround the defending unit in the following turn and bag not only the dump but an Allied unit to boot. My response to that tactic will be to replace the full strength defending uint with a reduced unit and take satisfaction in delaying the westward advance for another turn. I wrestled with abandoning Noville, and came to the conclusion that sacrificing a reduced unit in the town to ensure the airborne's arrival at the Ourthe River crossings on 19AM is worth the sacrifice. Bastogne is secure for at least another turn or two.