Ardennes 44 turns 6,7,8

Lawrence and I continued our game of Ardennes 44 on Saturday.  I messed up the pics (Panarama mode did not work so well) so only have start and end photos.  Turns played were turn 6 through 8.  The rules are pretty much second nature now and gameplay flows fairly well but we had a couple items to look up on leaving the map and reinforcements.  We are averaging 3 game turns in 5 hours (including 2 mini night turns), which for us is not bad.

Start of Turn 6.

Panorama shot of end of turn 8.

German Left Flank at end of turn 8.  The Allies managed to get 6 defensive strength points at each entry area and thus were able to attack onto the map.  The 966 armor unit blasts a German recon unit and advances on.

Bastogne area, the 82nd and 101 have to content themselves with holding the German spearhead at Bastogne rather than keeping them OUT of Bastogne.  The Germans are too thin on the ground to advance yet, the reinforcements led by the 746 at the bottom of the picture will change that situation but it will take them at least two more turns to get to the area due to Saint Vith still being in Allied hands (once Saint Vith is captured the yellow outlined hexes are +2mp to move through rather than +4).

Despite repeated attempts to take St Vith the Allies still hold it.  I made a mistake by not getting Arty to the area earlier.  On the plus side the Germans have manage to isolate the town and barring REALLY bad luck will have capture it by the end of the day.  The Allies do not have Arty in range to support it so that means the attacks will be at 4-1 odds and possibly higher.
First attack I will make is on the 223 3 hexes above St Vith.  That will be a 7 to 1 attack, if I can roll a 1 to 3 on that attack I will get an attacker bonus result where I can move the armor unit attacking the 223 down to where the 563 is and then have it participate in the attack on ST Vith.  With the help of that unit the odds go up to 5 to 1.  This means a 50% chance of a retreat result that the Allies can not block (otherwise the allies can do a Determined Defense which will most likely hold).  The odds of the City holding out the turn after that are much lower since the defending unit would be flipped.

The fuel shortage has not bitten my forces yet, all four rolls resulted in no effect or were on units that have not yet arrived on map.  

I think I have already taken too long to break the first Allied line (not getting arty into the correct spots for the combat shifts did it).  I can push them back in almost every attack, even up in Bastogne, but if I go any further I will not be able to hold my supply line.  So I have to get my arty up to Bastogne and break the chokehold here at Saint Vith, both of which will take the next two turns to accomplish.  The next report should be interesting.