With two armoured infantry battalions, a tank battalion and supporting artillery, the US troops were in a good position to force a break in the Germans lines, and by capturing the road network at Hemalt, provide a breakthrough point for the rest of the American army. Without too much worry, the US forces surged ahead...
But the Germans had not been lazy. Although surprised by the breakthrough, the local commander assembled together a small force to counter the enemy. An infantry battalion formed the core, with a deleted battalion of SS-Panzergrenadiers (amounting to just a couple of companies) and a Tiger company in support. With the morning mist hiding them from air attack, Kampfgruppe Valsh moved to counter the enemy threat...
The US forces attempted a three pronged assault on the town. On the left flank one of the infantry battalions deployed, with the second in the centre. The US commander had deployed a tank company to support each of the infantry battalions, and the right flank comprised the remains of the tank battalion with recce and anti-tank platoons. It was a solid plan backed by artillery support.
The Germans massed heading for the town, with the Tiger company forming a lone presence opposite the US right. As battle commenced the US advanced but their attack was slowed by hedgerows and poor communications, while the Germans raced for the town with the panzergrenadiers soon reaching the buildings. A long range tank engagement began on the right with the Tigers dueling with the 76mm armed Shermans, and this proved to be a long-running battle that eventually was lost by the Germans, but in doing so the Tigers held up the right flank long enough for more critical events to unfold in the centre.
The US launched a massive attack in the centre against the weak Panzergrenadiers who had occupied the edge of the town. As the US infantry debussed for the assault, US fire power cut the Germans defenders numbers in half. The US in the centre prepared for an assault as the infantry battalion on the left made a dash for the road to outflank the town and their tanks in support dealt with a solitary StuG III holding the road. Things looked very bleak for the Germans.
Then it happened...
The German commander (or that lucky git Brian as some call him) called in his Hummel battery and promptly roll snake-eyes for his communication roll. This would allow the battery to fire twice in a turn instead of once. Both strikes came up as hits on the scatter dice and in a few moments the US infantry in the centre was virtually wiped-out. Fire from other Germans units then caused havoc among the US troops on the left and several platoons broke up and fled the battle line. With the Germans now having the upper hand the US were left wondering what had gone wrong...
Not giving up the US cobbled together an attack on the right which finally took out the Tigers but a mad dash by the Shermans on the left resulted in several burning tanks after they rand into the panzergrenadiers and their Panzerfausts. The US repeatedly failed to call in any artillery support and as casualties mounted the US force began to waver. Despite causing heavy losses on the Germans, things got too much for the US force and it finally decided to retire having suffered nearly 65% losses... The Germans decided not to persue, having lost well over 50% of their force, including all their armour.
But the Germans held the town and forced the US to retire, so a victory for the Germans forces...
Superb - from a box of goodies to an AAR in double-quick time! 
When they did, they wiped 2 shermans.