**Hamich Ridge - The Matrix Games version of West Front

[Hamich, east of Aachen]:[H2H]:[HIS]:[BB]: As the third day dawned for US VII Corps is had become painfully clear that the quick breakthrough had not been achieved and instead it had become embroiled in a slugging match. Although Gressenich had been taken on the 17th and CCB/3 was about to capture the villages of Hastenrath and Scherpenseel, the Germans still dominated the terrain as long as they could direct their fire from Hill 232, the main feature of Hamich ridge. On the east side of the Wehe river the Americans had only pushed into the woods a mile or so in the past 2 days, at the cost of horrendous losses inflicted to the lead batallions of 26th and 8th regiment. After fighting off several German counter attacks the depleted I/16th still lay in front of Hamich in the Daens Forest, unable to move forward. On November 18, The Americans made a renewed effort to clear the way towards Jüngersdorf-Langerwehe and the Düren plain. Fresh batallions were to take Hamich and Hamich ridge west of the Wehe. East of the Wehe I/26th was to push the Germans from the highgrounds dominating the Schevenhütte-Langerwehe road and press forward towards Laufenburg castle. I/8th was to take the highground near the ruins of Schwarzenbroich monastery. During the night of the 17th November the German 48th regiment, after it's grievious losses of the past days, was reinforced with Kampfgruppe Bayer of the 116th Panzer Division, while 984th regiment in the Laufenburger Forest was reinforced with Kampfgruppe Grollmann, also from the 116th Panzer and arriving from the direction of Gürzenich.