The Witch's Cauldron
Fall of France 2 #14
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(Attacker)
Germany
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vs |
France
(Defender)
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Total |
| Side 1 |
0 |
| Draw |
0 |
| Side 2 |
0 |
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Total |
| Side 1 |
0 |
| Draw |
0 |
| Side 2 |
0 |
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Total |
| Side 1 |
0 |
| Draw |
0 |
| Side 2 |
0 |
| Overall Rating, 0 votes |
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Scenario Rank:
--- of 918 |
| Parent Game |
Fall of France 2 |
| Historicity |
Historical |
| Date |
1940-05-13 |
| Start Time |
13:00 |
| Turn Count |
30 |
| Visibility |
Day |
| Counters |
148 |
| Net Morale |
0 |
| Net Initiative |
2 |
| Maps |
4: 26, 27, 28, 33 |
| Layout Dimensions |
86 x 56 cm
34 x 22 in |
| Play Bounty |
263 |
| AAR Bounty |
227 |
| Total Plays |
0 |
| Total AARs |
0 |
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Introduction
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After an easy trip through Belgium, 4th Panzer Division met French armor for the first time near Hannut on May 12. Its commander halted the advance and waited a day for 3rd Panzer Division to arrive on his northern flank before launching a massive attack on the French line held by the 3rd Division Légère Méchanique. the assault was brutal, with all German forces committed to a hammer blow on a narrow front and nothing held in reserve. For their part, the French were well dug in but scattered along the line, diluting the effectiveness of their otherwise-powerful Somua tanks.
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Conclusion
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Often thought as the first first tank vs. tank battle in world history, this was actually a combined-arms assault, with the panzers having received orders to bypass village strongpoints when possible and leave the mopping up to the infantry. The tactic did not work well, with a counterattack by French tanks from 1st Cuirassiers wreaking havoc among the panzers. Confused armor combat lasted several hours, but in the end brute force and numbers prevailed over tactical skill. The French abandoned their positions all along the line in costly retreats, and by the end of the day 3rd Division Légère Méchanique was nearly destroyed.
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Display Relevant AFV Rules
| AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle |
- Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
- AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8).
They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank
leader in order to carry out combat movement.
- AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
- Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn
(either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more
(11.2).
- Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its
printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
- Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire
(7.44, 7.64).
Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire,
but not both (7.22, 13.0).
Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
- Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
- Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
- AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
- AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
- Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
- Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
- Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
- Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)
- Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)
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| 4 Errata Items |
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In 1940: Fall of France, the units show Direct Fire. All units are Indirect Fire.
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The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.
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The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".
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The SK 7/2 appearing in 1940: Fall of France is actually a SK 6/2, but misprinted by APL. Hence it should be unarmored in that game. The SK 7/2, which appears in other games is correctly printed with an armor of 0.
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FoF2013 
