A very hard fought, very tough scenario for both sides. The Germans grabbed the initiative and the advantage by quickly occupying town hexes on both maps. They got these positions reinforced as the French attacked en masse and gave the Germans a really hard scrap. The Germans had the advantage in the assault as they were able to pull armor in to the fight. The French pushed the German right hard, and almost took the sunken railway. But, the Germans were able to pull more reinforcements from their left and used their own armored reinforcements to contain the counterattack. The Germans held more town hexes and railway hexes in the end, a hard, hard german win.

Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Draw
Participants	unknown
Play Date	2022-05-16
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF022

To be continued . . .

This 6-session, online play-through was one in which I played the German side. We played to game turn 15, in a hard-fought and exciting, draw.

Please see my AAR for Division Marocaine #3 Furia Francese!, and I respectfully refer the reader to Wayne Baumber's insightful AAR for this scenario.

In this Skype FtF against Alan Sawyer who had chosen the scenario, I took the French. The scenario depicts a French counter attack, with a massive 21 INF and 5 HMG entering on Turn 1 in a bid to push the Boche back across the railroad which runs down the centre of the battlefield. My main push was to the south and accurate artillery fire coupled with overwhelming numbers overran the German forces in this sector. In the north a diversionary attack fared less well and got bogged down in the woods there. Alan targeted the French command and control with his own artillery and this led to a slight hiccup as the French had to hold and regroup after the loss of their beloved leader. This though also gave the French a chance to rally some units and once they had regrouped the attack went in again this time against German units in town hexes and the sunken railroad, these assaults were successful and after 2 hours fighting the Germans had been pushed back in the south and had suffered enough losses to ensure a major French victory had been achieved. The German commander realized he had to go on the attack and threw in more units in the struggle in the northern woods. However with little regard for the well being of his own forces the French artillery observer plastered the woods and luck favored the brave as the result was more German losses with no effect on the Moroccan infantry who were grappling with the German attack. This was the final straw for the unlucky German commander who withdrew and conceded the field. This is a solid scenario, I feel the French are just too numerous for the Germans to hold on , the Germans will need luck and a really good set up if they want to win this one.

Another good Skype match with Wayne Baumber, who as the French Moroccans had a very good day defeating the invading Germans. As the Germans I had a tough time, some of my own bringing some of the scenario itself. First the Germans and outnumbered a little more than 3:2 with troops, but the Germans are of better quality, or at least that is what I thought until some of the morale checks. Germans have the armor advantage, while the French have the OBA edge. Leaders were slightly better for the French. As for the setup both sides get to setup on boards, but the Germans control the most of it an the majority of the French must enter turn 1. The one odd item is the French get aircraft, but the scenario conclusion describes German aircraft as well as the French receiving AA support, but the Germans do not. Slightly odd, but given the quality of the aircraft I though not to be a issue. Finally the French have the edge with the victory conditions with just needing to eliminate units while the Germans must take ground and inflict more casualties. One interesting point is the board is created by using half's of two boards, a very unique way of creating boards. Also there is a road that is a railroad extending across the road that extends north and south.

The German setup for one group is around the town on board 32 east of the railway as well as the town on board 31. There main goal will be to try to move toward the towns and woods west of the railroad and capture them before the Moroccans get there, but can they hold will be the issue. The lone French force block the western road awaiting the reinforcements. Turn 1 has the Germans moving up to take the small towns on the north of board 32 and possibly challengege the roadblock. To the south the Germans advance to the small town on the hill to try to establish themselves before the French can attack. The French advance slowly onto the board both board 32 and the small hill on the south of 31. OBA cause the first step losses to the French but they respond and double demoralize a German unit. Heavy fighting breaks out on the small hill on the south of board 31. The Germans push for the slopes but the French keep up heavy fire from the hill. Several German units break and fall back to the town. It would see-saw back and forth on the hill slopes, but the French hold. To the south the French slowly and steadily advance and overwhelm the advance German units. Failing morale checks and routs forces the Germans back and the units the do stand, become isolated and eventually fall to assaults. Eventually the German left collapses and the units find themselves back into the town. Morale was bad on the German side with many units breaking of the first shots and then flee when recovery attempts are made. One bright spot was the German OBA that hit the Colonel destroying his HQ. This briefly stun Moroccan lines and the Germans were able stabilize for a bit.

In the end the overstretched German lines and failing morale did in the Germans as the French numbers could not be matched and the French took a major victroy. As the conclusion states if there were more actions like this the French would have had a better time in the sring of '41.

En este escenario se enfrentan aproximadamente dos batallones de infantería francesa a un batallón de infantería reforzado alemán. Los franceses están apoyados por baterías de artillería (75mm, AT y AA), así como varias secciones de morteros. Disponen también los franceses de un eficaz apoyo de artillería fuera del tablero (3 x 8, 2 x 14, 1 x 20). Los alemanes cuentan con el refuerzo de secciones de tanques PzI, PzII, PzIIIF y PzIVD, de batería de cañones AT y de cañones de infantería de 75mm. Cuentan también con apoyo artillero fuera del tablero (3 x 16).

Los alemanes se sitúan a caballo de una línea férrea que corta el campo de batalla en dos mitades en sentido norte-sur, principalmente al este de esta línea. Ocupan algunos hexes de ciudad y tres hexes de ferrocarril semienterrado. Los franceses despliegan unas pocas unidades al oeste de esta línea, a la espera del grueso de sus tropas, que entra en el turno 1 y, aleatoriamente, a partir del turno 9. Los franceses tienen como objetivo principal desalojar a los alemanes situados al oeste de la línea. Como meta subsidiaria deben causar al menos 10 steps de bajas al enemigo. Los alemanes tienen como objetivo principal controlar más hexes de bosque y ciudad al oeste de la línea férrea que los franceses y, en su defecto, aniquilar al menos a 15 steps de unidades enemigas.

Los franceses deciden lanzar su ataque principal por el sur del campo de batalla, en la zona de la vía férrea semienterrada, más débil. En efecto, el resto de la línea alemana está cubierta en buena parte por hexes de ciudad, de donde los alemanes serían muy difícilmente desalojados. Los alemanes cuentan con dos líderes con bonificador moral de "2" en esta zona, lo que les hace prácticamente inamovibles.

Los franceses atacan decididamente la zona sur, precedidos de una barrera de artillería que debilita las posiciones alemanas en el ferrocarril semienterrado. Le sigue a continuación la infantería francesa y se entablan los primeros asaltos. Al principio el resultado es incierto, dada la escasa capacidad de fuego de la infantería francesa (3-3) y la lentitud de los HMG (capacidad de movimiento "1") en llegar a los puntos de asalto. Tras durísimos combates los franceses consiguen ocupar todo el ferrocarril semienterradoy producir 11 steps de bajas al enemigo. Los alemanes causan 14 steps de bajas al adversario, con lo que se quedan sólo a 1 VP del empate.

Es cierto que el combate ha sido emocionante y el desenlace ha sido incierto hasta la última tirada de dados. No obstante, el escenario es mediocre, ya que los franceses -vista la enorme dificultad en desalojar a los alemanes de sus posiciones en las ciudades- se limitaron a ocupar el ferrocarril semienterrado y a causar bajas a enemigos aislados y desmoralizados para conseguir VP.

Victoria menor francesa.