En este escenario una heterogénea fuerza francesa (un batallón de infantería regular y una compañía de dragones motorizados, DRG, apoyados por una sección de artillería AT de 25mm y artillería fuera del mapa, 1x20), debe defender los puentes que cruzan el canal que circunda Dunquerque, donde están teniendo lugar las últimas evacuaciones. Los alemanes atacan con efectivos de cerca de dos batallones de infantería, apoyados por dos secciones de morteros de 81mm, media sección de coches blindados SK221 y artillería fuera del mapa (2x16). Ambas fuerzas tienen la misma moral (8/7).

En este escenario puntúan los bajas, el control de los puentes, las unidades alemanas que son incapaces de cruzar el canal y las que consiguen superar las defensas francesas y salir por el borde norte del mapa.

Los franceses realizan una desesperada defensa de los puentes, pero su inferior número y, sobre todo, inferior capacidad de fuego no puede impedir que los alemanes obtengan una aparente fácil victoria (27VP frente a 7VP). Digo aparente porque el resultado no hace justicia a los esfuerzos de los franceses, que consiguieron mantener a raya a los atacantes hasta cerca del final de la partida. En última instancia los asaltos concentrados de los alemanes y su superior capacidad de fuego causaron numerosas bajas a los franceses y huecos por los que los atacantes se infiltraron.

Escenario interesante y más reñido de lo que indica el resultado.

This was played via Skype with Wayne Baumber in a singke session. Wayne took the Germans and I was the French. We werelooking for shorter scenario ghan our previous play that took several months to finish. This one did the job, although a bit more historical than a balanced game. As the French hou need to stop the Germans from crossing the river over the bridges. There forces are just infantry with come AT and OBA support. There are some DRGs that provide mobility to the French but it will come down to stopping the Germans with just rifles and grenades.

The Germans have five companies of infantry with HMG and mortar support. A armored scout car and modest OBA will help dislodge the French along with the possibility of aircraft. The Germans will have to force the bridges as the engineers did not make it to the front line in time for the fight. The terrain will give them some cover through all the town hexes to the west on board 30. The French will need to setup with a strong hold on the bridges to delay them from getting over and racking up VP's for exiting the board.

As of the morale and the leaders, the morale was good but the leaders on both sides where quite outstanding. We used the ILS in PG-HQ and found that this generated all the leaders with at lest a positive combat or morale bonus, the Germans had three leaders with +2 modifiers. I could not have flipped the leaders any better for both sides. This did have a significant influence on the game as morale was not a big effect as it usually is. All losses were a result of direct step losses.

With the French setup, I put them right up on the bridges or next to them to cover them. If the Germans were going to close on them, they would have to brave significant fire. But once they breakthrough it would be tough to stop them.

The Germans begin with move on from the south, advancing in three groups. One at the north-south road, one to the west of the road and one to the far west edge of board 30. Within a couple of turns they had advanced in the town toward the four western bridges. A group of four HMG's provided the backbone for the advance. As they closed on the French units guarding the bridge the French opened fire without much success. French snipers had noticed that that the German leaders were sending the troops forward then advancing later. Seeing this the held their fire until the officers advanced successfully killing one German Captain. This broke the German chain of command and slowed one segment of advance. But this did not dismay the German leadership as they continue to shift me forward and then advancing. Methodically, the HMG's advanced to a point that would provide overwhelming fire but they need a leader to direct them. The German Colonel saw this as a chance to get into a good command position and moved forward. But the French snipers were tracking him and as he advanced to the HMG's on the river bank a shot rang out killing the Colonel. This brought German attack on the town to a halt for the next 30 minutes.

When they recovered they continued to advance and the French needed to develop another strategy as the Germans were about to assault the bridges and could easily win the assaults. The French started to slowly peel back from the bridges hold a line one hex back from the Germans. As the Germans closed the French took very calculated OP fires with some success in getting hits, but the Germans were able to shake off the morale checks with the help of the positive morale leaders. There was some key demoralizations but the Germans kept coming. Peeling back one more hex they slowed the Germans to 1 hex per turn or even 1 hex every two turns which would be key to keeping them from exiting, but they could not hold all the bridges. They would have to come up with another way of keeping the bridges.

An opportunity can about when a daring S.Lt. decided to dash over the bridges with this DRG unit. Finding a seem in the German line they were able to temporarily recapture two of the bridges and get to the south side of the river. This could tie down units on the south side trying to hunt them down. It did help as it was able to contest one bridge at the end of the game.

But the Germans still crossed and did get into assaults across the river although the French were waiting for them. In one assault the Germans looked to finish off a disrupted reduce INF, but wound up be caught in an assault for four turns before finally killing them. A second one on one of the bridges was still contested at the end of the game. These help strip off units from being able to get off the board at the end.

The French continued to give ground in the German advance until they were two hexes away from the north edge of the board, but the line held and the Germans were delayed. But this was not enough to win the game for the French. With most Germans over the river the French would not get many VP's for delayed units. As for bridges, they were mostly in German hands with two contested. This gave the Germans a 16 to 7 edge and a minor victory.

As for the play, I enjoyed it even with the loss as I was able to practice my delaying tactics with weaker forces as well as getting a new appreciation for what the French units can and cannot do against the Germans. Wayne was a little frustrated with the delays that the French were able to create against the powerful German force. But in the end a win is a win.

Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	cjsiam (AAR)
Play Date	2022-10-18
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF045

This was a 6-session play-through with the tenacious, yet flexible, cjsiam, as the defending French Commander tasked with holding a number of bridges on a major canal as long as possible. I played the infantry-heavy, attacking German side that was assigned to push the French back and get off the north map edge as quickly as possible. We played without the defense-favoring FOW, and with the smoke, consolidation and excess initiative optional rules.

The first session (game turn 1 and most of 2) featured the extended, broad-front German movement-to-contact from south of Map 30. This resulted in the hoped for scuttling re-deployment of all the mobile French units to the west during the first turn. This process continued the next turn as the German recon element moved into town hex 0705 to observe the redeploying French DRG units dismounting to begin digging in as ESC units. Only a single combat 7-die roll was recorded by the French side before a power outage struck, and we had to end the session prematurely, close to the end of the 2nd game turn.

The delayed 2nd session (balance of game turn 2 & turn 3) consisted of continuing German left & right flank movements-to-contact and an utterly futile Luftwaffe air strike that only slightly annoyed the French garrison. Both sides exchanged ineffective small arms fire across the river as a higher proportion of the forces of both sides’ troops became observable. Corpoarl Laszlo, the German Commander’s pet snail and mascot, became visibly excited at the prospect of crossing the river and left a triumphant slime trail one of the contested bridges. Only TWO combat 7-die rolls were thrown by the French in this session – and remarkably for this Author – none were thrown by the Germans.

The 3rd session (game turns 4-5) was characterized by left & right flank Germans close assaults across 3 bridge hexes (0816, 0713 and 0906), ineffective OBA bombardments by both sides, marginal direct & opportunity fires, as well as a combined total of SEVEN combat 7-die rolls – with the French side throwing, a near-record four consecutive 7s. Step losses for this session totaled one each for both side. Ironically, the Boche left flank attack – accompanied by their pet snail, Laszlo – was making the most progress and was locked in fierce fighting in town hex 0907.

The fourth session (game turns 6-8) was a slightly grim one for the French defenders with 4 additional step losses that mostly occurred in close assaults. A fierce German close assault in the fields of hex 1006 was successful, causing Laszlo to become so excited that he left an extra think slime trail on a window sill in the still-hotly-contested town. Unexpectedly accurate Boche OBA finally managed to eliminate the sole French AT gun platoon in town hex 0809 during game turn 7. A combined total of EIGHT combat 7-die rolls were thrown by both sides. The victory point total was 1 for the French and 15 for the attacking Germans at the end of this session.

The delayed by covid, 5th session (game turns 9-12) was characterized by a string of mostly excellent French morale check & recovery rolls throughout the entire series of urban close assaults on the north side of the canal. Both sides parted with an additional 3 steps of poor, bloody infantry. There was a brief French incursion across the canal that was thrown back at the last minute by heavy direct fire. In all, we managed to throw a combined EIGHT combat 7-die rolls (5 German, 3 French). At the end of game turn 11, the victory point totals were: 18 for the Germans and 4 for the French. Laszlo the snail, with his eyes on stalks, nearly leapt with joy on receipt of these splendid tidings.

The sixth and final session (game turns 13-16 ) was sadly anticlimactic and featured continued suffering for the hapless, but brave French infantry defenders that were still locked in a series of decisive, urban engagements. German OBA was remarkably ineffective, and their close assaults were only successful in one of the hotly-contested close assaults hexes north on the major canal. A pair of Boche infantry platoons managed to exit the north edge of the battle map. All the German units were able to secure positions north of the canal. A combined total of EIGHT combat 7-die rolls were thrown – four apiece in this unbalanced encounter.

The final step losses were: 11 for the French and 7 for the Germans. The final victory points were: 23 for the Germans and 7 for the French, resulting in a German Major Victory in this scenario. Laszlo was thrilled at the final result and nearly danced out of his shell to the Horst Wessel song as sung lustily by his triumphant 2-legged comrades!

As written, this scenario is probably best played in solitaire mode. I gave this one a 3, mostly because of my opponent’s rare wit and hilarious commentary.

Suggestions for better shared play:

1) Reduce the length of the scenario to 13 or 14 turns, 2) The Germans should be able to draw only a single aircraft, on any 2 turns, instead of 2 aircraft on only one turn, 3) All French DRG units should begin the game as dismounted ESC platoons, and 4) The French should receive 1 victory point for each bridge hex that is still contested at the end of the scenario.

Author	cjsiam (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	treadasaurusrex (AAR)
Play Date	2022-10-18
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF045

We were told to hold the river....

We set up on the northern side of the river...with officers, only 1/2 of whom could impact our morale in a positive way--alas, much elan, but little faith in them...

The Germans did that organized approach thing they do... Fire was exchanged from building to building, across the river....and still they came... On the left, in the big town there were many.

On the Right in the single town hex with the bridge..the single AT gun was teased by the reduced armored car...threatening to run the bridge and get off the board...after the German Artillery destroyed the AT gun...it went to the other flank and supported Assaults anyway!

...alas, they could not be prevented from Assaulting every Cross river hex, and taking all the bridges....The Armored car had the audacity to sit across the river in a field hex, in front of an unengaged French ESC unit and officer---who jumped on him---disrupting him, and then running back across the river...the High point of French initiative in this game...

But the German Assaults, they were not so effective --- of 7? assaults during the game, only 2 were resolved with hexes cleared....

Still on the French Right, the engaged Infantry in the town could not prevent the dribble of Germans off the north board edge---the poor English---4 steps got off board....

My Left flank finally, on 2nd to last turn, had the river line of broken as one of the Assault hexes cleared...the remaining assaults were unresolved at the end.

The Germans took 7 steps of Casualties, while the French took 11---the French lost all the Bridges (duh...) and with the movement off board--just too many VP for the Germans....a Major victory >11 point difference....Sacre' Merde....

It was an interesting exercise--and fun game, but I do not see the French winning against such a large German force unless they are incredibly lucky....I gave it a 3 as a good exercise, and a fun play with the resolute and organized Tread...

Played using Skype with young Alan Sawyer, this battle has a strong German force trying to force a river crossing over several bridges. Having played the French a lot recently I was always going to take the Boche for Alan's and mine next battle and when I saw the forces in this one I was more then happy. The Germans outnumber the French have better firepower, more leaders, better OBDA and even aircraft, one look at Board 30 and you can see that even the terrain helps the attacker as there is good cover for the Germans attacking from the south towards the main group of bridges. With 16 turns to cross one board time is also on the German side. There is no need to rush, build up fire groups and just chew up the French a little turn by turn, and the bridges will fall like ripe plums into the German hands. Leaders were drawn via the Impartial Leader Selector and what leader they were with three + 2 leaders for the Germans and all the rest also having +1's. The French leaders were also pretty good with all their leaders having +1 benefits. The game panned out as I hoped but Alan's good defensive play made it a very frustrating battle for me personally. I sent a small force tp my left flank to tie down the four French units guarding the solitary bridge in that sector they would rush the bridge on the last turn so they would not count as being south of the river for VC at the end of the game. The rest of the force converged on the remaining bridges deployed from truck under cover formed their fire groups and move into range. This is where it got a little frustrating as Alan held fire until leader moved and then he had some amazing results. CPT 10-1-1 moves froward to direct fire, a lone sniper see's him and fires (7 DF shot double 1) he is hit an mortally wounded. Later the German COL 10-1-2 seeing that German fire needs clearer direction also advances and the same bloody sniper takes him out with the same bloody shot. This stalls the German advance for 30 mins and thereafter its a real struggle to coordinate attacks and activation's. Those two men were the only losses the Germans suffer until the final turn. Alan now starts retreating hex by hex and I push across the river but still struggle to break through, I have a luck break when he attempts to reinforce with units from the other flank when an OF shot takes out a DRG unit, and my OBDA has its one moment in the sun and get an X. These losses and my opening HMG shot along with the capture of all but one of the bridges make victory nearly certain but I still can not break out of the bridgehead. Alan had managed to contain my units so well that no German units exit the board and the final GT is a little of an anti climax as the Germans settle for what they have got. The final VP count up reveals that although I secure a minor victory I had also left a unit behind under a truck counter and had Alan managed a couple of more hits earlier in the game he may well have got a well deserved draw. I have marked this as a 2 which is a little harsh but I feel this scenario favours the Germans a lot, in our game Alan played well, had a good set up, a little luck in killing the German commander and I still thought I was not going to lose throughout the game. However the result did feel historical with the Germans winning the skirmish but not breaking through to the beaches of Dunkirk so all credit the the scenario designer and the game system for reflecting the realities of the 1940 campaign in France.