Panzer Grenadier Battles on April 27th:
Arctic Front Deluxe #40 - Children's Crusade Broken Axis #14 - Târgu Frumos: The Second Battle Scenario 3: Sledge Hammer of the Proletariat
Army Group South Ukraine #6 - Consternation Road to Berlin #73 - She-Wolves of the SS
Errors? Omissions? Report them!
Sart-Ernage Farm
Swallows of Death #3
(Attacker) Germany vs France (Defender)
Morocco (Defender)
Formations Involved
France 1re Division Marocaine
Germany 3rd Panzer Division
Germany 4th Panzer Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for SwlD003
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 0 votes
5
4
3
2
1
0
Scenario Rank: --- of 913
Parent Game Swallows of Death
Historicity Historical
Date 1940-05-15
Start Time 09:00
Turn Count 24
Visibility Day
Counters 236
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 1: 32
Layout Dimensions 43 x 28 cm
17 x 11 in
Play Bounty 272
AAR Bounty 227
Total Plays 0
Total AARs 0
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Urban Assault
Conditions
Minefields
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Reinforcements
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Fall of France 2 Maps + Counters
Swallows of Death Base Game
Introduction

Both German attacks against the railway line at Gemboux failed on 14 May, with the “colored” Moroccans turning back the Master Race with ease. On the next morning, the Germans ruined a magnificent sunrise by sending in a flight of Stukas to pour loads of bombs into the Moroccan lines. Soon afterward, the tanks and infantry of 4th Panzer Division attacked in much greater numbers than they had the day before. But the French artillery got the jump on their German counterparts, silencing the enemy guns and depriving the pioneers of the covering fire they’d need to push through the railway obstacle. Meanwhile south of Ernage, the French built their defense around the Sart-Ernage farm, turning it into a strongpoint bristling with mortars, machine-guns and antitank guns (including the powerful 47mm APX).

Conclusion

The 4th Panzer Division’s tanks joined the fray far too soon, allowing French heavy artillery, minefields and well-sited anti-tank guns to wreak havoc in their ranks. Squad leader Louis Brindejonc commanding one of the 25mm anti-tank guns claimed seven German tanks that morning. Fierce and bloody fighting raged along the sunken railway before the Germans retreated and allowed the Stukas to pummel the defenders again. The German infantry then continued the assault alone, and at a high price they successfully infiltrated the railway to move into the fields beyond it. Forces diverted from the heavy fighting near the railway station at Gembloux eventually joined them, once the Germans figured out that the Moroccans could not be dislodged from there. By noon the French forces had lost heavily themselves in numerous close assaults, but the counterattack to restore their line was ready for launch.

Additional Notes

Swallows of Death may be played with the 1st edition pieces and maps from 1940: Fall of France.

When a French piece in the order of battle was apparently Moroccan and was in the Division Marocaine set, that piece was used in the order of battle list. Substitute equivalent French Army pieces Moroccan pieces when the Moroccan piece is unavailable.

When Moroccan pieces for artillery and transport run out, substitute French pieces for the remainder.


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).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • 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
  • Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.
  • 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)

Display Order of Battle

France Order of Battle
Armée de Terre
  • Mechanized
Moroccan Ground Forces
  • Motorized
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Motorized
Luftwaffe
  • Towed

Display Errata (4)

4 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 1564

The unit label on the counter is 25mm, but should be 20mm. No effect on play.

(plloyd1010 on 2016 Apr 01)
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 63

The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 543

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.

(plloyd1010 on 2022 Apr 28)
Errors? Omissions? Report them!
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