This is the second scenario in the battle game. Vastly different from the first. In this one, the French have a tank force only trying to take towns against a German infantry force. Both sides have artillery. This is an interesting artillery setup. The Germans have their usually strong 3 x 16 but only closed top armor to fire at. The French have massive 2x20 and 6x14. Their armor leaders can spot in this scenario but the fire is always scattered. That means it never hits the target hex. It only hits one of the surrounding 6 hexes. Shooting at a single isolated hex is virtually useless. The problem here is the French have no infantry to take towns and that is what they must do. They do have some powerful direct fire which will help. The Germans do have 3 Stug G platoons and 3 50mm and 3 75mm AT guns.

0600-0630 Night and early dawn so the French move towards the first towns unspotted. The main-forces are on each wing with the heavy B1ter and B1bis tanks. The R40’s are weaker and in reserve near the center.

0645-0700-The battle below takes place on the right. The Germans were unsuccessful with artillery and the 50mm AT gun was ineffective. The French were able to eliminate the 50mm and then roll up with half their force and demoralize the infantry in the town. The other half of the force is by-passing the town. Depending on initiative the French will assault the demoralized infantry and eliminate them to get a VP.

07000-0900 The French are not making much progress. Time to re-think again. They need to take out the German 75mm AT guns. Easier said than done. They rushed the AT gun on the RH side under cover of smoke and tried an assault with one platoon in the town with the gun. The intent was to tie it down in assault and bring in a couple more units to finish it off. It rolled a 12 and killed the whole platoon of tanks with a plus 1 modifier. This and the other 75’s are in towns. The French airpower is too weak to get them and the French artillery is a joke. Having to use the scatter rule because armor leaders are spotting means you only can get a 1 in 6 chance to hit what you aim at. Not working. The other real problem with the French are the extremely slow B1ter tanks with a 4 movement. It finally dawned on me they are slower than infantry cross country. The Germans have bypassed big gaps in the French left with some units and headed for the French rear to take some towns from them. The B1’s can’t catch them before they get there so more urban assaults will be needed. Then those units have to move back to the attack if they are successful pushing the Germans out. Gigantic waste of time and takes them out of the attack for at least a couple of hours. This is looking bad for the French unless they can at least disrupt these AT guns enough to get in close and kill them. They then have to take towns with no infantry. Right now, 9 German losses and 8 French. Germans in firm control. 0900-0945 French concede. 3 Fog shortened turns of French near disaster. The French managed to reinforce the assault on the forementioned AT gun, but so did the Germans. The French had a slight upper hand but it was going to be a long trudge. The 75 withstood all morale checks but luckily didn’t cause any more step losses. However, the German Stug’s with the long barreled 75 moved in to position to fire on marauding French tanks and quickly drew 3 step losses with +2 modifiers. The gallivanting German infantry in the opposite corner of the battlefield swelled to 2 platoons in the town with not much chance of being rooted out. Too much chaos and not enough French ability to gather together and try another attack. Those 3 platoons of Stugs are very powerful. Those potential 6 shots with the 3 shots from the 75 AT guns and no accurate artillery or strong airpower to help the French is a winner for the Germans. Battle game implications-The Germans need to keep the French from occupying any multi hex towns…..WAIT no conceding!! See photo below. Town on the left with silver andpink buttons is occupied by 6 French B1ter’s. The Germans need to kick them out! Those B1ter’s now get to be on the defensive. Interesting. The French may lose this action, but can keep the Germans from winning the Battle game while they still can. We continue!

1000-1315 The French rally was short lived as the German infantry moved around the field and re-took any towns that the French left in their rear. The French just couldn’t get it done without infantry. This degenerated in to a situation of French tanks trying to mass direct fire and slowly whittle down German units in towns and that is generally tough. The French left the field with some honor but thoroughly trounced. They are re-grouping for another swing with plenty of infantry support in the next battle. The Germans will be waiting with a combined force that includes PzIVF2’s so another tough one.

This one ended with the Germans racking up a massive 72 points including 38 steps. The French only got 30 points with 23 step losses. More than a 16 point victory is a major win so there you go. The Germans lost 3 of their 6 Stug steps. The French lost: 8 B1bis, 4 D2, and 7 B1iter. He Stugs got 9 of them and the 75mm AT guns put 10 out of action. They were devastating! The battle game is still up in the air with both sides meeting their objectives so far. The French are down 2-0 in encounters though.