This is an interesting scenario. The French have a mixed bag of troops, with good morale ESC backed up by okay morale ATGs and Armored Cars, and a few poor morale reservists. They also get some tank reinforcements based on a die roll late in the scenario. They have a little bit of OBA. On the other hand, the Germans have a pure infantry force with the exception of on ATG and a Buffla. They have 3 increments of 16 strength OBA. Because of the French ATGs, its tough to use the Buffla (or at least risky) as it was historically.

As the French, I defended the town on the north side of the map with mobile troops, who could escape when the going got rough, and a few stronger troops. The small towns were lightly held, and the larger town south of the river had a number of ESC, an 25MM ATG and the mortars. The Germans split into 3 groups, the strongest one coming through the woods to the town on the north side of the river, a small one to cross to the north-east and secure the small towns there, and a medium sized one to the north-west to pin down the French forces in the large town south of the river, and possibly assault it if things went well.

I don't like to credit game results to die rolls, and the Germans seriously outrolled the French in this one, with numerous high/low results in both direct fire and assault. The only place it didn't happen was with the artillery, where the 48 factors (I combined them every time, or all but 1 time) inflicted very little damage. Meanwhile, the French were rolling a lot of 5-9 results, and not on high enough tables to really inflict any significant damage on the Germans. In fact, the Germans took no step losses in the scenario. While they did suffer a number of disrupted/demoralized results, the vast majority of their morale checks saw rolls of 7 or lower. Meanwhile, the outgunned, out-led and out-moraled French troops slowly got ground down in the center and the east. To the west, it was basically a stalemate, as the Germans did not want to get too close to the heavily defended town.

French casualties started to mount, and they were slowly pushed out of the town on the north side of the river. It actually wasn't quite taken (there was 1 French unit left) when I called the game, however the casualties incurred in the defense were horrific, especially when the French weren't causing any casualties on the Germans. To the east, the French defense was rapidly collapsing, with 2 small towns taken, a 3rd about to fall, and only the larger town and one occupied by a demoralized unit still in French hands. The French tanks also failed to enter the board by turn 13, when I called the game. At that point, the French had suffered 20 casualties, and now controlled (or were about to control) 8 town hexes to the French 6. That gave them a 24 point advantage, when only 11 was needed for a major victory. There was no way the French could reverse that in 3 turns, especially with another town hex likely to fall, even if the tanks arrived.

All that being said, I liked the scenario. More even die rolling for the sides would have meant a bunch of German casualties, and a slower slog through the towns. The Germans were not ahead of their historical timetable in taking the town north of the river, if anything they were behind history. And if the tanks come in and stabilize the situation south of the river, this one is very much in doubt. While there's not a ton of maneuver here (it's a one-mapper and a city fight), I think there's enough decisions for both sides to make that this would be a good opposed scenario, as well as a good solo one.

Author	waynebaumber (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	Bangla (AAR)
Play Date	2021-02-11
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF031

This one map scenario has strong German forces attacking a French holding force, the Germans have to take town cross a minor river and eliminate steps to gain VC. The outnumbered French get some tank reinforcements and have to hold towns and also inflict step losses. The Germans rolled onto the board and the French holding force retreated without any serious attempt to hold the first town, after that the German crossed the river and took some isolated hamlets and then launched a main assault against the centre towns, this was basically it for manoeuvre from the German side. The French tanks arrived later then scheduled but only really contributed toward the end of the game in a counter attack which sent one Ger INF to the graveyard. By game end the Germans had taken enough towns and inflicted sufficient step losses to claim a major victory. Another tough one for the French as the German I did not have to do to much thinking to grind out a fairly comfortable win

Author	Bangla (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	waynebaumber (AAR)
Play Date	2021-02-11
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF031

Charged with defending the village of Chambry, and the outlying hamlets, we had to hold out long enough for the 4th Division Cuirassée could withdraw from the area. Where to defend, and how long to try to hold out for? the French ran from the northern village area and crossed the river pronto, in the face of a massive German advance through the centre. Should one or two units have stayed and sacrificed themselves to hold up the enemy advance for a quarter or even half an hour? Probably, but the French crossed the river and made for the hamlets and woods on the south side. Meanwhile other outlying units in the east immediately headed south and west with the main German advance threatening to cut them off from the rest of the units in the area. The Germans steadily advanced, taking one village area after another. There was some stiff resistance that held until the orders came to vacate the area completely (ie the end of the scenario) but French resistance was more like speed bumps to the hun. French reinforcements in the guise of about 20 S35s were too late to have any real effect. certainly, by then, the Germans had sufficient anti-tank cover on the north side of the river to protect much of their front against any sudden push by the French forces "blindées".

A crushing defeat both in terms of casualties and the area given up to the Germans would lead to a severe reprimand for the Commandant when they did pull out of the area.

A decent scenario, but one that's very difficult for the French. Where to make their stand? Too far forward, and they could be bypassed and cut off, waiting to be mopped up at the German's leisure. Pull back too quickly, as I did, and the German can exit the forest in the north well organised and able to choose the timing and place of his various assaults. The French will always be outnumbered. I learnt a lot from just being at the sharp end of Wayne's Teutonic sword. Vive la France!

Author	treadasaurusrex (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Draw
Participants	ACav
Play Date	2023-06-01
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF031

This was an oft-delayed, 3-session play through with the fun-loving, determined and high morale, ACav leading the attacking Germans. I played the defending French side. We used the consolidation, smoke/ilum, excess initiative optional rules and ignored the FOW. Both sides drew good leaders, and oddly, 7 of the German's leaders managed to get themselves eliminated. This probably was the primary cause of the French achieving a draw in this rather unbalanced (in favor of the Germans) scenario. Ironically, once the Les Boches lost their Bufla SPAT platoon and fiendish AT gun platoon, hope was kindled in a big way for the French during the costly, 11th game turn. A combined 23 combat 7-die rolls happened in this 16-turn play-through.

Others have filed detailed AARs on this one, so I won't take the time for a thorough play-by-play, but will say that the Germans had consistently poor luck with the die rolling fates in all three sessions. Few tactical mistakes were made by the Teutonic horde, but losing so many leaders - 3 in one turn - made it very hard for the Landsers to properly stage their close range fire & multiple assaults.

I give this one a 3, but can only recommend it for SOLO play, as it is just too hard a pull for the French defenders.