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
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Race to the Seine
Road to Dunkirk #44
(Attacker) Germany vs Britain (Defender)
France (Defender)
Formations Involved
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for RtDk044
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 0
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 3 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3
Scenario Rank: --- of 913
Parent Game Road to Dunkirk
Historicity Historical
Date 1940-06-09
Start Time 04:00
Turn Count 12
Visibility Day
Counters 61
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 4: 120, 121, 123, 125
Layout Dimensions 86 x 56 cm
34 x 22 in
Play Bounty 168
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 2
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Bridge Control
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Conditions
Smoke
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Road to Dunkirk Base Game
Introduction

At nightfall on the previous day, Gen. Erwin Rommel ordered his 7th Panzer Division to reach and cross the river Seine in a swift move. The Elbeuf and Oissel bridges would be the targets of 25th Panzer Regiment and 7th Motorcycle Battalion. Meanwhile French cavalry had received the mission to block any access to the Seine and the Pont-de-l’Arche bridge. Slightly to the east, British infantry were to hold the far bank of the river and cover the railway bridge at Le Manoir.

Conclusion

As the 7th Panzer Division drove towards the southwest it met Capitaine Huet’s Groupe Franc. Supported by artillery and mortars, the German infantry pushed it back quickly and pressed on towards the main defense line along the River Seine. At about 0400 three German tanks and some lorried infantry motored confidently forward. The French knocked out one tank whereupon the Germans deployed and began a desultory fire-fight with the Yorkshiremen. The combat lasted until 0700 when Huet ordered the Pont-de-l’Arche bridge destroyed; the bridge at Le Manoir lasted only five minutes more. This left four British companies, the engineers and several French AFVs on the wrong side of the river. The German positions on the high ground began to tell as the Allies made their way through the village streets in a wild sauve qui peut. They had to swim the wide Seine to escape, with some men fetching boats for the non-swimmers.


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).
  • 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

Display Order of Battle

Britain Order of Battle
Army
France Order of Battle
Armée de Terre
  • Leader
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
  • Towed

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
Scen 44

The two bridges in 0509 (map 125) and 0706 (map 121) are the only ones that matter regarding victory conditions.

(plloyd1010 on 2022 Apr 30)
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)

Display AARs (2)

Sitzball on a Tetter-Totter
Author plloyd1010 (Britain, France)
Method VASSAL
Victor Germany
Participants treadasaurusrex (AAR)
Play Date 2022-04-30
Language English
Scenario RtDk044

This is a fun little scenario with some quite obvious problems at the outset. The German objective is first to get a bridge. If unable to that kill a couple of steps. The Allies have exactly the opposite objectives.

In our game the I (the Allies) blew the bridges right off. Neither side could claim a major victory at that point. I now moved to contain the German potential crossings. The foot-bridges in the British sector were quickly demolished and the French bridges north of the main town were too. The Germans reached the southern about the same time as the French did. A valiant attempt to destroy the bridge in the marsh failed with step losses giving the Germans a minor victory. I tried to balance my losses by inflicting the same on the Germans was unsuccessful. I got long range shots at the PzII. One hit would have taken the game back to a draw. Parting shots at the withdrawing Germans did not slow them enough. That's how the game ended on turn 8.

While this is a fun scenario, especially with the race against time and luck at the start, it is ultimately very brittle.

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Foot Bridges in the Gloaming
Author treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method VASSAL
Victor Germany
Participants plloyd1010 (AAR)
Play Date 2022-04-30
Language English
Scenario RtDk044

This was a 2-session play-through with the cunning, Peter Lloyd, who played the Allied side. I played the headlong Germans of the 7th Panzer Division. It was a disappointing scenario that was at least fun to play with a wily and enthusiastic opponent. Since this scenario began at 0400 hours the first few turns were played using the night rule, and it would have been good to have the Strategic Movement optional rule be part of the scenario special rules, to ensure that there would at least be a chance for the German side to capture the required bridge before daylight. In our play, we both forgot to include the strategic movement rule, but we did play using the defense-favoring FOW rule.

The Axis objective was to take at least one railroad, or paved road bridge hex across the Siene. The Germans were not able to do this. although when we called the game, they were in position to take and hold at least one of the foot bridges on the western portion of this somewhat confusing map. Unfortunately, though not spelled out in the rules, foot bridges do not count for victory conditions.

By the end of 7 turns, only 2 steps had been lost by the French force, and none for the Germans in spite of a couple of long-range AT shots at Rommel's Pz-II! This resulted in a VERY minor German victory.

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