Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	cjsiam (AAR)
Play Date	2022-04-20
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF032

This was an exciting, quick, single-session play-through with a seasoned and able opponent on another continent, who played the winning French/Moroccan side. I played the hapless German side with a mere infantry company charged with holding the bridge on the Escaut River (Hex 0713) in the town of Bouchain, France. We played using the optional smoke/illumination and excess initiate rules and without the defense-favoring Fog of War rule.

This one looked like an easy late night victory for the French from the start, but turned out to be an interesting and exciting scenario that hinged on a series of cold steel close assaults in Bouchain, punctuated by a number of crucial morale recovery die rolls. Fierce close assault fighting resulted in no German losses, and by game turn 10, when the bridge changed hands and was blown up by the intrepid Moroccan ENG unit, only 3 steps of French Colonial troops had given their lives for their country's glory.

The French commander adroitly maneuvered his 3 columns of excellent, well-led, Moroccan troops from 3 directions, forcing the Germans to spread out their small force in what proved to be a very brittle defense with no depth. The flawless and methodical French movement-to-contact included a successful river crossing about a kilometer north of Bouchain. Wisely, my opponent split German fire into two major sectors as he closed with the enemy.

This scenario was decidedly unbalanced in favor the larger French/Moroccan force, especially when well-led by a skilled player. It does make a fine training scenario with emphasis on close assaults, urban defenses, and night-time operations. Readers interested in a more balance encounter should consider adding an AT gun platoon and a second German HMG to the mix, as well as allowing the Germans to setup as hidden units.