Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	cjsiam (AAR)
Play Date	2022-05-24
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF030

This was a fun-filled, 5-session play-through with the witty and relentless, cjsiam, as the French Commander. We used the optional smoke, consolidation, excess initiative, and dispensed with the defense-biased, Fog of War rule in this relatively short play-through. I played the attacking Germans of the 25th Infantry Division with 2 battalions of infantry and a few supporting weapons that were not really appropriate to the requirements of this scenario, e.g., no mortars, no assault guns, no combat engineers, only a single armored car, only one AT gun platoon – and of all things – a self-propelled Bufla (SPAA/AT) outfit.

Nevertheless, the German force began the encounter split into 2 task forces, one on the north near the small town of Crecy, and a stronger force that moved-to-contact in the southwest corner of the map closest to the larger town of Chambry. The German force’s objective was both to eliminate as many French steps as possible, and also to occupy as many town hexes as possible, by the end of 12 game turns. Both Axis task forces began with strong probes and the positioning of forward observers for the OBA that began raining down on the town-based French defenders south of the minor River Serre.

Unexpectedly, the French defenders of Crecy on the north bank of the Serre fled their positions as the German northern task force made initial contact, and began occupying the town. This strengthened the German Commander’s strategic hand and allowed him to direct a pincer of fast-marching troops down the southwest-trending road and across the river in support of the growing fight for the southern & western margins of Chambry. So much for the first 3 game turns! The next session would be much worse for the attacking German side!

The second session (game turns 4-5) was marked by poor German initiative rolls and multiple combat & morale failures. Their planned close assaults on the southern and western margins of Chambry failed miserably in the face of fierce French resistance and numerous poor die rolls. The French were able to better-consolidate, and generally improve both individual unit morale and their defensive positions on the south bank of the Serre. A poorly supported German probe in the vicinity of the western bridge closest to Chambry was thrown back. The French Commander meanwhile continued to migrate front-line troops from east to west south of the river.

The 3rd session (game turns 6-8) was characterized by improved German initiative rolls and substantially fewer combat or morale failures. The French side was struck with 12 combat die rolls of 7, compared to only 3 for the Germans, the reverse of the situation in the previous session. French OBA and onboard artillery support was handicapped by stepped up German infiltration of close assault groups into the western margins of Chambry, and by advancing flanking forces in the woods east of the town. As before, piecemeal movement of mobile French units into the vicinity of Chambry continued. Surprisingly, no additional close assaults in the town were initiated by the French side and the Germans slowly began outflanking the southeastern margins on the town. On the plus side for the defending French, German step losses continued to mount, in spite of repeated efforts at morale recovery by the German CO, and a successful consolidation to repair the ravages inflicted during the earlier failed German close assaults on Chambry. Focused French long-range AT fire – 6 shots from 2 AT separate emplacements – finally eliminated a 2-vehicle section of the notorious Bufla SPAT platoon. German initiative slid down one notch in this session. The French Commander opted not to dismount the DRG units when they were in close proximity to existing close assault hexes. A renewed German probe in the vicinity of the western bridge closest to Chambry successfully crossed the river, losing a step in the process, but now menaced the northernmost town hex of Chambry with its defending AT gun and HMG unit. Both sides continued minimally-effective harassment DF on both sides of the river fronting Crecy.

Our fourth session (game turns 9-12) featured a continuation of the close assaults in/and surrounding Chambry, but with significantly more German success than previously. The French kept the German “Forlorn Hope” detachment from entering the northernmost town hex of Chambry, but began steadily losing steps in the process. Some of the French DRG units dismounted and became ESC platoons in Chambry and the adjacent woods. The commitment of all remaining French mobile reserves in game turn 9 to the fighting in Chambry, opened the door for a slow – but determined – German advance across the river from Crecy.

The fifth and final session (game turns 11-12) was basically a die-rolling contest in the several close assaults hexes in Chambry. The battered Germans cleared the northernmost hex completely, and then missed a chance to assault the remaining uncontested town hex, by opportunity firing (two, heinous number 7-die rolls) on French units fleeing assaults in adjoining hexes. Oops! However, the hapless, shot-up, German Bufla SPAT unit did manage to eliminate 1 step of French armored cars via a long-range shot into an assault hex.

Final step losses were: 19 for the French side and 12 for the Wehrmacht.

A hard-fought and costly, German major victory was the final result! The victory point totals were: 31 for the Germans, and 20 for the defeated French side. I rate this one a 4.