Author	treadasaurusrex (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	waynebaumber (AAR)
Play Date	2022-07-11
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF037

This was a 6-session play-through with the redoubtable, Wayne Baumber, as the defending German Commander. We used the optional smoke, consolidation, excess initiative, and Fog of War rules. I played the French force that was assigned to seize the 40-meter hexes atop Hill 276 from the dug-in Germans of the 24th Infantry Division.

The first 2 turns were relatively grim for the French, as the bulk of their force moved to contact from the west and were immediately struck by opportunity fire. This led to attacks and supporting fires being less than effective thanks to my opponent’s excellent die rolling and my own inept morale check rolls. In no time flat, the French were down 5 steps! After a something of a fumbling start, French OBA was able to eliminate an AT and a 75mm IG gun platoon and in the far north, their northern DRG units began a series of close assaults in the wooded section of Hill 276. The Germans began migrating units to reinforce and shore up their troops in the north-western margin of the hill during the second game turn. On the 3rd turn, the weaker eastern arm of the French force began to close on the northeastern margin of the hill, but was shortly-driven off by a string German counter attack in the next session. By the end of game turn 6, both German AT gun platoons had been destroyed by French OBA.

Session 3 (game turns 4-7) featured a great deal of fierce close assault action and some deadly German OBA that caught several slow-moving French units in the open leading to their destruction. A number of leaders from both sides met their ends due to accurate OBA, unfortunate close assault combat rolls and decapitations, and all German Captains were eliminated. A foolhardy thrust by the bloody-minded crews of a French armored car platoon ended disasterously via an aggressive German counter attack. A combined nine, number-7 combat die rolls spoiled a number of close assaults and artillery concentrations for both sides.

Session 4 (game turns 8-11) was all about continued close assault fighting on the wooded, northern and western margins of Hill 276 Two more leaders from each side were eliminated by accurate OBA and unfortunate close assault combat rolls. The French slowly expanded their hold on the northern portion of the hill and cutoff two companies of defending German infantry from the balance of the German force. A combined twelve, number-7 combat die rolls spoiled a number of close assaults and artillery concentrations for both sides. German steps lost are: 18; the French are: 21.

The 5th session (game turns 12-15) included an abundance of close assault slogging on the wooded, northern and western margins of Hill 276 along with a headlong tank assault on the German mortar positions southeast of the 40-meter hill. The Jerries had remarkable luck throwing combat dice and the two assault hexes in the north continued to hold out. The last German infantry gun was finally destroyed on turn 15. Surprisingly, no leader losses were registered in what was a costly set of turns for both sides. By the end of the session, unit step losses totaled: 27 for the French side, and 23 for the Germans.

The 6th session (game turns 16-19) was characterized by ongoing close assaults on the wooded, northern and western margins of Hill 276 as the French very slowly expanded their hold on Hill 276. This came at a considerable cost to both sides, but especially for the French, who lost an additional leader, a second tank platoon and half of their supporting 81mm mortars. At the end of game turn 18, the step loses for the French were 34; for the Germans, the step loss was 31. Mercifully, the German Commander ended the game at the start of turn 19 when it was clear that the French would be able to recapture the bulk of Hill 276. The final VP totals were: 53 for the French, and 40 for the German side, resulting in a hard-won, major victory for the embattled French.

There were nine FOW-shortened turns in this play-through and a combined total of 32, combat 7-die rolls -- 24 of which, were thrown by the hapless French Commander!

While this was a fun-filled, play-thorough with a skilled & entertaining opponent, it was slightly biased in favor of the French side. I give this one a 3, mostly due to the lack of room for maneuver, and the lack of sufficient junior leaders that plagued both sides, once the close assaults began in earnest.