Author	treadasaurusrex (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	Sonora
Play Date	2023-05-10
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF027

This was a relatively quick, 3-session play-through with the playful, yet relentless, Sonora, leading an ill-equipped, force of attacking Germans, while I led a mixed, very stretched, scratch force of defending French units. The defenders manned a very thin line from the town of Jolimetz (the 7-hex town on Map 27) and then south to the 3-hex township adjoining the north margin of Map 31. We used the FOW, optional smoke, excess initiative and extended assault optional rules. The German side is required to seize as many town hexes and inflict as many step losses as possible. This is a very tall order with this counter mix, but resulted in a decently balanced scenario. The German leader draw was quite poor, and the French draw was marginally better.

Initial German movement-to-contact was in a single mass charge from the east edge of Maps 27 & 28. The French responded through a series of combined-arms blocking positions that were established and abandoned in this play-through as the Germans slowly ground forward. The Southern town on Map 31 was occupied by the Germans almost immediately, and both their AT gun platoons were deployed just north in-and-around the woods in that section of the game map. The French drew first blood with long-range AT fire of their SOMUA tanks and AT guns. They would end up winning this battle mostly due to excessive German step losses and leader casualties.

The second session was characterized by heavy casualties suffered for both sides as teGermans pressed relentlessly on to try and take Jolimetz. Throughout our play-through Germans OBA was remarkably ineffective, as many combat 7-die rolls were thrown. As the game wore on, the scratch nature of Task Force Schimmelmann, was evealed by the forced use of inadequate Pz-I tanks to try to seize & hold town hexes without benefit of sufficient supporting infantry. French close assaults were ultimately successful as they wore down the Germans by frequent counter attacks, and benefited by a Axis senior leader decapitation during game turn 9. In the end, the French controlled 8 town hexes to the Germans 2, but the 20 German step losses proved to be the critical factor in the brave French defender’s ultimate success. Vive le France libre!

This was a generally, well-balanced scenario that was oddly fun to play. It is recommended for both SOLO and SHARED play. I give it a generous rating of 4.