This is a good quick armour battle where both sides have a decent chance on winning. Although in this case it was a draw at 20 French VPs to 17 German VPs.

The Germans, in order to penetrate the tough Hotchkiss armour need to get in flanking attacks. The French need to stay mobile and get in as many shots as possible to take out the weaker armoured panzers, but at the same time avoid getting too surrounded.

This is worth a replay.

Scenario Rating: 4/5 Good quick balanced yet asymetrical tank battle.

Battle Breakdown as follows:

Note: Score will be denoted by (x-y), where x=German casualties, y=French casualties.

Errata: Germans have OBA, but no non-tank leaders. Germans add one Lt to OOB as artillery spotter.

Optional Rule: I’ve allowed the French 25mm AT Gun to have armour efficiency. (2 attacks per activation)

0930

German armour advances. The opening French salvo misses.

0945

French AT Gun gets first fire and misses. The crew is subsequently disrupted by German artillery.

French Hotchkiss tanks fire to no avail as the light panzers literally swarm around them!

1000

Germans get flanking fire on the Hotchkiss, but it pulls back. Two Pz IIs are reduced by the H39s. (4-0)

1015

Armoured Car reduces a Hotchkiss with flanking fire and the French AT Gun is eliminated. (4-3)

1030

French armour misses and the Pz I race behind French lines and are assaulted by French motorcycles. 1 Pz I is demoralized.

1045

French armour continues to manoeuvre to avoid being hit by flanking fire. Motorcycles reduce a Pz I (6-3)

A Pz II is reduced by an H39 attack. (8-3) But the Hotchkiss is in turn hit by a Panzer IIIF (8-5).

The Pz IVA reduces a French DRG. (8-6)

1100

In the west, the German armour takes out the French Captain with his Dragoons while the HMG reduced flees. (8-8)

In the centre, the Dragoons fare just as poorly losing both half a platoon and their Lieutenant. (8-9)

The French infantry are now leaderless!

The French armour moves it up a notch taking out some more Pz IIs and Armoured Cars! (12-9) But flanking fire retaliation from the IIIF eliminated the Hotchkiss in the centre village (12-11)

Battle Casualties continue to be close! Germans control most of the town hexes, but the French need to inflict more than 5 steps to win and therefore must continue to fight!

1115

The armour continue to trade blows as a Panzer II is hit and flees in the east as the IVA hits the Hotchkiss in the north with flanking fire. (14-13)

Pz I are holding the French DRG at bay. Without leadership, the DRG can do little.

1130

Pz IVA overruns the demoralized H39, and another PzII is hit. (16-15)

The Germans surround the H39s in the east and west!

1145

Pz IVA trades fire with the H39 and both are reduced! (18-17)

H39 heads back into the centre village and is surrounded.

1200

Pz IVA eliminates the H39 in the west town. (18-19)

Flanking fire on the H39 in the centre village has no effect.

1215

Germans win the initiative and try to eliminate the H39 with flanking fire but fail. Return salvo from the French tanks eliminates some armoured cars! (20-19)

The battle is over.