Author	treadasaurusrex (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	NBGB
Play Date	2025-11-10
Language	English
Scenario	DoFr003

This was a fun-filled, mythological, 11-session play-through with the clever & intrepid, NBGB leading defending elements of the Germans 12th Panzer Division in a colossal 30-turn battle fought on 6-map boards. I led attacking elements of the French 22nd Infantry Division and the 4th Division Leger Mechanique (DLM). Both sides drew better than average sets of leaders.

The FOW (starting on the fifth game turn), consolidation, hidden units (French 22nd Infantry Division), smoke/illum, excess initiative, strategic movement and extended assault optional rules. I also suggest that we try these SIX house rules: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units — All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 of a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, 2) Standardized Movement for Mechanized Units — All mechanized units may move through clear hexes at a movement cost of only 1 movement point (MP) per hex, instead of 1 1/2. Add one to this cost if moving up, across, or down slopes hexes, 3) Armored Fighting Vehicle (AFV) Consolidation — Reduced 2-step tanks, and other AFV units of the same type, nationality, and morale condition may be combined to form a single, full-strength unit. Both reduced units must start their activation in the same hex and be activated by an adjacent – or same-hex – good order, Tank Leader. This action costs both units all their movement points. Remove one of the units, flip the other to its full-strength side and mark it activated, 4) Voluntary Unit Reduction — Players may voluntarily reduce 2-step personnel units to 1-step (halved) units if they have at least one leader of Major or higher rank among their side’s assigned force. To do so, the unit to be halved must begin the player’s activation phase in the same hex or in an adjacent hex to a Captain or higher rank. The full-strength unit to be halved must be in good order and this action costs all the reduced unit’s movement points. Remove the full-strength unit and replace it with 2 reduced strength units. Mark both — and the leader — as activated, 5) Small Caliber AT & AA Rapid Fire Optional Rule — All small caliber (<48mm or less) anti-tank (AT) as well as automatic, anti-aircraft (AA) towed or self-propelled artillery units may fire twice in OPPORTUNITY FIRE (OPFIRE) against moving enemy formations using the same rules as apply for personnel units (INF, RIF, GREN, HMG, ENG, et al) when using OPFIRE. For example, British towed or portee 2-pdr AT guns, all 20mm, 25mm, 28mm, 37mm, 45mm, 47mm towed AT guns, and towed or self-propelled 37mm or 40mm AA guns may fire two OPFIRE missions at individual, moving enemy vehicular or personnel unit targets. Units firing OPFIRE may not move or be limbered and loaded in the same turn in which they OPFIRE, and 6) Towed Anti-Tank (AT) Hidden Emplacement — Unless prohibited by special scenario rules, ALL dug-in, entrenched, or town-occupying, towed AT gun units always begin scenarios in HIDDEN mode if allowed to dig-in per scenario special rules (please see Optional Rules for Hidden Units; Plotting Position; Revealing; and No Hidden Units Specified on Page 37). For example, dug-in, PaK 38 (50mm); Soviet 45mm, or British 2-pdr and/or 6-pdr towed AT gun platoons would all qualify under this house rule.

Happily, this rule set provided improved playability, tactical flexibility & simplicity during our extended play-through.

Our intense & surprising first session (game turns 1-2) consisted of a colossal French movement-to-contact on both left & right flanks that was facilitated by a pair of smokescreens. Both prongs were supported by probing scouts in the center. This advance quickly occupied the crucial towns & villages on the middle two map boards. As a result, French victory points bumped up to 20, but at the cost of 2 steps and a fine leader. No German losses were sustained this session, and they finished with a score of 12. The French consolidated the leading edge of their advance and began creating a set of reserve positions to await nightfall.

The high maneuver, second session (game turns 3-4) featured the closing stages of the French movement-to-contact with both flanks now-engaged with the leading edges of the German defense. Wehrmacht recon teams pulled back in the north, beckoning the advancing French into the long-range guns of a company of Pz-747r (T-34) tanks sitting in the northeast woods of Map 27. In the center, the battle lines were draw broadly & widely as the French formed a bastion in, and around, a 2-hex town astride the east-west road on Map 31. Further south, the French formed a pair of mobile reserve clusters with ample armored support. In the southern half of Map 26, the rapidly consolidating French right flank came to rest on the southernmost 20-meter hill mass, that was topped by a 4-hex township. A substantial combined arms reserve accumulated in the western lee of this hill, appearing as a coiled cobra might appear, preparing to capitalize on “interior” lines. Another 2 steps of French recon troops were lost to accurate OBA, this session, as well as an additional officer, who defected! The stage was nearly set for decisive actions on both flanks of the German defense in depth. The updated victory point tally was now: 20-14 with the French still in the lead. So far, there were still, no Third Reich casualties!

Our costly, third session (game turns 5-9) was marked by heavy fighting and equally heavy casualties. Six steps and a leader were lost to the Germans, and 9 steps and a pair of French leaders also landed in the rapidly filling graveyard. The prime cause of the excessive French casualties were two, simultaneous attacks on either Wehrmacht flank in the face of the Germans having the initiative in all 4 game turns played! The French southern (right flank) attack on the large town quickly collapsed in the face of heavy opfire and rapid reinforcement by the astute & quick-thinking German commander. The French northern (left flank) thrust, had somewhat better luck and was able to push back the Boches an achieve a precarious foothold on the lower slopes of the large 40-meter hill mass on Map 27. The French initiative level fell with 13 steps lost, while the Boche still have a buffer of 3 steps to lose before an initiative decrease. At session’s end, the victory point score was nearly tied at 26-25 with the French side still clinging to a very narrow lead.

The intense, fourth session (game turns 10-12) featured another 7 steps and an officer lost by the struggling French. The Germans lost only 4 more steps, but both sides saw decreases in their initiative levels. French close attacks in the north (left flank) effort was repeatedly hit by accurate Wehrmacht artillery fire and nearly collapsed. In the center, the French mounted a close assault on the single-hex, village at 26-1209. Updated victory points were now 33-30, with the Germans in the lead.

Our costly fifth & sixth sessions (game turns 10-15) was marked by numerous artillery strikes, a few of which were lethal for both sides, more so for the accurate German OBA. Step losses skyrocketed for the French with the loss of 15 steps and 2 leaders. German losses amounted to just 7 steps. France’s initiative fell to zero during game turn 15 as both their close assaults were stalemated by stubborn, town garrisons.

The exciting, but costly, seventh session (game turns 16-18) featured the loss of 5 more French steps and another Captain, as both sides began moving in the gathering twilight. Accurate German OBA, AT and mortar fire stymied French activities in the southern half of the battle map, while a valiant French tank platoon exploited a minor crack on the Wehrmacht defenses in the large southern town on Map 32. As visibility fell, French forces in the south deployed to assault positions around the southern, 20-meter hill in the southeast quadrant on Map 26. The revised victory points were now 46-33, with the Germans steadily building their lead.

Our stimulating, and high-casualty eighth session (game turns 19-21) was characterized by nightfall and a substantial, combined-arms, French offensive on the west margins of the large southern town on Map 32. This push was heavily engaged by the stubborn Wehrmacht garrison who chose to defend in- place. The bulk of casualties this session were inflicted in this area, with another 8 French steps, and 6 German steps, plus a leader lost. In the center, the German garrison that had bravely held out for 9 game turns in the village in Hex 26-1209 were finally overwhelmed in yet another combined arms close assault. In the north, the German recon company re-deployed south, while a company of French Somua tanks rumbled closer to the 7-hex town on Map 27. The updated victory points were now 54-39, with the Germans still leading.

The costly, ninth session (game turns 22-25 ) featured the combined loss of 15 steps (10 French - 5 German) and yet another fallen French leader in fierce close assault & adjacent-hex fighting on the margins of the large, southern town. A couple of game turns were prematurely ended by the FOW, which was a blessing for the Wehrmacht defenders, and a curse for the scrambling French. A second 88mm AT gun emplacement showed up on the 40-meter contour of the central portion of Map 32. This was immediately targeted by a battered, company of French infantry, while a battalion of their S-41 tanks deployed in two wings on the central, north-south ridge on Map 26. Illuminated areas were devastated by German OBA and opfire as the French deployed the last of their reserves in three separate columns. No fighting occurred in the northeast quadrant of the battle map as the contest began to look like an emerging nighttime victory for the Axis with the victory point tally now at: 64 for the Third Reich to a mere 44 for the Republic of France.

Our incredibly bloody, tenth session (game turns 26-28) featured the loss of a combined 25 steps (17 French - 8 German) in heavy, mostly close-range, fighting. Placement of illumination proved a critical factor at this late stage in the scenario, allowing the Germans to dramatically increase the number of French casualties and ending the threat posed by the ill-fated, French push in the center. Once again, no fighting occurred in the northeast quadrant of the battle map as the contest was becoming a foregone conclusion in favor of the Wehrmacht. With all reserves committed to the intense fighting, the French had nearly run out of viable options for further maneuver. The updated victory point tally now: 85 for the Third Reich, and 52 for the Republic of France, virtually sealing a German decisive victory.

The eleventh session (game turns 29-30) featured a series of last gasp French close assaults that uniformly failed but did produce another 5 German step losses. Victory point were 85-56 – a decisive German victory! There were 15 FOW-shortened game turns of 30 played.

As published, this relatively balanced, alternate history scenario, does contain some slightly flawed, setup instructions. The entire, attacking French side should setup first, on Maps 28 & 33. The defending Germans, should then setup within 15 hexes of the east map edge, so that they are not adjacent to French units and may deploy their defense in considerable depth, with command of the high ground on the eastern 1/3 of the battle map. The timeline should also be shifted later in the day to allow at least 4 more turns of darkness for the French to take advantage of.

Though a bit too long, this was a fun-to-play scenario, with many decision points and opportunities for decisive maneuver. I think that this scenario deserves a solid 5 when played with a challenging opponent, and recommend it for SHARED and SOLO play.