This little fight looked like a sure thing for the Germans. A small force of 3 infantry, an HMG, a 25mm AT with wagon trasport and a roadblock, basically a holding force for one town, vs a motorized force of 8 GD infantry with an HMG and mortar, with reinforcements to come on or after turn 5, consisting of 2 Engineers, a StuG IIIa, a 150mm Infantry gun with SK7 tractor and a 37mm AT with wagon. Leaders were a good mix, the single French Sous LT drawn a 9-0-1, but as it turned out, that was more than enough. Germans had a serious abundance of 10s, with the initial commander a 10-2-1 Major with a 9-1-1 Captain and 9s and 10s LTs, while the reinforcements got a 10-1-2 Col and a 9-0-0 LT. The trucks brought the GD troops up close, stopping the leading trucks with 2 infantry and a 10 LT but not without the French, having decided to defend the town in the southwest, getting an op fire, which missed. Germans deployed into the woods to either side of the road that lead them there, the Captain having lead the 3rd stack of trucks carrying the mortar and HMGs. Turn 2 saw Germans organize for upcoming assault on the southern side of the town and a stack ready to jump the hedges and take the roadblock. On the next turn, the Germans moved forward, with one LT and 2 Inf going for the roadblock that had been set in the empty space between the northern-most town hex and the hedgerows, and point blank defensive fire only disrupted 1 of the 2 units, which had the Dug In value of the roadblock they occupied against the fire from the 25mm AT gun and from the French LT and 2 infantry one hex further back in town. German arty had little effect on the French holding town hexes, and as Germans assaulted the southern and northern town hexes, stopped firing for the rest of the game. The AT gun crew and wagon held long enough for the French LT and 2 infantry to move in and add their power to the assault, but during the course of the next few turns, the guns were eliminated and the wagon fled, only to be destroyed as a German unit entered that central town hex. French Infantry and HMG in the southern hex went fanatical as they twice eliminated a step of infantry and demoralized virtually the whole stack, even demoralizing the German Major. Shuffling of good order troops had little effect as the super LT and a fresh force suffered the same results. The French LT and 2 infantry units in the other end of town didnt fare quite so well, but they consistantly regrouped time and again against Germans that barely managed to disrupt them. French got quite good at 9 column assaults rolling a 1, while the Germans barely managed 13 column and rolled a lot of 6s and 8s that the French shrugged off. At the end of 12 turns, the French still contested the two town hexes, preventing a German victory. Great game.

French hidden units picked off some of our troops but pretty well rolled into the towns. Except there was one town hex where we kept getting shot from, our leader was demoralized and recovered but we couldn't gain control. Brought in a platoon of engineers and Half a platoon of Stugs on the very last turn but couldn't clear the town hex. French win with just one town hex (out of 12) not controlled by Germans.

1530 – German forces enter from the east, not certain where the French may be hiding, they pour out of their trucks to advance on foot.

1545 – The first of French forces (HMG) is discovered in the woods.

1600- Two infantry platoons are discovered, in the centre woods and in the centre village.

1615 – French forces are reduced and demoralized in the woods. AT-Gun is spotted. German infantry is reduced by infantry in the centre village.

1630 – French infantry is cleared out of the central woods, no sign of German reinforcements yet.

1645 – French HMG is eliminated and the French AT Gun is overrun. Germans flood into the southwest town.

Only the NW town needs to be conquered, as well as the small central village.

1700 – Germans advance.

1715 – Central town continues to hold out!

1730 – Germans approach the northwest town.

1745 – Germans prepare to assault in the northwest. Meanwhile the central village continues to hold.

1800 – Northwest town is overrun by the Germans. HMG, Engineers and the StuGIIIA are too much for the lone infantry platoon!

In the central village the French are greatly outclassed. (French defend on the “5” column with the German assault on the “18” column). But the French are very fortunate (French roll “6” while Germans roll “1”

The Germans are shaken by the unexpected French valour.

1815 – The Germans continue to press the assault, but again waffle. The French remain steadfast in the central village!

Time is up!

FRENCH VICTORY!!!

Aftermath

A fun quick battle. Although only losing a single step. The Germans were unable to take their objectives in time and the French are granted the victory.

Played my local opponent. French AT gun set up hidden with Inf in the single hex northeast town while balance of French units set up hidden in three hex town a few hexes to the northeast. Germans advanced from the north over the hill and the south along the road. French units didn't give away their posititons until turn 4 when the 25mm took a shot at a loaded truck but missed. The balance of the French units gradually joined the fray when they opportunity fired over the next few turns, making it easy for the Germans to know where they needed to go. Over the last couple turns the game came down to a couple assaults in two northeastern towns. The Germans secured a narrow victory by eliminating the final French unit on the last turn. Overall the game ended up close, but the French player doesn't have a lot to do as long as the bulk of his units remain hidden.

En este pequeño escenario se reproduce una escaramuza entre una débil fuerza francesa de caballería (desmontada) y aproximadamente dos compañías reforzadas del regimiento alemán "Grossdeutschland". El enfrentamiento no tendría más interés si no fuera porque las unidades francesas pueden desplegarse escondidas a la vista del enemigo. Esto siempre supone un problema para el jugador solitario, pero he encontrado un sistema que creo interesante y que expongo al final.

Los alemanes entran montados en camiones y se dirigen en grupos a distintos hexes de ciudad donde supuestamente se esconde el enemigo. Se producen los primeros contactos y la total sorpresa para los alemanes, que sufren la desmoralización del algunos pelotones a causa del fuego de oportunidad enemigo. Sin embargo, lo alemanes reaccionan rápidamente y van asaltando las posiciones enemigas conforme son decubiertas. Los franceses oponen notable resistencia, pero la llegada de refuerzos alemanes decide rápidamente la lucha: todos los pelotones franceses son aniquilados tres turno antes del límite.

La victoria alemana ha sido relativamente fácil. La partida ha tenido más de juego del escondite que de verdadero enfrentamiento armado.

*SISTEMA DE JUEGO SOLITARIO PARA UNIDADES ESCONDIDAS. He escogido doce fichas de minas para situar en los doce hexes de ciudad del mapa, ya que he considerado que el despliegue en las ciudades es lo que más interesaba a los franceses. De estas doce fichas de minas he escogido cinco (número de unidades de combate francesas) con el número "3". Las restantes siete fichas tenían el numero "1". A continuación he barajado las fichas con el número oculto y las he repartido aleatoriamente entre los hexes de ciudad. Durante la partida, al situarse una unidad alemana adyacente a una ficha de mina, levantaba ésta: si era un "3" la sustituía por una ficha de unidad de combate francesa; si era un "1" se retiraba la ficha de mina del mapa sin más consecuencias.**

Playing solo requires a little self discipline to allow the French the hidden placement that they really need due to how few forces they have. I decided that the Germans would attack in three groups, riding the trucks until 3-4 hexes out from a forest or town. The French would hold their fire until they could get a point blank opportunity fire, figuring that would give them the best chance.

The French were in the north western town, the town hex at 0605 and the heavy woods at 0511. The Germans cautiously cleared the southern towns and were engaged by the units in 0605 as they cleared the swamp. 0605 held out through most of the scenario thanks to some demoralizing opportunity fire that the Germans were not able to shake off. They fell as the southern German units moved north and reinforced the northern assaults. The units in the woods succeed in tying up valuable resources for several turns.

With the help of the StuGIIIA joining the assault the French were overwhelmed and lost the scanrio, but not until two turns until the end.

Late in the afternoon of May 10, 1940, troops of the Grossdeustchland Division (GD) moved west from Etalle. As they approached Villers-sur-Semois, they encountered elements of the French 2nd Escadron, 5th Cuirassiers of the 2nd Division Legere de Cavalerie. The French had a 25mm artillery platoon hidden in the woods adjacent to a small village in the southeast sector, two dismounted cavalry platoons at the south end of the swamp, and a dismounted infantry/HMG group on the ridge above the southwest village. The 25mm unit was quickly discovered and demoralized by OBA, abandoning their weapon by 1545, which left the roadblock in the southeast village to be cleared shortly thereafter. Nothing seemed to slow the relentless German advance and the primary firefight occurred near the southwest village. The Germans were reinforced with regular army units including a StuGIIIA at 1700 hours, and those units quickly moved west on the open road. By 1800, all French units except for Sous-Lt. Larouche’s group on the ridge by the southwest village were eliminated, and that group finally succumbed to overwhelming German firepower at 1815, resulting in a clear victory for the Germans.

This is a brief (12-turn) single map scenario that seems to heavily favor the Germans, who have overwhelming firepower. It would probably been best to group the French units for combined fire, a strategy not used here. The German had the initiative on 11 of 12 turns making it a true blitzkrieg. In the end, the French had lost all their units for a total of eight steps lost to one for the Germans, a decisive Axis victory.

Author	Blackcloud6 (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	treadasaurusrex (AAR)
Play Date	2021-09-13
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF002

I set up the French in the two northern town, hoping the Germans would skirt the swamp line and go for the eastern and southern towns first. I placed the roadblock in 0713 to be both a deception that I am defending the south western town and to cut the east-west high speed avenue of approach. The plan was to get the Germans to methodically go for the other towns and then defend the final northern towns as long as possible and eke out a win by holding on to one town hex. The scenario played out as planned with the Germans arriving a bit too late to fully assemble for a final assault to gain all the town hexes. The Germans were not helped by bad reinforcement rolls.

Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	Blackcloud6 (AAR)
Play Date	2021-09-13
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF002

Played as the German side against a skilled, patient and PG-experienced opponent who correctly anticipated the lengthy German movement to contact across the southern half and western edges of Map 26. My opponent adopted the "Elmer Fudd" defense in which by staying quiet in the northwest corner of Map 26, my lead elements failed to detect his units until they were under suppressive fire. As it was, I moved the German infantry far too slowly expecting to encounter the French dug in on the large western hill mass. Once there I was not able to decisively engage the bulk of the few French units on the board, although the Germans successfully assaulted the village in hex 0605. The only casualties sustained in this scenario was a pair of infantry platoons lost, one each by both sides. The German side fell for the deceptively placed roadblock that they expected to be covered by French fire. I failed to remove it with one of the German infantry units, not realizing that I didn't have to wait for my decisively-delayed combat engineers to show up to remove the obstacle. I also did not shoot the gap diagonally across the map just south of the north-south line of swamp hexes with the German reinforcements. Another learning was that I should have positioned the German 37mm AT gun that arrived with the much-delayed reinforcements in the small town in hex 1209. Had the French hidden a personnel unit in the woods at hex 0908, they could have waltzed right into that town after my Teutonic hordes had passed on by and thereby won the game by simply occupying that single town at the end of the 12th turn.

If there had been 4 more turns in this scenario, the German side would likely have been able to clear the 3-hex town of French forces in the far northwest portion of the map. But time simply ran out before they could manage it. A great learning experience for a newbie like me, with plenty of practice moving units in a variety of circumstances and diverse terrain.

All in all, my opponent's use of the "Elmer Fudd Defense," where his units stayed quiet and hidden for most of the scenario worked brilliantly.

Author	Sonora (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	treadasaurusrex
Play Date	2023-08-27
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF002

This was a 4 session play-through with the wily and cunning, Treadasaurus playing the defending - and virtually immobile French defenders, using what others have called the: "Fred Schwarz-Elmer Fudd Defense." I handled the advancing, but frustrated, Germans.

This "fight" required a very lengthy German movement to contact across the southern and western portion of Map 26. Contact did not happen until the quietly-waiting, French in the northwest corner of Map 26 began shooting at the leading elements of my force. As others have done, I expected to encounter the French fighting positions on the large western hill mass, where these was a French roadblock. The best I could do was to take the village in hex 0605. In retrospect, I should have moved the German reinforcements directly across the battle map as soon as they came on. To my horror - during the 11th and 12th game turn - the French had hidden an infantry platoon in the woods at hex 0908, which moved into the 1-hex town long after the unwary German elements had passed through the area!

I give this decent introductory scenario a 3, and suggest that it is best played with a live opponent in online mode.

Scenario Two

It took me 5 turns to play this scenario. A combination of foolish French deployment (too spread out and easy to pick off one by one) and a masterclass of die rolling for the Germans. Also because of my cautiousness in my first scenario i tried a full frontal assault and threw caution to the wind. These three factors mean I will have to try this one again later.

I played this one solo but it should best be played ftf in some fashion. The vastly outnumbered French are hidden which is essential to their survival. As the scenario is set up they only need to hold one town hex on the map and there are a lot of them and they are spread out, more heavily in the south than in the north.

As I was playing solo I put the French in the three hex town in the southwest corner and a roadblock in the woods with some more dismounted cavalry in the woods behind the roadblock. The GrossDeutschland entered in two waves. One company moved towards the north end of the board to investigate the northern towns while another, larger group, swept through the southern edge.

Upon uncovering the roadblock the Germans began an assault which, surprisingly lasted 6 turns. The remainder of the German force went around both sides of the woods, with one small detachment running into the second French force in the following woods area, while the remainder of the force moved into the southwestern town and assaulted the French troops there.

The town assault was not going particularly well until the company from the northern end of the board was able to enter the battle. On turn 10 (of 12) the French were finally destroyed except for the sole leader that they get who managed to avoid capture and went to pick up the last remaining French troops on the board for a potential dash at a town hex. The STGs cut them off, thus eliminating any chance of victory but the Sous-Lt. would not quit, assaulted the guns and destroyed them. The game ended with the French leader defiantly taunting the GD despite the German victory.

I ranked this a "2" for solo play due to the critical nature of the hidden units. In a ftf game I might try to hide while the Germans took all the town hexes and then infiltrate back in as they spread themselves thinly to cover all the town hexes. In a solo game it is very hard to replicate that strategy. As a ftf scenario I would rate it higher.

This scenario is a very straightforward scenario. There's little drama, especially once the French army is found. There are only two real places to set up, as the victory conditions almost mandate they set up in towns. Once found, the Germans have quite a bit of time to get their troops in order and attack. If, however, there's much defense at all supplied by the French, the Germans can easily run out of time.

In my case, the Germans only got the reinforcements at 1545 (45 minutes to go), so they were inconsequential. The French were in the southwest village (determined on die roll between that town area and the northwest town area - once the Germans reached a town the die was rolled - even meant north, odd meant south - and it was odd). The French opened up on the first few units, but caused no permenant damage. The Germans slowly moved up and coordinated their attack and within an hour, half the French units were gone and the other half disrupted and/or demoralized. Their only hope was to hold out 45 more minutes...

In the end, they couldn't do it. Too many fresh German troops assaulted French units in less-than-great shape. Germans took the last town as the church bells rang out 4 times...

About the only thing that kept this scenario from being the most boring I had ever encountered was the fact that the French did, at least, have a little suspense in it by virtue of having only to hold off the German hordes. Which they did by virtue of my expedient of doubling the number of "hidden" units and mixing up the placement of them so that even the French Command did not now where they were. (I used this one with great success in "Saipan" also.) Otherwise......

This scenario is heavily favored for the Germans. After 6 turns the Germans had most of the town with the French loosing the 25mm AT gun and the HMG. This is a complete push over for the Germans.

Played this one to learn the game system. Since I am mostly a solo player I did not like this one due to the hidden units.

The forward German scouts stumbled upon the small French force in the first action. While the French surpised them with a vicious volley of direct and anti-tank fire, it was more of a welcoming commitee, as not a single German unit suffered a "scratch" let alone broke morale. The French stunned by the fact that they had not damaged a single German hesitated, and the Germans quickly organized and executed an assault. The French were out of the race, their horse had been "scratched".