Played against Alan Sawyer using Skype, this was a real marathon effort which went down to the final turn. A large German combined arms force has to attack on a narrow frontage against elite French units with massive OBDA support. Although with less urban cover than my previous "Iron Line" experience this was still going to be a slugfest. I was the heroic French and went for a forward defense using minefields to channel the German attack direct on to the line of town hexes on board 32. For the first hour this worked as German INF took heavy casualties and the initial advance faltered, however using his excellent leaders to direct HMG's the German commander started to make inroads in the French line, however this was slow going and the call came for the German Panzer's to join the fray. Although there seemed to be some delay in getting the message to the Boche tank commander eventually the ominous sounds of clanking tank treads was heard up and down the French line. They were not committed to the fray straight away, as the German sent his artillery observers forwards to find and bring down devastating barrages on any hidden A/T gun. This took some time but the German INF/ENG/HMG platoons were still making steady progress in the centre of the French line. At midday the tanks were released to swarm through the gaps in the line. The final two hours of battle were more mobile as more units spilled out to the Green Fields Beyond a German victory looked there for the taking. The French COL then personally led reinforcements to the centre and although heavily outnumbered managed to halt the German attack and stop the breakthrough. The Germans made one further effort to drive a wedge between the two French flanks but to no avail and the attack was called off. French losses had been too high though and they would have to withdraw during the night. Really great scenario though not for the faint hearted Alan was very unlucky not to win in that last turn, but I would have felt hard done to if I had lost so perhaps the draw was the fair result

Played with Wayne Baumber over the course of four 5-6 hour sessions in six months. As Wayne had stated in his AAR, this one is not for the faint of heart. Both sides will need to commit troops to attacks that they will not want to do and wither fire that is murderous. But it was very enjoyable as Wayne's troops always gives my troops a tough fight. Casualties will be high we had a total of over 80 step losses between the two of us. The French taking the majority, but were able to dish out punishment too.

From the German perspective, they took a broad approach with there advance. Knowing that the French having the ability to deliver multiple 30+ OBA fire on the Germans try advance to take the minimal loses. But French OBA is able to inflict five INF step losses in the first two turns. The Germans are able to close on the nearest town as well as get there numerous HMG's inplace to fire on the town with a 10-2-1 Captain supported by the German 10-1-2 Colonel. This gives the Germans the edge to disrupt and demoralize the defending French units. Closing for assaults, the Germans get into the town in the center of their advance. The assaults grid down the French and make it hard for their artillery to fire on the Germans without a threat of hitting their own troops.

The French shift troops to try to hold the line while German ENG's try to work into the town from the south. But working through a minefield the ENG is hit with both DF and BF and is destroyed. But this gives the other Germans troops time to push to the west side of the town. German OBA targets AT guns and gets some success with knocking out a 25mm. German assaults are still the main weapon in the center. Some units move to try to push on the south side of the town but the heavily defended rail cut puts down fire that stops them at a road block. Soon a company of assault troops are reduced to a platoon holding a captured roadblock. But this continue to keep the French stretched out on their defense.

Finally, armored reinforcements appear along with a second batch of aircraft. Taking advantage of limbered guns German Stuka's and He111's strike the 155mm guns destroying them followed by an attack on the powerful French 47mm AT gun that is also destroyed. This gives the German armor a little less to worry about. But French OBA continues to reduce German assault INF's with two or more being reduced every turn.

German armor moves up to the town to combined with the assault troops. Driving through the lines they move forward to threaten the breach. French AT guns are spotted and the tanks take evasive maneuvers. German OBA targets the guns and reduces two more. But the French 75mm scores a hit on the German PzIVD before it is reduced by OBA. This leaves just two AT's left and only one is in a good defensive position. The other tries for position south of the northern town but OBA soon reduces it. One to go, more on that later.

In the north the German INF reinforcements look to push toward the town, but the French have HMG's and INF's in position and dish out quite a bit of fire before slowly being reduced and blocked into the town. Infantry fire groups and armor fire groups pour fire into the town and roadblock before the town. Eventually the roadblock is reduced and the INF and move forward. They are able to get into the town while the armor closes for point blank fire. This attack is reinforced by PzII and PzI that take several town hexes before the end of the game.

In the center the final push is made. Several initial German attempts to close on the farmhouses to the west of the German breach are thwarted by French OBA, but a big multi-unit push strung out the French OBA and the Germans are able to assault the farmhouses. This is important as the last AT gun is in the western buildings. Initially a couple of squads get in and disrupt units and tie up the AT gun. The French maneuver reinforcements into the town to force the Germans to move more reinforcements up. Eventually the Germans get a major force into an assault but run out of time to destroy the three French steps holding the town. The French did get the AT out of town, but not before it is shot up and demoralized by a roving German armored car. The Germans have one chance to win a Major victory by destroying a French INF stuck on the edge of German corridor to the west. Heavy German fire on the unit cannot kill or demoralized it before time runs out. This left both sides with a minor victory and a draw for the final outcome.

Author	PANISTA (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	treadasaurusrex
Play Date	2023-05-08
Language	Català
Scenario	FaoF017

This was a 5-session battle with the fierce and clever Treadasaurus playing the attacking Boche of the 3rd Panzer Division. I was the French Commander of a large but clumsy, motorized force in this epic fight. We used the FOW, consolidation, excess initiative, smoke and tank riders optional rules in this see saw fight. Some 14 turns of this advance and retreat fight were shortened by fog of war die rolls. The French drew some very poor leaders compared the the set that the germans had. In the end, the German side prevailed in a major victory -- but it was very close and only decided in the last 3 turns. I lost count of the number of costly French counter attacks and the casualties sustained! French artillery did a great job in this one and many German casualties and morale problems resulted. Most any Boche advance in the open was met with heavy OBA bombardments. The French lined were stretched very thin and there was very little scope for maneuver compared to the Germans as the game went on. I think that the final steps los count was more than a combined 74. The only hope for the Germans was too get as close the the FREnch units as possible and fight at close range. By the end all 3 German pioneer platoons had been eliminated, mostly thanks to effective fore laced on minefields. My opponent's well-known dislike of units with AT factors often led him to expend considerable effort in destroying them one-after-another. This paid dividends for the Axis eventually, when the advancing armor was able to carve out the required 5-hex wide corridor in combined arms close assaults. Most Luftwaffe air strikes were ineffective. In contrast, Axis OBA was often very effective, especially against dug-in infantry formations, and town garrisons. There were many decision points ninths scenario. As time went on, more and more decisions for the French Commander were between two evils for the brave-but-doomed French troops in the town hexes.

I give this riot of a game a rating of 4. We began playing in January and finished today after many hours of fun and entertaining banter in the forests and blood-soaked towns of La Belle France.

Author	Schoenwulf
Method	Solo
Victor	Draw
Play Date	2021-11-20
Language	English
Scenario	FaoF017

Battle: On the morning of May 15, 1940, French units from the 1st Division d’Infanterie Motorisée were situated in a developed position between Perbais and Ernage, Belgium. They were attacked by two squadrons of German Hs.129’s followed by another squadron of Ju.88’s, so they awaited the German ground advance. They were not disappointed as units from the German 3rd Panzer Division appeared across a broad front at 0900 hours. French artillery responded and let the Germans know that they would be in for a fight. An hour later, German artillery eliminated the French 155mm gun unit. German panzer reinforcements arrived at 1015, and an hour later both French flanks had been turned by German units in vicious hand-to-hand combat in both Perbais in the north and the sunken railroad in the south. More German ground units arrived at 1145, and the powerful French 47APX unit was neutralized. However, German tanks continued to brew up from the other French AT platoons. The Germans continued to press both flanks and the French center, and by 1445 they were in a strong position despite still being engaged along the sunken railroad and stalled in their attack on the French right. The Germans had established a clear corridor for east/west movement along the French left.

Analysis: This scenario is a two map, 24-turn scenario with victory based on either German hex control or step loss from French attacks. The French set up a line of either units, roadblocks or minefields running north to south five hexes from the east edge. Seven units covered the north village, with the remainder behind the front line protecting the southwest village and sunken railroad hexes. Most of the artillery barrages and airstrikes of the first turn did little damage to either side, but the Germans had some units in an open field of fire at the end of the turn. Other German forces were held behind the south hedgerows and protected from French spotting. The German mortars and artillery that were being trucked were held back until recon could identify the potential AT risk. The sunken railroad hexes are difficult to take since they can only be spotted from adjacent hexes, but the Germans eventually had enough good units to assault. Unless the dice are very kind, the German player will take significant step losses compared to the French in the early going, but as they press forward, the Germans can even things out. The French OBA also delivered some serious strikes after the first couple of turns and remained a factor in slowing progress of the German reinforcements. Besides control of town hexes, the Germans want to establish a 5-hex east/west corridor free of un-DM French units. This is more readily accomplished by using either the north or south map edge to serve as one flank of the corridor; then, only a single flank of the 5-hex corridor needs to be protected. As the final turns approached, their only chance for establishing the 5-hex corridor was in the north sector, as the assaults in the sunken railroad and French control of town hexes in the south made a corridor impossible. On their last two turns, the Germans had cleared a path using the north edge of the map for one border and a line of units 5-6 hexes to the south. The Germans also controlled 10 of the 16 town hexes to four for the French, with two still contested; this would have given the Germans a Major Victory, except for the loss of over 20 steps to the French. So the scenario ended in a draw with a total of 35 German steps lost to 30 for the French. This one is well balanced, as it is tough for the Germans to gain the control needed for victory without the loss of twenty steps due to the French OBA and AT power.