The initial French tank company set up in the town. The Americans put the M3/75 on the hill to the north and the Stuarts and infantry to the north east. It took 45 minutes to clear the French tanks out of the town by direct fire and infantry assaults with only a step loss to US infantry. The French gunnery was just not up to snuff.

The US scouts went forward to delay the French reinforcement and this had some effect. Soon night fell and the French closed on the town taking losses but were able to do a last turn assault by a Foreign legion Platoon and the Sous-lieutenant. They didn't win the assault but, importantly, they didn't lose it and survived a counterattack thus denying the US control of the whole town for a French win.

This was a very exciting scenario one can easily play in an afternoon.

This is a night scenario with one Turn having visibility 2 and the rest 1.

The French are defending a town with only tanks (D1) and are awaiting some Foreign Legion reinforcements, and more tanks. The Americans are poised to jump on the town at start, with a ton of Stuarts and other oddball armor, unfortunately they only have three infantry units.

In my game I had the French play turtle a bit on turn 1 and await the inevitable American assault on the town. The Americans withstood the opporutnity fire (3 consecutive AT misses) and then the French won the initiative and missed 3 more times in a row. At that point the American assault stack (24 with leader) started clearing the town with ease and the Stuarts were dispatched forward to block potential reinforcements from the far board edge.

Easy US win after some back and forth cat-like moves at night...however with US losses so miniscule the French had no chance. Those 6 straight misses really hurt them. With average dice the US would take serious step losses and the resulting battle would be much closer.

Excellent small scenario...very tactical, very thinky. Both sides can take risks with their armor, and live with the results.

In the late afternoon of November 9, 1942, units from the 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion were ordered to join with a company of M3 Stuart tanks from the 1st Armored Division to intercept and stop a French armored force and secure the town of St. Lucien. Night was rapidly approaching, which compromised the ability to spot the enemy. The Allied armor force was accompanied by infantry and assorted M3 units, with both an M3A1 and a Jeep to assist in reconnaissance. French D1 platoons were based in St. Lucien and dug in just west of town. The Allied Stuart platoons advanced towards town and took fire, while infantry remained east of town. The recon vehicles moved to the south ridges. French Legionnaires engaged infantry that had moved south to the southeast ridge. By 1800, an M3A1 and Jeep MG had combined fire to destroy a French truck carrying a sous-lieutenant and his legionnaire infantry platoons. The other legionnaire platoons disengaged from the superior allied forces and headed north into the orchards. Meanwhile, Stuart platoons had eliminated two more D1 platoons in St. Lucien. Allied infantry and armored vehicles pursued the French troops into the orchards; in the ensuing battle, the Allies lost an M3, while the remaining French commander and his infantry platoon were eliminated. That left the French without any regular leaders, and the remaining D1 platoons in St. Lucien were destroyed by crossfire from Stuart platoons and an M3A1 group. The battle was over with the Americans in control of St. Lucien by 1900 hours.

This first scenario in the La Campagne de Tunisie supplement is a brief encounter that seems to favor the American forces. At first, it would appear that the French are flush with units, but the American forces have greater mobility with their M3’s and recon vehicles. This scenario ended in 9 turns, rather than the allotted 12, as there were no French leaders left and all French armor had been eliminated. Ergo, there was no chance for them to retake the town or any opportunity to use their 75mm gun without a leader to spot in the night conditions. The French ended up losing 26 steps to the Allies 5, a clear American victory.

La Campagne De Tunisie

I was a Vichy French kick tonight. PG only has four of these scenarios, two in An Army at Dawn and two in La Campagne De Tunisie.

The French start with control of all the town hexes manned by their D1 tanks which are actually better than the American Stuart Tanks, having a better AT and armor factors but not armor efficiency. The French have to wait on the reinforcements, Infantry, more armor and a 75mm gun units. Some of their Infantry are Foreign Legion types. The Americans start with their whole forces of mixed Infantry and AFVs not far from the town hexes.

The American Stuart Tanks rush the French tanks to open a path for their Infantry. Probably not the best choice for the American armor, as they lose three steps right away but in the next couple of turns with help of assaulting infantry are able to destroy or knockout all the French armor out of town. The American M3A1 SC and Jeep MG units harass the French reinforcements. The French head for the now controlled American town hexes but are too week to try and push better armored American Infantry out of it and pay a heavy price. By turn 11, the battered French have no chance and retreat. An American victory but with some armor casualties.

I'll give it a 4 for the subject but it is probably only a 3.5 for gaming.

Author	treadasaurusrex (France)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	France
Participants	CavDo
Play Date	2023-02-14
Language	English
Scenario	LCDT001

This was a fast-paced, 2-session play-through with the undaunted, CavDo, ably leading the American invaders. I led the under-equipped Vichy French defenders in this introductory scenario. We used the excess initiative and extended assault optional rules, and experimented with these 2 house rules, which made for much smoother unit movement: 1) Road Movement for Mechanized & Foot Units All FOOT & MECHANIZED units may move on roads at the rate of 1/2 a Movement Point (MP) per road hex, just like MOTORIZED units, and 2) Standard 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 or down slopes hexes. Unexpectedly, the French drew a better set of leaders than the Americans. Together, we threw only 9 combat 7-die rolls.

As others have reported, French armor established itself in the town. The Americans came on in two groups from the north edges of the battle map and were able to push out the French garrison by the end of game turn 4 in a series of costly close range firefights & close assaults. This effort was characterized by multiple US morale failures and the elimination of a platoon of Stuarts. With the onset of limited visibility, and the arrival of reinforcements, the French mounted a spirited counter attack and regained the town in the penultimate game turn after fierce fighting. The result was a hard-fought, French victory.

This was a fun-to-play, introductory scenario that is suitable for both SHARED and SOLO play. I give it a 4.

Poor France. So full of hope so short on die rolls.

Not a great scenario but a fun start to this campaign. Perhaps if the French had better die rolls it might have been more interesting but the result was a foregone conclussion way too early.

The objective for the Americans is to take the town.... except for the reinforcements coming in from the South. Now it becomes "a hold off the reserves" until the town battle is settled. An interesting little problem. The Americans formed an Infantry barrier to stave off the French reinforcements while the Americans "shot up" the French in the town. (That M3/75 came in quite handy doing just that!)