Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Road to Dunkirk #14

Panzer Grenadier Battles on November 21st:
Desert Rats #16 - The Panzers Pull Back	Desert Rats #19 - The Panzers Return
Desert Rats #17 - The Tomb Of Sidi Rezegh	Jungle Fighting #7 - Line Of Departure
Desert Rats #18 - A Pibroch's Skirl	South Africa's War #5 - Irish Eyes

PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > RtDk014

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The Baker’s Glory Road to Dunkirk #14
(Defender) Germany	vs	Britain (Attacker)

Formations Involved

	Total
Side 1	5
Draw	0
Side 2	0

Overall Rating, 5 votes
5 4 3 2 1 3.6
Scenario Rank: 353 of 940

Parent Game	Road to Dunkirk
Historicity	Historical
Date	1940-05-27
Start Time	05:00
Turn Count	6
Visibility	Day
Counters	27
Net Morale	0
Net Initiative	3
Maps	1: 120
Layout Dimensions	43 x 28 cm 17 x 11 in
Play Bounty	138
AAR Bounty	165
Total Plays	5
Total AARs	2

Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault

Conditions
Hidden Units
Off-board Artillery
Severe Weather
Smoke
Terrain Mods

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Road to Dunkirk	Base Game

Introduction
Huppy is a very old village on the Abbeville road, bordered by large hedgerows enclosing apple orchards. The houses sit behind the orchard, and from a distance the town appears to be a wooded oasis in the open cultivated fields through which it must be approached. That town was the location of the first French-British combined operation in the Somme sector. The Allies hoped to crush the German Abbeville bridgehead and prevent any further exploitation into the heart of France. The odds were clearly in favor of the Allies with a large number of tanks to throw against a defense manned solely by infantry. However, French commanders directed British attacks without any consideration for the armored division’s potential.

Introduction

Huppy is a very old village on the Abbeville road, bordered by large hedgerows enclosing apple orchards. The houses sit behind the orchard, and from a distance the town appears to be a wooded oasis in the open cultivated fields through which it must be approached. That town was the location of the first French-British combined operation in the Somme sector. The Allies hoped to crush the German Abbeville bridgehead and prevent any further exploitation into the heart of France. The odds were clearly in favor of the Allies with a large number of tanks to throw against a defense manned solely by infantry. However, French commanders directed British attacks without any consideration for the armored division’s potential.

Conclusion
The lightly-armored British tanks were fast but had never been intended to break through enemy defenses. A lack of French artillery support delayed the planned attack, but the 10th Hussars did not receive the message. About 30 tanks charged the village in the foggy morning. It was an hour of glory for the numerous 37mm PaK hidden among the hedges and trees. Corporal Brinckforth, a baker in civilian life, became a German national hero and won the Ritterkreuz when he personally destroyed more than 10 British tanks. In the end, about 20 tanks were destroyed in the brief and wasted assault.

Conclusion

The lightly-armored British tanks were fast but had never been intended to break through enemy defenses. A lack of French artillery support delayed the planned attack, but the 10th Hussars did not receive the message. About 30 tanks charged the village in the foggy morning. It was an hour of glory for the numerous 37mm PaK hidden among the hedges and trees. Corporal Brinckforth, a baker in civilian life, became a German national hero and won the Ritterkreuz when he personally destroyed more than 10 British tanks. In the end, about 20 tanks were destroyed in the brief and wasted assault.

Display Relevant AFV Rules

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0). AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement. AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1). Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2). Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3) Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0). Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3). Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3). AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42). AFV's may Dig In (16.2). Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC) Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC). Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.

AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle

Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.

Display Order of Battle

Britain Order of Battle

Army
Mechanized Motorized

Army

Mechanized

Motorized

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Foot Leader Motorized Towed

Heer

Foot

Leader

Motorized

Towed

Display Errata (2)

2 Errata Items
	The Mk VIb in Road to Dunkirk were printed with a movement factor of 5. The piece should have a movement of 9. (plloyd1010 on 2024 Aug 15)
	The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France. (plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)

Display AARs (2)

Road To Dunkirk, scenario Fourteen: The Baker’s Glory

Author	JayTownsend
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany
Play Date	2021-02-10
Language	English
Scenario	RtDk014

Road To Dunkirk, scenario Fourteen: The Baker’s Glory

A six turn fast and furious or bust scenario. There is only one thing the British can do to win this scenario in 6 turns, rush up adjacent to the enemy units and take your lumps and hope you survive and activate first in the next turn. Well the Germans rolled well on their anti-tank fire. According to the victory condition the British only achieve 4 points while the Germans achieved 13 points and the victory.

This scenario needs 3 or 4 more turns to give the British a chance.

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The baker and the British Casseroles !

Author	leonard (Britain)
Method	Face to Face
Victor	Germany
Participants	unknown
Play Date	2023-06-15
Language	English
Scenario	RtDk014

It’s one of the first scenarios I’ve designed for Road to Dunkirk since it’s such a wellknown action, prelude to the Abbeville battle. Actually, I’ve played it two times, face to face, with two different German opponents. In the first play, the German set up all his forces in the village of Huppy. I rushed my casseroles (mainly MkVIb tankettes) at him but some dice rolls later many casseroles had became smoking wrecks and the casualty tally made German victory quite certain. Very historical… On the second match, the German player hid a 37mm AT gun platoon in the southern town, along the road. This time, I made a more cautious approach sending forward the thicker armoured tanks first. The British A13s entered in assault with the German gun but failed to destroy it before the end of the game (6 turns only). The rest of the tanks then charged (but they are so slow !) the village, removing most German victory points for town control. However, despite some success, the British failed to destroy any German unit and since some of the casseroles were burning again, the victory was again for the Germans. The scenario is an interesting puzzle for the British player : you keep wondering how to do it best to reach a draw or what seems an impossible victory. My original version of the scenario did not include « efficient fire » of the German AT guns and this could help the British a lot ! I keep to find the scenario quite interesting and fun but it is too unbalanced. So, I gave it a 3.

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