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 > RtDk018
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Into Trouble
Road to Dunkirk #18
(Attacker) Germany vs Britain (Defender)
Formations Involved
Display
Balance:
Overall balance chart for RtDk018
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 0
Side 2 3
Overall Rating, 4 votes
5
4
3
2
1
4
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Road to Dunkirk
Historicity Historical
Date 1940-05-22
Start Time 17:00
Turn Count 16
Visibility Day
Counters 52
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 2
Maps 3: 121, 123, 125
Layout Dimensions 84 x 43 cm
33 x 17 in
Play Bounty 159
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 4
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Urban Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Smoke
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Road to Dunkirk Base Game
Introduction

Protecting Boulogne’s harbor, the 2nd Irish Guards battalion covered a line south of the city 3.5 kilometers long, stretching from the village of Manihen on the banks of the River Liane to positions on the coast overlooking the harbor. At 1500, the defenders spotted the first German scout vehicles on the high ground south of Outreau.
Conclusion

On the coast road to Boulogne, the German advance had already seen tough fighting. The only route leading directly to the harbor offered little possibility of manoeuvre for tanks, and the first panzers were quickly dispatched by the Irish anti-tank guns. German motorcyclists and infantry then maneuvered around the flanks of the British. The fighting in and amongst the back gardens and hedgerows was a chaotic and confused affair, which dragged on intermittently until nightfall when firing eventually died down.
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).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • 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
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
Display Order of Battle
Britain Order of Battle
Army
  • Mechanized
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
Display Errata (3)
3 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 869

All Bren carriers should have a movement value of 7.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 855

Two British infantry have their full strengths printed on the back. They should both be "2-3" when reduced.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Display AARs (1)
A cliffhanger near the Channel
Author TFGA73
Method Solo
Victor Germany
Play Date 2019-09-12
Language English
Scenario RtDk018

The Situation: The Germans, closing in on Dunkirk, are trying to clear roads and maybe take a town. A very high-morale group of British troops stand in their way. It’s a three-map battle with low unit density; right down my alley.

The Setup: The Germans start off-board, and their objectives are to clear at least on north-south road corridor and/or take a mid-size town smack in the middle of the battlefield. They can hit from a variety of locations, so I spread the Brits out to cover as many approaches as possible, building a few strongpoints around the 94mm and 6-pounders. They are spread thin, but towns, terrain and 9/8 morale(!) provide quite a lot of staying power.

Summary: The Germans come in from the southwest and are concentrated, trying to force one road open instead of hitting in multiple places. Immediately they run into trouble, as a pair of British INF knock out a step of Germans and demoralize others. The 94mm, sited in a town, also takes out a Panzer II step. Through the first half the good guys more than hold their own.

Eventually the Germans bring numbers and mobility to bear, slipping eastward and applying more pressure at several points, and prevent the Brits from reinforcing each other. The Germans took the bulk of their losses early, while the British were slowly worn down as they were forced to defend key positions.

It all came down to the final turn, at a crossroads smack in the middle of the map. Here a multi-turn assault took place, and at the start of the final turn a half step of British infantry with a decent LT doggedly held on against a MTC, Pz I and HMG. If they held out they would deny the Germans a clear road and take home the win. But the assault succeeded on the final attempt, and the baddies got their clear road and a major victory. Final losses were seven British and eight German steps.

Analysis: Road to Dunkirk has lots of small, tense scenarios, and this is among the best I’ve played to date. Very wide open and well balanced, and I could see it being a toss up every time. Highly recommend.
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