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
Errors? Omissions? Report them!
Red Dusk
Swallows of Death #4
(Defender) Germany vs France (Attacker)
Morocco (Attacker)
Formations Involved
France 1re Division Marocaine
Germany 4th Panzer Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for SwlD004
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 1 vote
5
4
3
2
1
3
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Swallows of Death
Historicity Historical
Date 1940-05-15
Start Time 16:30
Turn Count 16
Visibility Day
Counters 107
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 2
Maps 1: 32
Layout Dimensions 43 x 28 cm
17 x 11 in
Play Bounty 183
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Urban Assault
Conditions
Minefields
Off-board Artillery
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Reinforcements
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Fall of France 2 Maps + Counters
Swallows of Death Base Game
Introduction

The German assault on Gembloux itself had gotten nowhere. Rebuffed by rock-solid Moroccan infantry backed by extremely accurate French artillery, the German infantry paid a heavy price. The one bright spot for them was a point between Ernage and Gembloux where they had been able to punch a hole through the railway line and overrun the hidden antitank guns there. Then word came around midday that 3rd Panzer Division had pierced the line at Perbais and Ernage, and that brought on a new German attack with air support. The French began to give way around the Lagasse farm just north of Gembloux, but then the armored counterattack that had been ordered at 11:30 finally began.

Conclusion

The Germans poured heavy fire into the French whose infantry became separated from their tanks. Some of the latter were disabled by German AT fire or pinned down by German tanks arriving from Ernage to the north. By 1830 the counterattack had ground to a halt, but the Germans had been stopped and ended up withdrawing behind the railway. Unfortunately, as darkness fell on the battlefield the French success at Gembloux was voided by German victory farther south.

Additional Notes

Swallows of Death may be played with the 1st edition pieces and maps from 1940: Fall of France.

When a French piece in the order of battle was apparently Moroccan and was in the Division Marocaine set, that piece was used in the order of battle list. Substitute equivalent French Army pieces Moroccan pieces when the Moroccan piece is unavailable.

(Special note: Marocain HMG units have a Movement factor of 2.)


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

Display Order of Battle

France Order of Battle
Armée de Terre
  • Mechanized
Moroccan Ground Forces
Germany Order of Battle
Heer

Display Errata (3)

3 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 1564

The unit label on the counter is 25mm, but should be 20mm. No effect on play.

(plloyd1010 on 2016 Apr 01)
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)
Overall balance chart for 63

The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

Swallows of Death, scenario #4: Red Dusk
Author JayTownsend
Method Solo
Victor France, Morocco
Play Date 2023-11-23
Language English
Scenario SwlD004

Swallows of Death, scenario #4: Red Dusk

My second scenario play from this supplement wasn’t as good as the first, mainly because I wasn’t 100% clear on the setup but went with what I thought it was and also one of the victory conditions of two point (for a total of five for control of the Lagasse farm at the end of play, which is only hex 0510, so I just went with the 5 five points to make it easy.

Points on both sides of the railroad tracks are worth different values to each side depending on the side but the French/Moroccan side starts with more of the towns already. Those French R35 tanks are too strong for the German Pz Is & Pz IIs and lose a lot of steps to the French armor and even the reduced Pz IIIF units can’t handle them, especially since they have 7 units worth. The Infantry try to fight in out on each side of the Railroad in assault combats but this usually always favored the defender.

When it was all said and done, the French/Moroccan side won 35 to 20 points over the Germans for a Major Victory. It is kind of a cramped battlefield as hexes xx07 and north of them are not in play, it is mostly urban and has minefields and a Railroad dividing the playing area. It was worth trying out once but was a little off for me.

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