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!
The Ardennes Canal
Swallows of Death #17
(Attacker) Germany vs France (Defender)
Formations Involved
France 3e Brigade de Spahis
Germany 1st Panzer Division
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for SwlD017
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 0 votes
5
4
3
2
1
0
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Swallows of Death
Historicity Historical
Date 1940-05-14
Start Time 09:30
Turn Count 28
Visibility Day
Counters 154
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 1
Maps 4: 124, 29, 30, 31
Layout Dimensions 86 x 84 cm
34 x 33 in
Play Bounty 277
AAR Bounty 227
Total Plays 0
Total AARs 0
Battle Types
Bridge Control
Inflict Enemy Casualties
River Crossing
Urban Assault
Conditions
Anti-tank Ditches
Minefields
Randomly-drawn Aircraft
Reinforcements
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Fall of France 2 Maps + Counters
Road to Dunkirk Maps + Counters
Swallows of Death Base Game
Introduction

Vendresse, France. The German 1st Panzer Division crossed the Meuse River at Sedan on the 13th and established a small bridgehead on the south bank. On the next morning they fought off counter-attack from French armor, and in the confusion the French cavalry units defending the bridges across the Ardennes Canal at Omicourt and Malmy left those bridges unguarded or even withdrew. At mid-morning, a few German panzers tried to cross the bridge at Malmy supported by « Bufla » 88mm self-propelled guns.

Conclusion

The weak elements from the 5th DLC, ordered to hold the bridge at Omicourt, instead retreated without orders. Some squadrons of the 3rd Brigade de Spahis rushed to reinforce the canal line. At 0930, the Germans attacked from the Malmy bridge but the cavalrymen withstood the assault until more Germans crossed the canal at Omicourt to attack from their north flank. However, the road to Vendresse remained strongly defended by numerous French anti-tank guns and artillery. They stopped the panzers, and even conducted several counter-attacks aimed at the Malmy bridge. Repeated Stuka attacks on Vendresse (including a deadly strike on the German headquarters) and flanking moves by German troops eventually broke the French wall of fire. The French fell back on their second line of defense, but the Germans had lost too many men and tanks and advanced no farther than the outskirts of Vendresse.

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.


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).
  • 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.
  • Prime Movers: Transports which only transport towed units and/or leaders (May not carry personnel units). May or may not be armored (armored models are open-top). All are mechanized. (SB)
  • Unarmored Weapon Carriers: These are unarmored halftracks (Bufla and Sk7/2) or fully-tracked vehicles (Karl siege mortar) with mounted weapons. All are mechanized, except the BM-13 (Katyusha rocket launcher mounted on a truck). They are weapon units, not AFV's, so they are never efficient and cannot be activated by tank leaders. (SB)
  • Portees: Trucks with mounted Anti-Tank guns, Anti-Aircraft weapons, or artillery. Stack as combat units. Move like trucks, but fire like guns. Do not limber or unlimber. Have the truck's -1 armor value. Truck and gun are treated as a single unit, and do not transport other units. (SB)

Display Order of Battle

France Order of Battle
Armée de Terre
  • Motorized
Moroccan Ground Forces
  • Foot
  • Towed
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Motorized

Display Errata (3)

3 Errata Items
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)
Overall balance chart for 47

All SPW 251s have an armor value of 0.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Errors? Omissions? Report them!
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