My first game with the White Eagles book, this little fight has a company of Polish bycicle troops supported by a 37mm gun defending a bridge against 2 German infantry companies supported by an HMG, mortar and engineer platoons and a company of Pz-1s. This early war fight shows the proper use of a 37mm gun when used against the light armor of the time. As the German panzers made for the bridge with the infantry right behind them, the 37mm guns were able to take out 4 of 6 steps of tanks before finally being overcome in 3 turns of assault. The high Polish morale kept the troops going long after most would have been falling back. The Polish Captain held the hex adjacent to the east end of the bridge with 2 bycicle platoons while a good LT held the bridge itself with one more. Both hexes were assaulted early on as Germans struck directly from the west and also having crossed north of the bridge using the engineers help. As the defenders started losing steps, the Germans were able to switch out demoralized troops with good order troops, and the Polish commander succeeded in getting out of assault to join the troops on the bridge on turn 11, hoping to hold out there in a last stand, but the German luck won out and the last 2 steps of bycicle troops along with both leaders were killed to a man, demoralizing most of the attack force in the process, but leaving one good order platoon and 2 disrupted leaders to claim ownership while the closest Polish troops were in the town with no leadership, and the last Polish LT had earlier fled towards the woods to the west of the bridge and had no chance of regrouping an attack force to contest the bridge. Very good fight right up to the last.

With little time to spare, the Germans raced forward to engage the sole Polish platoon defending on the bridge. Polish defensive fire was only moderately effective. To the south, the German combat engineer moved towards the river with two tank units, with the third trying to support the attack on the bridge. The Poles had an ATG which had a field day against the German armour, consistenly rolling highly and near destroying all Axis armour over the course of the game. The Germans assualted the bridge, and both sides reinforced troops into the assault throughout the game. The Poles were whittled down until they had nothing left. On the second last turn the last half platoon was demoralised and only just failed a recovery roll, forcing a retreat off the objective. The Germans consolidated on the bridge with one turn to spare, a close victory!

This is a pretty good scenario despite lack of balance. I can't see how the Polish side can win. There are few good options available to the Poles. The victory conditions requires the German player to control the bridge by the end of play. That takes some interpretation, but since I am an Army officer I interpreted it using the doctrinal definition of the tactical task control - a task that requires the commander to maintain physical influence over a specified area to prevent its use by an enemy or to create conditions necessary for successful friendly operations. Basically, I interpreted it to mean that in order for the Germans to win, they had to be able to not only cross the bridge (own it) , but had to be able to advance freely beyond the adjacent hexes on the opposite shore; in other words the Germans have to clear the Poles from any hex adjacent to the Bridge.

the river), the Germans will win. It just takes time. The Poles have absolutely no ability to conduct a fighting withdraw. If they lose the bridge they lose, it doesn't matter that their is a town that they could fall back to and still prevent the establishment of an effective bridgehead by the Germans.

The germans routinely seem to win this fight by the ninth or tenth turn if they play cautiously. Two recommendations to make it more challenging:

0509, and 0510) as well as forest hexes (0508, 0607, and 0606).

This is a cool litle scenario, and should be a close run thing. However when drawing leaders I got lucky with a +2 morale leader this helped a great deal. The German commander decided on a less than subtle approach possibly due to time constraints and advancded directly towards my positions. The plucky Poles manning my 37 A/T gun thought Christmas had come early and played havoc with the Pz1s facing them. The German inf were repulsed by well aimed and steady rifle fire for a famous victory. A nice little quickie scenario

I am not sure how the Polish can win this scenario. I blow them out of there with the Germans. A clear German victory! My only highlight for the Polish was taking out two step of PzI's but no big deal, the Germans still had 4 more steps of these and a boat load of Infantry. Polish, nothing left! Bicycles against tanks, not a good idea, yes they did have one 37mm AT gun but once it was gone.....

I still had fun playing this quick scenario, but in my option, this one favors the Germans.

‘Bicycle Races ’

Brda River : 1st September 1939

Scenario played 7th June 2010

The Polish Army deployed forward during the September Campaign, hoping to slow the German advance long enough for their French allies to launch their own promised offensive into Germany. That meant that in some places, Polish troops were stretched very thin. One of these was along the Brda River in the so-called Polish Corridor, where the Pomorska Cavalry Brigade had only its attached cyclist squadron available to hold the line.

Two companies of infantry from the 3rd Panzer Division and 3 platoons of PzI’s were tasked with forcing the bridge over the Brda River. The Polish cycle squadron had deployed on the bridge in an arrowhead formation, with a 37mm AT gun behind the bridge and more troopers, but more importantly the excellent Kapitan Baumbowski. This was a man the troopers highly respected and would fight and die for. Morale would not be an issue in this battle.

The Germans advanced in a wide firing line, and initially, after laying down some concentrated fire on the now dug-in defenders, it appeared the 2 Polish platoons on the bridge were wavering. Seeing this, the 12 PzI’s sped forward. Just as the invaders closed in, Baumbowski had rallied these troopers and with his guidance, they astonishingly fought off the tank attack, dropping a few grenades down the metal-lumps turret-hatches too. The 37mm platoon also made hay in the target rich environment picking off tanks as they rolled onto the bridge itself. The German Major, seeing this mini-catastrophe ahead of him, once more directed well-aimed infantry fire at the bridge. Suddenly, under such a hail of bullets, more than an acceptable number of Pormorska Brigade’s troopers fell where they stood. Even with Baumbowski’s leadership efforts one may have asked “Was the battle swinging back the Germans way” ?

The German Major continued to direct his soldiers’ fire at the target and objective and with the attack nearing the 3 hour mark, events dramatically took a turn. If the German infantry thought they were about to seize the bridge, one solitary bullet ended those ideas. Imploring his company to greater deeds and directing fire hands-on, the Major, standing and shouting as he was, was struck through the temple by a 7.62mm bullet from enemy fire. Down he slumped to his knees and then forwards onto his face, laying motionless, and an inanimate shell of just 3 seconds before. After this brief 3 to 4 second pause, the sounds of battle became apparent again to those involved, and the German infantry withdrew. They would await further resources, lick their wounds and carry on at a future hour. For now though, the Poles would hold the crossing.

German casualties came to 12 PzI tanks and around 46 infantry and engineers combined. The Polish left some 45 fallen at the bridge, including that brave 37mm platoon that had wrought so much damage on the enemy’s tanks.

A company of Polish bicylists are tasked to hold a bridge as a light force of Germans with twice the infantry and three platoons of Pz Is attempt to take it from them. The German forces also have some engineers and some HMG support. The Poles have one platoon of 37mm AT guns.

The cyclists begin the sceanrio deployed at the bridge with the AT gun in the woods to the south of the bridge. The Germans, relecting on the short turn length and victory conditions that only call for control of the bridge push directly on the Poles at the bridge. By turn three the bridge is under assault and the fight remains for another 7 turns until all the Polish infantry is destroyed. In my game the AT guns were ineffective but even if they had been able to destroy and demoralize all the tanks the Germans still would have taken the bridge.

This appears to be heavily slanted against the Poles and without a real step loss concern the Germans can throw caution to the wind and the Poles into the dead pile. I give it a "2" as the only lesson to be drawn is to dig in before they get there, if you can. I couldn't as the initiative went to the Germans early and often.