Into the Breach, 29th May 1940

 Another trip to France 1940 with One Hour WW2. We've already done the 1st Armoured Division attack on the Somme bridgehead further north, so now it is the famous attack by 4th DCR, led by some unknown Colonel called De Gaulle. This scenario features minefields (again), I've been fiddling around with the obstacle rules to try and make something workable but not game breaking. So far players have been too terrified to even contemplate entering mined hexes, which doesn't seem right, given the scale of the game.

I'm also now officially switching to shoot then move, as in the Napoleonic set. This is pretty much what we end up doing anyway, it is just very silly when units move in the way so supporting units can't fire and it doesn't feel very WW2. It is the same turn sequence as Panzerblitz and WRG 1925-50, and it works fine for most post 1900 games. 

Battlefield from the south. The German left flank is rather hanging in the air nearest the camera) , something the wicked French aim to take advantage of. The battlefield is dominated by Mont Caubert in the top right corner, and naturally the Germans have 88s up there. An entire battalion of them. 

The French need to capture four out of five objectives - mainly the German held villages, the crossroads in the middle and Mont Caubert itself. 

The terrain is very flat apart from the Mont, and quite marshy, so the woods are impassable to vehicles (well, impassable to whole battalions of tanks at any rate).

The main German force is IR 179 from 157th Infantry Division. Two battalions hold the front line, reinforced with the Regimental AT and Infantry Gun companies. They are dug in behind minefields, although the minefields runs out two thirds of the way down the table. 

The Germans have another battalion in reserve, a battalion of 88s on the hill and a battalion of 105s offtable. Most of the German transport is horse drawn, although they do have a motorised Ambulance detachment.

Even the Regimental CO (John A) is on a horse. The Luftwaffe is strongly in attendance though, with Stukas and Me 110 Zerstorers for air superiority.

In contrast 4th DCR is thoroughly modern and fully mechanised. The northwest axis features fleets of Char Bs, a battalion of dismounted Dragon Portes and a mechanised 105mm artillery battalion.

Pete commanded these (Simon stood in on Tuesday).

And in the southwest, a horde of R35s, H39s and Somuas. 4th DCR hardly had any infantry so it was reinforced with two battalions of Colonial troops. Here looking suspiciously like SCW Moroccans. The Armee d'Air has provided some Amiots to bomb the bridges. 

Simon and John B commanded these (Tim joined us on Tuesday and took Simons stuff).

The Division HQ also features De Gaulle riding a Chinellete and a mechanised supply column. Sadly only one LOG unit as the Luftwaffe keeps bombing the others. The observer for the 105s is attached to one of the infantry battalions, both of which are supported by light tanks. The Somuas and one of the infantry are conducting a deep outflanking manouvre right around the German flank.

I don't actually have any WW2 French officers in Kepis, so these WW1 figures will have to do. One of the Staff officers is taking copious notes, no doubt for De Gaulles memoirs. John B was in command and played De Gaulle.

The battle opened with the Amiots setting off to bomb the bridges over the river. The Me 110s managed a successful intercept but the French fought them off!

Simon brought his two Char B battalions straight on down the road, while the infantry headed for the woods. The terrain is very canalising for armoured manouvre here.

Tims Goumiers and their accompanying H39s rolled on from the southwest, heading for the woods in front of Limeux. The minefields on the other side don't seem to have factored in their march plans!

Long range 88 fire knocked out some of the Char Bs on the road, coupled with fire from German infantry supported by the Regimental Infantry Gun company, so many in fact that they became disorganised. The rest of the French kept advancing, the other Char B battalion drove though its pals, right into the minefield in front of the village and lost a few tanks on the way.

The Goumiers now decided to go on a wide outflanking move to the south, around the end of the minefields. This brought them very close to De Gaulles HQ, and the commander was very keen to ensure he was adequately represented in the Colonels extensive memoirs.

The Morrocans swept around the German southern flank in fine style.

But back at Houchenville intense fighting raged as German 88s and 105s fired on the French. Losses were heavy, and of course the LOS of the rear tank battalion was now blocked by its pals.

Tims Goumiers pushed on to Limeux, and came under Stuka attack and defensive fire from the Germans in the village, accompanied by a company of 37mm AT guns.

Houchenville was now becoming a mini Verdun, Stukas and 88s finally finished off the tanks in the minefield who withdrew to refit. Massed French fire from the remaining tanks and infantry was so heavy that the Germans were forced to reorganise, the ambulances ferried away the casualties. 

The 88s had shot off all their ammo and had to be resupplied.

The French artillery now ranged in on Limeux, and the Germans responded with their 105s. The infantry on both sides dived for cover.

In a shock development, another battalion of Cuirassiers in Somuas came charging on from the south, supported by another battalion of Goumiers supported by R35s. Sacre Bleu!

The 88s hastily switched targets to the new threat, and coupled with defensive fire from the reserve German battalion, managed to disorganise the Somuas. The artillery/infantry battle at Limeux continued, the French reorganised their infantry outside the town.

Back at Houchenville, the French kept hammering away, and the Germans kept having to medevac their casualties. The French were keeping the Germans thoroughly suppressd but couldn't summon the momentum to actually take the village. As long as the Germans were just under fire, they could keep reorganising.

The defenders of Limeux finally cracked and the Ambulances had to race to the rescue. Tims Goumiers outside the town were also in trouble and reorganised. Both sides were suffering from the incessant artillery fire. Meanwhile the Somuas covered Johns Goumiers closing with the village. The Germans responded with Stuka attacks. It was carnage out there.

Back in the north, the Char Bs kept up a steady fire on the Germans, but the French infantry had to pull back after a failed assault. The Germans had suffered such heavy losses that they had to reorganise, again.

In the south Johns infantry put in an assault supported by the Somuas, which failed, but would prevent the Germans reorganising. Meanwhile Tim and the defenders of Limeux continued blazing away at each other. 

With the garrisons of both towns disorganised, the Germans threw in all their support assets and reorganised the defenders of Limeux again. The ambulances were still busy at Houchenville. The 88s finally managed to knock out enough Somuas to encourage the remainder to withdraw for good. Tim assaulted Limeux to prevent  the defenders reorganising, the Germans were down to one hit left now.

The Germans reorganised their reserve battalion and the French reorganised some of their exhausted Morrocans. We broke for the evening at that point.

Up in the north the German ambulances were kept busy too.

The Germans were hanging on by the skin of their teeth, the only thing saving them was their superior logistic capability, but the German infantry had hardly fired a shot in the last few turns as they were constantly having to reorganise instead. The French had lost two battalions of tanks however, and their infantry were equally battered, struggling to make headway under the storm of artillery and 88 fire. 

At Houcheville the Char Bs kept the defenders pinned down, while the infantry pushed into the woods once more. 

But at Limeux, the Germans finally cracked under the French barrage, which chipped off their last hit.

Tim's infantry and R35s occupied the burning village, pleased not to have to assault it again!

The French prepared to assault Houchenville. While the 105s restocked on ammo, the artillery observer moved north to join the Dragoons. The Germans frantically shipped out the wounded and shipped in ammunition. 

In response to the fall of Limeux, the German reserve battalion moved west to occupy the crossroads, and the 88s took over the defence of Mareuil. The French were trying to hang onto three objectives they needed to win. They didn't realise the Germans needed four objectives for their victory conditions...

In the north the French assault on Houchenville went in, supported by the artillery and tanks. Defensive fire from the disorganised defenders was ineffective and the village was overrun! 

The French exploited their success, and brought down observed artillery fire on the crossroads, then concentric fire from both their infantry battalions. The last German infantry broke and ran across the fields! The entire German front line had now collapsed in a few turns.

The Dragoons from Houchenville occupied the crossroads under German artillery fire, while the Char Bs gingerly navigated the minefield.  The French now held three objectives, but needed four to win. The Germans still held two. 

The heavy tanks lost a few vehicles to mines, but more importantly, the delay to their movement slowed them such that they were unable to occupy Mont Coubert before nightfall. They were left impotently at the bottom of the slope, while a few German REMFs thumbed their noses at them.

The Germans still held Mareuil in strength. So at game end the French had three objectives, the Germans two, and as neither side had achieved enough for their victory conditions, it was a draw!

Well that was close. I must say I thought the French had lost when their Somua battalion was destroyed, but repeated hammering of the Germans finally overcame them, despite their logistic advantage. The French attacked all the German units to stretch the German supply capacity, and then made infantry assaults at key moments to stop the Germans reorganising. The Germans managed their support assets and resupply very professionally, exploiting the advantage of interior lines to the full.

The new turn sequence worked fine, and I've finally figured to how I want mines to work. I'm very grateful to Simon for daring to move through one. The ad hoc method we used in the game was far too complex, but I've come up with a simpler mechanism which will impose significant delay and disorder, but hopefully not too many actually casualties.