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1925frank -> RE: gunfight at Flavion (8/27/2007 7:09:01 AM)
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Here's my after-action report:
I didn't use the main roads. I sent all my German companies to the west and up through the unpaved road going through the woods and up the hill. (I'm using the top of the map as north, although that might not be what the compass on the 2d map shows.) I bypassed Rosee to its west and went straight for the 50 point victory hex in the north, which I'll call the Route 36 Victory Hex. For speed, I stayed in the open, but I stayed as far west as I could to avoid potshots from the B1-bis platoons on the main road. I learned my lesson in the previous game, and I kept my HQs even further to the west and, at times, in the woods. I sent my tank platoons up the unpaved wooded road to the southwest of the Route 36 Victory Hex, being careful to stay out of the sight of the B1-bis platoons on the main road. I think this put me at a higher elevation than the Route 36 Victory Hex, and there was a woods screening me from all the B1-bis platoons on the main road. After I got about two companies to the west and northwest of the Route 36 Victory Hex, I attacked it. I think it was about turn 5 (out of 11) before any shots were fired by either side. I was able to locate and destroy the French Battalion HQ and take the Route 36 Victory Hex.
There was a French leader that slipped away from the Route 36 Victory Hex. I used other platoons that were still coming north to draw fire from the B1-bis platoons on the main road just south of the Route 36 Victory Hex. I then eventually slipped a Panzer II platoon around the south side of the French leader. I needed a little luck to isolate the French leader so he could not retreat into a safe hex, but I got that luck and eliminated the French leader. Not only was he worth a lot of points, but I didn't want him helping the B1-bis platoons.
The B1-bis platoons made many counterattacks to take the Route 36 Victory Hex. With the help of higher elevation, woods, the village hex, and German leaders, I was able to hold my own against the B1-bis platoons. I was surprised at the number of B1-bis platoons that kept coming, and I was surprised at how well my tanks defended their positions. There was also a French armored car platoon that joined the attack. The armored cars were worth four VP per vehicle, and they were a lot easier to knock out than the B1-bis tanks.
My last reinforcement company went went west like all the previous companies and went up the unpaved road, through the woods, and up the hill, but, unlike the other companies, the last company went into Rosee but made no immediate attempt to take the 25 point victory hex there. I'll refer to that victory hex as the Rosee Victory Hex. I took the unpaved road to Rosee, and two French AT guns repeatedly fired at me but were not able to hurt me. The Panzer II platoon and the Panzer IV platoon were able to fire back and eliminate the French AT guns for some additional points. Around turn 8, 9, or 10, I could see many B1-bis tanks heading north away from the Rosee Victory Hex to help in the attempt to retake the Route 36 Victory Hex. On turn 11 (the last turn), I decided to make a run for the Rosee Victory Hex and found only one platoon of French infantry there. My Panzer II platoon could neither disrupt nor force the French infantry platoon to retreat. My Panzer IV platoon similarly could neither disrupt nor force the French infantry platoon to retreat. One platoon of Panzer 38(t)s failed as well. My last platoon of Panzer 38(t)s managed to force the French infanty platoon to retreat on its first shot. All four platoons had enough AP to move into the vacated Rosee Victory Hex. The French infantry platoon tried to retake the Rosee Victory Hex during the French turn 11 without success. No B1-bis platoons attempted to retake the Rosee Victory Hex.
Meanwhile, back up at the Route 36 Victory Hex, I sent one company of tanks further north and then east around the woods and headed for the 50 point victory hex in Juzaine, which I'll refer to as the Juzaine Victory Hex. A B1-bis platoon in the Juzaine Victory Hex would fire two shots every turn and succeeded in knocking out a few of my tanks as they headed east about four to six hexes north of the Juzaine Victory Hex. I took up a position to the east of the Juzaine Victory Hex that was elevated and wooded. On turn 10, the B1-bis platoon fired twice on my wooded position, and my platoon of Panzer 38(t)s retreated. My Panzer IV platoon remained in the elevated wooded hex to the east. On turn 11 (the last turn), the French Battalion HQ in the Juzaine Victory Hex lost its concealment. I had no idea it was even there. My Panzer IV platoon managed to eliminate the French Battalion HQ in one shot. That was lucky. If the Panzer IV platoon instead of the Panzer 38(t) platoon had been forced to retreat, the Panzer 38(t) platoon would have been far less able to take out a soft target at that range. Also, if the French Battalion HQ had retreated, I don't think I would have had a second shot at it.
When the game ended, I saw there was just the one platoon of B1-bis protecting the French Battalion HQ in Juzaine. I also saw there was a French Regimental HQ in Corenne just to the south of Juzaine. There were French AT guns protecting the French Regimental HQ to its south, but there was nothing protecting it from its north, other than the B1-bis platoon in Juzaine. I had effectively sucked virtually all the B1-bis into the attack on the Route 36 Victory Hex.
I obviously got very lucky. Sometimes its better to be lucky than good.
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