Coyotebd
Posts: 11
Joined: 3/14/2001 From: Canada Status: offline
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This is going to be a partial AAR because, well, I got excited and stopped taking notes. By the time I was finished I had to get to work (where I am now) and did not think to save. So you'll have to deal with a detailed description of my first few turns, then a sketchy description of the last turns. But then, such is war.
Carre d'As 1940 Scenario design by SFFF German Advance vs. French Delay May 15th 1940 12 Turns
French OOB
AO: HQ - Col. Dromard
BO: Rifle Squad - 2lt. Thibodeux B1: Rifle Squad - Sgt. Denain B2: Rifle Squad - Sgt. Bruneau B3: Citroen 23u - Sgt. Corbin B4: Citroen 23u - Sgt. Baudouin B5: Citroen 23u - Sgt. Marion
C0: H-39 - 1lt. Gaston C1: H-39 - Sgt. Barthon
D0: H-39 - 1lt. Lorusso D1: H-39 - Sgt. Besson
E0: H-39 - 1lt. Deveraux E1: H-39 - Sgt. Bernhardt
F0: Char B1 bis - 1lt. Delacroix F1: Char B1 bis - Sgt. Gouraud F2: Char B1 bis - Sgt. Bineau
G0: Char B1 bis - 1lt. Dupre G1: Char B1 bis - Sgt. Nicollet G2: Char B1 bis - Sgt. Clemens
Initial Thoughs: Ambush panzers with H-39s in flanks and Chars in center. No recon available, H-39s will be vulnerable to ambush/infantry close assault.
Turn 1
Reduced ranges for Opfire h-39 - 5, 250m Char 1B bis - 15, 750m Infantry - 4, 200m
Orders:
Inf: Told to defend town as last resort. Will be able to close assault panzers from houses as last line of defense.
Chars: Ordered to move up main road and setup firing line north of Flavion. (1lt. Delacroix advance to 52 24, 1lt. Dupre advance to 58 15)
H-39s: Ordered to setup ambushes N and S of main road to Flavion, W of Flavion.
Moves:
Chars move along road to Flavion from E at top speed.
H-39s unable to move after the confusion caused by mobilizing to advance (lack of orders).
Turn 2
Orders: H39s ordered to move out (objective was set, but needed more orders to switch to advance from defend)
H39s begin to move to their assigned ambush spots in the woods N and S of the main road. Concern is raised about whether or not the H39s will be able to find positions and get setup for the ambush before the Germans arrive.
The sound of approaching german armour can be heard in the W. They seem to be in a hurry, crashing through the hedges bordering the farmers fields, driving over the sugarbeets. I hope they get immobilized in their hurry. I wonder, what is coming this way? Poorly armour PzIIs and 38ts, or their bigger brothers?
Chars continue to town.
Turn 3
Some of the H39s are not going to make it to their ambush points. That is fine, one group is retasked to remain in town to support the infantry, as there are only two good ambush spots reachable.
1lt Gaston makes it to trees N or road and is ordered to defend 1lt. Lorusso rerouted to a stand of trees closer to town, south of road (45 19), defends 1lt. Deveraux is left in town, defends
Chars continue to Flavion, the first group (1lt. Dupre) setting up a firing line directly N of Flavion. The second (1lt. Delacroix) is ordered to support 1lt. Dupre, as his previous orders were over-ambitious, considering the speed of the Char B1 bis.
HT is spotted on road to the W (39 13). Inf is loaded, German Special Operations squadron.
Turn 4
PSW-221 spotted (44 15) 2 HT (SPW-251/1) spotted 1 HT SPW-251/10 spotted Pz 38(t) spotted 1 inf squad dismounts, contact lost. 1 inf squad still in HT - GE spec ops
Do they see 1lt. Lurosso (H39)? Yes, they have spotted our ambush.
1lt. Lorusso(H39) fires on PSW-221, misses Sgt. Besson(H39) fires on PSW-221, damaged, crew bails Sgt. Besson fires on SPW-251/10, misses
Turn 5
The Germans begin to fire on the two flanking H39 groups. One is damaged and is abandoned. 1lt Lurosso survives and rallies.
A PzII is spotted and all records end. From here things are sketchy, I cannot even remember which turns things happened.
Basically a large number of German armour begin to appear. The H39s are taking their toll on the lightly armoured half-tracks and PSW armoured recon cars. However as more Pz38(t)s begin to appear it is obvious that the Chars will need to move closer. They did so, 1lt. Dupre on overwatch as 1lt. Delacroix advanced. Despite the little that the H39s could do against the german panzers they still managed to suppress the germans and rout the dismounted infantry. Their frontal armour was sufficient to survive quiet the pounding from PzIIs and 38(t)s.
The Chars meanwhile, pounded the german armour mercilessly. I was very upset when the pzIVd's showed up, but the Char's 75mm Howitzer was more then a match for even their frontal armour. I lost a single objective to an infantry squad, but one of the chars simply MGed the squad until they broke, then moved forward to take the objective.
It ended when the german's moral broke, a decisive victory for the french. Unfortunately I did not write down the score as I did not think of writing an AAR of the battle after I stopped taking notes. It was 3000+ to 32 or 52, I'm not sure.
I hope you enjoyed my AAR. If you would like to give me some advice about my initial moves it would be very welcome.
I know about F5, is there any way to get a play by play, who killed what, of the battle, after the battle? I find it very hard during the German turn to keep track of things.
thanks,
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