Belgium, May 12, 1940
Historical Situation
This is a fictional scenario based on the advance of the German 7th Panzer Division toward Houx and Dinant as part of the German XV Panzer Corps. During the advance, lead elements of the division encountered units from the 1st French Cavalry Division at Waha and then moving from Marche-en-Famenne the 25th Panzer Regiment contacted the French line between Haversin and Forsée[2].
Although the units are based on historical Orders of Battle, they are fictional, especially the French.
Read the battle report.
Map/Terrain
Key features are:
- 5 x 5 Table
- Eastern part of the table is dominated by rough and/or swampy ground that is impassible to vehicles, except on the roads.
- The river running up from the south side is also impassible to vehicles.
- Buildings on the western side represent a village.
Pre-game Preparation
- French player secretly decides which objective is important to the German advance, either the crossroads (A) or the bridge (B) and places an objective marker there. A dummy marker is placed on the other one.
French Player (Defending)
Objectives
Hold the village (C). Establish a roadblock at crossroads (A or B) to block the advance of the German Panzers.
Forces Available
- Player 1
- 1 Infantry Company
- 1 CC (+1) — Capitaine Georges Delaflote
- 1 FO for Heavy Artillery (6 FM)
- 1 FO for off-table 50mm Mortar (12 FM)
- 3 Infantry Platoons
- PC (+1*)
- 3 Rifle Squads
- 2 25mm AT Guns with Truck transport
- Player 2
- Tank Platoon
- 1 Souma S-35, PC (+1*) — Lieutenant Paul Laurent
- 2 FT-17's with Cannon
- 1 FT-17 with MG
* PC +1 for rally only
Morale: Regular
Deployment
Infantry company should be deployed around the village, but may send one platoon as far as line Z-Z. Tanks and Anti-Tank Guns must start in the village.
Reinforcements
None.
German Player (Attacking)
Objective
Capture the village (C) and eliminate the French defense there to secure a path for follow-on forces.
Forces Available
Elements of the 25th Panzer Regiment.
- Player 3
- 1 BC (+2) — Oberstleutnant Gerold Brandt
- 1 SMG Squad
- 1 FO for off-table 81mm Mortar (12 FM)
- Player 4
- 1 Schützen Kompanie
- 1 CC (+1) - Hauptmann Anselm Faber
- 2 HMG
- 1 50mm Mortar (12 FM)
- 3 Rifle Platoons
- 1 PC (+1)
- 3 Rifle Squads
- Player 5
- 1 Panzer Platoon
- 1 Panzer 38(t), PC (+1) — Oberleutnant Jakob Ritter
- 3 Panzer 38(t)
Morale: Regular
Deployment
German enter from the eastern edge of the table.
Reinforcements
Will arrive on board at 13:00 hours during the German initiative, unless the crossroads have been roadblocked (see special rules).
- Player 4
- 1 Panzer Platoon
- 2 Panzer IVd (2 Smoke FM each)
- 1 Panzer IIId
- Player 5
- 1 Gepanzerte Schützen Platoon
- 1 SdKfz 251/10 (w/ 1 PC +1)
- 3 SdKfz 251/1 (w/ 1 Rifle Squad)
- 1 SdKfz 251/9 75mm Stummel (2 Smoke FM)
Victory Conditions
Terrain Objectives: Town and Crossroads
Each terrain objective is worth 1 VP. To claim the VP, there must be no unsuppressed enemy units within 1 stand distance of the objective.
Scenario Special Rules
Time Limit
Special Rule 4: The Moving Clock is in use. The scenario starts at 11:30 hours and ends at 18:00 hours. The clock advances 30 min on 5+ on one die, rolled at the end of each defender initiative.
French Roadblock
If either French ATG stand is at the crossroads, the Germans cannot bring on their reinforcements. This is an added bonus to capturing the objective.
Armored Combat Procedure
Using the House Rules from Tim Marshall's Officer Commanding compilation. Note that in this case the dice rolls are added together (rather than counting 5's and 6's as hits). The accuracy and penetration are listed by range bands. Each range band is 20 inches. If you prefer not to use ranges, use the values for short range only.
To Hit (oc 11.2.1): Roll 2d6 versus Accuracy (roll value shown or higher). Modified as follows:
| Reactive Fire Modifiers | ||
|---|---|---|
| Movement | ||
| Slow Target | +1 | |
| Medium | +2 | |
| Fast | +3 | |
| Full move on road | +1 | |
| Target Obscured (hill, wood, fields) | +1 | |
| Target Hull Down | +2 | |
| Firer Modifiers | ||
| Firer Moved | +3 | |
To Damage: on a successful hit roll 2d6 again to determine damage. Natural roll of 2 is always no effect, 12 is always a hit. Tracks are hit if rolled double 2's, 3's, 4's, 5's. Track hit immobilizes only if attack value - 2 is greater than armor. Otherwise add Penetration and compare to target armor. If attack value equals armor, target is suppressed. Greater than armor, target is destroyed.
| 2d6 | Result |
|---|---|
| Natural 12 | Destroyed |
| Roll + Pen > Armor | Destroyed |
| Roll == Armor | Suppressed |
| Double 2,3,4,5 (if attack-2 > armor) | Immobilized |
| Roll + Pen < Armor | No effect |
| Natural 2 | No effect |
An immobilized tank must make a rally roll as if pinned to act, a failure results in the vehicle being abandoned.
Armor Stats
German
| Name | Armor | Main Armament | HE/EFF | Smoke | MG | HD | Speed | Close Combat | |||
| Front | Side | Short | Medium | Long | |||||||
| Panzer 38(t) | 2 | 2 | 7/-4 | 8/-5 | 8/-6 | 3/0 | - | 4 | Y | Med (2) | 3 |
| Panzer III D | 3 | 3 | 5/-4 | 7/-5 | 8/-6 | 3/0 | - | 4 | Y | Med (2) | 3 |
| Panzer IV D | 3 | 2 | 5/-3 | 7/-5 | - | 4/1 | 3 | 4 | Y | Med (2) | 3 |
| SdKfz 251/1 | 1 | 1* | - | - | - | - | 4 | N | Med (2) | 1 | |
| SdKfz 251/9 | 1 | 1* | 5/-3 | 7/-5 | - | 4/1 | 3 | 4 | N | Med (2) | 1 |
| SdKfz 251/10 | 1 | 1* | 5/-4 | 7/-5 | 8/-6 | 3/1 | - | - | N | Med (2) | 1 |
* Vulnerable to small arms, fired on as a bunker: -1 die and only 6's hit |
|||||||||||
French
| Name | Armor | Main Armament | HE/EFF | Smoke | MG | HD | Speed | Close Combat | |||
| Front | Side | Short | Medium | Long | |||||||
| Renault FT-17 | 2 | 2 | 7/-5 | 8/-6 | - | 3/0 | - | - | Y | Slow (1) | 2 |
| Somua S35 | 5 | 4 | 7/-1 | 8/-3 | 8/-3 | 3/0 | - | 4 | Y | Med (2) | 3 |
| 25/71 SA-L | - | - | 5/-5 | 7/-6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | -2 |
| 47/34 APX | - | - | 5/-1 | 7/-3 | 8/-3 | 3/0 | - | - | - | - | -2 |