1940 France. This time it is the turn of the French, part un.

This was a very simple scenario when an opportunity arose for a small 1940 game with John the Red. This time it was the turn of the French. John was the French and I took the Germans.

The French had a battalion of Moroccan tirailleurs, a single battery of 75mm guns and as reinforcements the divisional recce group comprising four Panhard armoured cars, a company of motorcyclists, another of  motorised ‘dragons portee’ and a 25mm AT gun mounted on the back of a chenillette carrier. 

The Germans had a recce ‘battalion’ of two armoured cars and a company of motorcyclists, a full motorcycle battalion, a battalion of motorised infantry and a battery of 105mm howitzers. They could also call in up to two Stuka strikes.

German recce troops negotiate their way through a long column of refugees.

Armoured cars lead the way.

I suspected that the hotel was occupied so the best way to find out was to drive past at high speed.
Lo and behold there was a company of Moroccan tirailleurs lurking ready to ambush the Germans, which they did, knocking out one motorcycle combination. The Germans dismounted and stormed the hotel, driving the Moroccans out and across the cornfields.

More refugees on the other road.

The main German infantry force arrived in the shape of a motor rifle battalion.

My motorcycle battalion then arrived (finally, having been delayed for two turns!) down the other road. 

One company chased after the refugees while the rest moved to occupy the garage, which to my surprise (not) was full of Moroccans, with mg support from the railway station just out of shot. We, the Germans, got a bit bogged down here and couldn’t shift the French from the garage.

A battery of French 75s engaged the German armoured cars without any success.

French reinforcements- their divisional reconnaissance group, of armoured cars and dragons porte.

I managed to call up air support to knock out the French artillery. A Stuka duly arrived, located the target, avoided desultory anti aircraft fire then blew one of the guns to pieces. The resulting morale check forced the remaining gun to limber up and retreat, pursued by one of my armoured cars.

Panhard of the 12th Cuirassiers.

The refugees are still trying to make good their escape from the fighting.

 

We had to stop at this point when it was just about to get interesting as my back was once again playing up.  However, we shall hopefully be able to finish the game this coming Friday.

 

Holding the Canal Line, or Trying To - France 1940

After hundreds of hours and in all likelihood hundreds of pounds I finally got some of my Fall of France collection in action. The game was not based on any real action, but more my fervid imagination. We used Rapid Fire Reloaded for the first time ever and as nobody else had played them this century it was going to be 'interersting'. Before going on to the battle, here are some photos of the sleepy town of Montcuq not far from the Dunkirk perimeter.

A young lady caught sunbathing in her backyard.

The town and British HQ. 

The town square.

Another vew of the square and the BEF command and HQ.

The table from the south (garden end). The Germans start where the swastika is.
Reinforcements in the form of a panzer battalion will arrive behind the red line on the table. The red line marks the first line of the BEF deployment( held by 4NF and 12 Lancers; the yellow line the second line, of the DLI and supporting artillery. 

Conrad and Jon were the BEF, commanding a squadron of the 12th Lancers, the 4th Motorcycle battalion of the Northumberland Fusiliers, 6th battalion the Durham Light Infantry, a troop of 2pdr AT guns, a battery of 18/25pdrs and one of 6” howitzers. As reinforcements they would have the 3rd battalion Royal Tank Regiment. There was a remote chance they might get some air support.

The Germans had a motorcycle battalion, a recce battalion, a motorised infantry battalion, plus supporting on and off table artillery. They also had access to two Stukas.

The only and somewhat battered bridge across the Oreille Canal. It is a choke point currently clogged up with refugees. 

Shaun pushed his wheeled transport straight through the refugees in order to get over the bridge.

Neil commanded a motorcycle battalion and some recce troops.

Hidden behind the station, a battery of 6” howitzers.

BEF 25pdr battery in hiding behind the woods in the centre of the table.

Shaun’s motorised infantry had dismounted and scrambled across the canal using lock gates and the odd sunken or not sunken barge. They headed towards the chateau where they came under fire from its occupants, a company of the 4th Northumberland Fusiliers Motorcycle battalion and an HMG, and another 4NF company in the wood behind the chateau. Heavy supporting fire from across the canal soon destroyed the chateau and its garrison. The Northumberland Fusiliers in the woods were also driven off after failing a morale check.

The Germans decided to deploy their 75mm infantry gun on the bridge. It was taken out by a lucky shot from a British 2pdr lurking in the woods.

The aforementioned 2pdr. 

Richard arrived marking the appearance of the German flanking force, a panzer battalion
mostly equipped with what I had available in the form of Czech 35T, Czech 38Ts, PzIs, PzIIs and a heavy company of PzIII and PzIV.

To balance things up I allowed the British reinforcements to arrive early. 3 Royal Tank Regiment with their mixture of light and cruiser tanks came belting down the road.

Part of the panzer battalion bypassed the train wreck bit were ambushed by a 2pdr and an AT rifle from the DLI carrier platoon. They damaged one tank but were soon knocked out.

Jon had to relieve the pressure on the dwindling number of defenders around the chateau so sent his CS9 armoured cars of the 12th Lancers forward. They had some success in forcing the Germans to ground or to seek refuge in the now empty chateau.

3RTR motoring towards the enemy.

I allowed the British to try for air support. I don’t own a Hurricane and my Fairy Battle isn’t finished so I roped in a random French fighter. It arrived, located a target, missed and flew off again.

The panzers were now behind the railway station where they spotted the BEF howitzers. A Stuka was called up but it failed to locate the guns.

Conrad managed to knock out a Pz 35T with one of his A13 cruiser tanks.

A second Stuka strike was more successful, obliterating the 6” howitzer battery.

The 12th Lancers turned their attention to Richard’s armour. In a brief exchange of shots two were destroyed and one damaged, with no loss for the Germans.

Another view of the end of the 12th Lancers. They never really had a chance.

Most of the refugees had been dispersed, never made it over the bridge or were hiding in woods and ditches, the exception being these.

At this point we had to stop. The Germans were declared the winners but whether the British armour would have had any effect is unknown.

I was happy with the rules (given we were all new to them) and the models and terrain looked terrific imho.

Most of the miniatures are from Early War Miniatures, as were some of the vehicles. The majority of the AFVs are 3d prints, most of which I did myself. 

A few more French for May 1940

I decided to continue with any displacement activity which let me avoid starting to paint my Triple Alliance ships for Riuchello. Hence, we have more French for 1940. The 507e Regiment Char de Combat (507 BCC) was one of the best trained armoured units in the French army, having until 1937 been commanded by a certain Charles de Gualle. As such it was considered 'elite'. 

The new additions - five Char 2D tanks, worn out, mechanically unreliable and obsolete but they were to give a good account of themselves in May 1940. 

A close up. I have only used five AFVs for the 507e as almost all of their tanks were lost thrugh breakdowns rather than enemy action.

Another close up - I am really taken with French camouflage patterns.

A Laffley truck with a 47mm AT gun. I've not seen these in any order of battle but I will add this one to the already completed model to make a SP AT company of sorts.

My French civilian omnibus taken into military service. A lovely resin model.

 

These can go and join their compatriots in barracks under the table until such time as I manage to get a Fall of France game organised! Now, what other displacement activity can I do....?



 

Danish Napoleonic Smørrebrød

Before I lock the barracks gates on my Napoleonic Danish collection they have been ordered to take part in a parade to celebrate the completed project. The only way I could add to it would mean buying more miniatures, and that is unlikely to happen (but never say never….?).

I never planned to buy any Danes. However, once the seed had been planted (partly by my friend John the Red) to devise a campaign based on the planned invasion of Sweden by a French, Spanish, Danish and Dutch corps in 1808 that was it!

Anyway, here they all are.

A couple of ADCs

The CinC von Essen

Three batteries of artillery. One battery are not really cannon at all being 1pdr amusettes, but needs must.

Line cavalry in greatcoats (Steve Barber)

Two battalions of light infantry.

The infantry en masse. 

More cavalry including the guard hussars and their attached squadron of Bosnaiks.

In total there are four cavalry regiments, 10 infantry battalions (including one guard and two Lanvern), two light battalions and three batteries of cannon. Oh, and some ski troops.

Rather colourful and impressive but they don’t have a wonderful record on the tabletop so far. Maybe now the whole lot are finished….?