A Fine Mess... ETO (id:#63876)
(From The Cellar Pack # 9 ID: FT266)   [next]   [previous]
Designer: Philippe Naud
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
FrenchGerman
43.396226415094%

Overview:

On 15th May, 1940, the 1ère Division Légère Mécanique, then deployed in the Netherlands, with little success, received the order to rush to the Sambre to stop the panzers advance from the Meuse. General Picard, commanding the 1ère DLM, arrived to find a “fine mess”. His leading elements obtained contact early in the morning of 17th, however the Somua S35, his strongest tanks, were unable to get into action providing little results by the end of the day. However, Picard planned a large counterattack for the day after, mustering both task forces of his division, each with a tank regiment. The 18ème Dragons under Colonel de Beauchesnes initiated a reconnaissance toward the Sambre with part of Capitaine d’Ussel’s squadron and some motorcyclists. The captain received the order “not to rush in, but to reconnoitre” and to bring his tanks back for the counterattack... Formerly released as VV75 "Un Beau Petrin..."
Attacker: French (6ème Escadron, 4ème Régiment de Dragons Portés and 4ème Escadron, 18ème Régiment de Dragons)
Defender: German (Schützen Regiment.6 and Panzer-Regiment.25Division)  
6 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:8.5 D:8.0
AFVs: A:5
S35 x 5

AFVs: D:3
PzKpfw 38(t) A x 3

Guns: A:0
Mortier de 60 mle 35
D:2
3.7cm PaK 35/36 x 2
5cm leGrW 36
PzB 39 ATR x 2

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: None
Overlays: NONE
Errata (source)
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Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2025-04-25(A) David Garvin vs Anthony Gibson French winThe French (my guys) won in spite of Tony's great gunnery. Many (five) of his TK rolls were Fours! That means Possible Shock! And I did twice. They recovered, but in the end, I was able to get 9 points and Tony got back one in the final turn. For Friday Night Fights.

Great fun!
2025-04-25(A) Paul Legg vs Herbert Heyman German winFriday Night Fight

Another close game for FNF again going to the final CCPh. My French finished 1 short of the required VP, having bldg (2VP), prisoners (3VP) and afv (1VP). The two remaining buildings were tied up in melee. I'd had another 4VP off prisoners which were either eliminated by their compatriots by incoming fire or released by the sniper taking out the guarding leader. I'd also caputured a malf'd ATG but was broken before I could destroy it.
2025-04-25(A) Mark Thompson vs Neil Brunger (German) French winIn this Friday Night Fights (FNF) game, the German defense centered on the Northern buildings, with their left flank protected by the 2 AT Guns on the ridge, and smaller forces in the center of the ridge to interdict the French approach/hold the center building. The Southernmost building was occupied by dummies. The French infantry attacked in two wings, one from South (R5/R6), the other from the Northeast (FF0/GG0). The mortar entered on Y1 and set up shop in Y4. The South wing made the crest of the ridge line intact, but the Northeast wing took a pasting from an AT Gun while incautiously moving as a stack. The Soumas moved in two platoons, one to interdict the center ridgeline forces, the other to take the Northern victory buildings and AT Guns under fire. The Soumas were hit many times by AT Gun and ATR alike, but never injured - the only impact occurring from a MA malfunction. With one AT Gun eliminated mid-game by a mortar CH, the Soumas made their move: OVRing/destroying the second AT Gun on the center ridgeline and VBM freezing the Northern victory buildings. Still, VPs for the French remained elusive, with several CC capture attempts failing by narrow margins. In one memorable CC and reversal of fortune, a French HS guarding a HS prisoner fell in CC to a Hero and squad - birthing an armed German conscript. Then a lone French HS turned the tide by getting behind the hill mass (surviving MA and CMG fire of two 38(t)s in the processing) and forcing the surrender of several DM’d squads that had routed from the Northern victory buildings. The Soumas then destroyed one 38(t) and, with another in dire straights, the Germans conceded in Turn 4. A fun scenario with unorthodox VC’s that really force the Attacker to concentrate on capture versus kill/FTR.
2023-11-03(A) Will Willow vs Christian HerdeA French winGrenadier 2023
2023-11-03(A) X von Marwitz vs Frank Strasser French winPlayed the French in this one. The setup of my opponent was rather up front and he made some daring moves to shift some troops - and paid for it. I malfed the MA of one of the Soumas, but it was this tank who caused most damage nevertheless: Driving through (but not overrunning) an AT-Gun position and getting behind the central building atop the hill, it re-DM'ed broken Germans and forced them to rout out of place. And that's what it kept doing trundling after the retreating Germans. As a consequence, the Germans were lacking some Good Order boots where it mattered.

When I could assault the hill in force, taking various prisoners, one ATG crew captured, the unpossessed Gun to be captured in CC and subsequently to be destoyed, the other ATG about to be engaged in 2:1 CC, etc. pp., all French tanks still up, my opponent conceded.
View all or balance report
ActionDate
Hutch Modified the gps location2025-09-18 12:06:39
Hutch Modified the misc. rules2025-09-18 12:02:53
Hutch Modified the unit counts2025-09-18 12:02:20
Hutch Modified the Defender's Guns2025-09-18 12:02:20
Hutch Modified the Unit Elements2025-09-18 12:00:06
FileDescriptionUserViews
(!frenchgerm.png)Imagehoxson11035
FT266 playing (Friday Night Fight club) (FT266 FNF.vlog)VASL Game LogPaul Legg126
(fine mess map.png)Map Imagehoxson11012
(FT266 A Fine Mess... Scenario Archive.jpg)Map Imagevon Marwitz922
(FT266 A Fine Mess... Scenario Archive.jpg)Map Imagevon Marwitz910
(FT266 A Fine Mess... Scenario Archive.jpg)Map Imagevon Marwitz903
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Statistics:
Avg Rating: 7.04Votes: 25
Views: 6700
To-Play list count: 1
Estimated Play time: 4.4 hours
Recorded Games: 20
Archive recorded plays:
French8
German11
Drawn:1

ROAR Data: (as of today)
A Fine Mess [Confirmed]
[A] French 15
[D] German 19
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