We gave the French the scenario balance option. (Replace 9-1 with a 9-2], they probably didn’t need. it. 75mm was in H9, 25LL in E11. Only the 75mm was fired. French forward line was roughly D13, F14, I16 , K16 . ART OP was on second level of J4.
Germans attacked on the right. Panzers advanced with the Infantry. Arty was effective, mainly against the armour, 2 tanks immobilised on turn 2 and another was destroyed on turn 3. Germans were aiming to capture the factory, arrived relatively intact at the factory by turn 3., They were lucky and occupied the two fortified locations K12 and M11. Once inside however, the French firepower from 9-2 and HMG point blank destroyed numerous German squads. Germans conceded in turn 4, too many casualties to capture the building., too few Tanks to charge the hill.
We thought it was a good scenario, the two different victory options made for interesting choices. Luck did not play a big part in the out ome. Neither of us felt the scenario was unbalanced. We would play it again.
2020-09-23
(D) Dave Mareske
vs
Dennis Dowd
French win
I liked the puzzle and the many options for attack and defense. The Germans moved in a tight formation up the right side where they met the AT gun, a roadblock and the HMG. The ARTY was also called down which made their advance slower. I placed the 75 gun in the factory on the left side looking down the road. Would play this one again.
2020-08-27
(D) John Gorkowski
vs
John Staddick
German win
John’s efficient Germans defeated my gallant French in this combined arms, urban collision. It’s a good, but perhaps not great scenario.
I placed the French 75 ART among orchards south east of the factory (N11), the 25 AT in the factory’s front door (J11, fortified) aimed right down the boulevard, and the 37 INF on the top floor of the two-hex stone building at board center (G9). Right next door, my 9-1 with two half squads manning the HMG and MMG occupied a fortified H9. Four squads started in the factory, two atop the western rise in building D11, with the others sprinkled between those anchors. We stood up roadblocks at O9/O10 and C11/C12.
German infantry double timed north among the cluster of wooden buildings and orchards in the south east corner. Their tanks followed behind. A platoon-sized flanking element approached the western rise at C14. The whole lot took care to avoid LOS from the French forward observer on the second floor of the I4 mega building near the north edge.
Fires flared south of the factory on turn two. French infantry with an LMG across the street from the factor in I12 nailed a German squad weaving forward among the buildings around H12. My 75 in N11 then fire balled a Panzer II in O12 along the east edge road. John’s German 9-2 responded with two squads and two MMGs from K14 (just south of the factory) to kill my crew and drive berserk a French squad who had advanced forward to protect the gun from enemy infantry. A German Panzer III drove up the road toward the factory to J14 where my 25 AT fired to scare the SMOKE out of him. Those two exchanged shots until my 25 shocked the tank. After it recovered, the Panzer III pushed north where my 25 AT fired from the factory to set him on fire in J12. My sniper killed the German 7-0.
By turn three, bullets flew across the intersection at mid board, hex H10. The French 9-1 and his MG teams ripped the German line; they made rate six times to break three German squads in buildings from H11 to K14. When the German armored car popped out at H10 my 37 INF in G9 fired wide while French MGs also missed as it banked south toward the factory. The AC drove by the factory’s front door, J11, via bypass along the road to strip concealment from the squad in the factory there and prevent my 25 from firing out of the hex. My frustrated Frenchmen fired their LMG at point blank range to inflict a stun recall on the AC.
German infantry followed their tanks into the south side of the factory on turn 4 as my artillery crashed down behind them at I14. The two-hex blast radius of that harassing fire landed on several German squads, and their 9-2, but inflicted no damage. Two German tanks bogged in the factory as all blasted away at Frenchmen among the twisted metal. The volume of German fire pushed the French out for the win on French turn 4.
2020-04-30
(D) Indy Lagu
vs
Rob Oler
German win
I would concur with all of the comments to date. This is a bit of a puzzle for the French. The Germans have some interesting decisions as well...
Rob's German attack was methodical and efficient. He didn't need to get to the back building, as he captured the factory, and I did not have enough to retake it.
