FOW AAR – Early War French Recon vs German Panzers
My friend Brian came over for a game, and I decided to give my French Panhard list another shot. He ran his German 38(t) list.
We decided to try the new unofficial mission from the I-95 gamers: Blitzkrieg Domination. You can download it here. I encourage all you experienced FOWarriors to give it a shot for a great change of pace!
The brief explanation is that the allies start holding the majority of the board. On turn 1 the Germans can send any or all of their platoons racing on from one flank (along the long edge). Objectives are captured per I95s standard Domination game (that is to say there are 12 points worth of objectives spread across the board- in our case a 3, 3 2s, and 3 1s.). At the beginning of each player’s turn when objectives are normally checked, any one point you fully control can be removed from the board. So an objective worth 3 points now becomes 2, and an objective worth 1 point is entirely removed, etc.
The allies get half of their platoons on the board in prepared positions. The other half come on from the flank opposite the Germans’ main thrust with 2 caveats. First, German air power can be allocated to interdict arriving Allied platoons. Second, the allied player must roll ONE die- on a roll of 6, one platoon must be delayed. On the allied turn 3 anything remaining in reserve automatically gets to arrive.
Again- I will post the full rules for your perusal just as soon as I can get a copy of this. It really is a great mission- kudos to the I95 guys. So with that wall of text out of the way- here is the batrep!
FRENCH RECON COMPANY
HQ (hotchkiss long)
3x Deep Recon Platoons ea w/ 5 Panhard AMD-35
2x Recon Platoons ea w/ 3 Hotchkiss H39s. 2 short 1 long.
2x Truck Mounted Infantry (CT w/ MGs)
1x platoon of 5x SOMUA S-35
GERMAN CZECH PANZERKOMPANIE
HQ
2x Czech Panzer Platoons ea w/ 4 Panzer 38(t)
1x Panzer II Platoon w/ 5 Panzer II C (early)
Leicthe Pioneers
Schutzen (full strength, sans the At Rifle)
Light Panzerspah Patrol
Super Stuka Party
Allied Deployment. Allies started with the SOMUAs in the middle, as well as 1 infantry platoon. The 2nd infantry platoon holds the hill in the bottom right, while Panhards are spread out on the hill to the left (just on the line of Brian’s 8″ deployment zone). The poker chips represent points: Blue = 3, red = 2, white = 1.
SOMUAs begin receiving sporadic radio chatter of German forces approaching!
Panhards await orders.
French Infantry digs in and waits.
Suddenly, the sounds of clanking steel and the whine of machinery can be heard
The German recon is the first to arrive!
Brian begins with his 38(t)s, Schutzen, and recon in his deployment zone. The rest will arrive from the flank.
Brian’s deployment zone.
Stukas come screaming in!
38(t)s line up to blaze away on the Panhards! But the Panhards are wiley and slip away.
Finally the flank attack comes! Panzer IIs hook around the company commander!
More German armor pours through a wheatfield!
Stukas bail a SOMUA and pin the infantry platoon!
Panzer IIs assault the infantry, forcing the French to fall back after suffering casualties! The French company command tank is left bailed on the hill!
Allied reserves begin arriving- Panhards come racing from the opposite flank! Two platoons are held up by air.
Top of turn 2. The Germans are pushing form the bottom and left.
SOMUAs race down the road to keep the flank form collapsing!
Panzer IIs and pioneers move forward, blazing away on the French company command.
Panzer 38(t)s engage a freshly arrived Hotchkiss recon unit, knocking one out.
The French CiC is taken out early, and the Panzer IIs race forward to assault.
The French infantry platoon crumbles in the face of the Panzer IIs and the German CO, and quits the field.
But the SOMUA’s return fire is fierece- 2 Panzer IIs and the German CO are knocked out! Eye for an eye!
Top of 3. Both players now have 2 points.
Stukas eye a juicy target
Even more French reserves arrive- more Panhards and the other Hotchkiss platoon. Everyone is now all in!
38(t)s light up a Panhard platoon, knocking one out and bailing another.
Stukas’ miraculously do no damage to the 4 SOMUAs under the template!
The Three remaining Panzer IIs take pot shots on the Panhards coming up the road, bailing one.
SOMUAs rush forward, MGs blazing on the Pioneers! Vee must retake zees hill!
Brian fails 5 saves!
Top of 4. Both players now have 3 points. Steven’s central objective has almost been tapped out, as has Brian’s objective on the Western hill.
3 Stukas swoop in to hit the French recon Hotchkiss tanks!
And again fail to do anything beyond bailing 2!
Panhards continue up the road.
The Panzer IIs move up to shoot at some Panhards who have taken residence in the courtyard.
SOMUAs hound the pioneers (who, in the previous turn, assaulted the French infantry killing one stand- sorry I missed those pics).
SOMUAs assault, killing one stand and running off the whole pioneer platoon! Both forces are now down one unit.
Top of 5.
Bother players now have 4 points. The central point at the crossroads and the 1 point in the bottom left road are now gone.
3 SOMUAs have swing around into the southern wheatfield with the other two staying stationary to fire on the Panzer IIs.
Panhards and SOMUAs surround the battered Panzer II platoon.
The Hotchkiss recon platoons both disengage in the face of fire from 7 38(t)s.
Return fire from the Panzer II bails one Panhard. But the Panhards pass their motivation and stay there.
SOMUAs begin moving up the German flank.
The recon disengages from MG fire from the SOMUAs.
Top of 6. Brian does not get a point this turn making it 5-4 in Domination points.
Realizing winning by points is going to be very difficult, Brian resolves to do something very bold. My infantry platoon is down to 6 stands… his tanks roll up blazing away.
His Schutzen moves out.
and CRASH! He assaults into the buildings!
The assault doesn’t go as poorly as I thought- 1 38(t) burns, and 2 french teams are killed. The french are at half, but Brian fails to counter attack after the French resolve to hold their ground.
SOMUAs move onto the large western hill.
Panhards finish off the rest of the Panzer IIs. Brian is now down 2 platoons.
Top of 7. Steven again gets 1 point, but Brian does not hold any. 6-4.
Brian now realizes he must break the French company to win.
38(t)s roll up on the SOMUAs!
STUKAs hit the Panhards knocking one out, and bailing another.
The cumulative effect of 5 38(t)s and 1 kwk cannon firing on the SOMUAs results in 1 bail.
On the French turn, the bailed SOMUA remounts and they charge forward with MGs blazing!
Panhards race down the road and surround the 38(t)s knocking out the 2iC!
The Schutzen are reduced to half strength and fall back down the hill. The Panhards do a 180 and consolidate facing the 38(t)s.
Top of 8. Again Steven grabbed 1 point bringing the score to 7-4.
Brian revisits his prior strategy knowing that it’s now or never. The French are only down 1 platoon, but several are weak and could crumble at any moment!
Fire from the panzerspah manages to bail a SOMUA!
Stukas are on the prowl for easy targets.
This time, the building assault goes horribly wrong as the Panhards are brought into the defensive fire.
The Schutzen assault the SOMUAs, and actually knock 3 out, but are left with just 1 stand. The SOMUAs break off and pass motivation, and at that point Brian calls the game.
Very solid game, I think the end result was 5-2 as I lost an infantry platoon but that was it. 38(t)s are bloody awesome (though I don’t advise assaulting into buildings). SOMUAs are also great, and the Panhards are good if you’re careful with them.
I am liking this french list though I do plan to change up some things when I have more options available.
