Reconnaissance Patrol Clash

On Monday it was time for the first scenario from the Battle of France book. In this game both sets of troops are trying to gain intelligence about each other. For each two units identified the player gains 1 victory point. For each unit destroyed the player gains one victory point. However, if a prisoner is captured this is worth 3 victory points, or 5 for an officer. Each player is allowed to have a maximum of 500 points.

The table. The building at the top would be occupied by the German MMGs. The building on the right would be taken by the French Intelligence Unit.

The French player went for an entirely veteran army. Two units of veterans with a LMG each. A sniper, an intelligence officer with 4 riflemen and a second lieutenant.

The German player went for a second lieutenant, two squads of regular Heer, a veteran pioneer unit, an intelligence officer and two MMGs. The French had only 5 order dice and the Germans had 7. Night vision rules were also in place.

Germans advance behind the wood. 

In the first turn it was dark and all units either ran or advanced onto the table.

The  two German MMGs took up position in the ruins on their side of the board.

The French intelligence unit took up position behind the ruins on its side of the board.

The Sniper was beside the ruins ready to jump in next turn and take up position, hoping to take out the MMGs. Other infantry units were taking up position behind hedges and woods. 

In the second turn the flare went up and visibility was back to normal. This was bad news as both MMGs opened up on the sniper team. Being long range and a small team the Germans needed a 5 or 6 and then because the team was veteran they would need a further 5 or 6. They rolled 4  sixes and then another meaning the sniper team was down to one man. The second MMG opened up, a further 2 hits followed by a kill. The sniper team had been eliminated and the French were down to 4 dice. Shots were made by both teams and pins were accrued, but without major losses. However, the French intelligence team were able to spot one unit. 

Despite trying to take cover,the unit is spotted.

Turn 3 saw darkness fall again. This made the German MMGs ineffective. The French advanced.

German Pioneers advance into the wood in the centre.

A unit of French veterans advance on the right hand wood.

A regular German unit takes cover in the right hand wood.

Turn 4. It is dark again. So no MMG fire again. However, the two units on the right hand side contesting the wood are both visible to each other. Whoever got the first dice was going to use it on these units. The French got the first dice and decided to charge the Germans.

The German officer observes the French charge.

The French were veterans and so expected to win against the regular Germans. They had 6 dice, they needed 4’s to cause a casualty. They rolled their dice and had only one 4. Sacre Bleu! The Germans then rolled needing 5s and 6s. They rolled 2 5s. They had won the combat the French unit was destroyed. Had they managed to roll a 6 then a prisoner would have been taken. This was a turning point for the game. The French now only had 3 dice. The intelligence unit, however, did spot a unit and so scored a point.

Turn 5, and a flare went up again. Everything was visible. Bad news for the French.

The Germans fire on the retreating French.

The Germans poured fire on the French units.

The Germans advance with their pioneers. The German intelligence officer advances too, but as the French are retreating he is unable to spot anything.

The French troops in the wood were taking pins like there was no tomorrow.

The French officer decided that discretion was the better part of valour and legged it off the board.

The intelligence team retreated too. At the end of the turn the last dice to come out was French. The unit in the wood rallied and managed to remove all their pins.

Turn 6, potentially the final turn, saw the French dice come out first again and the unit retreated from the wood meaning that no units had line of sight on them. The Germans advanced all over the board and many units gained line of sight. If there was a turn 7 then the unit could potentially be destroyed and the Germans would win the game. The dice was rolled. There would be a turn 7. The German player rubbed his hands in glee. 7 German dice went into the bag and only 1 French.  The German player could not believe his eyes when a French dice came out and the French veterans ran off the board securing a draw.

Only 4 men remain, but manage to get to safety.

Next week the Battle of Seelow Heights