France 40

[Plain Ian]

Fabiominatti was looking for an opponent to play 0520_01. If I have the disk I always like to look at the scenario just to see what it is like. I thought the the scenario would just cover the Arras counter attack in May 1940 but it also also shows the larger situation with most of Panzer Gruppe von Kleist on the map.
This won't be an AAR. I've just mapped the situation for fun. Hopefully it will be readable as it is quite a large file size.

It looks a pretty daunting scenario for the Allied player as he is up against German panzer units which are all rated A/B. (armour/infantry) The best Allied unit is the 4e DI Colonial who are rated B, but they are stuck down south opposite Amiens on defensive duty. The 5e DI NA is also mostly B units but it starts off with moderate fatigue in the north so its ratings have dropped to C. 

Allied mobile units are rated mostly C.

British infantry is mixed with most units rated D (12th/24th/48th) and the rest (5th/50th) at C. French units are similarly rated C/D.

Here is the map. The Allied side will receive no reinforcements. The Germans will receive 2 Divisions. (5th Panzer and 29th Motorised)

[Plain Ian]

Ok lets add another map. Turn 1 6:00 am has started and Allied Command Report says 5th Division released. So lets look at this area.

French forces still fixed and British 23rd Division is still fixed. French 3e DLM won't unfix until 10:00 am but British 5th/50th/1st Army Tank Bde can move. 3 Bridges available over the R.Scarpe by Arras. Go for the historical attack? 

The German 7th Panzer Division is just to the south and the PzCampaign German players knows what is coming unlike the historical WW2 commander. There is a 500 VP hex at Bapaume just below the SS Totenkopf Division but the Allied player knows that the Totenkopf Division is there and that the 5th Panzer is arriving 14:00 pm.  

So the Allied player is best flooding Arras with units and then dig dig dig? Any other options?

[larsonney]

I have a question-what editor do you use to put the written graphics on the map?

[Plain Ian]

I have a question-what editor do you use to put the written graphics on the map?

Screenpresso is the name of the software. There is a free verion.

https://www.screenpresso.com/

Its probably better known for video editing but I use if for screen captures and editting. Just pick a few clear fonts and some arrows from the selection. Thats all you need from it. 

You could use the video editing function though to copy  the PzC replay and then replay it back and stop it as many times as you want.

I'll finish off the France 40 scenario with a detail look at the south this weekend.

[Plain Ian]

Last map on this scenario. I won’t have time to to cover the western sector of this scenario where we have the 2nd and 8th Panzer. I would assume that the German player will try to exit some of these units off the western map edge and push towards Abbeville (100 VP) whilst the British/French player slows this down or delays him.

The situation in the south looks a bit more promising than the north. Units outlined in red are Fixed.

There are no VP’s at Peronne and only 50 VP’s at Amiens which has the only bridges west of Peronne. (one rail bridge and one engineering) It would appear that these are not areas worth fighting for.

However the French Division tied down south of Amiens is the 4th Colonial Division which is a B rated unit and its Battalions are at 80% or about 450 men. They are faced by 2 Motorised Battalions of 1st Panzer plus elements from 1st Battalion Panzer Rgt 1. The rest of the Panzer Division is north of the river ready to move west possibly. 

The 4th Division is spread out holding ‘open’ territory and it would be nice to get the defensive benefit of city/town terrain and of course delay or tie down the 1st Panzer?

At Peronne most of the 7th Division North African is tied down holding the south bank and watching the eastern flank. The German 29th Motorised will appear from this direction in 8 hours/4 turns time. The mobile Group Beauchesnes also fixed. It’s an interesting unit made up of tanks, cavalry and motor cycle infantry. (50/690/690). It releases at noon 12:00. I suspect it will be useful for the French if the Germans opt to use the 29th Motorised south of the river although the Germans will have an unbridged major river facing them.

The main attack force are the two mobile Divisions, the 4th DCR and 1st DLM. Both are poised to strike north with the obvious objective being Albert worth 250 VP. Like most ‘tank’ units at this stage of the war they are tank heavy in relation to the ratio of infantry in the unit. Not quite as bad as the German units, the 10th Panzer has 261 vehicles and 2391 men. The 1st DLM has 224 vehicles and 2913 men and the 4th DLM has 129 vehicles and 2070 men. (see map 1)

The French have more tanks in the Peronne area but tank for tank there isn’t a great deal of difference between the two forces. The 6th Panzer is lurking just to the north west of Albert and could be pulled back and of course there is also the SS Totenkopf available if the British threat from the north can be contained quickly.
             
The 1st DLM is rated C morale which I assume is due to training whilst the 4th DCR is a D. German armour is A rated and their supporting infantry B.  

There are 3 bridges in the area. An engineering bridge (1) and a heavy road bridge (3) held by 7th Infantry Division. This Division should be able to provide much needed infantry support for the mobile Divisions. 
The second bridge will require a perilous crossing to set up a bridgehead as the I/Schutze Rgt 69 is guarding it. 
A third unoccupied road bridge (3) is also available in between these bridges, and should they need it the 1st DLM has a rare French bridging unit in its column (4).

Its 6:00 am and the French could be Albert in one move by 08:00. The Germans will have to respond quickly.

[Jesopi]

Nice! I like the style of this action ‘preview’.

But please let us know how it turned out afterwards...