The town of Suxy 1940

 Wonders of wonders I am playing 2 battles in a row.  This will be the second battle with my french motorized company.  To see how the first battle went and who the officers are please refer back to my last post.  This time I went to the third scenario of the book.  This is a attack defend scenario for the town of Suxy.  Since it is straightforward I thought I would try out the O group set up rules and combat patrols.  I am still using Battlefront for everything else but movement and orders.  I did make up order and patrol markers for both sides.

French.  [ I just don't like the rooster.]

German.

For those interested I just used Word and printed out on card stock.  

For the first time in a dozen years I have had to paint up WW II soldiers to round out my non skirmish forces. [ I almost traded these figures away for 6mm NATO forces.]   I like to hope my painting has improved a bit.

A french squad.  

MMG

And our very own Capt Moulin!  

I also painted up an ATG that is not based yet.  

Now much to my chagrin when I read about the french infantry being square I thought they had 4 infantry platoons not 4 squads per platoon!  So for this battle I introduced a 4th platoon. It is trained like the rest of the company and led by Lt Asbourgh who is an old NCO up from the ranks.  I rolled him up and he is rated as a good leader.  Thus he will have a +1 on the maneuver table and a 50% chance of generating an order on his own. The other changes to the company since last battle are:

Capt Moulin's leadership has increased to average.  : )

1st platoon's skill has increased to experienced.  Lt Dupont is still an average leader.  

3rd platoon with Lt Corbin that was mauled last time is down to 2 squads.

For support there is no artillery.  We do have 2 MMGs and our 60mm mtr.  We have also been given a platoon of armored cars a platoon of 25mm ATGs and 2 platoons of R 35 tanks that will come in as reinforcements.  

 The battlefield.  The plowed fields will require bog checks due to recent rains.  Germans set up 3 hexes in from the left.  French set up from the barn/stonebuildings back towards the town.  I roll up french set up per O group with the proviso that ATGs start on board.  plus I roll up 3 platoons.  Capt Moulin starts in the town and places 1st platoon [ his best troops] in the stone houses up top of the picture with an ATG trained on the road.  3rd platoon under the general's son, Lt Corbin, will take the barns beneath the road with a MMG.  2nd platoon with Lt Boucher, our weakest leader will set up with Capt Moulin in town with our last ATG and MMG where we will await Lt Asbourgh's arrival with 4th platoon.

Set up in the town

 ATG next to the stone houses

The German forces.    Each platoon had a 33% chance to improve from experienced to veteran.  2nd and 3rd platoon succeed.  They also have a FO with a battery of 105s. [ The jadgpanzer is actually a 2nd Stug A to make up a platoon]

 

The Germans roll their on board forces.  Their CO starts in the woods and places the heavy weapons next to him under his control. [ this ended up being a mistake as it cost an order to activate later-- expensive.  I should have attached them to a platoon.  The CO doesn't have time to direct the heavy weapons himself.] The 2 armored cars are also on board.  The plan is to move up the bottom side of the board while scouting the middle and top to see if there are any areas undefended.  

Patrols are also sent out by both sides.  The german MMG actually needs to open up and scatter the french patrol so the germans can advance to inspect the farm.  [ Patrols can't advance past enemy units.]

The armored cars advance slowly towards Suxy.  They look towards the buildings between the fields but see no sign of the enemy.

With the french patrol driven back german scouts confirm french infantry and MMGs in the barns.  

The Germans deploy 1st platoon to take the farm.  There is some delay in getting artillery up as the germans can't roll any "6s" with which to make the battalion order!

The germans are sluggish with only 4 orders.  Lt Corbin holds his fire.  In battlefront the first time a unspotted unit fires it gets +1, this can make a difference even with my modified D12 table.  

As the germans slowly move up artillery finally rains down on the farm.  Unfortunately it is enough to shake the french and they leave the inferno for the quieter woods.  Lt Corbin leads the one good order squad out and they are raked by an armored car from across the field...

Most of the squad didn't know what hit them.  Several wounded survivors including the LT crawl to the woods. 

Early part of the battle-- The farm on Capt Moulin's left falls easily as Lt Corbin's understrength platoon crumbles fast. Moulin sends a runner to get their status.  If they can he asks Lt Corbin to delay the Germans in the woods until he is sure where the schwerpunkt is going to be.  The germans continue to probe on his right.  The armored cars found his ATG there and sent it packing. [ see blue truck driving off top edge.] He still has Lt Dupont and his best platoon up there.  Capt Moulin also sees 2 Stugs coming up the road.  The Germans will have to commit soon.  Lt Asbourgh has arrived, Moulin told him to settle in on the right edge of town.

 In a mark of teutonic efficiency, the german 1st platoon immediately presses their attack into the woods... 

 

the fighting is fierce.  Lt Corbin, fighting bandaged up...

falls again in close in fighting as the germans sweep the near woods. 

 Meanwhile, in front of the town, the french ATG has destroyed several ACs and driven the rest away but 2 Stugs come up to duel. 

Situation mid battle.  Capt Moulin's left flank has given way.  He has sent a platoon of armored cars to the left of Suxy to delay germans from leaving the woods and to help keep the Stugs at bay.  He has heard from battalion and 2 platoons of Renaults are coming.  He sees halftracks moving up behind the Stugs.  He guesses more infantry.  Clearly the farms on the right are not important now.  He tells Lt Duprey to bring 1st platoon back into town.  

1st platoon strung out but moving back into town.  Lt Duprey leading with his cool kepi.

Armored cars up!

 

Now we have caught the german armor's attention.

Now I am slowly trying out different additions to each game as I play to see what I like.  This game I introduced random events a la Platoon Forward.

At this point the germans get this card.   66% chance of stukas but alas I roll a "1".   So...

An ME 109 enters the battlefield.  Vehicles are the easiest thing to identify and he sees a bunch next to the town.  While cool all it does is suppress some armored cars.

  Meanwhile the german first platoon continues their push through the woods and comes across Lt Corbin's survivors. They quickly surrender.  

With the armored cars in disarray the 2 Renault platoons show up.  Capt Moulin send one to patch up his left flank and one to the right to take on the Stugs.  The Stugs have started to shell 2nd platoon. 

The Germans bring up their 2nd platoon for a frontal assault on the town.  

The upper floors are shattered with 75mm shells as the assault commences.  This is Lt Bouchard's first real test.

  The Renaults opens up on the busy Stugs.  They KO one thus disabling the unit.  With the Stugs busy and 2nd platoon holding their own Capt Moulin orders 4th platoon under Lt Asbourgh to advance and launch a counter attack on the flank of the german attack!  The French will get to attack!

Meanwhile some more Stugs were moving to support the german attack into Capt Moulin's left flank.  They become bogged down right in front of the Hauptman!  

   

So guns are brought up as well.

Lt Bouchard and 2nd platoon starts to crumble as 4th platoon shows up on the germans flank.  

2nd Platoon is ejected from the front of Suxy [ now represented by the white paper to show 2 locations] just as Lt Asbourgh hits the german flank!  These germans are veterans so they buckle but do not break.

A view of the town square where mortar teams are taking direct fire.

Beginning of the end.    Stug at the top dispatches the Renaults in Suxy.  4th platoon in wild melee with German 2nd platoon but they have 1 squad in the buildings.  Germans deploy new platoon in front of Suxy right in front of 1st platoon.  German guns destroy 1 of the near Renaults allowing 1st platoon of german infantry to leave woods and flank Renaults and town.

Picture showing how far back surviving squad of 2nd platoon is with Lt Bouchard!  

Middle of the end.  Lt Asbourgh wins the melee with the 2 german squads outside.  He is basically powerless to do anything to the halftracks though.  1st platoon taking their lumps in Suxy as Capt Moulin grabs a rifle but 1 german squad is KOed.  

End of the end.  Lt Asbourgh manages to extricate himself from the halftracks and move into the town square where concentrated firepower KOs the remaining german squad!   the German 1st platoon is fired on by armored cars and fails their morale check so they retreat back to the woods.  The german second platoon is down to 2 squads and suddenly they are all that is left to assault the town.  they withdraw and the town is saved!   

Fantastic game!  I thought the germans had it in the bag.  Lt Asbourgh's counterattack supported by the Renaults really turned the tide of the game.  [ that would be a fun skirmish to play.]  

Post game Lt Corbin is listed as MIA.  It will be found out later that he died of his wounds at a German aid station.  Fortunately Gen Corbin does not blame Capt Moulin. Fortunatly, Capt Moulin could report honestly that Lt Corbin took wounds while defending his position that was overrun while successfully defending the town of Suxy.  In rolling up things for the company, Lt Dupuy becomes a good leader after his heroic defense of the town.  Also 4th platoon, which will now become 3rd platoon since the company only has 3 platoons, makes the roll to become experienced from trained.  Next scenario I would like to play a counter attack with some armor.  Will have to buy some more to make this happen.

Cheers

 

Joe