STEVEN'S SCHUTZENKOMPANIE
| TOM'S COLONIAL FRENCH RIFLE COMPANY
|
Tom had just finished his French Infantry, and decided to make two lists and let me pick which one to run. Having yet to play the Germans in Early War, I leapt at the chance. So I took command of the Schutzen and he the French. All of the models in this battle are Tom's except the SOMUAs and Panhards which are mine. We rolled for the mission and got Fighting Withdrawal with Tom as the attacker.
INTRODUCTION AND DEPLOYMENT
I got to deploy everything. I know how mean the SOMUAs can be, so I stuck the Panzerjaeger in ambush. From left to right in my deployment zone: Schutzen (full) (note the objective in the upper left of the wheat), Weak Schutzen in the buildings (with my placed objective in the bottom center near the ford), Panzer IVs. On the right side of the river we have a full Schutzen platoon in the farm with another objective on the road. Behind them are the 10.5cm guns.
From left to right, Tom has a massive wad of 2 Rifle platoons, SOMUAs, and his artillery and HMGs. On the right he sticks one rifle platoon and the Panhards.
Panzer IVs
The German right flank.
The German left.
Tom's left flank.
The brunt of the French forces.
The counter attack has formed up!
TURN ONE
The French move out!
SOMUAs race ahead.
Infantry moves at the double to keep up.
Frenchmen take position on the hill!
The Germans open fire and hit the 75mm battery, but cause no harm!
The Panzer IVs shift left.
TURN TWO
The air is filled with the whistling sound of falling shells!
Shells fall all around, killing one infantry stand and bailing a Panzer IV!
HMGs move up to the edge of the woods while Colonial French Infantry races down the hill, bayonets fixed!
The SOMUAs support an infantry advance into a wood.
The French assault, but the Germans withdraw with no losses.
The Panzerjaegers spring their ambush! Fire from the 10.5s and Panzer IVs slam into the French positions, knocking out 3 stands, 1 SOMUA, and bailing another SOMUA!
Schutzen open up on the advancing French infantry- knocking out 2 HMG teams, and 2 infantry stands.
FRENCH 1 SOMUA S-35 5 infantry stands 2 HMGs | GERMANS 1 Infantry stand |
TURN THREE
Top of 3.
The understrength Schutzen platoon is withdrawn.
The French move up to the farmhouse, ready to assault the German position!
The Panhards move up in support.
The lone active SOMUA opens up on the panzerjaegers, bailing one.
The German 10.5s range in on the Panhards! Two go up in flames and 2 get bailed out.
The Schutzen open up on the French infantry after the French infantry decided not to assault. The 75s AND 155s tried to range in on the German troops, but failed.
More fire is poured into the French infantry in the open.
The rest of the SOMUAs fall to the panzerjaegers.
FRENCH SOMUA Platoon 1x Panhard 11 infantry stands 2 HMGs | GERMANS 2 Infantry stand |
TURN FOUR
Top of 4.
A massive barrage rains down on the German position knocking out a panzer IV and bailing a Panzerjaeger!
The French infantry pulls back into the woods, but the Panhards push forward with MGs blazing.
The French assault on the German left flank hunker down and decide not to press the attack after the loss of the SOMUAs.
The German left flank on the bottom of 4. The 2 remaining Panzer IVs are withdrawn.
The Schutzen rush forward and assault the Panhards! Two are destroyed, but 2 bailed out ones are just out of reach and they stay on the table!
FRENCH SOMUA Platoon 3x Panhards 11 infantry stands 2 HMGs | GERMANS 1 Panzer IV 2 Infantry stand |
TURN FIVE
Top of 5.
With time slipping away, the French rally and move out!
Charge!
The french lose one stand, but capture a panzerjaeger! The Schutzen and German armor pull back, but the French are spread thin!
Both Panhards remount and shoot up the Germans.
The Panzerjaegers reposition to open up on a french infantry platoon sneaking down the river. My kingdom for a machine gun!
The Schutzen open up on the battered French platoon, knocking them down to a single stand (with the company commander).
The sneaky French platoon is broken.
The Germans keep moving and assault the Panhards again!
And the Panhards are finished off.
FRENCH SOMUA Platoon Panhard Platoon 1 Colonial Rifle Platoon 10 infantry stands 2 HMGs | GERMANS 1 Panzer IV 1 Panzerjaeger 2 Infantry stand |
TURN SIX
Top of 6.
The French's last hope is to attack on the left, and take the farm! Under the cover of an artillery barrage, the French strike!
After a bloody assault that goes on for several turns (with several French whiffs!), the Germans are left with the field.
At this point Tom is left with his artillery, a 2 gun strong HMG Platoon, and a 1 man strong infantry platoon (that passed his sole survivor check). Clearly, taking the objective is out of the question and Tom calls it.
