French Fusiliers Des Portes vs Czech Panzers in The Cauldron

My favorite Sundays are when Brian comes over early for a game- it forces me to wake up early, and what better way to start your day than Flames of War?

I set up the board, and rolled on my newly completed French "list of lists" to let the decide decide what I'd run! I rolled up some Fusiliers Des Portes, and the mission was Cauldron.

BRIAN'S CZECH PANZERKOMPANIE HQ (2x Panzer 38(t)) 4x Panzer 38(t) 4x Panzer 38(t) 5x Panzer II Panzer Schutzen (No AT Rifle) 2x 8-rads 2 Tubes of 105s Limited Air

STEVEN'S FUSILIERS DES PORTES HQ + Sporadic Air Interception Fusiliers Platoon Fusiliers Platoon Fusiliers Platoon 75mm Battery 105 Battery 4x SOMUA S-35 5x Panhard AMD-35 Recon Platoon (3 Hotchkiss H-39, 1 long)

DEPLOYMENT AND TURN ONE

I decided to start with 2 fusiliers platoons and the 75s on the board. The SOMUAs would be in immediate ambush.


38(t)s in the botton left, Panzer IIs and 105s in the top right.


38(t)s.


75s in overwatch of an objective.


Panzer IIs.


Fusiliers on an objective.


SOMUAs immediate(ly) ambush!


One 38(t) brews up!


The 38(t)s move up and mix it up!


Panzerschutzen immediately arrive from reserve.


Panzer IIs race forward.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
FRENCH none	GERMANS 1 38(t)

TURN TWO

75s bail 2 Panzer IIs.


SOMUAs completely whiff!


More German reserves arrive!


Panzerschutzen move forward, MGs blazing!


But are thrown back in the assault, with one halftrack being captured!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
FRENCH 1 SOMUA 1 Fusilier Stand	GERMANS 1 38(t) 1 halftrack + 2 infantry stands

TURN THREE

Panhards arrive from reserve, and knock out the German CO. He jumps tanks, though, only to have that tank shot out from under him by the SOMUAs- again escaping!


75s lay down a smoke barrage to isolate the 38(t)s and cover the SOMUAs from the freshly arrived panzers.


Three Stukas swoop in! (they are set up that way for looks- we now how they SHOULD be placed!)


And bail a whopping one panhard!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
FRENCH 1 SOMUA 1 Fusilier Stand	GERMANS 3 38(t) 1 halftrack + 2 infantry stands

TURN FOUR

More French reserves arrive.


H39s- just before Steven changes his mind and decides to move them at the double!


The 75s open up in direct fire, nailing the Panzerschutzen moving through the wheat- 2 halftracks explode in a shower of sparks, killing everyone inside. The Panzerschutzen are decimated and quit the field.


The two remaining SOMUAs reposition.


8-rads arrive from reserve


Panzer IIs race forward!


Stukas again target the Panhards.


38(t)s reposition.


38(t)s snipe the bailed SOMUA, knocking a 2nd out.


A Panhard goes up in smoke!


The assault is launched! The Fusiliers throw the Panzers back, but at the cost of 2 stands.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
FRENCH 2 SOMUA 3 Fusilier Stand	GERMANS Panzerschutzen 3 38(t)

TURN FIVE

SOMUAs reposition. Behind them, the 75s again open up in direct fire and laser beam a Panzer II.


38(t)s mass on the leftmost Fusiliers platoon.


Panzer IIs again succesfully assault the fusiliers, knocking out 2 more stands.


38(t)s assault! One 38(t) is lost, but the panzers are repulsed.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
FRENCH 2 SOMUA 7 Fusilier Stand + 2 observers 1x Panhard	GERMANS Panzerschutzen 4 38(t) 1x Panzer II

TURN SIX

75s continue to hammer the Germans in direct fire.


SOMUAs and Hotchkiss reposition.


Panzer IIs race across the field to hit the other fusilier platoon!


A potshot from a Panzer 38(t) knocks a team out of the right Fusiliers platoon.


Panzer IIs brazenly assault the infantry dug in on plowed fields!


Knocking out 3 stands, and forcing the platoon back!


The fusiliers break! The objective is left wide open.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
FRENCH Fusilier Platoon 2 SOMUA 5 Fusilier Stand + 2 observers 1x Panhard	GERMANS Panzerschutzen 4 38(t) 1x Panzer II

TURN SEVEN

SOMUAs have to move out to contest the objective! They can't quite get there, but neither can the Jerries.


Direct fire from the 75s and indirect fire from the 105s (who arrived from reserve some time ago, and finally got situated) knock out 2 more Panzer IIs.


The German force is in the cauldron now, but the French are battered as well!


38(t)s reposition to get shots at 3 Panhard moving at the double, but completely miss!


The Germans end up holding the objective with 2 Panzer IIs and the company commander.


8-rads move up MGs blazing!


And rush forward to assault the fusilier platoon.


The Fusilier platoon evaporates.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY
FRENCH Fusilier Platoon x2 2 SOMUA 5 Fusilier Stand + 2 observers 1x Panhard	GERMANS Panzerschutzen 4 38(t) 3x Panzer II

TURN EIGHT

Fusiliers move at the double to get into assault range on the German 105s.


Direct fire from the 75s annhilate the Panzer IIs and company commander.


SOMUAs and Hotchkiss tanks open up the 8-rads.


Followed up by 105s, which knock out the remaining 8-rad.


"The Cauldron".

With that, Brian's force is below half strength with no company commander. 4-3 to the french.

CLOSING

First off- I always set my board up with the goal of making a cool looking terrain board. But I have to say- this set up and mission combination was rough for Brian thanks to my 75s, who pretty much single handedly held the line. Still, Brian had be goin- my SOMUAs were at half, 2 fusilier platoons were gone, and we was pushing both objectives.