EW German Infanterie vs Colonial French

Tom and I hadn't played Early War in a while, so we decided to try two infantry forces. We rolled up Encounter.

German Infanteriekompanie (old Org) HQ Full Strength Infanterie (old) platoon Full Strength Infanterie (old) platoon Mortars (2 sections) HMGs 4x Panzerjaeger I Assault Platoon w/ 2 Stugs Heavy Panzerspah w/ 2 6-rads Limited Stukas

Colonial French Infantry HQ Colonial Infantry Platoon Colonial Infantry Platoon Colonial Infantry Platoon Colonial AT Gun Platoon Territorial British Rifle Platoon Colonial HMG Platoon 4x Laffly W15 TCC 47mm SPAT Colonial 75mm Battery Deep Recon Platoon w/ 4 Panhards Light Cavalry Tank Platoon w/ 4 H39s (1 long, 3 short) Sporadic Interception

INFO SUMMARY

NOTES This battle went on for many many turns, so it's not going to have a turn by turn breakdown. Instead, I will break it down by the early game, mid game, and late game. Also, I'd just like to say that the iPhone 4S takes great pics. It was really quite dark in there and it adjusted very well. CREDITS All of the German models are Battlefront Miniatures. All of the French infantry & guns are Battlefront Miniatures except the 25mm AT guns which are Old Glory. The French armor is all Peter Pig. Both armies were painted by me (Steven) Buildings by Crescent Root. Swamps, river, and bridges by Battlefront/Gale Force 9. Explosion Markers by Paper Terrain. Kill Markers (Pizzas) by Litko Aerosystems.

DEPLOYMENT & EARLY GAME

As the Germans, I combat attached my HMGs giving me 6 platoons. I started with both of the gigantic infantry units (now with 14 stands!), and the mortars. Tom started with 2 infantry, the 75s, AT guns, and HMGs. Objectives are at the Y intersection and the hill in the bottom. The wheat field and the building to the top left of the T in the top. German infanterie on both flanks with mortars in the middle. Tom has infantry, HMGs, and AT Guns in town in the top left. Infantry and guns + HQ in the top right.

The French 75s.

The view from the German left.

>>>>CLICK HERE FOR THE REST OF THE AAR

French in the town.

The next few turns are spent with both sides digging in. Airplanes are intercepted twice!

Panzerjaegers arrive on the German right.

French infantry arrives on the German left, and hoofs it forward!

German Stugs arrive from reserve on the left flank.

German Mortars largely keep the French pinned and cause some light casualties.

Several turns in and the battle is beginning to develop. Stugs and 6-rads are pushing the German left. Panzerjaegers are cautiously moving up to pick off 75s on the right.

MID GAME

Stukas keep showing up, but rarely get through the interception screen!

Panzerjaegers gang up at extreme long range and pop a 75.

Planes harass infantry, but do no harm.

Mortars range in on the Lafflies hoping to score a lucky hit!

The Panzerjaegers knock out a 2nd 75mm gun!

Tom and I consult an old friend of mine after numerous uneventful turns.

Panhards show up on the German left. It's now Stugs and 6-rads vs Panhards and Lafflies.

Lafflies move up and take some long range pot shots on the stugs, but do no damage.

The last of the French reserves arrive (it's arund turn 8 by now…) with 2 bogging on the way in!

PAnzerjaegers snipe a 3rd 75mm gun.

Stugs return fire, destroying 1 laffly and bailing the other. Smoke covers the remaining two.

6 rads fire away with their 2cm cannon, and knock out a dug in french stand.

Panhards race forward!

The Lafflies run for the hills!

The situation

SUMMARY UP TO NOW

Okay we're now several turns into it. So just to get your bearings, let's have a look at the battlefield using the above picture. In the "North" going from left to right we have Panhards (just barely visible on the road), and a colonial infantry platoon (forward in the tree line and the building. Lafflies hide behind buildings. 25mm AT guns, a colonial infantry platoon, and HMGs crowd the town. In the center spread among the 2 tree-lines and the wood behind them we have the Territorial British infantry platoon. Note that 2 stands are dangerously close to the Stug in the copse of trees in the center! Just behind the British infantry, we have the cavalry tanks in the woods. And to the right in the wheat the battered 75mm battery (down to a single gun) and a colonial infantry platoon. In the "South" we have the 6-rads to the left out of frame. A massive infanterie platoon and attached HMGs stretches from the left to the Y intersection. To the right is the 2nd infanterie platoon. Stugs watch the bridge on the center. Mortars are in the center "south". Panzerjaegers have shifted to the center just north of the town. The 4th Panzerjaeger is bogged down to the right out of frame.

LATE GAME

Stugs watch the bridge dutifully.

French Lafflies arrive!

Neither side has suffered any serious casualties yet.

Stukas swoop in and take down a Panhard.

The Stug attempts to retreat from the woods as the British infantry approaches. But wouldn't you know- they throw a track! German infantry moves forward to secure their comrade.

The Lafflies are dispatched by the Stugs.

The Stugs rumble across the bridge. Their command halftrack is just behind them.

Panhards disengage from Stug shooting.

Panzerjaegers push across the bridge on the right with the 75mm guns eliminated.

British infantry and Colonial infantry move up to assault the stugs!

On the right flank, Colonial infantry surge forward and knock out 2 Panzerjaegers!

The Stugs pull back.

6-rads appear on the right flank (after double moving for several turns from the other side of the board!). The two units pour fire into the Colonial infantry.

Stugs and German infantry wipe out the remaining British platoon.

The Stugs firre long range shots at the 25mm AT gun platoon.

The Colonial infantry on the right starts getting chewed up.

Colonial infantry on the left makes one more push.

As the cavalry tanks turn around and fire on the encroaching Germans!

6-rads and Panerjaegers finish off the infantry and the company commander on the right.

The Colonial infantry is cut down by effective fire laid down by the German infantry (and attached HMGs) and Stugs.

With that Tom has lost his lafflies, 2 Colonial infantry platoons, and the british rifles. The 75mm gun battery is reduced to just a staff team and platoon command, with the rest of his force in mostly the same shape. At this point we've gone a long time and it's clearly swung to the German's favor so Tom concedes it. Were this a tournament, however, it would've likely ended up a draw- we played for probably 3 hours, but did get through well over 10 turns.