Gembloux Gap-Blitz on Villeroux (4)

We had the next game in our Gembloux Gap campaign last night. The Germans had failed in their first attempt to take this table so this was their second go.

Here is a photo of the table.

Dice were rolled and the game started:

Germans (FM 9) (3 Schützen Regiment)

Schützen Platoon #1 (less 9 men)

Supports (20)

IG 18

Jean-Claude

MMG Team

Red Dice

PzII

Stuka

2 Cars

French (FM 8) (110e Régiment d'Infanterie)

Infanterie Platoon #2 (less 10 men)

Supports (9)

Canon de 47mm L53 ATG

Sniper

Squad de Motocyclistes

As usual we played out the Patrol Phase on P-Y's ap. The smaller dots are the JOP's, while the numbered dots are the PM's at their final positions. As should be obvious, I did not play this well as I allowed the French a very advanced JOP in the small forest in the south more than midway up the table.

The Action

The first part of the action was the Stuka attack, it did not do much in respect to the buildings aside from the garage catching fire, thus denying the ability of troops to occupy the building but more importantly sending off a plume of smoke blocking line of sight for at least one turn (it actually remained through out the game despite having 4 game turns). I will let the following photos tell the story.

One of my first moves, once I deployed some covering units to the north was to deploy a car with a LMG team and a JL on the road. This was critical as if I could get within 4" of the French JOP, I would shut it down thus denying the ability of the French to deploy east of the burning building. Unfortunately it was not to be so.

The French initial deployments, a squad in the woods and subsequently  the 45mm ATG. My troops in the north which included a squad as well as an IG were able to initially poor a pile of shock on both. 

I also deployed my PzII to further soften up the French.

Covering units to the north of the road.

I also deployed a MMG team and a squad to cover the west with a SL.

Disaster strikes, I roll 4d6 losing all my overwatch and causing a mortar barrage to fall on my vehicles and an infantry squad. Up until then things were going well but this gave a chance for the French to deploy. It was just not worth the double phase an the CoC dice to me.

As the game progressed I started to lose the plot, I attempted to run my squad in the north across the road when I did not have a double phase, P-Y adroitly deployed is motorcyclist squad in an entrenchment and shot my squad up. I was able to kill 3 of French with an Interrupt but it was just not enough, especially once P-Y deployed another squad on the road and killed 6 of my men and routing the rest including a JL. My FM started to drop.

I had deployed my senior SL in a car, as my troops needed a better command, but unfortunately it was a lousy driver just moving 3" on his first move (I forgot to add the wheeled bonus of 6").

I was finally able kill 7 men in the French squad in the small forest and routed the rest with their JL and SL, the French FM was dropping now as well but P-Y cleverly deferred taking a moral test on the routing SL by using a CoC dice. His force in the large forest in the north was able to rout my SL there, and was threatening the MMG team in the forest. The French FM was 3 and the German FM was 2, I through my 2 CD desperately needing a 4 or 3, I threw a 2 and 6. I withdrew. Another French victory!

Butcher's Bill

Germans (platoon 1)

FM 3

8 men killed including 1 officer

4 dead, 2 missing (10 dead 2 missing in next game)

CO 0

MO -1

Prickly (-1 FM)

French (platoon 2)

FM 2

7 men killed

3 dead, 2 missing (9 dead 2 missing next game)

CO +3 (+1 Support)

MO -3 (-1 FM)

Cheerful

 P-Y played an excellent game and turned what looked like an early German victory into a defeat, so we meet again next Tuesday on the same table for our next session in the Gembloux Gap campaign.