France 1940 - Panzer Blitz Rules (Play Test) - Hexes and Models (Part 1 of 3) Advance to Contact

Historically 69 years ago it was all kicking off in France. The Phoney war had ended and the shooting war had started. I had previously played a Panzer Blitz (Avalon Hill - General Magazine Supplement that covered the period) Gembloux Gap scenario, but was dissatisfied with the results. It was posted as a meeting encounter - whereas in history it was more like a recon in force by a Panzer Division (expecting trouble) hitting a 'hasty' defence. With fellow conspirators we re-jigged the original scenario and played it with my Skytrex and Pendrokon miniatures on Kallistra hexes. We stuck to the original AH premise that "two motorised" columns hit each other in a meeting engagement (see below, Germans top and French bottom - raise hexes represent gentle hills, green prints on MDF represent forests and brown MDF roads):

The German column (see below, Armoured Cars, Light Panzers, Motor Cycle Infantry followed by Medium Panzers):

The French get the initiative and grab the crest-line with tanks and armoured cars. They de-bus infantry (motor cyclists) to the right hand side forest and hills, backed up with Medium armour (the excellent S-35s). Additional French infantry dimount in to teh Grey village/town [BUA] and a French 'cavalry' unit mills around to the left flank of the town (see below, the IGoUGo really hurts the Germans here):

The French also unlimber their field artillery near their baseline (see below, the still impressive French 75mm FG and horse drawn transport - I suppose it is questionable if they could have kept up with the speed of the advance, let's say I had the models and wanted to use them):

The Panzers bounce to the French right. They do not like what they see down the middle of the table and try to 'overrun' the dismounted French motor cyclists (see below, the German armoured cars lead the way, AC 221, AC 222 and AC 232 - with MGs and light 20mm cannon are not bad against infantry):

A close up of the action (see below, even though both units are on the same gentle hill the armoured cars cannot conduct an overrun attack as the movement cost was too great to get there - had the French contested the slope they would gained a defensive bonus - halving the attackers FP. Unfortunately the French player (me) did not see the German attack coming so fast or have the movement required to get into the best position):

The French infantry take a battering and lose an infantry platoon, but are forced to retreat into the perilous open which is "tank fright" [albeit with ACs posing the danger] in the open and 'overrun territory' (see below, the French infantry will need the S-35 support soon, as it has to rally [to remove the smoke marker] or remain effectively useless to the French Commander):

French Rally Phase: The MG Platoon rallies but the normal French Infantry platoons keep on running (see below, the French MG platoon best hide quick):

The French Armour [Company] counter-attacks the German ACs as the French MG Platoon takes up a defensive position (hides) in the woods (see below, the S-35 should totally out class the German AC 221, AC 222 and AC 232 here):

As predicted carnage. The French can move half and fire half but even so the point blank range doubles their AT factor - which for the German ACs started off as "thinner than thin" (see below, the excellent French 47mm AT gun makes punishing holes in the German ACs):

The result is the complete and utter destruction of the German AC Company. Its primary role was recce and although the temptation was to pick-off some low hanging fruit - when 'tested' the ACs have no place in an armoured engagement with main battle tanks (see below, as worryingly for the German Commander the Company of light German tanks [Pz I, Pz II] top left is also out-classed if put into a pitched battle with the S-35s - creative tactics are now required): 

The French Commander is not done yet as his 75mm Field Guns can fire indirectly (see below, but what is there target?):

Answer: The most dangerous German unit on the table, the German Medium Armour Company - the only one that could take on the S-35s in a pitched battle (see below, they were hunkered behind a German occupied village but in direct line of sight to a French unit that could spot): 

The French fire causes a Pz III platoon to be destroyed and another to retreat. The heavier and more stubborn Pz IVs are ready to fight (see below, the retreating Pz III is displaced one square with a smoke marker to identify its retreating status):

The German advance is in a complete state of confusion and is stalled. The German Commander know he must stabilise the situation and push forwards aggressively. In meeting engagements it pays to take the initiative, be bold, take risks as necessary and not be too defensively minded. Well that is what it said in Guderian's and Rommel's books!