Arras 1940 Re-fight (Part 1 of 4) Advance to Contact

The Allied set-up (see below, a static French Armoured Force [Composite Tank Force about the size of a battalion] guards the British Right flank [bottom of the photograph], a motorised battalion of British Infantry (8th DLI) are spread out along the Allied baseline [left hand side of the photograph], with an Infantry Tank battalion, the 7th RTR spread out in a armoured spearhead in front [middle of the photograph]):

Looking at the British Right Attack Column (see below, the line of red poker chits delimits the line-of-sight - static infantry in cover [and everything is deemed none table flat and thus can hide infantry  - stationary vehicles would be spotted up to three hexes away, moving vehicles up to eight hexes unless blocked by woods or town]):

The British advance as a closed up armoured column (see below, nothing as yet is revealed, but the British Commander is tensed up in nervous anticipation):

Adverse to closing into a "dangerous close assault from cover" situation British armoured column veers off to its right to bypass the grey village hex which could by hiding Germans (see below, the first turn was a "speeded-up" movement of three times the slowest speed [the Matilda I Infantry Tank]):

They discover to their horror that they have blundered into the "soft but spike " underbelly of Rommel's 7th Armoured (Panzer) Division - The Ghost Division. The soft being the rear echelon Artillery Regiment - the spiky being four batteries of 105mm artillery and a Flak 88mm battery deployed in direct fire mode against the British Armour (see below, yes sadly for the British, the smoke denotes that they are "live" firing):

The result being burning and damaged Matilda I's from the 105mm Howitzers and the revalation that the grey town and its surrounds is infested with German Infantry (see below, first blood to General Rommel):

This is followed by further devastation as the mighty 88mm Flak Gun (directed no doubt by Rommel himself) taking on the lightest of British armour, the Vickers MkVI Light Tank resulting in a predictable second column of burning British ex-tank smoke (see below, the results of a rather unfair fight):

The British Commander looked on in stunned silence pondering his next move.