France 1940, 10th June - Post Dunkirk: The French Hold the Line (BattleFront) Part 6

The squadron of AMR 33's rush to reinforce the village behind Tagnon. If (or rather when) Tagnon fell, at least thee would be a second line of resistance (see below):

Meanwhile at Tagnon, first blood to the French. A Panzer I burns as the French 47mm AT barks. However to the right is the menacing sight of massed German infantry approaching (see below):  

The German retaliation on Tagnon is swift as the German divisional artillery hits the town in the wake of the Stuka dive bombers. Another precious stand of French infantry is lost under the explosions. The Panzers are meanwhile in full "bypass centres of resistance" mode (see below):

The French anti-tank gun and covering French infantry platoon are not ignored as the regimental 150mm Infantry Gun contributes to the German attack on Tagnon (see below):

The Panzers have broken free and a skirting down their baseline (having being forced to enter on their extreme right hand flank. This represents a deep penetration parallel to the main French line of resistance (see below): 

The plan will be for the Panzers (with armoured cars to the fore) to make an abrupt right hand turn and find a "weak spot" in the main French line. Meanwhile the infantry attack will go in on Tagnon.

France 1940, 10th June - Post Dunkirk: The French Hold the Line (BattleFront) Part 5

The German commander examines his "secret weapon" (possibly the only one in existence in 10mm) the humble "combat" field kitchen (see below): 

Meanwhile the sneaky French are bringing up reinforcements, a 'depleted' company of H39's, which promptly hide themselves in a wood to avoid the attentions of deprivations of Herr Hitler's mighty Luftwaffe (see below):

What's more, a slightly more numerous company of AMR33's, pass through the nearby village (as there was not enough room in the wood presumably) and make a run for the next big wood on the table (see below):

Meanwhile the Panzers are bypassing the village of Tagnon, reflecting true blitzkrieg tactics, leaving their 'landser' infantry to fight the French house-to-house (see below):

On the far right of the table more French reinforcements arrive, a squadron of Panhard Armoured Cars (see below):

The French are happy to see the Panzers dance away but ominously there are fewer brave defenders now left in Tagnon. The Luftwaffe and German artillery have taken their toll.

France 1940, 10th June - Post Dunkirk: The French Hold the Line (BattleFront) Part 4

The Germans swarm forward, an infantry battalion (from an Infantry Division tasked with taking the first village) and a Panzer Regiment tasked with "exploitation" (see below): 

A closer look at the figures (see below):

The Germans have rather unwittingly "crossed their streams" (oh how we French laughed, as we picked ourselves up and dusted off the debris form the bombs courtesy of the Luftwaffe) but the German tanks just drove through the foot-sloggers contemptuously and delayed they were not (see below):

That is apart from half of the French engineer company who were rather spooked by the previous turns "medium level bomber" attack by the Luftwaffe, who ran away (see below):

Just as well the attack was not aimed at them, but rather the brave defenders of Tagnon who had not run away!

France 1940, 10th June - Post Dunkirk: The French Hold the Line (BattleFront) Part 3

The Germans are coming in 222's, 221's and 232's. The Panzer Recon Battalion snarl at the first French strong point (see below):

The threat is very, very real as in amongst the Recon is the Divisional and Corp FOO who brings down a smashing artillery barrage (two battalion of 105mm and one battalion of 150mm howitzers) on the hapless clerks defending Tagnon (see below):

The Luftwaffe also makes a shown in a pre-planned run in with medium level bombers on the nearest river-line village next to Tagnon (see below):

With the French defenders still reeling from the onslaught, the German Recon Battalion spreads out as per the Blitzkrig plan (by-passing resistance and exploiting space) on 'Turn One' of the game proper (see below):

The French commander is content enough to hunker down behind his defences to try and steady the nerve of his troops (with a few important morale rolls to make in the process).

France 1940, 10th June - Post Dunkirk: The French Hold the Line (BattleFront) Part 2

The Luftwaffe reconnaissance flights sweep lower to get a closer look at French positions (see below):

A close up of the "left hand village" from the above photograph (see below). It guards an intact bridge across the river and hence is one of the strongest French defensive positions.

The French river defences running right to left (as the French players sees it), the photographs show the "dead zones" between the individual hedgehogs (see above and below). The first German element on table, the ubiquitous Panzer Division Recon battalion, spearheads the 1st German Panzer Division's advance (see below, top left):

Dug in the valiant French defenders of Tagnon. Rather than front line infantry types, these turn out to be the cooks and clerks armed with rifles, as well as "odds and sods" scraped up from remnants of destroyed forces into an ad-hoc battle group in "French Plan D" fashion (see below):

The French have deployed and made their artillery fire plans, the focus of attention now shifts to the German player.

France 1940, 10th June - Post Dunkirk: The French Hold the Line (BattleFront) Part 1

The Germans perform photo reconnaissance of the known French positions (see below):

The French Weygand Plan is to form a continuous series of defensive hedgehogs. Critical points are independently held by mixed arms forces under a localised command structure. Interlocking mutual support between the hedgehogs is impossible after the losses incurred in the first part of the French Campaign. Reserve mobile French forces have been held back to form powerful counter attacking forces to destroy any penetrating German attacks.

Well that is the plan!  

A Wood in the Hand is Worth Two Bushes? (More Terrain)

Terrain (continued): 

Ridges done, now time to wrap-up the "tree hex" collection. I had previously "flocked" these bases and PVA'ed thicker bushier clumps (but all at the 'same level'). A trip to Hobbycraft was needed to top up my supplies and a side-effect I that was able to generate an improved "multi-level tree-line" (see below):  

This all came about from an errant purchase, but 'quality' purchase (see below):

Instead of something that was "a lot of little bits" that I poured flat onto some PVA glue that just stuck, I got a big, solid block of  "foam stuff". I had to break chunks off. In the end I think it worked to my advantage because it meant with a touch of the artistic I created a jagged tree line instead of flat uniformity.

Into every stable system a little bit of chaos should be poured ;)