Set up: quick
Game time: quick
Solo play: very suitable
Historical Background:
The 1st Czechoslovak Infantry Regiment, part of the 23rd French Infantry Division, was initially deployed near Coulommiers. Then it followed the French army in its withdrawal, marching during the night and fighting during the day. On the 18th of June, it was entrenched on the bank of the Loire River, near Saint-Martin-sur-Ocre. Using mortars, the Czechoslovak soldiers fiercely defended the area when German infantry began to cross the river. Bypassed by the enemy who infiltrate the positions, the first line of defence was relieved by another Czechoslovak unit which made a counterattack and repelled the Germans on the river.
Briefing:
Axis 6 cards, move first; Allies 5 cards.
Conditions of Victory:
6 medals
Special Rules:
Mortars (SWAs 3).
Collapsible rafts & boats (Actions 5) for all German infantry units.
Blitz rules (Actions 15).
Air Power card is removed from the cards.
Scenario link
Report
Set up time 10 minutes, playing time 25 minutes.
After a mediocre Barrage, the Germans attacked in strength through the centre, but they were very exposed and lost two boats on the crossing; 0-2.
Two weakened units did get across but one was eliminated and suddenly is was 0-3.
Another got across and finally took a mortar; 1-3. An Allied Close Assault had limited effect, but a further attack took another weakened unit; 1-4.
Behind Enemy Lines had little effect for the Axis, only pushing back the Allies, who then fought back killing another unit and reducing another to just one figure! But it fought back to take the last Czechoslovak unit on the Allied left; 2-5.
The remaining Axis tried to retreat out of range, waiting for a good card and using artillery. But it was in vain as two Allied units converged on the weakened Germans on the left for an easy 2-6 victory in just ten moves.
What a great, fast scenario! One I would certainly like to try again.
Axis casualties were too high crossing the river. This was partly because a flag in a boat is a hit, but also because the Allies are in forests behind sandbags, making it difficult to shift them - you can fire from a boat, but at minus 1, so with another minus 1 for forest and the sandbags to block a flag…
Maybe attacking in force in the centre was a mistake? Too many targets for the Allies in a small area who got so reduced in strength out in the open (see Spot the Mistake!, below). Using the artillery in Briare to eliminate the mortar on the Allied right might have been a better tactic.
Set up:
Spot the Mistake!
Can you see my tactical error with the boats?
End; the remaining Axis are all in Briare, trying to stay out of range of the Allied mortars:
The Allied units all moved forward from their base line to reinforce the defences - this led to victory; the two Allied units bottom right finished off a depleted German unit (where the red star is).
