Flavion-Death of the 1st DCR*
___France vs Germany*
____Flavion, France*
Afternoon of May 15th, 1940*
______Turns: 15*
Scenario By: Orzel Bialy*
*
Funny thing is this scenario was born from a mistake!*
The scenario was intended to be played as the German side. However, when played as the Germans the abandoned French tanks did not show up, only their crews. Since it was no fun driving over paniced Frenchmen with no tanks I tried starting it up with Germany as Computer Controlled and France as the Human Player, just to see if the tanks showed up then.*
They did, so I played the scenario out and what I found was a nice little battle that depicted a very interesting set up: Trying to maintain control in the face of a surprise attack. Try it!
**

Historical Background to the Battle at Flavion*
*
On the morning of May 14th, 1940 the 1st DCR was ordered by its Commanding Officer, General Bruneau, to make for the area of Stave-Corenne-Flavion-Ermeton to counter a thrust over the Meuse River by the German 7th Panzer Division.*
The 23 mile trip took the force nearly 14 hours to complete, as the heavy, slow moving, Char B1's of the 28th BCC and H-39's of the 25th BCC (which made up "B Demi Brigade of the DCR) had to contend with roads jammed with fleeing civilians and retreating soldiers of routed units. It was nearly 3 a.m. May 15th, by the time they reached the areas chosen as the assembly points.*
Amazingly B Demi Brigade did nothing more that morning than sit and wait for the supply units to catch up to it. Even more astounding, General Bruneau did not deploy a recon force to search out the enemy nor did he establish a defensive screen to protect his units as they began to re-fuel and re-supply.*
Meanwhile his counterpart, General Erwin Rommel, (Commanding Officer of the 7th Panzer Division) had been far more active. After crossing the Meuse River he directed his units to seek out and strike any French forces that were detected.*
During the early morning hours a Recon unit of the 7th Panzer Division spotted the Demi Brigade as it sat idle, its tanks parked and unmanned in preparation for servicing. They radioed back their find to the lead element of the 7th Panzer Division, the 66th Panzer Battalion of the 25th Panzer Regiment, under the command of Lt Col Rudolf Sieckenius.*
Wasting no time Sieckenius ordered his forces into a "Sea Battle Formation" (a wedge basically) and they burst forward and struck the French position head on. Needless to say, the battle was a rout.*
The French units, caught in the middle of being re-supplied and refueled, were nearly defenseless. Crews were cut down as they ran for their tanks or for cover. Transport trucks exploded as they were raked by shell and machine gun fire. Those crews which did manage to man their tanks were faced with fending off what amounted to an "attacking swarm of bee's". Once they turned to face one threat they were attacked from all flanks, where thinner armor and "weak-spots" (like the radiators on the Char B1's) gave the attacking German tankers the chance to knock out their heavier rivals.*
When it was all over the French had lost 19 of their heavy tanks and 14 of their light tanks. B Demi Brigade was effectively finished as a fighting force later in the day when the other half of the Brigade was destroyed around Ermeton by the 31st Panzer Brigade. Their sister Brigade, H Demi, was also cut to ribbons around Corenne later that day by the advacning 7th Panzer Division. The 1st DCR had been destroyed and it had all started at Flavion.
**

Scenario Set-Up:*
*
In this scenario, switch the Human Player from German to French.*
As the French Commander you will find your command engaged in re-supply and re-fueling. Then comes the alarm call: Enemy tanks!  Most of your crews have just finished eating and are away from their AFV's, allowing the mechanics and maintenance parties to re-fuel and re-supply them for the coming day.*
You will have to get these crews back to their AFV's and get them rolling if they are to survive the "steel tidal wave" which is headed their way. ( the Char B1 bis's are named alphabetically and so are their corresponding crews, most of which are sheltering under nearby trees!)*
Can you save your forces from complete destruction as a surprise attack hits you broadside? Can your leadership help B Demi Brigade fend off the wolf-like panzers and live to fight again? Or will you follow in the footsteps of history and become another symbol of the Fall of France?*



