1940 - Mistergreen FR vs Spenser USA

[mistergreen]

H2H C&C FR vs USA 2400 pts battle june -40

The weather is a little hazy but the visibility is not to bad. Smoke rounds landing left and right are trying to remedy that. The french units are moving out. Time to show who is boss. A handful of enemy tanks are spotted and fired upon but no casualties so far.

[Spenser]

With 19 char 1bis's and 16 ACs (and still counting ) i would also feel like the boss
but i will try to use the lack of infantry support to my advantage.
The supporting french cavalry company has already begun to experience being on the recieving end of HMGs and the US Air Force
Lost one of my M2A4s but also killed two ACs and one char took some severe hits from a 3" AA gun.

Counting on the GIs to save the day

Spenser

[mistergreen]

The Char 1 Bis try to convince the GI´s that bigger is better and some of them seem to have gotten the point. At the current range my tanks fear no puny soldiers but I fear that the GI's might get closer.

Several shots are fired at the M2A2's too as the french forces crawl forward but with few hits and less result. But did manage to lose another AC to enemy tank fire.

Mortar fire are keeping my meger infantry support unhappy but finally my own mortar has locked in on a 3" AA gun.

[Spenser]

Well at least some chars seems to be getting second thoughts about advancing after being showered with mortar fire.
Some "puny" GIs also managed to immobilize one.
That's the spirit men!

Spenser

[mistergreen]

The mortar fire do make my tanks perform less than optimal. I just hope they remember that mortar fire are even worse outside of the tank. The french slow advance is growing even slower. Those of the french tank crews than are not trying to hide under their seats manage to destroy another M2A2. But a french AC learnes the hard way that it is not a tank and bites the dust.

[Spenser]

Scores a number of hits but not many kills. Assaults and destroys the previously immobilized char and lo and behold: An M2A4 kills another, now that was a morale boost.
But it came with a cost of an M2 killed and another damaged.
This will be a long and bloody battle!

Spenser

[mistergreen]

Another two M2A2 killed. At least 14 more left. A careless Char gets assulted but survives and returns the greeting with its 75mm gun.

[Spenser]

Americans capture two victory hexes and the central hill is now an inferno with afv's in various fighting conditions and artillery from both sides hitting both friend and foe alike...

The French esprit seems to have left some of their tank drivers
but the ones still rolling forward cause much damage.

Unfortunately the yankee gunners are not living up to my expectations :rolleyes:


Spenser

[mistergreen]

The french forces figthing spirit is getting really low. Along the front line they fail to accomplish much but a couple of french AC manage to get shot to pieces. At the rear a evil M3 scout car that attack a innocent mortar crew gets its punishment. After an AC suppreses it french cavalry charge and destroy it.

[Spenser]

The counteroffensive on the central hill continues. One routed Char is blown to pieces by my beloved 3 inch AA guns. Two more are surrounded by M2s and their days should be numbered. Artillery continues to harass the chars that have already retreated from the hill.
In the south there has been no fighting at all as my enemy has refused that flank, probably in order to concentrate forces elsewhere but as a result my sothern forces have swung north and are now beginning to flank the enemys central front.
In the north the fighting is more even. Manages to kill a routed char with a M2 shot from the rear but there are plenty more where that came from... More mortar fire needed

Spenser

[mistergreen]

One of the two surrounded tanks decides to go out in style. Having covered most of the game under their seat the crew finally regains their curage and blows up a M2. But in the end they die from the hailstorm of counter fire as they try to get another M2.

Further north a AC creep forward to find the position of a couple of M2's. A Char advance but gets killed from a side shot before it can turn towards said M2's.

The french artillery have awaken again and they "support" the last surronded tank with all they got.

[Spenser]

Those two Chars killed by my op-fire came as a relief... Up north we actually start counterattacking killing an AC, an Inf-AT and a cav that was stacked with a char that turned out to have been abandoned, also assaults and immobilizes another Char, one more for the GIs
The “Char-nightmares” as my 3 inch AA guns are turning into manages to turn two more enemys into steel junk. All victory hexes on the central hill now in american control even if the isolated char still remains, the crew must have gone mad after all the fire they have taken, including the friendly "support"

Spenser

[mistergreen]

Another french AC bites the dust. The french commander tries to muster up some units to counter attack in the center following the french barrage but finds that any and all nearby units has lost their figthing spirit due to enemy fire and artillery.

[Spenser]

Not much happened this turn. Killed some scouts and crewmen including another Char crew that tried to escape its punishment

Tried to assault three Chars this turn but obviously didn't find the right spots...
Otherwise i just made a slow but steady advance trying to get into better positions and out of that highly annoying 75 mm bombardment that makes movement over the central hill a slow affair indeed...
How much ammo do those guys come with anyway...

Spenser

[mistergreen]

The french artilley seems happy but it is a little to little a little to late. All along the line units are in full retreat, a few unit fireing as they go but the french commander is feeling that his run away gene is starting to itch.

[Spenser]

One more Char crew killed after my AA guns made them bail out during my op-fire, A M2 shot hits a running Char from the rear and it goes up in flames. GIs make a number of assault attempts and at least immobilizes two more, one that was fighting and also the crazy isolated Char on the hill, now absolutely nothing can be working on that vehicle
Guess there are now 8 Chars remaining of which 5 seems to be able to move and fight.

On the downside one M2 killed and another damaged but thats a price i can afford as we are also closing in on both the northern victory hexes and the ones in the french "base-camp"

Spenser

[mistergreen]

My proud panzar force has been reduced to a handful of Chars and they are not in mint condition. Never the less my trusted lieutenant has promised me that my forces will rally and mount a big counter attack just as soon as some lake freezes over. Never heard of a lake called hell thought.

[Spenser]

Finally the crazy charcrew met its fate but i had to use my AA gun at point blank range to blast them into the place where coincidentally, your lieutenants lake also happens to be
Another bailed out crew and the FO-Panhard joined them on their one-way trip...

All americans now charging forward towards objective areas.
Nothing's gonna stop us now!

Spenser

[mistergreen]

Sadly they are correct. Nothing is gonna stop them. Time to raise the french umm I mean white flag