Case Yellow - how the Allies **** it up even more

[warspite1]

That ends the French turn. Over to the British now and I am greeted with this news....

[warspite1]

The British Army in France consists of three Corps plus Line of Communication troops.

BEF (Lord Gort VC)
I Corps (3 divs - 1st Infantry, 2nd Infantry and 48th Infantry)
II Corps (3 divs - 3rd Infantry, 4th Infantry and 50th Infantry)
III Corps (3 divs - 5th Infantry, 42nd Infantry and 44th Infantry)
Line of Comms (3 'divs' - 12th Infantry, 23rd Infantry and 46th Infantry)
Headquarters Reserve (1 Tank Brigade)

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
British Expeditionary Force

The British, positioned between the French 7th and 1st Armies, are ordered to hold the Dyle Line between Louvain and Wavre.

The BEF strung out along the road to Brussels have to pass an old battleground where they once fought the French with Prussian assistance (ringed).....

[warspite1]

Over to the Belgians now and it looks like marching the Allies to their historical positions has done the business in regards to the Dyle Plan [:)].

[warspite1]

The Belgian forces were made up of 8 corps and a cavalry corps:

Belgian Army (King Leopold)

I Corps (2 divs - 4th Infantry and 7th Infantry)
II Corps (3 divs - 6th Infantry, 9th Infantry and 11th Infantry)
III Corps (2 divs - 2nd Infantry and 3rd Infantry)
IV Corps (3 divs - 12th Infantry, 15th Infantry and 18th Infantry)
V Corps (2 divs - 13th Infantry and 17th Infantry)
VI Corps (2 divs - 5th Infantry and 10th Infantry)
VII Corps (2 divs - 2nd Motorised and 8th Infantry)
K Corps (2 divs - 1st Cavalry and 1st Motorised)
Cavalry Corps (2 divs - 1st Infantry and 14th Infantry) Greyed out/Locked?

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
Belgian Army

The Belgians sought to hold the Albert Canal Line from Antwerp to Liege - and then almost double back from Liege to Namur behind the Maas with the Fortress of Eban Emael being the hinge on which the two lines met.

[warspite1]

And last but not least its the Dutch

[warspite1]

The Dutch forces were split into 4 corps

Dutch Army (Winkelman)
I Corps (2 divs - 1st Infantry and 3rd Infantry)
II Corps (2 divs - 2nd Infantry and 4th Infantry)
III Corps (3 divs - 5th Infantry, 6th Infantry and Light Division)
IV Corps (2 divs - 7th Infantry and 8th Infantry)

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
Dutch Army

By the time the Dutch get to move they have already been engaged by the Germans.

Border guards were attacked near Roermond and Venlo. A bridge was blown near the former, but my attempt at Venlo failed.

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
Dutch Army

Further to the north, west of Nijmegen, the Germans land paratroopers to unhinge the Dutch defenders. I don't know if the Dutch has anything to confront them with....

[budd]

Looking forward to reading this, there always entertaining. I too am an untalented wargamer[:D] just lost Case White by hitting 11% casualties on the last turn.

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
Dutch Army

It doesn't look like there is much, if anything that can even reach the Fallschirmjaeger [:@] let alone attack them. Winkelman orders as many units as possible to man river lines and attempt to blow bridges.

The German 9th Panzer Division forced a crossing of the Maas near Mil, but in so doing has got separated from its supporting units. Elements of the Peel Division (not a regular division but effectively border guards) were ordered to engage in order to try and cut communications. Vak Erp managed to outflank the German tanks and blew a bridge over the Maas, while further north Vak Schayk, although unable to blow its target bridge, managed to block the southern end. To the southwest another bridge was blown over the Raam. Winkelman is pleased with that - now what about those paratroopers?......

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: **budd**

Looking forward to reading this, there always entertaining. I too am an untalented wargamer[:D] just lost Case White by hitting 11% casualties on the last turn.

warspite1

Yeah but winning games is soooo overrated isn't it? [;)]

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
Dutch Army

There is nothing to be done about the Paratroopers that have landed furthest west, but the other two units have been cut-off from the east. In doing so the Dutch III Corps has got widely separated - the Light Division is not even in the picture, while 5th and 6th Divisions have got jumbled up with some heading north to contain the para threat and others east to try and shore up the Maas.

II Corps have moved south to cover the three brigades A, B and G, that are unlikely to survive much longer. A and B are holding the key towns of Arnhem and Nijmegen, while Brigade G is looking to seal off the easternmost paratroop landing.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

It might be too late.. but I read that you get a better AI if you select slow AI turn. It gives it more time to work the turn

[warspite1]

As with DC:B, I find the AI turn all happens so fast its difficult to follow. However the Wehrmacht are clearly in full flow and these are the reports I have been presented with ahead of the French turn.

Gamelin: Yet more AP reductions for many French Corps (some really severe) - how am I supposed to work under these conditions?

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury

It might be too late.. but I read that you get a better AI if you select slow AI turn. It gives it more time to work the turn

warspite1

Probably - I won't disturb the settings for now in any case as I have done one turn.

[warspite1]

2/2

[warspite1]

11th May 1940
Allies General Situation

I do not recall seeing any real engagement between the Allies and Germans (Dutch aside) but the Allied Dyle points are down to 51 - they were in the 60's - so I don't know what happened there.

11th May 1940
French Army HQ

Meanwhile, back at the ranch - or in this case the French HQ - Maurice Gamelin is reading the very latest reports as they reach him at the Chateau de Vincennes. Well, when I say latest, I mean the reports that have finally arrived at his HQ by means of carrier pigeon or motorcycle despatch rider - assuming he hasn't been knocked off his bike and killed..... or whatever...

One thing is certain for the French Commander-in-Chief however; Gamelin is content that the Germans are playing right into his hands. He is certain that the main thrust of the enemy's attack is through the Low Countries. This makes him even more pleased with himself that he decided to amend the Dyle Plan with the Breda Variant - and order 7th Army up from the General Reserve and give it to the First Army Group.

Gamelin allows himself a little chuckle as he recalls the stupid objections of the British - and even his own immediate subordinate General Georges, responsible for the North East Front. Gamelin, still stung by the words of Georges: "This is an adventure. If the enemy should be feigning in Belgium, then he can manoeuvre elsewhere. We should therefore not employ our reserves for this operation! This is nothing more than a dream!" would have the last laugh and be proved right. Besides, he reassured himself, there is no evidence of any German move elsewhere, all will be well...


Now remind me, which one of these is Holland?

[warspite1]

11th May 1940
French 7th Army

Progress for Giroud's men is slow. I think I can safely say they are not going to reach Holland....

French 1st Army

The 12th Motorised Division reaches Gembloux, but the rest of the Army is way behind and struggling to catch up. As part of Gamelin's master plan, the two light mechanised divisions of Prioulx's Cavalry Corps (ringed) are supposed to be holding the line Tienen-Hannut-Huy (the line pictured). They are nowhere near their objective on day 2....