Fall Gelb

[Korpraali V]

III Battle (I and II in "Fall Weiss")



16th May 1940 1800 Brussels
30 turns, visibility 800 meters

German assault – Belgium defend



Support units:

I Artillery
6x 105mm FH Bty
Ammo dump

II Recon
6x Stoewer 40
6x Recon Team

III Engineer sompany
Hq
3x Engineer, FT Engineer, MG34
3x Engineer, FT Engineer, MG34
3x Engineer, FT Engineer, 2x MG34

IV Fallschirmjäger company
Hq
4x FJ, MG34
4x FJ, MG34
4x FJ


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Fall Gelb

On 10th of May we attacked Holland, Belgium and Luxembourgh. Yesterday Holland surrendered. Now we are at the gates of Brussels. As part of the 6th Army, we are to attack allied (French, British, Belgians, some Dutch) Dyle line. This is our second try. Yesterday our armys attack was repulsed with high casualties. Oberst Fitzmayer (line on yesterday) said it is strong fortified line. Mines, machineguns and bunkers everywhere. Now it’s our divisions turn to try. My battalion Speiß is attacking against Belgians. We have artillery support and von Reichenau ordered an airdrop just behind enemy frontline. I also got one engineer company so we’re going to have every support we need to break through. Belgians are waiting for us. They know we are coming and they have dugged-in. They have already hold us one day and their morale must be high but we don’t know what are their casualties. Are they still in their best fighting shape or about to break?

There are few villages in the map. One is in no man’s land in the middle. Through that goes main road to Brussels. Another E-W road goes in north. Belgians frontlines are in open terrain but right after that comes forests. Only large graveyard (350 x 450 meters) in the middle is open. Primary road goes through graveyard and in front of it there’s a small wooden chapel. Hope I don’t have to destroy it. Today the graveyard is going to get a lot of new bodies. After the graveyard there is a small village linked in town in north behind northern forest. In those villages there are crossroads of two E-W and one N-S roads. Behind the northern village is a hill. Another hill is in south. Between those hills and behind the villages goes NW-SE river. Third hill is in the middle behind other two hills.

Frontal VH areas are: one in far south just in forest, one in northern road in forest, one little south from that between roads in forest.

Rear VH areas are: one in northern hill and one in north of southern hill between hill and river.

Main forces are to attack in north. Main attack will break lines, capture VHs and reach contact to FJs I’m sending. Another attack is taking place in south. I’ll send two platoons of engineers, one platoon of SS and one platoon of Pz-IVs to southern hexes. 88s are to assist both flanks from smaller hills in no man’s land. Mortars are again as front as possible around ammo dump.

I’ll send FJ company to northern village on turn 5. At that time my engineers should be clearing minefields and this should turn enemy’s attention, inflict some confusion among them and so ease engineers job. Fallschirmjäger’s job is to take and keep the town, hill and northern rear VHs with help of artillery. It’s going to be tough for them, but I also want to test their abilities for future use. I’ll send one Jagd-Kommando platoon to forest in front of that town to help main forces come through forest. Another platoon to southern rear hexes. With help of artillery they should be able to capture and keep them.

Turn 1: North: 81mm tryout showed some mines. Good. Found frontline. Smoke ordered in front of it and HE on it. South: found minefield. Two Stoewers are kaputt.

Turn 2: receiving small arms fire both in north and in south. Minefield in north is right in front of Belgians line. It means hard work to engineers. Ordered artilleryfire just behind their frontline. South: engineers start their work. Stoewer that went through their minefield showed that southern forest is empty! No one is guarding VHs, just minefield. Didn’t took VHs yet, I don’t want Belgians to interrupt my engineers who have just started to clear mines.

Turn 3: North: Belgians weren’t able to fight against my engineers. They are starting their work covered by smoke. Stoewer found light tank B.13 with 47mm gun from graveyard. I’ll bury it there as soon as my tanks get through. It also found special troops playing chess in the middle. Ordered 81mm to shake their concentration.

Turn 4: Their 77mm artillery is firing. Little suppression but not much. Two Jagd-Kommandos arrived to southern rear hexes and saw two FT-18 in north. On top of northern hill seems to be their Hq and at least three bunkers with three 75mm guns each. It seems like FJs got something to do. Ordered four Mortars and one 105 to cause suppression before jägers come.

Turn 5: Took 88 off the hill right on time before artillery barrage. Jagd-Kommando found MG-nest in front of northern town.

Turn 6: Fallschirmjägers arrived in the end of last turn and suffered right away some casualties. In and around town are at least 18 bunkers and many tanks (saw eleven 3x 75mm bunkers, three 105mm bunkers, three MG-nests, one Obs post, three FT-18, one B.13, one 40mm Bofors) and Hq. They have destroyed one 105-buker so far. JU52s saw four 3x 75mm bunkers, three MG-bunkers and observation post in front of northern forest. No wonder why yesterday was rough. Smoked frontal bunkers but it still means that FJs have to make some time on their own before main forces reach there. And they’ve got only small arms. Engineers are still working on minefield. In south they made two lines through 50 meters deep minefield. Rear south: Jagd-Kommando took VHs in try to take few FT-18s attention and ease FJs situation.

Turn 7: It worked: three FT-18s are heading south. In northern forest one J-K infiltrated to front of MG-nest and blowed it up. Another one found and destroyed B.13. FJs found over five more bunkers and two 47mm ATGs. South: took VHs and established a defenceline in forest. Engineers, SS, MG34s, tanks... should work. North: still working...

Turn 8: One bunker blowed up and Belgian Hq destroyed. Some casualties, FJs are trying to assault bunkers.

Turn 9: How on earth can it take so long to clear 50 meters deep minefield!! FJs are dying there! J-K in southern rear hexes presented sachel charge to FT-18...she blushed all red... My mortars and 105s are destroying fleeing Belgian infantry in continuous fire in north.

Turn 10: Their artillery is firing FJs – that means they don’t have infantry around. I have taken southern forest. It was all empty. In graveyard there is four B.13s. J-K destroyed another FT-18.

Turn 11: North: Finally few clear lines in minefields. South: troops came out from the forest in wide line and buried those four B.13s in graveyard. Lost few men and Pz-IV, and one halftrack damaged. J-K destroyed third FT-18 and fourth is coming. FJs destroyed Bofors. Except that they are just failing assaults.

Turn 12: North: We are slowly going forward. Need more clear ways through minefield. Small arms fire from the middle. Found two 20mm AA guns behind the graveyard. And one MG-nest, which was blown up by Pz-IV. Infantry saw Belgian central frontline. Ordered a mortar barrage on them. Fourth FT-18 is in pieces. That should be all of them. Surprisingly southern force seems to have opportunity to advance and take contact to FJs.

Turn 13: North: My troops are soon reaching forest. Belgian infantry here is no more a thread. Ordered smoke in front of bunkers. South: Graveyard is mine. Destroyed two 20mm ATGs, two mortars and two AAMGs. Reached contact to FJs but bunker destroyed one Pz-IV.

Turn 14: Tanks have started to destroy bunkers in north and in rear town. It takes some time. Lost one Pz-II due to a stupid drive to front of bunker. Northern VHs are mine. Belgians must have spent all their points to bunkers. Mortars and artillery have now few turns suppressed Belgian infantry in the middle. Next I’m starting my attack there from south and north. Northern attack have reached FJs.

Turn 15: Their mortar barrage hit my infantry in south. Two squads were able to move forward towards central frontline. North: destroyed couple of bunkers. One third of my troops are still behind the minefields and engineers can’t make more clear lines. They have worked about ten turns in peace now! Annoying. Rear: destroyed a bunker and two B.13s. This is clearly turning to me now.

Turn 16: Belgian center is running and we are shooting ducks. Middle forest: Trying to destroy bunkers that are either in front of VHs or in it. These are only VHs wich are still in Belgian hands.

Turn 18: Belgian force morale is broken. Their reinforcements seems to be coming towards northern town. Send two tanks and FJs to wellcome them. Found five 75mm AA-guns on the rear hill. 81s ordered to suppress them. South also saw counterstrike coming: FT-18s and infantry. Cleared Belgian resistance in front and sent most troops to their rear. As fast as they can. 105s can hopefully slow their coming. Because of the bunkers in front forest that are locatoed on VHs I still can’t take them all.

Turn 19: Infantry is coming on the rear hill. There are belgians all the way north to south. Platoon of tanks and two platoons of infantry should be enough in south, north section of tanks, two platoons of FJs and three MG34s seems to be enough to Belgians. Destroyed couple bunkers. One harmful left.

Turn 20: three FT-18s are burning and Belgian infantry is staggering. This ends as soon as I get that one bunker. Don’t want to loose too many men. Have already lost enough. More barrages ordered. 2/3 of 105s are out of ammo and rest have under ten left.

Turn 21: Four 75mm AAGs abandoned, two left. Infantry running. Counterattack never had a change.

Turn 22: Finally destroyed that bunker. At least three tanks run out of AP-ammo and five squads out of anything useful against those bunkers...Bunkers were definitely tougher than infantry today.

Battle ends as night comes. Belgians are defeated and remains of enemy troops retreat. Dyle line is broken and 6th Army can start its march to Brussels. Germans got about 20 prisoners from bunkers. Few refused to surrender so they were blowed up by engineers. Germans captured few mortars and 75mm AA-guns (if they might have some use later...quess not). Germans occupied Brussels following day.

Note:
SS-Obersturmführer Rittenhaus, leader of 1st Platoon of I SS Panzer Company – 10 kills!
Chapel remained undamaged.

German points: 8080 decesive victory
Polish points: 813 crushing defeat

German casualties: 119 men, 4 soft vechiles, 1 apc, 2 afv’s
Belgian casualties: 1135 men, 46 artillery (25 bunkers), 15 afv’s

Fall Rot is starting and we are moving to France.

We’ll get few new sIG33 ausführung Pz-I 150mm guns-on-tracks (english term?), one ammo carrier and also one more Spec ops.

[Korpraali V]

IV Battle

2nd June 1940 0400 Lille
35 turns, visibility 450 meters

France assault – Germany defend


Support units:

I Bunkers & mines
Command bunker (French)
3x Log Rifle Plt
20 mines

II Artillery
6x 105mm FH Bty
Ammo dump
2x Buessing-Nag

III Armor
3x Pz-Ib



Fall Rot

(Still part of the 6th Army)

This is amazing! We occupied Lille 29th of May and separated British, French and Belgian forces at Dunkirk. They are beaten and withdrawing to England. French 1st Army is even separated from them. And they are Attacking!! Unbelievable. French overwalked our front units and are now directing towards us. Early in the morning and without supplies they are trying hopeless assault. Cause it is surprise to us, our defences are made in a horry. Only about twenty mines were laid. Engineers are still laying them. We were able to use few captured French bunkers on hills against their former masters. Cause they were built to defend NE, their new directions view is not as good as possible.

Front VHs: 3 groups, 100 end of battle
Back VHs: 2 groups, 200 end of battle

One group of VHs is in far south between two N-S rivers. About 200 meters north from hexes is small hill. Two other VH groups are in north. There goes E-W road. From southern edge of the map comes two small rivers. Right before the road they unite and after road river turns left and goes NW. Both rivers are in our side so they get few mines right on their west side and on probable crossingplaces. Hq denied us to mine bridge. They want to sure it remains in good condition for our next attack. Idiots. First VHs are south from bridge. Right after the bridge and river comes low hill and few houses. Second VHs are on that hill. Besides one orchard south of the road no man’s land is open.

Rear: Three N-E hills and village in front of northern hill. Road goes through village. Back VHs are behind southern hill and between central and northern hills. Around and on hills are some trees.

To defend southern VHs I ordered platoon of SS infantry, four halftracks, sIG33 and Pz-I. Platoon of Pz-IIIs on hill and two 88mm AT-guns in case of seeing Char B1 bis. They are tougher than any of our tanks. On a hill is also one Log. Two Pz-IVs behind them as a moving reserve.

I suspect main assault coming along the road so that’s going to be the strongest part of our defences. Northern side of the road is one SS platoon, Pz-I, sIG33, 88 and platoon of Pz-IVs. Plus one Log on the northern edge of the hill. Around the bridge and first VHs one platoon both SS and engineers. On the hill platoon of Pz-IVs, two 88s, Log and Command bunker. Engineer platoons two FT squads look for close combat in the orchard. Most mines are 100 meters in front of engineers and on the road on north of them.

Few mines are in the middle western side of river. In this area is one engineer platoon and Pz-I. Behind them is one platoon of Pz-IVs. Last 88 is about 500 meters behind them just in case. Platoon of Pz-IIs and eight halftracks are moving reserve in front of rear 88. Mortars are in front of northern rear hill, can cover the whole fighting area and will fire continuously through fight.

I’ll send Jagd-Kommando platoons to locate and destroy enemy mortars.

Turn 1: Artillery and mortar fire, no damages. Trying to bombard enemy mortars.

Turn 2: Chasseurs on the road. Killed few. 105mm ordered.

Turn 3: This must be motorized battalion attacking. Many prime movers and trucks coming. Destroyed few platoon leaders. Waiting full attack. Three Jagd-Kommandos infiltrated and saw wheeled AT-guns coming (Laffies & Portees).

Turn 4: Two other Jagd-Kommandos infiltrated. J-K lost two men in north but destroyed engineer squad. Ordered four 81s to help them. They popped up far too early.

Turn 5: Jagd-Kommando in trouble in north, H-39 coming and shooting.

Turn 6: J-K destroyed H-39 and is still alive. Found and destroyed 60mm mortar and one wheeled ATG. Found troops (onboard artillery) for mortar and artillery targets. FT engineers are burning men and vechiles in orchard.

Turn 7: Couple companys of French infantry is running. Tanks are coming now. Their attack is not in well order. Armors come late. Infantry is already partly beaten.

Turn 8: Engineer squadron in orchard destroyed two H-35s losing one man. J-K saw French Hq south near the frontline! Too far to kill but because no French are seen in south sent two squads of SS in halftracks and two Pz-III to get it. Saw two wheeled ATGs behind Hq. Harder, but possible. MG34s and Pz-Is are tearin French infantry parts in north. 88s and tanks deal well with French armored units. No Chars seen yet. They have fired us continuously with their artillery, but see no damage, just little suppression.

Turn 9: Char B1 bis! First brave engineer squad were killed last man in orchard after furious fight. Another is threatened. But battle ended. Colonel De Pellepoix (leader of attackers as we heard from prisoners) ordered his men to withdraw. Prisoners told that they were one motorized infantry battalion plus engineers and one armored battalion.

French forces withdrew from battlefield as they saw nothing could be done. From immobilized Lorraines they left behind we saw that they are almost out of gas and ammo. They can’t hold for long anymore. This battle was quite easy and only hard workers were two FT engineer squads and two J-K squads in north. French troops were green and despite of personal courage assault was poorly organized. Mines killed some men and destroyed few vechiles but not much. They just didn’t come by force. Was it a real try? And HQs beloved bridge is shining under the morning sun... should blow it myself...

Fall Rot is over for us. Now we are taken back to Germany to rest. But who knows where we’ll find us next.

Our five Pz-IIc –armors have been transfered to Pz-IVd –armors. We are also getting three Pz-Ib and two Stug ausf B.

German points: 4221 decesive victory
French points: 65 crushing defeat

German casualties: 13 men
French casualties: 299 men, 1 artillery, 4 apc’s, 21 afv’s

Aftermath:
The French defenders at Lille impressed the Germans so much that they were allowed to march into captivity with bayonets fixed and full honors. The battle at Lille was a rearguard action which aided the evacuation from Dunkirk.

[Korpraali V]

Ps. That aftermath was historical fact. It was so impressive act of honor that I just had to mention it.

[:)]