"Operation Cornichon" - Game 3 - Setup and Turns 1-3

Last weekend, with the weather up to it's usual Bank Holiday best in the UK (grey, cold, wet, raining, cold,oh, and did I mention it was also grey??), I at last found myself in a position where, with no boating on the cards, I could spend some time in the loft..

So I turned to my uncompleted WWII campaign, Operation Cornichon, and set up the third, and final game, of the three linked table top teasers that I put together all those weeks (months??) ago as part of Blue Bear Jeff's challenge (and also here)

For this game I decided to have a go with the "Rate of Fire" skirmish rules I picked up at Salute..


This scenario is based on "Reinforcements in Depth (2)"; Teaser #16 from "Scenario's for Wargamers".. the Wehrmacht's finest have finally (slowly) caught up with the French force they have been hounding for the last two games - slowly that is, since in the last game the French had 'done' for their transport  . The French, exhausted and near end, are told that reinforcements (1 section - diced for arrival time) are on the way, and that they must stop and hold at all costs...

They have been given a line of hills to hold that provides cover for their escape route over a bridge which carries the road west and south. The bridge is on the outskirts of a destroyed town, which also has a rail head...

French positions - start of game - click to embigen...  German entry points bottom to mid-right..

The French have two complete sections, plus a force HQ comprising the C-in-C and two subordinates...

So in "Rate of Fire" terms regular troops, lowish morale as you would expect after two defeats, poor officers with no morale/command benefits... the force does have 3 LMG's and a couple of anti tank rifles however, and also has the benefit of being in defence - they don't have to do anything to win this game, they already occupy the "victory conditions"..  in points terms then, 398 points, and a break point of 8..

..and the Germans - much better quality troops - higher morale, good leadership...  606 points and higher break point, but they'll need that to balance the fact that they will have to attack to win the game.

Move 1:

...and a view along the line of the French positions, 3rd section nearest the camera..  LMG behind the tree...  in the distance you can see the 1st section.. what you can't see is the HQ which is in the ruined 3 storey house..
 

..cautious advance by the French looking to widen their firing angle..

A view from behind the French lines...Railhead - French transport - the bren carrier is just for appearance - German entry point is in the distance...

...stupid move by the Germans - I came haring on to the table (an "at the double" move) as I wanted to get to those hedges/walls at the end of the very open fields...  what I didn't realise was that this put me at a disadvantage in that I couldn't fire back, and the French got firing bonuses! German 2nd Section furthest away, 1st Section closest, HQ in the woods between the two..

First blood to the French - two casualties on 2nd section but they pass their morale test...  German BP now 9 left

Move 2:

The French win the initiative and chose to move first - a "cautious advance" brings them to the edge of the hill and allows them to fire to best benefit, as until then the ridge line of the hill was blocking sight...

Germans slow down so they can return fire, but amazingly, no casualties for either side...

Move 3:

A further slow advance by the Germans who make their veteran status count in this turn to (finally!) inflict their first casualties on the French...  the French reciprocate in kind..

Casualties to date - 2 French losses (6 left before BP), 3 German losses (8 left before BP). Both sides fail their morale checks this turn, and are suppressed (blue pins above).