Below you will find the first in a series of articles from Brett Dedrick featuring a playthrough of Panzer Expansion #4 Scenario #37: Delaying Action at Ernage. Enjoy!

You hit somebody with your fist and not with your fingers spread.

General Has Guderian 

Situation at Start 

After the Battle of Hannut, the town of Gembloux represented the last French defensive position on the Belgian front. On 14 May 3rd and 4th Panzer Divisions advanced from the Hannut area towards Gembloux. The French desperately needed time to reorganize their defensive positions. A holding force from remnants of the 2e and 3e DLMs was ordered to delay the advancing Panzers north of Ernage.

From the France ’40 Playbook 

Basically, the Germans enter on the right side of the map and need to exit off the left side of the map. They have 23 turns to do so. The French must stop them or destroy most of the attacking force. 

There are Limited Spotting rules in effect. So, for the first 3 turns there is a -3-spotting penalty. It goes down to -2 on turns 4-6, -then 1 on turns 7-9 and normal thereafter. 

In order to make the game feel more historical, the following Optional Rules are in effect: Morale (7.1), Platoon Command and Control (7.3), Vehicles without Radio Sets (7.4), Tank Fright (7.6), Variable AP Penetration (7.12), Bogging Down (7.29), Command Span (7.52), and Tank Crew Size (7.57). Even though it seems like a lot of rules to add to the game, once you get used to them they are not really too much of a burden. 

Map: 

Ed Note: Normally, for a Replay, you want to use a game that is fairly close. It tends to make it much easier to be entertained by the replay. However, sometimes the best way to learn a game is to learn from someone else’s mistakes. In this game the French Commander made few mistakes early in the game causing the game to end fairly quickly. However, the way in which he lost shows some parts of the Panzer system that you rarely get to see, hence we decided to show this replay. 

German Pre-Game Strategy 

OKW has given me the task of destroying the last few French troops in our way and I plan to do so post haste! In other news, our raid on the Baele Jean-François Winery went off with typical German Precision and all the grapes are now property of the Wehrmacht. This means that we have, to date, captured over 10 fine vineyards. As an aside, I must remember to schedule a couple of days off for my troops after capturing a vineyard as fighting with a hangover is tough on the troops. 

This is a rather simple battle as the only thing you have to do as the Germans is to enter the map and exit off the far side of the map. Of course, any pesky French units you can destroy on the way off the map will help our cause. 

The issue is that you really cannot decide on where to enter the board until after the French setup. However, you can divide the map into 3 basic sections; The Top, Middle and Bottom. 

The worst area to enter the map in would be the Middle. This would allow every French unit to converge on the Germans. You can kind of Hide behind hill 28.07 but by the time you get there, the French can hit both your flanks. Also, the only road in this area requires the Germans to cross a lot of open ground. Even with the Negative spotting modifiers (-3 of turns 1-3, -2 on turns 4-6, -1 on turns 7-9 and normal thereafter), you’re probably going to be spotted and the French have six (!) excellent AT guns to go along with 13 tanks and two ACs, all of which can penetrate our early war paper thin armor. 

The next area is probably the safest and that’s the Bottom route. You can hide behind the Town and then move into the town for cover. Also, when you do move into the open it just for 4 hexes which you can cross in one turn. However, there are very few hexes in this area of the map and the Germans will be extremely bunched up. Smoke can again be your friend and allow the Germans to get far without losing too many units. The negative side is that the French will be able to abandon their top and middle defenses and reposition fairly quickly. 

The last area is the Top route. Normally I wouldn’t consider this as there is nothing but open ground. However, with the negative spotting modifiers, you can actually enter the PzIVD’s and the SPW/251-2 (the mortar Halftracks) one hex onto the map and not be visible to the French (unless they setup in the open which would be great). This would allow your 10(Yes that’s right 10!) smoke firing units to lay down enough cover to get close enough to allow your infantry to get close enough to assault anyone in the woods hexes of the woods around 27N9. 

For this game I will choose the Top Route. 

On the subject of tanks, let’s talk about how the German tanks compare with the French ones. Quite Frankly, one on one, they suck. The French tanks have better armor and guns that can penetrate our armor. Our Pz IIC’s are useless unless they can get rear shots and even then don’t have a very good chance. The PzIVD’s are much better but we will need them to fire smoke and not get into a running gun battle until later. 

The two areas our tanks are better is that they are much faster and have better turn rates on their turrets (well, the Pz IVD does). However, the speed is only an advantage after you pass the French. Before then, we’re heading right for them, so our speed won’t matter much in the early game. 

The Turret turn rate (that’s the TT value on the data card) of all the French tanks and the Pz IIC is one. That means it can only adjust one hexside when doing and OW fire or during the Adjustment phase. Basically, this means that if you can get past the French, they will not be able to fire at you as their turret cannot track fast enough. This means that they’ll have to give their tanks a move command in order to position themselves to fire at you and since you move faster, you might be able to get out of their LOS altogether. 

So how can we win? Well this is where the optional rules come in. Below I’ll explain each rule and point out if that rule can favor the Germans. 

1. Morale (7.1) – Although the German and French morale is the same, the Cohesion of the German troops is much higher. This allows the Germans to take more losses before they must start taking Forced Morale Checks. 
2. Platoon Command and Control (7.3) – No effect as both sides have enough commands available for their troops. 
3. Vehicles without Radio Sets (7.4) – Since most French tanks are radio less, they are bound by this rule which forces all Vehicles of the same platoon to use the same command AND makes that platoon’s Command Range zero hexes. So, a stack of 4 French tanks from the same platoon will need to be stacked together and use the same command. This means that when they Fire they all have to Fire at units in the same hex. One of the tricks the Germans can use, early in the war, is to not stack any units. That way a stack of French tanks can only fire at one unit. The down side is that it does cause you to be somewhat spread out. This rule greatly favors the Germans. 
4. Tank Fright (7.6) – Basically this means that before an infantry unit Close Assaults an Armor unit it must pass a Morale Check. Since there are no French Infantry units this rule favors the French. However, we always use this as it seems realistic. 
5. Variable AP Penetration (7.12) – Can add or subtract one or two penetration values to any shot. Since both sides have guns that can benefit from this it’s a wash as to who this favors.. 
6. Bogging Down (7.29) – Normally favors neither side, however, since the defender will use this far more than an attacker who MUST advance, this favors the Germans. 
7. Command Span (7.52) – The German Command Span is 10 hexes while the French Command Span is 6 hexes. Favors the Germans but I must say that in the majority of games that I’ve played this rarely comes into play. (Ed. Note: This does actually come into play later in this game) 
8. Tank Crew Size (7.57) – This affects firing and the number of commands a side has. Since the French H-35s have to use this rule, it favors the Germans. 

What’s the upshot of all of this? Basically, as the Germans, try not to get into a toe to toe slugfest with the French tanks. Try to move past them. Also, avoid the S-35s altogether as they have a good gun and armor that only the Pz IVDs can penetrate (and then only at Point Blank range). 

As for the Infantry, the French have none and being the superior army who is not trying to re-fight WWI, we have a nice combined arms unit. We can use these units (that are in halftracks) to charge any AT units and Close Assault them. 

As a side note, since the French have no Infantry (with the exception on one CHQ ½ squad) any Close Assaults we do with Infantry against Armor units will get a +30 to their attack because the French tanks will be considered unsupported. Anytime we can Close Assault the French units we will. 

Lastly, let’s talk about smoke. Asin just about any scenario where you are advancing, smoke is your friend. Since we have so many smoke making units (did I mention we have 10 of them?), we will use them mask any approach to the French units. 

Ed Note: I think the German is correct in everything he says. However, the safer choice would have been to use the Bottom route. Still, with the amount of smoke he has it make not be as risky as it seems. This is because any shot at the Germans will be at a -8 (-1 for size, -2 for firing on a moving vehicle and -5 for firing through smoke). 

French Pre-Game Strategy 

The Germans are coming our way. Good I say, let them. We are ready. I have plenty of the excellent CA47 SA 37 Guns Available to me as well as 11 H-35 tanks. And the Piece de Resistance, 4 of the excellent S-35 tanks. We have great terrain to defend in. The Germans will not get past us. 

One slight worry I have is the fact that other than my HQ half squad, I have no Infantry. I mean, I’m not one to complain but don’t we have over 5 Million men in our armed services? Surely High command could spare a battalion of men? 

Ah, no matter. Our tanks and Guns will be more than enough to defeat these Germans. I mean, we’ve done so well so far… 

My goal is simple: prevent the majority of Germans from exiting the map while killing as many of them as I can. To do this I have more than enough anti-tank units. However, I am severely under-staffed in infantry. This means that all of my troops will be vulnerable to Close Assault. Which means that the AT guns will be ready to move anytime someone gets close and the tanks will not let themselves get caught adjacent to German Infantry. The only caveat to that is that if they can take a few units with them before they go, I won’t retreat them. 

My overall plan is this. I will stack two AT guns together in 3 separate locations as far forward as I can. I do this to increase the deadliness of their attacks as well as decrease the number of commands I will need to use. Each AT gun hex will also be able to support one other AT gun hex giving me at least 4 guns firing at any incoming attack. 

My two lower guns stacks will also have 4 H-35s stacked adjacent to them. This will further increase my firepower against the coming Germans. On the Northern part of the line, the two AT guns will be somewhat alone, but I’ve position the H-35 command tank as well as the 4 S-35s close to them, on the road, so they can advance quickly to either reinforce the northern most troops or quickly head south. They will be my reserve for this battle. 

The Armored Cars will be placed in the middle of the board and will respond quickly to any attack. 

At whatever point the attack is coming from, I will plan to have the AT guns fire a couple of times then retreat. The tanks next to them will cover their retreat as they head to their secondary position. 

The below map has the 3 Defense lines marked. The Blue circles are for the Northern most group, the yellow for the center most group wile the red circles are for the southern group. 

Once I determine the main route of the German attack, the units not directly facing the attack will head towards the attack at best possible speed and try to hit the Germans in the flank. 

As a final note, which always surprises me when I play early war scenarios, the French tanks are very hard for the German tanks to kill. The French Armor is a lot better than the German Firepower (except for the PzIVD at point blank range.) making them somewhat invulnerable to headlong attacks. 

Additionally, I don’t have to worry about the PzIIC’s unless they get lucky with a rear shot at point blank range, otherwise they cannot hurt me. As soon as they come on board, the H-35 will charge them and take them out. I like to consider PzIIC’s to be Victory Point generators for the French. 

I only really have to be concerned with the PzIVDs so I’ll keep a close watch on them and ensure the S-35s meet them head on. 

BTW, the AC’s can be very useful in this game. They are faster than anything else in this scenario and their gun can penetrate any German armor, especially if they use their speed to get a flank or rear shot. 

Ed Note: I like the French Plan, but I do see a couple of weaknesses. I don’t think he’s taking into account two things. First these early war tanks are just not that good beyond Short range. Secondly, I think he’s forgetting just how well smoke can reduce your to hit chances and the Germans have a ton of vehicles that can fire smoke and hide their advance. He is also forgetting that the spotting modifiers are pretty high at the start of the game, so he won’t be able to even see the Germans units as they enter the board. It might have been better to put his reserves close to the front and in the middle in order to create a potent Flanking force. 

Turn #1 

Actions speak louder than words. In the days to come the Goddess of Victory will bestow her laurels only on those who prepared to act with daring.

General Has Guderian 

German Comment: The French setup is about what I’d expected so I’ll keep with my pre-game plan and enter on the northern part of the map. 

Spotting 

None as Germans have yet to enter 

Command Phase 

Since we are using the Platoon Command and Control (7.3) rules the French Lt. Armored Company gets 8 commands while the Anti-tank Battery gets 4 commands. 

The German Medium Panzer Company are Veterans, so they get 10 commands while the Panzer Grenadier Company gets 15 Commands. 

All Germans have Move commands. 

Every French unit will have a OW command except for the command tank and the S-35s which will have a Move command. 

Ed. Note: Due to the restrictive Vehicles without Radio Sets (7.4) rule, the French tanks that are stacked together must all use the same command. Basically, this means that all units stacked together will all have to fire at the same hex. 

Initiative Phase 

German Roll – 91 +20 = 112 

French Roll – 52 

German wins and will Fire first and Move second. 

German Comment: I choose to Move second in case he has any units with Move commands so I can see where they are moving before I commit myself to entering the mapboard. 

1st Air Phase 

None. 

Combat Phase 

None as the Germans have yet to enter the board. 

Movement Phase 

Rather than giveaway which units are moving where, the French player decides to not move. 

The German player enters just the PzIVD’s, the PzIIF and the two Mortar Halftracks one hex along the right side of the map. The rest of the units will stay off map until the smoke arrives on turn 2. 

Ed. Note: Since there is a-3 to spotting on the first 3 turns, a moving tank cannot be seen past 10 hexes. The Germans stopped 11 hexes away from the French ATGs. 

German Comment: All smoke firing units are now in a position to fires smoke next turn. 

Still no sign of the Le Boche. I guess the reports of their prowess are greatly exaggerated.

Overheard from a now deceased French Captain 

2nd Air Phase 

None. 

Adjustment Phase 

No Adjustments need to be done. 

German Comment: You know where all this fog came from? God? Because he’s on our side. 

French Comment: So, his main thrust will be in the north. Next turn the middle group will flank any Germans coming onboard while the Southern group will hold moving for a turn in order off to prevent a run around. Those Germans are sneaky bastards. 

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Next Week: Scenario #37 Replay Turn 2