Below you will find the fifth and final part in a series of articles from Brett Dedrick featuring a playthrough of Panzer Expansion #4 Scenario #37: Delaying Action at Ernage. The first four parts can be found here. Enjoy!

Turn 5

If the tanks succeed then victory follows.

General Hans Guderian 

Spotting 

The two French ATG’s are spotted (+3 due to Fire, -2 Spotting modifier, -2 Medium Cover = -1 Total so they are spotted only at 5 hexes or less.). So is everyone else. 

Command Phase 

For the French, everyone will have a Move order while for the Germans everyone except hex 27J9 will Move while the 27J9 stack Fires on the French Ca37 #4. 

Here’s the North part of the map. 

French Comment: I gave CA37#4 a Move command hoping he can survive the Fire coming at him and move him back a bit before he is overrun. The H-35s have a N/C so they can recover. The AC’s will just move closer. 

German Comment: Everybody moves cuz…well I can. 

Ed. Note: The French have little options in the Northern part of the map. I might have put a few troops in OW (Especially the ATGs in the middle of the map) because once you Fire them the German will know they are not OW and will run down the road. 

The Southern Map. 

French Comment: The ATGs will unload while the H-35s will turn around. 

Germans Comment: I’ll just run right past the incredibly slow French. 

Lieutenant LeClerc! I just looked behind us and some German Tanks just drove into that Village we just passed.?” 

“What? Duval why were you looking behind us?.” 

“Because, uhmm does that really matter sir?” 

“Of course, it matters Duval. You’re supposed to be looking forward.” 

“And I’m looking for???” 

<sighs> “German Tanks, of course. Just in case…oh…I see. OK Duval signal the other tanks and we’ll turn around. In the meantime, swing the turret around so we can Fire. Duval, did you hear me? Swing the turret around.” 

“I have been turning it around since we started talking.” 

Overheard from French Troops exiting in H-35 #7 

Initiative Phase 

German Roll – 1 +20 = 21 

French Roll –9 

The Germans will Fire first and Move second. 

1st Air Phase 

None. 

Combat Phase 

German Comment: At this point in the game, it’s time to start thinking about just bum rushing the French. I’m pretty sure I can have one stack of infantry units take out the ATG close to me but even if they don’t I’ll load up some infantry in the halftracks and get close enough to Close assault the ATG next turn. 

French Comment: I think moving that ATG is the best thing to do. Hopefully it survives and can run away. 

All units in Hex J9 are firing at CA37 #4. 

The rest of the units in J9 also have Fire orders but since the ATG is destroyed there’s no reason to fire them. 

All three French units in Hex 27K2 will fire at German Infantry in Hex 27J7. 

Movement Phase 

It really won’t affect play but I’m going to move the trucks anyway as the Panicked French Trucks drivers put the pedal to the metal and haul ass 

“Merde!” 

“Jacques, get the Truck moving the Huns are right there!” 

“I can’t we’re stuck!” 

“Look, there’s Pierre’s truck. Let’s just hitch a ride with him.” 

“Pierre wait stop!” 

VROOOOMMMMMMM 

“Dammit he didn’t stop.” 

“No shit Jacques. Pierre always was an ass.” 

French Comment: These are the little narratives that happen in a game of Panzer that I think make the game really fun. I can just picture the above French Truck driver heavily cussing out the other fleeing Truck Driver right before they are captured. 

Ed. Note: Actually, as you’ll see in a bit, it’s even funnier than that as the Germans pass them by too. 

Here’s the Northern part of the map after the French move. Note that the H-35s have a N/C (No Command) order so that they can recover from the Break and Hesitation better. 

Here’s the Southern part of the map after the French move as the slow H-35s vainly try to catch the speedy PzIICs. The French ATGs unload and will get one last parting shot. 

Here’s the Northern part of the map after the German Moves. 

And the Southern Map after the German Move. 

2nd Air Phase 

None. 

Adjustment Phase 

All the SMOKE ON Smoke go to SMOKE OFF. 

Ed. Note: At this point in the game both players decided to call it. Even though the French player still had a few parting shots he could make, the German Forces would still be able to exit most of his force while the follow-on Tank forces would easily wipe out the armored cars in their way. 

French Final Comment: I made a few mistakes in this game, the largest of which was moving my S-35s too close to the Infantry. Quite Frankly I just forgot that they could move two hexes and attack. I think my setup was OK but you really need to keep the H-35s close to a road so they can react faster. 

German Final Comment: I think this is one of those scenarios where you have to realize that you need to EXIT your forces. Killing French is all fine and dandy, but you should only take out the forces in front of you, create a hole, then run. That’s the main reason I choose the Northern route. I wanted to hop on the sole paved road and sprint away!. I did make a mistake in the beginning and exposed my PzIVDs to his ATG fire, but I was playing the odds and he rolled really well. 

ED. Note: I agree with most of what both players said. The French got lucky early but then the die rolls evened out. I think the German plan was sound and with one exception the French response was correct. However, there was really no excuse to expose the S-35s like that. I think this game, though short, does highlight a few areas that you normally don’t get to see in an AAR of Panzer. You got to see how Close combat with Fright checks work and then got to see how Morale can play a huge part if you expose one of your CHQs. 

Ed. Post Note: For those of you interested both Jacques and Dorian in Light Truck #6 watched the Germans drive right past them, repaired their truck and headed back to their own lines. They both survived the war and came back to the woods where they were left behind and built two very nice adjoining houses. They never invited Pierre to their houses. 

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Previous Articles:

Panzer Expansion #4 Scenario #37 Replay Part 1 — Introduction and Turn 1

Panzer Expansion #4 Scenario #37 Replay Part 2 — Turn 2

Panzer Expansion #4 Scenario #37 Replay Part 3 — Turn 3

Panzer Expansion #4 Scenario #37 Replay Part 4 — Turn 4