TAHGC 29 "In Rommel's Wake"

Updated 050320; rev 1.0

ON THE MEUSE, May 17, 1940: In the confusion following the 7th Panzer Division's breakout, isolated French units still held crossings across the Meuse while the German infantry struggled to catch up. Now elements of the XIV Panzergrenadier Corps, on the basis of Fieseler Storch recon, hope to grab another bridgehead into France from what appears to be a platoon strength guard before French reinforcements can arrive. In this heavily wooded region air reports are unreliable but time is of the essence.

VICTORY CONDITIONS: By game end the Germans must establish five unbroken squads on the south side of the river with a bridge still intact. A manned German ar-mored car counts as two squads providing it has any armament functioning (counts as 0 squads if non-functioning). The French win by preventing the German victory conditions.

Prior to the start, the French Player secretly draws a random chit from 1 to 4, to determine the french forces, and the game length. This could be done with a single die roll, ignoring any 5 or 6 result and rerolling in that event. This could be done and recorded in a log file which the French player keeps, and emails to his opponent on the turn on which the game ends. The game ends at the start of the first Rally Phase of the turn indicated below:
Game Length
Chit = 1 Game ends at start of Turn 5
Chit = 2 Game ends at start of Turn 6
Chit = 3 Game ends at start of Turn 8
Chit = 4 Game ends at start of Turn 10

Rules Introduced: Sections 132 -133

SCENARIO SEQUENCE:

French set up first	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	END
Germans moves first

BOARD LAYOUT

NORTH

GERMAN FORCES:

AT START: Recon elements of the 71st Regiment, 29th Panzer Grenadier Division enter on 5Y10 in column using sequential movement with infantry mounted on commandeered bicycles:
1x9-2; 1x9-1; 1x8-1; 9x4-6-7; 4xLMG; 2xPSW222; 9xBicycle

FRENCH FORCES:

AT START: Elements of the 12z Regiment, 3rd North African Division set up first on the south side of the river using Hidden Initial Placement for all but any three counters which must set up in view and without concealment. Randomly select a chit numbered from 1 to 4. The French get only those forces called for by the selected chit.
- Chit = 1
  2x8-0; 6x4-5-7; 2xLMG; 1xMMG; 2xDC
- Chit = 2
  1x8-1, 2x8-0; 6x4-5-7; 2xLMG; 1xMMG; 2xDC
- Chit =3
  1x8-1, 2x8-0; 6x4-5-7; 2xLMG; 1xMMG; 1xDC AND: a bridge hex has been wired with a hidden demo charge in addition to the demo charge shown for other use.
- Chit = 4
  1x8-1, 2x8-0; 6x4-5-7; 2xLMG; 1xMMG; 1xDC AND: a bridge hex has been wired with a hidden demo charge in addition to the demo charge shown for other use.

SPECIAL SCENARIO RULES:

29.1: The river is deep and running at normal level with a moderate cur-rent running to the west. Marsh hexes are considered mud flats.
29.2: A one lane, vehicular, stone bridge extends from 7I2 to 7I8 and a one lane, vehicular, wooden bridge extends from 7AA6 to 7AA8.
29.3: The chit drawn by the French player is not revealed to the German until the French player declares the game over. The French must declare the game over at the start of the first Rally Phase of the turn indicated by the drawn chit number circled on the Turn Record Chart.
29.4: There is a chance that one of the bridges has been wired by an 8-0 leader who also serves as a demolitions expert. If the chit picked indicates a wired bridge hex the hex so wired must be recorded at the outset and then serves as a hidden demolition placement hex (133.7). Demo charge counters have not been pre-wired and must be carried by the 8-0 demoli-tion charge leader.
29.5: The motorcycle counters actually represent bicycles. Bicycles may enter the board sequentially with a Vi MF cost between units, not the 1 MP penalty of vehicles. A bicycle unit and an armored car may enter the board simultaneously without paying sequential movement penalties for each other.
29.6: The French may not boresight (78).TERRAIN: All buildings are wooden and first level except hex 10W8 which is wooden and second level. There are no wheatfields.

AFTERMATH: Only French command blunders had prevented the bridges from being blown earlier. Certain French elements remained north of the river and there was a question as to exactly when the bridges should be blown. The bridges were held very lightly due to the presence of heavy reserves nearby, but even so the bridges were in the process of being wired for demolition when an audacious rush by German scout cars and a lead platoon of bicycle mounted infantry captured the wooden bridge intact. Supported by German LMG fire from the north side of the Meuse the Germans held the bridge till reinforcements from Division arrived.