France '14 AAR Turning the flank !!

[Ricky B]

The fatigue is a reflection of casualties and that drops morale, so yes. Red fatigue means a 2 level drop in morale, and disrupted is another - so the 21e Dragons and 18e BCP are C and B class originally.

Rick

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 10

French commander (Foul) turn10 thoughts
In the north my tired forces have to give ground before Lens, i just didn't have the firepower to push Rick over the river to secure this flank, the only good news is that he is now in range of my 75's and i have caused a few casualties.

In the centre Rick starts to probe towards Vimy, i can see fresh battalions approaching in the rear so i will start to slowly give ground to the Vimy ridge position, further south at Fresnoy and Vitry Rick follows up my slow withdrawal but i give him a bloody nose here and there, i have started to move all my Army Troupes de Corps from the south to support this part of the line which i suspect will take a hammer blow as Rick tries to work his way south of Vimy ridge, they are D quality but should still help to thicken up my line in this area.

In the south it is static on the ridge position, i am trying to disrupt as many of his units with my 75's, i am rotating my battalions to behind the ridge to keep their fatigue down.

The plan for today is to give ground slowly falling back on a better defensive position, the last day will be a hard struggle to hold onto as much as possible, but i must not let my forces be destroyed as that might allow an "end run" to a whole host of VP locations.

German commander (RickyB) turn10 thoughts
My forces in the south are bogged down against a strong French force in good positions. My infantry in the center continue to move into position for a hard attack, with some probes and attacks continuing in the southern part of the central attack. The north is mostly a stalemate for my troops. I did assault an enemy stack just south of Lens with a fairly weak cavalry unit to try and knock out some guns and MGs. Losses were slightly higher for me, but one MG unit was destroyed, but no French 75s.



Here is the VP situation after 10 turns........

[Volcano Man]

I'm surprised regarding French combat effectiveness or morale. It seems pretty low. It most of that from casualties?

Lots of units in that area are much better than that -- many are in "yellow" fatigue. I chose to show that particular hex just to demonstrate that both sides are somewhat exhausted in that area after the first day.

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 11

French commander (Foul) turn11 thoughts:
In the north
Rick starts to exert some pressure and i lose a couple of hex's, that brings his units under the muzzles of my 75's and i cause some decent casualties, i get the impression that he has not got much in the way of resources to the east of Len's and i should be able to hold my ground or slowly retire if pushed hard.

In the centre
South of Len's i am not as happy, the 70e DR being a D rated unit is struggling to make any headway and high fatigue is taking its toll with most units disrupted, the only good news is that these units only seem to be facing cavalry and so may be able to hold their ground despite the condition they are in, if Rick hits me here i am in big trouble!

Further south (but still north of Arras) the 77e DI are still slowly giving ground, here to the south of Vimy ridge i believe the scenario will be decided, so to boost the 77e i have moved all of the Corps Troops and a battery of guns to bolster the defences against the big push to come, can i hold??

In the South
The artillery exchange continues, Rick is showing no sign of a push here (yet), i think he is hoping that when he exposes the ridge from the north he will be able to make some headway, i may have to abandon the ridge but not until the third day i hope!

German commander (RickyB) turn11 thoughts:
Not a lot of action this turn, still trying to use firepower to create weak spots in the French defenses. This battle definitely requires patience, as the French are strong everywhere. Still, disrupted French units are fairly common along the line. As best I can tell, my chances at victory rest on a push in the center against a French reserve division and cavalry units, and possibly in the south although the French forces there seem quite powerful.



Observer (Volcano) thoughts:
An interesting situation is unfolding on the second day where the Germans believe that the key to victory is in the center. As an observer however, it is easy to see that the key to victory is also equally important and perhaps more obtainable on the thinly held northern flank where cavalry can fight cavalry for possession of many objectives, and possibly out flank the Lens area entirely. Then again, perhaps the battle will draw into the center entirely.

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Turn 12

*No image needed for this turn, refer to the image in turn11*

French commander (Foul) turn12 thoughts:
Not much changed this turn, all along the line Rick is increasing the pressure as more and more forces arrive, in the centre the 77DI around Fresnoy is proving very fragile despite being in green fatigue and one of my better quality units, i am VERY glad that i bolstered this area with Corps Troops from the Arras area..

In the far south i can see Rick is slowly edging his units to within striking range of the ridge, all i can do is try to disrupt everything i can see.

As always for the defence, i cannot wait for the nightfall and its restrictions on the attacker.

German commander (RickyB) turn12 thoughts:
Making better progress now in the middle, the north seems to favor the French overall but not by a lot. The south is stalemate right now, but the French have a strong position.

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 13

French commander (Foul) turn 13 thoughts:
In the north
I am lucky that Rick seems to have no real strength to push on Lens, i am desperately trying to rest any troops i have and with night coming i hope to hold the positions i have, if i have to lose Lens i want to hold on for as long as possible to keep other VP locations out of reach.

In the centre
I lost Fresnoy as expected, also Rick pushed through my lines to the north of there creating a dangerous salient in my line, however his units are now coming into the range of my 75's on Vimy ridge who manage to disrupt his units and i cut off a single battalion and assault it causing 700 casualties which will be very useful in the final VP count, i am so glad i reinforced this area as it is the weak point in my line and the point Rick decided to attack in force.

In the south
The standoff continues and my position on the ridge is proving a huge advantage although Rick can target my units with his artillery firing over open sights , with night coming i feel happy that this area is as secure as it can be.

German commander (RickyB) turn 13 thoughts:
A bloody turn. After seeing my exposed battalion cut off and nearly destroyed, which I partially expected, I was able to use by reserve units to disrupt all the French between my main line and the trapped force, although that included a couple of costly cavalry charges needed to destroy a MG unit in good order. Then I was able to assault and cut off 2 battalions of French in turn and capture over 700 soldiers.

In addition, I began to move up close to the French where there infantry were disrupted and assault to destroy other MG units - this resulted in the loss of 2 complete MG units and some heavy French losses, although mine weren't light either. But this is weakening his firepower which should give me a bit of an advantage on day 3. I need it, Darran is putting up a good fight and I need somewhere around 4000 points to reach a draw. I don't see that as remotely possible at this point, I figure maybe 1500 are reachable unless the French fall apart.

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 14

French commander (Foul) turn 14 thoughts:
In the north
Things are still very static, it seems Rick just does not have the forces to make headway quickly, i believe he is hoping events further south will force me to pull back.

In the centre
A dramatic reverse! Two of my battalions are cut off and with only 2 out of 37 units undisrupted this turn i cannot save them, my worst fears about the sector west of Fresnoy have been realised with Ricks forces slicing through my units with ease, it is a good job that i reinforced this area with Corps troops otherwise complete collapse might be on the cards, however i still think the game will be won/lost in this sector so i take a momentous decision......

In the south
With this sector looking settled at the moment i sneek away the 38e Brigade from the southern ridge hoping Rick will not notice, i will use this unit to thicken the line to the north of Arras, this may turn out to be a very bad move if Rick has hidden forces he can commit to assaulting the southern ridge, but quoting the SAS "who dares wins". LOL

Night turn next with its restrictions on movement, this cannot come soon enough...........

German commander (RickyB) turn 14 thoughts:
Nothing exciting this turn. I continued to move forward in the south center from Vimy to the Scarpe river, trying to keep pressure on the French. The northern half is static as I try to hold my positions, not enough strength to advance right now. The south is fairly static although I am moving my right flank forward some but overall, the French firepower is causing my infantry to disrupt before it can assault.


Observer (Volcano) thoughts:
The battle now seems to be centered on an outright push towards Vimy Ridge and Arras. The Germans have strength to break through around Athies, but recognizing this, the French are sending all they can to reinforce that place with a sneaky night move to the center.

This goes to show that in First World War Campaigns series, the intelligence gained from seeing the unit’s organization name and divisional color (when you are in contact with the enemy) is a vital clue as to how spread out your enemy is. Rick already sees the 10e CA corps troops committed to the line which is probably what is letting him know that the situation is critical for the French near Athies, but if the Germans notice that part of the 19e DI is still in the south at Henin-sur-Cojeul, and part of it is in the center at Athies, then it might provide a tell on just how spread thin the French are. This in turn may cause the Germans to conduct an all out attack in both places knowing that the French are spread very thinly here. Should this cause the French to reinforce those places from other sectors, then it might clear up a German attack in those other areas in an alternating series of pushes.

Stay tuned...

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 15

Night turn, no images.

French commander (Foul) turn 15 thoughts
In the north:
Things are still settled in this area although i believe Rick is moving some cavalry units north now they are no longer needed in the centre area.

In the centre:
This is the vital area of the front as i predicted, Rick is now punching big holes in my line and my French troops are proving very fragile and disrupting all to easily, the German troops are now almost at Vimy ridge and had i not moved the Corps troops to this area he may have broken through, so my other gamble of moving the 38e Brigade from the very south of my line seems to have been a good choice as without them and the couple of batteries i have dispatched i believe this sector will collapse tomorrow, it appears Rick did not spot them sneaking away??

In the south:
Events north of the Scarpe river means my position atop of the north ridge will become very uncomfortable, i believe i will have to abandon the ridges sometime tomorrow but with reinforcements arriving by train in a day this area can be bolstered very quickly should i get into trouble.
Night move, a defenders best friend..........

German commander (RickyB) turn 15 thoughts
I am going to try and take full advantage of the night to rest most of my troops, and move up MGs and arty on roads for the morning. I also assaulted in a couple of spots to position myself for attacks on nearby objectives - I feel some time and fatigue pressure here and the assaults will allow me to be better positioned.

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Turn 16

Night turn, no images.

French commander (Foul) turn 16 thoughts
Night turn everything is static waiting on the big Hun push in the morning!!

German commander (RickyB) turn 16 thoughts
Spent the midnight turn moving up support for the morning, getting better position for arty and MGs where possible. My attack will be in the southern half of the map, against seemingly tough opposition still although many frontline French units are disrupted.

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 17

French commander (Foul) turn 17 thoughts:
In the North
I am now wondering if i can do some mischief around Carvin, Rick's forces look weak in that area and there are 750 VP points up for grabs, also this move would threatern his forces to the south and may take some pressure off the Lens front?

In the centre
I have now pulled back to the edge of Vimy ridge, i have no doubt i will have to give up Vimy and Farbus, but i need to fight for Bailleul on the southern tip of the ridge for as long as i can, further south all my battalions of the 77e Div are disrupted and i am in for a tough day as Rick tried to push south of the ridge, the 38e Bde has arrived to bolster the line, i hope they will help me survive this day?

In the south
Will Rick notice the 38e has disappeared? My line on the ridges is much thinner now, but if my position further north collapses i will have to give the ridges up anyway, so i am willing to take the risk.
According to my reinforcement schedule i am only one day from receiving a cavalry division and an infantry division, so i need to cling on.

German commander (RickyB) turn 17 thoughts:
I am pushing forward against Darran's strong defenses - firepower is hurting me but some progress made. I did push hard in the center while he had many units in T mode or disrupted.



Observer (Volcano) turn 17 comments:
It appears that the Germans have committed to a push on Vimy Ridge as the final attack. The north is weakly screened with cavalry and the south is essentially stagnant. Four objectives are under threat on Vimy Ridge, for a total of 1000 points. This is not sufficient for a draw, but if the ridge can be taken then perhaps other objectives in the area will fall as well.

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 18

French commander (Foul) turn 18 thoughts:
In the north
I make some progress south of Belifontaine which i hope will make Rick think twice about pushing on Lens to hard, i have some success resting my units and i now can see some green fatigue, i cannot see anything dramatic happening in this area today.

In the centre
My line south of Lens and north of the Scarpe is now reeling backwards under the weight of Rick's attack, all i can do is arrange my units to avoid any battalions being cut off, at least my 75's now come into play and i am causing some casualties, also the 38e Bde has arrived to form a line to the rear for the 88e Bde to retreat through, as expected Rick is pushing to the south of Vimy ridge in order to outflank my ridge position on the south bank of the Scarpe river.

In the south
The north ridge is now under heavy pressure, however i had to fall back anyway to align myself with my units north of the Scarpe, on the south ridge either Rick has not noticed or does not feel strong enough to test my thinned out line, each turn he does not push here makes my risky decision to move troops north of the Scarpe look like a gamble that has paid off.

Less than 24 hrs until i get some reinforcements.

German commander (RickyB) turn 18 thoughts:
Things are beginning to open up in the middle now, gaining some ground and disrupting what appears to be the bulk of the French in that area. It is time to move up my fresh battalions and relieve those at the front. The south saw some advances too, but overall the French still appear to be quite tough there, along the ridgeline.

My plan for the day will be to continue to push forward in the center and wearing down the defenders in the south, while holding in the north.

[Mr Grumpy]

Turn 19

French commander (Foul) turn19 thoughts:
In the north
The dramatic turn of events to the south has forced me to move some cavalry units south to try to cover my rear areas should my line burst open, this has meant i have given up all hope of any progress in this area and i am now on completely the defensive.

In the centre
As expected my line is starting to fall apart, the French battalions are proving very brittle and even low fatigue units are disrupting easily, Rick has taken advantage of this and is pushing hard up to Vimy ridge, i have no real control over events as 90% of my units are disrupted and despite being in command show no sign of getting back into good order, i put that down to pure bad luck, but i am in real trouble now, if the 38e Bde was not backing the line up Rick may have broken through and surround a portion of my troops.

In the south
More low fatigue units disrupting has given Rick a lodgment on the northern ridge, i am having to pull back although events further north would have made this necessary in a couple of moves anyway.

All in all a very bad move for me, the next five moves will decide the game as my forces may collapse before my reinforcements can get into position.

German commander (RickyB) turn19 thoughts:

I have broadened my attack, with the French having problems in areas. It is getting very bloody, but time is running out and I have to move forward. I still don't see any way to push enough to reach a draw - as long as Darran's troops don't start breaking or he falls back quite far, as assaulting my way forward will take a lot of time and fatigue.

I am planning a possible move of numerous cavalry to my right flank in the coming night, and see if I can drive along the north map edge and do anything - that will be a night move to avoid spotting issues, but I will only do this if it appears workable.



Observer (Volcano) turn 19 comments:
It will be interesting to see what happens in the next 10 or so turns. If the French commit to the center to back it up, and the Germans finally move to the north flank, then it may turn out that the French will be caught completely off balance in the north and the Germans may be able to grab some objectives in that area near the end of the scenario.