France 1940 Mod B - No peeking Marshall Antoni :)

[cillmhor]

Turns 8 & 9:



Things are now looking grim indeed for the Allies as Germans panzer formations stream across the French countryside drenched in summer sunshine. Following the breakouts towards Paris and the Channel ports, Allied pockets have formed and been squeezed time and again as tens of thousands of French and British troops are cut down and then surrender.

The news at the top of turn 8 tells me that the Allies are stunned by the fall of France and the BEF stunned by the fall of Calais (which means in game terms shock increases for the Axis), and desertion is now spreading like a like a plague throughout the Allied armies.



After the destruction of the French 1st Corps and 7th Reserve Army units northwest of Lille, the German forces move to pocket much of the BEF and some of the best French units around Arras, and the Soissons line pocket shrinks again.



I also move the 7th Korps to help protect Paris and the gap between the Soissons pocket and the city. If Antoni did have a reserve he could attack in the gap shown with the jagged line and cause me all sorts of supply problems. But I do not think Antoni's reserves are close enough to do so, most of them are arriving piecemeal to the north, west and south of Paris where Antoni has carried out a series of minor counterattacks to no avail. I also move some troops south to shore up the area around the Maginot Line where French troops are strongest.



Above you can see the Soissons pocket has now finally been eliminated freeing up a mass of Germans infantry and panzers, I move some to reinforce Paris with a view to surrounding the attacking Allies, and move others to relieve the defenders along the Maginot Line and use the fresh defenders to then counter the rear of the French line.

In the north around Abbeville and Arras, I am continuing to pocket and mop up the BEF and French forces, next turn I should free up another large amount of my German attackers in the north, to allow me to plunge for the remaining Channel ports and start the gradual squeeze south to finish the game. With so many Corps and divisions gone, Antoni can have precious few reserves left, although I see French reinforcement units are arriving to the west and south, but they appear to be too little too late. Now perhaps Antoni wishes he had attempted to help Belgium, as their turn 4 surrender has been key in allowing me to attack his lines before they got a chance to properly set.