Bridges of the Seven Planets - The Matrix Games version of West Front

On June 1st, the defense of the bridges along a stretch of the Bergues canal south of Dunkirk was entrusted to the compagnie d'accompagnement (heavy weapons company) of the 1st Battalion, 224th Infantry Regiment, supported by miscellaneous troops including several mobile 155mm coast-defense guns manned by naval crews. Two days later, in the early morning, the Germans probed the position at Seven-Planets Bridge three miles south of Dunkirk. The outlying French infantry drew back somewhat closer to the bridge so as not to be cut off, and shortly thereafter, a truck appeared on the Coudekerque road east of the bridge and unloaded German infantry in front of the Hennebel farm. The Germans immediately opened fire with machineguns. Even as the French responded in kind, other German infantry that had crept forward undetected through the grainfields attacked. A bit later, as more Germans approached from the south along the east bank of the canal, the defenders were forced to pull back immediately in front of the bridge. Weapons that could not be moved were rendered useless and abandoned. After a time, the relentless pressure of the attack compelled a complete withdrawal across the bridge to the canal's west bank, where the defenders regrouped amongst a long line of destroyed British vehicles on the canal road. Here they were able to hold the Germans for a while, but the continuous rain of artillery, mortar, machinegun and small arms fire eventually caused so many casualties that the French were forced to give up altogether their hold on the bridge. However, their stubborn resistance had helped prevent a German breakthrough, thereby providing precious extra time for the extraction of Allied troops across the Channel. {Based on the ASL scenario bearing the same name}