Eisenhower - Sedan 1940

[fred]

Continuing the recent theme of Eisenhower games, we tried a Sedan 1940 scenario - this was a scenario I had created, largely based on the details in the Osprey France 1940 book - which has a handy map that is pretty much the size of an Eisenhower table!

The game starts on 14th May 1940, with the Germans having forced bridgeheads across the Meuse the previous day. Now their Panzers stand ready to exploit through.



The photos are orienteered looking north, with Stonne in the foreground and Sedan at the top of the table. The Meuse is the wider shiny river running across the top of the table, then angling to the right. Running north to south is the Ardennes canal.

1st Pz Div has forced its way across - supported by artillery from all 3 divisions. On the left 2nd Pz has struggled to shift the prepared defenders. And 10th Pz waits for some space to cross.

The French defenders on the Meuse are the 55th Infantry, rated as conscripts, further south is part of the 71st Division.
On the canal is part of the 14th Division and the 5th Light Cavalry Division both under General Touchon. These units have been in combat in the Ardennes in the preceding days - so on a roll of 1 or 2, they would start the game as worn.


The Germans exploit through with both 1st and 10th Pz advancing through the gap in the French lines.
At the bottom right the French 71st move across towards Stonne.


2nd Pz is now across both the Meuse and the canal - the French cavalry choosing to withdraw from combat. To the south the Panzers push on too - but by now the Germans are becoming very strung out, with reinforcements coming on to the table a long way from the spearheads.
The first French reinforcements have arrived near Stonne with the heavy armour of 3rd DCR lumbering into view - whilst the infantry of 71st Div take up blocking positions.


2nd Pz continue to push west, but have become quite strung out.

Whilst to the south 1st and 10th concentrate before attacking against some now quite strong French forces. On the Meuse a regiment of the 55th hold out in fortified positions - their main influence being to prevent German transit moves which slows down the flow of reinforcements


Counterattack! The French cavalry seize their moment and sweep in behind 2nd Pz - isolating them from their supply lines. The Germans fortunately had a single remaining stockpile they could spend to avoid losses from this event, but in doing this they could spend this stockpile to refresh their Exhausted units (yellow counters) - which limited their combat effectiveness.

Move French reserves continue to arrive to the West - just in time to hold the exit point objective.


The Germans clear the French cavalry, reinstating their supply lines - but the 2nd Pz now supported by elements of the 10th fail to remove the reinforcements from the 53rd Div. who are blocking their exit to the West.

In the South 1st Pz fails to get any traction in their attacks around Stonne. Although they do finally clear the 55th Div defenders off the Meuse.

At this point the Germans called the game as their attacks had petered out in the face of increasing French resistance.

Conclusions
An interesting scenario - felt the Germans were very close to breaking through mid-game, but then with increasing French reinforcements their attacks were not enough.

Scenario wise, I wonder if the Germans should have started with 1 infantry battalion  of each of 1st and 2nd Pz across the Meuse.
The French 71st seemed to be quite significant in blocking Stonne - and I wonder if they should have been fewer in number / more tied to their original defensive positions.

 

[Captain Darling]

Thanks for posting Fred, we’re about to give Eisenhower a go, nice incentive!

[fred]

Glad it’s useful.

We are enjoying the rules - might give a fictional western desert game a go this week

[LouieN]

Thank you for the pictures. 

I just grabbed the rules and I saw that the game is played over 3 objectives.  As the offensive side captures them they keep getting moved back. 

Did you use that system in your game?

[fred]

We used the fixed objectives option in this game - I felt it fitted better with the historical scenario.

We have used the standard objectives in the other 3 games we have played, and the defender being able to move them back once captured, works really well. As the attacker places 2 of the objectives, the defender has a smallish ability to push them in a way that helps them, but only after they have been captured. On paper it seems a bit of an odd mechanism, but in practice it works really well - not least as it forces the attacker to keep moving forwards.