Eighty years on. 21st May 1940

Historical

While Guderian consolidated his position on the English Channel, Rommel bypassed Arras to the West and aims for the coast fifty miles away.  However, French and British commanders have been urging a counterattack on the German spearhead.  

74 British tanks, supported by two infantry divisions, attacked Rommel’s infantry near Arras. The German 37mm PaK anti-tank guns had little effect on the well armoured British “Matilda” tanks.  In desperation, Rommel used his 88mm anti-aircraft guns in flat fire.  An advanced Panzer regiment returned and attacked the British from the rear, helping to push the British tanks back to Arras.  

At Narvik the RAF returned to Norway with 18 Gladiators and 18 Hurricanes.

French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud appeared before parliament and blamed the military disaster on incredible faults in the French high command that he said would be punished.  Reynaud dramatically proclaimed, “France cannot die! If a miracle is needed to save France, I believe in miracles because I believe in France!”

Game day 264. Germany

Germany’s military situation is as follows:

Norway.  Holding Narvik with three infantry battalions facing three Norwegian battalions.

Belgium. Six armoured and six infantry battalions facing five Belgian battalions supported by British forces to their rear.

France. Four armoured and five infantry battalions facing one French armoured and five infantry battalions.  Reserves available: six armoured and one infantry battalions, plus six battalions en-route from Poland.

Luftwaffe.  6 bomber  and four fighter squadrons on the western front and five fighter squadrons in Denmark.

Kriegsmarine.  Two warships engaged in the west atlantic.  Three transport ships off Norway.

Resources in Germany are sufficient to deploy six more armoured and six more infantry battalions.

Starting with the Atlantic, the two warships attacked the three unescorted British transports at map reference Y37.  Two of the British ships were sunk with the loss of their vital cargo.  The third ship retreated westwards, pursued by the German warships.  In Norway there was no action except for the empty troopships to return south and dock in Denmark, sneaking past the British patrolling submarines.

In Belgium the four armoured battalions attacked the Belgian infantry at AW27, supported by five fighter squadrons from Denmark.  The Belgians were wiped out.  The Germans lost one squadron.  

Six more armoured battalions rolled across the border but turned south to destroy the single French armoured battalion in that sector (map reference AW29).  Honours were equal, the French destroying one enemy armoured battalion in their defeat.

To their south, at AV31, a lone French infantry battalion was assaulted by an armoured battalion from the north, an infantry battalion from the east and four fighter squadrons.  It was destroyed by air power, but the Germans lost another valuable squadron.

South-east of Paris, at AV31, three armoured battalions attacked one infantry battalion and eliminated it for no loss to themselves.  At AW33, near the Swiss border, five infantry battalions attacked three Algerian battalions but were defeated, losing two battalions for no gain.

Six new armoured and six new infantry battalions were deployed in Germany.

Credits:   Historical information:  http://www.worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com, Wikipedia, Chronicle of the Second World War (JL International Publications, 1994).  Background image to game maps: Hasbro Ltd.