View Full Version : Rethel 40 the plan
The Map
One of the main characteristic of the map, the first you notice, is its the small size : 18 hexes from the West to the East, and 15-20 from the North to the South (minus the part where there will be no fight certainly, the North of the Aisne river). Strategic and outflanking movements seem quasi impossible at first sight. Strategically, it will be a frontal attack, with of course some possible bypassing at the tactical level. The attack is made from the North to the South, permitting three hexs frontal attacks, instead of two hexs. There are three main areas, three W/E strips, as explained after.
The main terrain is open ground, with cropland hexs here and there. With all this open ground, the map facilitates the maneuvers, even if its size doesn’t permit large movements. And the defense is not easy, the entrenchment are necessary before suffering the enemy assault.
There are of course other terrain types. Among others, some light woods areas in the South West and South East of the map, and to the North West of Le Chatelet, which may offer good defensive positions. Few urban hexs , little towns, are isolated in the countryside, instead of forming urbanized areas. They can be transformed in strongpoints, with the defense built around them, especially where there aren’t light woods. Finally three hill hexs, two with a peak, are scattered on the map. Two of them are closed to each other in the East, and are important elements of the French defense in this area.
The Aisne river to the North and the La Retourne river to the South chops up the map in three horizontal strips, the three main area of the map. The first to the North of Aisne river is the German Army’s property, and will not play any important role during the course of the fights. The second, in the center, is the one between Aisne river to the North and La Retourne river to the South. It represents the main fight zone, where the decision will be made. And the third strip occupies the South of La Retourne river, where the German player will exploit any breakthrough to take the last VPs.
The Aisne river comprises two parts. The East one, a super river, already occupied in some place by German IRs . The West part is a simple river, but lined by a canal along its South side. It will have an impact on the French defense, because the first line is positioned on it. Another element which show the fragility of the French defense on the West part of the front. The bridges on this river and on the canal are destroyed, and the German must rebuild them, it’s vital. The HQs and the pioneers are perfect for this task, with 90/99 % in engineering. Because if those blown bridges doesn’t block the movement, they slow it down, and the panzer units released turn 3 need each of their MPs.
The other river, to the South, is simply a barrier before the exploitation by the German troops. The French player can, and must, use it for his last defenses. He must not forget to blow the bridge, and slows down the German raids toward the South.
Where are the zones making the defense easier, or on the contrary where is there nothing being helping it ? First, of course, there is the Aisne river, even if it will not stop the German attack, as the two games showed it.
In the main area of the battle, three groups of positions cover the map. First there is the central zone, from Rethel to the North (undefended) to Perthes to the South. The defense there can use Thugny, an urban hex to the South of Rethel, a hill on the left and Perthes in the South.
The second zone, in the East, form a triangle, with Saulces to the North, Pauvre and its hill to the South West, and a hill to the South West. This triangle can be linked with Perthes to the West, this town being linked itself to the Le Chatelet area. You can see that the East part of the map is advantaged in comparison with the West.
The third defensive position, the Le Chatelet zone to the South West of the central strip, is straddling the La Retourne river. It stretches from Perthes (North East) to Le Chatelet (South West), and cross Tagnon in the center of its line. In its rear there is Alincourt, and few light wood hexs.
Avancon, between Aisne River and Le Chatelet, can be an advanced position helping to delay the German advance in a zone where the attack will be easy.
The West area is very favorable to the German offensive : open ground, no defensive position except Avançon, the first French line on a canal… Because of that the axe along the Château Porcien—Avancon—Le Chatelet road becomes an important axe of attack for the German player. This axe finish its course on the Le Chatelet positions which will have to be attacked head on, bypassing it by the South West and Roizy being too slow.
The objectives on the map.
Instead of being grouped together in a little number of hexs, each one giving a big number of VPs, they are spread all over the map, going from 2 VPs to 15 VPs (two), the most numerous being the 5 VPs. However they form zones grouping some of them in little areas.
The first is a line of objectives running along the South side of the Aisne river. Their capture, which can be made in turn 1, offers the draw to the German player. Maybe one of the scenario defaults concerning the balance. 12 points can be captured only by move. The 4 points held by the static units in the West are not taken in account, because in my point of view the German doesn’t have to care about them. He must concentrate his forces elsewhere, for the main attack on Le Chatelet. These units can’t move or attack, and then have a very little importance. This line is formed by four group of objectives, each one being in front of a German division, with Château-Porcien (19 points) to the West, Rethel in the center (20 points), Thugny to the East (10 points) and a 5 VP hex in the far East of the map. Thugny and Rethel can’t really be put together in the same group, because of the lack of support between the two German AK.
A second strip run from the West to the East in the center of the central area. It comprises 3 distinct groups : Avancon in the West (7 VPs), Perthes—Tagnon in the center (15 VPs) and Saulces/Pauvre to the East (17 VPs). Avancon and Perthes/Tagnon are in front of the German right wing, the 13 AK’s wing, and Pauvre is in the 23 AK sector, in the East. The Guderian Pz K will have a tendency to attack in the center and the West, in the 13 AK sector, the easier attack sector.
Third line of objectives, the La Retourne river line, occupy in fact the West part of the area, even if Alincourt is in the center. It is composed of Roizy to the far West, without big importance for the defense with its 2 VPs and its outlying placement. In the center there is Le Chatelet, on the river, with 3 hexs giving 12 points. It’s a very important objective in the game, because of the special rules which are linked to it. And finally, third group, Alincourt—Juniville, offering 10 points on two hexs.
Finally there are the hexes in the South strip, under the La Retournes river on the map. It is 5 isolated hexs giving 2 VPs each, with two of them on the South edge of the map, stacked with two of the three French supply sources. Those objectives will be bonus for the German if he breakthrough the last French defensive lines in the end of the game. He can launch raids with fast units from the Guderian Pz K if there are openings, in the West particularly.
This picture shows the main area where the battle takes place, where the match is won.
The troops.
At first n important element : the two sides get shock bonus at the start of the game, and throughout it, except capture or lose of Le Chatelet. The briefing doesn’t give the level of the shocks, mentioning their existence. Of course you can see it in the editor, but you can say it’s the glorious uncertainty of war too. Its main impact on the battlefield concerns the number of rounds that each player can hope to have each turn. It’s necessary in view of the few number of turns, only 6.
The side holding Le Chatelet at the end of turn 4 decide who keep the shock for the last turns. But I must admit that I didn’t understand very well the conditions about the lose or the keeping of the shock described in the briefing. So I may be wrong there.
Each side can be split in two groups : the infantry part and the armored part. The first one is available at the beginning, the second one in the middle of the game, turn 3 for the German player, and turn 4 for the French player (as ER Chaser suggest it, turn 3 might be a better idea for the French tanks).
The armored groups are going to play a role during the decision phase of the game, the panzers to obtain it, the B1bis and Somua to keep it. The German has the advantage to have its panzers available turn 3. He will have one attack at least before the French tanks can react. And if the panzers will be able to attack turn 4 only, that will mean that the infantry will have obtained good results in the previous turns.
The Germans.
The German forces are composed of two Army Korps, the 13 AK in the West and the center, and the 23 AK in the East. Each of them has two IDs in front of an objective group on the Aisne river line, as explained beforehand. An ID has three IRs, allowing an attack on a position from three hexes with units from the same division, an important thing because of the support. So at the first turn there will be an attack per division, giving four assaulted hexes, each one by 3 rgt and 1 artillery in support.
The nature of the support forces the Germans to keep the better cohesion possible in their formations for the attacks. The player will have to make sure that each objective group is allowed to the same division. However it is possible that units from different IDs but from the same Korps support each other and participate in the same attack if necessary. That concerns the artillery particularly. The support among units from the same AK is limited (gray) and non-existent (black) among units from different AKs.
So the German attack is made by the AK first, which the mission will be to disorganize the first French line of defense, to prevent a reorganization on its rear and new defensive positions. The panzers will be there to break the stronger positions, to lend a decisive weight to the main attack in the West, and to fight the French tanks and infanterie portée (mech inf).
The French defense is made first by a line along the Aisne river, with infantry battalions and BCP (motorized infantry), well entrenched (E or F). This line can be divided in four parts, each one separated from the others by a free hex where German units can infiltrate during turn 1. The static units to the West don’t have to be attacked by the German player : they can’t move or attack, and hold 4 VPs only. Then there is the West group, made up of three battalions just behind the Aisne river, on the canal, and with a battalion standing back, dig in like the three firsts. At the right of the West group the central defense covers the South of Rethel and the little town called Thugny. It’s the big piece of the first line, with 5 battalions in line behind the Aisne river. They will be assaulted by two divisions, one on the Rethel—Perthes road, the other on Thugny. Finally there is an infantry battalion on the objective set to the far East of the map, and which will be the 86 ID’s business.
This picture describes the two German Korps and their two IDs, each AK occupiyng a wing. To the West the Guderian's PzK is parked, waiting turn 3.
The French.
At first sight this French defense seems strong, with good and dig in battalions holding the front. It forms a line which should be attacked only in some places, concentrating forces on particular points. Yet this defense possesses weak points : no artillery support by the HQs which are not dig in or in reserve at the start of the game ; the shock allowing to launch several attacks ; and holes among every defensive positions, where it is possible to put units.
On the rear French infantry units stand ready to counterattack, to help the first defenses, to build a second defensive line… The East has more troops in reserve than the West, with 3 or 4 infantry battalion and one armored cavalry rgt. With less than that, the left wing reserves must support and hold the West and the center part of the front. Then the defense will have to be more tenacious in the East, when in the West it will have to delay the German advance till there are good defenses on the Le Chatelet position. To the West and the center, the French player can split one or two battalions and obtain more unit, which may resist with the help of the artillery support from the HQs. At least they can delay the Germans enough time before they reaches Le Chatelet. The HQs must be placed in the rear along the La Retournes river, and not closed to the first line. Their 105 and 155 mm are enough for the support, more or less. Because if one of them are lost or can’t support the defense, the Germans may break the line quickly (what happened with my French).
The French infantry is composed of two formations. To the West there are elements of the 2ème DI. They give a relative weak defense, because of the little number of units. Their positions can be attacked from the flank easily, especially when the static units on the left are bypassed. Besides the German can try to split one of his rgts to make easier those flank attack, particularly during the first turns. Two infantry battalion and an armored cavalry rgt are in reserve to the rear. The first position in front of Château-Porcien is easy to take, because easy to isolate for the two ID of the 13 AK. The German player must make sure to eat the most rapidly possible those 4 battalions, and those units must try to withdraw with the goal to build others defense positions between Aisne river and Le Chatelet, and to escape from the German jaws. It’s a very difficult task.
The other group is the 14ème DI, led by De Lattres. Its defense are more difficult to capture for the Germans. It can call 5 infantry battalion and 1 armored cavalry rgt in reserve. Two of the battalion are closed to the first line, and can launch a counterattack quickly. This division will be able to make a more static defense than in the West, with maybe a faster retreat in the center. And it is able to launch some local counterattacks, which are necessary in this zone at least. In this East zone, the French should have the time to build a second defensive line behind the first, and maybe to take one or two units and send them to the West, to Perthes and Le Chatelet. This second line should be able to take in routed units from the first line. A good idea would be to split one or two battalion and place the cpies in the less dangerous hexes, permitting to use other battalion for counterattacks or in the West sector.
The West is really the weak sector in the French defense : few units, open ground before the La Retourne river, first defensive line on a canal, zone where the panzers run from…
So the first idea for the French is to hold the ground to the East of the central road, and to withdrawal and delay the most possible the German advance before Le Chatelet and the defensive sector of Le Chatelet-Tagnon-Perthes.
The panzers and the chars.
If the Guderian’s Pz K has two divisions, it is only one formation, with a complete support among its units, and a limited one with the AK. It’s a sturdy formation, with four PzGr rgts and as many Pz rgts (more than 400 panzers !). However it doesn’t possess any artillery, and must rely on the ID artilleries to have a support in their attacks. At the same time this plethora of units may pose a problem of overstacking, and if the German is not well organized, and doesn’t plan his movements carefully, he might have some units without knowing what to do with them. And he must be careful to the traffic jams. The Guderian’s units may have to spend too many MPs before joining the first lines.
And the two players mustn’t forget that the overstacking occur with the second unit in the hex. Of course they must avoid that !
For their part, the French have armored and mechanized units which are typical of May-June 40 : few number, exhausted, scattered and with a lack of material. Don’t think you can launch a general counterattack with them, except in a very favorable situation. But they are able to make local attacks, to intercept raids in the rear, in the South of La Retourne river… The tanks are useful in defense, being strong, and eat rounds during German assaults. You can place them in tactical reserve behind the position you are sure that you opponent will try to attack (the ones offering a three hexes assault).
You can note that the two French DIs have each an armored cavalry rgt, very useful in defense, particularly if the unit is dig in an urban hex, with a lot of artillery support. The German need Pz against them and must be ready to lose some rounds in the attack.
Now the French defenses, South of the Aisne river.
The strategies.
The German Plan.
Despite the little size of the map, the 4 IDs can’t cover all the front from West to East, except if you split the IRs in two of three battalions (something I will not do certainly). But that doesn’t avoid the fact that the attack will be frontal, even if tactical subtleties will permit to launch bypassing and flanking attacks. This attack will consist of two wings, the (German) right wing to the West, the 13 AK, and the left wing to the East, the 23 AK.
If the two AKs are rigorously identical, their assault in their own sector will not be the same. Because you can’t of course obtain the decision in a large attack along all the front, you must concentrate you forces on one point which will offer you this decision, and the game. But the configuration of your forces, and the absence of support between the two AKs doesn’t allow you to really concentrate your army on a point. Except the Guderian Pz K only available turn 3, you don’t have units in depth behind your first line. You can’t take units from other part of your front too, or you would create dangerous holes in your line. And finally you will not have to stack more than one unit in a hex, because the red overstacking come as soon as you place a second unit in it (and that work if you split a IR !). So you must find the decisive point elsewhere. And if this elsewhere is not in your battle plan, it is in the French battle plan. Of course the West French wing, your opponent’s left wing, is perfect to play the role. There the French defenses are the weakest, scattered, largely more than in the East, with static units in the far west, and quasi no reserves in the rear. More than that the terrain is easier for the attack with quasi only open ground, except one or two urban hexes. It’s the more direct way to Le Chatelet and its important value in the game. And, fourth argument, the Pz K is parked to the West, standing back and waiting the turn 3.
The units of this Pz K have more or less good movement capabilities, allowing them to cross a good part of the map in one turn. But in my opinion you can’t really use them in the East, or maybe a little kampfgruppe if there are traffic jams in the West. With the very little number of turns where the Panzer units are available, only four turns, you must use them on the shorter way to the front. Anyway the decisive sectors are the West and the center, and you will really need the Guderian’s troops there.
As it was said before, the two AKs are not able to support each other. There is simply no support. At the same time some units from an AK may be placed to hamper the move or retreat of French units attacked by the other AK. Anyway it’s necessary to give to each Korps its own and well delimited sector. The 23 AK will receive the Eastern sector, the left wing, and the 13th will fight from the West to the center, to the Rethel-Perthes road. This sector, from the Château-Le Chatelet axe to the Rethel-Perthes one is the most important and it must be given to only one AK, the 13th. However the IRs of the 73 ID, from the 23 AK, should participate in the offensive along the central road, and should attack the French positions commanding the East side of this axe, instead of attacking the units directly in front of them. This 73 ID will have to cover the left side of the attack toward Alincourt in the center.
Then my plan is to make the main effort along a vertical strip delimited by the two axes cited before, with Le Chatelet as the main goal. The first turn is very important, because the French units don’t have artillery support during this turn. their HQs are not dig in or in reserve. To avoid the building of a good defense in the rear, the first French line have to be destroyed the more quickly possible, with breakthrough and elimination after surrounding. The goal is to prevent counterattacks during the French turn, or the presence of strong and entrenched units in my rear, supported by artillery in the following turns. To the East, the attacks will not have to be as aggressive as to the West. The goal there is to prevent any disorganization in my line which could open empty hexes to the French, and to have dig in units against possible French counterattacks in this sector, where the French are relatively strong. At the same time the East is not a priority, and I don’t want that an attack in this wing eats too many rounds in a turn. Be careful, the 23 AK units will have to be aggressive yet, to pose problems to the French who would desire to counterattack or transfer units to the center or the Le Chatelet area.
So the turn 1 attacks will aim at breaking the first French line, and disorganizing the most French battalions possible. But I don’t think that this work have to be done by breakthrough and surrounding. Because with this tactic you lost time and forces, time to move units in the rear of French position, and forces because you need to split units if you want to occupy those rear areas. And if you want to keep rounds, you won’t be able to use the units that you moved in the French rear in the first attacks. I prefer to prepare a succession of frontal attack from three hexes on each French first line battalion , each assault launched by the same ID with its three IRs, to break and disorganize it, instead of trying to eliminate it. Like that, even if this units will not be destroyed, and still there in the following turns, the French player won’t really be able to use them. The events during our two games will prove that it’s not the best tactic, particularly in the West, where my French opponent will have been able to use its battalion of the first line to defend Le Chatelet and the hexes before it. Something that me, as French player will not be able to do. After the two games, I would say that in the West the priority during the turn 1 is to breakthrough the first French line and prevent any possibilities for the French units to retreat toward the South. And the German player can eliminate them in turn two while other units try to run toward the South. The frontal attack tactic works better in the East.
The general tactic I decide to employ, at least with the IDs, and not necessarily the best, will be to employ the 3 IRs of the same division against one French hex, attacking the positions offering three hexes for the assault in front of them. It will be a succession of attack which will assault each time the weakest point of the French line. Not very original, but easy to do, and the shock will allow to launch several attacks in the same turn.
I give only general lines there, which let several question on hold. At the same time I prefer to have something not precise, which will permit me to adapt my plan to the course of the game, which is never the one you had expected.
As always, I have big difficulties to make a precise timing, I mean where to be and with what each turn. However I would say the first turn is made to break and disorganize the main French defense, the first line just to the South of the Aisne river. During the second turn, I plan to finish the first line, particularly in the center, and to start the preparation of the attack on Le Chatelet. My troops will have to be on Avançon, in the West, at the end of this turn, before Perthes to the center and Saulces to the East. Otherwise during these first turns the priority are not the objective hexes but the enemy forces, which have to be broken. The French defense before the third objective line, and before Pauvre in the East, must be the weakest possible.
The French Plan
Then the French now. Making their plan was easier, as usual in defense, which is made of reactions. It’s maybe one of my fault when I defend : I react instead of anticipating. Above all I must admit I didn’t analyze the French plan as far as I did it for the German one. I always have difficulties in defense planning. For me the attack is easier to build than the defense, or at least it’s easier to find ideas for the attack than for the defense, even if these ideas are not the best !
After a quick look at the scenario, and then a short analysis, my general idea was to stick close to the German line as much as possible, and to organize counterattacks when it will be possible. As the game showed it, that wasn’t the best plan, far from that, especially in the West. I must say that all the ideas given in the previous paragraphs was still vague when I started my first French turn, receiving the assaults of ER Chaser’s German troops. And as I said it sooner, I didn’t have real plan as French player at the beginning of the game. So my plan was far from being the best one , and at the end of the game I realize that I should have thought about something else, more flexible. Not necessarily the best plan, but better than the embryo I constructed. I applied the same strategy to the two sectors from the beginning. It was my main mistake.
So I choose an aggressive defense. At first the battalions which will not be broken by the German assaults will have the mission to stick on the enemy line, in order to let them the less liberty possible when they need it, considering the short length of the game. Of course the goal is to force the German to spend the maximum of MPs in his moves around my ZoC. Or the German will have to attack those positions before, and will have the risk to lose precious rounds in non wanted assaults. This strategy worked well to hold the ground in the East and to bog down the German attack in the center. But it was a big mistake in the West, where there weren’t enough troops, as well on the first line as in the rear, to hold the area aggressively.
The other part of this strategy was to counterattack each time it was possible, to wear out and take the lost ground again. And another time I made the big mistake not to adapt this strategy to the situation in each sector. It worked very well in the East against the 23 AK, which didn’t really progress. But it will be a first mistake in the center where the resistance tired out quicker with those attacks, even if they obtained good results in some places, especially against split IRs. In this central sector only the attacks permitting to relieve units available elsewhere in the defense plan should be organized. And finally in the West counterattacking before the fights around Le Chatelet was something I shouldn’t have done, even if it’s true that I didn’t launch many.
The two DI units were used to defend the first lines, before the main objectives (second and third line). Who did then maintain a defense behind this first line, behind the Aisne river, to the Retourne river ? I wanted to let the minimum, a battalion, on the main objectives, Le Chatelet for example. Those defenses will be there to counter any infiltration beyond my first lines and to resist until the coming of armored units.
Anyway the main strategy will be a reaction to the events, an adaptation to the music played by ER Chaser and his troops, where the Germans will breakthrough and where they will stand about. But at the same time the main mistake in my plan was to think that the fight would be the same everywhere, all along the front from the West to the East. And then I thought that I had to use the same tactic to the right wing and to the left wing. And yet, it was easy to understand that things couldn’t be like that, even after a quick look. And the course of the ER Chaser’s attack showed it very well, when I had nothing or quasi nothing in front of him before and in Le Chatelet at turn 3.
Another proof of my lack of preparation was that I hadn’t prepared many things for the armored units released turn 4. Of course I thought I will have to lead counterattacks, general counterattacks if possible. But I hadn’t analyzed the best terrain or the right way to go, nor where the Germans should be hit. More than that, I hadn’t plan how I should use them if the French line collapsed, and it was what happened in the West. Then the B1bis and Dragons Portés (mech inf) had to defend the holes, the big holes in front of German breakthroughs, and were scattered. Of course the cause was the lack of preparation before the start of the game, the lack of a real doctrine. Something very historic in fact ! I must say that those units made the job that the evaporated infantry battalions should have made.
The German Plan in a picture :
The Black line splits the map in two German wings, one for each AK.
The red arrows indicate the 13 AK attacks.
The Blue arrows indicate the 23 AK advance.
The brown circle is the area where the Pz K will be used, to take the Le Chatelet area.
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