"Jolimetz tank battle, 18 May 1940" Topic

A rather fun game played in some interesting terrain. Full report at: link

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Nice pictures and interesting scenario – thanks

What a passion play!

Your tabletop looks amazing, and especially so when demonstrating the flexibility you have for assembling map renditions (from mgk4167's blog link) -

I have downloaded a couple of your scenario books/guides before, but have never collected for France '40 – but seeing this game report makes my 'French Resistance' get weaker by the day.

Aha! – from one of his blog captions (we're on to you now Michael) – ;)

"The French force has three S35s, a motorcycle infantry company, an Algerian company and an anti-tank company. As the French will set up first, their force is duplicated. This helps with the fog of war and is also a brilliant and patently transparent excuse to buy more models…"

Hmmmm….after looking through your free Blitzkrieg in the West Vol. II guide (German vs. British scenarios), that might be a very good option too….

Thanks FlyXwire for your kind comments. I am one of those blokes who value terrain modelling as highly as miniature modelling. I have always wanted to match the realism of my models, which I rate as reasonably good, with fighting over as close an approximation of the actual terrain as possible. The historical terrain is as important as the historical miniatures in my opinion. Thus, the inclusion of the contemporary topographical map with all my scenarios.
Glad your resistance is crumbling – it's a fascinating period. Also, weapon ranges are shorter so tables are bigger if you can understand that warped wargaming logic.

Michael, again – you've got a trove of excellent scenario resourcing available to game this Blitzkrieg-era fighting.

I'm a terrain guy too.

On keying on your logic above, perhaps with the shorter direct-fire ranges of the period (the ability to project and cover approaches with firepower), the room for maneuver is enhanced – pockets of resistance can be more easily bypassed (and early-war mobile doctrine functions well). Conversely, increase direct-fire ranges (mid-late war), and sectors are more dominated by effective fire.

As I interpret this, our limited/usual game space available means later-war scenarios become less battles of maneuver, and/or more about dominating the available battlespace with firepower. As gamers we can hope to "open-up" our game table for these later-war scenarios to potential maneuver, by having bigger boards, or increasing ground scale used to manufacture the same dynamic. Realistic terrain density can also work to create 'compartments' of area that enhance maneuver for later-war game actions (but gotta favor terrain as much as minis for this approach, as Michael has mentioned).

Much the reason I've gone to 3mm for doing battles promoting maneuver of forces into contact, and off-contact…..and the larger scale minis best handling those smaller battlespace scenarios.

France '40 offers up encounters to sample where maneuver elements might even be able to 'bounce' off each other, and still continue their missions – beyond the usual "firefight" gaming scenario.

Agree all. I haven't included the full victory conditions for the game I showcase above but, in short, the Germans either need to take the village or exit in the NW corner. A choice between manoeuvre or attack. I try and give these broad options when I can, depending on the historical mission.

Michael, I've been shopping through your scenarios, and thought No. 82 looked really interesting, which gave me something to target whether I could source the RAF aerial photo for that engagement area.

Taken on 30 May, 1940, a week after your "An Armoured Probe" scenario –

I can colorize the image, and then consider having a game map printed out on fleece material for such a project.

Anyway, just a proof of concept study here. Next would be dialing down on the concept, determining the scenario(s) suitable/desired, and then getting the minis, etc..

Think doing all this with 3mm scale platoon bases would work well too!

Thanks for sharing FlyXwire. What a fantastic photo. In 3mm you should be able to expand the scope of the battle a little more. Scenario 82 is an interesting one; it really does show the sad state of British armoured concepts at this early stage of the war. Who provides a tank with only smoke ammunition?

Please keep me updated on your proof of concept. It sounds very interesting.

……and while embracing a doctrine of inaccurate firing results while on the move.

I've got the miniatures ordered now, and also looking forward to a book; Taming the Panzers, by Patrick Delaforce, on 3 RTR arriving.

(the project will take a few months, but it'll get done)

Thanks for your inspiration Michael!