Encounter at Ernage

15/5/40

v1.1 - updated victory conditions

On 10 May 1940, Nazi Germany's armed forces, the Wehrmacht, invaded Luxembourg, The Netherlands, and Belgium under the operational plan Fall Gelb (Case Yellow). The Allied Armies attempted to halt the German Army in Belgium, believing it to be the main German thrust. After the Allies had fully committed the best of the Allied Armies to Belgium on the 10th through the 12th of May, the Germans enacted the second phase of their operation, a break through, or sickle cut, through the Ardennes, and advanced to the English Channel.

Unaware of the German plan, the French Army intended to halt the German advance into central Belgium and France by organising two defensive positions at the towns of Hannut and Gembloux. They committed their strongest field force, the French First Army, to the defence of the Gembloux—Wavre axis. French armoured forces were sent to form an advanced guard, or screen, at Hannut, in order to delay German forces while preparing their main defence at Gembloux.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Hannut, some 35 km (22 mi) to the northeast, the town of Gembloux represented the last major prepared defensive position for the French on the Belgian front after the withdrawal from Hannut.

(From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gembloux_%281940%29 )

On the road between Gembloux and Warve were two small towns: Ernage and Perbais which were to face the full force of the German attack. Lulled in o a false sense of security by their victories at Hannut and on the River Gette General Erich Hoepner's XVI Korps launched an attack, on the 14th May, from the line of march . The 3 Panzer Division attacked opposite the towns of Ernage and Perbais, the 4 Panzer Division attacked Gembloux further south. Waiting for them were the 1er Division Marocaine (1er DM) and the 1er Division d’Infanterie Motorisée (1er DIM). Unlike the forces of the DLM, that the Germans had earlier forced back, the French infantry was dug in and waiting. Importantly the French artillery was emplaced and its telephone network was fully netted in. Approaches to the French lines were pre-registered by the French guns. The initial German assault was repulsed

On the 15th the Germans tried again, supported by all their artillery and hoards of dive bombers. This scenario depicts the German attempt to break through the French Defensive line.

Late 30's map of the battlefield. From: http://geo.nls.uk/maps/belgium/gsgs/googlemaps.html

Map and Order of Battle

French & Moroccan Deployment

The majority of French forces are deployed as indicated on the map in the areas delineated by the pink dashed lines.

The Section de Commandement de 110e Regiment must be deployed in a BUA of Villeroux

The Section de Commandement de 7e RTM with the Section de Commandement de 1er RM must be deployed in a BUA of St Gery

The 35e BCC is a reinforcement arriving on turn 4 between points K & J

The 3e Escadron 1er RC is a reinforcement arriving on turn 6  within 3" of point A.

The 80e GRDI is a possible reinforcement. It will enter within 6" of turn L the turn after a German stand touches or moves over ridge KB

Note all French transport starts "trucks to the rear"

All on table guns and personnel stands are dug in foxholes (-2 cover)

Each 25mm AT gun may have a 1" x 1" AT mine field placed to its front (180deg) within 6"

German Deployment

The I-III Bataillon of the 3 Schützen Regiment start on table in the areas indicated on the map. The Regiment Stab can start in any of the indicated areas.

I/35 Panzer Abteilung is a reinforcement entering on turn 3. It enters between points G & I. The Stab 5 Panzer Brigade follows on turn 4

I/6 Panzer Abteilung is a reinforcement entering on turn 6. It enters between points E & F

Note all German transport in brackets starts the game "trucks to the rear"

Terrain

The table is 6ft x 12ft if playing at 1"=50m

Open ground is open fields, with very little cover

The red lines are roads. Where tree-lines are adjacent any stand on the road is assumed to be adjacent to the tree-line

The black dashed line is a railway. It has no game effect

Blue lines are streams. Personnel stands (not towed guns) within get -2 cover. The streams are free for personnel to cross. Tracked and half tracked vehicles take a BMA to cross. Wheeled vehicles and man-handled guns take 2xBMA

Green dotted lines are tree lines. They break LOS unless a stand is adjacent and give -1 cover.

Brown dashed lines are ridgelines. They break LOS and give hull down positions to AFVs touching them. The thicker lines are higher. Stands touching the thick lines can see over the thinner lines that are attached to the same thicker line. Attached thin lines do not provide hull down vs fire from stands touching attached thick lines

The grey squares are stone BUA. They give personnel within -3 cover. the simple town fighting rules are in effect

Chronology

Turn Reinforcement/event Entering
1-2 French front Bttn are auto suppressed  
3 I/35 Pz Abt GI
4 Stab 5 Pz Brig GI
4 35e BCC KJ
4 French rear Bttn may move  
6 I/6 Pz Abt EF
6 3e Escadron 1er RC 3" of A
6 155mm call number increases  
13 Possible game end  

Air Support

The air was thick with Stukas. The Armee de l'Air made a few fighter sweeps over the battlefield but was unable to dent German air supremacy. If playing with my air rules the French place first

The German player rolls 3d10 turn.

Dice 1 is for on table Stuka support: 1-6 no Stuka, 7-8 2 Stuka, 9-10 3 Stuka. Dice 1 also indices additional OFF TABLE Stuka strikes vs. artillery. These are abstracted and result in a penalty for the French to call their off table artillery this turn: 1-6 no penalty, 7-8 -2 & 9-10 -3.

Dice 2 is for fighters: on a 7+ one Bf-109E or Bf-110C is over the table

Dice 3 is for an HS-126 recce plane (see below) which arrives on a 7+ as long as the French do not have the ONLY fighter available this turn

On turn 1 the Germans get maximum airpower, ie they are assumed to have rolled three 10's

The French Player rolls 2d10 per turn

The first dice is for fighter support: on a 9-10 the French get 1 MS-406 Fighter

The second dice is for a Mureaux 117 Recce plane (see below) which is over the battle field on a 8-10 as long as the Germans do not roll a fighter.

Special Rules

The game is 13 turns longs (turns are an hour long) with a 50% chance of a 14th rolled at the end of turn 13.

French artillery improves as the game progresses and it becomes clear that this is the point of main German effort. The call numbers (not H&I) of the 155mm Groups improve by +2 starting with turn 6

The recce planes enhance the H&I calling numbers with 12" of where they are placed to 1-4 for all divisional guns (ie not mortars and leIG-18). On a calling roll of a 10 H&I fire falls with full effect within 12"

On turn 1 & 2 the French are subject to an intense pre-programmed barrage, and all stands in the I/7e RTM, 7e GRDI and L/110e RIM are considered automatically suppressed. Strengths of these units have already been reduced in the OB to reflect casualties

No French stand may have movement orders on turn 1

The III/110e RIM and II/7e RTM may not move until there is a German stand within LOS and 24"

The II/110e RIM and III/7e RTM may not move until there is a German stand within LOS and 24" OR its turn 4 or more

Victory Conditions

The Germans are trying to push west and the French trying to stop them

1) If the Germans have a stand in good morale within 6" of point A or point L at the end of the game they win

2) If the French have an AFV, in good morale, touching or east of  railway line CI, at the end of the game the French win unless condition 1 is met

3) If the Germans have more than one stand touching or to the west of ridge BK, in good morale, at the end of the game, they win unless condition 2 is met

Any other result is a draw

Good morale means not shaken and not demoralised

UE carriers, the P-16 and ZT-3 do NOT count as AFVs for victory conditions

 

References

1er DM deployment map: http://breizhrcb.xooit.fr/t239-La-bataille-Gembloux-France-1940.htm

1er DIM deployment map: http://www.wwii-photos-maps.com/miscellaneoussituationmaps/French%20Maps/slides/Wavre%20-%20February%201940.html

3 Panzer Division: WW2 Day by Day: http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/gliederungen/3pzdivfallgelb.htm

3e DLM: http://www.tanaka-world.net/?p=3

35e BCC: (axis history forum): http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=118800 

4 Panzer Division: WW2 Day by Day: http://www.wwiidaybyday.com/gliederungen/4pzdivfallgelb.htm

Battle of Gembloux (Wikipedia): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gembloux_(1940)

French Army 1939-1940 Vol I, II & IV - Lee Sharp

French deployment: http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/1729/frenchdeploymentaroundg.jpg

German WW2 Organisational Series Vol 2/I - Leo Neihorster

IIIe Corps d'Armée: http://france1940.free.fr/oob/1armee.html#IIIeCA