Mont St Eloi
The Battle after Arras
23/5/40
On the 21st May 1940 the British and French made their famous counter-attack at Arras. Although this slowed the German advance it failed to cut-off the leading German Panzer units. However the Germans felt they could not ignore the forces on their flank and proceeded to attack to the north across the River Scarpe and round the west of Arras towards Vimy Ridge. To the west of the British positions around Arras were the depleted French 1e & 3e DLM. Designed for the cavalry role, the DLM's were not equipped for defensive warfare. They struggled against the German onslaught but on the 22nd they held their own. Indeed early on the 22nd the Germans took the town of Mont St Eloi, but they were thrown out by a French counter attack.
Things looked worse at dawn on the 23rd. The German 5 Panzer Division now had all its strength ready to push north and try to surround Arras. The Allies had received no reinforcements and the air swarmed with Stukas
Map and Order of Battle
German Deployment
I & II 13SR plus II/31 PR are deployed and indicated on the map by the pink dashed lines.
All other German units are reinforcements which enter the battle between points G & F. I/31PR enters turn 1. Stab & Stabs Kompanie 31PR enter turn 2 and 5 PD Stab enters turn 4
French Deployment
I & II 4e RDP, plus 1/18e RDP start the game deployed on table in the indicated deployment zones
The stands of the 6e Cuirassiers are deployed randomly at the start of the game. Divide the table in to 10 2ft x 2ft areas (there will be a 6" margin down each side of the table). Number the areas and roll a d20 for each stand to find its location. It will be in the centre of the area as long as this is NOT within LOS of the Germans. If it is in LOS move the stand east until it is out of LOS.
PC 4e RDP and Section de l'Observation are deployed within 6" of point C
4/18e RD is a reinforcement entering turn 3 between points D & E
2/18e RD is a reinforcement entering turn 4 between points A & B
British Deployment
2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regt is deployed on table in the indicated deployment zone. The British are dug in in Foxholes (-2 cover)
The BHQ of the 2nd Bttn is a reinforcement turn 3 anywhere between points D & F
D Coy Northamptonshire Regt is a special reinforcement and will enter the table any point between D & E the turn after the Germans have more stands than the allies in the Bois de la Ville. Note the Bois extends to point P
7th RTR is a reinforcement entering turn 4 between points A & B
Terrain
The map depicts a 10ft x 5ft table if playing 1" = 50m. North is indicated
The open ground is fields, with no significant cover on their boundaries.
The red lines are roads. Where roads have hedgerows on both sides all stands on the road are considered to be touching both hedgerows.
The brown dotted lines indicate a sunken road. Stands in the sunken lane can not be seen or shot at from outside (even from dark brown ridge lines) unless the observer is touching the edge of the lane. Personnel can fire out of the sunken lane, at targets not touching the edge, vehicles can not. Firing against personnel on the edge of the lane gets -2 cover against direct fire. Personal must be clearly designated as firing out otherwise they are assumed to be cowering in the lane and can not be shot at except by stands touching the edge of the line or within it. All stands may fire out of the lane at enemy touching the edges of the lane. Max LOS along the sunken lanes is 6". Infantry stands can scrabble across the lanes without penalty. Vehicles and man-handled guns can not enter or exit the lane from the sides. If a vehicle is disabled in the lane the lane is blocked. Stands in the lane do not block the fire of stands outside the lane (i.e. you can fire over them).
The blue line is the Scarpe river. It costs 2xBMA for tracked & half tracked vehicles to cross and 1 BMA for personnel stands. Manhandled guns and wheeled vehicles can not cross. The river is tree lined. All stands in the river are considered to be touching both hedgerows. Note the bridge between the two BUA's of Bray
The light green areas is are open woods. No impediment to personnel, half speed for vehicles and man-handled guns. Light cover (-1 vs non HE).
The grey squares are 4x4 BUA. The buildings in the towns are tightly packed around the roads so the simple town fighting rules are in effect (ie tanks and towed guns within have ROF 0)
The green dotted lines are tree lines, these provide light cover (-1 vs non HE) and break LOS
The broken black line is a railway it has no game effect however it does have trees along both sides. All stands on the line are considered to be touching both hedgerows.
The broken green line is a trail. It counts as open ground for movement purposes. Stands on the trail still get cover from the woods. Max visibility along the trail is 6".
The broken brown lines are ridgelines. These break LOS. Any AFV stand touching a ridgeline is considered hull down*. The dark ridgelines are higher than the light ridgelines. Any stand touching a dark ridgeline can see over all intervening terrain except another dark ridgeline as long as the terrain is not within 6" of another dark ridgeline. (measure along LOS to the terrain feature and then ascertain if that point is within 6" of a dark ridge). Even if on a dark ridge there is a 3" "dead zone" behind any terrain that breaks LOS which can not be seen from the ridge.
*Stands touching light brown ridges are NOT considered to be hull down to those touching dark brown ridges
The yellow area is covered by the special rules below.
German Air Support
The Luftwaffe was very active in this battle. Each turn roll 1d6: 1-3 no planes, 4 Bf-109E Fighter, 5 Ju-87B Stuka, 6: both Bf-109E & Ju-87B
Allied Air Support
Both the RAF and and Armee de l'Air were active in the area. Roll 3d10 each turn. One dice represents a Dewoitine D.520, another a Hurricane Mk I and the third a Blenheim Mk I bomber. The fighters each turn up if a 10 is rolled on the appropriate dice. Once the plane has arrived that dice is discarded (ie the fighters only turn up once each in the game). The Blenheim turns up on 10 however it may turn up unlimited times.
The allied fighters may not make strafing runs.
If playing the simplified air rules Allied planes are placed before German planes
The RAF's bombing accuracy at this stage in the war left much to be desired. The "redirection" roll for the Blenheim is 8-10 rather than 9-10 (see 5.2 in rules link above)
Special Rules
The game lasts 12 turns minimum. At the end of turn 12 roll d6, the game ends on a 1-2. At the end of turn 13 roll d6, the game ends on a 1-4. The game automatically ends on turn 14 if t has not already done so
The yellow area is a no-go area for the Germans until start of turn 5. Forced back stands and stands that have retreated due to bad morale may enter the area but must move out as soon they are able. HQ units may enter to rally shaken or demoralised troops but must leave as soon as the job is done. If a German stand within the area fails a morale check "away from the nearest enemy" is assumed to be towards the closest border of the area. If the retreat move is enough to leave the area then the stands must do so.
Victory Conditions
The Germans are heading north and need to clear the towns of Mont St Eloi and Carency. They also need to neutralise the armoured threat on their flanks and maintain LOC
The Germans score a VP for each of:
In addition they must hold one of the bridges over the Scarpe and have at least one PzKfw-III or IV on table in good morale else its an automatic Allied victory
Most victory conditions are calculated at the end of the final turn, however the exiting AFV's condition is calculated at the end of turn 6
To score the VP for exiting AFV's off edge of table Z, the AFV's must be in good morale. All AFV's count, but to count the SdKfz-251 it must have it original passengers on board when it leaves the table. At least one of the exiting AFV's must be a PzKfw-III or PzKfw-IV. AFV's that have left may not re-enter the table
To hold the Carency or Mont St Eloi the Germans have to have the only stands in good morale wholly within the BUA's. If a town is empty of stands in good morale the Germans do not get the point. Note the BUA's marked with an X are part of Mont St Eloi
For the elimination target the following are considered "tanks": S35, H35, Matilda I and Matilda II
To hold the bridges the allies must have the only stands in good morale touching the bridge. If there are no Allied stands in good morale touching a bridge its considered held by the Germans
If the Germans score 4 VP its is a superb German Victory
If the Germans score 2 VP its is a standard German Victory
If the Germans score 1 VP its is a standard Allied Victory
If the Germans score 0 VP OR they fail to hold the Bridges OR they fail to keep one PzKfw-III or IV on table in good morale is is a superb Allied* victory
*If you read the British histories it will be a superb British victory, if you read French memoirs it will be a magnificent French victory.
References
2nd Battalion Northamptonshire Regiment's War Diary - extract posted on WW2 Talk Forum: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/1940/25853-17th-brigade-22nd-23rd-may-1940-a.html
3rd DLM's History: http://3dlm.net/spip/spip.php?article393
4th Regiment Dragoons Portes' History - http://pagesperso-orange.fr/ph.dam/Le_4e_RDP_%284%29.htm
5 Pz Div. in the French Campaign 1940 - posted on the Axis History Forum: http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=137378
5 Pz Div's Organisation in 1940 - from Leo Neihorster's site: http://niehorster.orbat.com/011_germany/40_organ_army/div-pz_05.html
5th Infantry Division's History - extract posted on WW2 Talk Forum: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/1940/25853-17th-brigade-22nd-23rd-may-1940-a.html
6th Cuirassiers' History - on the Chars Francias site: http://www.chars-francais.net/new/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=605&Itemid=71
7th RTR's War Diary - extract posted on WW2 Talk Forum: http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/1940/24516-war-diary-look-ups-offer-4.html
18th Regiment Dragoons' History - on the Chars Francias site: http://alain.adam.perso.cegetel.net/historiques/18e%20RD.html
Armee de l'Air actions around Arras: http://acesbly.nexenservices.com/divers/histoire_meaux-esbly.htm
Map as always from IGN: IGN map of Mont St Eloi
RAF missions over Arras: http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/40_squadron.html#2305, http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/242_squadron.html#2305, http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/15_squadron.html#arras, http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/32_squadron.html, http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/diary_france.html