First Clash: Battle of Hannut
12/5/40
v1.1 (map changed again)
Hannut, in Belgium, was the location of the first major tank battle of the 1940 Blitzkreig. The German 3 & 4 Panzer Divisions slammed into the French 2eme & 3eme Division Légère Mécanique, the French having moved up in to Belgium to forestall the German advance.
There had been skirmishing between recce elements of the divisions on the 11th but on the 12th the major units on both sides were to clash directly; the 4 Panzer Division to the south against the 3eme DLM and the 3 Panzer Division in the north against the 2eme DLM
The scenario depicts the clash of the leading force of the 4 Panzer: 35 Panzer Regiment commanded by Colonel Eberbach with the forward elements of the 2eme DLM: 5eme Brigade Légère Mécanique commanded by General de La Font. The Germans were to find that the Somua S35 was a very good tank, and the battle would be far from easy.
Map and Order of Battle
French Deployment
The French front line is depicted by the pink dashed line that stretches from A to G
The I Btg 11 RDP and Cie AC 76 RA are deployed anywhere south of the front line (marked by a pink dashed line). The personnel stands (but not gun crews) are in foxholes (-2). The M/C Infantry stands from 1e Escadron de Reconnaissance Mixte may be deployed in the BUA of Hannut (BUA's marked H), if they are they are not dug in.
2e Escadron 2e RC must be deployed within 9" of Crehen (BUA marked C) and 3e Escadron 2e RC must be deployed within 9" of Thisnes (BUA's marked T)
4e Escadron 2e RC is a reinforcement on turn 8. It arrives between points D & F
76e Régiment d’Artillerie is off table however the 1e Batterie may be deployed on table as an AT battery. If it is deployed on table it may not fire IDF. If the French player wishes to bring it on table he declares before IDF of any turn. The battery arrives the turn after. It must enter the table within 9" of point E with a hasty advance order but only moves a single BMA on table the turn it enters.
No reinforcement can arrive within12" and LOS of an un-demoralised enemy stand. If entry is impossible, the reinforcements can enter a turn later up to 12" from their indicated entry location. If entry is still impossible move 12" further away every turn until entry is possible.
German Deployment
I & II Abt 35 Panzer Regiment are deployed in the delineated zones. The Regiment Stab may be in either zone
I/12 Schützen Bataillon is a reinforcement on turn 2. It enters the table within 9" of point Y
1 Kompanie 49 Panzerjäger Abt is a reinforcement turn 4. It enters the table within 9" of point Y
No reinforcement can arrive within12" and LOS of an un-demoralised enemy stand. If entry is impossible, the reinforcements can enter a turn later up to 12" from their indicated entry location. If entry is still impossible move 12" further away every turn until entry is possible.
Terrain
The open ground is very open. fields with no cover at their boundaries
Red lines are roads. They have intermittent hedges and tree lines along them. Not more than 4" per 16". The tree lines break LOS and give -1 cover. Any stand on the road is assumed to be adjacent to the tree line
The blue line is a ditch. Manhandled guns and wheeled vehicles cost a BMA others cross for free. Personal stands in the stream get -2 cover from shooting outside the ditch. The ditch has hedges and tree lines along it. The tree lines break LOS and give -1 cover. The trees and stream are considered one obstacle, so any stand touching the tree line is considered in LOS through the tree line.
Brown dotted lines are ridgelines. They break LOS and give AFV's the benefit of hull down (-2)
The black dotted line is a railway. If a stand is touching the railway and not on it, it gets -1 cover from small arms fire across the the railway
The green dotted line is a tree line. The tree lines break LOS and give -1 cover
The large grey squares are 4x4 stone BUA's, the smaller 2x2 BUA's (-3 cover). The smaller BUA's are farms (except that adjacent to the railway which is the station) and can hold 1 personnel or Class I gun stand stand only. The simple town fighting rules are in effect
The grey broken lines along some of the roads are walls. They give -2 cover to personnel stands and -1 cover to towed guns and vehicles; only if the stand is adjacent to the wall . The walls break LOS, though stand adjacent to the wall can see and be seen. All stands on the road are considered adjacent to the wall. (in reality the walls are actually a line of houses along the road, but there are not enough to warrant a BUA. The walls are an attempt to simulate this.
Air Support
Germans roll d6 every turn on a 5 they get Ju-87B and on a 6 a Ju-87B and a Me-109E
The Allies roll d10 each turn. On a 10 they get a British Hurricane Mk I fighter. It may NOT strafe.
Special Rules
The game is compressed, each turn representing an hour instead of half. The game starts at 0600 and last 14 turns
Victory Conditions
Points P&Q are the victory locations. Point P is 12" along the road from B and is 12" along the road from F. The locations are 3" radius around the point - the point is located in the centre of the road.
To hold the point one side must be the only side with stands in good morale within 3" of the point. If they are not the points are contested.
If the Germans never get a stand in good morale within 3" of a point that point is considered held by the French
The side that holds the point gains a VP. Contested points score no VP's
2 VPs more than your opponent is a superb victory, 1 VP is a standard victory.
Good morale means NOT shaken and NOT demoralised