A taste of 1940's 'O' Group

After being all at sea we decided to return to the land and try out “O Group” again using Phil’s very nice minis and terrain. We played the third scenario from the recently released 1940 Handbook from Reisswitz Press. As we didn’t quite have the correct minis for this scenario we just went with a German 1st rate battalion and a French 2nd rate battalion, both with some support.

The initial French attack on the left and right flanks went well and on the left they managed to get a platoon into the woods on the hill overlooking both the farm and the village of Montcornet. The single German platoon in the walled field next to the farm was looking decidedly outnumbered, although the FOO in Montcornet was doing a sterling job of providing fire support, thus keeping the heads down of the platoon in the field next to the T-junction.

The French advance on the right soon stalled as the Germans deployed the whole company, thwarting any outflanking move. The French pushed their troops forward on the left and managed to push the platoon out of the walled field, although some Germans appeared in the farm and stalled this advance.

Soon the French platoons on their left flank were starting to take casualties and/or were suppressed. At this point the French armour turned up only to be ambushed by a PaK 36. A hit and one severly shocked tank crew. The second tank drove off the road and headed towards the fields. In response the Germans deployed some Panzer IIIs and soon both French tanks were knocked out. At this point the game was called as it was time for me to head back North and the French were looking very unlikely to take their consolidation point and the German armour was looking very menacing.