Gaming: Bolt Action Battle Report - The Phoney War - Battle of Bouzonville - Briefing

 “Lieutenant Sheers platoon was recovering after their encounter with the French artillery they had stumbled on their last patrol (See ‘Bolt Action Battle Report - The Phoney War - German Reconnaissance Patrol’). The brief battle had been furious encounter, although both sides had managed to disengage leaving a series of burnt out vehicles and bodies strewn across the abandoned village. The remains of the platoon returned to Bedersdorf to rest and refit.

A few miles to the east Colonel Brauman had set up is headquarters in a local manor house. In the main dining room several maps occupied the big table in the middle as a make shift operations room.  The French had been a lot more jumpy than Colonel Brauman had anticipated (and a lot more mobile!). His abwehr agents across the border were providing increased chatter about French formations gathering. He paced a around the table, hands clasped behind his back, as he pondered the situation. He was concerned. With the war in the east the Germans did not have the resources to hold back a French attack. He would have to bluff. He went over to a stack of reports that had been placed on a side table, flicking through the town of Bouzonville kept popping up: ‘…armoured column detected in Bouzonville…’ another ‘enemy formations barracked in the town…’ Several more seemed to confirm his plan. A direct strike on Bounzonville, 10km west and easy to reach,  would make the French think twice about an attack or at least delay it. ‘Sergeant’ he barked at his clerk ‘take down these orders’….

German Orders:

Picture: Original order documents issued to Sheer for his attack on Bounzonville. Historical note: it is worth nothing that Brauman has been rather vague in Sheers objectives. It is unclear from other sources whether this was deliberate oversight or not, but certainly Sheer had a lot of scope for interpretation. The forces under Sheers command were certainly insufficient for any prolonged occupation of Bounzonville and general consensus was that it was designed to be a 'smash and grab' style raid. Brauman was under no illusion that the German forces were insufficient to withstand any strong counter so it appears to have been a very dangerous bluff on his part to make the Frnech overestimate German available resources. 

Scenario

So only the third game with blitzkrieg Germans and French forces will be a sectors battle of about 1000 point per side. The army lists would be taken from early war France and German options. Per the rules of this both sides will get a possible preliminary bombardment (the French spotting the Germans on the move).  

'Lieutenant Pierre Durand took a long drag on his cigarette. Slowly exhaling a cloud of smoke into the September air. It was a beautiful evening in Bounzonville. Only a few km's from the enemy line the Frenchman was confident that his men would have a peaceful few weeks break manning the frontier. A Char-b1 had taken station at the end of the road. The giant monolith's 75mm howitzer pointed down, almost limp in slumber, basking in the Autumn sunshine. The tank's crew with shirt arms rolled up and knee deep in grease appeared to Pierre to be tinkering with the engine at the back. Elsewhere men relaxed or chatted in small groups. Pierre was looking forward to chicken cassoulet that the mess sergeant would be prepping for tonight's meal. Durrand imagined he could smell the cooking aromas as he flicked the end of the cigarette into the road and strolled off for a wonder before dinner....'

Forces 

As mentioned above the French forces will come from the early war years and from the 'Battle of France' list and the Germans from the ' September Campaign' list.

The army lists are as below: 

German attackers (967pts - 10 dice)

Second Lieutenant - Sheer

10 Heer Infantry (LMG) - Truck

10 Heer Infantry (LMG)

10 Heer Infantry

10 Pioneers (LMG, Flamethrower) - SdKfz 251/1 halftrack

Medium Mortar

Light Artillery 

Panzer IV Ausf A

French defenders (996 - 11 dice)

Second Lieutenant - Durrand

10 Regular Infantry (LMG, VB launcher)

10 Regular Infantry (LMG, VB launcher)

10 Regular Infantry (LMG, VB launcher)

Medic

6 Veteran Cavalry section (LMG)

Boys Anti-tank rifle

Light Mortar

Sniper team

Light Artillery

Char B1

Picture: Sheers advance on Bouzonville. Historical note: based on Sheer's biography his journals indicated that the original plan was to attack the South Bounzonville and loop round to the strategically important railway station, however at some point before the attack a decision was made to encircle north and then 'drop down' onto the station area. Sheer's notes and reports make no explanation as to his reasoning, but speculation is that Durrrand and the French forces were believed to be barracked at the Abby and Sheer intended to neutralise the French threat with surprise (modern theories are that we had church scenery, but no railway station 😁)

'On the evening of the 21st September Sheer had gathered his NCOs for a briefing. It was a short affair and the small gathering soon broke up to undertake their final evening duties.  The next day before the sun had risen the men of Sheer's platoon had been assembled for action, for some they had been rudely kicked out of their bed before a quick breakfast and gathered up their equipment and ready to go. So it was that on the morning of the 22nd of September Sheer's column begun the march for their assault on Bounzonville.

Next up the German assault….