Taking the Gembloux Gap: Palm-Off at Perbais II (Table 1, Turn 2)

 Feldwebel Hintze surveys the field in front of him, spying through the field glasses he pulled off Lt. von Becker’s lifeless body. As if the first attempt hadn’t been bad enough, his schutzen platoon was being sent forward once more. Down 14 men, plus their platoon officer, he reorganized his platoon into two squads: one regulation sized under Obergefreiter Fischer, the other under-strength, but with two of the MG34s under Obgfr. Hermann. They were once again supported by a troop of motorcyclists and an infantry gun. Without their lieutenant, the company adjutant was assigned to assist Fw. Hintze’s deployment of his platoon. Despite half his platoon missing, the remaining men had the utmost confidence in their platoon sergeant’s leadership (Red Dice support).

Across No Man’s Land, Lieutenant Flambeau prepares his position for the inevitable reattack. His platoon’s received additional VB grenades, enough to supply his grenadiers with a bit more firepower. Additionally, battalion sent a sharpshooter to disrupt the Boche in their advance and also covered the front with antiaircraft MGs, aware of the Luftwaffe’s airborne artillery tactics. The lieutenant, having lost 11 men and Sgt. DuPont, reorganizes into three understrength group de combats. DuPont’s group is given to Caporal Lafayette with a single machine gun team. Sgt. Goudeau’s group is given two MGs, and lastly Sgt. Monet’s group has been reduced to only riflemen. 

Their defensive positions appear to be largely the same, Hintze notes, this time without the entrenched gun. Perhaps a more flexible defense? He sends out a scout team from Hermann’s squad to draw the defenders out. They slowly press through the wheat field, with their squad’s machine guns overwatching the chateau.

The German scouts press cautiously forward

The scouts are successful as a French machine gun rattles its lethal answer from the bottom floor of the chateau. The scouts are unscathed, but freeze in their tracks. They’re between their squad and the French position, so Hermann’s MG34s can’t cover them. Hintze has the IG18 deploy to the hedge, which sends a 75mm shell forward, killing one Frenchmen.

The 75mm IG18 provides much needed fire support against the dug in Frenchmen

The scouts fall back, but continue to draw fire from Lafayette’s MG. Monet’s riflemen deploy upstairs in the chateau, and their rifle fire proves more effective. One of the Boche scouts falls in the wheat. A French sniper round rings out, and the remaining scout scrambles to rejoin Hermann’s squad. As he does, the dual MG34s open up, chipping masonry off of the chateau. 

A French sniper harassing from the hedgerows

The resulting MG fire in combination with the 75mm cannon eliminates Lafayette's team, forcing him back out of the chateau. Gusteau leads Monet's riflemen through the rear of the chateau, following Lafayette. They intend to set up a defensive position further back.

Gusteau leads Monet and Lafayette and the riflemen out of the chateau...

...falling back to their secondary defensive positions

While the French right flank withdraws a few yards, Lt. Flambeau leads Goudeau's squad forward along with Parlier's team of VB grenadiers. They set up along the hedgeline directly on the German front and lay into the Boche. The combined weight of VB grenades and small arms fire kills Hermann and wipes out the remainder of his squad. 

With the French revealed to their front, Fw. Hintze deploys the attached motorcycle squad in line with his final squad under Fischer in the wheatfield. The combined line opens fire to their front, wittling down the Frenchmen. The responding French fire is effective, knocking the wind out of Fischer temporarily. This being no time for hesitation, Hintze takes command of the firing line and coordinates with the infantry gun to blast the hedge in front of them.

The Germans take up a line formation in the wheat

The fire begins to shake the French defenders along the hedge as men begin to drop and they appear close to going to ground. Hintze sees the opportunity and orders the motorcyclists to advance while Fischer, having regained his bearings, puts covering fire along the hedge. 

As the Boche advance towards bayonet and grenade range, Lt. Flambeau signals the withdrawal. They fall back in good order, much to the relief of the beleaguered defenders.

Lt. Flambeau signals the retreat

Fw. Hintze's platoon paid a heavy price for the town of Perbais, losing an additional five men killed and three wounded. Additionally, Hermann was cut down in the wheat. His men are forgiving and still think fairly highly of the Feldwebel, as does their company commander. Hintze himself though has grown short-tempered. The French lost seven dead and four more to the aid station, and their opinion of leadership drops heavily. Their commander likewise isn't as sure of the situation, and Lt. Flambeau decides that perhaps drinking at the front isn't so wise a decision. The vino collapso has been returned to the shelf.

Unfortunately for Fw. Hintze, his platoon is ordered to continue the fight despite their losses. He can hardly believe the order but grits his teeth. Lt. Flambeau's platoon, on the other hand, will be pulled off the front to be replaced by the company's second platoon.

This was a great game between my wife and I. Her weakened squads ultimately led to her withdrawal, as their ability to weather kills and shock was sorely diminished. My maintaining two relativly strong squads gave me a smaller available frontage, but that front was able to stay strong in the face of fire. While we took heavy losses, the platoon was able to still press the defender out of their positions. Ultimately -A- was worried about her men's opinion. While this was the only place her platoon would fight and she still had a decent Force Morale, the losses she was taking were going to quickly work against her in the long run. We had a blast and are looking forward to playing the next game, "The Culverts at Noirmont!"

Caleb