[WarInEur] Fall of France

[John Pace]

Agreed.  In 1940 the Germans had the luck of Ares on their side.  And what is more, they took maximum advantage of their stroke of luck, plus the advantage of the Polish campaign experience.  It is not just having the balanced forces, it is the skills at all levels (general to soldier) in using them.
   
  For example, at Sedan, after hearing about the german panzer strike through the ardeness, the French high command thought they had a few days grace while the Germans moved their artillery into place for a major assualt accross a major river.  But the germans did not play by the french generals WWI rulebook, the germans used their stukas instead of artillery, and the german panzer generals like Rommel did not give the french time to catch their breath.  However, if the French had more modern thinking generals and one ot their nicely balanced 'light mechanised' division just behind that Series B reserve division at Sedan under the more modern thinking french commander able to think at a mechanised pace, then history could have been very different.  How does any game replicate the fortunes of war.
   
  Interesting, in 1940 the majority of german casualties happened after Dunkirk (due to patriotic pride, we British tend to ignore the campaign after the 'little ships at Dunkirk'), when the french started to get their act together and organise their defense in depth with interlocking units, but as Karl pointeds out, at this stage they had lost the majority of their mechanised forces.  

  One of the problems with any game, the players have the advantage of hindsight and experience after the best of 5 games.  No experienced allied player would cover a vital sector like the Sedan with just one low grade reserve division, just like the historic French generals in May 1940.  
  

Karl Gaarsoe <oscardalibrarian at yahoo.com> wrote:
    Don't overemphasize the Panzer factor in the Fall of France.  It was effective infantry tactics, and mechanized (Motorized Infantry, before they became Panzergrenadiers) expolitation, 
AND a failure to coordinate their reserves.
   
  At Sedan, the French "Untried" reserve Infantry Division (55th?) turned up a 0-4;  
   
  The later part of the campaign (to occupy the rest of France) was not a walkover, but by then it was too late and without a BEF (All that equipment on the beaches at Dunkirk) or any real French Mobile reserves, then the Panzers came into their own.
   
  At least the French have not insisted on a best of five series.
   
  Karl Gaarsoe
   
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