Road Race, Calais to St. Omer Road, May 23rd 1940 - A Battlegroup Scenario for EW

 With the release of EW by Battlefront I picked up a German - French and British - French starter box and I had planned to start with a French - German scenario. Sadly that box wasn't packed in the correct manner and it contained quite a few damaged parts. BF Customer Service will get this sorted but that is going to take some time.

So, change of plans, and I selected the British vs German scenario "Road Race" from the Blitzkrieg supplement.

 

 It comes with all the details you would need, and the listing is quite simple.

For the Brits I have the following.

Starting Forces

• Staff Car - I have no model for this yet, currently looking around for options, most likely a printed model.
• Vickers Light Tank Platoon -  I'm assuming these are the Vickers Mk VI B. For this I can take 3 models out of the Battlefront Dunkirk box as it comes with exactly 3 lights. 

 British Main Force

• A10 Platoon (3 tanks) - I've managed to find a seller in the EU that still had several boxes of the PSC A9/A10 so I just bought them all. Battlefront only does a blisterpack with 2 A9's and that gets expensive really quick.
• A13 Platoon (3 tanks) - The Dunkirk box comes with 5 A13's so that is sorted.
• Vickers MkVI C Platoon (3 tanks).  For this I have picked up another Dunkirk box, this also gives me additional British troops and 2 Pounders. 
• Additional A13 (Commander) that I can get for the original Dunkirk box. 

So besides the staff car, they are all in my collection and I can start to build them.

For the Germans I have the following:

Starting Forces

• 1x SdKfz 222 - I have loads of these in resin from Battlefront, so not a problem. I even have a Zvezda one that would make a nice wreck if I am honest.
• 1x SdKfz 232 -  it does not say if it is the 6-rad or the 8-rad, but the only one I have in my stash is the 8-rad from PSC so that is a moot point.
• 1x Panzer II - in my stash from BF

German Main Forces 

• Panzer II Platoon (3 vehicles) -  I can take these from the Maginot starter box (the German side was properly packed unlike the French, so undamaged apart from some damage to the Siocast crews.
• Panzer 35(t) Platoon 1 (3 vehicles) - I do not own any 35(t) but I do own several 38(t) boxes from PSC so I'm afraid these will substitute for the 35(t). After this those can be used for Barbarossa etc.
• Panzer 35(t) Platoon 2 (3 vehicles) -  Same,
•  Officer in Panzer IV (which assume is the D) - I have a blister of this model in my stash. 
• 2 offtable 88 shots. I have tons of 88's but I will need to check if I have Early War crew. I could get away with a counter but a real model (with a counter next to it) is more fun for me.  

And that is all the scenario needs.  

Limited in build time, I'm looking forward to building, painting, and finishing these. I have no set deadline for this project, so it will most likely come and go like the others before it. I've already looked at doing additional bits but those can wait till these are done. 

Orlick's Cockroach - The scenario

Right, let's first have a look at the scenario. It's on page 47 of the Blitzkrieg book, and a scenario in the standard 1 page Battlegroup format, with a listing of the forces, a minimap, a situation report (and if there are any, scenario special rules).

This scenario is about Polish Lt Roman Orlik and his 20mm armed TKS tankette. It takes place on September 18th during a patrol in the Kampinoska forest, leading 2 other MG armed TKS tankettes. In this engament he spots a patrol of 1 Panzer IVB and 2 Panzer 35(t)s and ambushes them. He first takes out the lead 35(t) and the return fire from the Germans in unable to hit him. He then flanks the Panzer IVB, hitting it in the side and setting it on fire, and after reloading finishes off the 2nd 35(t) as it tries to get into cover.

He then sets off to rescue the crew of the burning Panzer IV, which happens to be commanded by Prince Viktor Ratibor (whom later dies of his wounds). >> The-Prince-and-the-Roman

Anyhoo, this scenario has some special rules:

• TKS Ace - Orlik gets a +1 to hit when using Aimed Fire
• Cockroach - Germans suffer -1 to spot TKS when in cover
• Difficult terrain - Germans suffer -1D6 movement when moving offroad in the woods
• (optional) - remove the nr 5 counters from the pot.

The TKS Tankette in Battlegroup can be taken as a Tank unit of 3 tankettes costing 30pts and 3 BR. You may upgrade the unit with up to 2 TKS tankettes at +10pts and 1 BR each. You may upgrade up to 2 TKS per platoon with FK-20mm guns at +2pts per tanks, but this is a Restricted choice.

The TKS Tankette can also be taken as a Reconnaissance Support unit of 1 tanks, gaining the Scout special rule, at a cost of 15pts and 1 BR. If you select the FK-20mm version you pay 17 pts and 1 BR instead, but this is a Restricted choice.  The third way to get a TKS tankette in your Polish army list is as a Platoon Support option for the Cavalry Platoon. This is the MG variant only at 10 pts and 1 BR.
With O armour all round, and a max movement of 8"off road and 12"on road  it's not much different then many other period tanks. The FK-20mm has 10 shots, fires AP only and to penetrate the Panzer IVB from the front it would need to roll a 9+ within 20 inches or a 10+ up to 50 inches...but there are always modifiers :) Side shots would be a more reasonable 7+ within 20 inches or 8+ withing 50 inches. Return fire from the 75mm L24 would only need a 5+ within 20 inches, but assuming the TKS's stay in the forest they are a 3+ to spot for obscured vehicle (firing), but with the special rule they become a 4+ to spot. Actually hitting each other will be hard, assuming both sides move and the TKS's stay in cover you are looking at a -3 to your dice roll, so rolling 6's when shooting is key. The MG armed TKS's have a ROF of 3. Area Fire has no effect on a enclosed AFV so is pointless, Aimed Fire....is also pointless cause MG's don't case closed AFV's to take pinning tests! Yikes, this changes things :D Oh well, good training mission to learn what does and what does not work when fighting tanks I guess, so makes a good introductory mission, even if the replay value is a bit low.

No artillery, no aircraft, no infantry. Shoot to supress or shoot to hit, and autocannons. The Polish get D6+1 actions per turn, the Germans get D6. A game should/will last 30-45 minutes including a basic explanation and use of the QRF sheet?

Scenery wise I have enough roads, but I'm lacking in trees. To help me out on that, I've selected the Tree Building workshop at the next Poldercon so I can gets hand on teachings from a experienced builder in making some (and yes Erik, I know you can do it too, but I'll pester you for that later). With some, I mean a lot. While I do have a nice collection of pines that needs rebasing, decicious trees are severly lacking.

Next posts I will be taking a look at both sides vehicles and the kits I will be using.....can't do much else properly while my finger is healing. (Funny (or disgusting) fact......at first I thought it had sliced a U shaped cut into my finger, but after cleaning the bandaid for the second time it looks like the blade was so sharp and fast it cut all the way through and the flap resealed itself with such precision that even my fingerprint is intact, just a bit frayed at the edges. Never had that happen, usually the top part dries up and falls off but it appears so deep that it just stuck back on again.)

On a side note, Piers pointed me towards AB figures (again) and they make a lovely 20mm French Tank Crew set that would work for Polish tanks too. AB is very expensive though (but worth it). And he's asked me to make 2 Crocodile conversions for him using the Airfix Crocodile and the PSC Churchill kit to keep everything nice and uniform. And about actually making the artillery you bought in game to put on the side table. Aargh, too many ideas.