Never play against family...

I really should learn my lesson and remember that most games against my son are likely to end in a good kicking....

He's been slowly building some troops for Chain of Command and, following a bit of a family trait has decided to avoid the obvious and head straight for the obscure...in this case Belgium!   We thought he just had about enough to field a platoon and then realised that we'd miscalculated as Belgian sections are quite big: he did however have enough to field them as French instead, so it was off to the Battle of France last night.

The scenario pitched a German platoon, reinforced with a Pz38 and Sdkfz 222 probing French defences.  After the initial patrol phase the 2 forces faced each other across a small village on the left and some woods  and a farm on the right. 



The table [actually the floor]... the French markers are
actually Soviet ones: it was all a bit improvised!

 
 
 
 
 


A brief firefight in the village quickly proved ineffective as the troops on either side could only bring limited firepower to bear... it didn't stop the French MG wounding my NCO in the German section.

On the right a German deployed in an enclosed field and engaged the French who were skulking    

    around the farm. 

The French defend the farm

 

The long-range fire, combined with the odd mortar round gradually swung the German way and the French squad began to take casualties.  My 3rd German section then deployed in the wood adding their fire and forcing the French squad back.

Back in the village my German NCO really hadn't learned his lesson and in a desperate attempt to gain a medal must have leaned out of the window and was hit again by the MG fire, this time succumbing to his wounds and causing a big hit on my morale.

 

In the centre of the table the German Pz38 had arrived and was immediately faced with a French AMC 35.  As seems to happen in every CoC game I've played the armour settled down for a long-range duel and within a couple of turns the AMC 35 scored a direct hit, brewing up the Panzer!  Scratch some more morale points...  The German armoured car turned up but for some reason was reluctant to advance against the crack shot AMC!

 

 

Over on the right the Germans got a bit overconfident and were contemplating charging the wavering remnants of the French section when another one popped up in the woods opposite.  The German fire still managed to break the French section but almost immediately the forward German section was hit hard by rifle and MG fire, reducing it to a handful of survivors and taking out another German officer.



At this point we ended the game... German Morale was hovering just above the point where bad things start to happen and although the French were a bit battered, there was little prospect of the Germans managing to break through.

So yet again I get pasted by my son... I think a rematch must be due.....