﻿______Operation Kleiner Baer*
_________(Operation Pooh)*
*
Date: June 15, 1940*
Location: the Rhine valley, between Neuf-*
Brisach (France) and Alt-Breisach (Germany)*
Type: German Amphibious Assault versus*
French Defense*
Size: small*
Turns: 35*
*
Conditions of victory*
*
Any result other than a decisive German*
victory is a French morale victory,*
but a Pyrrhic one.*
*
Description*
*
While the collapse of the French Army is*
about to be consummated (the Germans entered*
Paris on June 14) the OKH decided for some*
time to cross the Rhine in five places on*
a front over 40 kilometers, from Rhinau in*
the north to Neuf-Brisach in the south.*
The four conventional divisions (ID) in*
charge of the amphibious assault will be*
supported by four fortress divisions*
(Stellungdivisionen) poorly adapted to this*
task.*
*
Historical context*
*
SF of Colmar, sector of the 104th DIF.*
*
On the Rhine French bank, casemates, block-*
houses and field fortifications are held*
by 3rd CEO and 1st Battalion, 28th RIF.*
But for a few days static units in Alsace*
have lost support from the interval units*
and a large part of the artillery, withdraw-*
ing towards the Vosges following GQG orders.*
Moreover, the Maginot Line in that area suf-*
fers from flaws in conception & realization:*
CORF casemates in insufficient number or*
badly established; lack of artillery works;*
too protruding cloches GFM; blind front of*
the bank situated blocks facing Germany*
without the usual rip-rap (stone core*
covered with earthwork) intended to protect *
the concrete from direct hits; structures*
located on the dyke and therefore directly*
exposed to PAKs' straight shots: the famous*
88 were laying camouflaged less than 400m*
from their targets! Finally, often isolated*
from their superiors and even from other*
neighboring defenders, the French crews will*
have to deal with a difficult or even impos-*
sible task: a mission of sacrifice.*
*
Right bank of the Rhine, sector of ID.554,*
a Stellungdivision.*
*
IR.623 Pioniere and Landser are preparing to*
cross "Vater Rhein" on all kinds of boats,*
both regulatory and requisitioned.*
The Command Staff estimates that 3 or 4*
minutes should suffice to gain a foothold*
on the enemy bank. Minutes of uncertainty*
for brass and cauliflower, fateful minutes*
for the front line soldier.The German troops*
whose morale is quite good, however lack*
experience for that kind of assault: ID.554*
remains a defensive unit despite recent*
specific training.Anxiety grips each soldier*
but all are very confident in artillery*
capacity to knock out "die Franzosen" before*
having to fight them, once the west bank*
reached.*
*
Notes*
*
Scenario designed to be played on the German*
side versus a French AI. Also playable H2H.*
This historical scenario as to the facts,*
takes place in the southern partof assault*
area planned by OKH. For sake of playability*
the map is a modest size one but neverthe-*
less still offers the main characteristic*
elements of local topography. The terrain*
has been disrupted since the war by the work*
of a wide-gauge canal parallel to the Rhine.*
The names of French unit leaders are those*
of men who actually fought (Officers, NCOs &*
Privates); on the German side, only a few*
names marked with a + meet this criterion.*
*
Abbreviations and military jargon used to*
name scenario units*
*
France*
*
Blockhaus G: "G" after General Garchery's*
name, a former commander of the 7th RM*
(Mulhouse). Small, relatively well-built*
MOM bank blockhouse, with two back-to-back*
firing chambers with 1 FM or 1 Hotchkiss*
machine gun in each firing chamber.*
*
Casemate M2F: CORF work equipped with:*
- two separate firing chambers (M2) & whose*
facade(F) is oriented along an axis parallel*
to the river, 2 7.5mm Reibel MG(twin mount),*
one 13.2mm anti-tank Hotchkiss gun in each*
firing chamber,*
- a fixed GFM steel top turret or Cloche*
(bell) GFM with 1 periscope, 1 50mm light*
mortar and 1 FM 24/29,*
- a rear exit protected by 1 FM slot and*
a chute (goulotte) for throwing grenades,*
- a prefabricated outdoor barracks (hut) for*
the crew.*
*
Coupole 7eRM (for 7th Military Region):*
small underground MOMblockhouse with a dome-*
shaped roof; designed to house 1 FM or 1 MG.*
*
CEFV (Compagnie d_Engins et de Fusiliers*
Voltigeurs): Company of vehicles and rifle-*
men (specific to the RIF).*
CEO (Compagnie d_Equipage d_Ouvrage):*
Casemate crew company.*
CHR (Compagnie Hors-Rang): Non-ranking Com-*
pany at the unit commander's disposal.*
CM (Compagnie de Mitrailleuses): MG company.*
CORF (Commission d_Organisation des Regions*
Fortifiees): Commission for the organization*
of fortified regions (1925-1935); Government*
& Army project manager of the Maginot Line*
best works.*
DIF (Division d_Infanterie de Forteresse):*
Fortress infantry division.*
Elt: element(s) of a unit.*
FM (Fusil-Mitrailleur): Light Maghine Gun.*
FV (Fusiliers Voltigeurs): Riflemen (light*
infantry).*
GFM (Guetteur Fusil-Mitrailleur): Spotter &*
LMG.*
GQG (Grand Quartier General): GHQ*
MOM (Main d_Oeuvre Militaire): Military*
workforce (1935-1940); the troop was charged*
with improvised construction of concrete*
or earthen bunkers, all of dubious military*
effectiveness.*
RAP (Regiment d_Artillerie Portee): Vehicle*
mounted artillery regiment.*
RIF (Regiment d_Infanterie de Forteresse):*
Fortress infantry regiment.*
RM (Region Militaire): Military administra-*
tive region.*
Sec. (Section): Platoon.*
SF (Secteur Fortifie): Fortified sector of*
the Maginot Line.*
STG (Section Technique du Genie): Army*
engineering technical section. It provided*
the regional commanders with plans for the*
pre-1940 stopgap casemates and the MOM*
fortifications, known as junk fortification.*
*
Germany*
*
AR (Artillerie Regiment): Artillery regt.*
Aufkl. (Aufklaerung): Recce.*
Bat. (Bataillon): Battalion.*
Batt. (Batterie): Battery.*
BrandenB. Brandenburger. Assault troop*
trained in special operations.*
Brig.: Brigade.*
Flak: Flieger Abwehrkanone: AA gun.*
FlamWrf (Flammenwerfer): Flamethrower.*
FlkB. (Flak Brigade): AAA brigade*
GrW (Granatewerfer): Mortar.*
ID (Infanteriedivision): Infantry division.*
IR (Infanterieregiment): Infantry regiment.*
Komp. (Kompanie): Company.*
MG (Maschinengewehr): Machine gun.*
OKH (Oberkommando des Heeres): High Command*
of the German Army.*
PAK (Panzer Abwehrkanone): AT gun.*
Pi.Komp. (Pioneerkompanie): Company of*
engineers.*
s.Komp. (schwere Kompanie = HMG+GrW):*
Heavy weapons company.*
Stellungdivision: Fortress infantry division*
Teil: Element(s) of a unit.*
Zug: Platoon._*
*
Sources*
*
- Alain HOHNADEL & Jean-Yves MARY;*
special issue "Batailles du XXe siecle" #10*
"Juin 1940. Les Allemands passent le Rhin",*
Histoire & Collections, September 2006*
- IGN tourist map #31 (1/100 000, 1974)*
- MICHELIN road map #205 (1/200 000, 1961)*
- Wikimaginot (in French only but precise,*
exhaustive and interactive):*
https://wikimaginot.eu/V70?site.php*
*
Design*
*
Lilian NISON, Valenciennes, France*
A Tribute to "Ceux de 1940" which included*
my grandfathers: Eugene, the Frenchman and*
Karol, the Pole.*
Have Fun!              [05/12/2023 version]*