Them Germans were good

[Imp]

Well the 3 pioneers finnishing the bunkers are pinned down till the arty stops one left but mines in the way.
Mine tanks are heading to catch up bank force as expect more along it.
My pilots are flying with there eyes closed some AAA on Char pass 3 guns but Ok, the bank force should be in position to see one AAA on next pass.
Planes saw a squad but strangely no other tanks so trying another pass there have to be more.
They did not do a good job round the road area either scouts nipped up there on the motorcycles last turn & so had a look.There are a total of 5 just back from a row of buildings there. I could just smoke & ignore them which is what I did for the present courtesy of FJs smoke grenades.
As have time when AT guys have reloaded will try to deal with but its not going to be easy as 50-100m apart.
Sniper is still routed but have found a total of 3 squads in his area one more somewhere, one was found by a now immobile probably about to die 222, thats what comes of trying to avoid being shot at by those tanks, looks like I was wrong about the mortar.
Most Mortar fire has stopped but all arty that fired landed on pioneers or landing zone.
Last 3 barges are darting around trying to hide as unloading does not seem a sensible option, has to switch targets soon.
Next battle will not accept default turns to long.

[Imp]

Forces involved 3 FJsquads 2 FJLMG MkII immobile 222
1FJ squad & LMG 400-600m from enemy rest 100-300m & 222adjacent.
As it turns out 5 French regulars & a routed sniper so far all dug in.

2 onbard 155s make a limited drop on 1 French Sqd 0.3+ 0.5
2 French fire c(asulties)= 1 everyone returns C=0
French fires RPG at adj 222 misses as pinned return 222 took offence C=2
2 French fire C=2 Return LMG C=2
Sniper rallied fires MkII forces him out of foxhole
2 French fire C=0 Return C=0
Squad by 222 fires at LMG C=1 222 returns C=1
Further French fire causes C=1 for none
Squad by 222 vacates & takes a further 2 hits & sniper is killed while routing.
Gotta love these FJs & that MKII its a great suppressor.

There fate is now sealed as infantry in trucks arriving & a couple more tanks.
2 MMGs move to tree line & hose down everyone conducts fire for few loses on either side but they are now outnumbered by more than 3 to 1 & all routed. Squad out of foxhole was killed.

Elsewhere
Infantry moving down bank have fanned out & are now slightly ahead but can see AAMG & a squad. 4 tanks are with them.

AAA fire has intensified 1 other AAgun location found & a Char but not where I expected he is about 15 hexes back from the bank. A plane took light damage.

Artillery fire has died down its finaly switching targets & mortars have started firing in support of OK Coral, final bunker is damaged & took 6 casulties but I lost a couple of trucks in landing zone plus 5 routed squads probably with some damage. Final landing commencing next turn.

2 PSWs & 3 Pioneers reloaded & on route to tank formation. 1 of the pioneers is badly damaged so will only be used in a last ditch attempt as his kill chances are not to good. Have a second ammo truck in place now.

Should have left a few more trucks on far bank stuff is getting out of range of some arty now.

[Imp]

Taking the advice of High Command & having some Jagdpanzer 1s along for the ride would most definetly have helped, despite operations length I am now watching time.
Nearly in a position to launch an attack on 5 tanks but delaying slightly as sent a scout for a look & he has found 2 more so far about 600m back covering them., Taking this lot down could prove expensive & time consuming.
Road Force is at bottom of first hill no fire recieved from woods on.
Bank force took out first AA Gun Raumpanzer moving in sight at a safe range to draw some fire then infantry & MkII killed it for no loses. Found another one tricky LOS as surrounded by high grass.
This force cannot move much further unless I smoke original Char again so is vectoring towards it. An ATG has opened up vague idea where troops off for a closer look on foot. So 2 pronged attack on hill.

With the adition of FJs this has turned into quite a big game having to think logistics trucks are ferrying people to contact & having to move arty pieces several of which are now out of ammo as resupply is otherwise occupied.
Becoming increasingly harder to maintain momentum without incuring loses.
The number of tanks is proving a problem 17 so far & I play with tank heavy off because & could well be wrong AI seems to buy more complete formations & hence a better force if do.
The easy option would definetly be to leave Northern tanks alone as don't protect anything now but will probably make a rush for 3 flags in area I have taken.

[Imp]

5 tank force - half a dozen planes made passes as expected no effect all turret hits last bomber making its run next go then smoking & kicking off attack, no other units found.

Just over a third of the way down the map & the enemy is in an Lshape made it to tree line on the hill without problems but so far can see 6 troops & 3 Char-Bs. The chars are at the intersect of the L & stretch along the horizontal line & the ATG is there somewhere an FJ looking for took 3 casulties from an unseen HMG & there is at least 1 more Char that missed my armoured car, things are hotting up.
Enemy is in woods on 2 hills & open that I have to approach across.
Idealy I would like to scout a bit West & place MMGs AAA for support fire but time beckons going to have to take risks.
Considering this means I still have half the map with unknown forces I was right in that I can't hang about. Tank force I have found so far is now the size of my armour & those pioneers take 2 turns to fully rearm. The attack is in danger of stalling due to the amount of armour present.
Enemy arty will become more dangerous as generaly I have managed to keep it falling behind me the last few turns just pinning the odd troop.
I hope we get a lock for CB fire soon because I am going to need those guns.
About a 1/4 of my arty is out or critical on ammo so attacking across the whole front will start to become unviable.
Expecting some armour loses now.
Forgot other AAA taken out without loss

[WarrenOzz]

A good read Imp - keep it up.

Your scouting the way I do by the sounds of it. Good luck with those tanks. Those Char`s are a tough nut to crack.

[Imp]

Thanks for the comment Warren, do try not to use scout by death tactics but think this might get a bit tense

[Imp]

Bomber attacked tanks for a typical result, nowt. Begining to think these forces family are local they are a tenacious lot generally just shrugging stuff off & returning fire.
3 guns firing smoke on tanks only managed to drop one round in a useful place, what a farce FOO had no LOS scattered everywhere, going again attack delayed.

Taking the hill is progressing Ok but crossing the open ground is not slowed to a crawl. Cleared 2 squads out of foxholes & adjacent to another but those HMGs are causing havoc.
Found 1 HMG & another Char but cant locate other HMG ATG or the Char in woods somewhere on hill 2. Tanks are not moving till I find at least one but HMGs severly hampering efforts to locate. Found another 3 squads one the hard way, AI won that turn
Called in 3 planes on infantry then another 3 will attack an AAAgun that has been harrasing.
1 Scout is taking a gamble & skirting round running ahead by motorbike to see if he can get an idea of whats to come, if he makes it will send him a buddy.
Stiff resistance

[Imp]

1
3 2
4
Hills actualy peaks all one big hill 1 2 3 make up the L
3 mainly open terrain, others interspersed woods & a road runs through rear 3
4 also contains a village on the road.
To Right of hill 2 are 3 Chars & a soon to die (I hope) HMG

The motorcycle scout made it to near the village on hill 4 dismounted.
Droped some smoke in front of hill 2 as this holds the stuff I cant find so need to get closer. Forces are now about halfway across open because of this & tanks are moving cautiously. 2 halftracks risked running to the base of hill 2 & made it.
Hill 1 is now largely under my control 1 squad still has some fight in him but rest are running. There are 4 squads on hill3 & forces are engaging,1 now routed & armoured cars & infantry working well here. 3 Squads are loaded in truck by road out of LOS to capitalise next turn by running up to foxholes for point blank fire.
1 tank recieved 2 damage in the fight for hill 1 but troop loss was fairly light this turn, about 4 -5 men.
Sods Law the lucky Char is just on the other side of hill 3 crest to closest units but has LOS to open area. Smoke screen is about to clear & as its getting short sent Stuka to suppress him for a turn. Think thats all the bombs possibly one more left.
Hes routed first direct hit immobilised. Up to now I have only been hiting tanks when in a position to take advantage of the outcome. But as well over a 100 shells & 15 bombs have had no effect why bother aaaargh.

CB fire on his 75s he now has one set of 75s & 155s but 155s have gone quite.
Cant find the mortars

Tank attack was worth the wait 3PAWs & a Pioneer got kills for the loss of 1 man
The last was attacked by a squad + 7 MkIIIs 1 was damaged but he turned tail & ran.
He is now in the open & should be able to get point blank with some units as troops in position to lay smoke in front of 2 tanks covering who are next.
Things are getting back on track & going to work my way along the rear as tank hunter force will need several turns to reach the Group of Chars at the end of the L.
Transport is en route. One ammo truck moving towards hill 1 the other has been tasked with feeding arty as its looking a bit dire.

[Imp]

Want to knock this out so pushing on, its turn 26 am nearly halfway, morale will go soon. Entering part of map FOO who remained on far bank is covering
The hill> all defenders out of foxholes on 3 as trucks roled in, scouting of hill 1 found another guy also ejected from his hole. Scout had to jump on bike & come back crew bailed out of Char & I was not letting him get back in.
Troops moving toward hill 2 in force & some splitting off to find LOS around 3 Chars so tank killers know where to take up positions.
Went for a fast attack on remaining tanks as want to reposition.
2 MkIIIs attacked runner followed by pioneer mech assault rest moved on other 2 tanks with 3 infantry & a pioneer. Slightly worried there might be more tanks in tree clumps, there were. Killed 3 2 with MkIIIs another to Pioneer, losses 1 tank damaged 1 immobile 3 troops lost. At least 1 tank is still there maybe 2 But I will not have to worry about reloading PSW Eng before moving to next target so can maintain momentum better.
These planes have been crap vs armour, can't even see them but they are good vs dug in troops, 3 made there pass scoring 1 hit on a squad & eliminating another HMG.
Other 3 then made pass on AAgun first plane destroyed & rest shot at nothing. Not quite sure how they all survived as a shed load of AAA filled the skies. Despite this they found 4 squads & located the position of another AA gun.
Took a decent number of planes in hope of track hits Doh. Also my air direction is not the Mae West so practice.

[Imp]

Enemy arty might have been quite light but effective most of bank force is pinned.
have found the tank there approach will need smoke
My company leader found lost 3 men discovering there are 2 tanks left up North, transparent woods hex caught him out.
Another squad covered him with smoke grenade, has rally in high 80s so want to keep him alive.
Scout & motorcycle that killed Char crew died finding Char covering a road, my fault for being a bit reckless.
Planes are going for a dangerous life & taking on what they find.
Either CB fire was not very effective or first battery has recovered & is back on line, more stuff lands on bank force.
It is worth noting I think AI set up well guessing my crossing point as planes have seen no bunkers in area though could be doing there usual great job at scouting.
The AI still controls 15 flags.
1 Near 3 chars
4 In woods about 250m apart
The rest in 3 distinct groups woods, hill & open areas.