Emergency Miniature Work - 15mm USMC Super Cobra
Live Game Stream Today at 2PM East US, 7PM UK
The Battle of Arras is one of the most famous episodes of the German 1940 Blitzkrieg.
On 21 May 1940, British and French armor launched an ill-fated counterattack against the northern flank of the German “panzer corridor,” hoping to cut it off. The Germans found to their horror that their antitank guns couldn’t scratch the heavy British A11 and A12 “Matilda” tanks of 1st Tank Brigade (4th and 7th RTR).
The British were only stopped when the frantic German division commander on the scene, Erwin Rommel, tried using 8.8 cm heavy antiaircraft guns against the British tanks.
The rest is history.
We’ll be recreating a pivotal part of that battle LIVE TODAY on Sitrep Podcast Channel (YouTube and Twitch), engaging with members of the community in a game of Panzer Leader 1940.
We hope to see some of you there!
British forces for the game, including what the 1st Armored Brigade (4th and 7th RTR) actually had that day. We also have a small part of the 6th Durham Light Infantry (most of the battalion was engaged further east), and a battery of artillery that was supporting 6th DLI.
German forces. Not all these units will be available to them at first, Stukas only arrived after Rommel called for them and most of 25. Panzer Battalion's flanking counter-counterattack from the west was blunted / delayed by French armor on the British right wing. These are the forces that were there so far as I can find, including two sections of Luftwaffe 8.8 cm FlaK 36 heavy antiaircraft guns. This was the first time these were used against tanks in WW2 (sources suggest the tactic had been used once before in the Spanish Civil War).
Some of the research I've been cross-referencing trying to get an accurate read on what was on the field in question. We're also keeping this game strictly scaled to history and geography, so as you can see we'll only be doing a small part (albeit the most FAMOUS part) of the battle.
Table is set up and ready to go. I might have given the British a LITTLE too much firepower (I'm being generous with my interpretation of 6th DLI's and 368 / 92nd Field Artillery Regiment's position) but I want to give the Brits a fighting chance to change history.
Rommel himself is on the table! He's part of that "CP" unit in his SdKfz-251 command halftrack. WAAAAAY too far forward, of course, but then again, this is Rommel. Sources have him on this ridge personally siting the 88s (note one battery is just two hexes southwest).
Here's a zoom-in of our research area (there were several maps used, but this was the most detailed in regards to military units deployed). Notet he British breakthrough on the their left (4th RTR), while they were slammed to a halt on the right (7th RTR). The objectives in today's game illustrate the same dynamic, the British don't have to WIN THE BATTLE to win the game (given the scenario's realism, "winning outright" is just about impossible), but they just thev to do BETTER than historically and they win the game. Given how bad the British were halted historically, this is a pretty low bar to beat. Then again, the British player has to play with the tools available. Sheesh.
Looking forward to it! Early war is “fun” to watch because the vehicles are almost cute when compared to their modern cousins. Though for their time they were quite devastating I’m sure.
Early war games ARE a lot of fun, not just because the tanks are “cute” (although some of them are “ugly-cute”), but because the ranges are so short. This opens the battlefields to maneuver as @yavasa saw in his 1939 Poland games, @rasmus and @elessar2590 saw in Belgium / France 1940 games. Compare that to @brucelea and @damon in 1943 Tunisia (88s, 75s, and British 17 lbrs) and even worse, Damon in 1973 Yom Kippur and even the 1991 Gulf War … A unit pops its head up and someone blows it off from 20 hexes away …