Case Yellow - how the Allies **** it up even more

[warspite1]

I've never played a Western Front 1940 game before. Armed with no talent for war gaming, but a bag of motivation having watched Dunkirk twice, I thought I'd give this game a go.

I will be playing all the Allies. Because I have no idea what is what, I will - unless there appears good reason not to as the game progresses - use the actual Allied plan as the basis for my strategy. I can't undo what is known, so assuming the AI heads for Sedan - and to the extent they cross - I will look to revise Allied decisions at that point.

[warspite1]

I am going for the default options as presented - except I have taken Fog of War off.

[warspite1]

First things first. Time to check out the historical accuracy. Starting with the Dutch. The German AI is doing its thing so I hope not too many Dutch and Belgian units get obliterated before I have a chance to check this out.....

We'll start in the north with the French.

This seems to suggest that in addition to the First Army Group, there are 3 divisions (23rd, 28th and 29th) and a tank unit (which one?) as part of the Supreme Headquarters Reserve. I don't know where the other 8 divisions are and the rest of the tanks but we'll park that for the moment..

... ah, as I drill down here are some of those 'missing' units. The 2 DCR (1st Armoured Group) so perhaps the tanks mentioned previously are from the 3rd DCM? There is also the 1st North African and 43rd Divisions. I see that some units below have been allocated to specific Corps that were in reserve - presumably for game purposes - or simply how things went during the battle. The OOB is pretty accurate though [:)]

[warspite1]

There are four French Armies and the BEF within the 1st Army Group (General Billotte):

1st Army (Blanchard)
III Corps (2 Divs - 1st Motorised and 2nd North African)
IV Corps (2 Divs - 15th DCM and 1st Moroccan)
V Corps (2 Divs - 12th Motorised and 5th North African)
Cavalry Corps (2 Divs 2nd DLM and 3rd DLM)
First Army Reserves (2 Divs 1st DCR and 32nd Infantry)

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2nd Army (Huntziger)
X Corps (3 Divs - 3rd North African, 71st Infantry and 55th Infantry)
XVIII Corps (3 Divs - 1st Colonial, 3rd Colonial and 41st Infantry) - These are greyed out and so may be fixed?
2nd Army Reserves - (2 Divs - 2nd Cavalry and 5th Cavalry)

[warspite1]

7th Army (Giraud)
I Corps (2 Divs - 25th Infantry and 1st Light Mechanised)
XVI Corps (3 Divs - 4th Infantry, 21st Infantry and 9th Motorised Infantry)
7th Army Reserves (3 Divs - 60th Infantry, 68th Infantry and Fortress Flanders)

[warspite1]

9th Army (Corap)
II Corps (3 Divs - 5th Motorised Infantry, 61st Infantry and 4th Cavalry)
XI Corps (2 Divs - 18th Infantry and 22nd Infantry)
XLI Corps (1 Div - 102 Fortress)
9th Army Reserves (2 Divs - 4th North African and 54th Division)

[warspite1]

Before moving the French, here are the screen shots of what I am advised about re Victory points etc

Maurice Gamelin: Yeah, yeah, bring it on - we got this covered...

[warspite1]

Well I don't know exactly what that means, but iirc from DC:B - it ain't good. Essentially this is the game mechanic for restricting the effectiveness of the French Army and limits movement and attack capability.

[warspite1]

So the Germans need 70 VP and only have 22? Piece of cake.....[:D]

[warspite1]

So this is after the first German turn. I don't know if that is good, bad or indifferent at this stage but basically all units are intact except for the Dutch (I'll come to them shortly).

[warspite1]

So I need to hang on for over a month.... [:(]

[warspite1]

Right so my plan to follow history looks like one I need to do in any case as the effects of not doing so are pretty penal.

[The Allies] MUST go along with it for at least the first 10 days of game-time. If he does NOT, he will suffer a penalty in the form of alarming declines in Belgian and Dutch morale, with a corresponding drop in French command-and-control effectiveness. It IS, however, possible to escape the shackles of the Dyle Plan by playing the “Cancel Dyle Plan” action card. But it costs 45 PP to do so in the first round, and the cost goes down by 5 PP every round. If the Allied player can hang on to the Dyle Line for ten rounds, the high command in Paris comes to its senses and cancels the whole now-pointless scheme at the start of the May 20th round, leaving you free to act as the situation seems to dictate.

In order to stick to the Dyle plan the allies must attain 50 Dyle points on May the 10th, 100 Dyle points on May the 11th, 150 on May the 12th and 200 for every subsequent round that the Dyle plan is still in effect.

Well that's disappointing - I have searched for Dyle Points in the manual but it doesn't define how to attain them [&:] I see that there is a running total for these along the top bar though so at least I can see where I am - and hopefully as this marker moves I can see what I am doing to make it move!

Oh well, I guess I'll just make it up as I go along by moving those units that historically headed for the Dyle to head for that river - and hope that works.

I have a staggering 12 PP with the French so cancelling this stupid plan is out even if I wanted to....

[Orm]

Looks like it will be a fun show. [:)]

It might even inspire me enough to actually play this game as well. [:D]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm



Looks like it will be a fun show. [:)]

It might even inspire me enough to actually play this game as well. [:D]

warspite1

Hi Ormster [:)]

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
French 7th Army

On the left flank of the French 1st Army Group is Giroud's 7th Army. Under Gamelin's Breda variant they are to move into Holland to join up with Dutch forces between Rotterdam and Antwerp. Giroud's units have taken some big AP hit and movement is uneven as they head northeast through Belgium.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm



Looks like it will be a fun show. [:)]

It might even inspire me enough to actually play this game as well. [:D]

warspite1

Hi Ormster [:)]

I try to follow all your AAR threads. They are fun reads. [:)]

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
French 1st Army

Blanchard, having the largest of the Allied armies, has been tasked with holding the Gembloux Gap from Brussels down to Namur. This needs the largest army as there are no natural obstacles to impede the Germans.

The four corps head for The Gap through Mons and Charleroi - speed is of the essence here. I am pleased to see that as I move units east so my Dyle Points are going up! [:)]

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
French 9th Army

Corap's 9th Army seemed to have a very long line to hold - albeit behind a river obstacle.... I can begin to understand why the loss of the Giroud's army from the general reserve (in order to carry out the Breda variant of the Dyle Plan) was such disastrous move....

[warspite1]

10th May 1940
French 2nd Army

Where it all went wrong.... Huntziger's 2nd Army guard the right flank of 1st Army Group's sector from Sedan to the Maginot Line (out of bounds for this game). North of the meuse cavalry units are deployed to patrol the southern Ardennes and to spot any signs of German movement, but of course this is not expected....