French Border Incident - After Action Report

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View from the French Right looking across the table mid-way through the game. A French Rifle Platoon lead by two R-35's advances up the right flank in the foreground, with more troops in support towards the centre. Another R-35 is by the road in the centre supporting some infantry in an orchard. A white smoke screen is visible in the centre screening off some Italians in an orchard, preparatory to a French assault. In the centre rear of the Italians a Rifle Platoon can just be seen forming up in a small copse.

A little later, from behind the Italian Right. In the central foreground are two Italian L3/33 Tankettes, being followed by a single M11/39 Medium Tank. Two more M11's are in reserve (centre front of photo). The one M11 moving up is coming to the aid of the L3's who are being opposed by a lone French R-35 by the central orchard (which is now clear of Italian infantry). Somewhat of a hand-bag throwing contest, the two L3's with their MGs and the R-35 with it's low velocity 37mm L/21 have virtually no chance of harming each other. The M11/39 with it's medium velocity 37mm L/40 should decide the issue! Off to the right of the photo can be seen some stranded French troops who have made it half way up the flank but have now been caught in the open by the Italians (who include a 65mm L/17 Infantry Gun)

Meanwhile on the other flank things look bad for the French, on the French right the Italians are massing in large numbers and look set to put a halt to the one place where the French might have been able to breakthrough. Present is a whole company of Italian infantry, with two M11/39 Medium Tanks coming up in support.

A final close-up - the two M11's from the photo above coming out of their laager in a large farmhouse. They are likely now well provisioned with Cognac and Champagne, and are about to move forward and help crush the last major French effort. On the whole the French counterattack was a failure and quite expensive - but events elsewhere in France are already deciding the issue.

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