[Normandy] Tank trap in the Ecouves forest - August 12, 1944

Leclerc's tanks versus panzerdivisions.
Western Front By: jdrommel - Last update: 11/10/2012
Axis Player: Allied Player:
x5 x12 x6 x12
    first You play first


Historical Background:
After the capture of Alençon on 12 August 1944 in the morning, the 2nd French Armored Division under General Leclerc continued its offensive toward Argentan. The French were informed that the 9th Panzer Division was ambushed in Ecouves forest. General Leclerc decided to attack on three axes : the armored column Roumiantzoff entered the forest by the south while the armored column Dio advanced by the west and Carrouges and the armored column Billotte attacked on the east and Sées. On the 13th of August, several battles occurred in Ecouves forest due to the arrival of tanks of others Panzerdivisions withdrawing from Mortain. On the next day, the 2nd French Armored Division gathered near Ecouché, the Ecouves forest was free of German panzers.

The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.


Briefing:
Axis player [Germany] : 5 command cards.
Allied player [France] : 6 command cards, you move first.

Conditions of Victory:
12 medals.
Argentan and Ecouche are each a temporary medal objective for the Allied player.

Special Rules:
- Use "Specialized Units" rules (Troops 2) to Axis units with Elite badge and to all Allied infantry units. For the Allied units, badges are not required.
- Special Weapon Asset Rules (SWAs 4 - Special Weapon Assets) are in effect for Axis units equipped with panzerfausts (SWAs 5 - Anti-Tank Gun Late War).
- Use "Mobile Artillery" rules (Troops 14) to the artillery units with badge Mobile Artillery.
- One Axis artillery battery is an antitank "88" battery. Use "Heavy Anti-Tank Guns" rules (Troops 23).

Scenario Bibliography:
- "La 2ème DB" - Erwan Bergot.
- "La 2ème DB en France - Combats et combattants".
- Magazine Batailles & Blindés n°10 - 1/501 RCC au combat.
- Magazine Batailles n°17 & 23 - la 2ème DB dans la bataille de Normandie.
- Magazine Connaissance de l'Histoire n°14 - La 2ème DB.
- Militaria Magazine hors-série n°62 - d'Avranches à Falaise.

- Remember, see the small French wargraves in Le Gatey, the memorial at la Croix de Médavi and the destroyed tank "Massaouah" at Ecouché.

Warning:
Please note that this scenario was not approved by Richard Borg or Days of Wonder, so you have to check yourself about playability, potential gaming issues, etc.

Set-up Order
13
23
11
11
2