Panzer Grenadier: 1940 The Fall of France
Scenario Preview, Part Six
By Mike Bennighof, Ph.D.
October 2022

Herodotus, the ancient Greek father of history, said that he wrote so that great deeds would not be forgotten. That’s what I like best about writing history, too, though I suppose that my definition of great deeds might be somewhat different than that of others.

The second half of Chapter Four of Panzer Grenadier: 1940 The Fall of France presents two of the more stirring great deeds of World War II: the stand of the 1st Hussards in the Mont-Dieu woods and the attack of Pierre Billotte and his redoubtable tank Eure (the French version of Lafayette Pool and “In the Mood”). It only counts as a great deed if it occurred while fighting against the fascists.

So let’s have a look at the rest of Chapter Four:

Scenario Twenty-One
This Machine Kills Fascists
16 May 1949
Stonne, South of Sedan, France
Though the French counterattack the previous day had driven the panicked Grossdeutschland from the village, troops and a few tanks from 10th Panzer Division remained there. Gen. Jean Flavigny, commanding the French XXI Corps, felt he had no choice but to launch a massive counterattack to eliminate the German threat and secure the village. At 0505 hours on the 16th, French artillery began pounding what was left of Stonne as French tanks advanced again across the plateau.

Conclusion
Maj. Michel Malaguti, commanding 41st Bataillon de Chars de Combat, drove his B1-bis tanks right into the smoking ruins of the village, destroyed a panzer and then sprayed some German infantrymen with machine gun fire. By 0555 the southern edge of Stonne had been cleared, but the Germans still held the woods near the town. Meanwhile Captain Pierre Billotte (in another B1bis), entered the main street of the village from the west and found himself head-to-head with a long column of German tanks. Billotte drove his tank down the German column and calmly destroyed 13 enemy tanks and several antitank weapons. By the end of the battle, Billotte’s tank had taken 140 hits but suffered no appreciable damage. The Germans fled, and by 0700 Stonne was French again.

Notes
The first edition had a scenario based on this action, but Philippe made enough changes (and I made a few more) to render it a new scenario. This is one of the best scenarios in the game: the French get to deploy the Char B1bis tank in some numbers, so stomping Nazis with this big tank is going to be fun.

This machine killed fascists. Pierre Billotte, his tank and his crew.

Scenario Twenty-Two
South of Sauville
16 May 1940
Along the Ardennes Canal, France
After breaking out of the Sedan bridgehead, 1st Panzer Division drove westward while the Grossdeutschland Regiment held the line at Stonne. To cover their southern flank, the panzer division sent detachments to secure the bridges east of the town of Le Chesne on the Ardennes Canal. As for the French, poor decision-making by the high command left the area defended by only scattered recon elements and a few tanks from 3rd DCR.

Conclusion
West of Stonne and Tannay flowed two nearly parallel swampy water courses crossed by many bridges and locks: the Ardennes Canal and the Bar River. On the west bank, near Sauville, two French recon platoons from 76e GRDI, mounted in Simca civilian autos, ran into a German motorized column from the 1st Panzer Division at 0600. The French lost 14 men and most of the vehicles, but those who escaped alerted the various scattered recon groups protecting the canal line, especially at the Tannay bridge. At 0730, Hotchkiss tanks of the 42e BCC’s Third Company moved from Le Chesne to delay the German advance. At 1000, these tanks pulled back to join the defense of the bridges. As further German infantry and anti-tank units advanced, more French infantry came from the rear to hold the bridges. The 16th Bataillon de Chasseurs Portés riding armored Lorraine carriers arrived, like the cavalry, to save the Pont-Bar bridge and the day. By then all the bridges were under attack and around midday Stukas appeared, but the bridge defenders held out for the rest of the day and that night French engineers blew up some of the bridges.

Notes
Once again we have an action that appeared in the first edition, but this time Philippe threw it out and started over again. Both sides are trying to secure the bridges over the river, with the Germans pressing south and the French moving north. The French have a slight numerical edge, but the Germans have better morale and better artillery.

Scenario Twenty-Three
Omnia si perdas, famam servare memento
23 May 1940
West of Stonne, France
As a period of relative quiet came to Stonne after the two-day battle there, the French set about reinforcing their western flank: the Mont Dieu woods line along the Ardennes Canal. Reinforcements included horsemen from the 1st Brigade de Cavalerie. The long-expected German attack on the canal line finally arrived early on the foggy morning of 23 May 23. The Germans hoped to encircle the Stonne position and force the French to withdraw. Two infantry regiments moved toward Hill 276 on a two-kilometer front, attacking the 1st Hussards after a nasty initial bombardment.

Conclusion
The 1st Hussards, first raised in 1719, had fought with distinction at Dettingen, Valmy, Eylau and Sebastopol. They had been nearly annihilated at Sedan in 1870, in the charge that caused Kaiser Wilhem I to exclaim, “Ah, les brave gens!” This was one of the proudest regiments in the French Army and they proved it again on 23 May 1940.

Despite the marshy ground and poor visibility, the 400 Hussars held firm on the heights of the Mont-Dieu woods, facing ten times their number and cutting down more than 130 German soldiers. But the sheer weight of the assault cut the 1st Hussards in two, and the Germans overran another French group to the south. Elsewhere along the river and around Tannay, small French groups continued to defend the bridges and tried to hold the line in hopes of a counterattack.

Notes
When you've lost everything, remember you still have honor.

Scenario Twenty-Four
Hill 276
23 May 1940
East of Tannay, France
The Germans broke through the French defenses on the morning of the 23rd and seized Hill 276 just east of Tannay. From there they could complete the encirclement of the French forces at Stonne, so the French threw in their last available reserves to drive the Germans off the hill. The hastily-planned initial attack was understrength and went nowhere, with the French losing most of their armored cars to German anti-tank fire. But then at 1500 hours some twenty H39 tanks arrived, and the assault could begin in earnest.

Conclusion
The group of French recon battalions, from three different divisions and now attached to the 1st Cavalry Brigade, launched a spirited attack on the crucial hill. French armor made the difference and the Germans soon fell back. Losses were heavy for both sides, but the French had control of Hill 276 again by evening. Soon enough they would be ordered to retreat, with the 93rd Groupement at first refusing to yield the hard-won ground without a direct order from the brigade commander.

Notes
This scenario likewise is a complete replacement of the first edition version. High-morale French recon troops assault a German infantry regiment dug in amongst woods and hills. It's going to be a tough fight.

And that’s the rest of Chapter Four! Next time, we look at Chapter Five.

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Mike Bennighof is president of Avalanche Press and holds a doctorate in history from Emory University. A Fulbright Scholar and NASA Journalist in Space finalist, he has published a great many books, games and articles on historical subjects; people are saying that some of them are actually good. He lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife, three children, and new puppy. He misses his lizard-hunting Iron Dog, Leopold.

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