Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Did we already blow them up by this point? Meh, it'll get done at some point.
Go ahead, have the 1st Colonial borrow shells from the 41st.
Defending the Third Republic: A Battle of France RP
- Thread starter mouli
- Start date
- OOC
Go ahead, have the 1st Colonial borrow shells from the 41st.
mouli
Terrible QM
- Location
- United States
Operational Orders, Units of 9th Army
TOP SECRET
Copy 1 of 3 Copies
1st Army Group/9th Army
11/05/40 1400
41st Corps
1. SITUATION:
Large-scale German assaults have been confirmed in the Ardennes area, Meuse sector, and along the line Dinant-Namur. Hard contacts have been confirmed in your sector by the 5th Spahi Division, the 61st Infantry Division, and the 102nd Fortress Division. Engagements indicate that the main German thrust is falling to the north of your area, with secondary assaults attempting to achieve breakthrough in the sector of the 61st Infantry.
Forces are estimated at one to two armored divisions along the line Fumay-Montherme and Montherme-Revin, with air superiority and infantry support. Enemy forces are assumed to be attempting a crossing of the Meuse in the area Fumay-Montherme and to fix in place the 41st Corps to prevent reinforcement north.
Operations by the Armee de l'Air have met with failure, and AdA support cannot be guaranteed. RAF Fighter Command is sortieing three squadrons over First Army and its flanks to cover the fighting retreat. The AASF has allocated one squadron of Fairey Battle (12. Squadron RAF) for ground support.
Forces to the north (18th Corps) are heavily engaged by German infantry and armored units.
Forces to the south (2nd Army) are heavily engaged by German motorized and air units, with the main thrust appearing to fall at Sedan/Stonne.
Units of the 41st Corps are defending the line Fumay-Lumes at the right flank of 9th Army. The 61st Infantry is holding a line of field fortifications along the Meuse, with the 5th Spahi acting as a screen and reaction element. Enemy armored units have attempted a crossing and failed, and bombardment has commenced. Casualties of eight percent and damage to morale have been noted in the 61st Division. The Spahi have taken lighter losses but have only three-quarters of their AA/AT guns due to engagements along the Meuse. The 102nd Fortress Division has engaged German armored units along the line Montherme-Revin, and pulled its reconnaissance units back to the Meuse Line. Artillery based at Charleville is being spotted for by the 5th Spahi, and German armored units are pulling back barring a screen of armored cars and motorized infantry.
Artillery for all units is limited to 30 rounds per gun per day, barring the fortress guns at Montherme and Charleville. The 61st has exhausted its shell allocation, and the 102nd has all of its field artillery allocation resupplied from fortress supplies.
2. MISSION
Do not allow German operational breakthrough on the line Fumay-Montherme. Defend the flank of 18th Corps.
3. EXECUTION
The 61st Infantry Division is at present both suffering casualties and tank fright. As a Series-B division it is not recommended to keep it in line alone against a major German armored thrust across the Meuse. The Spahi are likewise insufficient to block another assault in full.
It is suggested to use the Spahi as a counterforce to punch out beachheads, and be ready to pull the 61st back in stages. Use of the 102nd's 155mm guns at Montherme and 12. Squadron RAF to cover the retreat is recommended.
The 61st can resupply shells from the 102nd's interval troops, with further shell supplies expected to arrive in four hours.
Do not allow a complete breakthrough. The fate of 9th Army depends upon it.
------------------------------------------------------------
@okcorral
@BeRzErKeR
TOP SECRET
Copy 1 of 3 Copies
1st Army Group/9th Army
11/05/40 1400
41st Corps
1. SITUATION:
Large-scale German assaults have been confirmed in the Ardennes area, Meuse sector, and along the line Dinant-Namur. Hard contacts have been confirmed in your sector by the 5th Spahi Division, the 61st Infantry Division, and the 102nd Fortress Division. Engagements indicate that the main German thrust is falling to the north of your area, with secondary assaults attempting to achieve breakthrough in the sector of the 61st Infantry.
Forces are estimated at one to two armored divisions along the line Fumay-Montherme and Montherme-Revin, with air superiority and infantry support. Enemy forces are assumed to be attempting a crossing of the Meuse in the area Fumay-Montherme and to fix in place the 41st Corps to prevent reinforcement north.
Operations by the Armee de l'Air have met with failure, and AdA support cannot be guaranteed. RAF Fighter Command is sortieing three squadrons over First Army and its flanks to cover the fighting retreat. The AASF has allocated one squadron of Fairey Battle (12. Squadron RAF) for ground support.
Forces to the north (18th Corps) are heavily engaged by German infantry and armored units.
Forces to the south (2nd Army) are heavily engaged by German motorized and air units, with the main thrust appearing to fall at Sedan/Stonne.
Units of the 41st Corps are defending the line Fumay-Lumes at the right flank of 9th Army. The 61st Infantry is holding a line of field fortifications along the Meuse, with the 5th Spahi acting as a screen and reaction element. Enemy armored units have attempted a crossing and failed, and bombardment has commenced. Casualties of eight percent and damage to morale have been noted in the 61st Division. The Spahi have taken lighter losses but have only three-quarters of their AA/AT guns due to engagements along the Meuse. The 102nd Fortress Division has engaged German armored units along the line Montherme-Revin, and pulled its reconnaissance units back to the Meuse Line. Artillery based at Charleville is being spotted for by the 5th Spahi, and German armored units are pulling back barring a screen of armored cars and motorized infantry.
Artillery for all units is limited to 30 rounds per gun per day, barring the fortress guns at Montherme and Charleville. The 61st has exhausted its shell allocation, and the 102nd has all of its field artillery allocation resupplied from fortress supplies.
2. MISSION
Do not allow German operational breakthrough on the line Fumay-Montherme. Defend the flank of 18th Corps.
3. EXECUTION
The 61st Infantry Division is at present both suffering casualties and tank fright. As a Series-B division it is not recommended to keep it in line alone against a major German armored thrust across the Meuse. The Spahi are likewise insufficient to block another assault in full.
It is suggested to use the Spahi as a counterforce to punch out beachheads, and be ready to pull the 61st back in stages. Use of the 102nd's 155mm guns at Montherme and 12. Squadron RAF to cover the retreat is recommended.
The 61st can resupply shells from the 102nd's interval troops, with further shell supplies expected to arrive in four hours.
Do not allow a complete breakthrough. The fate of 9th Army depends upon it.
------------------------------------------------------------
@okcorral
@BeRzErKeR
Always Late
Lacking in coffee, sleep, and brains
- Location
- Ohio
Hm... Hey mouli, what're the chances of the 102nd trucking shells out to the 61st? Would the 61st need to relocate a bit closer to the forts?
mouli
Terrible QM
- Location
- United States
Montherme is close enough to the 61st's sector for trucking out some shells to work over the course of an hour or two. Barely. One fortress at Montherme, one at Charleville, so there are bunkers for that much. Again, barely. Anywhere further out and the delay is pretty much unacceptable.
Komrade Kermit
Local Green-Anarchist
- Location
- The Motherland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
@Secondskink @BeRzErKeR @okcorral
Lets put our thinking caps on. We have to delay the Germans for another 24-36 hours. I suggest we hold the Meuse Line for another 12 before pivoting at Givet to form a new line Givet-Philippeville. Dinant can be counted on to hold for a while, given it's a hedgehog, but I don't see it holding from an attack from the north, should the 2nd Corps withdraw. The good news is, the further south we retreat, the better the terrain is.
However, the single most important front, in my opinion, is going to be the 41st Corps. A breakthrough there is going to drive a wedge between us and the 2nd Army, and jeopardize our withdraw from Belgium. I've been debating on deploying the 1st DLC to give them some more firepower, but that will also mean leaving me without a reserve (I believe the 4th DLC should help the 2nd Corps).
Lets put our thinking caps on. We have to delay the Germans for another 24-36 hours. I suggest we hold the Meuse Line for another 12 before pivoting at Givet to form a new line Givet-Philippeville. Dinant can be counted on to hold for a while, given it's a hedgehog, but I don't see it holding from an attack from the north, should the 2nd Corps withdraw. The good news is, the further south we retreat, the better the terrain is.
However, the single most important front, in my opinion, is going to be the 41st Corps. A breakthrough there is going to drive a wedge between us and the 2nd Army, and jeopardize our withdraw from Belgium. I've been debating on deploying the 1st DLC to give them some more firepower, but that will also mean leaving me without a reserve (I believe the 4th DLC should help the 2nd Corps).
BeRzErKeR
Perennially Perplexed Military Mind
- Location
- Virginia
Well, the 4th North African is still behind you in reserve in good condition, and the German probe towards the 102nd has been firmly rebuffed. So my initial thought would be to just bring the 4th NA up into the 61st's sector and then once they're in position rotate the 61st into reserve. Then we proceed with the staged withdrawal as planned, more or less.
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Komrade Kermit
Local Green-Anarchist
- Location
- The Motherland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
My ideology was that a DLC division would be better counteracting armor than infantry divisions. An infantry division has 14 (or 26, if it is 6 AT guns per regiment) anti-tank guns, plus artillery, whereas a DLC division has 8 AT guns, plus its 45 tanks and artillery, and would be able to deploy southward faster so it would be able to entrench faster. If we think the 4th NA will do the job, I'll keep the 1st DLC in reserve.
BeRzErKeR
Perennially Perplexed Military Mind
- Location
- Virginia
Well, the 61st took damage but they did drop the bridges, and they did stop the attack. They're a Series B division with lighter equipment than the 4th NA - assuming we can get supports to the defensive line in a timely fashion, I think we can hold effectively with the 4th until it's time to reposition to the secondary line.
Now if you're sure that you don't need the 1st DLC, sending them south is a perfectly good call, but only if you don't need them.
Last edited:
mouli
Terrible QM
- Location
- United States
------------------------------------------------------------
TOP SECRET
Operational Orders, Units of 9th Army
TOP SECRET
Copy 1 of 3 Copies
1st Army Group/9th Army
11/05/40 1400
11th Corps
1. SITUATION
Large-scale German assaults have been confirmed in the Ardennes area, Meuse sector, and along the line Dinant-Namur. Hard contacts have been confirmed by units of 11th Corps along the line Dinant-Fumay, with German units attempting to breach the Meuse Line at multiple points.
Forces are estimated at one armored and one infantry brigade with heavy air, artillery, and engineer support. Focal points of the assault are presumed to be along the line Dinant-Givet, with one successful crossing north of Dinant.
Operations by the Armee de l'Air have met with failure, and AdA support cannot be guaranteed. RAF Fighter Command is sortieing three squadrons over First Army and its flanks to cover the fighting retreat.
Forces to the south (61st Division, 41st Corps) are heavily engaged by German infantry and armored units.
Forces to the north (2nd Corps, 9th Army) are engaging German armored units, defending the flank of 1st Army and pulling back in unison with 1st Army.
Units of the 11th Corps are defending the line Dinant-Fumay along the flank of the 2nd Corps. The 18th Division is defending the line Dinant-Givet with one regiment in the Citadel of Dinant engaging the German armored beachhead with artillery. 18th Artillery is deployed along the high ground near Fumay, and the 218th Artillery along the high ground near Foisches. Units are engaging the German crossing with spotters in the Citadel of Dinant. The other two regiments of the 18th Infantry are defending the line Dinant-Givet, with the bridges on the Meuse dropped. The 22nd Division has engaged and pushed back an attempted German crossing of the Meuse along Givet-Fumay with infantry supported by light bombers and artillery, and its pickets and reconnaissance units have been pushed back to the Meuse Line. Enemy units have pulled back along the line Givet-Fumay behind a cavalry screen and aerial bombardment. Artillery with air spotters remains firing on the 22nd Division.
The First Army is planning a slow retreat to the line Charleroi-Nivelles, with the requirement that 2nd Corps pull its left flank back from Dinant to Charleroi over the next 24-36 hours. Weather remains ideal for German air attacks, sunny and clear. The 11th Corps is expected to screen the flank of 2nd Corps in the retreat.
Artillery for all units is limited to 30 rounds per gun per day. At present the 18th and 218th Artillery have half magazines, and artillery units are under air attack soon after firing. All units remain under sporadic medium-bomber and constant light-bomber attack.
2. MISSION
Do not allow German operational breakthrough. Prevent encirclement of 2nd Corps.
3. EXECUTION
One regiment of the 18th Division remains in Dinant on the flank of the enemy breakthrough, and is perfectly placed to spot for a preparatory barrage. Units facing the breakthrough (one infantry regiment and units of the 2nd Corps) may be able to regain the Meuse.
The present pressure by German armor and combat engineers at Dinant with infantry and air attacks further south suggests encirclement of northern units and pinning attacks to prevent reinforcement.
It is recommended to use artillery in short barrages spotted for by infantry in fortified positions, in order to minimize exposure to air attack. Smokescreens are advised. Use of combat engineers to prepare a fallback line is likewise advised.
------------------------------------------------------------
@BeRzErKeR
@Komrade Kermit
AN: I apologize for the delay, but lockdown and isolation are quite wearing, not to mention work is more difficult without assets in the lab. I aim to have army sitreps done tomorrow, then the maps.
TOP SECRET
Operational Orders, Units of 9th Army
TOP SECRET
Copy 1 of 3 Copies
1st Army Group/9th Army
11/05/40 1400
11th Corps
1. SITUATION
Large-scale German assaults have been confirmed in the Ardennes area, Meuse sector, and along the line Dinant-Namur. Hard contacts have been confirmed by units of 11th Corps along the line Dinant-Fumay, with German units attempting to breach the Meuse Line at multiple points.
Forces are estimated at one armored and one infantry brigade with heavy air, artillery, and engineer support. Focal points of the assault are presumed to be along the line Dinant-Givet, with one successful crossing north of Dinant.
Operations by the Armee de l'Air have met with failure, and AdA support cannot be guaranteed. RAF Fighter Command is sortieing three squadrons over First Army and its flanks to cover the fighting retreat.
Forces to the south (61st Division, 41st Corps) are heavily engaged by German infantry and armored units.
Forces to the north (2nd Corps, 9th Army) are engaging German armored units, defending the flank of 1st Army and pulling back in unison with 1st Army.
Units of the 11th Corps are defending the line Dinant-Fumay along the flank of the 2nd Corps. The 18th Division is defending the line Dinant-Givet with one regiment in the Citadel of Dinant engaging the German armored beachhead with artillery. 18th Artillery is deployed along the high ground near Fumay, and the 218th Artillery along the high ground near Foisches. Units are engaging the German crossing with spotters in the Citadel of Dinant. The other two regiments of the 18th Infantry are defending the line Dinant-Givet, with the bridges on the Meuse dropped. The 22nd Division has engaged and pushed back an attempted German crossing of the Meuse along Givet-Fumay with infantry supported by light bombers and artillery, and its pickets and reconnaissance units have been pushed back to the Meuse Line. Enemy units have pulled back along the line Givet-Fumay behind a cavalry screen and aerial bombardment. Artillery with air spotters remains firing on the 22nd Division.
The First Army is planning a slow retreat to the line Charleroi-Nivelles, with the requirement that 2nd Corps pull its left flank back from Dinant to Charleroi over the next 24-36 hours. Weather remains ideal for German air attacks, sunny and clear. The 11th Corps is expected to screen the flank of 2nd Corps in the retreat.
Artillery for all units is limited to 30 rounds per gun per day. At present the 18th and 218th Artillery have half magazines, and artillery units are under air attack soon after firing. All units remain under sporadic medium-bomber and constant light-bomber attack.
2. MISSION
Do not allow German operational breakthrough. Prevent encirclement of 2nd Corps.
3. EXECUTION
One regiment of the 18th Division remains in Dinant on the flank of the enemy breakthrough, and is perfectly placed to spot for a preparatory barrage. Units facing the breakthrough (one infantry regiment and units of the 2nd Corps) may be able to regain the Meuse.
The present pressure by German armor and combat engineers at Dinant with infantry and air attacks further south suggests encirclement of northern units and pinning attacks to prevent reinforcement.
It is recommended to use artillery in short barrages spotted for by infantry in fortified positions, in order to minimize exposure to air attack. Smokescreens are advised. Use of combat engineers to prepare a fallback line is likewise advised.
------------------------------------------------------------
@BeRzErKeR
@Komrade Kermit
AN: I apologize for the delay, but lockdown and isolation are quite wearing, not to mention work is more difficult without assets in the lab. I aim to have army sitreps done tomorrow, then the maps.
- Location
- Texas
@Komrade Kermit @BeRzErKeR
Can I recall my spahi that I sent north to patrol along the Givet Line? It has most of my spahi mobile artillery and a fresh brigade.
Hopefully the artillery strike that the 102nd sent across the river did more than less. I'm not sure how long the 61st is gonna last.
Can I recall my spahi that I sent north to patrol along the Givet Line? It has most of my spahi mobile artillery and a fresh brigade.
Hopefully the artillery strike that the 102nd sent across the river did more than less. I'm not sure how long the 61st is gonna last.
Komrade Kermit
Local Green-Anarchist
- Location
- The Motherland
- Pronouns
- He/Him
By all means