The Dyle Crossing 14 May 1940: Game 1

With the advance of the German armies into the Low Countries in May 1940, the BEF took up  positions in Northern France to defend the Dyle-Breda Line.  Whilst it is technically a river, the Dyle is in parts little more than a steam, and it fell to the 2nd battalion Durham Light Infantry to defend a salient created by an eastward bend in the river just north of Wavre.  
Here the forces of the German 31st Infantry Division would attempt to cross. 

My thanks for these games to the TooFatLardies 2014 Summer Special.  I redrew the maps and tweaked the game to allow the use of my terrain board.  These games inspired me to collect the forces for 1940 in 10mm.

Colonel Quilp of 2DLI game the orders for the deployment of the British
Oberst von Weißmehr commanded the deployment of the 31st infantry.
All games are played solo following these deployments, using Chain of Command.

The Durham Light Infantry patrol out to Les Pres, table 2 and Gastuche table 3.

They choose not to patrol Les Monts or Bois Vallee, surrendering these to German control.

Game 1  Les Pres

The map superimposed on my textured battle board.  I added some buildings to this scattered down the main road.

The terrain has a few woods added centrally, since these appear on the 1:25000 map of the area.

The Germans support their platoon with three Sdkfz 222 Armoured cars.  

The 20mm cannon are deadly even against the DLI within the stone walls of the farm.

Not sure what a roll of five fives is called under Chain of command but this was one!

Note that the COC Dice goes to 5!  The DLI Mortar under the Sergeant has deployed, but didn`t get the chance to fire.

German LMGs smash the BEF flank attack.  (I had thought I was being clever)  

Turns out that the 20mm cannon are deadly against troops in the open too!

The defensive position in the farm is slowly destroyed.
Time for a withdrawal.

German Armoured cars dominated the terrain, taking this Jump off Point.  Only the Platoon Sergeant of the DLI can be seen at that second JOP.  Pretty much game over.

The End Game.  A German section advances to assault the remaining 2DLI Jump off point.  

With the capture of Les Pres the Germans are well sited to dominate the high ground above the bridge.  It also affords 31st Division the opportunity to infiltrate forward into La Motte durng the night.
A welcome return to WW2 and Chain of Command for me.