Combat Commander: Battle Pack #5: The Fall of the West
Title
Combat Commander: Battle Pack #5: The Fall of the West
Collection Tree
- Combat Commander
- Combat Commander: Battle Pack #5: The Fall of the West
Collection Items
The Striking Hammer
A final French armored counterattack near Rethel on the 10th was led by two formations of the formidable Renault B1bis, so highly regarded that each was individually named. General De Lattre declared that "they were the striking hammer." During the …
1940-06-10
Seize the Canal
French forces retreated south of the Aisne river to build another defensive line with strength around Rethel. The German assault west of Rethel on the 9th led to heavy street fighting in Cháteau-Porcien. Against each attack, the French counterattack…
1940-06-09
Thrust in the Dust
After the initial attack in and around Gembloux on the 14th was blunted, the German forces redoubled their efforts on the 15th, from the air and with armor. French artillery fire was noted as particularly intense and accurate against the …
1940-06-15
Hidden Guns Lash Out
French light armored forces rushed to the Gembloux gap, a wide rural plain crossed by important rail lines, to stem the advance of the German 3rd & 4th Panzer Divisions. Behind the rail line, ideal defensive terrain near the farm …
1940-06-14
The Bottleneck
Part of a self-sacrificial counterattack to stem the German advance past Sedan was launched by Allied air strike and the 7e BCC supported by the 55e lnfantry Division during the morning of the 14th. One prong of the attack was …
1940-05-14
Bitter 1sthmus
German forces pressed across the Meuse in the face of a French company led by the aggressive Lieutenant Barbaste (KIA), during the afternoon and evening of the 13th. The second line of defense across the narrow portion of the peninsula …
1940-05-14
Battering Ram at Kvam
In an effort to shore up the crumbling defenses in southern Norway the British reassigned the 15th lnfantry Division to lead the defense in the Gudbrandsdal Valley on 23 April. The 15th consisted of regular troops originally destined for the …
1940-04-26
By These Deeds They Shall Be Known
The rapid advance of Rundsted's Army Group A had by 20 May isolated the French and British forces that had rushed into Belgium in the opening stages of the campaign. Pressure from both Army Groups A and B had steadily …
1940-05-27
The Crucible of Fire
Despite Armee Group A's, rapid advance toward the English Channel, the BEF and Belgian Army had effectively conducted tactical withdrawals utilizing terrain and space to slow the advance of Army Group B's 31st lnfantry Division. One such defensive…
1940-05-21
A Most Gallant Dirty Little Imp
Second Lieutenant Richard Annand was the recipient of the first Victoria Cross awarded during the Second World War. At 11 a.m. on 15 May the Germans of the 31st lnfantry Division launched a violent attack and pushed forward a bridging …
1940-05-15
Sturmgruppe Beton
A dangerous salient in the Belgian frontier defenses was centered on the city of Maastricht Due to treaties and prewar politics the Belgian Army was unable to effectively garrison the approaches to Belgian territory over the Albert Canal. The capture…
1940-05-10
Sturmgruppe Granit
Positioned directly in the path of Army Group B's invasion route for Fall Gelb, Fort Eben Emael was considered one of the strongest fortresses in the world. The fort's elimination was crucial to the success of the German operational plan. …
1940-05-10