France 1914 By Larry Harris

Axis & Allies 1914
Reports from the Front.
A walk through round one
France

Viva la France !

German infantry and artillery are occupying French soil. With the 24 IPCs France begins the game with the purchase of 8 infantry and places them within the Mobilization Zone circle. France immediately goes on the move.

Its Mediterranean fleet, located in sea zone 16 (battleship, cruiser and two transports), just off Marseilles, immediately picks up an infantry unit in Algeria and another one from Tunisia. Both transports and there escort do not head directly back to Marseilles as one might think. Instead the convoy heads for Portugal where upon their arrival unloads its infantry. Portugal being a capital of a minor aligned power , aligned with France actually, places 3 infantry and 1 artillery on the map. In the same way that Serbia used Russian pieces, so too will Portugal use French pieces.

The Atlantic fleet off Brest (sea zone 15) sails out and around the northern Spanish peninsula and parks itself off the coast of Portugal, alongside the other newly arrived French ships. This will bring the combined French fleets to 2 battleships a cruiser and 3 transports. Combining the fleets like this provides the most protection (German subs), and would be the most efficient use of the transports when considering the cargo capacity and that their next move would be back to France. These newly mobilized Portuguese and North African forces will prove critical in the effort to hold the line against Germany.

The French infantry in Morocco is moved to and links up with the French infantry garrison in French West Africa. Together they hope to advance against the German colonies throughout Africa.

As for the movement of units within France itself the following unfolds… Basically France must accomplish two things this turn. It must reinforce or liberate Belgium. To do this it must move its army, located in Picardy, directly to Belgium. This will form a force of 7 French and Belgian infantry along with their supporting 2 artillery, against the occupying German force of 3 infantry and 3 artillery. The allies may very well push the Germans back out of Belgium! This success will be solidified by the British, who on their turn can come in and reinforce a non-contested Belgium. I should point out that units on the same side can share a territory or sea zone. This constitutes a multinational force. Such forces can defend together, but they cannot attack together. Its beginning to look like Belgium is going to be the center of the war in the west.

In Lorraine the situation also looks good for the French, at least for now. With the arrival of a large contingent of fresh troops, that will be moved in from Burgundy to assist in the attack, the French will considerably outnumber the German forces on this front. The totally French presence in Lorraine will be 11 infantry and 4 artillery, against the Germans 1 infantry and 3 artillery. The French can also move its fighter, located in Paris, to either the Belgian or the Lorraine fronts. Eventually it was decided that the fighter would best be used over the skies of Belgium.

Meanwhile the 6 infantry and 2 artillery in Paris territory are moved to Picardy. With them located there they can assist either the Belgian or the Lorraine front, depending on which one needs them the most when the time comes. A single infantry unit in Brest is also moved to Picardy, and finally the French forces in Bordeaux are moved to Burgundy.

With all the French movements completed the battles are ready to begin. There will be two battles to conduct. One in Belgium, and the other is in Lorraine.

Belgium is now showing a French force of 7 infantry, 2 artillery and a fighter. Resisting this attack are 3 German infantry and 3 artillery.

The battle board is loaded.

The attacking French place 7 die in the Attacking Infantry box. Two artillery dice are placed in the Attacking Artillery box . These two artillery promote two infantry to the Infantry with Artillery Support box. Finally one die is placed in the ban that runs between the attacking and defending armies. It is along this ban that one die is placed for each attacking or defending aircraft. The French player places a single die representing his single fighter. Germany has no fighter(s) to place.

With the placement of the fighter die it becomes clear that the French will have air supremacy. Along with air supremacy comes the right to promote all ones artillery to the Artillery with Air Supremacy Support box. To sum this up the French now have 5 infantry in the Attacking Infantry box, 2 infantry in the Infantry With Artillery Support box and 2 dice in the Artillery with Air supremacy Support box.

The German player places 3 dice in the Defending Infantry box and 3 dice in the Defending Artillery box. There are no promotions.

The Battle is ready to begin.

FIRE ! The attacking French player picks up and rolls the 5 dice located in the Attacking Infantry box on the battle board. General Joffre is looking for 1s or 2s. Two 1s are rolled… nice shooting. The two Infantry with Artillery Support dice are rolled… Looking for 3 or less  a two and a three are rolled. Thats two more hits. The 2 Artillery with Air supremacy Support dice are then rolled. One hit will be scored for each roll of 4 or less. One hit is scored. Thats one more hit for a total of 5. Finally the French fighter is rolled for. Looking for a 1, the die is rolled. It misses. By the way… it makes no difference in what order the battle board boxes, on a given side, are rolled.

Its the Germans turn to roll. With 3 dice in the Defending Infantry box, and 3 dice in the Defending Artillery box, and with both boxes looking for 3s or less, the German player can and does roll all the 6 dice at the same time. Three hits are scored.

Thats it the battle is over…

The German player must remove 5 of his 6 units. The German player would like to remove his 5 infantry and be done with it, but he is required to leave at least one infantry whenever possible. The only way he can do that is by removing 3 artillery and 2 infantry. This leaves him with 1 infantry remaining in Belgium… He held Belgium! At least it remains contested. By the way the French player will be removing 3 of his 10 units. That will most likely be 3 infantry, wouldnt you say?

The French player removes 3 of his 7 infantry and finds himself sharing Belgium with Germany.

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