1/72 WWII Diorama
Date: June 01, 2011
Hi,
This game was a Rapid Fire game. Comments by Adrien Van Hove, played with Patrick Pots as the German player.
The rearguard of the French 43th Infantry Division was from May 20, 1940 constantly attacked by the German Air Force Attack Group. The 10th BCS (Battalion Chasseurs portée) arrived on May 22 in the village Quévy south of Maubeuge and the Belgian border. On the evening of May 22, Commander Carlier of the 10th BCS ordered his troops to take position in the village Blaregnies, 2 kilometers west of Quevy.
In the morning of May 23, the battalion was reinforced with elements from the sixth RTM (Regiment des Marocains Tirailleurs), the battery of 47mm anti-tank of the 158ste RI (d Infantry Regiment) and a battery of 75mm RA 12th (Regiment d'Artillerie). They were surrounded in the course of the morning by German troops consisting of elements of the 28th ID (Infantrie Division), the motorized reconnaissance battalion of the division and 7th IR (Infantry Regiment) supported by assault guns (StuG III Ausf C) and the Luftwaffe (Stuka Heinshel 123a).
The morning was a firestorm of fighting shooting between the two parties. The French soldiers were dug in and repulsed the German attacks. They succeeded to destroy a StuG III. Around 10:30 the French weret out of ammunition. Commander Carlier gave the order to charge with the bayonet on the German lines to break through the encirclement and escape from surrender. In a first time the German infantry was demoralized and destabilized by this attack and retired. But they were forced back by the officers with pistols in the hand and were able to push back the French, which came under a crossfire of automatic guns.
By 11 am the fighting stopped. The Germans surrounded the survivors who refused to put their hand up as a sign it wasn't a surrender. The French had 70% losses in this fight, but also inflicted heavy losses on their opponents. Commande Carlier was hit 5 times during this fight. A dozen Chasseurs managed to escape and took part in the conflict.
Many thanks to Mr. Adrien Van Hove, Belgium.