Vassieux

The Battle of Vassieux-en-Vercors was a significant engagement during World War II, part of the German offensive against the French Resistance in July 1944. Located in the Vercors Plateau, the battle was a key moment in the resistance movement in southeastern France.

General Howitzer summarizes the results and lessons learned:

In July of ’44, high in the Vercors Plateau, the French Resistance had the guts to carve out their own patch of freedom before the Allies rolled in. These Maquis fighters didn’t have much—just grit, rifles, and the will to spit in the enemy’s eye. But on the 21st, the Germans came in from the sky, parachutes blooming like death over the hills.

They smashed into that stronghold hard, and the Maquis, outgunned and outnumbered, fought like hell but couldn’t hold. It was courage in its purest form—men standing their ground knowing the odds were stacked to the heavens. But it was also a brutal reminder: bravery without firepower is a damn fine way to get killed.

~~ General Howitzer

4 VP’s

Card Balance:

4 – 4

Complexity:

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

France

Year:

1944

Theater:

Western Front

Campaign

Codename

Summary:

The Vassieux scenario starts with a chaotic situation between both sides, and makes for an intriguing infantry-only scenario.

Objectives:

It is a short four VP scenario, which must be completed before the deck runs out or the Axis side wins

Battlefield:

The center of the battlefield represents the airfield where the battle took place. It is surrounded by hills, forests, and town hexes.

Troops:

Allies – 10 Infantry

Axis – 6 Infantry

Allied Strategy:

1. The Allies lack infantry cohesian, so one of the early goals is to pull the troops together, and form a united attack.

2. You will need to bring in your units on the flanks towards the center where most of the battle will take place.

3. Your two units in the center section begin the game in a very exposed position. One of them is going to get hit hard and possibly eliminated right away, unless you pull them back until your forces are consolidated.

4. These are French Resistance fighters, so they can move into woods and still attack. So the place to put them is BEHIND the woods, so when the enemy approaches, they can enter the woods and attack the enemy from a position of cover. The enemy will never know what hit them!

Axis Strategy:

1. The Axis forces are quite outnumbered in this scenario. They will need to work together as a cohesive unit to have any hope of either destroying or at least holding off the French Resistance forces. If they can hold out for an entire deck, they will win.

2. If you can get some rapid movement infantry cards, you may be able to take out one unit or more before the rest of the Resistance fighters come in to support.

3. If you are unable to get the attack cards needed for your forces, you may need to perform a tactical retreat into the town of Vassieux to provide some extra protection while you build up your hand.

DoW Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

34%