Tuesday 18 December 2012

Skirmish Campaigns: The Ghost Division

The next WW2 book in my Skirmish Campaigns collection is also my latest acquisition and it's entitled France '40 - The Ghost Division.  The follows the rapid advance of Rommel's 7th Panzer Division during the German invasion of France in 1940.

France '40 - The Ghost Division is a 56 page, black and white, staple bound book in US letter format which includes 10 scenarios forming three campaigns.

The book has the, hopefully now familiar Skirmish Campaigns structure, starting with a single page introduction, a two page explanation of the Skirmish Campaigns format, a table detailing how to translate the scenarios to various sets of rules, a strategic map, three pages explaining the campaigns, six pages of background history and a selected bibliography before moving into the actual scenarios.

The scenarios don't require huge amounts of infantry - most not even a platoon - but some need quite a few armoured vehicles including 2 x SdKfz 222, 2-4 x PzKpfw IIc, 2-4 x PzKpfw 38(t), 2 x PzKpfw IVd, 2-4 x Char B1-bis, 4-6 x H39, 2-4 x S35, 3 x Matilda 1 and 1-3 x Matilda II (the larger number generally includes variable attachments).  This is, perhaps, unsurprising given the subject of the book but might be a little daunting in a larger scale like 28mm and only a single scenario requires no armour at all; however, some of the scenarios only have armour on one of the sides.  The terrain is all pretty straightforward with only a few buildings required.


If you are interested one of the scenarios Dragoons at Haut-le-Wastia is available for download.

As I only received this book a few days ago, I have yet to play any of the scenarios; however, I fully intend to remedy that as I have a reasonable amount of the kit required for some of them albeit in 20mm!

2 comments:

  1. Al I'm genuinely shocked by the amount of armour needed (in a nice way), I thought I was stacked up [relatively speaking with early war armour] but I'd still be 5 X H39's (3 if I could use H35's instead), 2 x S35's, 1 x Matilda I and possibly two Matilda II's (although I do have a Squadron of Airfix Matilda II's in Western Desert Camo)

    Maye my WWII French collection isn't finished after all ;)

    PS It's a sad sight seeing those BEF Matilda II's burning (I hope you noted the co-axial Vickers MG and not a lighter Besa in its turret)

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    1. It's rather more than I'm ever going to have in 28mm that's for sure!

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