Firefight Games New Release: Rommel's Nightmare, May 21, 1940

Rommel's Nightmare is a historic game on the only Allied counterattack at Arras during the Battle of France. This attack, conducted by French and British armor began on May 21. The British, with two tank battalions over 60 tanks and many Matilda II tanks, caused the SS to flee when the shells from their weapons simply bounced off the thick armor. Rommel's 7th Panzer Division was just arriving and caught in the confused battle. The German panzers were clearly inferior in armor and guns and the British tanks advanced with impunity. Rommel was shakened, he called his superiors in a frantic and tried to maintain cohesion. The counterattack shook not only Rommel himself but his superiors in the German High Command, so much so, that on the 22nd, the panzer spearhead heading for the coast was halted and some were recalled. The battle lasted six hours and only ended when Rommel, in desperation, ordered his 88mm antiaircraft guns to lower their barrels and aim at the tanks approaching. The four 88mm guns easily penetrated the British armor. From this battle, the reputation of the "dreaded 88" as an antitank weapon was born and would last past WW2.

The Panzer Corridor, May 22, 1940

Firefight's next upcoming release is perhaps the most intriguing WW2 "what if" game. The stage is set when the planned British counterattack at Arras with armor is postponed one day to allow the remaining French forces to attack towards Cambrai. Further south, the French 7th Army is ready to attack northwards from the Amiens area (40 miles away) to meet the Allied forces attacking southward. In between are five panzer divisions but most are westward.

This was historically the ONLY chance to cut off the German panzer spearhead. The flanks were not strongly defended and both sides knew it.

The what if is really historical. The French did attack and almost retook Cambrai on the 22nd. The British did attack on the 21st and were only stopped by Rommel's four 88mm guns. The soonest the 7th Army could be ready to attack was the 22nd, yet, it did not do so until the 25th or so.

PANZER CORRIDOR 1940 should be quite interesting!