Tirailleurs 75mm Artillery Battery
(FRX07)
includes four 75mm mle 1897 guns with crew, one Command Rifle team, one Staff team, one Observer Rifle team, two Small bases, one Medium base & four Large bases.
Despite its age the 75mm mle 1897, known to the French as the Soixante Quinze, or ‘Seventy Five’, remains a revolutionary weapon. More than 40 years after its introduction it is still a devastating weapon, particularly when used against infantry in the open. 4,500 of the guns form the core of the French artillery arm. The 75mm mle 1897 saw service in both the Free French and Vichy forces. While the Vichy forces could muster one Legion and at least three Colonial artillery regiments, the Free French artillery consisted of a single battery of Colonial artillery.
The 75mm mle 1897 gun in Flames of War
75mm mle 1897 gun
Mobility: Heavy
Range: 24”/60cm
Rate of Fire: 2
Anti-tank: 8
Firepower: 3+
Gun shield, Quick Fire, Smoke
Firing Bombardments
Range: 64”/160cm
Anti-tank: 3
Firepower: 6
Smoke bombardment
The quick firing 75mm mle 1897 is considered to be one of the most rapidfiring artillery pieces in existence and despite seeing service in two World Wars its bombardments can be devastating to infantry caught in the open.
75mm Artillery Batteries may not be deployed in Ambush.
An artillery platoon with a Staff team can repeat an artillery bombardment in subsequent turns once it has ranged in on an aiming point. You do not need to roll again to range in, nor is there any penalty to the score needed to hit if your artillery Ranged In on the second or third attempts.
Observer teams need a good view of the battlefield in order to do their job correctly. Be sure to deploy them in a position where they have an excellent view of the battlefield such as on a hilltop or on the top floor of a multi-level building.
The 75mm mle 1897 gun has a Gun shield which means that even if you fail a Gun save, your opponent must make a Firepower test to destroy that team. But remember, Gun shields only provide Bulletproof cover from shots fired from in front of the gun; they do not provide protection if a team moved At The Double or from artillery bombardments.
The 75mm mle 1897 gun has the ability to fire Smoke in either direct fire or as a Smoke bombardment. Smoke can be used to conceal your units as they advance across the table or to prevent a specific enemy unit from targeting your troops.
Quick Fire
The canon de 75mm mle 1897 is a superb piece of French engineering. Despite being over forty years old, the soixante quinze, the ‘seventy five’, is still one of the most rapid-firing artillery pieces in existence.
All French Artillery Bombardments and Central Fire Control Bombardments with four or more guns or howitzers use the following rules:
If there are four or more guns and howitzers including at least two 75mm mle 1897 guns, then re-roll all failed To Hit rolls.
If there are six or more guns and howitzers firing, use a double-width (12”/30cm by 6”/15cm) Artillery Template to determine which teams can be hit and re-roll all failed To Hit rolls.
If there are nine or more guns and howitzers firing, your opponent must re-roll all successful Saves for teams hit by the bombardment in addition to the bombardment using a double-width template and re-rolling all failed rolls To Hit.
If there are fewer than four guns firing, use the following rules.
If there is just one 75mm mle 1897 gun, then the bombardment does not suffer the usual +1 penalty To Hit for firing a bombardment with a single weapon. It must still re-roll all successful To Hit rolls.
If there are two or three 75mm mle 1897 guns, then the bombardment does not re-roll To Hit rolls.
Description of Components
2x Standing riflemen figures with rifle slung.
2x Officier figures.
1x Officier figure with map.
1x Officier figure pointing.
1x Pointing riflemen figure.
2x Table legs.
1x Tabletop.
4x Kneeling gun crew figures.
2x Kneeling and pointing gun crew figures.
4x Standing gun crew figures.
4x Loader gun crew figures.
4x Gun crew figure with foot up
2x Gun crew figures with hand up.
1x Radio.
1x Kneeling riflemen figure.
1x Observer figure.
1x Gun turntable.
4x Gun trails.
8x Spoked wheels.
8x Solid wheels.
4x 75mm gun barrels.
f4x Gun shields.
8x Limber wheels.
4x Limber ammo chest.
4x Limber doors.
4x Limber tow bars.
2x Small bases.
1x Medium bases.
4x Large bases.
Basing
The Command Team
To model the Command team, add an Officer figure, the Pointing riflemen figure and one Rifleman figure to a small base.
The Staff Team
On a Medium base, arrange three Officer figures and a Rifleman figure around the table.
The Observer Team
Add the spotter figure and the kneeling riflemen figure to a small base to model the Observer team.
The 75mm mle 1897 Guns
After assembling the 75mm mle 1897 guns, attach them to a large base. Next, surround the gun with five gun crew figures. The limbers can be added to the base also, but this is optional.
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