1944, Encounter With the Wiking SS

A Headless Body production.

Location: Ed Bernhard's Basement 

Players: Phil Gardocki, Legkiy Samokhodno-Artillyeriyskiy Polk (attacker)

                 Ed Bernhard, Wiking SS (defender)
Game: Flames of War Late War 1780 points

Mission: Pincer

The Forces:

1^st Battalion, 1441^st “STAVKA”, SU Regiment (Confident, Trained) 15 SU-122’s in 4 batteries, 9 T34’s (76’s and 85’s), 8 Katyushas, 5 AA Teams in trucks and halftracks. 1 Reconnaissance company of 5 teams.

SS Wiking (Fearless, Trained) 2 Platoons of Foot, 1 Platoon of 3 PaK 43’s, 1 Platoon of 3 Panzer IV’s, 1 Platoon of 2 StuHs, 1 Kampfgruppe of 2 Panzer IV’s, and 1 Reconnaissance platoon of 3 armored cars.

The Mission: Pincer, Germans defending.  Game is played on the narrow (4 foot) sides instead of the long (6 foot) sides.  2 objectives are placed in the defenders area.  Both sides start in prepared positions.  Defender has 4 platoons in delayed reserves, 1 platoon in ambush.  Attacker wins if he controls an objective.  Defender wins if there are no attackers on his half of the board after turn 6.

The Board:

4 by 6 feet. 

A minor village along the dirt road near Vyazma.


The Board:

A steppes region littered with rises and woods.  Bisected by an S shaped stream in the middle.  A walled built over area northern area of the map.  A muddy road runs from southeast to northwest.

From the board's "North" edge.  The 1441st deploys.  This was a different camera, and I didn't get the hang of it.  From left to light, A Battery of SU's, The Katyushas, another Battery of SU's, the T-34 Battalion.  Off the right edge, "East" is yet another Battery of SU's.





Same deployment shot from the "East" edge.





German Deployment on the "South" edge of the board.  One Gren Platoon in the wheat field "East", the other in the woods by the ford.



“Ah, a task worthy of our guns.” Thought Kapitan Petrov, “And a way to erase the humiliation of our last encounter with the Bosch.”

“The task looked easy, too easy.  He couldn’t see them, but he knew they were there.  Just over the stream.  They saw his force, and pulled out their mobile assets.  Their plan was to lure him in and then surround him.  But all he had to do was take and hold one point, and their plan would fall apart.”

“He would approach the ford with his reconnaissance company to spy out any large guns.  Then force the ford with 2 of his SU batteries.  One of his SU batteries had already crossed the stream in the east and was awaiting orders to move out.  Another would cover the western approaches against any pincer movements.  Two batteries up the middle to cross at the ford.  Badanoff’s T-34’s would force a crossing, risking their tracks, and be in a good position to shoot up any flankers”

Turn 1:

The recon company disembarked from their trucks and approached the stream.  The dug in Germans offered no shooting and no targets.  Badanoff’s T34 Company approached the stream for their crossing.

The Luftwaffe made a show and got 8 tanks under the template.  But two Dhk’s and one ZSU managed threw 14 dice of AA fire and shot them down.

Eight under the template!, but 14 50cals managed to shoot them down.  The Recon Company closes in on the ford, backed by an SU Battery.

Turn 2:

One battery of SU’s lined up within site of the SS Grenadiers dug in the woods.  Even with Hens and Chicks.  I can hit trained units on a 6 and do.  With breakthrough guns, there is no 3+ save for the infantry, and I only need a 2+ firepower to kill a dug in team.  And of course, I roll a 1.   Badanoff’s T34 76’s, with their wide tracks, forded the stream with only one bogging.  However, the 85’s all bogged in the attempt.  The Luftwaffe made another show and got 5 tanks under the template.  This time only the two Dshk’s were in range, but they still shot down one HS-129, causing the air strike to reroll hits.  The end result was one just one bailed T-34.



All Soviet units are ready to make the crossing.  The Germans remain quiet.



Turn 3:

One battery of SU’s now start to volley fire the woods line, while another crosses the stream.  The SS Grenadiers realize they can’t stay there long and back away from their positions.  The T-34’s still have their company commander bogged along with another 2 T-34/85’s.  A day later I found the rule that allows the commander to take command of an unbogged vehicle and keep moving.  The eastern most battery of SU’s advance and take a position on a knoll and start bombarding the SS in the wheat field.  German reserves fail to show up.

Soviet turn 3.  One battery makes the crossing while the other provides covering fire.  This has to be done right as the SU's do not have MG's, and can easily be assaulted.



While on the "East" side of the board, most of the Badinuff's 307th T-34 Battalion manage the crossing. 



Turn 4:

Soviet Reconnaissance cross the stream and head for the woods. All the SU batteries have crossed the stream.   The eastern battery of SU’s start volley fire on the Grenadiers in the wheat field.  The 6 T-34’s that crossed the stream added their shots to that as well.  If they clear the field then the game is ours. 

German ambush is revealed, 3 Pak-43’s along the woods edge.  Initial shot killed one SU, and bailed another.  German reserves fail to show up.   Grenadiers also form up in the distant woods near one of the objectives.


The south region of the board.  German PaK's are along the woods edge.  The Grenadiers at the top of the board are defending the objective by the wheat there are under pressure there, while the Grenadiers at the bottom of the picture are abandoning their dug in positions.



Turn 5:

With the ambush revealed, the Katyusha’s had a target to shoot at.  They ranged in, but caused no damage.  One SU battery approached the PaK’s as well, but failed to kill any of the guns.

German reserves showed up.  3 Panzer IV’s.  Arrived on the east edge of the board, and started hammering the SU batteries.  Between them and the PaK’s a whole battery of SU’s went up in flames, and most of another.

Top of Turn 5.  The Recon Company follows the retreating Grenadiers into the woods.  One SU is burning, and the others begin to line up on the PaK's.  My thought at this time is to occupy the Germans with this force, even if it means losing them all.  I intended to win with the 307 assaulting the Grenadiers in the wheat field, as soon as Kapitan Badinuff unbogs from the creek.

 

Bottom of turn 5.  Germans Panzer IV's arrive, just in time to replace the rapidly attriting Gren Platoon in the wheat field.  One of them is a "Kanon" which can move and shoot at a full rate of fire.



Turn 6:

Once again the SU’s and the Katusha’s traded shots with the PaK’s and the Panzer IV’s.  This time with long range shooting from the T-34’s as well.  Between them one PaK and one Panzer IV was killed.  The PaK crews abandoned their guns at that point.  But in the German turn, another SU Battery was destroyed.  The eastern most SU Battery finished picking up the Grenadiers in the wheat field.  This would force the Panzer IV’s to stay exposed, or surrender the objective.



Top of Turn 6.  One SU Battery is gone, but another is driving up to replace it.

Bottom of the 6.  The Grens assault the Recon Company.  The Grens were hit 3 times on the assault, and failed all 3 saves, but still killed two Recon teams, causing a Platoon Morale check, which the Recon failed and fled the board.

Turn 7:

German air arrives and lines up on 8 Katyusha's.              

German reserves arrive from the north edge of the board.  2 Panzer IV’s move up and flank the ZSU’s.  Despite only an armor value of 0, the Panzers only bail on half track.  This leaves only 2 AA guns to fire at the HS-129’s, but throwing 12 dice was enough to shoot down the planes. 

Off to the "East", at the top of the picture, the last SU Battery has two guns killed, and the third gun fled.  With four SU Batteries and one Recon Company gone, the 1441st is at it's breaking point.  It failed it's motiviation check, so the SS Wiking held the ground to fight another day.

2 Panzer IV's arrive and first shoot at the ZSU's, but only bail one.  But it is only a matter of time as there is nothing that can stop them from shooting up the Katyushas.  At this point the Soviets failed motivation, but it was a close call, a 4-3 game.

The 1441st Red Banner, STAVKA, Kutuzov, SU Regiment

Boy, Soviets get lots of toys.  This doesn't even include the 10 T-34's that come with the list.

Battle for the Knonlop Passages

A Headless Body production.

Location: Showcase Comics, Granite Run Mall, Pennsylvania

Players: Phil Gardocki, Legkiy Samokhodno-Artillyeriyskiy Polk (attacker)

                 Michael, Sperrverband (defender)

Game: Flames of War Late War 1780 points

Mission: Counterattack

The Forces:

2nd Tank Army's 1441st SU Regiment, 307th Tank Company, 208th Flak Company(Confident, Trained), 89th Guards Mortar Battalion (Fearless Trained)

16 SU-122's in 4 Batteries, 10 T-34's (5 76's, 5 85's) 8 Katyushas in 1 battery, 2 DShk AA trucks, 3 ZSU 17's.

German (Reluctant, Veteran) One Sperr mortar platoon, One Sperr Pionier Platoon, one Sperr Platoon, 4 PAK40's, 10 STG's in two Platoons.  The Sperr Pionier teams have a tank assault value of 5.  They also count as fearless when assaulting tank teams.

 

Mission: Counterattack. Mobile Reserves, Prepared Positions.  Each side places one objective.  Attacker wins if he holds either objective after turn 6.

The Board:

4 by 6 feet. 

A minor village along the dirt road approaches to Knonlop.

Germans will be setting up on the left, Soviets to the right.  One objective will be near the left Y in the road.  The other will be in the wood in the upper left.

Deployment:

The Soviets start with their full force on the board in the upper right hand corner.  The Germans have mobile reserves, and so have one STG Platoon off board, which will appear in the lower right corner.

German Deployment.  3 Platoons of Infantry, backed by a STG Platoon.  The bit of plastic is a mine field.

“And so it begins”, thought Kapitan Koning, Battalion Commander of the 1^st Battalion, 1441^st SU Regiment.

“After months of training and waiting, we have been committed to attacking the enemy.  All this equipment is so new, the paint hasn’t had a chance to chip off yet.  Let’s hope the Bosch is surprised by the T-34/85's and the SU-122’s as well.  I am sure the paint job will be the least of our worries in a few hours.”

He was also pleased with the other army assets he was issued.  The Flak Company should go a long way to keeping the enemy infantry's heads down, while the Guards Mortar Battalion blows them to hell.  The plan is simple.  We will race to the objective and sit on it.  While pinning the enemy down with artillery and rockets.  If the Bosch moves, we will just kill him faster.

Turn 1:

All the approaches to the German Deployment area were highly restrictive, forcing me to split up the 4 SU Batteries.  But all that terrain means my T-34's can double-time to the objective without fear.  My first Katyusha barrage fell short.  Dug in veterans being very difficult to target.

3 Batteries of SU-122's move out under cover, but one is lit up by the defending STG's anyway.

Kapitan Badinuff's 307th Tank Battalion moves out on the double.

The Germans were successful on getting their reserves on turn 1.  Due to the 307th Tank Battalion moving double time, the STG's get double fire into the flanks of my T-34's.

Turn 2:

Once again, it's know the mission.  I didn't realize how deep into the board the German reserves could arrive.  And they stopped my T-34's cold.  I turned what was left of the the 307th to face their enemy.  What I should have done, but didn't was vector in 2 of the SU-122 Batteries as well, but instead I went for shooting at the infantry.  Note to self, always kill the flank march when it comes on early.

I made another mistake on Turn 1.  I tried to target my Katyusha on the dug in Veteran German infantry.  3 dice looking for a 6.  Why not target the STG right behind them instead? 3 dice looking for 4's.  With a 1 square foot barrage template, all the infantry was under fire anyway.  The barrage was quite successful, killing the Mortar Platoon Leader, one of the Pioniers, bailing a STG, and pinning the lot.

3 SU-122 Batteries negotiate the narrow approaches towards the dug in German Infantry.  The 4th Battery is sweeping on the far right of the board.  The thought was to keep the infantry in the woods pinned to the objective.

Meanwhile Kapitan Badinuff's 307th fires back, killing one STG, bailing another.

 Turn 3:

Overall I am still confident on this.  The flanking STG's are under control, the Katyushas had continued success with their barrage, the SU-122's, having breakthrough guns, were also beginning to dig out the Sperr Platoon.  But my casualties were beginning to mount from the return fire.

Petrov's and Chukov's Batteries reach their firing points, at long range to the STG's, but short range to the infantry, but because of the Hens and Chicks rule, they'll still need a 7 to hit the dug in infantry, so they fire at the STG's instead.



Meanwhile, Kapitan Badinuff's T-34's manage to kill another flanking STG.



Turn 4:

The Kayusha barrage continues to take its toll, as the Sperr Mortar Platoon fails its motivation and leaves the field.  But the flanking SU-122 Battery on the right side of the board is ambushed by 4 PAK-43's.  Killing 3.  (See photo below) I thought he couldn't ambush me when within 16 inches of the Soviets, but appearently the wheat field reduced that to "cover" and he could place within 8 inches.  I'll have to check the rules on that one.  Still, even if lost, that Battery is accomplishing its mission of keeping the Germans in place on their objective, even more so with the PAK-43 placed in the most out of the way spot.  The other batteries were opening fire, and beginning to take their toll on the German Infantry.  This would have worked out even better if I had remembered the special Soviet rule, "Volley Fire", allowing me to reroll misses. 

The 307th Tank Battalion continued to pass it's motivation checks, and continued to shoot it out with the STG flankers. 

I still have high confidence, as unshown here, my AA Company, mounted on halftracks, is racing for the objective and will be linking up with an SU Battery and the remains of the 307 in time for the objective to go live on turn 6.

The Soviet center is dying rapidly.  But the Germans are only fairing a little better.

While 3 batteries of SU's were getting chewed up, the last battery takes up firing position.  They are already seeing a lot less Germans than there was a while ago.

Turn 5:

3 Batteries of SU's are gone, and the Germans start moving to cover the outside objective.  The Soviet 307th Tank Battalion finnishes off the flanking STG Battery and so is also heading for the objective.  Unfortunately, the Germans manage to kill the last SU Battery, causing a Company Motivation check, which failed, causing a general retreat.  Final Score, 4-2. 

End Game.  The last SU-122 standing is bailed.  The objective is off to the left, the green blob on the road, not the one that is smoking.

Overall, I am pleased with my first outing of this company.  All the pieces performed as theorized.  My strategy had flaws in it.  Basically, my entire force was shooting it out with his entire force.  Even though I had several oppurunities to defeat him in detail.  I didn't need to expose my SU's so early, as I was already targeting the main force with the Katyushas.  I could have turned 3 batterys around and contribute to the defeating the flanking STG's, and then proceeded to the objective.  This would have left one Battery of SU-122's and my AA guns and their 18 dice, to keep his blocking force honest.  He would have redeployed his other STG's to contest the objective, but I think 12 SU's would have won that fight.

References

Credits for the various WWII histories in this blog. 

            “Hitler’s Legions” by Samuel W. Mitcham Jr.  Stein And Day Publishing.

             “Red Army Order of Battle” by A.Z. Conner  & R.G. Poirer.  Presidio Press.

Published by George F Nafziger:

“German Order of Battle World War II”, Volumes 1-7, by George F. Nafziger

“Soviet Order of Battle World War II”, Volumes 1-12, by Charles C. Sharp

“Italian Order of  Battle World War II”, Volumes 1-3, by George F. Nafziger
"The British Armies in World War Two An Organizational History", Volumes 1-3 by David Hughes, James Broshot and Alan Philson.

Plus numerous other Orders of Battles for various scenarios, published by George Nafziger.

            By Schiffer Publishing;

            “The German Infantry Handbook 1939-1945”, by Alex Buchner. Particular interest to page 65, about killing T-34’s with “pieces of wood, stone, clumps of earth, into gun barrels in order to make the barrels burst.”

            “Panzer-Grenadier, Motorcycle & Panzer Reconnaissance Units”, by Horst Scheibert.

            “Germany’s Panther Tank”, by Thomas L. Jentz

            By Men-At-Arms;

            “The Panzer Divisions”, by Martin Windrow and Richard Hook.

            “The Romanian Army Of World War 2”, by Mark Axworthy and Horia Serbanescu.

            “The Luftwaffe War Diaries”, by Cajus Bekker.

“Handbook on German Military Forces”, by the U.S. War Department, published by Louisiana State University Press.

            “War in the East”, by the staff of Strategy & Tactics Magazine, Simulations Publications, Inc.

            “Who’s Who in World War II”, edited by John Keegan, Oxford University Press.           

            “Third Axis, Fourth Ally”, by Mark Axworthy, Cornel Scafes, Cristian Craciunoiu, published by Arms and Armor Press

  “Kursk 1943”, by Mark Healy, DAG Publications Ltd. for Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1993.

   "There's a War to Be Won: The United States Army in World War", by Geoffrey Perret.  This is an absolute must read if you are a student of the US Army history.

Fighting in Another Hedgerow Nightmare.

A Headless Body Production
Location: Ice House, Newark Delaware.
Players: Phil Gardocki, American Armored Company (attacker)
              Ed Bernhardt German I/501st Schwere Panzer Kompanie (attacker)

Game: Flames of War, Mid War, 1750 points

The Forces:

Monty’s Pythons: (Confident, Trained) "Monty’s Pythons", the 2nd Squadron, 12th "Three Rivers” Regiment, 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, Currently TAD, Temporarily Assigned Duty, to the American 4^th Armored Division.

7 Shermans, 2 with command and 5 in a single Platoon. 1 Recon Platoon of 3 Stuarts, 1 section of 2 M-10 Tank Destroyers, one Recon Platoon of 4 teams. 2 Batteries of 3 Priests.   Led by Major General Harmon.

German (Confident, Veteran) 1^st Kompanie, 501^st Schwere Panzerabteilung. 

3 Tigers, 2 Panzer III(n)’s in two Platoons, 1 Platoon 5 of Fallschirmjagers (Fearless Veteran), Air Support.

Mission: Cauldron. Delayed Reserves, German side places two objectives.  Winner is declared when any objective is held by the opposing side after turn 6.

The Board:

4 by 6 feet.   Bocage all over the place.  Roads running to nowhere, and a few copse's of trees.  It's deja vu all over again.  Take a quick trip to the "Clash Near Politico" (http://philonworldwartwo.blogspot.com/2012/08/clash-near-policoro.html)  and see what you think.  Similar field, same opponent, same army.

The Board.  The only saving grace is that the gaps in the bocage are actual gaps.

Deployment:
      There are two objectives, on on one of the road segments, and the other near a copse of trees in the center area.  The Germans placed their Company Commander riding a Tiger on 1, and had the Platoon of Fallschirmjagers hiding in the woods contesting the other.  The attacker has random deployment and rolled 2,2,4.  So one battery of Priests started on the far "right" edge, the other on on the long side board left.  The Reconnaissance Troop of Stuarts started near the center of the board.

Germans visible.  One Priest battery is off to the right, while the other is off the bottom of the frame.

============================================================================
"Right!' began Captain Palin, "Does anyone here know where we are?"
"I don't even know who we are, with the transfer and all that." replied Lieutenant Idle.
"I stopped in a cheese shop a while back and asked for some cheese, Cheddar,  Gouda, Wensleydale, and what have you, but the shop owner didn't have any, so I shot him." monologged Lieutenant Cleese.
"I wonder if monologged is an actual word, since the spellchecker underlined it?" pondered Lieutenant Jones.
"Well, since we are all scattered in this maze of hedges, Lieutenant Idle, take your minstrels and go around the corner and ask those gentlemen hiding in the woods where we are."
"What if they are Germans, Sir?" asked Lieutenant Idle.
"Tell them you are looking for a shrubbery." offered Captain Palin.
============================================================================
Reconnaissance move.  I decided Fallschirmjagers were a softer target than the Tiger and headed for a spot where I could see them through the bocage.  I didn't think the Tiger was going to go far from his objective, and his main advantage of a 40" range gun was limited to only firing up and down the road.

Turn 1:
The Stuarts took up firing positions with Main Guns, MG's and .50 cals.  I didn't count on anything happening because the percentages of a kill are real low.    

The Americans succeed in rolling reserves, and bring on the Tank Destroyers.  The Jeeps start on the right side of the board and move under cover of the bocage towards the Tiger.

Near the center of the board, Sir Robin and his minstrels peek through the bocage.  The German Company Commander can be seen in the upper right.



But the Germans are not without teeth, as the Luftwaffe make an appearance.  In this case one plane was shot down by 4 .50 cals.

 Turn 2:

The Stuarts do a little maneuvering and one gets through a break in the bocage and into the center field.  The 2IC's Sherman is also almost there as well to shoot things up.  Both batteries of Priests  open up.  One smoking the Tiger, just in case, and other takes out two teams of Fallschirmjagers.

The tank destroyer teams continue to race forward towards the Tiger and sidle up to the bocage.  Captain Palin in his Sherman drive up to the edge of the road to complicate the German decision tree.

The Stuarts, 2IC, and General Harmon close around the Fallschirmjagers.

The Luftwaffe make another appearance.

Turn 3:

The Stuarts and their Priests continue to harass the Fallschirmjagers, tagging another team.  But I see a victory coming, with not even a little luck required.  Ed sees it as well, and kills one of the Security Team's jeeps.

 =========================================================================

 Lieutenant Chapman pulled over Patsy and shouted, "Old woman!"

"Man!" replied the bundle rags stacking mud near the hedge.

Lieutenant Chapman corrected himself, "Man.  I'm sorry.  Old man, do you know where I am?"

"I'm thirty-seven," added the bundle of rags.

"What," asked Lieutenant Chapman?

"I'm thirty-seven ... I'm not old,"answered the bundle of rags.

"Well - I can't just say:  "Hey, Man," retorted Lieutenant Chapman!

"Well you could say: "Dennis"", answered Dennis.

"I didn't know you were called Dennis," replied Lieutenant Chapman.

"You didn't bother to find out, did you?" asked Dennis.

 "I've said I'm sorry about the old woman, but from the behind you looked ..." explained Lieutenant Chapman.

 "What I object to is that you automatically treat me like an inferior ..." interrupted Dennis.

=========================================================================

 At this point General Harmon drove up and shouted to move the column along.

"I know the author feels a pressing need to compensate for his inadequacies of writing by adding more out of context Monty Python dialog here,  but we know where this script is going, and while it was funny 37 years ago, the joke didn't age well, so on with the AAR!"

His jeep puffed a belch of black smoke and General Harmon drove on to his destiny!  (about two turns later.)

One Jeep killed, now where is the other?

Time again for the Nazi Air Show.

The Tank Destroyers pop on the through the bocage.

And roll 5 hits in the flank.  The white dice were Captain Palin's tank firing on the other flank.

Turn 4:

All that is required is a drive up to the objective and take it.  Even if reserves do come on they can't contest the situation soon enough.



Since the Tank Destroyers provided such a convenient flare for the Luftwaffe to guide in on, might as well take advantage of it.



Same time, side view.  Once again the Luftwaffe whiffs.

Turn 5:

German reserves failed to come in.  The game was over but there was an hour left on the clock, so we continued to fight it out for the other objective.  The last of the American reserves came on, 5 Shermans, moving double time down the road.

Between two Priest Batteries, a Tank Platoon, and an advancing Recon Platoon, the Fallschirmjagers knew their number was up if they stayed, so they attacked. Killing 2 teams, forcing the recon unit to flee, AND captured the 2IC, but after that, they were caught in the open and killed to a man.



Once again with the Nazi Air show.



Which blows up 2 Shermans, along with General Harmon, stone dead. ("I'm getting better").  Lets see, how many mistakes can we find here, moving double time, (double shots, no AA), compressed formation, and the enemy has air?  Not smart.

Fight For Montesano sulla Marcellana

A Headless Body Production
Location: Ice House, Newark Delaware.
Players: Phil Gardocki, American Armored Company (attacker)
              Jesse Sheaffer, Battaglione Fucilieri

Game: Flames of War, Mid War, 1750 points

The Forces:

Monty’s Pythons: (Confident, Trained) "Monty’s Pythons", the 2nd Squadron, 12th "Three Rivers” Regiment, 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade, Currently TAD, Temporarily Assigned Duty, to the American 4^th Armored Division.

7 Sherman’s, 2 with command and 5 in a single Platoon. 1 Recon Platoon of 3 Stuarts, 1 section of 2 M-10 Tank Destroyers, one Recon Platoon of 4 teams. 2 Batteries of 3 Priests.   Led by Major General Harmon.

Italian (mostly confident, trained) Battaglione Fucilieri
2 Fucillieri Companies, 1 Machine-Gun Platoon, 1 Mortar Platoon, 1 Carri Platoon of 5 M-14’s, 4 PAK-40’s in one Platoon, sporadic air support, + 3 platoons that never made it on the board.

Mission: Pincer. Italians are receiving.  3 objectives are placed, one is removed by the attacker after deployment.  Attacker wins if the objective is taken, defender wins after turn 6 if there are no attackers on the defensive side of the board.

The Board:

4 by 6 feet.   Woods and fields and rivers and hills all over the place.  Piece is dominated by a burned out church on a large hill.





The right side of the board from the base of the short edge from where the Americans will be attacking.

 Deployment:

Both objectives are on the right side of the board.  Jesse questioned my judgement after the game, and considering the outcome he was right.  I didn't want to have to fight for the ruined church to get to the objective.

Two Batteries of Priests hiding in the vineyards.  Recon and Tank Destroyers by the river.

Two companies of Italians guarding the objectives.



All Tanks ready to attack.

===============================================================

Captain Palin began the briefing, "Men, as you know we have been temporarily assigned to the American Army, to show them how we do things in Canada.  Since then, they have removed our tank supply wagons, placed these gyro thingies in our turrets, issued a bunch of jeeps and M-10's and have promised greater artillery support."

He continued, "We have been assigned the job giving the Fish-Slapping Dance to an Italian Battalion near Montesano sulla Marcellana that had refused their country's orders to surrender." 

===============================================================

Reconnaissance Move:

The Stuarts didn't get far.

But the other two recon teams did.



Turn 1:

Since the Italians did not seem to have any serious antitank assets, I went for the a couple of bombardments and a generous amount of direct fire.  Followed up with some direct fire smoke for their mortars.

==================================================================

Captain Palin debarked his tank and shouted to the Italians, "I have come to ask for your surrender, so that no good Italians need die this day.  Go and tell your captain that we have been charged by his government with a sacred trust to preserve your lives. If he will give give up this pointless fight, he can join us in our holy quest to eradicate the Nazi's."

A black helmeted head peaked from the trenches, "You don't frighten us, Canadian pig-dogs! Go and boil your bottoms, son of a silly person! Ah blow my nose at you, so-called "Captain Palinnnnn"! You and all your silly American Tanks!!!"

"What a strange person," commented Sergeant Galahad.

Captain Palin turned several shades of red, "Now look here, my good ma--"

 But was interrupted by the shout from the trenches, "Ah don' wanna talk to you no more, you empty-headed animal food-trough wiper! Ah fart in your general direction! Your mother was a hamster, and your father smelt of elderberries!"

Sergent Galahad gave it one last try, "Is there someone else up there we can talk to?"

"No. Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time."

"Right," Captain Palin mounting his tank, "CHARGE!"

==================================================================

The Tank Destroyers are going to run up the left flank.  Not so much to accomplish anything but as a distraction.

General advance by the Amercans.

Turn 2:

I continued to bombard the Italian front lines, killing a few teams.  Then an assault with the Shermans plus the Company Commander.  The Italians held and counterattacked, losing one team to rolling a 1 with improvised antitank weapons.  But also causing a bail.  The Shermans failed their motivation and retreated, leaving a Sherman to be captured.

============================================================

"Run Away, Run Away," ordered Captain Palin.

From the Italian lines was heard cat calls and jeering.

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With about the same result as King Arthurs on the French Fort.  The Shermans have failed, the Stuarts are next.

 I then ordered the Lieutenant Idle, (mounted on "Sir Robin") and is Minstrel's into the fray. 

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"Bravely bold Sir Robin rode forth from Camelot. He was not afraid to die, oh brave Sir Robin. He was not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways, brave, brave, brave, brave Sir Robin. He was not in the least bit scared to be mashed into a pulp, or to have his eyes gouged out, and his elbows broken. To have his kneecaps split, and his body burned away, and his limbs all hacked and mangled, brave Sir Robin. His head smashed in and heart cut out, and his liver removed, and his bowels unplugged, and his nostrils raped and his bottom burned off and his penis..."

 Sir Robin: That's, uh, that's enough music for now, lads... looks like there's dirty work afoot.

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Though the Stuarts were repulsed, the Italian Company also fled the field

Turn 3:

The Italian unveiled his ambush, His choices of location were limited due to all the Recon I had on the board.  It was a unit of 4, German manned, PAK 40's.  They managed to kill one Sherman on arrival. I responded by dropping artillery on them, and direct fire smoking.

In the midst of this fight, an single Italian airplane showed up, he lined up 3 under the template, scored one, and another Sherman went up in flames.

One PAK 40 down, two smoked, all pinned.

Turn 4:

I don't have the forces for another assault, so I am staying in the rear and using my artillery to work him over.  Unfilmed was the tank destroyers running around to the rear, to be stopped by infantry holding the bridge.  The tank destroyers were then taken in the rear by the Italian Carris arriving from reserves.  One TD managed to escape the trap.



Two PAK -40's down, and the remaining Infantry Company is taking hits, but so are the Shermans.



Turn 5: 

Another turn of bombardments on the PAK-40's which in turn took out another Sherman.  The Italians brought in a unit of mortars.  I gave them a bombardment before they could dig in, killing a couple.  But time was running out, so with a few minutes left on the clock I conceded.

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"Perhaps if we build a large wooden badger?"

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