Also, Dirty Jon has my Africa book so I can't remember if Rifles can support the US Armor. I'm 99.9% sure they cannot in mid war, but I didn't want to have to add the cumbersome transport rules with the armor rifles, so I let Joe take some regular ol' dogfaces.
The mission was Fighting Withdrawal. I wanted to A) get all the forces on the board, B) Put Joe in a position to be attacking, and C) have a time constraint. It fit the bill.
US ARMOR
| Italian Bersaglieri
|
DEPLOYMENT AND TURN ONE
Italians from left to right: Bersaglieri, Cannons (first objective on the lower left hill), M14/41s, Company Command (in range of every platoon!)(Objective in the fork), Mortars, Bersaglieri (objective on the hill).
Lancias in ambush.
Americans from left to right: Priests, Rifles, Recon, Shermans + 2iC, Stuarts hiding, Shermans + Company Command.
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75mm Guns defend an objective.
M14/41s
Shermans at the jump off point.
More Yanks.
Priests
Shermans and Stuarts roll out.
Italian mortars open up on the US riflemen, pinning them down. In true Joe fashion they don't unpin for the rest of the game!
AMERICANS none | ITALIANS none |
TURN TWO
Shermans get ready to dig out Italian guns. I take this opportunity to remind Joe that the 75mm gun's 3+ firepower is just perfect for picking out those man-packed elefentinos, clearing the way for his Stuarts!
With no other targets, the 75s barrage the Shermans. It's a long shot, but again I am quick to remind Joe "You don't get paid for coming home with ammo!"
Whats this? The M14s push into the American positions. Twin Hull MG fire knocks down a US rifle stand as mortar fire rains down.
The mortar fire pins down the recon, but doesn't cause any additional harm.
AMERICANS Rifle Platoon: 1 rifle stand | ITALIANS none |
TURN THREE
Stuarts are out for blood.
Shermans form a gun line.
1 elefentino and 2 HMGs go pop! The unit is pinned by MG fire. The Stuarts assault, with 1 knocked out in defensive fire. They are forced to retrat after one round of assault, knocking out another Rifle/MG stand.
Finally the big guns come out!
A second Stuart goes down to elefentino fire!
Only a single Sherman is knocked out! Two more wind up bailed. The bad news is the one sherman knocked out is the company commander. D'oh!
Meanwhile, the M14/41s have broken through the American lines and tenaciously assault the rifle platoon.
With the entire Rifle platoon being routed!
AMERICANS Rifle Platoon: DESTROYED Company Command Sherman: DESTROYED Stuarts: 2 Stuarts destroyed | ITALIANS Bersaglieri: 2 HMG, 1 Elefentino, 1 Rifle/MG stand |
TURN FOUR
Joe stays on the Bersaglieri- hooking around with his 3 remaining Stuarts.
Priests score a time on target barrage on the Lancias, knocking one out! And would you look at the insane number of Shermans about to light them up?
Sherman fire knocks out the Lancias, and takes a heavy toll on the Bersaglieri (lesson 3: the order in which you shoot DOES matter. Joe's 2iC shot separately at the Lancias, and knocked the last one out. Economy of force! Had he attached him to a sherman platoon all of those extra shots would be wasted. Instead, they lit up the Bersaglieri.
In fact, Joe won the game right here. The Bersaglieri were below half strength and broke. With no mobile assets in that area, Joe's Stuarts will hold the objective. There is no possibility of any Italian forces reaching it to contest.
BUT the Italians can still go for that 3rd victory point!
The Bersaglieri on the left attempt to assault Joe's recon!
But they're sneaky and disengage!
So the M/14s charge the priest battery, and utterly annhilate every single team. This makes it a 4-3.
The victorious Stuarts!
AMERICANS Rifle Platoon: DESTROYED Priest Battery: DESTROYED Company Command Sherman: DESTROYED Stuarts: 2 Stuarts destroyed | ITALIANS Lancias: DESTROYED Bersaglieri (right): DESTROYED |
