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IABSM Battle Report;
05/05/05 British Armour Vs Clivey's and Max's Axis
Armour
and DAK Armour force should take on the 8th Army using rules for IABSM 'Confused Tank
Actions'.
The action was set in early 1941, giving a different flavour to our earlier forays in the desert.
Clivey came round with his DAK Panzers and Max with his Italian Armour. I used an early 8th
Army force with some of 2pdr AT guns firing direct over open sights from off-table using our
house rules for these.
the cloth, I had created undulations providing rises and depressions for hull down positions. In
addition I decided to use my recently acquired rocky out crops bought from Peter Pig's scenery
range at this years SALUTE.
A feature of the southern table edge was a small fort with adjacent scrub.
The table portrayed a low valley with undulating terrain in the NW and SE corners. Our respective
forces would arrive and fight diagonally NW and SE.
two blinds. Clive and Max would choose the number of the first two blinds to come onto the table,
and I would do likewise. The first two blinds would be placed within 6" of ANY table edge on our
side of the centre line running EW.
Subsequent forces would arrive at a time at a location we chose on our baselines, one blind
arriving maximum per turn. Once again we would choose each others blinds numbers.
Our forces consisted of;
Fwd Observer Forward Observer in SdKfz 254 in contact with four off-table 10.5cm Field Guns
firing indirect.
Armour 1 PzKpfw I Befehlswagen (Ave, Armour 2, MG)
PzKpfw IIC (Ave, Armour 2, Gun 3) VETERAN
Hauptmann Bassermann Big Man 1 (D4)
Armour 2 Three Pz Kpfw I C (Fast, Armour 2, Twin MG)
Leutnant Kunstler Big Man 2 (D4) VETERAN
Armour 3 Three PzKpfw IIC (Ave, Armour 2 Gun 3)
Stabsfeldwebel Ockfener Big Man 3 (D4) VETERAN
Armour 4 Three PzKpfw IIC (Ave, Armour 2 Gun 3)
Obegefreiter Pfalz Big Man 4 (D4) VETERAN
Armour 5 Two PzKpfw III G (Armour 3, Gun 5)
Feldwebel Michelsberg Big Man 5 (D4) VETERAN
Armour 6 Two L3/35 (Ave Speed, Armour 2, MG)
Two L3/35 (Ave Speed, Armour 2, ATR)
Armour 7 Three M13/40 (Ave Speed, Armour 4, Gun 5)
Capt Corbelli Big Man 6 (D4)
Armour 8 Three Semovente M40 da 75/34 (Ave Speed, Armour 4, Gun 4)
Gun 1 Panzerjager I (Ave, Armour 2, Gun 7)
Gun 2 Panzerjager I (Ave, Armour 2, Gun 7)
D6 + 2 Fakes
National Characteristics Cards
Off-Table Artillery (FO Controlled) Blitzkrieg (DAK only)
Rapid Deployment Recce Force
Petrol Shortage Vehicle Breakdown
Gun Bonus Fire Ammo Shortage
Dynamic Commander Heroic Leader
BRITISH FORCES June 1941
Forward Observer Forward Observer in Carrier in contact with four 25pdr field guns off-table
firing indirect.
Armour 1 Two A9 Cruiser MKI (Ave, Armour 2, Gun 5)
Capt Miles Behynt Big Man 1 (D4)
Armour 2 Three Vickers MK VI (Fast, Armour 2, MG)
Lieutenant 'Porky' Pyes (D4)
Armour 3 Three A9 Cruiser MKI (Ave, Armour 2, Gun 5)
Armour 4 Three A15 Crusader Mk I (Ave, Armour 3, Gun 5)
Armour 5 Two A12 Matilda Mk II (Slow, Armour 9, Gun 5)
Sgt Les Bean (D4)
Gun 1 2 pdr AT Gun (5 crew) [Gun 4]
Gun 2 2 pdr AT Gun (5 crew) [Gun 4] All off-table firing over open sights
directly.
Gun 3 2 pdr AT Gun (5 crew) [Gun 4]
D6 + 1 Fakes
National Characteristics Cards
Off-Table Artillery (FO Controlled) Armoured Bonus (Cruisers)
Rapid Deployment Recce Force
Petrol Shortage Vehicle Breakdown
Gun Bonus Fire Ammo Shortage
Heroic Leader
rapid advance up the table and onto the 2pdrs located
off-table. These would fire on the 'blinds move' chip, after
which their own individual chips would be added.
The evil Axis duo chose my allotted numbers for the first
two blinds and I did the same for their forces.
The two blinds they had pulled were my Vickers Light tanks
and a troop of A9's. Very weak armour of 2, but with a
reasonable 2pdr gun 5.
I decided to use the Vickers as a matadors cloak, waving at
the Axis tanks and getting them, hopefully to follow.
With this is mind the Vickers were spotted easily as they
manoeuvred past the fort.
The enemy blinds turned out to be fakes!
Next turn I brought on a troop of the new A15, Crusader
MkI's, armour 4, gun 5 and advanced them in the wake of
the Vickers. I was careful to make sure that I was not
masking my off-table 2pdrs. The fake blind which
accompanied them was spotted.
Spotting the enemy blinds was successful. I spotted the
DAK HQ of a Panzer I befehlswagen and a Panzer IIC.
More alarming was the sight of 'Capitano Corbelli and his
Mandarin' leading a platoon of M13/40 tanks.
However, remarkably my long range fire was outstanding!
Using my A15's and A9's, firing long range, from over 36", I
damaged the engine of the nearest M13/40, and forced the
furthest one to leave the table, leaving Corbelli trying to
calm his crew and monkey!
Clivey moved his Panzer HQ across the table to occupy a
rocky outcrop in the SW corner of the table whilst more
threateningly two Panzer III's appeared knocking out an A9
and an A15!
One of my Vickers tanks had advanced too far and was
immobilised by fire from the Panzer II.
My Company HQ - Miles Behynt and two A9s arrived and
skirted along the north table edge. My plan here was to
occupy the undulating terrain denying the Axis any
possible cover thereby forcing them into the centre of the
table, so I hoped, and onto my 2 pdrs, as yet undiscovered.
My FO arrived next turn as Corbelli's remaining M13/40 took
four hits from my A15's, causing engine damage, an engine
fire and immobilising it but not before he had managed to
knock out another A9.
The Panzer IIIs were destroyed by my A9's which also
caused minor damage to a Panzerjager I which had
appeared.
Corbelli's tank brewed up next move as I placed my HQ
troop on table, whilst the A15's knocked out the Panzer II,
and took up hull down positions behind a low rise on the
southern table edge.
Things were looking decidely tough for the Axis as I had
stacked the pile with my chips. The Axis were now praying
for reinforcements and their 'blinds move'.
Hauptmann Bassermann retreated from the rocky area
back to his lines. When the 'Dynamic Commander' chip
appeared he left his Pz I Befehlswagen to direct the fire of
the Panzerjager I. This however was immobilised and the
crew bailed out leaving Bassermann eating sand as he too
abandoned the stricken vehicle.
My FO now got into the act as ranging shots landed near
the burning M13/40's. It was all going my way, for now.
My last unit, two Matilda Mk II's arrived on my baseline and
at 'tea break' I revealed them to a despondant Axis duo.
However, the game took an ugly turn. A Platoon of Panzer
IIC's arrived and engaged my A15's. With poor armour one
A15 was knocked out by 20mm cannon fire.
The next turn my remaining A15 immobilised a Panzer II but
Bassermann climbed into another nearby Panzer taking
command again.
Three DAK Panzer I's now appeared and made a run for the
rocky ground where a burning Panzer II poured smoke.
One however was holed by Sgt Les Bean's Matilda from
long range. Sadly the other Matilda hit soft sand and
bogged down the crew bailing out cursing their bad luck.
I retreated my Vickers hoping to entice them further.
On their 'recce move' the nippy two surviving Panzer IC's
advanced behind the fort and the next turn engaged my last
A15 from the flank with MG fire.
The tide seemed to be turning agianst me as three Italian
Semovente's now appeared. However, one was
immobilised due to crew concussion as my off-table 25pdrs
started firing for effect. Another Semovente was
immobilised by my A15 firing across the table onto its flank.
This A15 was eventually destroyed by a Panzer II led by
Stabsfeldwebel Ockfener, after it had taken five hits in total
from enemy armour.
I had started to withdraw everywhere with my few
remaining AFV's, hoping that my artillery would cover me
and that the 2pdrs would destroy any pusuers.
The Panzer I's both tried to pursue but both stuck in soft
sand in subsequent turns near the fort, their crews getting
out to kick the cursed machines.
As my off-table fire arrived on target again a Panzer II
suffered concussion whilst the immobilised Semovente's
bailed out!
The battle seemed over but there was one dramatic act to
occur.
Hauptmann Basserman in the last running Panzer II
advanced swiftly up the table keen to engage Sgt Les Bean
and his 'Queen of the Desert' Priscilla. Les's vehicle fired
and hit though failed to penetrate Bassermann's rapidly
advancing tank.
Bassermann now advanced and put a shot into Priscilla
from a flank which bounced harmlessly off the Matilda's
armour 9!
Priscilla fired and missed as Bassermann manouvred on
his 'Dynamic Commander' in a position to attack the rear of
the heavily armoured tank.
Slowly the turret of the Matilda turned. She fired she hit and
Bassermann died in the inferno screaming for his Mother.
The game ended in a stalemate with both sides truly
exhausted. Another exciting and unpredictable game full of
incident.
One of the funnier moments was provided by the German
FO who repeatedly called down fire upon positions his own
Panzer I's has just occupied. This happened three times to
Clive and Max as their chip arrived unexpectedly, to much
general hilarity.
The early Desert action proved an interesting one. Due to
lack of decent armament we found that chunks were flying
off vehicles receiving minor damage which piled up
resulting in their crews abandonment.
The A9's in particular proved to be a pain in the arse. Very
weak in armour they were fine so long as they got in the
first shot and no one fired at them. The Crusaders proved
little better. Luckily the 2pdr proved effective enough
against the weakly armoured Axis vehicles.
My firing from long range early on was spectacular as I
repeatedly threw fives and sixes, much to the Axis duo's
chagrin.
The battle ended in a stalemate but in reality I felt that the
British would have retreated to laager (or lager even)
leaving the wealth of damaged but abandoned Panzers to
be recovered by their mechanics. So perhaps it was aloss
for me.
I never got to use my 2 pdrs perhaps I should've got them
into the game really.
I felt I had played well inspite of my forces limitations. No
rash attacks this time.
The Axis duo had massive bad luck but still put up a great
fight. At no stage did they really dictate the pace of the
game but had to continually respond to my actions.
My off-table artillery really made the difference. Arriving
quickly but innaccurately, initially, it ranged in, fired for
effect and continued to concuss enemy tank crews
preventing their movement up the table.
A good game. Back to the PBI next week . .
