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IABSM Battle Report 18/08/05
..My 8th Army Vs Max's Italians
wadi complex running across the entire table, providing much cover and yet a considerable amount
of high ground too.
My scenario plan was to split the tables long sides into three equal sectors of 24" and then dice
randomly to see in which the troops were to be deployed.
I worked out very extensive orders of battle to allow Max to field his entire Italian force, whilst I
would be able to use a considerable amount of my 8th Army.
Once we had diced for the amount of fake blinds we were permitted we would number off our forces
against blinds and then remove a third of each others total blinds. This creates a great deal of
uncertainty about what forces you are playing against, or, infact what your forces consist of.
Dice 0 1 2 3
Regulars 1-3 4 5 6-8
Forward Observer Forward Observer in Carrier in contact with four 25pdr field guns.
· 7” blast radius
· 2D6 + 1 fire effect
· 9-18” column
· 1 turn to arrive with 5D6 deviation
HQ Platoon Boys AT rifle (2 men)
Captain HUGH JEGO Big Man 1 (DAV)
Inf Pltn 1 Three Rifle Sections (8 men)
Boys AT Rifle (2 crew)
Lieutenant P. NISS Big Man 2 (D6)
Sergeant ‘KNOCKER’ ALLDAY Big Man 3 (D6+1)
Inf Pltn 2 Three Rifle Sections (8 men)
Boys AT Rifle (2 crew)
Sergeant ‘RIPPER’ HIMEN Big Man 4 (D6+2)
Inf Pltn 3 Three Rifle Sections (8 men)
Boys AT Rifle (2 crew)
Sergeant ‘SLINGER’ STONE Big Man 5 (D6+2)
Supp Pltn 1 Four Vickers HMG (3 crew)
Sergeant LES BOW Big Man 6 (D6)
Supp Pltn 2 Two 3” Mortars (3 crew)
Corporal R. SOLE Big Man 7 (D6)
Gun 1 25pdr Gun (5 crew) [Gun 8] OFF-TABLE firing over open sights
Gun 2 25pdr Gun (5 crew) [Gun 8] OFF-TABLE firing over open sights
Armour 1 Two A12 Matilda Mk II CS (Slow, Armour 9, 3.7" HE/Smoke)
Lieutenant D. SASTER Big Man 8 (D4)
Armour 2 Three A12 Matilda Mk II (Slow, Armour 9, Gun 5)
Sgt ‘CHALKY’ WHITE Big Man 9 (D4)
D6+1 Fakes
National Characteristics Cards
Off-Table Artillery Vehicle Breakdown
Gun Bonus Fire MG Bonus Fire
Mortar Bonus Fire Rally
Heroic Leader
Max's Italians
Dice 0 1 2 3
Good Troops 1-3 4,5 6,7 8
HQ Platoon Two Rifle Squads (8 men)Captain Big Man 1 (D4)
Infantry Pltn 1 Four Rifle Squad (8 men)
Lieutenant Big Man 2 (DAV)
Infantry Pltn 2 Four Rifle Squad (8 men)
Sergeant Big Man 3 (D6)
Infantry Pltn 3 Four Rifle Squad (8 men)
Sergeant Big Man 4 (D6)
Infantry Pltn 4 Two Rifle Squads
Two Trucks
Two M/C Combo
Sergeant Big Man 5 (D6)
Support Pltn 1 Three MMG (3 crew)
Support Pltn 2 45mm Mortar (2 crew)
Support Pltn 3 Three Solothurn AT Rifles (2 crew)
Gun 1-3 Three 75mm Field Gun with 5 crew (Gun 4)
Gun 4-5 Two 3” Naval gun mounted on Lancia Truck with 5 crew (Wheeled, Gun 4)
Gun 6-7 Two 20mm L65 Breda AA/AT with 5 crew (Gun 3)
NB one mounted Portee on Lancia Truck
Gun 8-11 Four 47mm AT Guns with 4 crew (Gun 4)
Armour 1-4 Two L3/35 (Ave Speed, Armour 2, MG)
Two L3/35 (Ave Speed, Armour 2, ATR)
Sgt Big Man 6 (D4)
Armour 5-7 Three M13/40 (Ave Speed, Armour 4, Gun 5)
Lieutenant Big Man 7 (D4)
Armour 8-11 Two Semovente 47/32 (Ave, Armour 4, Gun 4)
Armour 12-13 Two Autoblindo AB41 (Wheeled, Armour 2, Gun 3)
Sgt Big Man 8 (D4)
D6 Fakes
National Characteristics Cards
Recce Force Hesitant Commander
Petrol Shortage Vehicle Breakdown
Gun Bonus Fire MG Bonus Fire
Mortar Bonus Fire Hesitant Troops
Ammo Shortage Poor Fire Discipline
I'll let Max recount the sad tale....
"As the last hints of dawn were burnt off in the
morning sun a rumbling of tracks could be made out
from the West. The spearhead of Carro Casino,
forming part of the Ariette Divisions push into British
held Libya, drove towards a potential choke point, the
Wadi at Shah Wadi.
The fissures here, remnants of an ancient river
course, long since dried up, bisect the hills above
Tobruk and the port. Capturing this area secures a
line of communication and threatens the garrisons
supply.
Moving in rough battlegroups, a technique borrowed
from their German Allies (well on Blinds, at least), the
Italian force entered bottom right of the table on the lip
of a ridge overlooking the Wadi’s. The British were
expected diagonally opposite them, top left. This was
a concern as the normal time it would take to traverse
the table would give Kev too much time to prepare.
My whole Italian armored force was available less a
random number removed by Kev. Luckily I lost only
my Portees (sad as they looked interesting) and
clearly my antique armour was still struggling along
the road. I did lose out on two platoons of infantry
however which was more of a concern. The random
nature of this feels true to form and presents a
challenge in addition to those of your opponent."
...Indeed it does Max. I lost my Mortar Platoon, MG
Platoon, an Infantry platoon and an off-table 25pdr...
Bummer!
"For once the chips were with the Italians. Over four
moves Kev moved only on his 'Rapid Deployment'
card. I sent a light force of tankettes and two 47mm
assault guns across the furthest Wadi, my main
armored punch moved along the nearest. I placed my
infantry on the ridge and held the left flank with off
table guns. My 75mm Field Battery I nudged
inbetween the two Wadi’s to cover any advances by
Kev.
By move 5 he was very worried. His blinds arrived but
remained hold up in the corner surrounded by Italian
blinds. Neither of us were spotting well and a sort of
Spaghetti Western stand off ensued.
The Brits broke the tension by launching an assault
with most of an infantry company towards the furthest
Wadi. In here Id moved up the Tankettes and support
with the far right held by a squadron of AB41’s.
In his center, out of a defile between two small hills
the slow grind of sand showed his Aces, bloody
Matildas! This was worrying, yes I had my armour
close up and hull down but they were Matilda’s for
Gods sake!
Taking each fight in turn; in the Wadi my assault guns
were close enough to Kevs new scouting tactic -
push in a Matilda and see what happens - to pull off a
miracle. Yes Kev spotted my tanks but missed
everything afterwards. Into the side, at close range,
the 45mm is a pretty good gun. 2 shots, 2 hits, 2
damages, 1 immobilized tank!
Just then, on the lip of the Wadi, a horde of incoherent
Linconshire yeomanry leered over and lobbing
grenades with gay abandon, damaged one assault
gun and took the track off a tankette. It was getting
threatening there and the next turns saw the tankettes
splitting up, one with an AT rifle to annoy his tanks,
the others to find safety, three were to end the battle
abandoned.
Normally Kev ignores tankettes but today he became
obsessed. Several assaults were fought off although
his men found that simply standing behind one with
duff tracks and shying grenades at it was a great
game. When he did get complacent a rush by one
squad ended in their line of fire and saw 6 killed
outright!
This success was tempered by my infantry indulging
in long range duels whenever his men moved. And for
a change the British artillery failed to get on target. By
the time it had the remnants of the Italian platoon had
moved out towards the British main line.
In the schwerpunkt a close range duel between
Matildas and assorted Italians proved more even than
expected. Again close range helped as, ironically, did
my single vehicle cards, I moved more often than he
did for a change. The Eyetie M13’s shoot and scooted
from hull down positions (although one misjudged it
and was blown apart for its foolishness). The Brits
lost all of the first squadron in short order as the
brave armored troops drove their tin-heaps around
the edges of the British behemoths. Some great dice
rolling by me, and terrible by Kev, saw lumps of
Coventry engineering being hewn off and their crews
deciding to make for the rear.
A counter-attack by the HQ squadron faired little
better with Kev fearing side attacks and hiding rather
than confronting the foe.
The Italians were losing, breakdowns and minor
damage reduced their effectives by over a third by the
end, but enough damage was done.
On the right, Kev threw in his last ditch gamble, an
infantry assault supported by an off table 25lber. The
Italian Guns between the 2 ridges were roughly
treated but stood their ground despite one being
blown apart (a 12 by Kev, beating the score to hit by
the necessary two!). They pinned his infantry who
were finished off by the AB41’s cannons! Several
brave assaults came to naught and by this time all
agreed that the Brits had blown their chance.
A cracking game showing the benefit of getting in
close when your guns are, well, not very good. We
were very lucky and took advantage of this to move
up under blinds. The single vehicle cards could have
worked against us but at this range, with Kev
hemmed into close terrain, they proved an advantage
allowing me to react to his moves and threaten him,
even if it was only one tank at a time. Kev was
shocked by my early shooting with the assault guns
which made him more concerned for his Matildas than
normal.
With the Eyeties then, you can win!"
....But not very often Max! Thanks to Max Maxwell for
a good fair write up of what was one of my greatest
cock-ups.
