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IABSM Battle Reports;
Recce Phase AM 18/03/05 Vs Jez's DAK
Assault Phase PM 18/03/05 Vs Clivey's and Max's
German and Italian Allies
nasty table, terrain wise, with lots of restricted LOS, enclosed killing zones, and dangerous open
areas.
Essentially the table featured three ridges running NS. These consisted of relativly high ground,
with rocky outcrops and patches of scrub. The two valleys in between were open, flat and wired
by the Allies.
I decided that before Max and Clivey arrived in the evening Jez should recce the area in the
morning to try to identify enemy positions and 'win' stonks for the boys.
With that in mind I gave him a couple of platoons, totalling five squads of DAK, plus and armoured
car Platoon of a SdKfz 263 and two SdKfz 231 (8 rad) .
These forces would carry over any casualties on them for the evenings bash and Jez was
repeatedly reminded that this was a RECCE game. Jez is a very tough opponent to play as he is
mega-aggressive (some say rash) and is great in an assault situation. However I was banking on
the fact that he would over commit again.
Jez decided to deploy a Platoon of two DAK squads in kubelwagens on the northern end of the
central ridge. He deployed a truck mounted Platoon of three DAK squads behind the western
ridge, whilst deploying the armoured cars in the eastern valley.
I had three Australian infantry Platoons each of three sections. Left to right Platoon one was
hidden behind the western ridge with two Big Men, platoon two dug in, in trenches with one Big
Man, behind the wire and Platoon three with another Big Man, deployed behind the southern spur
of the eastern ridge. In front of the wire I had deploye minefiled markers to a depth of 6".
However, these were fakes. In actuality my mines were adjacent to the scrub on the western ridge.
I had split my MG platoon so that one Vickers was available to each Platoon, plus one was
attached to my HQ Squad; an AT rifle, light mortar and Big Man. Each Platoon also had a AT rifle
and Lt Mortar.
I deployed a Platoon of two engineer sections in the scrub, in the depression in the central ridge,
where my HQ was along with my FO in a carrier.
I deployed two 3" mortars dug in on my baseline in the western valley allowing a clear LOS up the
valley.
I had two 2 pdrs in my force. One was deployed on the extreme SE corner of the western ridge, the
other on the extreme SW corner oof the eastern ridge. These covered both valleys where the
armour was sure to advance.
Finally, I deployed my sniper in the scrub on the eastern ridge and three Valentine MK III Infantry
tanks in a hull down position behind the high ground.
After reminding Jez that he was a recce force I was pleased to see him advance rashly up table to
have his entire force spotted in move one! I also spotted both of his fake blinds (he rolled a D4 for
them) whilst my stuff was totally unspotted, meaning that his 'Rapid Deployment' card was
removed too quite a big advantage. He encountered a group of Arab goatherds though and after
questioning them and finding they knew nothing watched them leave the table.
Jez advanced rapidly again realising that he could only recce by force now as his fakes had gone.
He had virtually reached the crest of the western ridge when he spotted my first Platoon on the
ridge line. This resulted in a desultory fire causing few casualties. I was forced to reveal my
second Platoon in trenches when the enemy advanced swiftly along the central ridge. My Vickers
in particular doing sterling work in keeping the heads of the DAK firmly in the sand by pinning
them.
Platoon and occupy the scrub on the central ridge, not
wanting to have to reveal the presence of my enigneers.
My first Platoon mounted the crest of the western ridge
and poured point blank fire into the DAK, sadly with little
effect, whils their attached Vickers was dragged into
position on the ridge crest.
When Jez's Platoon card came up, next card, my chaps
were a great target. Jez rolled for 13 and supressed but
unfortunately for him I rolled only two wounds. A stroke
of luck.
As Jez's armoured cars gingerly advanced to check the
minefield in the eastern valley one of them forced me to
deploy blinds by getting onto the eastern ridge. Boy did it
do a quick reverse though when three Valentine Mk III's
and a supporting Platoon of Infantry were spotted.
Discretion being the better part of valour Jez decided to
withdraw immediately off table. However, one 231 was
immediately knocked out by a Valentine.
However, by now things were going horribly wrong for
the DAK. In the centre his squads were now down to
50% as my Vickers fire and Jez's inability to roll to save
his troops.
On the western ridge Jez was trying to retreat but had
over committed himself. One squad wandered slap bang
into my mines losing half its men in one turn. The others
were taking severe casualties from my Aussies whose
cards always seem to turn up before Jez's. My Vickers
here had pinned the entire Platoon and was causing
fearful casualties from close range. I decided to cut off
Jez's retreat and took another squad from the dug-in
second Platoon and made a flanking move towards the
DAK on the western ridge.
Jez's DAK squads on the central ridge were now wiped
out to a man by close range (15" IABSM v2) Vickers fire.
Only one squad of DAK managed to extricate themselves
on the western ridge to report on what they'd discovered.
Three Infantry units = 3 stonks won
Armour = 1 stonk
Minefield = 1 stonk
HMGs = 1 stonk
Aussies = 1 stonk
In spite of seven stonks won I decided that due to his
losing a Platoon and an Armoured car I would deduct two
stonks, leaving Clive and Max to use fice 12" square
stonks on my positions. I suppose Jez had done his bit
but he only managed to get eight men off-table! Jez
reckoned it had been due to poor die rolls and poor card
selection. Me, I argued for his bad tactics in racing too
forward, too quickly, as usual. We'll agree to differ on that
one.
Well Clive and Max arrived and I used a similar disposition
as before. I decided to move my Valentine's to the central
area, hiding them in a depression just south of the scrub.
Max and Clive were fielding a reduced DAK Company
with plenty of armoured support, but also with Italian's -
an unknown entity as we hadn't used them before.
The German stonks arrived and as per usual we decided
only to roll for casualties when the units were spotted or
activated.
Max continues "Knowing Kev's habits we applied our
stonks behind the main features - he hides his stuff a lot
does Kev - and decided that our attack would concentrate
on a central thrust by the DAK with a feint by the Glorious
Monaco Division of the Italian Army. Why Monaco - Ill
explain in a moment..."
Well, the Axis stonks basically hit everything I had with
devastating results; as it turned out, three HMG's were
destroyed along with two 2" mortars and an AT Rifle..
Max again; "The Axis blinds saw us jog quickly up the
right (the Italians), with a more circumspect central
advance and a blind on the far left struggling through
difficult ground.
Quickly we realised that Kev had posted 3 platoons of
Australians across the back of the table - Shit! The left
hand blind forced him to reveal platoon one flanking the
hills. As our attack was going nowhere near them, we
disposed of our fake and used an infantry Gun to cover
the area. All game a fairly pants duel between it and a dug
in 2lb'er and HMG kept Clivey amused.
The centre saw Clive jockeying forward with his scouts.
They disrupted Kevs second platoon routed his FO and
eventually surprised his HQ. Later supported by a DAK
platoon the punched a hole through his centre. Clives
tanks carefully moved down this spine after a
concentrated barrage from a Pz3 and MMG's put paid to a
threatening 2lb'er at the rear of the Right hand spine of
hills.
infantry allowing our main attack to prosper.
At least that his how it should have been!
Before the game we had swapped a Pz2 platoon and a
DAK platoon for one of M13/40 and Italian Infantry
respectively. (I have painted the troops and I'm going
to use them. They pushed down their spine of hills
until they crested the last rise to find an Australian
platoon moving towards them.
In fairness, Clive's plan was to use "the Italians to
wipe the dirt from his shoes so that he could
walkthrough the house unmolested", and he did!
Our early Stonk had rattled the Aussies, losing an
HMG, but here we fought a vicious battle for most of
the game.The Italians Captain Corbelly led a charge
against one squad, defeated it but then was whacked
by a combined 25lb'er barrage and attacks from Kevs
central infantry. He died bravely shepherding his men
backwards!"
I had zeroed in my artillery on the central spine and
on the western ridge. All it required was a call from
my FO and then two numbered chips were placed in
the pack. Upon the relevant number being drawn
artillery would fall onto the target area.
Max continues; "The remainder held their ground against concerted Aussie assaults collecting
more wounds dice (therefore the Monaco, Casino, title) than figures. At every turn we seemed to
bear the brunt of Kevs pre registered artillery. 4 barrages over the game! Clive reckoned this was
all according to plan. The M13/40's provided fire support but having moved into some rough
ground then found it impossible until the end of the game to get out of it. They survived the
barrage, however, but the end of the game saw the Italians holding the hill with only 8 men from
one platoon and around 35 wounds between them!
In the centre Kev finally revealed his reserves, some engineers and 3 Valentines. After our Grant
drubbing we were, to say the least, nervous. Kev then helped by rolling awful movement and
firing dice. As Clive had carefully moved all his tanks up to near the Aussie position during the
game a brief but bloody firefight ensued. This time the cards were with the DAK. 3 smashed up
Valentines, one so badly hit that its driver blindly ran into a Pz3 taking both vehicles out of action
- our only tank casualty. (Kev claimed that this was a deliberate ram but, well, that's not cricket, is
it?)
Kev then decided that the Barbie was calling him and buggered off. A glorious Italian victory I felt
marred only by the casualties. I had lost all bar 8 men including my solitary big man. Clive lost 5
men!"
By concentrating all their efforts, in the single-minded pursuit of victory, Max and Clive had
indeed shown themselves to have learnt much from last weeks game. A large part of my force
was stuck out unopposed on my right flank/eastern ridge. I advanced initially then decided I
should support my centre, and so retreated. By that stage the game was effectively over and my
indecision had cost me dear. My 2 pdr on that half of the battlefield had no target for the majority
of the game, and nor had my sniper, though towards the end he potted a Big Man.
I wanted in these game to recreate a typical Axis attack against enemy of an unknown quantity
and quality. I included the recce phase to allow Jez to join in and try to give him something to
aim for, which would have a knock on effect on the subsequent game. It was important for me
that the Aussies received a pounding from the German Artillery, but I also wanted the British
artillery to get into the game accurately displaying its superiority. Both I think occurred.
The Axis stonks were very effective in knocking out my HMGs early, which had had a telling
effect upon Jez's stuff in the recce phase. Also the loss of my 2 pdr, Clive score two more than
the required score to hit and destroyed it instantly, allowed enemy armoured cars and armour to
encroach. The minefields were actually fake minefields.
It was a good game though, and probably a lot closer than it should've been. My Valentine's
could have swung it though if I'd a) Deployed them better b) Been able to hit something c) Had
their card turned up more regularly....but hey that's IABSM (v2)
