The Road to Toledo
22
July 1936
I was doing a little
reading into the Schneider Ca-1 in Spanish service and discovered they were
used during the very early days of the Civil War. I wanted to see one on my
table top so wrote a couple of quick games; I also wanted to use my
recently built militia armoured trucks. So this particular game is a fictional encounter, pitting a militia column
heading from Madrid to Toledo against a scratch blocking force of Rebels.
History
On 21 July, a large
column under the command of General José Riquelme y López-Bago left Madrid and
headed south towards Toledo. The column consisted of various confiscated trucks
and cars plus a number of improvised armoured vehicles and two Schneider Ca-1s
from the Regimiento
Ligero de Carros de Combate N° 1 at Madrid. The next day the column
arrived at Toledo, unfortunately they arrived too late to stop Col. Moscardó
and his Rebels withdrawing into the Alcázar.
The
game
Col. Moscardó
knows the column is coming, but needs more time to transfer the arms from the
Toledo arms factory into the Alcázar. So he has sent a company of Civil Guards
and some Falangists north to form a blocking force and delay the column. The Militia column has 20 turns to cross the table for a strategic win, if they clear the blocking the blocking force but haven`t crossed the table this is a draw. If by some miracle the blocking force still prevents traffic after turn 20 they can consider this a strategic win.
Republican
Column
1 company of militia (carried in improvised armoured
vehicles)
1 x `75 field gun + crew & tow
1 Ca-1
This is carried on a trailer and takes 3 turns to unload during which time it cannot fire
Rebel blocking force
These can be concealed and dug in (only soft cover due to hardness of the ground) obviously stone walls give the usual hard cover.
1 Civil Guard company (2 x 12-man platoons)
1 platoon Falangist militia
Includes a Hotchkiss MMG manned by army cadets
My table
The game started with the Militia column already on the road and the first armoured truck rounding the bend and being confronted by the road block (which until that point was concealed from their view). The vehicle was immediately sprayed with MMG fire, but its mild steel and mattress armour saved the occupants from casualties.
Turn 2 the militia bailed out of their vehicles, now coming under fire from Falangists around the road block as well as the MMG. The lead platoon took casualties!
Turn 3 The MMG again sprays the lead vehicle causing more casualties among the lead platoon, the truck`s armour is finally overcome and it bursts into flame.
The first platoon LMG targets the Falangists around the barricade, causing enough casualties to make them take a morale check.
The
armoured truck with the Maxim moves forward and engages the MMG supported by
its own dismounted platoon
2nd militia platoon moves to outflank the road block, but comes under fire from Civil Guards in the farm.
Turn
4 the MMG is wiped out and the Falangists around the road block fail their
morale and flee.
The
Republicans deploy their `75, and start to unload the Ca-1
The Militia commander orders men forward to open the road block (this will take 3 turns)
Turn
5 The militia start work on the road block the truck with the Maxim moves to
cover their work, whats left of the 1st platoon advances towards the
farm
The `75 targets the farm buildings
Turn 6 & 7 the militia continue to clear the road block and the `75 targets the farm buildings, whats left of 1st platoon and half of 2nd platoon advance on the farm once the defensive firing slacken off
Turn 8 the road block is clear, the militiamen (and women) remount all available transport and re-start their advance along the road. The truck with the Maxim spraying any potential defensive points. The `75 crew limbers up and Ca-1 now off its trailer moves slowly forward along the road
The
Militia advancing on the farm occupy the nearest building, they find the other
farm building occupied by Civil Guards
Turn 9 The Militia advance along the road, random rifle fire from Falangists and Civil Guards can`t stop them. The Militia and Civil Guards in the farm exchange fire to little effect.
Turn 10 the Militia column nears the bridge and
second farm where more Civil Guards await, the `75 unlimbers to provide support
Turn 11 the Ca-1 arrives at the farm and moves to support the militia
The Militia column debusses and the vehicles lead the attack across the bridge supported by the `75
Turns 12 – 15 sees the Republicans push through scattering the Rebels and clearing the farm buildings by close assault – a strategic victory!
Vive La Republica! – forwards to Toledo
A pretty one sided game, I`m not really sure what
more the Rebels could have done to slow the Republicans down? If I was to try
this one again, I`d give the rebels a 37mm trench gun or Bilboa armoured car maybe
to help balance the game better.
A victory for the Republic! Given the size and structure of the Republican forces then it was always likely to be difficult for the Nationalists to achieve victory.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that, rather than give the rebels more “assets”, you could always reduce the number of turns for the militia column to cross the table (exit the battlefield). That would then possibly oblige the militia commander to “press ahead”.
Cheers,
Geoff
Initially the scenario gave the militia 15 turns to cross the table - this proved impossible!! I therefore ajusted the game to 20 turns to at least give them a chance (the first vehicle finally crossed the table edge on turn 18).
DeleteI know the Republic force seems far more powerful than the Rebel defenders, but actually man for man the forces were pretty even. As it was only a good morale throw and a leadership test prevented the 1st militia platoon from folding, which could have changed the whole outcome.
Delete