Pateando la Puerta
(Kicking in the Door)
Larrabetzu, June 11 1937
This is the first in a series of semi fictional wargames based on the Rebel attack to breach the Basque “Iron Belt” in front of Bilbao. I`ve taken some liberties with the forces based on what I had available, for more historic background I highly recommend readers refer back to my short article on the Iron Belt here:
https://baberonwargames.blogspot.com/2026/06/breaking-iron-belt-spain-june-1937.html
Historic briefing
Following the defection of engineer; Alejandro Goicoechea, the Francoists have a pretty good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the so called Iron Belt. With this in mind a full scale assault has been planned through an obvious weak spot located around the town of Larrabetzu.
Francoist orders
You command Battalion Monte Jata (1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, Flechas Negras Division) of the Italian CTV (Corpo Truppe Volontarie). Your battalion is ordered to attack the town of Larrabetzu as part of a much larger operation to breakthrough Republican lines to Bilbao. Your battalion has been given armour and some artillery in direct support, but also considerable additional artillery and air support has been assigned to this effort! In addition a battalion of Spanish Carlist militia has also been attached to your command.
Basque Orders
You command the defences of the town of Larrabetzu which sits just in front of the defensive line known as - Cinturón de Hierro (the Iron Belt). It is well known that the defences are far from completed in this sector, so your force is to act as a blocking unit – the buildings of the town forming bunkers. Your only orders are to hold as long as possible.
Francoist Forces
Italian CTV Battalion Monte Jata
HQ
Staff (includes artillery FOO) + transport, 20mm Breda + crew & tow
3 rifle companies each with:
HQ + 3 x 10 man platoons
Composite support company
(elements of 1st Machine Gun Company & 4th Mortar Company)
2 x Breda MMG teams, 2 x 80mm mortar teams
Composite towed artillery battery
(Detached from the divisions artillery regiment)
1 x 65/17 field gun + crew, 1 x 75/27 field gun + crew
Attached tank company
3 x CV33, 1 x CV33 flame thrower
HQ & support company
2 rifle companies
Attached Civil Guard company
Off table support
100mm Skoda battery see scenario special rules *1 & *2
Turn 1: DH82 observation aircraft see scenario special rule *3
Turn 6: Heinkel He-123 ground attack aircraft (can be directed by the DH82 above)
Turn 12: JU-86 bomber + Me109 escort
Basque Forces
Mixte battalion
HQ
3 rifle companies
80mm mortar, Vickers MMG, 37mm AT gun, 40mm mortar, anti-tank rifle
Mixed AA battery
Support
Turn 1D6: Bi-plane fighter
Turn 10 + 1D6: I-16 fighter
My Table
The Basque forces deployed 2 companys in front with the 3rd in reserve, each of the front companys also held one platoon back to reinforce the frontline. Artillery and support weapons were parcelled out among the lead companys. The battalion HQ occupied a farm at the northern edge of the village, the battalion reserve platoon occupied the ruined castello.
The Italians deployed two companys right of the road, the last to the left, the Carlist Bandera also entered on the left side of the table. The Italians deployed their supporting artillery, mortars and MMGs mostly on the right (along with the HQ) the tank company headed straight up the road.
As you would expect 4 turns of randomly delivered 100mm gun fire, even by a 2 gun battery did very little to the defences; although weirdly the Basque 3rd Company took nearly half a platoon of casualties from three seperate shells landing within their deployment zone!
Turn 1 saw the DH82 fly onto the table and begin looking for targets for the supporting artillery.
The Basque artillery and 80mm mortar began dropping shells and bombs among the advancing Italians who took casualties! The Italian observers failed to spot the guns this turn.
Turn 2 Basque guns continue to land hits on the advancing Italians!
But this turn the Italian observers spot the guns as does the DH82! Unfortunately for the Italians their radios fail and the observer cannot contact his guns. The mortar observer can, but the first bombs fall well short of target!
Turn 3 The DH82 heads south to drop target coordinates to the Italian guns.
The Basque guns continue to fire on the advancing Italians, the Italian radios still don`t work and their mortar fire is still wide of the mark!!
A Republican bi-plane fighter arrives over the table
Turn 4 The Italian radios still don`t work! But their mortars have found the range, though they fail knock out well dug in gun!
The Basque guns and mortars continue to target the advancing Italian infantry! The Fighter does a Straffing run along the road too!
The Italians deploy their support weapons!
MMGs
The Basque 75mm targets and destroys an Italian truck from which the MMG platoon is deploying, the truck is destroyed and one gun team wiped out!
Unfortunately the 75mm is itself wiped out by two direct hits from mortar rounds
Basque mortars continue to cause casualties among the Italian infantry, but their second field gun a old WW1 vintage 13pdr rolls a double 1 – I rule the breach has jammed and needs to be cleared before she can fire again!
The Republican fighter makes another run across the table, it spots and targets the Italian HQ vehicles!
The attack is highly successful – destroying the Italian commanders bus and wiping out a mortar team among other casualties. Being out of ammo, the fighter heads north back to its base.
Meanwhile the DH82 has delivered the artillery coordinates and the first 100mm shells land near the already knocked out Basque 75mm
Turn 6 the Italains and basque defenders are now within MG range of one another and exchange fire!!
A Heinkel He123 arrives on over the table.
The Italian 65mm targets, hits and with a splendid 12 (on 2D6) wipes out the second Basque field gun!
The Italian tanks target the road block with their MGs, the 75/27 adds direct fire to the mix also!
Turn 7 the Italian advance continues, the Heinkel targets the road block plastering the area with fragmentation bombs!!
But whilst diving low to drop its deadly eggs, the He123 exposes itself to LMG fire, both guns hit, and one rolling an 11 (2D6) for effect, nails the German!
The end of turn 7 sees the Italians and their Carlist allies preparing for a direct assault and the DH82 returns to the tabletop.
Turn 8 the Francoist advance continues whilst their 100mm battery begins to target buildings within the town directed by the FOO
The Italians use their Brixa mortars, LMGs and supporting guns to silence Basque positions
In the center-left the Basque 2nd company is virtually wiped out and the Italians are in danger of breaking through
Turn 10 a dice is rolled and the Basques will gain air support on Turn 12
In the center-left the 2nd Company HQ tries to organise a defence against the rampant Italians, elements of 3rd company are sent forward to join them.
But in the center the Italians supported by CV33s advance up the road
On the right the Carlist 1st Company is hotly engaged with well dug in Basque infantry supported by mortars and LMGs
Turn 11 the lead CV33 is wiped out by an anti-tank shell
On the Basque left their 2nd Company is over run by the Italians and the Carlist lead company is close assaulting the trenchline on the Basque right!
Turn 12 the drone of aircraft fills the air, all eyes turn towards the incoming aircarft
In the confusion the CV33 flame thrower moves behind a demolished house and engages the next occupied building (housing the Basque 1st Company HQ), the house is engulfed in flame, several occupants including a nurse are immolated! As per my house rules all witnessing this horror need to make a morale check!
Turn 13 most of the nearby Basque defenders fail their morale checks and abandon their positions, the CV33 continues its advance sending another jet of firey death towards the defenders, but the anti-tank gun crew kept their nerve and planted a shell into the tankette stopping its rein of terror!
Above the town the Republican fighters head for the Ju-86 “Jumo”, but the slower bi-plane is bounced by an Me109 and shot down before it can line up on the bomber.
Turn 14 the I-16 lines up for another go at the fleeing “Jumo” but it too is bounced by the faster, better armed Me109 who gets his second kill of the game!
On the ground the Italians now have men on the edge of the town square, the Basque 2nd Company is destroyed and 3rd Company is fighting a withdrawal north. On the Francoist left Carlist flags fly over the trench line as the Basque 1st Company are in full retreat.
Nice battle report ⚔️👏 As expected, lovely terrain with plenty of well painted toys - and plenty of variety too.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I read of the SCW in my youth I always got the impression that the Italians believed they were very capable & effective soldiers, but their performances generally proved disappointing.
How will the outcome of this first game “feed into” the following games? Are losses carried forward, or will reinforcements become available to replace the initial losses?
Cheers,
Geoff
Next up a desperate counter-attack by the Basques. Yes the Italian performance wasn`t as good as expected, but as always some units were better than others. Their Tankettes were truly shocking and should never, ever seen service afterwards IMHO.
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