French
Counter-attack at Kuneitra
Syria, 15th-16th
June 1941
Kuneitra
was held by 1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers commanded by Lt. Col. Arthur Gordon
Orr DSO (part of 5th Indian Infantry Brigade of 4th Indian Division) less one
company which had been detached; plus some personnel from the Brigades
transport and supply, plus a couple of carriers and a single Marmon Herrington
armed with a 20mm Breda. Col. Orr had roughly 600 men in total under his
command.
The
Battalion had little in the way of heavy weapons other than a few Boys
anti-tank rifles; and a Hotchkiss MMG which they had found a few days earlier
when they first arrived in Kuneitra. The battalion`s three 37mm Bofors AT guns
had been taken by Brigade to support other columns in their attacks against
Damascus (due to a general shortage of heavy weapons).
This
small garrison faced a strong mobile force of around 1,500 men (a mixed force
of Senegalese, Moroccan and Algerian infantry, Lebanese cavalry plus 27 medium
and 12 light tanks; about 12 armoured cars, two field guns and mortars under Col. Lecoulteux.
The Game
Obviously
a straight forward attack-defence game would lead to a crushing British defeat!
I always prefer to run actual historic based scenarios; I usually tinker with
the forces to give the both attacker and defender a chance to use their skills
to alter the historic outcome.
British forces
1st
Battalion Royal Fusiliers (Lt. Col. Arthur Gordon Orr DSO)
Battalion
HQ with -
CO,
2IC, 3 officers, senior NCO, 2 RTO, 4 runners
2
rifle companies each with -
4-man
HQ
3
x 10-man platoons (each with a Bren gun)
Support
Marmon
Herrington A/C with 20mm Breda *
Hotchkiss
MMG + crew (see note below)
2
x Boys AT rifle teams
2"
mortar team
* Each round the Breda fires
there is chance of a fatal breakdown, this chance increases per round (1 in rd
1, 1-2 in rd 2, 1-3 in rd 3, etc) after turn 5 only a 6 keeps the gun firing,
any other result means a breakdown.
5-man
platoon of RASC personnel (rifle armed only)
Several
trucks
Reinforcements (added to make this a
fairer game)
Air-strike
Col.
Gordon may call one air-strike (a single Hurricane) which will arrive 1D6 turns
after calling and stay for 2 turns strafing designated targets
Arrive
by road from Sheikh Meskine on turn 15 + 1D6
No4
company of 1st Royal Fusiliers with -
4-man
HQ plus 2-man Boys AT rifle team
2
x 8 man platoons (each with a Bren)
Carried
in 3 trucks
25pdr
+ tow
Vichy forces
Column
1
2
x R35
2
x Ft17
Company I/17th Senegalese Tirailleur Regiment
Column 2
2 x Laffly 50AM A/Cs
2 troops 1st Spahis (mounted
cavalry)
4 troops Levant militia cavalry
Column 3
2 x Ft17
2 x Dodge Tanake
Motorised Company of 2nd
Battalion, 6th Foreign Legion
Support
75mm battery (towed) on table in
direct support
British orders
You were initially tasked with
occupying the town of Kuneitra astride the Damascus highway as a supply base
for operations further north. Unexpectedly your forward outpost was attacked
and driven back yesterday and you find yourself and your command exposed to a
serious Vichy counter-attack! All Allied units are committed and little in the
way of reinforcements can be spared at the present time, but as things develop
anything available will be sent your way. Kuneitra is a vital position, its
loss to the enemy allows him to attack the rear of units already engaged to the
north and also cut our supply lines to those units - you have to hold!
Vichy
orders
Col. Lecoulteux
with a mixed column of armour, cavalry and motorised infantry is ordered to
take Kuneitra and cut the supply lines for the British troops attacking
Damascus. It is hoped this show of strength may confuse and delay the enemy
allowing General de Verdilhac time to shuffle forces east to face an
expected new attack from Iraq. Orders are to take the
town and dig in.
Our table
British Force
Legion motorised company with Tanake and Ft17s
Moroccan Spahis and Levant cavalry plus Laffly A/Cs
Senegalese Company with tanks
British
initial defences
French
initial moves, Senegalese (in trucks) and supporting armour down the road with
the cavalry (half Spahis & half Lebanese) down each flank.
The
British opened up with their AT rifles, the Breda, Brens and Corporal Cotton`s
Hotchkiss, initially this caused a few casualties among the cavalry only.
Cpl
Cotton
For
the next couple of rounds the advance and British fire continued (the Breda broke
on turn two and it and its crew drove out of the village south straight away), the
cavalry continued their flanking moves; the Senegalese arrived by truck and
de-bussed, the `75 battery arrived and moved into firing position.
Turn
5-6 luck goes with the British at first when a perfect AT rifle shot (12 on
2d6) kills an Ft17!
Now
before purists start to shout I am a great believer in luck and do NOT support
the theory that says a fluke cannot happen - maybe the round killed the driver
through his vision slit, maybe it went down the barrel and the breech was open
(both of which I have actually read of happening).
Anyway
then a 2" mortar bomb hits an R35 and scores an 11 (which beats its armour
value in our rules) so I declared engine damage - another French AFV gone!
On
the downside, the Senegalese over-ran the outer trenches and Cpl Cotton was
forced to run for his life with his Hotchkiss tucked under his arm. The two
cavalry units were now engaged in rifle duels on both flanks, the `75s had
began firing on any visible defenders and the Legion motorised company with yet
more armour had arrived.......
Cavalry supported by a Laffly attack from the left through the date palm grove
On the right the cavalry work their way forward through the apple orchard
The outer trench-line occupied by the Senegalese supported by tanks
Turn
7 Hooray for the RAF! A lone hurricane fighter swoops in and straffs the very
tempting road filled with Legion transport
Leaving
behind burning trucks and general devastation - the Legion lost nearly a full
platoon and a Tanake.......
Turn
8 the Hurricane circled around and came in again, this time parallel with the
British lines, similar chaos but this time an Ft17 lost a track and the last
Tanake just simply blew up! The Hurricane pilot now out of ammo flys off home
to some well earned ham and jam :)
Same
turn the Laffly A/C supporting the cavalry on the left MG jams (this proved a fatal breakdown and
the vehicle withdrew on turn 10)
For
the next few turns the French re-organised, sending their Ft17s down the flanks
whilst the artillery plastered any British positions visible. The Senegalese were
shot to pieces and eventually just went to ground in and around the British
outer trenches. The cavalry on the left proved highly effective and dug-in in
the apple orchard and from its stone walls caused many British casualties.
On
turn 10 the last R-35 smashed into the market square only to take a shot from
the last AT rifle (11), I ruled a jammed turret and the R-35 retreated as fast
as it arrived; but only to be replaced by an Ft17 supported by the last Laffy
A/C both covered by a platoon of Legionnaires.
Turns
11-13 saw the British center crumble, the only saving grace was Cpl Cotton,
even though he replaced his no2 several times (6 throughout the game); his calm
presence and MMG kept the defenders together (my gamer kids proudly referred to
Cotton`s survival as "hero armour").
The
French made their move at this point - two truck mounted Legion platoons along
with an Ft17 had just been casually driving down the right side of the table.
With everything happening in the center of the village and the only British on
that side already engaged with the cavalry, they arrived un-opposed and swept
in to envelope the British CP.
Their
flank turned, facing armour and infantry from the front as well, their
reinforcements not due until turn 20 (bad roll that) the remaining British
clambered aboard any available trucks and scarpered south; the last man on the
last truck was of course Cpl Cotton who at the end was forced to abandon is
faithful Hotchkiss as he jumped upon the already moving MWD........
Cpl
Cotton holding the rearguard
Great
game, loads of fun, the British Hurricane evened the odds and made it a fairer
contest. My allowing for luck and fluke hits game the British a fairer chance,
and I think the boys understood and enjoyed that aspect. Cpl Cotton was fun and
I may well add "real" characters into our games more often.
