Spanish Civil War game

 As I was setting the Sicily game it occurred to me the terrain (with just a little modification) could be used for other periods I play. So here is a SCW game on virtually the same table.

 Drive to the Sea

April 1938

The Battle of Teruel exhausted the material resources of the Republican Army, and wore out the veteran Republican troops. A slowdown of supplies from the Soviet Union exacerbated the difficulties of the Republican government, whose armament industry in Catalonia was already beleaguered. At the same time, however, Francisco Franco had concentrated the bulk of the Nationalist forces in the east and was preparing to drive through Aragon and into Catalonia and the Levante. The Nationalists were able to concentrate 100,000 men between Zaragoza and Teruel with the best troops in the lead. Even though the Nationalist army was numerically inferior to the Republican forces, the Nationalists were better equipped and had almost 950 airplanes, 200 tanks and thousands of trucks.

The Rebel offensive which began at Belchite on March 10th continues a pace, the government forces and militia including the famed International Brigades have no answer to the Rebels overwhelming air support and artillery.

As columns spread out south towards the Mediterranean, one such column meets up with the enemy! 

The game

A motorised column from Yague`s elite Army of Africa, including some armoured vehicles is moving south taking advantage of a good road. In front of them is a small village situated on a good stone bridge over a steep-sided seasonal river (mostly dry). Cavalry scouts have already spotted a road block and have warned the column the village is probably occupied by Government troops!

Army of Africa column

All mounted in trucks:

Legion Bandera

Regulares Tabor

Caros de combate company

Support

Cavalry recce troop (begins game already on table)

Republican defenders

Company of militia de Aragon 

Support

AT rifle team

MMG team

50mm mortar team

75mm field gun plus crew

Reinforcements

Guardia de Asalto company

Including an armoured car and armoured lorry

The table

Opening moves, the Army of Africa column arrives, the cavalry scouts are already on the table.

The Republican 75mm opens up with some truly awful dice rolling, but it does halt the column and Legionnaires jump from their trucks

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The Regulares also begin to arrive and leap from their trucks, the legion command element (in overall command) takes up a central position to control all attacking elements. The 75IG is set-up to engage the Republican 75mm.

Both guns exchange shots, the IG causes casualties among the Republican crew, but the 75mm scores its first real hit of the game and destroys the IG

The Panzer I leads the assault across the bridge, but the militia AT rifle quickly stops it dead (driver killed maybe?)

The Republican 50mm mortar and the Milicina LMG team stall the legionnaires advance throughout the game this little mortar was a constant pain to the rebels causing niggly casualties most rounds!

No less than 3 MMGs, an LMG, 2 vehicle mounted MGs, a 20mm cannon and a 80mm mortar plaster the house with the Milicinas whilst the Regulares move forward and prepare their assault across the river and bridge.

The Republican 75mm disrupts the Legionnaires attack

Rebel mortars finally silence the 75mm by reducing its crew and causing the rest to abandon their gun

On the left a Legion platoon out flanks the defending militia, caught in a devastating crossfire they don`t last long!

Legionnaires and Regulares cross the bridge under fire from militia

Rebel mortars zero in the defenders

The assault Guards arrive to bolster the defence

Unfortunately so does the Condor Legion airforce

The Rebel mortars clear the militia from the farm as the Heinkel unloads on the Assault Guard knocking out the A/C

The Regulares prepare to assault the village, the defenders fire is slackening as mortars and machine guns silence one position after another 

The Heinkel swings around and strafes the milicinas breaking their morale

Several rounds of vicious close assaults and house clearing follow, before the remaining militia abandon their defence and flee!

Sicily Game and AAR

 Road Block on Highway 120

Near Vallelunga, Sicily, 20th July 1943

 By the middle of July all of Southern Sicily was in Allied hands. After the fall of Agrigento on the south coast, the Allies turned north to split the island. At this point the Italian forces in the west began to withdraw to new defensive positions in northeast Sicily. The Italian 12th corps began the march east of Nicosia to new positions in the Etna Line. The US Provisional Corps drove to Palermo while 2nd Corps advanced up Highway 120 in the interior pursuing the Aosta and Assietta Divisions all the way.

 Raggruppmento Mobile Ovest (Mobile Group West) was tasked with covering the flank of the Assietta Division. This hodge-podge of Italian units organised into three ad hoc battalions and manned several roadblocks to block the US pursuit, engaging in a number of short actions.

This engagement by Gruppo Mobile "A" was quite typical, by the end of the month the Italian 12th Corps had taken its place more or less intact in the north half of the Etna line though Raggruppmento mobile Ovest was largely destroyed protecting it!

US orders

You command the lead elements of your division (II battalion, 157th Infantry Regiment from 45th Division) leading the drive up Highway 120. Your recce scouts have reported a roadblock across the highway up the valley near a small village.

You order your lead elements with some tank support to clear the roadblock.

US Forces

 Elements 86^th Armoured Recon. Battalion *

Jeep W/radio – 3 men

Jeep W/MMG – 3 men

White scout car – 8 men (inc BAR)

* This unit begins the game on table

 "E" & "F" companies 157th Infantry each with:

HQ - CO, NCO, RTO, runner (Jeep)

3 rifle platoons (carried in trucks):

10 figs (BAR, Bazooka team)

10 figs (BAR, 60mm mortar team)

10 figs (BAR, .30cal lt mg team)

Attached

4 x M3 Stuart (70th Independent Tank Battalion)

Support (already on table)

81mm mortars (from II battalion 157^th Infantry) can be directed by either Company HQ

 Italian Orders

You command part of Gruppo Mobile "A" of Raggruppmento mobile Ovest your orders are to delay the advancing Americans to protect the withdrawal of the Assietta Division. Your command is expendable, your orders are to fight and hold as long as possible for your honour and the honour of Italy!

 

Italian Forces

3rd Company 448th Mobile Coastal Battalion

HQ with:

CO, NCO, RTO, 2 runners, sniper

3 rifle platoons with:

10 figs (2 have an LMG, the last a Brixa mortar)

 

Attached from battalion

MMG plus crew

75mm field gun plus crew & tow

 

Attached:

Elements of 1st company 133rd AT battalion

2 x Semovente 47L32

 

Support

2 x 80mm mortars can be directed by Coy CO

 

As well as a roadblock, the Italians have some wire and enough mines for a small mixed high density field.

The table

Village

Opening moves, US recce and 81mm mortars on table and the first advanced elements enter from the south

The Americans decide not to advance across the tempting bridge, but the first “E” company pulls off the road and deploys covered by the lead tanks.

The Italians respond with directed 80mm mortars which bracket the deploying 1^st platoon causing a couple of casualties and destroying their transport!

The leading Stuart is missed by the 75mm!

The US commander calls down smoke to cover the Stuart and his advancing men

The 75mm is spotted and the US commander calls down artillery which smashes the gun after a couple of turns

A general advance is ordered, some US troops moving across the stream bed by foot others following the lead Stuart over the bridge all the time under fairly ineffective mortar fire from the Italians.

The 2^nd American company “F” arrives on table and deploys from its transport

The “E” companies 1^st platoon supported by 2 Stuart moves right of the bridge and begins to cross the stream via the ford

Meanwhile the US commander calls down mortars on the road block

Lead US elements (the recce platoon) to cross the stream come under small arms fire which takes them a few turns to clear.

The lead Stuart on the right exits the ford and immediately is destroyed by a mine! At the same time the supporting infantry (1^st platoon, “E” Company) is hit by a 40mm Brixa mortar losing its platoon commander.

US mortars change target to the first house

The first troops across the bridge come under fire and take casualties, luckily they have the Stuart in close support and wipe out the Italian squad, unfortunately the Semovente by the church pops out and slams a shell into the Stuart`s flank disabling it! The Semovente then reverses back out of sight.

The US position is difficult, even though he has three platoons on the north bank, two on his left (one recce, one infantry), the one in the centre including the coy HQ is pinned at the bridge and the other pinned on the south bank! Thankfully “F” company have arrived at the bridge, also the Recce NCO successfully un-pins 1^st platoon and urges them across the stream.

The first house is now a flaming ruin, so the US commander calls down his mortars on the next house. The infantry on the left moves past the burning house only to come under intense machine fire and being forces to take cover!

The second house burns, the surviving defenders withdraw

The third Stuart crosses the ford to add its MG and 37mm fire to support 1^st/E, but the 2^nd Semovente moves forward and although spotted and fired at, it scores a critical hit upon the hapless US machine!

The US commander calls down artillery on both the Semovente and the house with the MMG, both with spectacular success.

In the centre the Semovente by the church fires over open sights from its hull-down position inflicting casualties on the US infantry

Over the next few turns, US artillery and mortars plaster the outlying farm buildings causing the Italians the withdraw

Whilst this was going on, over on the US left the recce platoon slipped behind the church and close-assaulted the Semovente with grenades ending its brave resistance!

At this point with more US troops including armour about to arrive the Italian commander with honour satisfied ordered his remaining men to withdraw.