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.