Gare de Sened

Gare de Sened

Tunisia, 20th March 1943

History

On 8 March Rommel handed control of the Army Group to von Arnim, and on the following day he left Africa for the last time.

By now Montgomery was almost ready to launch his attack on the Mareth Line, which would begin on the night of 19/20 March 1943. 

General Alexander, who had been given overall command of all Allied ground forces in North Africa, decided to give Patton's II Corps a limited objective, partly to support Montgomery's attack, and partly to help restore the morale of II Corps, and in particular the 1st Armored Division, part of which had been badly mauled in the earlier battles. The resulting plan had three phases: The first step would be the capture of Gafsa; second would be an attack on Sened Station and finally the operation was meant to end with a demonstration east towards Maknassy, but without getting involved in serious fighting.

The attack on Sened Station was meant to have taken place on 19 March, but heavy rain meant that it had to be postponed. On the following day Combat Command A, 1st Armored Division, advanced towards the station along the road from Gafsa, while the 60th Infantry (9th Division) in its supporting role approached from the north. 

 Our game

This game is more a combination of the three actions which happened in or around Sened as I wanted to field my M3 Lees but felt the earlier actions didn`t offer enough opposition to create an interesting game. Also I don`t own any Bersaglieri, so in this game elements of Superga Division are garrisoning Sened  For ease of deployment I just concentrated on the lead elements of 1st Armoured. As per normal we scaled the forces to suit what we had available; this became yet another simple attack/defence game but with US armoured forces Vs a very mixed Italian group.

US orders and forces

The American commander is advised that this is simply a cavalry raid part of a much larger operation. The mission is simply to upset the enemy and make him worry about his flanks and rear.

The US commander is ordered to proceed west to the rail station at Sened and seize it, and the nearby village of the same name. Once there he is to dig in and await the arrival of troops from the 60th Infantry Regiment who once in place will relieve your elements for the further advance east on Maknassy.

 The object of the raid is to upset and distract the enemy and not to fight until your force is destroyed!

 US Force

Recce

Jeep platoon – 2 jeeps (one w/.50cal), 6 figs (inc RTO)

Armd platoon – White Scout Car, 8 figs (inc BAR)

Lt. tank section – M3 Lt. tank

Armour

Lt. tank platoon – 3 x M3 Lt. tanks

Med. platoon – 3 x M3 Lee

 

Tank Destroyer Plt

M3 SP 75

Dodge SP 37mm AT

Armoured Infantry Company

HQ – M3 command track (Co, 2IC, 2 x RTO, NCO, driver)

Attached artillery FOO – Jeep (w/.50cal) FOO, driver, RTO

3 x platoons each with –

Halftrack (either .50 or .30cal) 10 figs (inc a BAR)

Support platoon with:

Halftrack – NCO, rifle grenadier), bazooka team, .30cal MMG team, 60mm mortar team plus 3 ammo bearers

AT section – halftrack + 37mm AT gun plus crew

US command track (please ignore the Free French decals), 37mm AT gun + tow & artillery FOO team

Off table artillery

Both Recce and armoured infantry HQs can act as FOO

1 battery 105mm

 On turn 10 a P40 Warhawk arrives over the table and can deliver 2 strafing runs

 On turn 15 (from the north)

 "A" coy 60th Infantry with

HQ - Co, RTO, NCO, driver (jeep)

3 platoons (carried in trucks) with:

10 figs each (inc BAR & rifle grenadier) each + 1 x bazooka team OR .30cal MMG team OR 60mm mortar team (only one of each per company)

Italian orders

Your command is a forward picket of the division.

Your company plus various support weapons forms an outer defence against any enemy advance along the rail line towards Maknassy centred on the small station and village at Sened.

 Italian forces

Elements of Superga Division

 Half of the infantry and all armoured units plus the 80mm mortar and 75mm crews are considered asleep and off duty at the start of the game, they take 4 +1d3 turns to activate! All the other support weapons are considered to have at least one crewman on guard who can awake his mates within one turn.

Sened village

Infantry company HQ

HQ (3 officers, 2 RTO, NCO, 4 runners/drivers) radio truck, car

2 rifle platoons each with – 10 figs (inc LMG team)

Composite support platoon (from battalion)

2 x MMG, 1 x 80mm mortar, 47mm AT plus crew, 20mm Breda AA gun plus crew

 

SP gun battery

2 x Semovente 75mm

 Tanks platoon

2 x M13/40

Sened Station

HQ (officer, NCO, 2 runners, RTO, sniper)

2 rifle platoons with 10 figs each (one has an LMG, the other a 40mm mortar)

Composite support platoon

1 x MMG, 47mm AT gun plus crew, 20mm Breda AA gun plus crew

 Attached gun section

75mm gun with crew & tow

Reinforcements

 Turn 1D6 + 4 turns after the attack begins*

Italian recce company with:

1 x HQ Jeep (LMG)

1 x Ab41

1 x AS42 (103rd Battaglione Sahariano)

1 x motorcycle platoon

* The Italian recce is out on patrol and will hurry back once the battle starts, as they are on patrol they could be anywhere at the start of the battle.

1-2 North-west

3-4 South-west

5 West

6 South-east

Turn 10 + 1D6

A single Bf109 arrives over the table and can deliver 2 strafing attacks

 Turn 15 + 1d6 (from the east)

Elements 334 Schnelle Abteilung

HQ (officer, NCO, driver, RTO) lt car

Marder I (Lorraine)

2 x infantry platoons (10 figs inc LMG each) carried trucks

My table

The game

The Americans decided on 3 turns of random artillery preparation from two batteries of 105mm at the start of the game. This had the disadvantage of starting the Italian clock on turn 2, but could of course cause casualties and possibly knock out support weapons/tanks, etc.

The American deployment was:

Team A - The recce unit plus another M3 lt tank and the GMC75 coming onto the table from the west above the rail-line heading straight for Sened

 

Team B – The bulk of the armoured infantry plus the M3 Lees and the Dodge SP 37mm coming onto the table from the south west along the road, their objective was the station.

Team C – 2 M3 lt tanks and a platoon of armd infantry, these arrive on table from the south on turn 4 have moved 3 turns in an arc to swing into the station from the south against hopefully distracted defenders facing Team B.

Turn 1 saw American shells drop around the crossroads and into the fields, one house took a direct hit causing Italian casualties

Dice were rolled and the off-duty Italians could activate on turn 7 (very bad), but their recce unit would arrive on turn 5 from the North-west.

 Turn 2 American shells drop around the village and into the station complex again the Italians suffer casualties

The American Team A is now within range of the first houses and comes under fire, they respond in kind wiping out a machine nest.

 Turn 3 Last round of US artillery fire hits the village again destroying a house causing more casualties. Shells also drop around the station coal and water halt.

The US Team A continues to advance (be it more cautiously) but their lead Jeep is wiped out by machine fire and an M3 is knocked out by a concealed 47mm AT gun! The return fire does destroy the machine gun.

Turn 4 having supressed all visible defenders the troops of Team A advance to the first few buildings, recce infantry dismount and move to search the buildings.

Team B is now in sight of the station complex they come under fire and a lucky long range shot by a 47mm claims a Lee! Return fire destroys the gun immediately!

The armoured infantry debus to move to the attack, the FOO sets up and connects with his battery

Team C arrive on table

 Turn 5 The Italian Recce arrives on table

Team A their lead Stuart spot an M13 and nails it with an excellent shot, their infantry complete searching the houses

Team B the two remaining Lees feel less like advancing alone and wait for their infantry but fire at any targets visible, knocking out at machine gun and destroying the 75mm howitzer (the crew of which aren`t yet activated)

Team C advance up the ridge overlooking the station

They are fired on by the 20mm Beda (ineffective), the Stuart`s return fire is devastating

 Turn 6 Team A the Italian AB41 engages the Stuart, both fail to hit on their first attempts, the Italian motorcycle troops spread out and move to take up defensive positions, this forces the American recce troops to take up defensive positions of their own.

Team B infantry now moving forward to support their tanks which continue to blast anything they can see. The armoured infantry 37mm gun is set up to cover the flank, the support weapons platoon splits with the mortar staying on over-watch whilst the .30cal and Bazooka teams move forward to join the infantry for the assault. The FOO spot Italian vehicles in the village and calls for his battery (first shots fall way too long).

Team C the infantry debus and the unit prepares to advance down into the railyard.

Turn7 all the Italians are now activated!

Team A the Stuart knocks out the AB41, but sees another M13 drive out of a barn so moves to engage that next turn.

Both sides recce infantry return sporadic fire to little effect (both sides have hard cover). A brave Italian corporal gets a couple of infantrymen to help his gunners to move their 47mm AT forward down the American left.

Team B one Lee drives around the left (north) side of the station and engages Italian infantry with its MGs and cannon – causing casualties and panic! The armoured infantry begin clearing the station buildings.

Team C find the Italians stumbling out of their tents and have a turkey shoot machine guns, 37mm cannon fire, rifle grenades – the Italian platoon is devastated!

American artillery lands all around the Italian HQ is Sened causing casualties and destroying vehicles.

 Turn 8 the Italian company at the station fails its morale and breaks, both American Teams B & C take several prisoners and kill others running away.

The Lee on the north side of the station is surprised and takes a hit in the flank from a Semovente!

Team A the Stuart is on a role and knocks out the M13

Again both sets of recce infantry exchange fire to little effect, however the GMC75 fires a shell at one house causing casualties among the defenders. But more Italian infantry and a Semovente can be seen coming down the road. The Italian AT gun is in a position to fire on the GMC so sets up for a shot next turn.

 Turn 9 Teams B & C the Semovente (now the only Italian opposition near the station) knocks out a Stuart.

The American Dodge SP 37mm has spotted the Italian SP and moves in and fires a splendid 11 to hit followed by an equally impressive 10 knocks out the troublesome gun.

Unfortunately in moving forward it exposed itself to a 20mm Breda which tore the soft-skinned tank destroyer to bits…..

The Italian 80mm mortar targets a visible halftrack and knocks it out with a direct hit

Team A neither sides recce infantry can move, the Stuart engages the Semovente (both miss), the GMC75 also fires and misses! But the sneaky Italian gun crew plant their first round dead on target and must have hit ammo storage as the halftrack just exploded!!

 Turn 10 the American Army Air Corps arrives over the table

The Stuart and Semovente exchange fire, the Stuart`s luck finally runs out.

The P40 strafes the assault gun to little effect

American artillery plasters the Italian HQ destroying the building and also landing among infantry moving past

At this point with the Americans having completed their mission and under orders not to fight until destroyed, I think they`ve done enough – though they lost far more equipment than would have been expected! Infantry casualties were almost negligible as they used their tanks and support to supress machine guns and dug-in infantry before they closed.

As for the Italians well they had some good luck, with successful hits on tanks. But also bad luck with American artillery landing on occupied houses and not being able to activate their off duty men early enough. One company was totally destroyed, the other down to half strength with almost every support weapon and piece of amour destroyed too, a very bad day. A medal of valour goes to the AT gunner corporal for his command action and getting two kills on the day!!