Collecchio game 2

 Collecchio Game 2 

German Breakout Attempt

This is the second game based around the Battle at Collecchio, Italy 26-27 April 1945. I laid our my plan for a couple of games based on this late war action in an earlier post and suggest anyone reading this refers to that piece for a more complete background.

https://baberonwargames.blogspot.com/2023/11/collecchio.html

One last desperate throw of the dice and break through to Highway 62 and the way north. The Germans moved units around Collecchio through the thickly wooded areas, then launched an attack against the dug in Brazilians above the town. The victory conditions are simple – the Germans must break through and open the highway for their comrades bottled up south of the town. The Brazilians must hold the line preventing any German units escaping the valley.

 German force

Elements of 148th Infantry Division

Composite Battalion HQ:

CO, 2IC, 3 officers, 2 RTO, NCO, 4 runners,

8 man security platoon (LMG)

Note this photo includes the 75IG & tow

12 – Weak platoons with:

9 men each (weapons to be divided among platoons – 7 LMG, 1 Panzershreck [1D3 rockets], 3 Panzerfaust, 1 Flamethrower [3 bursts], sniper rifle, 1 grenade rifle)

Support

2 – MMG (man packed 9 figures inc 4 ammo bearers)

2 – 81mm mortars (1D6 turns of ammo) (man packed 9 men inc ammo bearers)

75mm IG (1D6 rds) including tow

Support - the game starts with the Germans getting 3 turns of random 105mm fire off two guns onto the Brazilian positions.

Brazilian Forces

All troops can be entrenched

 Composite HQ

CO (Gen. Mascarenhas), 2IC, 3 officers, 2 RTO, FOO, 4 runners, 10 man security platoon (BAR) + transport and medical detail

6th Company, II Battalion, 11th Infantry

Coy HQ – CO, RTO, NCO, 3 runners

3 – 10 man platoons (1 BAR)

Support platoon - .30cal, Bazooka, 60mm mortar (10 men)

9th Company, III Battalion, 6th Infantry

As 6th Company above

Elements of 8th Company, II Battalion, 11th Infantry

2 x MMGs

Recon Squadron

M8 armoured car

M3 half-track w/.50cal - 8 man platoon (BAR)

Photo includes a deployed .50 cal

Off table

Battery 81mm mortars (8^th company, II Battalion, 11^th Infantry) 2 tubes

 My table

Initial deployment

The Brazilians deployed along the rough road leading out of Collecchio to the west, the centre of their line being the ruined farmhouse. They deployed 6^th Coy on the left, 9^th Coy in the centre one MMG was given to each company for direct support; the recce squadron was on the far right, they deployed a .50cal HMG off their half-track. The mortar FOO was placed dead centre of the table to give him the best overall view to call in support fire for either company.

6^th Coy on the left, MMG position

Troops of 9^th Coy in the ruined farm

Recce Squadron on the far right

The Germans elected to have wide deployment across the entire width of the table, though they held three platoons in reserve to follow the lead units on turn 3. The divided the MMGs among two of the lead platoons so they could be well forward and provide fire support during the assault phase on the Brazilian positions. They also divided the HQ into two units, one of which took direct command of the mortars, the other formed a command unit/platoon within the attacking platoons, so they could if needed rally or change platoon orders, both command sections had a radio link allowing them to communicate.

Turns 1-3 As the Germans advanced their 105mm guns dropped shells among the Brazilian positions

These caused some casualties among both companies, 9^th Coy lost both its .30cal machine gun and 60mm mortar to this fire!

Brazilian 81mm mortars did cause a few casualties among the advancing Germans in return.

Turns 4-5 The Germans continue their advance, but are now within HMG and MMG range as well as continued mortaring. The platoon on the far left walks right into the recce Squadron and is decimated by .50cal and vehicle mounted MMG fire! The fail a morale check and break at the start of turn 6!!

Turn 6 The Germans deploy their MMGs and 75IG to support a direct assault on the Brazilians

Their 81mm mortars are now targeting the .30cal MMG position in the middle of 6^th Coy`s line.

Turn 7 The .30cal is wiped out and the Germans press forward against 6^th Coy, the German MMGs support this advance and the general attack on the centre and the ruined farm, which is also targeted by the 75IG

Turn 8 two German platoons are shot to pieces on the far right trying to turn the flank of 6^th Company, but two others cross stone walls into the fields at the companies centre threatening a breakthrough!

On the Brazilian right the Recce Squadron finds itself without attackers so begins a move to strike into the German left flank  

The Germans are throwing everything at 9^th Company and the farmhouse, which is being raked by MMG and again targeted by the 75IG

The German mortars are now out of ammunition, so the command platoon orders the men to pick up their rifles and move forward to support their comrades.

Turn 9 The Germans on the right are stopped dead crossing those open fields. In the centre supported by MMG and IG fire, two platoons make a desperate close assault across the road to the ruined farm. Their attached flame-thrower causes casualties and a morale check!

A combination of MMG, BAR and the Germans attacking over an open road result in them taking awful casualties! They too require a morale check……….

Turn 10 The Brazilian morale holds (just), the Germans fail their check and run back to the comparative shelter of the road side ditch, but it is at this point the Recce Squadron hits them in the flank causing more casualties and yet another check – which they blow badly and break!!

With both flanks exposed and the Brazilians still well entrenched, the Germans can do no more and withdraw.

A closer run thing than it looked in the AAR, a bit more luck with “to hit” rolls and one failed Brazilian morale check and the result could have been quite different.

As I wrote in my initial post (see link above) if you play Rapid Fire! or another battalion level set you could quite easily play both these two games as one on a single table with little or no re-writing.