Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Road to Tebessa - AAR

Played the Road to Tebessa scenario yesterday at Gauntlet. As usual I got so caught up in the game that I didn't take pictures of all the action The game opened with Stukas circling the French defenders of the southern town Bordj Oum Ali (they failed to knock out the guns and only killed three of the defenders) French deployed around El Ma el Abiod Italian troops preparing to attack El Ma el Abiod from the east. German troops massing to the south. Italians commence their assault on the ridge to their north they succeeded in badly damaging one of the Stuarts rushing to support the defenders of El Ma el Abiod (They subsequently fell back fo two turns due to a poor morale check) The Germans decide to deploy the heavy tank company first (The players could bring on one company of their choice each turn) As the Stuarts flee their bigger brothers turn up to deal with the troublesome 20mm AT Rifle The French grimly hold on against the Italian assault The Germans proceed systematically, amassing their forces ready for an assault Having dealt with the AT Rifle the Grants move on to support the French and in a magnificent bit of shhoting take out all the Semovente company The german assault on Bordj Oum Ali gets underway just before the British arrive to reinforce the position Meanwhile the Italians are in serious trouble as the Americans concentrate on them "Where are the Germans, they should have arrived from the south by now?" For the British and French around Bordj Oum Ali things are not looking good either, already they have lost two Crusaders and a pair of 6pounders to the Panzers The US seem content with occupying a blocking position while finishing off the Italians (Their Motorcycle company was down to 5 figures by the game end, but had continually passed their morale checks) Finishing of the French defenders of Bordj Oum Ali and the remaining 6 pounders the Panzers push on as the Valentines flee The one success for the Royal Horse Artillery one heavy and one light damage inflicted on the Tiger US driving the Italian remnants south A final Stuka strike manages to disable the US commander's tank Game end - the Germans were on a roll and looked strong enough to defeat the Americans as they had very minimal losses. Rules were Rapid Fire

Friday, July 5, 2013

Road to Tebessa - the table awaits

All the tables , etc for gauntlet were set out yesterday afternoon and here's some pictures of the SOTCW table

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Road to Tebessa - The Germans


Kampfgruppe, 10th Motorcycle Battalion
Veteran
Headquarters Company
1 x kübelwagon with 3 figures
1 x radio truck
Attached
1 x kübelwagon with FAC (2 figures)
1 x kubelwagen with OP (2 figures)
Scout Car Company
1 command SdKfz 231
3 x recon SdKfz 222
Panzer Grenadier Infantry Company
3 x SdKfz 251/1 (8 figs each) (I've used an assortment of 251 types)
1 x SdKfz 251/10 (1 x MMG, 6 figures)
Heavy Company
1 x light truck (8 engineer figures)
1 x 8cm mortar and 3 figures, light truck
1 x 75mm AT gun and 3 figures, light truck
Off-Board
3rd Battery, 90th Artillery Regiment
1 x 105mm howitzer
Deployment: The entire Kampfgruppe must be deployed on the battlefield, no closer than 50cm to Bordj Oum Ali (the south town), no closer than 50cm to the west board edge, and no farther than 50cm from the south board edge.
Kampfgruppe, 7th Panzer Regiment, 10th Panzer Division
Veteran ,
Headquarters Company
1 x kübelwagon with 3 figures
1 recon Pz II F
1st Tank Company
3 x PzKfw III J2
4th Tank Company
3 x PzKfw IV F2
Attached
1st Tank Company, 501st Heavy Tank Battalion
1 x Tiger I E
2 x PzKfw III N
6th Company, 69th Panzer Grenadier Regiment
3 x trucks with 8 figures
1 x truck with MMG and 6 figs
1st Battery, Hermann Göring Flag Regiment
Regular ,
Command
1 x 88L56 AA gun 4 crew, heavy tractor
1 x truck mounted 20mm AA gun, 3 crew
Off-Board
7th Battery, 90th Artillery Regiment
1 x 105mm howitzer
Deployment: The Kamfgruppe may enter the battlefield on the south road, One unit per turn, starting on turn 1. Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.
German Air Support
Turn 0 (before turn 1)
4 x Ju 87B “Stuka” dive-bombers will attack Bordj Oum Ali (the south town). They will either target visible entrenchments (that is, not inside the town) or the town itself if no enemy are visible.
Turn 4
2 x Ju 87B “Stuka” dive-bombers are available. They may be directed against an FAC-spotted target, or against a map target. If the mission is against a map location, the German player will drop a square of paper over the battlefield from a height of 1 meter; the place the paper lands will be the target point of a General Support mission. If the paper lands off the board, the mission does not arrive after all.
Turn 8

2 x Ju 87B “Stuka” dive-bombers are available. They may be directed against an FAC-spotted target, or against a map target. If the mission is against a map location, the German player will drop a square of paper over the battlefield from a height of 1 meter; the place the paper lands will be the target point of a General Support mission. If the paper lands off the board, the mission does not arrive after all.

Road to Tebessa - The Americans


2nd Battalion, 1st Armoured Regiment
Regular
Battalion Headquarters
1 command M3 Lee tank (I've used a Sherman)
1 M4 HTMC (81mm)
1 T30 HMC (75mm) (I've used an M8 HMC)
D Company
3 x M3 Lee medium tank
Attached
A Company, 1st Battalion, 1st Armoured Regiment
3 x M3 Stuart light tank
Company B, 701st Tank Destroyer Battalion
2 x M3 GMC (75mm) halftrack
1 x M6 GMC (37mm) truck
1 x T28 MGMC halftrack 37mm AA
2 recon jeeps with MG
C Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Armoured Infantry Regiment
1 x 37mm AT gun with 3 crew
2 x halftracks with 8 figures
1 x halftrack with MMG and 6 figures
Attached Off-Board Support
A Battery, 175th Field Artillery Battalion
1 25-pounder field gun with 4 crew (had to use a 105mm as the figures were fixed with the gun)


Deployment: All units start off-board. One unit may enter the battlefield on the north road per turn, starting on turn 1. Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Road to Tebessa - the Italians


XVI (16th) Battalion, 10th Bersaglieri Regiment
Regular
Headquarters
1 x car with 3 figures
1 x radio truck
1 x recon AB-41
Motorcycle Company
Regular
3 x platoons of 8 figures with motorcycles
1 x support platoon with MMG 6 figures and a light truck
Motorized Company
Regular
3 x trucks with 8 figures
1 x truck with MMG and 6 figures
AT Company
Regular ,
2 x 47mm AT guns with 3 crew and a light trucks
Attached
AA Battery
Regular ,
1 x Autocannone 90 (truck-mounted 90L53)
101st Semovente Battalion
Regular ,
4 x Semovente L40
103rd Company, 10th Arditi Regiment
Veteran ,
2 x recon AS 42 Sahariana 20mm AA and 3 crew
1 x recon TL37 47mm AT and 3 crew
1 x recon TL37 with 20mm ATR and 3 crew.
 (Off-Board)
1st Battery, 5th “Superga” Artillery Regiment
1 x 75mm howitzer

Deployment: The HQ, Motorcycle Company, 103rd Arditi Company may begin the game on the battlefield; they must be placed within 25cm of the east board edge and the east road. All other units may enter on the east road when the commander desires, but no more than one unit may arrive in a turn. Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.

Road to Tebessa - the British


Bladeforce
Headquarters
Regular ,
1 x car with 3 figures
1 radio truck
Attached
Elements, 84th Light Antiaircraft Battery
1 x Bofors 40mm AA gun, 3 crew
1 x light truck
1 x OP carrier with 2 figures
B Squadron, 1st Derbyshire Yeomanry
Regular ,
1 x recon Daimler II armoured car
2 x recon Humber II armoured car
2 x recon Daimler scout cars
1 x recon jeep with MG and 3 figures
C Squadron, 17/21 Lancers
Regular
2 x Crusader III
2 x Valentine III
B Company, 10th Rifle Brigade
Regular
2 x light trucks with 8 figures
1 x light truck with MMG, ATR and 6 figures
2 x recon carriers with 3 figures each
254th Battery, 72nd Antitank Regiment
Regular
4 x 6-pounder AT guns with 3 crew each
4 x light trucks
Attached, Off-Board
C Battery, 12th RHA Regiment
2 x 25-pounder field guns

Deployment: All units start off-board. Recon squadron enters on turn 1 on southwest road. Thereafter, the commander may to bring a unit of his choice on the battlefield per turn on either the southwest or northwest roads.

Units may be held back, but all remaining units must enter the battlefield on turn 8.

Road to Tebessa - the French


43rd Colonial Regiment
Regular
Regimental Headquarters
1 x car with 3 figures
1 x telephone wagon (missing)
1 x Laffly AMD 80
1st Battalion, 43rd Colonial Regiment
Regular ,
Headquarters
1 x Battalion HQ with 3 figures
1st Infantry Company
1 x Company HQ with 3 figures
3 x platoons of 8 figures
1 x MMG with 3 figures
2nd Infantry Company
1 x Company HQ with 3 figures
3 x platoons of 8 figures
1 x MMG with 3 figures
Attached
62nd Antitank Company
Regular
1 x 47mm AT gun with 3 crew.
1 x 25mm AA gun with 3 crew.
2 x light trucks
Attached
7th (Tank) Squadron, 4th Chasseurs d’Afrique
Regular
3 x Char D1
Attached
5th Battery, 62nd African Artillery Regiment
Regular
1 x 75mm field gun with 4 crew plus limber

Deployment: All units except the 7th Tank Squadron begin on the battlefield. On-board units must be deployed within 25cm of either town; the 5th Artillery Battery may be placed within 50cm of either town. Each town must have a garrison of at least 16 figures. All units deployed in open terrain are considered entrenched.

The 7th Tank Squadron enters on the southwest road on turn 1.