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

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

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.

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.

Gauntlet Preparations (4)

Preparations continue, checking the OOBs I found I needed more tanks than I had available, in particular four M3 Lees for the US forces. I've compromised with the single Airfix M3 from the stash, plus a pair of "Russian" M3's with replacement turrets painted up for the US in North Africa. They'll pass muster provided no one reads the logos on the front plates. To complete the set there is an Airfix Sherman that was in my trading box painted up appropriately. For the Axis I needed another long barrelled Panzer IV so I utilised the ready assembled Airfix model from the stash, but when I sorted out the Fujimi ones I had I found they didn't have decals so some work had to be done on these to make them consistent.

Gauntlet preparations (3)

The roads are now finished so here's an impression of the finished table. On the day I will need to add more lines of stones, which define crest line and therefore limits line of sight. German deployment zone and entry road on the left, the village of Bordj Oum Ali, occupied by the French in the centre El Ma el Abiod also occupied by the French the Italians will arrive along the road at the bottom. I've also rebased my Foreign Legion who will provide part of the French garrison

Gauntlet - Road to Tebessa scenario

I was informed that there was nothing explaining what the game was about. It's a what-if scenario set during the Tunisian campaign in 1943 with a mixture of forces from all the major combatants. to quote the author Warwick Young "This fictional battle represents an action that took place instead of the conflagration at Kasserine. Mixed Axis units attacked from the Thelepte area northwards, along a road up a valley, with the aim of capturing Tebessa. They were halted by French defences in the towns of Bordj Oum Ali (to the south) and El Ma el Abiod (to the north), reinforced by British and American mixed units." It is available as a pdf (link)

Preparing for Gauntlet (2)

Spent most of yesterday sorting out the hills, that meant breaking up the existing hills and glueing them together in new configurations to match the battlefield plan as far as possible. The large ridge behind Bordj Oum Ali and El Ma el Abiod made of of four components If like me you were struggling to see how it might look here's it covered with the cloths, I've slightly scaled down the size of the villages. Will

Prepartion for Gauntlet (1)

Attempted to lay out the terrain for the Gauntlet game on the Garage floor. View down the US entry road, Italians will appear on the left and British on the right German deployment zone, bottom right, I had run out of road and need to create another metre for the game Overview , the French will occupy the two villages, which I think I'll reduce in size. The hill on the right needs to be bigger. There should be a long ride separating the Italians and Americans and another hill between the British and US entry roads Just over two weeks to go - should be feasible!

Possible Scottish Gathering

Dave Knight from Falkirk Wargames Club, who hosted SOTCW at a past Caronnade show has suggested a SOTCW event or twentieth century-themed day at their club in the Autumn of 2013.

Caronnade is a well-run show and I'm sure a Falkirk SOTCW event would be great fun and well organised.  I'm going to prepare to coordinate any such event through this blog.  Any thoughts on what members would like to see would be gratefully received.