Italian Long Campaign - Page 7

sigeena · #61 July 12th, 2019, 03:19 AM

Turn 33

Fortune smiles. The last marauding tank is destroyed by the Heavy ATGs. In all, my AT guns accounted for 6 of the EN armoured vehicles.

Turn 36

Our battle line is advancing steadily. My scouts have even joined in the frenzy as the EN is making a shattered rout.

Battle Report

The main casualties were in 2nd Company. Unfortunately for them, they were the speed bump facing the EN main effort.

1st Company was relatively unscathed as they only had to engage 3 EN tanks. And by the time they started their attack towards the EN flank, the EN line was crumbling.

3rd Company fought very well when it was required to hold the line.

My artillery park was also getting suppressed by counter battery fire, and their fire slackened considerably towards the end.

On hindsight, I may have done better by site-ing my ATGs more forward. As the EN armour tends to outrun the infantry, this will allow the ATGs to engage the armour before my infantry has to do the dirty work.

A couple of tanks or mobile AT weapons may have been more useful at stemming the tide as well. In this battle, I had to be very reactive and hope that the EN armour would react in a certain manner. They did, but after taking out close to 2 platoons of infantry.

Also, I need to divvy up my artillery park. Putting them together increases all the risk with the only benefit being they shared the same ammo dump.

sigeena · #62 July 22nd, 2019, 04:26 AM

New Battle is a Advance in Sidi Barrani, Egypt

Studying the terrain, I had in mind going 3 -up with each company going after a specific sector of the map.

The yellow stars (with purple arc of fire) depict possible firebase locations as I move my rifle coys up towards the objectives. 3rd Coy itself will be attached with a pair of M-13/40s and move along the road.

I also brought some Air Recon, blue hexagons, depicting their area of observation.

Some cavalry mounts were also purchased to give the HMG sections some additional mobility, so that they can get up to the firebase locations quickly.

sigeena · #63 July 22nd, 2019, 04:31 AM

Turn 3

Air recon spotted EN infantry in 1st Company's sector and EN armor in 2nd Company's sector.

Turn 13

Situation developing by turn 13. 3rd Company has secured most objectives along the main road. Our armour is coming up on the EN flank to engage their armour. The EN is of approx. 1 company strength, dispersed over 2nd Company sector.

The HMG firebases have overwatch over the EN positions. Relatively easy for the rest of the infantry to push ahead.

sigeena · #64 July 22nd, 2019, 04:33 AM

Turn 13 1st Company

There's also a company sized force in 1st Company sector. Again, our HMG firebases have good overwatch positions.

sigeena · #65 July 22nd, 2019, 04:37 AM

Battle Report (at turn 20++)

Basically, our advancing infantry was very well-supported by the HMG firebases and progress was rather uneventful. When the EN returned fire, the HMGs will suppress them before our infantry manuevured to engage them at closer ranges.

Negligible losses overall.

sigeena · #66 July 22nd, 2019, 05:10 AM

After we easily advanced, we were given a special battle to delay.

We purchased 1 pair of M-13/40s, a platoon of TL-37 (mounted with 20mm autocannons), a pair of AT guns and a pair of AA guns.

We identified 3 possible lines of resistance. The Black line is the 1st line, and this is characterised by the presence of my HMG sections and ATG section for Long Range fires. Scout section in the centre for maximum field of observation.

Maroon Line is where both 1st and 2nd Companies would have engaged with the majority of their rifle platoons.

Green Line is the reserve line, and is predominantly 3rd Company in the centre.

The M-13/40s will take up reserve slope positions and engage EN armour as they cross the ridgeline.

The TL-37s will engage any light armour, such as armoured cars or Bren carriers.

Ammo carriers were also purchased in anticipation of a long drawn affair. The AA guns covered the approach to our artillery.

sigeena · #67 July 22nd, 2019, 05:15 AM

Turn 2

EN lorries are spotted travelling very fast down the road in the North towards 1st Company.

Early EN artillery bombardment is fortunately only driving up sand to obscure the lines of observation.

In 2nd Company sector

EN armour and lorries can be spotted approaching very rapidly. It seems fortunate that our M-13/40s are in this sector to take up position. Our HMGs engage the EN lorries once they are around 1,200 metres away.

sigeena · #68 July 22nd, 2019, 05:21 AM

Turn 9

It is quite clear by now that the EN main effort is in the south, in 2nd Company's sector. They have committed almost their entire armour force, approx. 1 company strength.

Their armour advanced swiftly past our screening force. Our tanks are engaging them in the flank and rear as they come.

As for 1st Company, the situation is slightly less serious as the main EN advance was led by lorries which were destroyed by our HMG section. Their Armoured Cars have taken up a position to block off the withdrawal of our HMGs. Their artillery fire is finding its mark on our guys.

We will probably be forced to give up on Black Line soon.

sigeena · #69 July 24th, 2019, 03:43 AM

Turn 15

This was probably the high point of the battle itself as we destroyed the last of the EN armour. Yellow diamonds mark all the destroyed EN tanks. We have also lost 1 tank. Approx. 6 of the EN tanks were lost to my infantry assaults, but at pretty high cost to my infantry as well.

The EN infantry is coming along swiftly now, I will move my remaining tank back nearer to the company HQ.

sigeena · #70 July 24th, 2019, 04:16 AM

Turn 20

This is turning into an infantry slugfest. Our reserve platoon (Platoon N) has come up to reinforce the HQ position. M platoon has been badly mauled after destroying the EN tanks. Another platoon is hidden away in dead ground.

Our artillery is concentrating on their lead elements.

Over in 3rd Company sector, I decided to push them forward to relieve the pressure in 2nd Company. 2 platoons will use the terrain to mask their approach on the EN northern flank. The Company HMG section will provide fire from the high ground.

In 1st Company sector, the EN infantry is running up into my main line. As the EN has already been heavily attrited by my long range HMG fires (they were riding in open top lorries), it doesn't take long for them to start retreating upon significant resistance. My reserve platoon is also moving up to push the line forward again.