It's a Long Way to Tipperary Tournament - Round 3 - S43 DIME Beach

[Steel God]

Situation at the end of Turn 10  – 2000 July 10th 1943

My word – Brian is just assaulting his happy ass off.  He literally used ½ of the Livorno Division to shoot at one isolated Battalion, and the other half to assault it and he walloped the Battalion for 90 casualties.  Meanwhile his Panzers are all in big stacks and just taking huge bites out of my infantry battalions.  I see a future that I don’t like.  Sure wish I could get a single artillery battalion to set up, or some air cover, - lol – or the rest of my damned troops.  This is brutal sitting here being a pinata.  

Still consolidating and trying to stabilize this beachhead.  The battalion of the 1st ID being pressed by Livorno has been reinforced with another battalion, equaling the odds somewhat; should at least discourage reckless assaults.  Assaulted the Italian armor supporting Livorno’s attack and destroyed 2 tanks, should at least force him to provide escorts for his tanks.  The only weakness I can see in the push to the beach is that almost all of the high quality German infantry he has is east of the Acale River and now that almost all of the 45th ID is on board (some division artillery comes in tomorrow at 1000 (scheduled anyway) the pull back across the Acale and destruction of the bridges is not too far away.  With any luck most of the German Infantry will be on vacation the second half of the battle.  Going to delay blowing the bridge at Ponte Drillo as long as possible so he doesn’t pick up on what I’m going to do there.  Still, nothing to be too happy about since the score stands at 740 and he has 75VPs and possibly as many as 125VPs east of the Acale that he can pick up, making the real score 615 – so pre-invasion plan not working so far.  Hopefully I can wear the Italians down and push north along the Gela River.

[Dog Soldier]

Turn 10 8:00 PM 10 July 1943 Day Normal Conditions Visibility 2km

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Rats. Almost half my HQ are out of command this turn. The structure of the Axis forces is such in this scenario that very little if anything can be done to bring the various formations into a combined force with a clear CoC. Instead they are all ties to top level command HQs which are not present, thus considered all as detached and separate formations. Worrisome The HG PD HQ is out of command despite sitting on the supply point on the north edge. Bad Luck. Hope that does not continue to the other German HQs next turn or I will have a hard time pressing attacks while the Allied side is still relatively weak. As each turn goes by they will get stronger. I have to inflict losses and fatigue to keep the enemy formations off balance for the expected counter attack they will make the next day.
The result is no rallies of disrupted Italian units. Was not really expecting that any would. Also irritating that the Coastal Defense HQ which was rubbed out early at Vittoria was restored where it was again just a VP delivery gift.

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Hurt the Allied forces enough to reduce the VP back to 723 which is four less than the end of Axis turn nine.  A stalemate.
Aiming to attrition the Allied 1st ID while preserving the strength of  Italians threatening the lower airfield near the Gela River.
Harassing the 1st ID defending in front of the Pillbox.  Only an HQ unit in the Pillbox Piano Lupo. Probing toward the 50 VP locations between the Pillbox and the Ponte Drillo.
Engineers are ready to blow the only bridges across the Gela River north of Gela.  Hoping his reinforcements that come in will try to approach those bridges.
I really would like to have had an infantry unit to spare to patrol along the river and alert my engineers.  Instead I will need to do some air recon on turn 13 when the sun pops up to determine if the Allied player is coming that way.
Should be able to take Biscari during the night turns 11 & 12. Then be prepared to fight the American 45th Texas ID and 82 AB which have been forcing the Coastal Defense units that could not escape into surrender.
Destroyed the other 82 AB unit of 20 men south of the ford below Vittoria.  That should leave only remnants of the 82 AB to threaten Comiso.
This is the last daylight turn for today. No dawn or dusk turns in Scicily 43.

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Dog Soldier

[Steel God]

Situation at the end of Turn 11  – 2200 July 10th 1943

Brian continues to grind away against the Allied position – I don’t blame him, I would be doing the same.  In a larger battle he might be obliged to push harder and try and actually crush the landing, but in a short battle it’s just a matter of earning points, and he has the advantage in doing that since his morale is superior, his firepower is superior, his artillery sets up guaranteed while mine takes its chances (and miraculously the only one that has set up is never available).  As a mid-point assessment, I think my plan is unworkable and I’ll never have what I need to do to execute it.  I might be playing for the Draw now. 

Well, I did what I could, continued to back pedal and save what could be saved in the east, tried to stabilize and sure up the main line in front of the beach.  I had forgotten that this scenario was not created when the game was “standardized” and I am therefore relearning painful lessons of the way the game “used” to be.  The Axis advantages in Artillery (100% setup versus 75% setup, as well as effectiveness of it (100% indirect versus 50% indirect) added on top of their advantages in SA and HA ratings make this a game of stick versus pinata, with the Americans as the Pinata.  Best way to be a pinata is to avoid the stick.  An alternative would be to get some troops landed, rallied, artillery set ups yada yada – but that’s all just luck of the draw, and based on the almost complete lack of Artillery Set Ups for the Allies on Turn 11 of 20 I'll have to say luck is a scarce commodity so far.

[Dog Soldier]

Turn 11 10:00 PM 10 July 1943 Night Normal Conditions Visibility 1km

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The Coastal Defense Units surrounded east of the Acale River were taken prisoner in the Allied turn.
Another Coastal Defense unit trying to link up with the PzGr southwest of Vittoria is surrounded by two 82 AB units.Though they did not know it, help was on the way.

The paratroopers guarding their comrades which caught another Italian unit in the vineyards west of the ford, eyed the orchard below their ridge line. All seemed quiet though they know there were Germans across the ford at the far end of that orchard.  Night had come. Suddenly there appeared on their slope the enemy coming out of the orchard. The shadows are moving right toward their position. "Hold your fire and pick your targets" ordered the NCO in charge of this small band of troopers. Then he gave the command and the troopers let loose a volley. A flare is fired into the night sky. The Germans come at them screaming, firing and hurling grenades as they charged up the slope and into the position. It was all over quickly. The Germans overwhelmed the troopers. They took the position. The flare went out. Darkness returned.

The two groups of paratroopers surrounding the Italians they encountered just hours ago in the nearby vineyards hear the sounds of the sharp fight. They peer into the darkness seeing shadows at the edge of their vision in the dark. There are no identifiable targets. They hold their fire and tense up. It becomes clear to them. The hunters were now the hunted.

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Disrupted units highlighted. The Italian stack in contact between the airfields along the Gela River is taking a beating.  Entrenching continues at the northern airfield I control.  I think the Allied force will be making a strike in that direction.
A PzGr unit in the vineyards west of Piano Lupo assault the American 45th ID unit which was disrupted in the Allied turn by Axis defensive fire. The German unit ends being disrupted in turn.  However the assault result was lopsided in favor of my unit.  Negligible loss to me.  40 men to the Allied unit. However, the Italian unit on the PzGr left discover a disrupted 5XX infantry unit of the 45th ID. I will probably have to back off on the west bank of the Acale River if these two units are the lead for a whole division coming from the beaches.
Santo Pietro and Biscari VP locations are recaptured. This brings me 75 VP.
A small (17men) 82 AB units south of Biscari is destroyed by direct fire. The PzGr mounted in their half tracks pursue another paratroop group they find in the vineyards further southwest. "How many of these groups of paratroopers are there in these vineyards?" wonders Oberleutnant Snyder.  He orders over his radio link to the other vehicles to watch their flanks and keep moving. It will be a long night of a deadly game of tag.

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I gained 86 VP this turn. Only eleven in net casualties. Not much. Better than it has been and moved in my favor this first night turn. I have my draw result. Now can I keep it? Will Steel God run out of supply? Will the Allied units run low ammo and/or fuel crippling his units? Can I capitalize on that if it happens? Stay tuned. It is going to be a messy night. At least the sky is quiet. Daylight will bring Allied aircraft. That will not be pleasant for me as in this older version of PZC scenarios, there are no individual flak units I can use to protect my tanks. AA is inherent in each unit with a value for Germans of 2/0. Italian units are half that, 1/0. Feels like more smoke than bite.
Dog Soldier

[Dog Soldier]

For Darran...
Can you check your files on this custom scenario? The Italian 4th (Livorno) Division HQ is missing an image.

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Dog Soldier

[Steel God]

Situation at the end of Turn 12  – 0200 July 11th 1943

Brain’s forces were modestly active during the first night turn.  Some artillery and attritional fire on units in contact, killed a few more of the beleaguered 82nd paras, and pushed hardest where I am weakest which is in the gap I’m trying to fill with the 45th ID in between Piano Lupo and Ponte Drillo.  I survived an assault by one of his Grenadier companies despite being already disrupted and taking 40 losses to his 6, he luckily disrupted and didn’t push them back.  Small victories are hard to come by, so I’ll take them when they’re presented.  I did notice one of the bridges got detonated up by Ponte Olivo which makes me suspect he’s pulling his forces east of the Gela River, which essential means he’s writing off any attempt at taking Gela proper and it’s 150VPs.  Wouldn’t it be funny as shit if we were both playing for a Draw?

Some good news, 2 undisrupted battalions from the 18th regiment of the 1st ID landed at Gela, added to the similar battalion landed last turn that gives me a full fresh and undisrupted regiment that can stabilize the center at Piano Lupo if they can get there before he pushes me off the crest.  Also joy of joys I actually got an artillery unit to set up, even though it’s only a crappy 6 gun pack howitzer battery from the 26th Regiment I will take all the help I can get.  Gambling a little by leaving just the Rangers and the 2nd Armored Stuarts near Gela and sending the Engineers across the River to help where it will matter if he is indeed blowing all the bridges across the Gela.  Pulled the 82nd and 45th troops east of the Acale back again, will continue that slow withdrawal.  Got some ATGs set up in the Pillbox atop Piano Lupo, and rushing all available troops to the center.  Still have weak spots though.  Damned bad luck but one of my 82nd detachments on the extreme northern end of the map ran into the HG Divisional HQ of all things, which I had assumed would have made a perfect garrison for Caltiagrone and now I wonder if he left that empty, no way, he's too good to have done that.  I suspect my curiosity will remain until game end when I either see or he tells me.  We’ll know soon enough, if there’s a real combat unit about it will come smash those Paras…..unless maybe he thinks there’s more than one about.

[Mr Grumpy]

For Darran...
Can you check your files on this custom scenario? The Italian 4th (Livorno) Division HQ is missing an image.

Dog Soldier

OK thanks 

[Dog Soldier]

Turn 12 2:00 AM 11 July 1943 Night Normal Conditions Visibility 1km

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HQ HG Panzer Division and HQ KG Rechts commanding the strong German HG force west of the Acale River both went to bed and and slept through this turn. The HG PD HQ has been out of command both night turns. A sentry is reporting the arrival of an 82 AB unit trying to get to the supply source.  An expected move, just did not know when it would happen. I switched positions of the HQ and the engineers in Caltagirone for them to chase and pin the AB unit against the board edge. It is a small AB unit since it could only shoot one man wounded against the HQ entering travel mode.  Either way it goes, the engineers will track it down and finish it.

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KG Links and PzG.104 commands set their units to a picket line defense in anticipation of the next turn which will be a full daylight turn.  Sicily 43 does not have dawn and dusk turns (1/2 normal daylight visibility).  Sort of an all or nothing thing.  Also there is no night move disruption allowing for more movement at night off road and deployed for action.  Basically night turns are day turns with only higher fatigue and less visibility in this scenario version of the game.

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Disrupted units are highlighted in the attached image.  The destruction of five Shermans by my panzers is welcome.  If lucky they will be disrupted.  Since they did not return fire, they might be low ammo.  The rise in Axis men lost is due to the punishing direct fire by the Allied stack 2km NE of the second airfield noted in the image attached as stacks 1 & 2.  I retreated the Italian stack stack so it will have more support on its flanks and prevent an assault next turn by the American stack or others.
Over all the total VP is unchanged from last turn, three VP in my favor.  With a draw achieved in the first day I hope to make Steel God have to fight for a minor victory.  It will be getting very messy this second day of the battle.

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Dog Soldier

[Steel God]

Situation at the end of Turn 13 – 0600 July 11th 1943

Relatively quiet night, some shuffling of troops along the main front and some shots fired.  His Tigers took 2 shots at my Shermans and killed 5 and disrupted the battalion, but they did their job and plugged the hole for a turn, time to re-shuffle everything.  With just 7 turns to go and the Allies still short critical items I don’t believe I have any time to switch from defense to offense.

Hurrah!  The HQ for the 2nd Armored CCB finally arrived, maybe they can get the armor to draw supply and rally and even get to use them before the end of the game.  The visibility jumped to 4km, and I think Brian wasn’t expecting that as he left units visible that he might not have otherwise done so; let’s see if I can turn them into some points.   Not bad, wiped out a German ATG unit, didn’t count but 15+ ATGs and 4 Italian Mortars.  Also knocked 20+ Grenadiers off a German infantry unit but the aircraft was Disrupted by AA otherwise it would have been better results against the T mode truck mounted unit.  Still, I’m happy with the results of the naval artillery and air power for a change.  Moved everyone around, continued to pull back east of the Acale River, still haven’t blown the bridge at Ponte Grillo, figure every turn he moves towards it from the east is a turn longer it takes those Grenadiers to reorient themselves.  Still waiting on rally rolls and resupply before I’m reasonably positioned to try and push north, but the sand is draining out of the hourglass.

[Dog Soldier]

Turn 13 6:00 AM 11 July 1943 Day Normal Conditions Visibility 4km

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Visibility jumped up to 4km allowing the Allied player to call in air, naval and artillery strikes on units that were well behind the front lines. The biggest victim was KG Links AT guns. The entire unit (16 guns) was in travel mode and eliminated. I was able to savage a Regimental HQ of the 45th ID with artillery and destroy two more Sherman tanks with an air strike of my own. Focused my fire on disrupted enemy units in the east and continued the slugging match with the American stack 2km NE of the second airfield. Made minor changes and advances of my skirmish line between Ponte Drillo and Vittoria. The vineyards make it difficult for me to know how many Allied units are lurking out there. I do not want one of PzGr units to become surrounded at the end of the line by smaller enemy units if I advance to quickly.

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Disrupted units are highlighted in the battlefield image uploaded.

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Engineers in the north resumed contact with the 82 AB units which jumped on the supply point northwest Caltagirone. That second western supply point has a more direct route on a major highway to supply my forces in the west. I have a second supply point further west along the north edge of the map which actually delivers supply to my units west of the Acale River where the main fighting is occurring.

I blew the second bridge over the Gela River. It appears Steel God is not biting to move any significant force west of the river. I have better uses for the engineers than babysitting a bridge. I will send out some units on patrol to make sure some Allied ranger unit from Gela is not crossing the river. They have that capability with the aid of Engineers to ferry them.

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I have taken all the VP locations that are within the Axis reach. Meaning easy. I am surprised the VP east of the Acale were not fought for by the Allies. Seems the 82 AB was not capable of defending them. Or Steel God is planning to take one or two back at the last turn. I will use the Italians to secure by garrison those VP locations. Some Italian units will patrol by moving around the board to sniff out any 82 AB units in hiding that could threaten those VP locations. The garrison will mostly be light delaying units with help close by if needed.  As the clock of turns runs out, I will be able to feel more secure that Steel God may have ceded the area east of the Acale River to concentrate his defense of the Gela bridgehead or to attack my forces between the Gela and Acale Rivers pushing towards one VP location.

A lot of action as losses mount on both sides. However, this turn yielded only 11 VP in favor of Steel God. I am still meeting my goal to make the most of the 82 AB drop losses VP I gained in the first turns. Casualty net VP is still a (negative) <105> VP. I want to maintain at least 100 VP in casualties to my favor the end of the scenario.  That above all else will ensure a draw result. If I can take another VP location, I will have a minor win.  I expect though Steel God will not allow that to happen.
Dog Soldier