*South Africa’s War, scenario #5: Irish Eyes

*This looked like an interesting situational battle to play, so I went for it. With only 12 turns on such a large map area, the Italians will be hard pressured but I love moving those M13/40s tanks across the map, so let see what happens?

*I wasn’t sure which victory condition to go for as the Italians, clearing one hill of South African undemoralized units or eliminating both 18-pdr, both located on different hill embattlements. So when I entered the map with my Italian tanks, I kept them in one group with most stacked with three units and head for the closest hill and went after the first 18-pdr. I lost one step of M13/40 tanks to the combine fire of the 2-pdr & the 18-pdr but I managed to take both out and additional INF unit as well. At this point I decided I could take the whole hill but I risked that it might take too long and it would only give me a minor victory as the Italian player, so I pull my Italian armor out of this section and headed to the road to save time getting to the next hill.

*Hitting the second hill, I had only about five turn, so I went right to work, hitting my major target, the second South African 18-pdr gun. All eight tank counters went after it. The Africans tried to counter with AT-Fire and some assaults but three Italian units stacked together bring 24 Direct Fire Points and put adjacent to the enemy units, they get a plus 2 column modifier minus 1 for the enemy being dug-in but that is still a plus one column modifier. In Assaults the South Africans must leave their dug-in protection to assault the adjacent Italian armor firing upon them, thus facing that 24 point DF again. The Italians rolled well in their combat and the South Africans fell a little short in the strength of their forces, not to mention the Italians had 30 points of off board artillery. The Italians eliminated the other South African 18-pdr and 3 more INF, one HMG and two Leaders at the loss of only one more tank step. They were hard pressed for time but managed a Major victory and pulled out of the battle on the last turn, to let the South Africans lick their wounds.

*Italians losses: 2 steps M13/40, one disrupted as well.

*South African losses: 2 18pdr, 1 2pdr, 4 INF, 1 HMG, 2 Leaders & about 5-6 Disrupted or Demoralized units as well.

*This was a fun battle to play, most likely better played solo, as the Italians have more to do then the South Africans, as far as movements.