Author	treadasaurusrex (Britain)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Italy
Participants	waynebaumber (AAR)
Play Date	2023-07-10
Language	English
Scenario	AfKo048

This was an extended 12-session play-through with the doughty & indomitable, Wayne Baumber, leading a large, but thrown together, combined arms task force of sundry elements of the battered Italian 10th Army during the aftermath of the Western Desert Force’s Operation Compass. I played the attacking British Commander of Combe Force: a combined arms battle group that is attempting to catch & destroy the Italian column as they retreat in this very long, 108-turn scenario. This obviously unplaytested, oddly-designed scenario slightly favored the retreating Italian side. The victory conditions should be rewritten to simply require the fleeing Italians to exit the bulk of the civilian refugees and a specified number of combat units off the southern edge of the battle map.

Both sides drew relatively decent sets of leaders. We played with the FOW, consolidation, smoke/illum and excess initiative optional rules. In addition, we used the following house rule: Dug In Units are Automatically in Limiting Terrain in Desert Games Unless prohibited by special scenario rules, ALL units that are dug-in on slope hexes are considered to be in limiting terrain and are spotted if enemy units approach to within 3 hexes, or 4 hexes for reconnaissance units – unless they are marked with a spotted marker, see 8.22.

The initial session (game turns 1-4) featured a pair of opposite flank British feints on the edges of the battle map. The frightened Italian civilians properly panicked and fled a few hexes, but they were quickly corralled by a moving shield of protective Italian armor & AT guns. The Tommies’ overeager right-hand thrust was bloodily repulsed by accurate AT fire at a cost of 12 steps on Mark VIB light tanks by the end of game turn 3, resulting in the premature loss of 2 levels of British initiative. The broader, left flank armored feint, fared slightly better, losing only a single step of 2-pdr portees. A slow & deliberate Italian infantry advance began on the 3rd turn, that slightly veered to the right as it made its way south. The dice fates provided a large number of excellent Italian combat & morale recovery die rolls, although there were also 3 Italian combat 7-dice rolls this session. The Tommies had very poor luck with the capricious dice this session, which would subsequently be repeated.

Our second session (game turns 5-7) was a bloody episode for both sides as the step loss count went up to 15 for the defending Tommies – which also dropped their initiative to a level one – and 9 steps for the attacking Italians. There was plentiful maneuver and lots of opfire in this session, as well as the first close assaults by the Italians against wandering British light tanks on the periphery of the battle proper. Some of the Italian heavy artillery panicked and abandoned their guns and the first of their light tanks came a cropper thanks to long-range AT fire. Better combat die rolls for the Tommies helped stabilize the overall situation, as well as collapsing and redirecting the Fascist infantry advance south on the north margins of Map 1. We threw a combined SIX combat 7-die rolls. The third session (game turns 8-10) was a costly one for both sides with an updated step loss count of: 19 for the surging Italians, and 21 for the British force. The fighting was characterized by quite a bit of long-range AT & bombardment fire as the Tommies slowly withdrew their armor on both flanks. The first platoon of Italian infantry & their leader surrendered in the north, but the last British portee was also eliminated. The Italian push in the center continued to collapse and fall back in the direction of their supporting artillery positions. Both sides initiative fell to zero by the end of game turn 10. Between us, we threw a combined SEVEN combat 7-die rolls.

The fourth session (game turns 11-13) featured a powerful Italian left flank move spearheaded by armor and a recon company of motorcycle infantry. A sequence of reorganization & consolidation among the Italian civilian convoy also took place, while their infantry screen continued to slowly fallback to recover morale and rally. In a series of long-range AT and artillery strikes. Another 5 British steps were lost, as well as 4 more for the advancing Italians.Our fifth session (game turns 14-18) was a particularly grim one for the British side as the last of their cruiser tanks were destroyed and the leading elements of the Italian, left flank, armored column exiting the south edge of the game map. At this point, a draw was possible, but overwhelming lust for ultimate victory filled the lunatic Italian commander to the brim, causing him to play on! Only a single Italian formation surrendered this session, and the British counterattack in the center began to falter in the face of heavy artillery fire and fast-moving, Italian armor reinforcements. A substantial consolidation of numerous fleeing Italian civilians in trucks occurred which moved this convoy out of harm’s way as the session ended prematurely. A combined SEVEN combat 7-die rolls were thrown by the end of game turn 18. Once again, the British side suffered from poor combat & morale die rolls.

The sixth session (game turns 19-21) included a combined SEVEN combat 7-die rolls – nearly all on the British side – in what was a rather frustrating session for the now-defending Tommies. The new total of steps lost was 30 for the Italians, and 36 for the British. With an Italian victory still possible, we slavishly played on! The Tommies reinforced their aggressive push in the center and forced another surrender of a battered Italian motorcycle platoon as 3 platoons of the 1st Royal Tank Regiment entered Map 1. Multiple Italian morale recoveries were eventually successful and the consolidation of the bulk of the fleeing refugees continued on Map 3. A new screening force of Italian armor arrived just in time to protect the civilians. British direct fire was remarkably ineffectual this session, but the stage was set for a major firefight in the center as both sides pushed their mobile forces into range. Our seventh session (game turns 22-24) was grim for both sides, particularly for the ill-led, but stolid, Italians in the center of the battle map. Both a costly, multi-hex firefight in the center; and a right flank, British infantry close assault against a probing Italian tank company ended well for the Tommies. The grinding fight in the center continued absorbing Italian reserves, but there were no further surrenders this session. A handful of British armored cars and light tanks began circling to the north to get behind the Italian screening force, forcing another redeployment of Axis mobile units. Tommy artillery was again, remarkably ineffective. Step losses by the end of game turn 24 were tied at: 44 for both sides. Frustratingly, there were a combined TEN combat 7-die rolls thrown this time around.

The eighth session (game turns 25-28) was another frustrating & costly episode for the British that included the loss of the senior leader, and the slow collapse of their, formerly promising counter attack in the center. This was primarily due to adroit maneuver & accurate close range fire by the supporting Italian armor. Again, British artillery was remarkably ineffective, and a combined SEVEN combat 7-die rolls were thrown. Step losses by the end of game turn 28 were now: 51 for the Italians, and 54 for the Tommies.

Our vacation-delayed ninth session (game turns 29-31) was a dismal one for the hapless British side with multiple step losses (10+) in all areas of the battle map. In the center, both sides continued slugging it out in decisive range, but the Tommy commander made the mistake of not asking for the surrender of 2 platoons of demoralized Italian tanks when the opportunity presented, after the loss of an additional British leader. In contrast, maneuvering Italian armor was able to setup a cross fire shot that eliminated 4 steps of A-10 tanks on the British right flank at a cost of only: a single step of L3/35 tankettes, and another step lost to an adjacent M-13/40 unit. Late-comer Italian infantry deploying from the north, swelling the depleted ranks of Il Duce’s ground troops, prepatory to a likely Axis offensive in the center. The updated step losses were: about 64 for the rapidly-diminishing British, and 56 for the surging Italians. The British artillery were again remarkably ineffective. A combined EIGHT combat 7-die rolls were thrown in this longish session.

The tenth session (game turns 32-36) was a particularly grim episode for both sides with a combined step loss total of 19, as the overbold, British advance in the center collapsed under the weight of the Italian armored shield. The Fascists lost another leader and also a wandering platoon of M13/40 tanks in the heavy fighting. British artillery had one moment of glory in this episode when they bombarded an assault hex and managed to kill or demoralize all three Italian combat units present, without hurting the brave Tommies in the same hex! Both sides unsuccessfully attempted leader captures. By the end of game turn 36, the updated step losses were: about 74 for the rapidly-dwinling British, and 64 for the Italian side. A combined NINE combat 7-die rolls were thrown in this longish session.

Our slightly delayed eleventh session (game turns 37-44) consisted of another brutal drubbing for the relatively few remaining Tommies on the battle map as darkness slowly began to fall. The remaining two platoons of the ill-fated British counterattack in the center were eliminated outright, or demoralized. British counter battery fire accounted for a few more Italian gun crews, and a mutual exchange of long-range AT fire picked off some more of Mussolini’s light tanks, while losing another step of weak-but-intrepid British Mark VI tanks. Left & right flank Italian wing formations advanced menacingly to overwatch positions, and the Axis center stabilized & consolidated in preparation for a grand night-time push as this session expired. By the end of game turn 44, the updated step losses were: about 80 for the British, and 71 for the slightly-reduced Italian side. There being no possibility of a British victory, but still hope for an Italian triumph, we grimly played on.

The delayed twelfth session (game turns 45-59) was characterized by many illumination rounds fired by both sides, and a great deal of ineffective British artillery fire. Several exchanges of long-distance, AT fire resulted in the destruction of the last British A-9 cruiser tank unit, as well as a couple of steps of Italian M13/40s that got within range of the Tommy's 25-pounders guns. The Italians continued flanking the remaining Tommies in the darkness and had not yet quite surrounded the position - but one could see the inevitable handwriting on the wall. So, by mutual agreement the very battered British side conceded during the 59th game turn. The final step loss tally was: 77 for the victorious Italians, and 84 for the defeated British side. In all, there were 16 FOW-shortened turns of the 59 played in this overlong, poorly conceived and slightly unbalanced scenario. I give this flawed effort a generous rating of 3, mostly because it was fun to play with my sassy & unconventional opponent. As published, I recommend it for SOLO play, only.