14 FEBRUARY 1944 at 21.30

The second battle of Cassino was lauched by the 4th indian Division and the 2nd New Zealand Division from East of Liri Valley with the main objective to take the control of the Station and clear the way for reinforcements by the railway

The 28th "Maori" Battalion was chise to lead the assault.

MCGALLONS German forxes of 361st Panzer Grenadier Regiment start from the little forest South of Cassino and the Station. They are :

2 x GREN 2 x GREN (rid) 1 x HMG 1 x 81mm

2 x LT

Off Board Artillery 1 x 16

German units may not move until the can spot an enemy unit. It's night and visibility is 1 hex. Only Gustav Line (special rules) may help spotting with 1 additional hex). Along the Gustav Line the German place 22 minefield with strong value on the hex 3826 where they think the enemy will start the crossing operation.

HANZO Allied forces of 28th New Zealand "Maori" Battalion enter from Est and have the following units :

6 x RIF (maori) 2 x WPN (maori) 2 x SAP 1 x 3-inch

1 x CAPT; 4 x LT

Off Board Artillery 2 x 18

Victrory Condition :

Allied player must complete 4 objective before the end of the game (12 Turns)

1) Control Hummock (hex 3626) 2) Control the station (hex 3723) 3) Control the railway hex from xx21 - xx26 4) Clear at least 3 Minefield points from hex 3826.

New Zealand Major victory : New zealand player has achieved 4 objective New Zealand Minor victory: New zealand player has achieved 3 objective German Minor victory:: New zealand player has achieved 2 objective German Major victory : New zealand player has achieved 1 objective or no objectives.

REPORT

21.30. German units are waiting inside the woods south of the railway and leave only leader near the gustav line in order to spot enemy that may try to cross the line. Bad visibility (night) help the allied movement that search a way to start the crossing operation, but the entire line is full of minefields and it requires the presence and the activation of SAP units for clearing operation. Clearing operation dont' start well. 1 SAP unit don't survire to the mine and it means that the other units must search another way for crossing operation. Other SAP unit continue clearing work and help another units to cross the line. German leader may call Artillery Bombardment but must escape for the incoming allied units. Maori units found a best way south the station where the start crossing on the other side.

German plan was good and the start fire to the incoming enemy units. Grenadier units try to move against the enemy but they must stop and return in the woods for recover. The other Maori units may move in direction Station and Railway,

Other allied units can move to the mission objective and in the same time axis units start recover with the protection of the woods.

German units must move in direction Station, where enemy units control the objective and may help the reinforcements movements in the next hours. We have some little battle with a strong resistence of Maori in protection of the objective. The Clearing operation procede fine and a german leader decide to use flares in order to spot and help artillery in the bombardment of the hex.The operation is a success and the "day light" spot the work of SAP units. The suffer demoralization and must stop the work. 1 objective is now impossible to complete.

The Allied forces may not resist a lot of time and decide to prepare a desperate assault against the German units. It fails and German Grenadier may take the control of the station and some railway hex. The Game finish and the German wins with a Major victory but it wasn't simple!

This scenario is very small and has a great re-play factor and seems very balanced. I was the Allies and chose to attack across the rapido farthest away from Cassino, where I would not be spotted until I was across. On that side of the Railway embankment was a Grenadier in one hex and a 81 mm mortar in the hex behind it. It took me 5 turns to get everyone accross the rapido and in position. On turn 6 I assaulted those 2 hexes and the Germans could finally move and shoot. Because they were not dug in, the assaults were simul. The mortar was gone immediately, while it took 3 turns to kill the grenadier. That time allowed his other units to come up and support the Railway station. Having been granted dug in status by entering that hex my job was reaaly hard to dislodge them from that position. In the end, I could do no better than just tying him up in that hex. I had captured the rest of the railway hexes, the hill hex, but had not cleared 3 mine factors so the Germans won a Minor victory. Very enjoyable scenario.