ChOp008 
|
Horses in Tunisia The Last Horse Soldier #1 |
||
|---|---|---|
| (Attacker) United States | vs | Italy (Defender) |
| Formations Involved | ||
|---|---|---|
| Italy |  |
5ยบ Reggimento Bersagliari |
| United States |  |
1st Cavalry Division |
|
| Overall Rating, 12 votes |
|---|
|
4
|
| Scenario Rank: 115 of 940 |
| Parent Game | The Last Horse Soldier |
|---|---|
| Historicity | Alt-History |
| Date | 1943-04-01 |
| Start Time | 07:00 |
| Turn Count | 30 |
| Visibility | Day |
| Counters | 43 |
| Net Morale | 0 |
| Net Initiative | 1 |
| Maps | 2: 76, 77 |
| Layout Dimensions | 56 x 43 cm 22 x 17 in |
| Play Bounty | 155 |
| AAR Bounty | 159 |
| Total Plays | 10 |
| Total AARs | 3 |
| Battle Types |
|---|
| Hill Control |
| Conditions |
|---|
| Off-board Artillery |
| Smoke |
| Scenario Requirements & Playability | |
|---|---|
| An Army at Dawn | Maps + Counters |
| The Last Horse Soldier | Base Game |
| Introduction |
|---|
|
It is the considered opinion, not only of myself but of many other general officers . . . that had we possessed an American cavalry division with pack artillery, in Tunisia and Sicily, not a German would have escaped. - Gen. George S. Patton Patton wanted horsed cavalry - or at least claimed later to have wanted horsed cavalry out of respect for his old mentor John Herr - to operate in the rough hills and mountains of Tunisia where mechanized vehicles could not go. The cavalry division would wield massive infantry firepower, which might by itself have made it successful in action. |
| Conclusion |
|---|
|
While Herr clearly overstated the case for horsed cavalry in the U.S. Army, it's also clear that his opponents exaggerated the difficulties as well. Though the North African climate had changed since the days of the famed Numidian light cavalry, French colonial armies had recruited and operated cavalry regiments in Tunisia since their arrival in 1884. Arguments regarding shipping space for horses had some merit, but the superb American logistical system managed to deliver an abundance of goods - eventually including pack mules - directly to the front lines when called upon. |
|
|
|---|
| Regio Esercito |
|---|
|
| Army |
|---|
|
| US Horsed Cavalry Rules! | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This 4-session play-through of this relatively balanced scenario resulted in a resounding American victory in the rugged hills of Tunisia! The Italian Commander surrendered after the US 1st Cavalry had captured 14 points of 60 and 40 meter hilltops, and when his troops were completely surrounded and under deadly CMG fire from 3 directions. This occurred before the US Commander began systematic close assaults on the outlying, dug-in, north and south edges of the Italian hilltop position on Map 76. The American movement to contact was very well-executed and the US suffered no casualties in the first 6 turns. The Italians lost both of their 81mm mortar platoons to accurate US OB artillery on game turn 2. Superior American mobility, clever deployment of assets, and heavy automatic weapons triumphed over a virtually immobile Italian infantry battalion with indifferent leaders and lacking transportion & armored support. Suggestions for future play: 1) reduce the number of game turns from 30 to 20; 2) replace the 2 x 15 increments of Italian OBA with 2 x 16 increments; and 3) consider adding at least 1 Italian motorcycle platoon and an additional Tenente leader to the initial setup. |
||||||||||||||
| 0 Comments |
| A Hard Slog for the Trapped Italians | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This was a longish 3-session play-through of this "sort of balanced scenario." I played the defending Italians against the undaunted Treadasaurus and his fast-moving American dragoons. We used the fog of War, consolidation, smoke and excess initiative rules. The Americans were able to capture all the needed hilltops in hard fighting at the end of game turn 26 after surrounding the Italian positions. The Italians were able to eliminate 13 US steps and 2 leaders, while losing 21 steps and 4 leaders. Together, we threw 13 combat 7-die rolls in our 3 online sessions. There were 8 fog of war shortened turns out of the 26 we played. An American decisive victory was gained in desperate fighting. Others have suggested that the Italian order of battle should be enhanced and that this scenario should be shortened. I agree, and have cut and pasted these 3 suggestions, below: 1) reduce the number of game turns from 30 to 20; 2) replace the 2 x 15 increments of Italian OBA with 2 x 16 increments; and 3) consider adding at least 1 motorcycle platoon and an additional Italian Tenente leader to the initial setup. |
||||||||||||||
| 0 Comments |
| The First Cav as they should have Fought in Tunisia | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Concur with the previous two AARs. A fine game and good scenario to for shared play - just too long. |
||||||||||||||
| 0 Comments |