I would like to say first that this is a great scenario for solitaire play but shared maybe not so much. The New Zealanders have an ardous task before them; to take out four entrenched hill positions with no real fire support available other than a single 3-inch mortar platoon. Also, the Italian player has 20 points of minefields, with no decoys, to place in 10 hexes which perfectly surround their positions and armor which can be placed on both flanks.

In the set-up the Italians also get to hand pick their Colonel (Fedele de Georgis) with a rating of (1-10-1), with luck I also randomly drew a Captain with a (1-10-2) rating giving unheard of morale for the Italians. The Kiwis were not so lucky in their draw of leaders. Though almost all of them had a 1 morale modifier, not one of them had a combat modifier which would of greatly aided their assault attempts.

So the play began and right away one of the Kiwi trucks carrying much needed HMGs was hit by indirect fire demoralizing both units yet the advance pressed on. Then I got a sandstorm result on the random events table which slowed things down quite a bit but then I thought this to be a benefit as the low visiblity protected units from being spotted until they could maybe get to the hill areas. Eventually the storm cleared after 5 turns and now all units were spottable again before they were within direct fire range.

The attack plan was to assault an immobile Pz748e (a captured Matilda) on the West side of the hill with infantry and take out the L3/35's with the 2-pdr A.T. gun and Bren carriers on the East side; combined INF and HMG would go straight-on. Well, none of this worked! The 105mm artillery easily took care of the carriers and the A.T. gun was destroyed before it could even fire a shot at the tankettes. Then there were the minefields. Anyway, to keep this brief and to wrap it all up, not one hill position was taken. Furthermore, not one Italian step was eliminated or even demoralized that I can remember. This was a first I believe, most definitely for Italy. The New Zealanders on the other hand lost 8 steps of INF; 3 steps of HMG; 1 2-pdr; 2 Brens along with a Major and two Captains, plus plenty more units demoralized and disrupted.

I still rated this one a borderline 3 because it was a great solitaire play, shared perhaps more of a 2. With the Italians it was mostly target practice but I did try some daring moves with the Kiwis that I wouldn't of attempted elsewhere, knowing well before the scenario's end that a win was hopeless. Also that I would play this again but at a much later date.

Come on Patsy.

This was probably a good draw insofar as it goes.

Italian Set-Up: Entrenchments in 0908(20-m); 0810(40-m); 0708(40-m); 0609(20-m). The L3/35's and the frozen reduced (captured) Matilda are dug in on 20-m around the perimeter. Mines: 1008; 0909; 0910; 0808; 0811; 0710; 0707; 0608; 0609; 0510.

The NZ force has a long trek across open sand. After Italian bombardment rolls (one on-board piece and one off-board factor) of 7, 7, 6, 8 (SIGH), they proceed to roll two "snake eyes" in succession killing two lorry-borne HMGs! The NZ colonel decides to foot pound it the rest of the way.

NZ attack axis is from the East and SE (having entered on N board edge).

Key Elements:

NZ 2-lbr shrugs off bombardment after bombardment and takes out three steps of M3/35 with 10's and 11's. Assault takes out the forth step of M3/35.

NZ makes its play for Entrenchment 0609. By 1030 hours (and seven turns of assault), situation is this:

Italians lost: 12 countable steps - 1 BERS platoon (2 steps); 1 ENG platoon (2 steps); and 2xL3/35 platoons (4 steps x 2). Lost ENTRENCHMENT 0609.

NZ lost: 7 countable steps - 2 x HMG (4 steps); 1 x 3-inch; 2xINF(red; 2 steps).

The NZ side will lose if it loses another step, but cannot win without taking three more entrenchments with equivalent holding force to the one taken after considerable trouble (and only after getting both BRENs and the lone HMG into the assault). The Italians are content to remain within the protection of their minefields and fortifications. Thus, the NZ force withdraws with periodic DIS due to artillery harassment.

The Italian HQ is saved; the Kiwis sent back with something called a "flesh wound," but still capable of combat at a later date.

PS The Italians also benefited from an inordinate number of good rolls on the DF 4 col! There were sufficient morale failures on the NZ side to prevent a second attack from forming, though perhaps just as well from the VC point of view.

Author	triangular_cube
Method	Solo
Victor	Germany, Italy
Play Date	2023-03-04
Language	English
Scenario	DeRa022

This is another Axis fortified hill with entrenchment spam similar to #s 20 & 21. This time the Allies still have a force far too weak to take the hill even without entrenchment and mine spam. However this time around, the Italians have less AT capability, so if that gets knocked out the New Zealanders can get their Brens into assault for some extra firepower, and the Italians are much thinner on the ground. The task is still unlikely to be successful but not to the "basically impossible" standard I have for a "1".

New Zealand has one true boon in this though, in that they drew their 11-1-2 LT, so they are able to advance with his modifier bonus into contact, ignoring all the OBA and 105 fire. They hit the Italian hill in good order, but wither under adjacent fire in the minefields. They fall back after being chewed up, and results in an easy Italian win.

Best course of action for NZ of course, is to dig in on board entry and sit there for a draw, but seeing as they had some remote chance of success they went for it. Otherwise most of these DR scenarios are going to draw.

Author	Reconquista (New Zealand)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany, Italy
Participants	treadasaurusrex
Play Date	2024-06-19
Language	English
Scenario	DeRa022

This was a 3-session disaster for the attacking Kiwis in a flawed scenario that is virtually impossible to win as the blue player, barring miraculous die rolling.

I give it a 2 because it was exciting to play with a challenging opponent. This one needs a rewrite as is, and should be played solitaire only.