Phoenix: Gate to the Desert La Campagne de Tunisie #7 |
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(Defender)
Germany
(Defender) Italy |
vs |
France
(Attacker)
Morocco (Attacker) |
Formations Involved | ||
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France | Détachement Lagarde | |
Italy | 1ª Divisone Fanteria "Superga" |
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Overall Rating, 4 votes |
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4
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Scenario Rank: --- of 940 |
Parent Game | La Campagne de Tunisie |
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Historicity | Historical |
Date | 1943-01-11 |
Start Time | 04:30 |
Turn Count | 28 |
Visibility | Day & Night |
Counters | 50 |
Net Morale | 2 |
Net Initiative | 1 |
Maps | 2: 86, 88 |
Layout Dimensions | 56 x 43 cm 22 x 17 in |
Play Bounty | 158 |
AAR Bounty | 171 |
Total Plays | 4 |
Total AARs | 1 |
Battle Types |
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Hill Control |
Inflict Enemy Casualties |
Road Control |
Conditions |
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Off-board Artillery |
Reinforcements |
Smoke |
Terrain Mods |
Illumination |
Scenario Requirements & Playability | |
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An Army at Dawn | Counters |
Conquest of Ethiopia | Maps |
La Campagne de Tunisie | Base Game |
Introduction |
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Initially scheduled for 20 December, a French attack would push through difficult mountainous terrain to threaten the Pont-du-Fahs -- Enfidaville and Pont-du-Fahs -- Kairouan roads. The reinforced Carpentier group was in charge, combining 4e Régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique and Foreign Legion elements. After several firefights in the last rainy days of December, between Henchir Moussa crossroads and Henchir Karachoum pass, Colonel Lagarde eventually launched a combined arms attack on the pass. |
Conclusion |
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Carefully prepared and supported by 155mm guns, the French assault started at 0630 and it reached its objectives at noon quite easily. The joint attack by Goums, Légionnaires and armor of the 4e Régiment de chasseurs d'Afrique completely overwhelmed the Italian infantry stationed around the pass. |
Additional Notes |
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Maps from Africa Orientale Italiana are the same as those from Conquest of Ethiopia, and thus may be used in there place. |
AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle |
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3 Errata Items | |
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Scen 7 |
Scenario #7 calls for a German 37AT, but this counter is not provided in either Le Campagne de Tunisie or An Army at Dawn. It can be substituted with the American 37AT, which has the same values and is found in An Army at Dawn. (Schoenwulf
on 2016 Sep 03)
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The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France. (plloyd1010
on 2015 Jul 31)
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The movement allowance on the counters in Airborne is misprinted. It should be "3." (rerathbun
on 2012 Jan 30)
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Breakthrough at Henchir Karachoum Pass | ||||||||||||
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Before dawn on January 11, 1943, units from Detachment Lagarde moved forward against Italian forces from the 1st “Superga” Infantry Division. The Italians had AT guns placed in rocky ground on both sides of the road, and infantry, HMG and mortar platoons on the 60-meter summits and slopes. A White recon car moved forward along the road and spotted Italian infantry at 0500 hours; the recon unit retreated to hold a convoy carrying Legionnaire platoons. Around 0530 hours, another group of Legionnaires moved up the southwest slope of the large 60-meter hill. They encountered an Italian AT unit bolstered by infantry and HMG platoons, and a firefight ensued. The AT unit retreated and the Legionnaires moved toward the summit, causing a mortar platoon to retreat east as well. The 47mm AT unit was finally eliminated, while a Legionnaire platoon was lost in the summit attack. By sunrise, the French controlled the summit and were moving down the north slope toward the road in pursuit of Italian infantry and HMG units. At 0715 hours, German reinforcements from the I/Afrika Marsch Battalion arrived from the east. The battle ultimately centered along the easternmost section of the road with several clashes between the French and Axis troops, with control of the road maintained by a single German ERS platoon at 1115 hours. The Moroccan troops distinguished themselves by assaulting and eliminating both 75mm and 37mm AT gun positons. The French D1 tank did not play a role due to the fact that it was mired twice over the course of the last three hours of the battle. The scenario seems to favor the French with high morale and greater #’s of units. However, the Axis forces were aided by positioning and some fortunate OBA hits. Nonetheless, the Axis lost 15 steps to only 4 for the French (a minor victory for the Italians). The scenario begins at 0430, resulting in a number of turns with one hex visibility; this allows the French to move forward and position units under cover of darkness, a decided advantage. At game end, the French also achieved a minor victory by controlling all of the 60-meter hill hexes, and they were within a single road hex of a major victory. The lone remaining unit with road access, a reduced ERS unit, was on the board edge road hex, but survived a M2 morale check on the last turn. The final result was a draw, since each side had achieved a minor victory. |
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