Halloween Rampant II: The Battle for Hacky Valley

 

With Halloween approaching, and with the huge success of his “Beowulf” game in October 2025, Mike once again stepped up to the plate with a spooky clash using the Dragon Rampant rules. 

This year’s game pitted plucky human warriors against an unholy alliance of Greenskins and the Ossified Undead. Mike took on the role of umpire, while Alex, Mick and I led the human forces. Dave commanded the Greenskins, with Nathan taking charge of the Skeletons.

The Scenario

The Human Northern Alliance has pushed one of its armies deep into enemy territory; a territory which is being bitterly contested by the Greenskins and their allies. With supply lines stretched (and often cut by the enemy) several supply convoys have been sent out to reach the Alliance's hard-pressed army. 

One such convoy reaches a vale scattered with mounds and hillocks or are they tumuli?  There is movement in the distance. Could that be the enemy? The heavily armed and armoured convoy must push ahead and fight their way through. Welcome to Hacky Valley.

Deployment and Objective

The game was played on an 8’ x 4’ table, with forces deploying along the opposing long edges. The human forces included three supply wagons - they would score a point for each wagon to exit the board via the opposite long edge. The Greenskins meanwhile would earn a point for each wagon they captured.

The sides took it in turn to deploy three units each, until the battle lines had been drawn. 

The Greenskins deployed their elite “hopper” heavy cavalry on the extreme right flank, with infantry in the centre, supported by a goblin wizard perched atop a towering ogre and a fearsome minotaur. Their calcified allies deployed archers in the centre-left, with heavy cavalry and a chariot holding the left flank.

The Human Alliance, meanwhile, deployed a strong centre, comprising two units each of elite, heavy and light infantry, alongside all three supply wagons. Their right flank, facing the Skeleton horde, was equally formidable, boasting two units of elite heavy cavalry.

Things looked considerably less reassuring on the left. Here, a handful of scouts and a solitary cavalry unit were tasked with facing the cream of the Greenskin force. It was either a bold tactical gamble or a recipe for a very short afternoon - and the dice had yet to be rolled.

The Game

As the attackers, the humans moved first, sending their elite cavalry forward on the right while the scouts on the left made a dash for the relative safety of the woodland. In the centre, the supply train began its slow advance - although only one of the three wagons managed to pass its activation roll. An ominous start for the human logistics department.

The supply wagons begin their advance

In return, the undead lurched forward in unison, while the Greenskins eyed up the exposed human scouts. As the battle lines closed, a series of failed activations among the wagons and elite cavalry began to disrupt the human advance.

First blood went to the Greenskins on the human left, where warhounds bravely counter charged the fearsome hopper cavalry, only to be beaten off without inflicting any damage. The scouts and supporting cavalry fared rather better, however, with some excellent dice rolling from Mick keeping the hoppers occupied and buying precious time for the wagons.

Meanwhile, the human centre received an unwelcome visitor. A towering minotaur lumbered out of the woodland and onto the flank of the light infantry, who responded with a volley of javelins that did little more than scratch the beast. The ensuing melee went the minotaur's way, forcing the infantry to retreat, although not before they had inflicted some serious damage of their own.

With their route ahead blocked by friendly troops, the increasingly desperate wagon drivers scattered, each taking a different route towards safety. The human centre and right were faring better, with well-timed cavalry charges forcing the Skeletons onto the defensive and pinning much of the undead force in place. With two wagons enjoying a relatively clear run ahead, the game seemed to be turning in the humans' favour.

A minotaur wanders out of the central woodland, while the supply wagons split up

Sensing danger, the goblin leader urged his ogre mount forward, smashing into and obliterating the unit tasked with guarding one of the supply wagons. One point to the Greenskin side.

It was at this moment that the forces of evil chose to play their trump card. The ground to the rear of the human battle line began to shake and tremble. Two fresh units of Skeleton infantry erupted from a nearby tumulus, appearing directly behind another supply wagon. The human generals hurriedly redirected their remaining infantry to deal with this unexpected threat, but the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

On the left, the hoppers had finally finished off the scouts and now joined a unit of Orc warriors in attacking the isolated wagon. Its defenders fought valiantly, but were overwhelmed by the superior Greenskin force. Another wagon lost, another point to the Greenskins, and with that, the game. 

Wanting to salvage something from this defeat, the remaining human infantry and a sole cavalryman fought a heroic rearguard action, keeping superior forces at bay while the remaining supply wagon plodded toward safety.

Sadly, heroism can only get you so far when your transport has the pace of a particularly reluctant wheelbarrow. The brave knight's watch eventually ended, the Skeletons caught the wagon, and its defenders were overwhelmed.

A clean sweep for the Greenskins and Skeletons, then, with all three wagons captured or intercepted. A thoroughly enjoyable game nonetheless, with plenty of dramatic twists and some excellent moments around the table.

Thanks to Mike for running an excellent game, and to Dave, Nathan, Mick and Alex for playing it in exactly the right spirit.

.

Battle for Malati Bridge 1943 - 'O' Group

The Background

By July 1943, the Allied invasion of Sicily was underway, and British forces were pushing north along the island’s east coast towards Catania. Their route crossed the Plain of Catania, a largely flat area criss-crossed by rivers. To maintain their advance, the British needed to secure the bridges before the Germans could destroy them or establish a firm defensive line.

Two important crossings were at Malati and Primosole. While the fighting at Primosole Bridge is relatively well documented, the action at Malati is less well known. James Holland’s Sicily '43 provided the starting point for this scenario.

Malati Bridge was held by an Italian garrison, with demolition charges ready to destroy the crossing. Around 400 men of No. 3 Commando were landed on the coast and, after a gruelling seven-mile march, seized the bridge. German Fallschirmjäger were also moving into the area, however, and soon drove the Commandos out. Fortunately for the advancing British, the Germans had not managed to replace the demolition charges, leaving the bridge intact for the main force to capture.

But what if events had unfolded a little differently? For our scenario, we have imagined that the British column arrived earlier, and the German defenders did not know that the bridge had been captured.

The layout of our game table

British Order of Battle

British Battalion Regulars · 1st Rate Classed

COMPANY	UNIT	SECTION	TROOP RATING
Battalion HQ	HQ	OT
	3” Mortars	OT
	FOO+ Transport	1	Regular
1st Coy	Coy Commander	1	Commander
	3x Infantry Plt	2	Regular
2nd Coy	Coy Commander	1	Commander
	3x Infantry Plt	2	Regular
3rd Coy	Coy Commander	1	Commander
	3x Infantry Plt	2	Regular
Support Coy	MMG section + carrier	1	Regular
	PIAT A/T Section	1	Regular
Tanks	Sherman 75mm Troop	2	Regular
	Sherman 75mm Troop	2	Regular
Recce Scout Platoon	Carriers	2	Regular
Commando Coy (at Bridge)
1st Coy	Coy Commander	1	Commander
	2x Infantry Plt	2	Confident

British Infantry Training Characteristic

Smoke – Under a Fire and Move Action, may lay smoke, two move dice, take highest if move & firing or add both if move only. If targeted lose 1D6 and use spotting dice.

German Order of Battle

Fallschirmjäger Btn Confident · 1st Rate Classed as PanzerGrenadiers

COMPANY	UNIT	SECTION	TROOP RATING
Battalion HQ	HQ	OT
	80mm Mortars	OT
	FOO+ Transport	1	Confident
1st Coy	Coy Commander	1	Commander
	3x Fallschirmjäger Plt	3	Confident
2nd Coy	Coy Commander	1	Commander
	3x Fallschirmjäger Plt	3	Confident
Tank Hunters	A/T Rifles	2	Confident
A/T Gun	50mm PK38	2	Confident
Reserves (arrive randomly)
Flak Platoon	88mm gun + tow	1	Regular
Assault Gun(x2)	StuG III	1	Regular
Heavy Panzer	Tiger 88mm L56	1	Regular
Italian Allies
1st Coy	Coy Commander	1	Commander
	3 x Inf Platoon	3	Confident

German Infantry Training Characteristic

Rate of Fire – MMG, Attached MMG and all platoons gain +1 hit for each double 6. 

Panzer Grenadiers – re-roll 1 miss if target us spotted or in open. 

1st Rate -Germans win initiative draws but don't receive extra order.

German Briefing

Mission Objective

Prevent the British from getting a tank across the bridge by the end of the game. Give the enemy a bloody nose, then withdraw under cover of darkness.

Orders & Intelligence

• The Italian garrison is believed to be holding the bridge. German forces should deploy on this assumption.
• The river can be crossed by infantry, but not by vehicles.
• The Fallschirmjäger have only recently arrived in the area.
• German heavy weapons will arrive along the road at random intervals during the game.
• No artillery support is available; the Germans have only their mortars.

Unknown to the Germans, the Italian garrison has already been dispersed, and British Commandos are holding the bridge.

British Briefing

Mission Objective

Get at least one tank across the bridge by the end of the game.

Orders & Intelligence

• British Commandos captured the bridge overnight, dispersing the Italian garrison.
• The German defenders are Fallschirmjäger who have only recently arrived in the area.
• German heavy weapons will arrive along the road at random intervals during the game.
• The river is passable by infantry, but vehicles must use the bridge to cross.

The Game

Three players took part in this game, with Steve L commanding the German Fallschirmjäger and Steve M and Matthew taking charge of the British. Both Steves were experienced O Group players, which made my life as umpire considerably easier – always a welcome bonus!

Unaware that the Commandos had already captured the bridge, Steve L deployed his forces on either side of the road, ready to defend the crossing. The British, meanwhile, came on in force, deploying from their Combat Patrols early and using their considerable firepower to push back the German CPs.

Things were looking promising for the attackers, however German mortars and well-placed ambushes began inflicting heavy casualties on the advancing British. As umpire, I was starting to wonder whether this game might be over rather sooner than expected...

Then the dice gods intervened.

For two turns, Steve L’s right flank became Hesitant, and Steve M and Matthew wasted no time exploiting the opportunity. The British brought their tank into action, while the German FUBAR count began to mount. Things could have been considerably worse for the defenders, had it not been for Steve L’s inspiring rolling for his defensive saving throws. 

Things took another turn for the worse when the first German reserve, an 88mm anti-tank gun, arrived, only to be captured at the bridge! It was at this point that Steve L realised his forces had been cut off from the crossing. 

Fortunately for the Germans, the dice gods have notoriously short attention spans, and their favour soon shifted back. The reserves began arriving, starting with an Italian infantry company, followed by the much-feared Tiger.

The arrival of the reinforcements forced the Commandos to pull back from the bridge, but not before they had earned their keep, helping to smash up the German right flank. With the game entering its final turns, everything came down to a dramatic showdown.

The Tiger took up position on the bridge, seemingly barring the way forward. Meanwhile, four British Shermans lurked behind the woodland, out of sight and presumably contemplating their options. Against all advice, the British commander decided to throw caution to the wind. The Shermans burst out from cover and opened fire.

A hit!

Steve L rolled his defensive dice.

Double one.

And with that, the Tiger's luck had run out.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable game, with plenty of tactical decisions, unexpected reversals and good humour throughout. My thanks to Steve L, Steve M and Matthew for making it such a pleasure to umpire. 

Chas

The Engagement at Schleiz - Napoleonic Action from the 1806 Campaign.

 

The Engagement at Schleiz occurred on October 9th, 1806, marking the very first clash of the War of the Fourth Coalition during the Napoleonic Wars, so it was appropriate that in the October meeting, October 10th, four tolerant and amiable wargamers should play a scenario based on this first meeting between French and a mixture of Saxon and Prussian forces.

Why am I collecting armies that have no or little chance of winning? Well, my first army was an 1815 Dutch Belgium Division. ‘Nuff said. If you want to see how they fared, have a look at their last outing.

Devon Wargames Group: The Battle of Waterloo June 18 1815 Braine l’Aleud - Changing History

So why collect such a problematic army? Well, precisely for that reason. I wanted to try to model the strictures of command and doctrine that this army fought under and to understand the challenges faced by their Generals when confronted with a foe with a manoeuvre and combined arms doctrine. 

Also, well, AB Jena Prussian figures are just gorgeous, and Eureka do a wonderful quirky Saxon 1806 army. What’s there not to like?

For an excellent account of the engagement I thoroughly recommend ‘Mike’s blog, Brilliant Actions of the Napoleonic Wars’, which I found extremely useful, not least because of the map, link below.

1806 Campaign Begins: Combat of Schleiz – Brilliant Actions of the Napoleonic Wars

The information and map given to the players was as follows:

PRUSSIAN/SAXON - Linear Doctrine.

Delay the French advance and maintain control of the roads North of Schleiz.

Deploy anywhere behind 1’ from Southern edge. Any Units deployed in obscured terrain (Schleiz and Oschitz Wood) are marked as blinds, except skirmishers. Two Additional Decoy Blinds.

General-Major Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel von Tauentzien

Prinz Johann Chevau-légers Regiment

Albrecht Dragoons Regiment

4lb Horse Artillery Battery

Advance Guard - General-Major Karl von Bila

Rosen Fusilier Battalion

Werner Jäger Battalion

4 Kronhelm Jäger Companies

3 Graf von Wedel Fusilier Companies

Bila Hussar Regiment No. 11 (6 Squadrons)

SAXON

Saxon Infantry Brigade- General-Major Johann Christian von Zweiffel

1 Bn Prinz Maximillian Infantry Regiment No. 28

2 Bn Prinz Maximillian Infantry Regiment No. 28

1 Bn Rechten Infantry Regiment No. 12

2 Bn Rechten Infantry Regiment No. 12

8lb Foot Artillery Battery

FRENCH  - Combined arms and dynamic manoeuvre Doctrine.

Gain control of Schleiz and the two Northern roads.

• Turn 1 1er Brigade along Southern edge in Oschitz Wood.

          Watier Cavalry Brigade along Southern edge East and West of Oschitz.
          Général de Division Jean-Baptiste Drouet on road passing through Oschitz.

• Turn 2 2e Brigade along Southern edge in and around Oschitz.
• Turn 3 Divisional Artillery on road passing through Oschitz.

Général de Division Jean-Baptiste Drouet

8lb Foot Battery

4lb Horse Battery

1er Brigade- Général de Brigade François Werlé

1/27e Régiment d'Infanterie Légère

2/27e Régiment d'Infanterie Légère

3/27e Régiment d'Infanterie Légère (5 Elite companies)

2e Brigade - Général de Brigade Bernard-Georges-François Frère

1/94e Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne

2/94e Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne

1/95e Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne

2/95e Régiment d'Infanterie de Ligne

Any Voltigeurs company may detach to 1er Brigade

Cavalry Brigade - Général Watier

2e Hussards

4e Hussards

5e Chasseurs a cheval

General-Major Bogislav Friedrich Emanuel von Tauentzien took up a strong defensive position with the ford being covered by his cavalry, the Saxon Infantry Brigade of General-Major Johann Christian von Zweiffel occupying Bergkirche St. Marien and Schleiz and the Advanced Guard deployed in Oschitz Wood. 

Any Units deployed in obscured terrain were marked with Blinds, with two additional decoy blinds being placed in Oschitz Woods. The two Artillery batteries were deployed in Bergkirche St. Marien churchyard and in the gap between the church and the village of Schleiz with good fields of fire covering the approaches.

Drouet ordered the Light Infantry of Werlé’s Brigade to clear Oschitz Wood and for Watier’s Cavalry Brigade to probe the southern approaches to Schleiz. Bickering skirmish fire confirmed that Oschitz Wood was occupied and the two strong battalions of Werlé’s Brigade pressed on, confident in their ability. The wood seemed lightly defended so Werlé ordered the 2/27e Régiment d'Infanterie Légère to form up in half companies on the road with the view of advancing on Schleiz. 

Just as they were preparing to advance the Rosen Fusilier Battalion appeared out of the thick undergrowth and engaged the 2/27e who quickly returned to open order and returned fire. It was now that the full strength of the Prussian forces was realised. The Prussians were happy to slowly give ground but the French did not have the numbers to gain any tactical superiority in this part of the battlefield.

As this bickering fight continued, Watier’s light cavalry advanced towards Schleiz and soon uncovered the Saxon position.

Having done their job, they retired behind the newly arrived Brigade of Général de Brigade Bernard-Georges-François Frère and took no further part in the battle, considering the ford over the river Wisenttal to be too strongly defended. Frère’s Brigade lost no time in launching a strong attack with all four battalions on Schleitz and the horse battery on its western outskirts. 

The two battalions attacking the horse artillery battery were stopped in their tracks by more than a whiff of grapeshot, but the other two battalions braved the Saxon infantry storm of lead and advanced into the village, engaging Prinz Maximillian’s two Infantry Battalions.

The first was forced further back into the village, but the second, against all odds, held and beat off the attack, even capturing Frère himself, who, like all good French Generals, was leading from the front – at least, that is what he told his capturers and that is what was later reported in Le Moniteur Universel. The absence of his sword was never investigated or questioned.

Somewhat bloodied, Frère’s Brigade retired and reformed. But the attack, although unsuccessful, had seriously weakened the Saxon centre and they started to withdraw, some voluntarily and others because they felt the need.

The second French attack that went in was met with greater success, any remaining Saxon forces being repelled from the village, except the wounded and dead, of which there was a large number. 

However, having gazed at an empty ford for most of the day, the Saxon cavalry had taken up a position covering the two northern roads exiting the village denying the opportunity of a further French advance. Drouet had to wait for more troops to arrive to press home his advantage which gave the Saxon and Prussian forces time to withdraw to a new defensive position on the high ground to the north of Schleiz.

It was an interesting engagement that showed if a Prussian/Saxon army held a good defensive position, command and control was not such an issue and they would be hard to shift. What happens when they are in open fields and widely spread out might be another matter. We shall see.

My thanks as ever to my friends at DWG who are happy to act as guineapigs and tolerate my on the fly decisions. Their support and constructive comments are always appreciated. And they’re such a great group of gamers who play in the right spirit and with humour. My particular thanks to the tenacious Prussian/Saxon players, Mike and Ian and the ‘have a go’ French players, Mark and JJ.

Surviving 'Nam: Chaos in the Paddy Fields

This month at the club, Mick organised a 15mm game to the “Surviving 'Nam” rules, on a beautiful jungle themed table.

The Surviving 'Nam rules saw his four players: Paul, Lawrence, Mark and Vince, working cooperatively to control the blue, green and orange fire teams, plus a command team (white) against an enemy force driven by event cards & rules.

The scenario had fire teams entering on the west side of the board, with the exit point on the opposite, eastern, side.

The game began quietly, as Green team advanced toward the first sampan.

As the Green team closed in, all hell broke loose. Incoming fire quickly found its mark, with one of the team going down in the paddy fields. The medic immediately rushed forward to his stricken comrade, only to come under fire himself and hit the deck in the paddy fields.

With the situation becoming increasingly confused, another member of the green team moved over to check on the casualties. A quick examination revealed that the medic was, in fact, perfectly fine. He picked himself up and prepared to continue the advance.

His good fortune lasted only a matter of seconds. No sooner had he got back on his feet and started moving forward than another burst of fire caught him, sending him straight back into the paddy.

Orange team, meanwhile, skirted around the north of the village, only to walk straight into the jaws of a Viet Cong ambush! Their sergeant, having apparently spotted a particularly dangerous snake, bravely dashed for the safety of a nearby building, leaving the remainder of his squad to fend for themselves.

Despite their sergeant’s somewhat less-than-heroic behaviour under fire, the rest of Orange team held their nerve and managed to see off their would-be ambushers.

Elsewhere, a machine gun concealed in a hidden bunker suddenly opened up on White team, unleashing a torrent of fire. Fortunately, the position was quickly identified and pinned down by return fire.

With the scene rapidly descending into chaos, Blue team forged ahead, continuing their search of the sampans and village huts. 

Just as the fire teams were beginning to think they had completed their mission, word came through that the Colonel had other ideas. The troops were now required to search at least five Viet Cong bodies for intelligence! 

Orange and Blue teams doggedly pursued their new objective, while Green team began to evacuate their wounded and dead. 

As more Viet Cong closed in on their position, the 2nd Lieutenant and his radio operator also made their way towards the extraction point, leaving the M60 team and grenadier to cover their withdrawal. 

The grenadier's well-timed smoke screen bought them some valuable breathing space, but it wasn't long before their tenacious adversaries began charging through the smoke to continue the pursuit. Both members of the M60 team were hit, prompting Orange team to rush to their rescue and drag the wounded men towards safety. 

By now, the 2nd Lieutenant, Green team, and roughly half of both Blue and Orange teams had reached the relative safety of their waiting choppers. As the helicopters lifted off, they were able to provide covering fire for the beleaguered rearguard, allowing the remaining troops to make their escape.

Against all the odds, the survivors made it out - although quite how much intelligence the Colonel actually got from those five bodies was another matter entirely!

Bir el Gubi, 19th November 1941 - 'O' Group

The Background

Our engagement took place at Bir el Gubi, Libya, on 19th November 1941. The action was fought as part of Operation Crusader, a major British offensive in North Africa which aimed to recapture Cyrenaica, and to relieve the besieged port of Tobruk.

The British Eighth Army advanced westwards out of Egypt on 18th November 1941, with the XIII Corps operating in the north. The XXX Corps, centred around the 7th Armoured Division, moved south through the Libyan desert in an attempt to outflank and engage the Axis armoured forces, before advancing towards Tobruk.

The inexperienced British 22nd Armoured Brigade, equipped with new Crusader tanks, was initially part of the force advancing on the airfield at Sidi Rezegh. Having identified the presence of the Italian 132nd Armored Division "Ariete", but perhaps underestimating its capabilities, Major-General William Gott, the commander of the 7th Armoured Division, redirected the 22nd towards Bir el Gubi. Contact was made with the Italians on the morning of 19th November, with British forces preparing to advance against well-prepared defensive positions.

The Rules

The engagement was fought using the ‘O’ Group ruleset, published by Reisswitz Press . The rules are designed for battalion level actions and above, and feature some clever resource management mechanisms, with a variable number of “orders” allocated to both sides at the beginning of each game round. 

Invariably, the commanders found themselves with a shortage of orders, when compared to the number of actions they wanted to take. In addition to this, the commanders needed to decide whether they wished to keep a cache of orders “unspent” during their turn - these orders could then be used to interrupt and react to enemy actions. We found that this helped to maintain a level of uncertainty and excitement throughout our game.

Of the four players, three of us were relative ‘O’ Group novices and were reliant on the game organiser, Steve, to guide us through the intricacies of the rules. Thankfully, I found ‘O’ Group to be relatively easy to pick up - we quickly nailed down the basics, and the gameplay flowed nicely throughout.

The Forces

The battle was represented using Steve’s beautiful 15mm collection. The British forces consisted of three companies, two of Crusader tanks* (3 pairs in each company), and the third consisting of infantry with two armoured cars.

*The commander of each company was represented using a Stuart tank, both because Steve didn’t quite have enough Crusader miniatures, and to make them easier to spot on the tabletop.

The Italian forces also comprised three companies. Two of the companies each contained two platoons of infantry, with one adding a pair of 47mm anti-tank guns, and a 20mm anti-tank rifle, while the second had a pair of heavier 75mm guns. The third company was made up of two platoons of M13/40, and a single platoon of M11/39 tanks.

The Battle

Ken and I volunteered to lead the brave Italian defence of Bir el Gubi, while Dave and Owen took control of the perfidious British.

As the defenders, the Italians were first asked to mark their dispositions on a map in secret, with both infantry companies beginning on the table, and the armoured company to arrive later as reinforcements. The Italian artillery, and one platoon of infantry from each company, was able to begin the battle “dug in”.

Not knowing how the British would decide to direct their attack, we opted to place our heavy 75mm guns, along with two platoons of infantry, on a hill overlooking our right flank. Our 47mm guns, and one platoon of infantry (with the 20mm anti-tank rifle) were deployed on our left flank, with the final platoon of infantry deployed in the village itself.

With the Italian dispositions secretly noted, Dave and Owen were able to deploy their forces, and decided to roll the dice - focussing solely on their own left flank (the Italian right).

The British won the initiative roll, and decided to take the first turn for themselves. Desperately needing intelligence on the location of the Italian forces, they rushed forward with their armoured car, while their tanks followed behind more cautiously.

The armoured car quickly discovered the Italian 75mm guns, which opted to open fire - destroying the car on the second attempt.

Having located their quarry, but lacking High Explosive ammunition, the British Crusader tanks rumbled onward, hoping to close on the Italians before the guns took their toll. An infantry platoon deployed from a “jumping off” point, just in front of their tanks, and opened fire on the Italian forces on the hill.

Off-table artillery fire proved effective for both sides - some excellent rolling allowed the British heavy artillery to maul the Italian units on the hill. This, combined with fire from the infantry and the tanks’ machine guns, managed to knock out both Italian 75’s in short order. 

Noticing that the British infantry and tanks had bunched together, the Italians replied with their own artillery, slowly chipping away at the British forces. 

With their guns disabled, the Italian infantry deployed on the hilltop, hoping to slow the British advance long enough for their reinforcements to arrive on the battlefield.

Effective Italian mortar fire checked the inexorable British advance, giving the Italian company on their left flank precious time to attempt to re-deploy into the town, where they could be of more use. 

This respite was short-lived, however, with some poor Italian rolling causing their lefthand company commander to become “hesitant”, and to refuse to move into a position where his guns could be brought to bear. The British, meanwhile, finally managed to overrun the Italian infantry on the hill, leaving the second Italian infantry platoon hiding in rough ground on the extreme flank.

With a British victory looking certain, the Italian defenders morale was boosted by the rumble of approaching reinforcements. The Italian tanks were split, with their less capable M11/39’s deployed into the settlement, and the M13/40’s rolling directly toward the British and immediately scoring a kill.

The battle for the Italian right flank was on a knife edge, with heavy damage being taken on both sides as the British continued to commit more tanks to the engagement.

It was at this moment that the M11/39 tanks moved out of the village, to the Italian centre. Some very lucky rolling, and thinner side armour, helped them to knock out a pair of Crusader tanks.

With the tide of the battle turning, and with a burning desire to test Steve’s knowledge of the rules, Ken decided that the platoon of Italian infantry, stranded in rough terrain on their extreme right flank, would attempt to assault the closest British tank unit. 

The assault was (against expectations) a success, and proved to be the last straw for the British. With their forward momentum arrested, and with several tanks disabled, the British commanders decided that the time was right to withdraw, leaving the bloodied Italian forces with possession of the battlefield. 

Aftermath

With three new players, I want to give special thanks to Steve M, who did a fantastic job of umpiring what turned out to be a very close game, and to my co-commanders David, Owen and Ken for playing in the right spirit and making it a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

The impression of the rules amongst us newbies was overwhelmingly positive - we found them quick to pick up, but with enough flavour and uncertainty to give an interesting game.

I look forward to playing some more ‘O’ Group in the near future!