AAR - Primisole Bridge Completed

July15PM: Having three attack chits left, I’m trying to decide how best to use them. Doug has two left and I think he is probably going to save them for the end game. If I have taken the necessary VL’s, he’ll use his chits to counter-attack on the last two CG days. If I haven’t won the VL’s, then he won't use them and the CG ends having played only 5 scenarios – which works to his advantage. I want as many CG days as possible so I won’t use my attacks on 17PM or 17AM assuming that might be saving his for those two days. I also don’t think a British night attack is really worth it. I can’t use my Shermans (they are withdrawn at night) and the terrain is going to slow a non-cloaked unit up tremendously – a problem for me as I need to move fast. Night probably favors the Axis in this one so I will forgo attacking at night. That leaves me 15PM, 16AM and 16PM. Well, three remaining days and three remaining attack chits. Nice how things just work out that way. I use my 3rd attack chit and Doug selects Idle. British attack for July 15PM.

With 65 CPP I purchase 2 more Rifle companies, a Bombardment, 100mm OBA with Off-board observer, a MG Pltn, an AC Platoon (AEC I’s), and some fortifications so I can place foxholes and dummy counters. I get lucky and roll Full RG’s across the board. Hmmm….a full AC Pltn II is 3 AEC I’s, but there are only 2 in the counter mix. I’m also getting short on 458’s and British non-airborne mortars. This CG clearly takes more counters then what a regular set calls for. I’ve got one of each module and each CG and I’m not going to have enough counters to play this without substituting counters : (

Doug picks up a Pioneer Coy, Fortification points, a 70mm OBA, and an AT gun section. After we set up it is clear that foxholes rule this game. They are strategic locations and with the vineyard/olive grove hexes become effect +3/+4 protections because of hindrances. The field of battle is littered with them.

After set-up the British bombardment comes down. Not a lot of effect as the foxholes get +4 modifiers, and pretty much everything is in foxholes. Lots of rolling though, as you check each hex for possible kindling. Doesn’t really seem worth it. Well, down to business.

My plan is to place the 2nd line troops, MG pltn, and OBA on the right flank where all his Pioneers were during 15AM. The OBA keeps him from moving and the MG’s and infantry will keep him from taking back any terrain over there. Meanwhile, all the Elite and 1st line units along with two Shermans will work to push through the Italians/Germans on the West flank. I’ll pick the two Objective hexes for my Coys on that side so that they link up and give me a large area of control with minimal strategic locations. If I can pick up the West Axis entry hex so much the better.

On the East side things go very well. My OBA comes down and I pull 5 straight Black cards. With no radio contact DR needed for the Off-Board observer I simply walk the 100+mm OBA up and down the Axis line. It is devastating (even with the foxholes) and by turn 6 there is only a handful of Italian and German units left. Probably less then ½ dozen squads. The last two turns (it will end on Axis turn 6) I even start to advance down the road and flank Doug’s troops with a few squads and half-squads. Doug does manage to break some units early on before the OBA takes out most of his heavy weapons, but my OBA breaks his ldr with one of his two radios and that OBA module never fires as the leader stays broken until he is eliminated by OBA around turn 5.

Meanwhile, a rush down the road with the armored cars goes for naught. All three get behind the Axis lines on the East side, but since they are wheeled, they can’t cross the irrigation ditches so they really contribute very little…except as targets. Doug manhandles a 40mm AT gun up the embankment of the sunken road and then proceeds to destroy two of the three armored cars and a Sherman. Clearly the high point for Doug. The third AC turns tail and heads back to the safety of the village where he remains the rest of the scenario. However, the Italians and their German counterparts can’t stand toe-to-toe with the full Elite and 1st line OB of the British crossing the field. Doug gets the second module of OBA down for a turn or two, but then malf’s the radio. That will be the third one he breaks during this CG. Soon after, some British infantry overrun the position and the second radio is gone for good. By the end of British turn 6 there is very little left of the Axis forces. Only 3 GO squads are on the west flank and maybe 6 or so on the East flank. Doug looks at his disposition, balances the value of continuing on in what is becoming a very counter intensive CG for little gain, and realizes that if this scenario goes on for 1 or two more turns there may be nothing left of his force and resigns. I think he hasn’t passed his personal morale check, but it really does look grim. He has caused 37 CVP this turn, but most of it has been in the two Armored cars and two Shermans. My infantry is relatively untouched and is ready to swarm his remaining positions. He has also had terrible luck with OBA and if this goes on, his set-up areas will be so compressed that my OBA will be even more devastating.

Post-Scenario Reflection: Neither Doug or I were really looking forward to playing another CG date (which may also have influence Doug’s decision to resign). The map was already counter intensive with loads of infantry units and foxholes. Adding more to this over a minimum of three more scenarios and it was really becoming tedious. With the potential of two modules of OBA per side for a total of 4 FFE’s on board, it was also really becoming an OBA mess. Having said this, the first few CG dates were very fun to play. Lots of RG choices and enough CPP to purchase them with. However, by the time you get to July 15PM/N there is simply too many counters on the map to deal with in an enjoyable manner. Doug and I thought that if you simply trimmed the CPP's (maybe even halving the amount) to limit the number of counters on the board and also make the OBA more expensive that maybe the tedium wouldn’t set in. Of course, how historical this would be is another issue.

A few thoughts for each side:

British:
1. If the British can prevent the forced withdrawal during 14PM he will be off to a very good start. Having a set-up area on board for 15AM effectively adds an extra CG date to his options as he won’t have to attack across the river/bridge. The paras must hold on.
2. The OBA off-board observer is well worth the points. No radio maintenance DR and a LOS to almost everywhere on the board. All those vineyards now won’t block LOS. Watching Doug break 3 radios and not being able to see the base level through 6 vineyards/olive groves proved the value of the off-board observer.
3. Armored cars = worthless. Maybe if the British have to attack across the bridge they have purpose. But their wheeled status forces them to either run up and down the road (with little purpose) or risk fairly high bog DR’s in the vineyards. I wouldn’t buy them again.
4. Shermans. Once the limited AT assets are gone, Shermans rule. Plow them through the vineyards/olive groves. So what if they bog. If they immobilize they become strategic locations. If they go mobile again – well the Germans don’t have PF’s so rock & roll – just watch the flamethrowers.
5. Save the attack chits for July 15 and later. No need to waste them on July 14 like I did. Let the Axis attack then – as he should. You’ll likely just waste one on a duel attack and you can’t afford that.

Axis:
1. OBA is good – unless you roll radio contact like Doug. You need to have two modules every turn to inflict max damage on the attacking Brits. Make them run through it to attack you.
2. Keep your AT assets as long as possible. The Shermans want to get on the north part of the map – don’t let them. Stay back and avoid being a target for OBA if possible.
3. Attack on July 14. You really, really, really want to kick the British off the board during July 14 so he has to attack across the river/bridge on July 15. If you don’t do this, they will start in the village north of the river and hit you long before you want them to. That’s what happened in our game.
4. Italians and ELR of 0. Need I say more? Put them where the British aren’t and use them to dig foxholes (read strategic locations). Their best usage is the objective hex that comes with each coy. At least the Germans can claim the hex.
5. Remember, in essence you are playing a fighting withdrawal. We didn’t play it out, but I suspect that with a good fighting withdrawal, keeping 25 hexes is pretty reasonable. Defend in depth and try to never let the British use their full movement allowance.

Aside from the way our game went, I think this is probably a fairly balanced CG. If you can commit yourself to a rather intensive and (later) repetitive set of scenarios then this is probably worth your time. It is a grind however once you hit July 15. Also, have a couple sets of British and some extra German 468’s, DC’s, and FT’s. You’ll need them.