Italian Long Campaign

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Around Turn 4 or so,

EN artillery started bombarding behind my lines. These turn out to be 25 pounder battery and is located near the bottom right edge of the map. Nasty stuff if it catches my infantry.



Around that time, my Air Recon also reports spotting EN armour in around 2nd and 3rd Company sector.

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Turn 8,

In 1st Company sector, all was quiet. The entire company had concentrated around the road and it was rather obvious that the main fight would not happen along the road. I began to move the rest of the company to its subsequent positions and released the AT guns towards 2nd and 3rd Company sector

As for 2nd and 3rd Company, EN infantry was spotted in the forest and likely up to a company sized force.

There were also a platoon of Matildas in the bottom right corner. Due to the speed disparity between the A13 and Matildas, my armour could engage them piecemeal.

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Turn 12,

It was time to set up positions to fight the A13s (red diamonds).

My HMGs are in the high ground dominating the valley to the east. My tanks (blue diamonds) are lying in wait, the purple lines show the field of fire for 1 of them.

I have a small AT rifle team (4 point star) to observe and act as scout.

The idea is to have the HMGs to keep the EN tanks buttoned, and any infantry suppressed before manuevering my tanks to take on the A13s.

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Turn 18

1st Company sector

The EN was about slightly smaller than a coy sized force. The plan for the counter attack was for artillery to drop on the suspected EN positions.

H platoon will be position on the company's left flank and I platoon on the company's right flank.

F Scout section will observe for EN movement and continue to help spot for targets.



Turn 22

Once the artillery started falling, my infantry moved more agressively. By turn 22, the EN was breaking. And they rout directly into H platoon.

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Turn 18

2nd Company sector

The fight here was pretty one-sided. The EN infantry popped into view intermittently and was met with a hail of fire from the 2nd company on higher ground.

Together with my M-13/40s in the centre, 2nd Company was ordered to move forward into forest. EN 25 Pdrs were beginning to fall on my positions as well, so it was probably safer to move forward, out of the bombardment.



Turn 22,

Pretty much over at this point.

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Battle Report at Turn 33

We were unable to capture all the objective flags and again we only managed to achieve Marginal Victory.

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Next Mission is still a meeting engagement with battlefield Tug Argan.

32 Turns in all.

Terrain is considered rather open and due to my inadequate AT weapons, I would be very mindful to find depressions and gullies to hide my forces.

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Deployment

1st Company was attached with
- F0 Scout Section
- U0 Motorcycle Section
- T0 ATGs with Motor Transport

This company was deployed at the top of the map. The plan was for them to race to the opposite bank of the stream and set up ambush positions, to take the EN in the flank as they cross nearer the centre of the map.

2nd Company was attached with
- E0 HMG Section
- V0 Mule Section
- S0 Medium Tank Section

This company was deployed at the bottom of the map. They were tasked to push forward as a company, and with the tanks leading. If EN tanks were spotted, the Medium Tank Section will go ahead and seek to engage them.

3rd Company was attached with
- D0 HMG Section
- W0 Mule Section

This company was deployed near the centre. They had to cross the stream twice and was expected to move slower compared to the other 2 companies. If the EN was met before they cross the second stream, they will remain on the higher ground and fight stubbornly while the other companies probe along the EN flanks.

Unfortunately, air recon wasn't available.

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Within the 1st 4 turns, this battle is likely to be alot more challenging than previous ones. Here were the EN tanks spotted.

A trio of Mk VI Light Tanks prowling near the top of the map, 1st Company sector


Three A13s around the centre of the map, 3rd Company sector


A pair of Matilda IIs hanging farther behind.

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Turn 4

The Mk VIs were racing along the top of the map towards my 1st Company position. My AT guns quickly dismounted, much earlier than I had preferred.

H platoon was diverted to set up a block, while I platoon was to continue their movement towards the stream.



Turn 10

The EN tanks were on top of us but the quick firing AT Guns as well as my infantry close assault destroyed 2 of them. The last Mk VI routed. Without any mobile AT weapons to pursue, I could only wait for the Mk VI to recover and try us again.