Taking the Tip - Port Said, 1956 AAR -Weeble

[WBWilder]

I thought I would share this report-test result from one of the Wild Team on the "Taking the Tip" scenario recently posted at the Wargamer,Mr. Andrew Weaver. I found it very interesting and fun to read.

If you have played or are thinking about playing the scenario, Taking the Tip," this should be an enjoyable experience for you.

==============================

> Pregame:

> Venom's airstrike meets 40mm AAA, no visible results either way.
>
> Turn 1:
>
> Set SAS & FO ranges to 'zero'
>
> Advance towards airfield using grass as cover.
>
> Spot sentries at 9,14.
>
> I want to see more before I open fire, the SAS have full ammo loads.
>
> Put Venom cannon airstrikes to South and East of my (hoped-for) perimeter.
> (Actual air support also included Naval D.H. Sea Hawks and Westland
> Wyverns.)
>
> AI phase:
>
> B Platoon dropped ~1 hex in from N beach. Ammo at 7,4 and 13,4.
>
> C Platoon drop along dirt road. Ammo at 12,10 and 18,10. C2 takes 2 damage
> off MG at end of runway, pinned, but B4 destroys the MG in opfire.
>
> Both C-119 Boxcars take flak damage on exit. (Should be Handley-Page
> Hastings and/or Vickers Valettas {26 used to drop 3 Companies in first
> drop} - though I notice that SP's British OOB gives Blackburn Beverleys,
> {with a C-119 Boxcar icon!} for the date).
>
> Historically airdrop came in from NW. After drop, A Company went to NW of
> Airfield, B Coy to Port Said road, C Coy cleared airfield, HQ and Mortars on
> runway.
>
> Turn 2:
>
> Egyptian Airforce and airfield AAA had been virtually wiped out on the
> ground by 5 days of air attacks from RAF bases in Cyprus and RN Carriers.
> (Plus French and Israeli inputs of course.)
>
> Remove suppression on C2.
>
> L1 SAS eliminate sentries and a C-47, move to sentries position.
>
> Para sections are probably trying to work out what hell a SA-80 assault rife
> is? (it's IW precursor is approx 30 years from their future). Even the SLRs
> and GPMGs are anachronisms, were around at Enfield and under test, but not
> in general service. Photos of landing show late Stens and .303"s.
>
> Hmmn, I noted the term "limited ammo" but I didn't expect 3 or 4 shots!
> (With a TARDIS needed for resupply) :-D
>
> Continue destroying aircraft (total 3 C-47s and 2 MiGs) and 2 buses, (cheap
> quick smoke screen!) and move towards ammo containers.
>
> C3 into solitary building between barracks and HQ building
>
> Try to avoid sight lines to the only Bofors I know the position of (34,13).
>
> Put a RP strike on the Bofors.
>
> AI phase:
>
> A (different) Venom strafes the spotted Bofors to no effect.
>
> Turn 3:
>
> Take out Maintenance crew. C1 Pinned by sentries to South.
>
> Suppressive (Z) fire doesn't reveal them.
>
> Aha! South solitary building. C1's sniper rifle deals with that!
>
> B3 move to Barracks area, take 2 casualties in fire-fight.
>
> AI Phase:
>
> B3 find out they are in the Pilots crew room and are destroyed in melee?
>
> op-fire all around. Another maintenance crew retreats.
>
> Turn 4:
>
> Use MG fire to force pilots out of building.
>
> Spot another Senty in C-47 smoke near runway junction.
>
> Further damage the Southern Maintenace crew & rout them.
>
> C3 put a Satchel charge in the Commandant's HQ. "Just in case", also all
> photos show the building burning :-)
>
> AI Phase:
>
> Wave of Egyptian Security. "Pull!"
>
> Pin or back off them all in op-fire.
>
> Venom pins Bofors.
>
> Turn 5:
>
> Fairchild C-123? (see aircraft note above) runway was blocked with oil drums
> to prevent landings! Second lift with rest of 3 Para was parachuted in.
> Westland Whirlwind helos used for casevac.
>
> Destroy Sentries at runway junction.
>
> Continue damaging Egyptian Security.
>
> Take Northern objective and pop back into HQ.
>
> Unload Support Platoon & HQ at 16,13 and kill another sentry to the South.
>
> Attempt to strafe Bofors again (saving my bombs).
>
> AI Phase:
>
> Retreating Egyptians
>
> Turn 6:
>
> Get C-123 off-board at SE
>
> Covering fire, L0 to crew room.
>
> Spread out landed troops, routing Pilots and Security.
>
> Move into Egyptian fox-holes and tree-line to cover road from Gamil Bridge.
>
> Leave one mortar where it was and FO puts it on fox-hole spotted by strafers
> near Bofors at 33,15.
>
> Consolidate in hangars and pin MMG in tree-clump to East.
>
> AI Phase:
>
> Assorted op-fire.
>
> More routing Security.
>
> Egyptian MMG fires at Paras and causes one casualty to Engineers who were
> out of sight two hangars away???
>
> My opfire forces MMG back.
>
> Turn 7:
>
> Advance to E in the South.
>
> L0 destroys 2 Security and the Pilots as they move to building at 24,5
>
> A0 next to ammo at 18,10
>
> The mortars don't need it yet (and probably have enough)
>
> Mortar#2 put onto Sewage Farm (Might as well see if the [censored] hits the fan)
> :-)
>
> Section C3 stays in the HQ building, they are short on ammo for their
> "SA-80's" though.
>
> AI phase:
>
> Strafe Bofors, 2nd aircraft damaged by Bofors#2 near 31,20
>
> Turn 8:
>
> L0 to 25,8 rout MMG.
>
> C1 moves to tree-clump, gets fire from Shelter Bunker and Bofors #2 take 1
> casualty. Won't Rally.
>
> Bofors spotted at 32,19. Engineers advance, take 1 casualty and pop smoke.
>
> Move my #2 mortar ont Bofors#2.
>
> Hmmn, Venom Info doesn't give stats for 500lb bombs or RP-3s, only Hispano
> 20mm and 110lb bombs.
>
> Keep 1 fully armed Venom back.
>
> AI phase:
>
> 82mm mortars fire on me (luckily not setting off my ammo at 12,10). The
> second mortar would have trashed his (burning) C-47 line. Spot smoke of both
> firing positions.
>
> Suicidal M3 retakes objective and is hammered by L0, passengers killed,
>
> Patrol Boat! Wheres a Bazooka when you need one!
>
> More Bedfords near Shelter Bunker.
>
> My mortars don't seem to do any good.
>
> Turn 9:
>
> Retake North objective.
>
> Pin Motor troops around Bedfords. (Destroy 1 truck).
>
> Forget to move one hex at a time and C0 takes 2 damage from Shelter bunker
> as it tries to run down runway. Won't rally (and can't pop smoke), I expect
> to lose them before I can try again
>
> Adjust mortar fire and airstrikes (My FO is way out of position at West end
> of runway!!)
>
> AI Phase:
>
> B0 destroyed by secondary explosion 2 hexes away, as 82mm mortar destroys
> ammo container at 12,10
>
> C0 survives (unexpectedly)
>
> AMX-13 and a BTR-40! C3 will draw a Bazooka from Stores next time :-)
>
> Turn 10:
>
> Fix Bayonets!, Charge!!! Lose another engineer from D4, but destroy Motor
> troops & last Bedford, routed MMG and Shelter Bunker with pinning fire from
> North, flanking round (my) smoke and 'advance to contact', flanking to
> North and South clears my fire-arcs as Egyptian survivors of charge rout
> East.
>
> C3 wait and pray.
>
> Mortars and airstrikes re-targetted. (but my FO is pinned at the W end of
> the runway)
>
> Consider airstrike on either Patrol Boat or armour, will wait to see how AI
> phase plays out.
>
> AI Phase:
>
> C3 get blasted back into objective by AMX-13, BTR-40, and Infantry section.
>
> Apparently nil results with mortar fire, but his mortars didn't fire
> (probably re-targeting Bunker area).
>
> Air strikes cause 1 damage to Bofors crew with Bomb. Cannon useless(?).
>
> Bunker Crew surrenders.
>
> Turn 11:
>
> Destroy Bofors#2, fanout and put Bazooka and PIAT ranges to 1, I don't want
> to waste ammo on a poor op-fire shot.
>
> Usual arty and air corrections.
>
> AI Phase:
>
> His mortar fire seems to have moved to hangar/tree-clump area.
>
> C3 destroyed by AMX-13.
>
> L1 in South take 5 casualties off Egyptian Infantry he was in the middle of.
> Thats enemy two units I've stepped into without spotting.
>
> More Infantry 34 & 35,20
>
> Mortar spread as usual (though they do seem to pin enemy)
>
> Turn 12:
>
> D1 Engineers fire on unexpected enemy, who take 4 casualties and surrender
> to the (pinned) SAS section they ambushed.
>
> D1 take 1 casualty and are pinned in fire-fight with Infantry to East.
>
> L0 get to HQ building.
>
> Destroy another Infantry unit by Bofors#1, an MMG on the road and spot more
> infantry to the South.
>
> Try to set up armour ambush.
>
> AI phase:
>
> Busy phase! Assault on AMX-13 fails! Venom ignores target and strafes
> gunboat to no effect.
>
> Pin his Infantry or push them back.
>
> Turn 13:
>
> Destroy AMX-13 with second shot.
>
> Hold in North and wait to see if the BTR-40 is stupid. (though L0 should
> deal with it)
>
> Call arty with F0 and fine-tune with D0.
>
> His Mortars continue hammering the Shelter Bunker-Hangar area.
>
> My mortars seem ineffectual apart from a pinning 'short' on myself.
>
> Air strafes Patrol boat to no effect, then bombs retreating Infantry packed
> onto Western road junction. AA from boat misses second a/c.
>
> Turn 14:
>
> Immobilise BTR-40, pinned by it and Bofors#1. The return fire will hurt!
>
> Destroy Southern Infantry and remnants at crossroads. Pin Mortar @ 37,17
>
> Advance S & W.
>
> Regretting having my MGs at North centre and West of Airfield (plus B
> Platoon [-])
>
> Put a/c on small building @ 34,25 on Eastern edge of Lake Al Manzala. (It
> looks like a good target- WB are you getting predictable on where to put
> nasty surpises?)
>
> AI Phase:
>
> Good mortar fire from me, air strike ineffectual, no flak though?
>
> Turn 15:
>
> Take Southern Objective.
>
> Destroy immobilised BTR-40 & Crew and drive off infantry.(C1 now has more
> Grenades left than any other ammo) :-(
>
> Damage Mortar crews.
>
> Only getting small-arms fire from Bofors#1, something must have damaged it
> or else he had a small ammo load.
>
> Move L0 onto Northern objective and give them "Weapons Free".
>
> AI Phase:
>
> Mortars land well.
>
> Turn 16:
>
> Take out mortar, damage other one. Attack Bofors with C0 (avoiding middle
> objective so as not to end game(?)).
>
> AI phase:
>
> My mortars are now too close for comfort.
>
> Venoms ignore their target and strafe Patrol boat and force Southern mortar
> to retreat.
>
> Turn 17:
>
> Venoms have pissed me off as Egyptian HQ was sitting in the target building
> they ignored, and causes 1 casualty to D1. I did call you right WB!
>
> Destroy Bofors crew and take final objective. I think the mortars have got
> away to the map edge, but that HQ pinned anyone who could deal with them!
>
> AI Phase:
>
> Doesn't end for once? More hidden enemy???
>
> Mortar Eastern Beach & map-edge.
>
> Egyptian HQ still a pain.
>
> Turn 18:
>
> Pinned Infantry on beach spotted @ 37,11
>
> His mortars finished off.
>
> D0 lose 1 man in fire-fight with enemy HQ.
>
> AI Phase:
>
> Endex.
>
> Men: 44/191
>
> Arty: 0/4
>
> Soft Veh: 1/9
>
> APC: 0/2
>
> AFV: 0/2
>
> Air: 0/0
>
> Helo: 0/0
>
> GB/Egypt: 2867/147
>
> Pinned HQ and one-man Infantry unit only enemy survivors apart from
> untouched Patrol Boat.
>
> Glad to see it ended as his AMX-13s would have given me problems on turn 20!
>
> DV
>
> ================================================== =========