DAR: Sicily

[RERomine]

Turn 5

Well, it seems like the whole dang American air force is here!!! Two P-51s, two P-38s, one P-47 and P-39 made passes, effectively saturating my defensive AAA fire. One P-38 was shot down and the jug was damaged. They destroyed three more tracks and immobilized five others, one being an ammo transport. This is getting rough, but I'm hoping this means the enemy artillery or ground defenses will be thinner than what I usually encounter.

The engineers South of hill 4 are encountering platoon strength resistance right now. The enemy is deployed in front of and behind a minefield. This could be the main belt and it's located 250m behind the enemy deployment line. The tracks provided a little suppressive fire before turning back to pick up their SS infantry company. One platoon of Tigers are moving to provide support and artillery has been called in.

On hill 4, another enemy 57mm ATG was found. Tigers engaged and destroyed it. The rest of my engineer company unloaded and tracks started returning to pick up my SS infantry. Scouts are continuing to move up the hill. No infantry has been seen, but mines are on the forward edge of the peak.

Casualties

Friendly: Two SdKfz 251/9 tracks and one SdKfz 251/2 GrW track destroyed and estimated 10 casualties.

Enemy: One 57mm ATG destroyed.

[RERomine]

Turn 6

No air strikes this turn. The American air force must be circling around for another pass. The enemy artillery hit with something heavier than mortars this time. There was incoming 105mm mail and it destroyed one of my empty, immobilized tracks.

Engineers are starting to clear the mines South of hill 4 while my artillery kept the enemy infantry busy. Small arms were also used to dispatch one enemy squad forward of the mines.

One more 57mm ATG was found by my scouts the hard way on hill 4. Tigers engaged and destroyed it. Engineers are working their way up to the mine field.

Counter battery has been plotted on the enemy 60mm mortar and the possible site of an 81mm mortar. It's close to where I dropped smoke, so I can't be sure if there is a target there or not. I'm going to hit it, just in case.

Casualties

Friendly: One SdKfz 251/1 track.

Enemy: One 57mm ATG destroyed and estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 7

This time, the enemy artillery found my tank park full of PzKw IVhs. Bigger stuff was included in this barrage. None were destroyed or immobilized, but three lost their main guns and coax machine guns and two of those suffered crew casualties. I'm just going to hide them in remote wooded locations and hope the enemy planes don't find them.

My engineers have cleared a 300m breach in the minefield South of hill 4. Before doing this, they engaged and destroyed an enemy squad suppressed by my artillery. The core units will start moving towards that gap once the tracks pick up the infantry. The tanks have already started moving, if for no other reason than to clear out of the enemy artillery impact zone. The engineers will start sweeping around the Southern edge of the hill clearing any additional mines and engaging enemy infantry found.

Engineers on hill 4 have started clearing mines. More have been found across the middle of the peak. Progress is moving slowly in this area because the initial advance was slowed by the now destroyed enemy ATGs.

My counter battery hit around the enemy 60mm mortar, but not really on target. Adjustment will solve that problem. The same applies to the possible location of an enemy 81mm mortar.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties

Enemy: Estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 8

Enemy artillery came in again, but this time no one was home. There was some new track mounted 81mm mortars, but I don't know where they are. Another 60mm mortar popped up as well. I'll go after it with counter battery. The other 60mm mortar is retreating. I'll try hitting it again and maybe I can get it out of it's revetment.

No direct contact around hill 4 at this time. One scout found another section of the mine field the hard way. Engineers are clearing mines still, while other units are advancing to support. My core infantry is still linking up with their tracks.

Scouts are on hill 5 at this point. Several will set up as an OP, while others try pushing through to hills 1 and 2.

Casualties

Friendly: One casualty

Enemy: Zero

[RERomine]

Turn 9

The American air force is back! They made passes with two P-51s, one P-38 and one P-39. They caught one of my core SS infantry companies loaded into tracks. One track was destroyed and one immobilized. An enemy P-51 was damaged and will have to RTB.

Mines are still being cleared from hill 4. No additional enemy contact on the hill. South of the hill, another enemy squad opened up, so engineers popped smoke and artillery was called in. Another enemy bunker was spotted South of the first one, but is not in a position to cause any problems.

My scouts have a good observation point for hill 1 and are still moving across hill 5.

Counter battery hit one of the enemy 60mm mortars again.

Direct enemy resistance is light, but their artillery and air power is really doing some damage.

Casualties

Friendly: One SdKfz 250/1 destroyed and estimated 10 casualties.

Enemy: Zero

[RERomine]

Turn 10

Most of the mines have been cleared on hill 4 and I'm trying to push my engineers and SS panzer grenadiers forward. There are enemy units around covering the top of the hill with fire, however. Another 57mm ATG has been found on the back side of the hill as well as a 50 caliber HMG team. I put fire on both, but didn't neutralize them yet. I'm still dealing with the enemy squad South of the hill, but small arms fire, support from three Tigers and artillery roughed them up pretty good. A platoon of enemy Shermans opened up on one of my Tigers as well from 500-750m. Not a good move. Three of the four Shermans were destroyed, but the did manage to destroy an empty track. It had just dropped off two MG-42 teams. Enemy artillery started coming in on the hill, disrupting activities of my engineers. My grenadier tracks are also close to the impact zone, so I need to get them moved.

Two scout teams are sitting on top of hill 5 monitoring activity to their front, which amounts to nothing at the moment. Other scouts are pushing around the Northern and Southern flanks of the hill.

Counter battery hit two enemy 60mm mortars this time. I don't think they are being damaged, but at least they are quiet.

Enemy aircraft should be back again soon, so I'm going to keep my AAA units stationary for the next two turns.

Casualties

Friendly: One SdKfz 250/1 destroyed and estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Three M4 (Early) tanks destroyed and estimated 15 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 11

The enemy 50 caliber HMG and 57mm ATG have been destroyed to the rear of hill 4. Two more Shermans opened up and were dispatched by Tigers. Incoming mail kept being delivered, but the impact zones are pretty much clear. Scouts have pushed down between hills 2 and 4. No enemy seen on hill 2 so far. There are probably a couple more mines on hill 4, but a couple of engineers squads can take care of those while the rest move forward. The grenadiers will try to move forward, but are dodging artillery right now. There are also enemy Shermans around as well. Shermans may not be able to destroy Tigers, but will make short work of a half-track.

I'm still wasting a lot of steel on two 60mm mortars. No enemy aircraft yet.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Two M4 (Early) tanks, one 50 Caliber HMG and one 57mm ATG destroyed and estimated 10 casualties.