DAR: Sant' Angelo, Italy

[RERomine]

Turn 18

Group 1 is pushing forward a bit more. They have push 500m along the road and still haven't found any mines. All that means is there are likely to be more mines in the town than expected.

Enemy infantry and Group 2 are exchanging fire, with the enemy suffering casualties. Artillery is continuing to fall on their positions. One grenadier platoon with tracks is engaging. Once things settle down, they will dismount and send their tracks to the rear.

Group 3 is now across bridge and will dismount next turn. Scouts aren't finding any enemy units in the woods.

Group 4 is holding position at the moment.

Artillery still hitting enemy infantry on edge of Hill 2. They are retreating.

Recon tracks are falling back to resupply. Enemy artillery is coming in heavier on their former positions.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero.

Enemy: Estimated 15 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 19

Group 1 holding position.

Group 2 heavily engaged with enemy on Hill 1. Elements maneuvered for firing positions and closed with the enemy. One enemy squad destroyed and one friendly engineer running. Scouts engaged and destroyed one bazooka team. Artillery continued to hit enemy positions and other sections of the hill.

All units from Group 3 dismounted and moving forward to woods.

Group 4 pushing forward again. Lead elements about 300m from the South bridge.

Scouts and artillery hitting enemy units on Hill 2. Two enemy squads running. Enemy M10 spotted in revetment 300m South of hill next to the dirt road. Artillery plotted.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 20 casualties.

Screen prints of Groups 1, 2 and 3 have been attached. No point in showing Group 4 as they are still East of the stream.

[RERomine]

Turn 20

Group 1 holding position.

On Hill 1, Group 2 is still pushing enemy infantry back. The Tigers and support tracks are pulling back and the grenadiers will continue the action with artillery support. About half the enemy units are running at the moment.

Group 3 is still moving to their position in the woods. Scouts aren't reporting any enemy infantry in the woods at the moment.

Group 4 has halted and is waiting for Group 3 to clear the route.

Artillery fired at the enemy M10 with no effect. Some counter battery was also fired at an enemy mortar, also with no effect. Artillery continues to hit the enemy on Hill 2, but some is coming up short making life hard on some of my scouts.

Enemy artillery was firing some counter battery fire at one howitzer battery and some of my mortars. They are also still trying to hit the recon tracks which have backed out of the area for now.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 21

Group 1 holding position.

Group 2 is continuing to push the enemy back on Hill 1. Unfortunately, there are two M10s on the back side of the hill providing support. That makes three of those in the immediate area. I need to get some artillery dropped on the two new ones while I clear the hill.

Group 3 continuing to move forward.

The engineer company of Group 4 has crossed the South bridge and is West of the ridge. All other elements are East of the bridge and no one stops ON the bridge.

Enemy M10 still not damaged by artillery. Their mortar is retreating, however at the expense of one bridge at the Southeast corner of town in the stream.

Enemy counter battery has two of my howitzer crews on the run and two others routed. No casualties, however. They are still tearing up the country side for my recon tracks. That was the objective of the harassing mission, to divert enemy artillery elsewhere

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 22

Group 1 is pushing forward some to engage the one M10 down the road.

Action on Hill 1 is slow with all the artillery craters. There are only two known squads left, but they are difficult to get to with the M10s firing from the reverse slope. A Sherman tank opened up from a position 500m behind the M10s. Tigers are pushing forward to assist, but won't tangle with the M10s by themselves. Mines have finally been spotted. They are on the reverse slope of Hill 1.

Group 3 is starting to enter the woods. A scout team spotted and traded fire with a bazooka team. The engineers are in the lead, so they will take care of them.

A grenadiers company and platoon of Tigers are West of the stream now. One tank company and grenadiers company are still East of the stream. I really don't like having a column a click long on the road. They tend to attract artillery.

Enemy artillery seems to be taking a break. Three of my howitzer crews have recovered and I hope the fourth does before it leaves the map.

Friendly artillery is still hitting the enemy M10s and positions on Hill 1.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 3 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 5 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 23

Group 1 continuing to push forward. They haven't sighted the M10 down the road yet, but it was immobilized by artillery fire. There is a scout team nearby with a panzerfaust so I might have them try to take care of it.

Enemy 60mm mortar hit units on North slope of Hill 1, inflicting casualties. Enemy infantry now retreating off of the hill and through their own mine field. Tigers are on top of the hill, but don't have view of any enemy units at the moment. Last of friendly artillery hitting enemy infantry positions, but will continue on enemy M10s. Engineer LMG team managed to put a shot down into the open top of one doing some damage.

Group 3 still moving into the woods, but they won't have to worry about the bazooka team. The scouts took them out.

Engineers from Group 4 are starting to unload on the foot of Hill 2. They probably won't be needed right away because scouts on the hill haven't encountered any mines. A beat up enemy squad traded fire with them and a scout on the hill. It lost! One company of infantry is still on the East side of the stream, while the rest of the group are bunched up North of the house row. That would be an FOOs dream!

My routed howitzer crew decided to call it a day and left the map.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 24

Group 1 is still pushing forward and within 100m of the M10. They are attempting to get position on the other two as well since Group 2 is taking artillery fire that is bogging them down. An enemy infantry squad opened up from the West foot of Hill 1 on some grenadiers, so they popped smoke.

Hill 1 is still taking artillery fire on most infantry elements of Group 2. Tigers have pushed forward and one blundered upon a hidden enemy unit. Luckilty, it was somewhat suppressed by friendly artillery and the Tiger wasn't damaged. The remaining enemy infantry was running. Three Shermans were on the reverse slope of Hill 1, but the Tigers destroyed all three of them. It's beginning to look like Hill 1 won't be a good overwatch position with the number of burning enemy tanks on the West slope. The view will be blocked by smoke shortly.

Group 3 taking up positions without opposition.

Engineers from Group 4 are pushing up East slope of Hill 2. Enemy infantry squad that engaged last turn was eliminated. Scouts did find a bazooka team on the North side of the hill. One damaged scout team was eliminated. The engineers will push up and deal with the bazooka team. There is a 60mm mortar on the reverse of Hill 2. I believe that is the one firing on Hill 1. They will deal with that as well. Other elements of Group 4 are taking up dispersed positions between road and woods to the North while the hill is checked for mines.

I got everything I needed to across that wooden bridge and it's still up!!

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: Three M4A3(Early) tanks destroyed and estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 25

Group 1 engaged by enemy infantry in platoon strength on Western edge of Hill 2. A scout farther forward took a panzerfaust shot at the M10 along the road and missed. Then it popped smoke to screen the advance of Group 1 engineers. The engineers assaulted the M10 and destroyed it. Grenadiers tried to destroy another M10 at a distance, but failed.

Tigers on Hill 1 engaged enemy infantry retreating and destroyed another Sherman on the reverse side of the hill. Enemy artillery is still making life difficult for leg units, but some engineers are succeeding in clearing mines. Artillery scored a top hit on one of the M10s damaging it. Enemy infantry was also hit hard and all are retreating from the hill.

Group 3 continuing to move forward. Lead elements have reached positions they will hold until phase 2 of the operation begins, which better be soon!

Two platoons of Group 4 engineers continuing up Hill 2. Other elements holding position.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 5 casualties.

Enemy: One M10 GMC(Early) tank destroyer and one M4A3(Early) tank destroyed and estimated 15 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 26

Grenadiers from Group 1 destroyed one of the remaining two M10s. Remaining elements are taking up positions to engage enemy infantry on West side of Hill 2.

Enemy artillery hit Hill 1 hard inflicting moderate casualties on infantry units. Tigers engaged enemy infantry and smoke cleared enough to give one a view of the remaining enemy M10. The M10 was destroyed. I need to move the Tigers back off Hill 1 to get them away from the enemy artillery.

Engineers from Group 3 have established an East-West line in the middle of the woods. Grenadiers are swinging West to engage the enemy bazooka team on the North edge of Hill 2.

Engineer platoons from Group 4 crested the top of Hill 2 and attracted attention from a HMG team and a bunker to the West. They popped smoke and are waiting for Tigers to come up for support. Several engineer squads are heading North to help with the enemy bazooka team.

Enemy artillery is spreading out their counter battery efforts, hitting two more of my howitzer batteries and some of my mortar sections. Three more howitzer crews are on the run. Hopefully, the military police can stop them at the edge of the map and turn them back

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 15 casualties.

Enemy: Two M10 GMC(Early) tank destroyers destroyed and estimated 10 casualties.

[RERomine]

Turn 27

Smoke clearing and Group 1 traded fire with enemy infantry. They are dug in and my troops aren't, so I lost that exchange.

Group 2 engineers and grenadiers on Hill 2 are getting hit hard by enemy artillery again. They are close to combat ineffective. Holding the hill won't be a problem, but I'm not sure they will be able to link with Group 1 and proceed to objective group G2. The Tigers are fine, however and since the hill doesn't seem like it will be useful for an overwatch position, they will probably join up for that mission. There is one enemy Sherman that needs to be dealt with still, so the Tigers would be useful in that role.

Grenadiers from Group 3 taking fire from several enemy mortars. Group 4 took care of the enemy bazooka team, so they will hold position.

Group 4 engineers reached the reverse edge of Hill 2 and got lit up. A second bunker opened up and the enemy seems to be in company strength. Tigers are moving up to support. Enemy trying to hit the area with artillery as well, but they were over shooting. I'm going to have to bring up units other than engineers for the task of clearing the area. They aren't appropriately armed for long range fire fights with infantry.

Most recon tracks are resupplied and are moving back to harass the enemy and hopefully pull some artillery off other targets. It's killing me in other places.

MPs failed at their job and howitzer crews left

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 15 casualties.

Enemy: Estimated 5 casualties.