ChappyNS
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2019
- Messages
- 271
- Reaction score
- 377
- Location
- Halifax, NS (Canada)
- First name
- Mark
- Country
Welcome to Mission #3 of my SASL Campaign! Missions #1 and 2 were both successful for the Canadians, as they eliminated the shocked Italians from the Pachino airfield in southern Sicily and then cleared the road of Germans for the attack on Valguernera. This next mission will be against yet another new enemy: the 15th Pz Gdr Div.
This campaign follows the historical path of A Coy, Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) from its landing at Pachino, Sicily, to the bloody streets of “Little Stalingrad” at Ortona, Italy in 1943.
At this point I would like to again thank and give credit to Ahriman667 who put a lot of effort into the research, design and play-testing of this campaign. It is solely his campaign - I have just “borrowed” it. Thanks Ahriman667!
The overall campaign structure for the Canadians are as follows:
Unit: A Coy/RCR/1 CIB
Composition: [US# 38/26] Leader x3, 4-5-7 x9, 2-4-7, 1-2-7 x3, LMG x4, 51mm MTR x3, PIAT x3
• On OFFENCE add 1-2-7x1, MMGx1 [US# 40/28]
• On DEFENCE add 1-2-7x1, HMGx1 [US# 40/28]
ELR: 4
Command structure:
Capt. R.G. Liddell (A Coy Cmd)
Capt Dillon (A Coy 2IC)
Lt M.C.D. Bowman (Pl Cmd)
** Cpl Chapman
**Note: I am additionally using the “Personal Leader Optional Rules” (I think originally found in basic Squad Leader) and so I have added my own personal 7-0 leader to the fray. He gets promoted by securing more elan points (positive actions) than cowardice points (negative actions)
On a personal note, I used to be an officer with the RCR so this campaign holds high interest for me. Additionally, as a student and teacher of military history, I have also visited Sicily and Ortona, in part to help get a better grasp of what our guys went through. Previously in my career, I actually met Captain Dillon (see above), who at the time was serving as our honorary Colonel of the Regiment, and who would be one of the few original regimental officers to survive the war.
If you wish to read more about the Canadians in Sicily/Italy, I highly recommend Mark Zuehlke’s four books.
I hope you enjoy my continued ramblings!
Where: Nissoria, Sicily
When: 24 July, 1943
Mission Type: Cautious Advance (1)
Enemy: Germans; specifically elements of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division
Historical Narrative: The 19th of July was spent burying the Regimental dead and resting, before continuing the advance that night; the divisional objective was Nissoria/Agira. Agira, lay 5 kilometres beyond Nissoria and the attack was to begin promptly at 1400 hours on the 24th, preceded by artillery, bombers and ground-attack fighters, with the bombardment lifting 200 metres every two minutes However as the Regiment was laid up in the forming up point (FUP) ready to advance there was no sight of the aircraft support promised. Undaunted, the Royals got up and began their assault. The Regimental plan was for C and D Coys to secure Nissoria (thought to be abandoned by enemy forces) and then A and B Coys would launch through them and seize the high ground in order to support a subsequent attack on Agira.
The Regiment only encountered sporadic mortar and sniper fire on the approach to Nissoria, but encountered much heavier attacks as they came out the other side of the town. A Coy broke from cover and passed through C and D Coys and came under punishing mortar bombardments and devastating machinegun fire as they crossed a small ridge east of Nissoria. Adding to the confusion, the wireless communications to Battalion HQ broke down and it soon became difficult for BHQ and the rifle companies to ascertain who was making what progress.
Setup to follow...
This campaign follows the historical path of A Coy, Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) from its landing at Pachino, Sicily, to the bloody streets of “Little Stalingrad” at Ortona, Italy in 1943.
At this point I would like to again thank and give credit to Ahriman667 who put a lot of effort into the research, design and play-testing of this campaign. It is solely his campaign - I have just “borrowed” it. Thanks Ahriman667!
The overall campaign structure for the Canadians are as follows:
Unit: A Coy/RCR/1 CIB
Composition: [US# 38/26] Leader x3, 4-5-7 x9, 2-4-7, 1-2-7 x3, LMG x4, 51mm MTR x3, PIAT x3
• On OFFENCE add 1-2-7x1, MMGx1 [US# 40/28]
• On DEFENCE add 1-2-7x1, HMGx1 [US# 40/28]
ELR: 4
Command structure:
Capt. R.G. Liddell (A Coy Cmd)
Capt Dillon (A Coy 2IC)
Lt M.C.D. Bowman (Pl Cmd)
** Cpl Chapman
**Note: I am additionally using the “Personal Leader Optional Rules” (I think originally found in basic Squad Leader) and so I have added my own personal 7-0 leader to the fray. He gets promoted by securing more elan points (positive actions) than cowardice points (negative actions)
On a personal note, I used to be an officer with the RCR so this campaign holds high interest for me. Additionally, as a student and teacher of military history, I have also visited Sicily and Ortona, in part to help get a better grasp of what our guys went through. Previously in my career, I actually met Captain Dillon (see above), who at the time was serving as our honorary Colonel of the Regiment, and who would be one of the few original regimental officers to survive the war.
If you wish to read more about the Canadians in Sicily/Italy, I highly recommend Mark Zuehlke’s four books.
I hope you enjoy my continued ramblings!
Where: Nissoria, Sicily
When: 24 July, 1943
Mission Type: Cautious Advance (1)
Enemy: Germans; specifically elements of the 15th Panzer Grenadier Division
Historical Narrative: The 19th of July was spent burying the Regimental dead and resting, before continuing the advance that night; the divisional objective was Nissoria/Agira. Agira, lay 5 kilometres beyond Nissoria and the attack was to begin promptly at 1400 hours on the 24th, preceded by artillery, bombers and ground-attack fighters, with the bombardment lifting 200 metres every two minutes However as the Regiment was laid up in the forming up point (FUP) ready to advance there was no sight of the aircraft support promised. Undaunted, the Royals got up and began their assault. The Regimental plan was for C and D Coys to secure Nissoria (thought to be abandoned by enemy forces) and then A and B Coys would launch through them and seize the high ground in order to support a subsequent attack on Agira.
The Regiment only encountered sporadic mortar and sniper fire on the approach to Nissoria, but encountered much heavier attacks as they came out the other side of the town. A Coy broke from cover and passed through C and D Coys and came under punishing mortar bombardments and devastating machinegun fire as they crossed a small ridge east of Nissoria. Adding to the confusion, the wireless communications to Battalion HQ broke down and it soon became difficult for BHQ and the rifle companies to ascertain who was making what progress.
Setup to follow...