Mission #4 - A Coy/RCR Campaign, Sicily to Ortona, Italy, 1943

[ChappyNS]

Welcome to Mission #4 of my SASL Campaign! Missions #1, 2 and 3 were all successful for the Canadians. They began by eliminating the shocked Italians from the Pachino airfield in southern Sicily, then cleared the road of Germans for the attack on Valguernera, and most recently secured the hill feature on the way to Nissoria. This next mission will be against a 4th new enemy: the Herman Goering Division. This mission has an option to be a night mission, and so I have selected it.

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 (note that four of the 4-5-7 are now elite)

• 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)

Capt M.C.D. Bowman (Pl Cmd)

** Sgt 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). After mission #3 he was promoted to sergeant, 8-0.

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 ramblings!

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[ChappyNS]

Mission #4 - Night Assault on Hill 766​

Where: Regalbuto, Sicily

When: 01 August, 1943

Mission Type: Cautious Advance (1)

Note: the scenario designer has made some major changes to "Cautious Advance":
1. Night rules in effect (NVR 3), -1 to AC, -1 to ENEMY ELR; starting turn 7, a dr of 1 in RPh will cease night rules
2. Must use boards #25 and #47, hexes E to CC only
3. On board #47, all woods/orchards are crag, stream is dry, buildings non-existent (I was able to do some of these changes on VASL, some not)
4. Only one VPO - hill 766 peak at 25P6
5. S? placement: 4.1 cases c and e only on both mapboards
6. VP schedule: only one - whoever controls the VPO wins
7. MSR 2 is NA
8. Capt Bowman, 3 Pl, 1 x LMG, 1 x PIAT are unavailable for this mission as they are needed elsewhere (see historical narrative)

Enemy: Germans; specifically elements of the Herman-Goering Division

Historical Narrative: The town of Agira finally fell to the PPCLI Regiment on the 26th of July after a divisional artillery shoot softened up the town. The RCR were able to rest and recuperate for the next few days – as the advance continued past them – after 16 days of continuous marching, skirmishing and all-out battle. On 29-30 July, the Malta Brigade attempted to take a long ridge – the Regalbuto Ridge, running off of Mount Santa Lucia – running south of the town of Regalbuto (occupied by the Herman-Goering Division), but the intensity of the German fire and counter-attacks held them up. German positions on the three high mountains that surrounded the town offered excellent cover and allowed for them to bring intensive fire onto any approaches into Regalbuto. Finally on the night of 31 July, the Ridge was taken by the Devonshire Regiment, while the Dorsets took the northern high feature (Mount Serione), this set the stage for an assault into Regalbuto by the 48th Highlanders of the 1st CIB, while the RCR were told to be prepared to assault through and exploit any success.

The RCR moved out on the evening of the 31st from their resting positions some six-miles westward (following a track that ran south of highway 121 and the Regalbuto Ridge) but they did not have an opportunity to conduct a thorough recce on their objective, Tower Hill (the third high feature). Tower Hill had a large ravine that ran in front of it and would have to be bypassed by the RCR in their attack. Lieutenant- Colonel Powers (promoted from Major on 30 July) had D Coy lead and secure the line of departure. Once done, A Coy would push through and commence their assault on Tower Hill, with B and C Coys.

In the early morning hours of 1 August (around 0200) the Regiment launched its attack and A Coy began to make its way down the west side of the ravine – which proved unexpectedly deep and took some time to negotiate. As day was about to break, only A Coy in the lead had managed to make it partially out of the ravine before the Regiment was subjected to flanking fire from dug-in tanks and machine guns in the southern town outskirts. One platoon from A Coy was sent to try and flank the enemy armour while the other two (9 Platoon and one other) assaulted Tower Hill. B and C Coys meanwhile had become pinned down in the ravine and subjected to sniper and harassing fire from German AFV and heavy weapons.

SETUP AND CONSIDERATIONS

This mission has the option to do a day or night assault. I contacted the scenario designer, Ahriman667, to see if the night assault was play tested and what he thought about me selecting it. He said it was play tested and worked out well, so I decided to go with the night assault. I have never played a night scenario in ASL. Now was a good time to start. I read the night rules in Chapter E, which at times were confusing, but I think I have the gist of it. SASL and the mission parameters actually reduce and simplify some of the night rules (ie, no HIP, no cloaking for the ATTACKER, no illumination in this mission). But I am sure I will make a mistake or two somewhere. Please bear with me.

For the first map, here is an empty board #25 (hills) and #47 (depression/woods - now crag) as required by the campaign instructions:

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North is to the left. FBE is west (at the bottom) and EBE is east. Here I have a large wooded depression (actually all crag for this mission) with a dry stream bed to my immediate front. There are no buildings on this mapboard, even though the depictions are there. Wheat is in effect. Very dry, no wind. Board #25 has a huge ridgeline (three level 4 hilltops) and is littered with crag and gullies.

The next map shows the sole Victory Point Objective (VPO):

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This is very simple. Whoever controls the peak at game end wins. No other VPs apply.

The next map shows the suspect locations:

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Here is what I have to deal with (note that none of these suspect locations have two suspect counters). The Germans have a 33% activation chance for each counter, but the suspect counter on the VPO hill will activate on a "3" or less because they get a -1 when in/next to a VPO hex. Because it is a night assault (at least until turn #7), I have the advantage of skirting the major suspect locations since the NVR to start is 3. The problem with night time movement is that concealed terrain is an additional +1 MF, so this will slow me down. I am also operating with one less platoon for this battle.

It is clear that I need to advance up the left side of the depression to skirt all of those suspect counters on board #47. Once clear of them, I will then have to veer right (to the centre) to avoid the suspect counters on the left side of board #25. If the night doesn't prematurely end, and if ENEMY RE's don't occur, the Canadians should be able to sneak up to the peak and secure it. This could be a quick mission, but A Coy doesn't mind that at all!

Hopefully I will get turn 1 in tomorrow...

 

[ChappyNS]

TURN 1

Two views: "exploded" view and regular stacks

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"As you know, Capt Bowman and 3 Pl are otherwise occupied. But the CO still wants us to press on and take the high feature so Brigade HQ can put some FOOs up there. He wants us to do this tonight so that he can finally have some arty support for the attack on Regalbuto proper, tomorrow. OK here's the plan. Myself and 1 Pl will travel east along the central road but then break off and continue towards the high feature via the depression. The stream is dry so we should be ok. Sgt Chapman, you have all of A Coy mortars. I want you to follow me closely for the first phase; on the hill we will see what king of LOS you have. Capt Dillon, you, 2 Pl and the MMG will travel along the northern road but at some point you too will have to break off and enter the depression and cross the dry stream bed. Scouts will deploy far to the left to screen our advance. It's dark out there. Prepare your men and ensure none of their equipment rattles - you know how sound travels in the dark. And no smoking!"

It was midnight. The leaders looked at their synchronized watches and then whispered orders back to their soldiers. Slowly, they proceeded in the darkness along their respective roads, and entered the very rocky area in and around the valley floor. Occasionally there was a blunt noise, followed by a whispered curse, as soldiers tripped over the rocky ground in their effort to keep up to the faint silhouette of the man in front of them. Getting lost would be tragic, maybe even deadly. For now the men were keeping their formation together, but there is a lot of rough ground and in the darkness everything changes.

 

[ChappyNS]

TURN 2 & 3

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I played out two turns as not much is happening other than the approach to the ridge. However, twice now during the ENEMY turn, the Night Vision Range (NVR) has increased from 3 to 4 the first time, and then from 4 to 6. So now the Canadians can be spotted within the new 6 hex range. I will have to be more careful now!

 

[ChappyNS]

TURNS 4-7

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So here is the deal. A Coy's main force moved close to the objective very early on and you will note that this mission is probably 10 turns long. I think that the only way I can lose this one is by triggering an ENEMY RE. But in "Cautious Advance", the only way an RE can be triggered is if there is already an ENEMY activation. To prevent this, A Coy will just sit tight and wait, allowing the MMG to catch up. Other than moving the MMG and scouts forward, the only thing that was happening was NVR rolls - all negative. And now that I have hit Turn #7, if I roll a dr 1 at the start of any rally phase, the sun has come up. Turn 8 will see the possible activation of the S? on the objective....

 

[ChappyNS]

TURN 8

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Anticlimactically, this one is over. Turn 8 began with smoke from the mortars (my new fave toys). As you can see above, the peak and the hex just down from it were smoked off. One mortar triggered a sniper shot which broke the scouts. Then 1 and 2 Pls advanced up the hill. In the advance phase, Liddell moved adjacent to the peak but there was no activation. The Canadians ascended without any opposition and took the peak. They notice a couple of fresh foxholes and a map with coordinates lay next to one. Clearly there was a FOO team recently here but they buggered off.

This battle was not very exciting but sometimes the gods of war give you a break. And soon, all of Sicily will be secured by the Allies and the RCR will be moved onto the boot of Italy. Sicily was their baptism of fire, and little did they know what was ahead of them on the road to Ortona...

Capt Dillon was eligible for promotion and he got it! He is now a 8-1 leader. He is still Captain but he has been recognized by the Regiment for a potential promotion to major later on and perhaps company commander!

Two sections were seasoned to elite status, so now both 1 and 2 Pls are fully elite (458). Capt Bowman and 3 Pl will eventually rejoin A Coy.

Thanks for watching, and I hope to get Mission #5 on the go in the next day or so!

 

[Ahriman667]

Maybe I should add an exception that a GE RE can be rolled for even if there are no activated counters. What do you think? Or maybe lower the sunrise die roll.

 

[ChappyNS]

Maybe I should add an exception that a GE RE can be rolled for even if there are no activated counters. What do you think? Or maybe lower the sunrise die roll.

Hmmmm yes the GE RE could definitely work, as I really had no concern about the enemy for most of those turns. Maybe start the sunrise die roll earlier than turn #7? Maybe turn #3? Of course the NVR can still increase as it did during my battle.

I might also consider making the VPO location in this mission an automatic activation barring a "6" roll (or simply automatic - something is there) since the importance of that peak in this campaign mission. Also, during my battle, I actually rolled less than the activation number for the ENEMY on the VPO location (normally an activation), but on table A1 with the drm, the final DR was a "7" which is nothing. So maybe a rule for that as well?

Food for thought...

 

[Eagle4ty]

As you are aware (Chappy) night is usually when you kick your patrols out for sneak and peaks as well as security. Perhaps some roving random (a dr or dr x 0.5 FRU) S? entering from a random side and traveling to the opposite side could work. You could even randomize their turn(s) of entry. Also, it was fairly common, even in WW-II, to have a "Stand-To" at 0-dark hundred just prior to sunrise to have all your people ready for an enemy action (commonly conducted in the early dawn). Perhaps increase the AC# or add additional S? in the vicinity of the VPO as the sun rises. Just some food for thought.

 

[BigAl737]

It’d be cool if the VPO Suspect was guaranteed to be an Infantry supported tank, or ATG, or MG nest in a pillbox, or ... something to force a fight at night.

 

[ChappyNS]

As you are aware (Chappy) night is usually when you kick your patrols out for sneak and peaks as well as security. Perhaps some roving random (a dr or dr x 0.5 FRU) S? entering from a random side and traveling to the opposite side could work. You could even randomize their turn(s) of entry. Also, it was fairly common, even in WW-II, to have a "Stand-To" at 0-dark hundred just prior to sunrise to have all your people ready for an enemy action (commonly conducted in the early dawn). Perhaps increase the AC# or add additional S? in the vicinity of the VPO as the sun rises. Just some food for thought.

All great suggestions for Ahriman667....we will let him decide