Tunisia II.
Kasserine Campaign
[reboot due to attack of a maid!]
Allies open the game and in the Kasserine Campaign game there is still a question in my and my opponents mind as to why the Allies might like to go first, with the threat of a double German turn on the back end.
Suffice to say the Allies open up in the North looking for trouble. They DG the nonsense out of my forces. They advance looking to capture Bizerte and Tunis which are SOOO close. But it’s a smart cautious advance. No aggressive lunging. Careful placement to force retreats or counter attacks. I deploy a LOT of reserve Arty to counter these moves.
In the South and central a different story evolves. The US reinforce the weaker French at Foundouk pass area. And hang in around Faid, which in essence prevents 10th Panzer from entry to the valley.
In the German turn they lunge with 15th and the Centro “Italiano” and weave into the Kasserine area from the South. The 15th clears the way.
Turn 2.
Allies continue an aggressive air campaign that began last turn. Knocking down most of the German air. This means we cannot respond with it in the Reaction Phase.
Big Red one works with the Commandos against the weaker Italian and German battalions along the Oued Miline river. The Germans form up a bit of a line. The Allies have concentrated 3 Arty units in a hex nearby up North… They are pounding units with 40+ pts of arty… That needs to end.
After some hilarious do overs where I keep forgetting about spotting rules…[Sorry Norm]. I elect to drag 10th Panzer north and take on the 2AR 1st Armoured…. Then chicken out. The threat alone has forced him to consolidate here at my weakest point… sort of genius no?
sigh.
Meanwhile we wait on the rest of First Armoured to bugger off the pass now that I control their rear.
South near Gafsa, the Italians and some 88mm AA hold the line and secure a path for reinforcement elements that I am pulling away from the Mareth line.
I suspect all of this really doesn’t matter Monty’s force is HUGE… I’m screwed. But I’m gunna take a lot of pommy gits with me.
Ok..its the end of Allied turn 2. Who can see it?
Can you see that fricken hole?
You have to be shitting me.
Really?
No.. Seriously really?
It’s a really big hole… I mean… REALLY BIG.
Like a fly to swatting paper I can’t resist. But first we have to clear some units out of the way and shore up flanks….oh.. yeah I don’t have 20 panzer divisions to do it with either.
Just to keep it interesting, or did he spot that he FUBAR’d? He drops interdiction [ trainbusting] shots.
I go for it, do four attacks here and get one reversal with a lost surprise that drops the attack 4 shifts to 1:2, but roll box cars! Phew.
Then the 2 overruns generate max odds. There is no doubt I’m stretched thin, no doubt I’m asking for trouble.But Lets see if we can’t pull some further surprise moves on our boy next turn. If we earn Initiative its going to be pretty good. If we don’t ….well it will be ok, but I may be OOS in a few places. There are a few options that present themselves here. But lets save discussing them for afterwards, as I sense spies lurking [Hi Norm].
In the North I find those arty units and attack the units in front of them, then earn an exploit and go for it! We overrun the Arty with another lucky shift to the right combat surprise attack! 3 units off the map.
I call this the battle for Sidi Nasir. This attack is almost more important than the Southern distraction for my opponent. As we have knocked out 3 huge arty units. He will now need to rely on air, and ground pounders unsupported. He is down to just 1 or 2 arty units of note – see the 36th Bn in frame. But he also does earn a LOT of PAX/EQ fore REPLs….so the joy might be short lived.
That is also a challenge for the Axis, they have received no replacements T1 or T2. Versus the original game we played where we garnered 2 high end rolls allowing 4 air replacements.