All Americans, Part 7 (Sicily 22 July 43)

All,

The next phase of the battle sees the 82nd Airborne moving west along the coastal road towards Marsala, largely against inferior opposition, while the German frontline units pull back towards Messina at the northeast tip of the island.  1st Platoon is being brought back into the line to face off against flagging German and Italian opposition.  Up next for the platoon: Card H, "Screen."  Engineers will be off-board checking a substantial portion of road to determine if it can support an armored column, while 1st Platoon screens them from enemy action.  The platoon is at full strength and will have battalion 81mm mortars, an M-3 Stuart, and Sgt Lapidus' MMG in support, covering Sgt Austen's engineers.  Also, the Lt has put it off a couple fights already, but his college chum, 1Lt Nickelson, has been begging to accompany Shepherd on a mission, and this seems to be as good as any.  (That's what I get for writing up the intro last night but playing this afternoon; I forgot about the 81s and about bringing the Lt's buddy...)

 Over view of the table, US at bottom.  A fairly open map (lotsa fields), with substantial hills at center left and center, rough ground at bottom center.  You can see the Germans at top right.

 US left, with 1B up top, 1A down below, and the M-3 Stuart.

 US center, from left to right: bazooka team, Lt and RTO, 3B (top), and 3A (bottom).

 US right, top to bottom: MMG team, 2B, and 2A.

 Another shot of the US right, with Germans across from them.  At top left is German 1AG, top center is 1HMG, center is FG, immediately to its right is 2AG, immediately above that (behind bushes) is 2HMG, above that is a Sdkfz 222 Armored Car and a Pz Mk III (long 50mm).

 German left: top left is 2AG, top right is FG, and bottom center is 2HMG.

 German right, from left: 1HMG and 1AG.

 Pz Mk III and Sdkfz 222.

 The entire German force.  They are trying to break through to the US engineers (off-board on the US baseline).  1st Platoon will roll 1D6 at the end of each turn and must hold until a cumulative count of 20.

Turn 1:

 US left:  Not much German action, so 1st Squad and the Stuart all moved up.  You can see some Germans at top right, where the A/C moved quickly in this direction, and 1AG sprinted up the hill into the trees.

 Center: The MMG team fired at the German FG (center, in the field), getting a kill and 3shock.  The 2 German HMGs started piling shock on 3B and the MMG team, and so the PC and Plt Sgt spent their activations rallying the men.  3A and the bazooka team moved up on the left, while 2B, who couldn't get a shot off around the MMG team and 2A on the right, moved up into the field at center.  Surprisingly the German 2AG climbed the rise at far right, putting them face to face with the MMG and 2A, while the PzIII crossed the ford and moved forward.

 View of German left.
The engineer roll was a score of 1...

Turn 2:

US Left: The Stuart went on OW, and shortly thereafter the German AC rounded the corner and got blown up.  1B (on left) and 1A both moved up, with 1A trading fire with 1AG atop the hill, and 1A coming out the worse for it with a man down.

 On the US right, the bazooka team joined 3A in the treeline, while the Germans concentrated their tank and HMG fire there, trying to protect their FG caught out in the field.  You can see 3A and the bazooka team racking up some bodies and shock.

 On the far right, 2A and 1MMG combined to mow down the German 2AG, but in the field to left, the Germans got a couple hits and a couple shock on 2B (the Lt is there trying to rally them).

Engineer roll is 5, up to 6.

Turn 3:

 On left, Stuart and 1st Squad put a couple kills and some shock on 1AG.

 On the right, 2A and the MMG on far right are mostly ineffective, while Plt Sgt moves to 2B and the PC and his RTO sprint left to join 3A and the bazooka team.  However, the Panzer and three MG42s all take the area under fire, and the Lt and his RTO both fall in a hail of bullets (top left)!!!  The bazooka team bounces a rocket off the front glacis of the PzIII, damaging its sights.

 Lastly, 3B (just off camera at top right) gets a very lucky hit on 2HMG (bottom left) and puts the gun out of action.  The red bead shows the Panzer's damaged sight.

Turn 4: Sgt Carlyle is pissed, and stands full upright amid the hail of incoming machine gun rounds, and calmly send a rocket straight into the PzIII, blowing the turret off.  "That's for the Lieutenant..."

This broke the German Force Morale (I didn't relate it in the narrative, but the US paras had a real talent in this fight of knocking off German NCOs, taking big whacks at their Force Morale).  Five Germans immediately surrendered, while the rest fell back off the table.

**Now, I broke the German force, but, as this was  a screening mission with time still left on the clock, I figured it wasn't right to end the fight here, so I rolled up some German reinforcements and kept at it**

SSgt Ford quickly policed up the platoon, reorganizing and evacuating the wounded.  He knew it was only a matter of time before more Germans showed up...  And here they come.

 US left: again, 1B up top, 1A at bottom, and Stuart on right.

 US center, with bazooka team at left, 3A at top center, and 3B at bottom right.  Plt Sgt is at bottom right as well.

 US right: MMG team at top, consolidated 2nd Squad at bottom.

 And our adversaries, coming in at top center right: A Sdkfz 222 Armored Car, a Sdkfz 251/9 L24 (short 75mm), two Sdkfz 251s, each carrying a rifle squad, and a PC in the kubelwagen.

Turn 4:

 US Left: The Sdkfz 251/9 and a halftrack 1 (HT1) with 1st Squad move right.  1A sprints ahead, while 1B and the Stuart sit tight.  In the center, the bazooka team and 3A moved up.

 On the right, the MMG team opened up on the A/C, immobilizing it (though the crew stayed in the fight).  The German HT2 moved up and disgorged the German 2nd Squad, while the German PC moved up in his kubelwagen.  US 2nd Squad got a kill and a couple shock on 2FG.

 The center, with bazooka team and Plt Sgt at bottom center and 3A atop the hill in center.  You can see the immobilized AC at top right, as well as the German HT2 and 2nd Squad.

Turn 5:

 US Left: The Stuart went on overwatch, and along came the German Sdkfz 251/9, which promptly got blown up.  1B sprinted up next to 1A, but this allowed the German HT1 to dismount its 1st Squad.  The next card was alos German, and so 1FG scaled the hill and found 1A milling about in the open; 1FG promptly puts 1 kill and 2 shock on 1A, putting down Sgt Hume!  1A then failed its activation roll.  3A (top right) moves left and fires on 1AG catching them in the open.  They lost two men before taking cover behind the destroyed AC (from the early part of the battle).  The bazooka team is just below 3A on far right; Carlyle put a rocket into the side of HT1, destroying it.

 In the center, the German PC dismounts to rally his forces.  2FG (in the field next to PC) got a kill on the US MMG team, dropping them to 2 men.  You can see the AC burning, because...

 The MMG (far right) opened up on the AC again, this time firing a whole belt into it before it caught fire.  2AG and 3B square off on each other at far left, both sides somehow firing ineffectually...

The German FM is now at 1, and the magical number of '20' has been broached, so the engineers are finished.  Rather than simply 'call' the game, I decided to play it out as the two sides were locked in close combat.

Turn 6:

 On the left, the Stuart put 3 shock on 1FG, but it managed to activate and mowed the whole damned team down!  1B and the bazooka team (far right center) returned fire to no real effect.  3A (top right) and the Plt Sgt (bottom right) both engaged 1AG, getting only 1 kill.  As good as the Plt Sgt is as a leader and in close combat, he sucks when shooting (3 dice at close range as I play him as having a Thompson)!!!

 2FG and the US MMG exchange fire, with 2FG losing another man, and the MMG team losing one also, dropping it to one man!

2nd Squad (bottom right) opened a torrent of fire on 2AG (top right), killing three of them.  The BAR gunner from 3B looked at his two comrades and decided to go for it!  In the ensuing close combat, the German team was eliminated and the BAR man was also put down.  This caused the German Force Morale to break.  To be honest with you, I was really not happy with my decision to continue on with the game; I had two earlier decision points in which I could have ended the game; the moment the original German forces FM broke, and then when the engineer roll was finished.  But I decided to press on, and it cost me heavy casualties, including my beloved Sgt Hume, the leader of 1st Squad.  The mission was accomplished, the engineers found a route to support the tanks from 2nd Armored Division in the thrust towards Marsala, but it sure cost the platoon.  C'est la guerre...

The Germans lost:
40 WIA/KIA
7 POW 
1 Pz MkIII destroyed
2 Sdkfz 222s destroyed
1 Sdkfz 251/9 destroyed
1 Sdkfz 251/1 destroyed

Our Casualties:

2Lt Jack Shephard (PC) *Submitted for Bronze Star (3); Submitted for Bronze Star (5); shot in arm, Purple Heart (7);

Pvt Alcee (HQ Element) *Repl (3/4); WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (7)
Sgt Desmond Hume (1st Squad SL) *Shot in foot, Purple Heart (1); Shot in bicep, Purple Heart (4); 1st Sgt of Wpns Co has a positive view (4/5); KIA (7)
Cpl Baker (1st Squad) *Shot in forearm, Purple Heart (1); Promoted to Cpl by Lt (6/7); KIA (7)
Pvt Dodge (1st Squad) *Repl (6/7); WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (7)
Pvt Calhoun (1st Squad) *Repl (6/7); WIA, locally evacuated, return 26 July 43, Purple Heart (7); 
Pvt Edge (1st Squad) *Repl (6/7); shot in jaw, Purple Heart (7);
PFC Farr (2nd Squad) *Repl (3/4); Shot in shoulder, Purple Heart (4); Shot in foot, Purple Heart (5); Promoted to PFC by Lt (6/7); WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (7);
Pvt Johnson (2nd Squad) *Repl (3/4); Shot in thigh, Purple Heart (5); WIA, locally evacuated, return 26 July 43, Purple Heart (7);
PFC India (2nd Squad) *Shot in calf, Purple Heart (2); Transferred from 1st Squad (4/5); Promoted to PFC by Lt (6/7); shot in thigh, Purple Heart (7);
Pvt Jackson (2nd Squad) *Repl (6/7): shot in hand, Purple Heart (7);
Pvt Mickelson (3rd Squad) *Repl (6/7); WIA, evacuated (7); 
Pvt Noonan (3rd Squad) *Repl (6/7); shot in neck, Purple Heart (7);
Cpl Charley Pace (3rd Squad) *Shot in torso, locally evacuated and treated, return 14 July 43, Purple Heart (2); shot in calf, locally evacuated, return 24 July 43, Purple Heart (7);
Pvt Oliver (3rd Squad) *Repl (6/7); WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (7);
PFC Herby (3rd Squad) *Repl (2/3); shot in groin, locally evacuated and treated, return 14 July 43, Purple Heart (3); Promoted to PFC by Lt (6/7); KIA (7)
Cpl Frank Lapidus (Wpns Plt/MMG) *(2); (3); (5); (6); shot in shoulder, Purple Heart (7);
Pvt Apple (Wpns Plt/MMG) *(2); (3); (5); (6); WIA, evacuated, (7);
Pvt Ronson (Wpns Plt/MMG) *Repl (6/7); KIA (7)

To be honest, the platoon is a bit distraught; the last fight was pretty traumatic.  First, the platoon was facing pretty overwhelming odds regarding two waves of German infantry backed by armor.  Then seeing Lieutenant go down (though he's okay now).  Then the death of their most popular squad leader.  Some of the men are starting to wonder if Sgt Hurley is going to make it; he's clearly depressed again following the death of his good friend.  The platoon is missing a full rifle squad, and everyone's worried; if the Krauts will put up that kind of a fight on just the road to Marsala, what the hell is waiting for them in Marsala?  And everyone saw Captain Linus call a huddle with Lt Shepherd and SSgt Ford; no replacements, and the platoon will be moving up to its jump-off positions early in the morning...

V/R,
Jack

All Americans, Non-Battle Period (14-20 July 1943)

All,

1st Platoon performed admirably in the first phase of the invasion of Sicily and was rewarded with six days out of the line to rest, refit, and  bring in replacements.  The platoon dropped onto an alien land in the dark of night, formed itself in the face of the enemy, and fought its way to the battalion staging area before moving out smartly to eliminate enemy AAA nearby.  Following this the platoon led the assault on the German "Objective Y" defenses, taking Olive Tree Hill then turning it over to 2nd Platoon, which was badly mauled when elements of the German FallschirmPanzer Division Hermann Goering counterattacked Olive Tree Hill in its bid to reach the 1st Infantry Division's landing beaches.  1st Platoon immediately mounted a counterattack and ejected the Germans from the hill; however, the HGD soon returned, this time with Tiger tanks, but the platoon held fast.  Again the Germans attacked, with the platoon first holding its ground but then being forced to abandon the position.  2Lt Shepherd and SFC Ford immediately reorganized the platoon and led them back up Olive Tree Hill, evicting the Germans, who fell back in disarray.

The next morning advanced elements of the 1st Inf Divsion arrived to relieve the hard-pressed paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division.  Shepherd and Ford happily led their troops to the rear for some R&R, having no idea it would be almost a full week before their number would again be called.  All of the platoon's walking wounded are healed up, and all the locally evacuated men returned.  All replacements save one (a tough little Corporal named Keepers from 3rd Battalion) were 'boots' straight off the landing ships.  Shepherd promoted several of the 'old hand' Privates were promoted to PFC (though not anyone that ran!).

Happenings:

-I finally rolled up Sgt Glenn's attributes: conformist, religion, and bold.  He's a quiet, humble man, devoted to the Lord, family, and his country.  He believes in being a part of something larger than himself, and, while he doesn't desire to die, his devoutness makes him unafraid of it and thus aggressive on the battlefield.

-Due to his personal valor, the performance of his squad and the platoon as a whole, and the friendship of Sgt Hume, Sgt Hurley has broken free of the depression that gripped him early on.

-SFC Ford (if you've forgotten, he's hedonistic, a drunk, reckless, but a helluva guy under fire) took the Squad Leaders out on the town (strictly against US Army standing orders), where they all became quite drunk and Ford gave his best attempt at causing an international incident when he was caught 'getting to know' the local mayor's significant other.  This got all the way to the Bn Cmdr, who was none to pleased.  Heads didn't roll, but stern warnings were dispensed.

-Two days later Ford again found himself drunk and this time, instead of mixing it up with a local female he decided on an altercation that got physical with a logistics officer from the 45th Infantry Division.  Despite getting the better of the rear-echelon Captain, the BC was not impressed, and Ford finds himself once again occupying the rank of Staff Sergeant.  BC has a neutral opinion of Ford.

-Due to increases in experience and performance in battle, the following progressions were made:
Lt Shepherd becomes a Level III leader

SSgt Ford becomes a Level III leader

Sgt Carlyle becomes a Level I leader

Sgt Hume becomes a Level II leader

Cpl Locke becomes a Level I leader

Sgt Hurley becomes a Level II leader

Cpl Keepers becomes a Level I leader

Sgt Glenn becomes a Level II leader

Cpl Pace becomes a Level I leader

The next phase of the battle sees the 82nd Airborne moving west along the coastal road towards Marsala, largely against inferior opposition, while the German frontline units pull back towards Messina at the northeast tip of the island.  1st Platoon is being brought back into the line to face off against flagging German and Italian opposition.  Up next for the platoon: Card H, "Screen."  Engineers will be off-board checking a substantial portion of road to determine if it can support an armored column.  The platoon will have battalion 81mm mortars in support, an M-3 Stuart in support, and Sgt Lapidus' MMG in support, covering Sgt Austen's engineers.  Also, the Lt has put it off a couple fights already, but his college chum, 1Lt Nickelson, has been begging to accompany Shepherd on a mission, and this seems to be as good as any.

V/R,

Jack

All Americans, Part 6 (Sicily 13 July 43)

All,

I was able to get another one in this evening.  So, in the last fight elements of the Hermann Goering FallschirmPanzer Division kicked 1st Platoon off the hill, though under the steady leadership of the Lt and Plt Sgt, and with some heroics from Sgt Glenn, the platoon was able to fall back in an orderly manner with all its wounded and dead.

Lt Shepherd and SFC Ford immediately set about reorganizing the platoon in order to launch a counterattack as soon as possible.    The HQ element still had its full complement of 5 men, but the platoon was down to three squad leaders and 15 men, so bodies were shuffled around to create three 6-man squads.  The MMG team that was with them in the last fight was also retained for the counterattack.

The Americans decided to forgo any indirect fire on their former position, instead opting to use stealth to get as close to the Germans as possible.  The Germans, too, had suffered heavy losses and were busy reorganizing.  Two teams had been dispatched to move wounded to the rear and bring up ammo and water, while two MG teams set about improving their defensive positions.  When the Americans were spotted the Panzer crew was dismounted conducting maintenance on their vehicle, and the German PC and Plt Sgt were huddled in discussion.

Here's the table, with US at bottom and Germans at top.  This is the 4th fight over this particular hill (which ostensibly serves as part of the 82nd Abn's initial 'Y' objectives.  In fight 3 the platoon took the position from the Germans, then was relieved by 3rd Platoon.  3rd Platoon was then kicked off the hill by HG Division, and in fight 4 the platoon counterattacked and took the hill again.  In fight 5, the Germans made a feeble push which was easily repulsed, but then regrouped and came on strong, kicking the platoon off the hill.  Now it's time to (try to) get it back.

The US left: 3rd Squad, the Lt and his RTO, and 2nd Squad.

The US center: the 4-man .30 cal MMG team and the 2-man bazooka team.

The US right: the Plt Sgt and 1st Squad.

The German left (oriented from the right, as opposed to from their baseline, which is at right): they have 2FG (NCO and two-man LMG team) at far left, Pz Mk III in center with PC and Plt Sgt above them, and 2AG (NCO and three rifles) at far right (returning with ammo and water).

German center: 1FG (same as 2FG) on left, MG-42 HMG (NCO and two-man crew) on right.  Both crews are split up, with one troop manning the gun while the other two work on the position (which is why I turned the emplacements sideways, simulating the fact they have been worked on but not finished).

German 1AG (NCO and three rifles) in center rear, almost at their baseline, also bringing up ammo and water.
I started both sides at a FM of 7, and I kept the Americans "get moving" attribute for this fight.

Turn 1:  The PC and 3rd Squad crawled up to the wire on the left, and the German HMG spotted them, cutting loose a burst (no effect).  This alerted the Germans, and the Panzer crew manned their vehicle.  The US MG, bazooka team, and 3rd Squad all took the German center under fire, getting a couple kills on the right hand LMG team (-2 FM pts for losing their NCO) and a lot of shock on the left hand HMG team.  The German PC sprinted to the center and pulled shock from the HMG team.  A random event occurred, forcing the Germans to take a morale test on a D10 roll of 10; I figured this was pretty cool in terms of the Germans being surprised and understrength.  Both German AG's dropped their supplies and rushed forward to the center.  On the right, the Plgt Sgt and 1st Squad crept forward, and took ineffective fire from the German 2FG.  The PC and 3rd Squad used the special move to cross the ford on the left and get into the treeline on the flank of the German hill positions.

PC and 1st Squad at far left, having used the special move to get across the ford.  German 1AG is moving forward at top center, and German HMG team is at bottom right.

US Center, showing 3rd Squad at top left, 2nd at bottom left, the MG and  bazooka team at bottom right, and the German HMG at top right.

The right side, with Plt Sgt and 1st Squad at bottom right and German 2FG at top center.

From the German side on their left.  2FG is just visible at top left, with 2AG at center left moving towards hill.  The German 1FG is on the left on the hill and the HMG is on the right, with the PC and Plt Sgt between them and 1AG at far right.

Turn 2: US MG, bazooka team, and 2nd Squad keep firing a the German HMG, and their PC keeps pulling shock off it to keep it in action, while the return fire puts quite a bit of shock on the US center (MMG and bazooka).  On the right, the Plt Sgt and 1st Squad creep up under ineffective German fire, then fire on 2FG but manage only 1 shock.  Back on the left, 3rd Squad and the PC fire on the HMG, getting a bunch more shock (still no kills on them), forcing the German Plt Sgt to hop over to pull shock from them.  Both German AGs move towards the hill while the Plt Sgt and 1st Squad use the special move to leave the treeline and get pretty close to the German 2FG.  Then, of all things, the German Panzer decided to come around this flank (instead of doing the much more likely move to the center, where my bazooka team was).

US left side, with MMG and bazooka (bottom center) showing some shock.  3rd Squad and PC are still at top left, 2nd Squad still at bottom left, German HMG and LMG (down to one man) on hill with German PC and Plt Sgt.

Close-up of the center: the German HMG is on left, while the 1FG is on right (only the gunner) with the Plt Sgt, and the PC is in the center.  1AG is top left, 2AG top right.  1AG is rather exposed as US 3rd Squad is off camera to the left.

And stuff just got real on the right.  The Plt Sgt was doing his usual "let's see how quick I can get into close combat" when the German Panzer (far right) decided to stick its nose over here.

Turn 3: German card came out first, and the Panzer pivoted and lit into the Plt Sgt and 1st Squad, but terrible shooting saved them (only 1 kill and 1 shock from the main gun and bow MG)!!!  Then another German card came out, and the 2FG fired on them, also getting 1 kill and 1 shock (I was really expecting all seven men to get gunned down).  However, the return fire manages to gun down the German NCO and A-gunner, leaving only the LMG gunner (-2 FM pts).

But things are getting precarious.  The paratroopers have the Plt Sgt and (now 4 men of) 1st Squad facing down a three man LMG team in a treeline and a Panzer at point blank range on the right, and the MMG team and bazooka team stacking up shock (making them less and less effective) in the center.  The Lt decides it's time to make some stuff happen.

While the German PC pulls some more shock from the HMG, 2nd Squad fires at the exposed 1AG coming up the hill, and kills three of the four men (including their NCO, -1 FM point).  The bazooka and MG both fire at the German HMG, getting a kill and a couple more shock.  The HMG has so much shock that the German Plt Sgt jumped over again and pulled some more shock.  The Lt and Sgt Glenn led 3rd Squad down the rise to the bank of the stream, where they cut loose on the German HMG with nine dice and got....  ZERO hits!  The German 2AG moved up and joined 1FG in the other emplacement, and they fired at the MMG and bazooka team, racking up a few more shock (getting real close to making them run).

Special move time came up, and the Lt decided it was go time.  He courageously led 3rd Squad up the hill and closed with the German HMG position (two men left, plus the German Plt Sgt).  The close combat resulted in the death of both German NCOs (the gunner promptly surrendered), but the Germans took a heavy toll: five paratroopers were downed in the melee!

Of course, the loss of two more leaders and another team dropped the German Force Morale another 4 points, leaving them at -4 overall, game over.  The German PC, remaining man of 1FG, the 4 men of 2AG, the sole survivor of 1AG, and the remaining man of 2FG all surrendered, but the German Panzer pivoted and made tracks out of there.

The aftermath of the close combat on the hill.  Sgt Glenn went down in the melee, though the Lt again survived a close combat unscathed...

Situation on the right, right before the German 2FG NCO surrendered and the Panzer headed for the rear.

So, mission accomplished, the hill (I realize now I should have given it a name) is back in US hands.  In campaign terms, this was the last fight for 13 July 1943.  In this sector (in my made up world), the link-up with the Big Red One occurs during the early morning hours of 14 July and the whole battalion is pulled out of the line for a few days to rest an refit before going on the offensive and chasing the Germans off the island of Sicily.  Here's the score:

The Germans lost:
10 WIA/KIA
9 POW 

Our Casualties:
Pvt Charleston (1st Squad) *Shot in neck, Purple Heart (1); KIA (6)
Pvt Echo (1st Squad) *WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (6)
Sgt Glenn (3rd Squad) *Repl from E Co, 2nd Bn (3/4); Ran in the face of the enemy (4); Transferred from 2nd Squad to 3rd Squad (4/5); Submitted for Distinguished Service Cross (5); shot in neck, Purple Heart (6); 
Pvt Girardo (3rd Squad) *Repl (2/3); Ran in the face of the enemy (4); Shot in face, Purple Heart (5); shot in thigh, locally evacuated and treated, return 20 July 43, Purple Heart (6)
Pvt Tango (3rd Squad) *Submitted for Bronze Star (4); Shot in shoulder, Purple Heart (5); KIA (6)
Pvt Ertz (3rd Squad) *Repl (3/4); Transferred from 1st Squad (5/6); shot in groin, locally evacuated and treated, return 18 July 43, Purple Heart (6)
Pvt Uniform (3rd Squad) *Submitted for Bronze Star (4): shot in jaw, Purple Heart (6);
Pvt Bautista (Wpns Plt/MMG) *(5); KIA (6)

Awards Recommendations: None.  Heroes, as always, but nothing that stands out.

So, the platoon's riflemen are down to 13 effectives, with only three of them having never been hit (and one of those is a replacement!).  There are five guys that will return to the platoon in less than a week though.  The platoon itself has suffered 29 men killed or evacuated out of theater.

Somehow, three of the guys that have constantly had their necks on the line, the PC (the Plt Sgt, and the bazooka gunner) have not been hit!  It's really going to piss me off when one of those guys gets it...  But that's what I wanted out of the campaign; a narrative, a sense of continuity, and a connection.  It's been a lot of fun.

V/R,
Jack

All Americans, Part 5 (Sicily 13 July 43)

All,

Got another fight in this morning before football started.  The platoon was on the defensive; the tanks and panzer-grenadiers of the Hermann Goering Division had taken the hill from 3rd Platoon, then 1st had moved up and taken back.  After scattered firefights all night long between 1st Platoon's outposts and HG patrols, the HG launched another attack at first light, on the heels of a preparatory artillery barrage.  

The platoon reorganized during the night.  Troops were shuffled around, bringing 1st and 2nd Squad's to full strength, while 3rd Squad had only one team led by Sgt Glenn.  As they were lining up their defense, the Lt was flummoxed that he couldn't really hide Glenn (after his poor performance last fight); Ford muttered an "I told you so" under his breath...    Pre-game we got an on-call arty barrage, an ATG, and a 1 four-man.30 cal MMG team.  Also, I got the "Get Moving" trait again (and boy would I need it).

 The table, from the US baseline.  All blinds have been rolled up and all forces are on the table.

 On the US left we have team 1B, but with the Squad Leader pulled from 1A and placed with them.

 In the center, the left emplacement has the 57mm ATG, the right has the .30 cal MMG.  The forward position has 3A; the Lt (who is in the woods in the center with his RTO) decided if he couldn't hide Glenn he'd keep him nice and close).  In the rear/reserve, we have 1A (minus the SL) on the left, the Plt Sgt and bazooka team in the center, and 2A (minus the SL) on the right.

 On the right is 2B, plus the 2nd Squad SL.

 The German left has (from left to right) 3AG, 3FG, and 2FG (which has an MG-42 on a tripod instead of a bipod LMG), and 2AG (far right, barely in the picture opposite US 3A in the forward emplacement).  A German Pz Mk III (P3) is also on this side, just off camera to bottom right).

 German center, showing (again) 2FG and 2AG in center, with P2 at bottom left, a Sdkfz 222 armored car at center right, and P1 at far right.

 The German right, with 1AT in field at top, 1FG at ford, arid P1 at  center bottom.

Turn 1:  The Germans had a pre-game barrage: Left - 1B had 1KIA; Center - ATG 1 KIA and 1 shock, MMG 1 KIA and 1 shock, and 3A 1 KIA; Right - 2B had 1 shock.

 On the left, 1AG, 1FG, and P1 all move up and fire on 1B, managing only 2 shock!  1B returns fire at 1AG, getting a kill and 3 shock.

In the center, the German 2nd Squad moves forward, and P2 and the A/C move up and fire.  The ATG fires at P2, missing everything.  Things are looking a little dire on the right, so the Plt Sgt sends 2A (in reserve) right to link up with 2B and brings the bazooka up to the right emplacement with the MMG.  The MMG swings its gun right and fires on the German 3rd Squad opposite 2B.  The bazooka gets in place and puts a rocket into P2, immobilizing it and causing the crew to bail.

 On the right, 2B trades fire with the German 3rd Squad, while P3 moves forward and fires ineffectively.

Turn 2:  On the left, 1B mows down 1AG.  In the center, the ATG knocks out P1, blowing its turret clean off!  The bazooka fired at the A/C but missed, while the MMG fired at 2FG, getting a couple hits.  3A manages to kill 2FG's NCO, while 2FG puts some shock on the MMG.  On the right, 2B gets a couple kills on 3AG, while 3FG and P3 get a couple kills on 2B.

At this point, the Germans have lost three NCOs, two tanks, and a fair few of their infantry.  They decide on an operational pause to pull back, regroup, receive reinforcements, and try again.

Less than an hour later 1st Platoon again heard the rumble of tank engines...  The German plan was to use 1st Squad on the center right to demonstrate and hold the attention of the Americans there, while the main effort would come on the left.

 The German left: P4, P3, P2, P1, and the armored car, followed by 2nd Squad (2FG on left, 2AG on right), followed by 3rd Squad (3FG on left, 3AG on right).  The German PC is between the two squads, and there is a 2-tube section of 80mm mortars at bottom right.

 On the right is 1st Squad (1FG at far right, 1AG in center), with a four-man HMG at center left.  The Plt Sgt is right behind 1AG in center.

Turn 3:

 On the left, 1AG and 1B trade fire, with 1B losing a man.

 In the center, the German HMG, 1AG, and 80mm mortars went after the ATG, getting a kill and three shock.  The PC pulls shock and the ATG hits P2, destroying its main gun, but the crew is fanatic and stay in the fight!  3A put a few hits on 1AG, while the MMG swung its gun right and started firing on the the two German squads marching on 2B (killing one of the German NCOs for -1 FM pt).  This caused the German A/C to come over and fire at ti, getting only a couple shock.  The bazooka moved from its reserve position up next to the MMG.

 The short story is that every German on the American right moved forward and shot at 2nd Squad, getting a couple kills (there's a stiff penalty 'to hit' when you move and shoot).  Sgt Hurley took stock of the situation, then he and his sole remaining teammate both grabbed a wounded man and began falling back.

Turn 4:

 On the left, Sgt Hume realizes what's going on and, on his own initiative, grabs his wounded and falls back towards the US center position.  The German 1FG sees this and moves forward.

 In the center, the German HMG and mortars again go after the ATG, wiping them out (and causing a loss of 3 FM points!), while the A/C and 1AG move up and fire on the MMG, to no effect.  Sgt Carlyle pops his head up and puts a rocket into P2's flank, destroying it.  The bazooka team then used the 'special move' to sprint right to help 2B (that's them at far right).

The start of Sgt Glenn's heroics began with his sending the remainder of hit team back to the ATG position.  Then he drew a deep breath to calm himself, said a prayer, climbed over the sandbags, and charged the German armored car!  He fired hit Thompson SMG the whole way, mounted it, reloaded, and began spraying lead into the vision slit.  He killed the driver through the vision slit, and the vehicle commander when he popped the hatch with pistol drawn.  The radio man popped his head out of the hatch with his arms raised, but it was all happening too fast and Sgt Glenn shot him too!  (You can just see Glenn in the center next to the burning A/C)

The PC moved over to the MMG and pulled shock from them, and they continued to pour fire to the right to try and protect 2B.  1A used the 'special move' to haul butt from the reserve position to 2B's position.  At some point during all this, the Plt Sgt sprinted right to help 1A and 2B.

On the right, 1A laid down (ineffective fire) then, with three Panzers and two rifle squad bearing down on the position, grabbed the last wounded guy and began falling back too (2B is at far left, 1A at center left, with the whole German Army coming at the hill).

Not to be outdone by Sgt Glenn, SFC Ford sprinted up to P3 as it was cresting the hill, and mounted it.  He fired his Tommy Gun into the vision slits until it was empty, and when the bow gunner's hatch opened he stuck the barrel of his .45 into it and started squeezing rounds off.  For all that, the Panzer crew received two shock, while they got one hit on Ford, but no effect.  The remaining German tanks and infantry continued to advance.

I know I haven't been putting in each paragraph as it happens, but let me update you on the Force Morale situation: the US is down to 2 and the German are down to 4.  The US is currently pulling off a fighting withdrawal to get all their troops out of there; if their morale breaks before they get their guys off the board, a good number of them will be captured.

Turn 5:

 On the left, 1FG sprinted up to 1Bs old position.  Sgt Hume sends the man carrying the WIA off the table, while he leads the rest of 1B up to the ATG position.  The 80mm mortars crash down on the MMG, but only get 1 shock, while the German HMG puts two kills on 3A (at the ATG position).  Sgt Glenn can't believe he's still alive, but gathers his wits and sprints up to the ATG position.  1AG moves up and fires at the mass of paratroopers on top of the hill, to no effect.  The PC and RTO return fire, mowing down four men.  The MMG continues to burn its barrel out firing to the right, trying to cover the withdrawal of 1A and 2B (both carrying wounded).  The remainder of 3A grabs some wounded and starts making their way off the board.

 On the right, Sgt Carlyle fires and knocks out P4.  The Plt Sgt and the crew of P3 go at it again, but all they manage is for each side to put two shock on the other (normally shock doesn't effect leaders, but I figured this was melee and so I let it stand).  As the German infantry moved forward the Plt Sgt decided to hop off the Panzer and make a run for it.  Meanwhile, 2B and 1A continued to move toward the table edge.

Turn 6: The US Arty finally arrives, and wreaks havoc on the Germans bunched up on the right.  Okay, not havoc, but 4 kills and 4 shock were spread between the four infantry teams, with another two shock going on P3.

 On the left, the MMG keeps firing into the German infantry formation to the right, while the 80mm mortars drop on it again, getting 2 shock (the MMG's been leading a charmed life on the 'hit effect' table).  1B and 1FG exchange fire, with 1FG losing a man.  The German HMG, 1AG, and the German Plt Sgt sprint ahead in the center, determined to not let the Americans in the center escape.  Sgt Glenn sees this and lets loose a burst from his Thompson (hitting nothing), then grabs a wounded man and bolts down the hill.  The PC continues to bounce between the two emplacements, pulling shock to keep the MMG and various rifle teams in the fight.  3A gets off the board with a couple wounded.

 On the right, Sgt Carlyle sees P2 pop out on the other side of the trees (at the extreme far right).  The team loads its last rocket, and Carlyle promptly puts it into the flank of P2, knocking it out (German FM is now at ZERO; one more 'event' and they break).  Seeing 2B and 1A successfully withdraw off the board, the Plt Sgt sprints left to the meet up with the Lt.  The German P3, PC, 2nd Squad, and 3rd Squad all take an operational pause to get rid of a bunch of the shock they've acquired via the MMG fire and the Arty barrage.

Turn 7: On the right, the entire German force cautiously moved forward, but no one was home as the bazooka team had just sprinted off the board.

In the center, the MMG continued firing right, while 1B and the PC all fired at 1FG, reducing it to one man, before the PC and RTO both picked up wounded and sprinted down the hill.  The Plt Sgt signaled the MMG, and they packed up the gun and sprinted to the rear, while Sgt Glenn got off the board carrying a wounded man.  The Germans in the center continued to move forward, and the mortars fired blindly at the US forces in the center but hit nothing.

The three remaining men of 1B (at top), holding off the enemy while the Plt Sgt (center), Plt Commander (bottom left), and RTO (bottom right), all carrying wounded men, make their way to the board edge.

In turn 8 the remaining paras were able to safely exit the board.

So, the game was not supposed to go this way (with the German reinforcements), but somehow they were getting their butts kicked in a pushover, so I decided to have them reload and go at it again, and boy was that crazy!  Despite getting my butt kicked, it was really a great time!  In game terms, perhaps I could have held my position and died in place (or died at least until the Force Morale broke), but I actually liked the idea of transitioning mid-stream to a fighting withdrawal, trying to save all the wounded men.  It was really testing in terms of balancing the fighting with the withdrawing, and I can't believe I pulled it off (both sides almost had their morale break).  And I'm happy to report that the platoon's leadership (more so Ford than Shepherd couldn't have been more wrong about Sgt Glenn!  

The Germans lost:
53 WIA/KIA
0 POW
1 Sdkfz 222 armored car damaged

5 Panzer Mk III tanks damaged/destroyed

Our Casualties:Pvt George (1st Squad) *KIA (5)

Pvt Hotel (1st Squad) *WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (5)
Pvt Alston (2nd Squad) *Repl (2/3); Shot in calf, Purple Heart (5);
Pvt Beetle (2nd Squad) *Repl (2/3); WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (5)
Pvt Farr (2nd Squad) *Repl (3/4); Shot in shoulder, Purple Heart (4); Shot in foot, Purple Heart (5); 
Cpl Nancy (2nd Squad) *Meritoriously promoted to Cpl by PC (3/4); WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (5)
Pvt Hubler (2nd Squad) *Repl (3/4); KIA (5)
PFC Whiskey (2nd Squad) *shot in hand, walking wounded, Purple Heart (2); Meritoriously promoted to E-3 by Plt Cmdr, named Acting A/SL; Ran in the face of the enemy (4); Transferred from 3rd Squad (4/5); WIA, evacuated, Purple Heart (5)
Pvt Johnson (2nd Squad) *Repl (3/4); Shot in thigh, Purple Heart (5)
Pvt Tango (3rd Squad) *Submitted for Bronze Star (4); Shot in shoulder, Purple Heart (5);
Pvt Sierra (3rd Squad) *shot in thigh, walking wounded, Purple Heart (2); KIA (5)
Pvt Girardo (3rd Squad) *Repl (2/3); Ran in the face of the enemy (4); Shot in face, Purple Heart (5);
Pvt Clue (MMG Team) *Shot in hip, Purple Heart (5);
Sgt "Penny" Widmore (ATG) *(4); Shot in head, Purple Heart (5);
Pvt Ackerman (ATG) *(4); KIA (5)
Pvt Pippen (ATG) *(4); Shot in groin, Purple Heart (5);
Pvt Vinson (ATG) *(4); Shot in arm, Purple Heart (5);

Awards Recommendations:

2Lt Shepherd submitted for the Bronze Star for leadership under intense enemy fire which allowed for the orderly withdrawal of his force.

SFC Ford submitted for the Silver Star for stabilizing the position on the right flank by attacking a German Panzer, allowing members of 1st and 2nd Squads to escape with wounded members of the platoon.

Sgt Carlyle submitted for the Distinguished Service Cross for knocking out three German tanks.

Sgt Hurley submitted for Bronze Star for holding the platoon's right flank against overwhelming odds, then successfully withdrawing under intense enemy pressure to preserve his squad.

Sgt Glenn submitted for the Distinguished Service Cross for remaining behind to cover the withdrawal of the Platoon's central position, charging and destroying an enemy armored car in close combat, then falling back to carry a wounded comrade off the battlefield.

The Lt and Plt Sgt know what needs to be done; immediately they set to reorganizing the platoon to launch a counterattack as soon as possible.  The HQ element is still 100%, but the rifle squads are down to 18 men.  As the platoon still has all three squad leaders, Shepherd and Ford decide to make three 6-man squads.  The MMG team is sort of milling around in the absence of orders from higher, so the Lt makes decides possession equals ownership, and he lumps them into the platoon for the counterattack.  After a few words from Ford, Carlyle and his partner disappear for a bit, then reappear with ammo, grenades, and rockets for the bazooka.  The Lt's happy to have more rockets, but really hopes to see no more German armor...

So far my 35-man platoon (5 HQ element, three x 10-man rifle squads) has suffered 29 WIA and 12 KIA (this does not include attachments, such as mortars, MGs, and ATGs).  12 of the wounded are 'walking wounded,' with two of them being hit twice, and three of the non-walking wounded were locally evacuated and will return during this campaign.  So, not including the walking wounded and three that will return, the platoon has lost 26 men, 6 of which were replacements. 

So stand by for the counter-counter-counter-counter (1st Plt took the hill, Germans counterattacked 3rd Plt and took the hill, 1st Plt took it back, Germans just took it again) attack.

V/R,
Jack