Hell on Wheels, Operation Torch Fight #6

 All,

1630 Local Time
9 November 1942
Near Port Lyautey, French Morocco

The Major was livid, again...  Following Captain Henry's successful seizure of 'Murderville' and 'The Meatgrinder,' Task Force Reisman had been tasked with making an assault on the Kasbah, an old French fort northeast of the invasion beaches, smack dab between them and Port Lyautey, the ultimate objective.  The US 9th Infantry Division had made several unsuccessful attacks on the Kasbah from the west/northwest and needed to fall back, regroup, and reorganize for continued combat operations, so high command decided to have TF Reisman give it a try from the southwest.  Major Reisman was furious because 9th ID artillery and airstrikes pounded the Kasbah all morning, then lifted at 1230 in order to allow TF Reisman to attack.  The only problem was, it was now 1630 and TF Reisman had still not launched its attack...

Major Reisman had tabbed Captain May's Dog Company for the attack on the Kasbah but, following the chaos of the amphibious landings, the attack on Mehdia, and the French counterattack, the various TF Reisman units were still hopelessly intermixed and mixing gear, and it took time to get it all sorted out.  A lot of time, in fact, so much time that Dog Company missed its jump-off time, but the units had finally separated themselves and gotten back to their tables of organization.  Major Reisman was forced to radio through to HQ and notify them of the delay a total of three times before Captain May was able to move his company up to the line of departure and signal they were prepared to launch.  

The preparatory fires on the Kasbah had ceased at 1230 local time (no one has unlimited ammo), but Major Reisman was able to beg 9th Infantry Division artillery to resume bombardment to cover Captain May's advance to the line of departure.  At the arranged time the guns fell silent; Captain May gave a nervous glance at his wristwatch: 1630, time to go.  "Alright boys, up and at'em!"

Overview, north is up.  The Kasbah is located in the northeast (top right), and the French have Strongpoint Marie on a small hill in the southeast (bottom right), with the Wadi Sebou running between the two and flowing northwest (top center left) towards the sea.  The river is bridged at a nearby (unnamed) village, but it is shallow in this area and can easily be waded by infantry.  The US line of departure is the left-hand baseline.

The ground here is a bit of a canyon, surrounded by low hills, hardball road running through it, broken only by the river and patches of rocky ground and brush.

The opposing forces, with Americans on the left, French on the right, and my dumbass feet making an appearance...

The American force consists of Captain May (bottom right) leading all three of his rifle platoons and a weapons platoon, with a pair of M7 Priest self-propelled guns attached (being used as assault guns).  Here's the breakdown:
CO: Captain May, commander of Dog Company

1st Platoon: 2nd Lt Steed
1st Squad, 1st Platoon: Cpl Faulk
2nd Squad, 1st Platoon: Cpl Harrison

3rd Squad, 1st Platoon: Sgt Marion

2nd Platoon: 2nd Lt Carney
1st Squad, 2nd Platoon: Sgt Culver
2nd Squad, 2nd Platoon: Sgt Warren

3rd Squad, 2nd Platoon: Cpl Bickett

3rd Platoon: 2nd Lt Crittenden
1st Squad, 3rd Platoon: Cpl Ambrose
2nd Squad, 3rd Platoon: Sgt Brown

3rd Squad, 3rd Platoon: Cpl Coryatt

Weapons Platoon: Sgt Irvin

MG Team: Cpl Washington

MG Team: Cpl Bledsoe

Mortar Team: Cpl Stepnoski

Mortar Team: Cpl Casillas

M7 Priest: 2nd Lt Robinson

M7 Priest: Sgt Davis

The CO, Captain May, and the 3rd Platoon leader, Lt Crittenden, have both been decorated for bravery with the Bronze Star w/V.  Conversely, all the Corporals listed in the rifle platoons are replacing Sergeants who were either casualties or relieved for incompetence/cowardice.

But their French foe is packing quite a punch, pretty much equal in size to the attacking force, which is never a good idea.  Here's what the French have:
-Commanding Officer (CO)

-Executive Officer (XO)

-3 x Rifle Platoon (of 3 x rifle squad, each)

-A weapons platoon consisting of 2 x Hotchkiss MG and 2x 81mm mortar

-A gun platoon consisting of 2 x 75mm field gun and 1 x 25mm anti-tank gun (ATG)

-A tank platoon (-) consisting of 2 x R35 light tanks

Additionally, the French are experiencing a serious bout of high elan due to being considerably protected by the 4' walls of the Kasbah and the strong trenches of Strongpoint Marie and having successfully seen off three infantry attacks by the Amis, which will be reflected in their morale rolls/checks.

Overview, now with troops.  The American force runs in a line from top left to bottom center left, while the French are clustered in the Kasbah (top right) and SP Marie (bottom right).  I placed the Americans where they will start the game, having stood up and moved out in skirmish line immediately after the preparatory barrage lifted, about where they'd be once the French recovered from the US artillery.

The US start line, where you see the US Weapons Platoon at top left, except one of its MG teams, which is atop the hill at left center, and the infantry platoons in skirmish line, with Lt Steed's 1st Platoon at top center left, Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon at center, and Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon at far right, with Lt Robinson's two M7 SPGs at bottom right and the CO, Captain May, on the road at left top.

On the extreme left flank there is Sgt Irvin leading the Weapons Platoon, with Cpl Washington's MG team next to him and both mortar teams below them (bottom left), and Lt Steed's 1st Platoon fanned out and moving towards the Wadi Sebou (center/right).

In the center we see Captain May in the road (left), Cpl Bledsoe's MG team on the nearby hill (bottom center), and Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon nearing the crossroads (center/right).

While on the US far right we've got Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon (right, with part of Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon visible at top left) and Lt Robinson's SPGs bringing up the rear (bottom center left).

The French baseline, showing how everyone is protected in the Kasbah (top center right) or SP Marie (bottom center).

The Kasbah, looking nigh-on impregnable, and fully staffed, to boot!  The French have it stocked full of nastiness for the approaching Yanks: the French Commander (the three-figure stand at center right bottom) is in charge, with both 81mm mortars to his left.  Up in the turrets he has his 25mm ATG (far right) and an MG team (top left), with another MG team manning the parapets (2nd deck, third stand from the right) and surrounded by a full rifle platoon on the 2nd deck and with another full rifle platoon manning the 1st deck (there are numerous loopholes for them to fire out of).

And SP Marie, which is a little different in that they have a strong force dug in, but they also maintain a healthy mobile reserve of two rifle squads and two R35 light tanks (far left/bottom center).  On the hill they have their XO, both 75mm field guns, and a rifle squad dug in.

Let's take a quick step back in time, just for a moment, in order to help out the Americans.

It's 1625 and the 9th Infantry Division artillery is pounding the Kasbah and SP Marie; the practically days-long pounding (cumulative) has taken its toll, knocking out two rifle squads and suppressing several other units in the Kasbah, and suppressing several units at SP Marie.

*For the record, I have the full fort set, I just didn't want to take up too much room with it, so I only set up one of the four walls and two of the four turrets.  I think it still looks pretty cool, though, an out here you can see the loopholes for firing that I was talking about.

And with that, it's time to fight!  The US barrage has lifted; the dusty GIs rise up and begin advancing, the only sound being the clank of their gear as they make their way across the rocky desert floor.

The silence is broken when Cpl Bledsoe's water-cooled .30-cal MG (bottom right) opens fire, peppering the stone walls of the Kasbah (top left, with the American CO at center)...

The American machine gun fire has no effect on the French defenders (the yellow 'pinned' and red 'suppressed' beads are from the artillery barrage) and a French MG team (bottom right) returns fire on Cpl Bledsoe's MG team (hill at top center), suppressing them!

Lt Robinson (bottom left) orders both M7 Priests to reply, sending a 105mm HE round at the Kasbah (top right)...

The heavy guns have a telling affect, pinning the ATG (yellow bead at top right), suppressing a rifle squad (red bead at center on 2nd deck), and forcing an already suppressed MG team to fall back (red bead at bottom left)!

All three US rifle platoons advance, with the SPGs moving up in support of 2nd and 3rd Platoons as 1st Platoon dips its toes into the Wadi Sebou (top center left).

On the French far left, their rifle squad on SP Marie (bottom right) spots the US 3rd Platoon (top left) and opens fire, to no effect.

And the remaining French MG team in action opens fire on the US 1st Platoon (right top), pinning Lt Steed's command team.

And then, without ever letting off the trigger, the French MG team shifts fire to Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon (left top), pinning Sgt Culver's squad.

As Captain May falls back and rallies Cpl Bledsoe's MG team (bottom center, with 1st Platoon at top left and 2nd Platoon at far right).

There is a lull in the firing as the French pause to collect themselves.

*The French rolled a 'Scurry,' which may seem kinda bad for them because they don't need to move, but they really need to rally and this will allow them to do it.  As a matter of fact, if all goes well, they'll be able to do it without allowing the Americans to get in a free move (in the rules, when a side rolls up a Scurry they move whichever units they want to, but any enemy units that see them move get a free move).

In the Kasbah, the French CO manages to rally every single one of the pinned and suppressed units without incident!

SP Marie was also pretty beaten up by the bombardment, so the opportunity to rally is a blessing.  All goes well here except the suppressed 75mm gun (red bead at far right) only manages to get 'up' to pinned, and they have to leave their XO 'men down.'

In the rules, 'men down' means the unit is taking casualties and is temporarily combat ineffective.  They can be rallied, but their panic is bad enough that they cannot self-rally, they have to have a friendly unit move into base contact to rally them.  If that fails they may continue to panic (stay 'men down') or even get knocked out of the game (casualties are so bad they have routed and are removed from the game).  The French could have moved a unit up to rally the XO (white bead at center), but if they move and American units can see it (plenty of them would) then those American units would get a free move, and the French don't want the Yanks stealing any marches on them, they want the Americans out there in the open for as long as possible.

So the Americans don't get a free move, they just get their normal activation: Cpl Bledsoe's MG team, recently rallied by Captain May (bottom left), resumes firing on the Kasbah (top right).

They suppress a French rifle team on the first deck, but the French MG team (bottom right) again returns fire and pins them down (top center).

*For those wondering how I resolve casualties, I stole Buck Surdu's mechanism from Combat Patrol.  You pick out a unit, usually a platoon of 2-4 stands, then roll your firepower dice, and when you achieve positive results (kill, men down, suppressed, or pinned) you roll a D6 to determine which stand receives the effect.  It sure as hell makes the game a lot harder; you can want to shoot the enemy MG team, but when he's flanked by rifle squads, you may 'miss' the MG team and 'hit' one of the rifle squads instead.

The American SPGs (bottom left) again fire on the Kasbah (top right)...

And the 105mm guns being direct-fired over open sights are having a telling effect on the French garrison!  A rifle squad is knocked out, a suppressed rifle squad falls back (red bead at bottom center, from the parapets), another rifle squad is suppressed (red bead at left, on the first deck), and a rifle squad is pinned (yellow bead at left top, on second deck)!

But that damned MG team on the 2nd deck (center right) is still in action, as is the 25mm ATG...

Speaking of which, the French ATG (bottom right) returns fire on the American SPGs (top left)...

It misses, but hits close enough to pin Lt Robinson's crew.

Sgt Irving (bottom left) orders the US mortars to target SP Marie (top right)...

Suppressing one of the 75mm guns (red bead at center left) and one of the tanks (red bead at right top) and pinning the other tank.

As Lt Steed rallies his command team and leads 1st Platoon into the river and Captain May rallies Cpl Bledsoe's MG team again (bottom left).

The French MG team in the Kasbah (bottom center) keeps chattering, targeting Lt Steed's 1st Platoon (right top), suppressing Cpl Harrison's squad.

Lt Carney rallies Lt Davis' M7 SPG and Sgt Culver's squad, then leads 2nd Platoon up to the edge of the village (center, from left bottom), as Lt Crittenden pushes 3rd Platoon forward (far right).  Lt Robinsons pushes his M7 SPG up behind 2nd Platoon, while Sgt Davis pushes his up into a hull-down position behind a stone wall (right center).

The French MG team in the Kasbah (bottom right) continues its incessant chattering, engaging Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon (top left), but not affecting anything as the GIs have reached the cover of the village.

While the French rifle squad atop SP Marie (bottom right) fires on Sgt Davis' SPG (top left), but the thin armor is enough to shelter the Yanks from the small arms fire.

In the Kasbah, the French commander calmly sets about rallying his shocked Poilus, while his 81mm mortars go to work on Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon...

The 81mm HE rounds are a bit long, but close enough to suppress Sgt Culver and Cpl Bickett's squads (red beads at center).

*I just realized I forgot to move my CO last turn after he rallied Cpl Bledsoe's MG team...  Whatever, I chalk it up to American inexperience.

One of the 75mm guns (bottom left) on SP Marie engages Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon (top right center, with 2nd Platoon and Sgt Davis' SPG visible to the right of them)...

And, quite inexplicably, misses everyone!  The American riflemen (bottom left) return fire, to no effect (top right).

Behind SP Marie, where they're still being bombarded by the American mortars, an enterprising French NCO (left bottom) assists a nearby tank crew in rallying back into the fight, then prepares to expose himself (ooh la la!) by moving up the hill to rally the still 'men down' XO (white bead at center top)...

The gallant French squad moves up (bottom center left, from bottom right), doing their best to take shelter in the craters caused by the earlier American barrage and preparing to rally the French XO (just above them)...

But Cpl Coryatt's rifle squad (part of 3rd Platoon, bottom left) spots the Frenchmen moving about on SP Marie (top right) and opens fire with their M-1 Garands and BARs, suppressing the French squad and halting their efforts to rally the French XO!

And now the French are pissed!  "Sacre bleu!" The other French rifle squad from the reserve moves up, right into the center of the defensive positions, to rally everyone he can (I'm talking about the rifle stand at left center, which is basically sitting against the palm trees and between a suppressed 75mm gun, the XO, and the newly suppressed rifle squad, coming from the craters at bottom right).

But Cpl Ambrose's squad (bottom left) spots them and opens fire (top right), suppressing them, too!!

*Wow, that's some crazy dice rolling, rolling '6' twice in a row on 1D6!!!

SP Marie is actually quite a mess, even more so now!  Their XO is 'men down,' one of their tanks, two of their rifle squads, and one of their 75mm guns are suppressed, and the other 75mm gun is pinned.

The exasperated French commander now uses his last activation on the light tank (left bottom) that just got rallied by the first reserve rifle squad (before he rushed up the hill and got suppressed); the tank commander calls out to the other tank's crew and rallies them... 

Then pushes up the hill, adding to the traffic jam (center top, from bottom right), intent on rallying everyone we can...

Back on the extreme US left, Cpl Washington (bottom left) spots the French tank atop SP Marie (top right) and orders his .30-cal MG team to engage it.  A steady stream of tracers heads for the hill...

Not only is the French tank's crew suppressed (center top), but a nearby 75mm gun that was already suppressed panics and falls back (to bottom right)!!!

*Oddly enough, everything is going the Americans' way right now, and I mean everything.  There's no way US fire on the Kasbah and SP Marie should be this effective, but I'm rolling my ass off, and then for US activation, I top it all off by rolling up a 'Scurry,' which will allow the US infantry to push ahead without drawing any fire!

The battlefield is absolute chaos, with the French troops absolutely shocked and bewildered by the effectiveness of Task Force Reisman's long range fires and the US troops' willingness to press home the assault!  The French defenders are having their moment of doubt, and an eerie silence descends over the battlefield as the French again attempt to steady themselves amidst the smoke and destruction, as Captain May beseeches his small unit leaders to continue the advance.

Lt Steed manages to get his 1st Platoon across the river in the north (top right)!

As Captain May dives in in the center, rallying the two suppressed rifle squads of Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon...

2nd Platoon pushes deeper into the village, supported by Lt Robinson's M7 SPG (which is wisely sheltering behind an Arab food stand, left center), as Lt Carney pushes his 3rd Platoon up to the cover of some nearby rocky ground (right).

But once again the French commander in the Kasbah calmly sets about rallying his men, and not only does he manage that, he actually gets all of his rifle squads back to the parapets, and the 2nd MG team up into the left-hand turret (far left)!

The situation at SP Marie is a bit more dire though (look at all those red beads!); nevertheless, they set about rallying.  The pinned 75mm gun (top center) and the suppressed tank (just below it) are good, but the suppressed rifle squad in the craters (center left) only manages to get 'up' to pinned, while the suppressed rifle squad against the trees (left) fails altogether...

And falls back (top right, from far left).  The French rifle squad that was dug-in and in good shape voluntarily falls back (far right, from bottom left) to assist the suppressed 75mm gun crew (far right) in rallying...

It succeeds and they move back up the hill to re-occupy their defensive positions (top left, from far right).  While there, they attempt to rally the still 'men down' French XO (white bead at center top), but it fails and the French XO remains 'men down!'

Back at the Kasbah, the French ATG (bottom right) sights in on Lt Robinson's M7 SPG (in village at top left) and fires...

Suppressing the American gun!

Cpl Bledsoe's MG team (bottom right) returns fire on the Kasbah, pinning the French ATG and the MG team adjacent to it.

As the French mortars (bottom center right) continue to engage 2nd Platoon (top left)...

The 81mm mortar rounds rain down on the hapless GIs, knocking out Sgt Warren's squad (far right), suppressing Lt Carney's command team and Cpl Bickett's squad, and forcing Lt Robinson's M7 SPG (which was already suppressed by the French ATG) to fall back (far left, from right)!!!

Followed by a French 75 on SP Marie (bottom left) firing on Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon (left top)...

Suppressing Sgt Brown's squad (red bead) and pinning Cpl Coryatt's (yellow bead)!

Cpl Washington's MG team (bottom left, with Cpl Bledsoe's MG team at bottom right) fires on SP Marie (top right), pinning the 75mm gun that just fired on 3rd Platoon (just below SP Marie).

As the other 75mm gun (far right) fires on Sgt Davis' M7 SPG (top left, behind wall)...

The 75mm round explodes right behind the American armored vehicle (bottom left) as Sgt Davis screams at his gunner to return fire; "on the way!"

The 105mm HE round impacts directly on the French gun's defensive position, causing casualties and sending them 'men down' (white bead at bottom left), as the French R35 light tank holds position atop the hill and fires on the American SPG...

The 37mm armor-piercing round misses, sending up a small fountain of sand and rocks right next to the SPG (bottom left), as Sgt Davis continues screaming "return fire!"  Another 105mm HE round is sent down range...

But detonates harmlessly atop the hill, as the French tank crew attempts to rally the beleaugured units atop SP Marie, but morale is flagging and it's an absolute disaster!!!  The nearest 75mm gun (center), which is pinned, panics and becomes suppressed!  The pinned rifle team (in the craters at top left) stays pinned!  The French tank commander checks the still 'men down' XO (white bead at left), and they stay 'men down'!  The French tank commander checks the 'men down' 75mm gun crew (white bead at bottom center)...

The gun crew panics, spikes the gun (center top) and flees!  The French tank commander, exasperated, reverses down the hill (bottom right), where he attempts to rally the suppressed rifle squad cowering there, but they only manage to get 'up' to pinned!!!

*Holy @#$%, I have never in my life seen such horrible dice rolling, and if it was happening to me I'd probably off myself.  It was surreal, and all this is happening in the one fight I actually expected/planned on the Americans losing, the assault on a virtually impregnable fortress!  Things are looking too easy, but looks can be deceiving...

On the far US left, Sgt Irvin (bottom right) orders Cpl Washington's MG team and both mortar teams to engage the Kasbah (top left)...

And the US fire is murderous: a rifle squad is knocked out, two rifle squads and a mortar team are suppressed (red beads), and a mortar team is pinned (yellow bead at bottom left; the MG team and ATG with yellow beads at top right were already pinned)!

Cpl Bledsoe's MG team (bottom right) gets in on the act, laying down fire on the Kasbah (top left) as Lt Steed leads his 1st Platoon forward (left, from the river below them).

While in the center, Captain May braves enemy mortar and machine gun fire to dive into the center of the village and set about rallying 2nd Platoon.

Back in fighting shape, Captain May (bottom right) orders Lt Carney to take his 2nd Platoon over the river (center, from right).

But the 2nd French MG team in the Kasbah (bottom right) opens fire on Lt Steed's 1st Platoon (top left), causing casualties in Cpl Harrison's 2nd Squad and sending them 'men down!'

Before shifting fire to the left and engaging Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon as it's crossing the bridge (top left, with 1st Platoon at top center), suppressing Cpl Bickett's squad and pinnning Sgt Culver's squad!

On the other side of the village (left bottom, between the wall, palm trees, and explosion, with 2nd Platoon at top left and 3rd Platoon at center), Sgt Davis' M7 SPG fires on SP Marie (top right)...

Suppressing a French rifle squad (red bead in the craters at center bottom).

Lt Crittenden sets about rallying his pinned and suppressed troops...

Then leads them forward, up to take cover in a nearby set of craters, as Sgt Davis pushes his M7 SPG right up behind them.

Again the French 2nd MG team in the Kasbah (bottom right) speaks, this time firing on Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon (left top, near SP Marie)...

And Corporal Ambrose' squad is knocked out!

And then the French roll up a 'Firefight,' which will certainly help their cause.  Normally I wouldn't allow them to rally, but since they're in such strong, fortified defensive positions, I think it makes sense for their CO be allowed to do it.

So, once again, the French CO, aided by the four-foot-thick walls of the Kasbah, is able to rally his beleaguered garrison!

The French ATG, in the right-hand turret of the Kasbah (bottom right), sights in on Sgt Davis' M7 SPG (top left) and fires on its exposed flank armor.  The round actually penetrates the armored vehicle, and while it doesn't do any real damage, it does manage to suppress the crew.

As the French 2nd MG team (bottom right) continues laying into Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon (top left)...

Sgt Brown's squad is knocked out, the casualties falling beside Cpl Ambrose's, while Lt Crittenden and his command team are suppressed and Cpl Coryatt's squad is pinned!

*I have a really bad feeling about this, that all the bad French die rolls are coming back to me right now in this 'Firefight'...

The other French MG team (right) and two rifle squads (left and bottom center right) open fire on Lt Steed's exposed 1st Platoon (top center)....

Lt Steed's command team is knocked out and Sgt Marion's squad is pinned!

As the French mortars (bottom right) target Lt Carney's 2nd Platoon as it is crossing the bridge (top left)...

And pounds the GIs mercilessly, sending Sgt Culver's squad 'men down' and suppressing Lt Carney's command team and Cpl Bickett's squad, as Captain May (top left) looks on helplessly, thinking 'maybe a bridge too far?'

The Americans bravely attempt to fight their way out of the kill sack: Cpl Faulk's rifle squad (part of 1st Platoon, at left center, which just lost its platoon leader) and both machine guns (Cpl Washington's team at bottom left and Cpl Bledsoe's team at bottom right) fire on the Kasbah (top left), but only manage to pin one of the French machine guns...

The Yanks catch a lucky break, they roll up a 'Scurry,' which will allow them to rally a bunch of their pinned/suppressed/men down troops, maybe get to some better cover.

Captain Mays is wracked by indecision: should he use this temporary lull in the fighting to withdraw his bloodied and exposed troops, or should he press the attack?

We're gonna take that damned fort, he thinks to himself as he rushes up to the bridge and begins rallying 2nd Platoon.  Both rifle squads are good, but the platoon's command team only manages to get 'up' to pinned (actually, in my haste I made a mistake: the command team was 'men down,' so if I tried to rally them and I rolled a '1' they would stay 'men down,' not go 'up' to pinned.  Turns out it didn't matter...).

On the US right, Lt Crittenden's command team and Cpl Coryatt's rifle squad (bottom center) both manage to self rally, as do Lt Robinson's SPG (top left) and Sgt Davis' SPG (center).

But on the US left, Cpl Harrison's squad successfully rallies, but Sgt Marion's panics and becomes suppressed (bottom left)!

Not completely sure of himself but unwilling to throw in the towel, Captain May (bottom center) orders 2nd Platoon forward (center) continuing its assault on the Kasbah (top right, with 1st Platoon at far left).  Lt Carney, still pinned on the bridge, looks on helplessly...

On SP Marie, the French troops rally...

And then push up, with the infantry moving into defensive positions on the hill (left) while the tanks move out, onto the road, on the right (far right, with Sgt Davis' SPG just visible at center and 3rd Platoon behind the trees, further left)!!!

The French mortars (bottom left) go to work on 2nd Platoon (top right)...

And this has officially turned into a disaster.  Nay, a debacle...

Lt Carney's command team (on the bridge), Sgt Culver's squad (right), and Captain May's command team (bottom left) are all knocked out by the withering French fire, while Cpl Bickett's squad (red bead at center), the sole remaining US unit in the center, is suppressed!!!

While a little further left, one of the French light tanks lines up a point-blank shot on Sgt Davis' M7  SPG and sends an armor-piercing round their way...

Brewing up the American armored vehicle, killing Sgt Davis instantly and suppressing Cpl Coryatt's rifle squad (red bead at bottom center)!  

Lieutenant Crittenden (right) scrambles...

And deploys his anti-tank team (left), and Cpl Slade immediately fires a rocket at the French tank that just knocked out Sgt Davis' M7 SPG...

The rocket glances off the frontal armor of the French tank, suppressing the crew (bottom center), as the French 75mm gun atop SP Marie (far left) fires on 3rd Platoon (right top)...

Sending Cpl Slade's team 'men down' (white bead at center left) and pinning Lt Crittenden's command team (yellow bead at center)!

"Hey!" Lt Crittenden yelled, he and his command team hunkering down amongst the craters.  "Hey!  Corporal Coryatt!"  "Yes, Sir?" queried the young Corporal in charge of 3rd Squad.  

"This is it men, we're in a REALLY bad way," Lt Crittenden hollered.  "We're sitting ducks out here, can't go forward, can't go back, and they know it.  This is it, they're gonna come for us, any minute now.  Tell your men to lay all their grenades and ammo out, and fix bayonets, we gotta bloody their nose bad enough to turn them back.  Sun's going down, we can just wait 'til they fall back and it gets dark, then we can skin outta here."

"What about the wounded, Sir?" Cpl Coryatt asked, his voice quivering with fear, "we can't just leave them out here.  Can't we just surrender, Sir?"

"You shut your damn mouth, and you leave the thinking to me, now prepare yourselves for close combat, them Frenchies'll be coming any minute, we'll be lucky if they don't come with them tanks..."

But, so far at least, the French were content to continue their slaughter from a distance: the two MGs in the Kasbah opened fire on the leaderless 1st Platoon (top right), swinging their guns back and forth, raking the American infantrymen...

Cpl Harrison's squad is knocked out and Cpl Faulk's squad is pinned (yellow bead)!

And that was when the French commander noticed it.  "What is it, mon Capitan?" asked his adjutant.  "Shhh, listen..." replied the CO.  "Do you hear that?"  "What, mon Capitan?"

"Only our guns are firing, Lieutenant."

The French commander climbed up to the second deck to get a good look at the battlefield, and it was scene straight from Dante's inferno.  But it confirmed what his ears told him.  "Cease fire, cease fire!" he cried out to his men, signaling the same to his subordinates on Strongpoint Marie.

The French XO, atop SP Marie, ordered his men to cease fire, and recalled his tanks to the leeward side of the hill (far left, from far right, with the remains of Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon, sharpening their bayonets in preparation to repel a French charge, at top right). 

An eerie silence once again descended upon the battlefield, this one permanent...

"What's happening, Sir?" asked Cpl Coryatt.  

Lt Crittenden hazarded to raise his helmeted head up above the lip of the crater, stating directly into the eyes of dozens of French soldiers on SP Marie doing the same thing.  "I'll be damned, Coryatt.  Your grandkids ain't never gonna believe this one," Lt Crittenden hoarsely whispered.  

"What is it, Sir?" 

"They done whooped us, and they're lettin' us be."  Lt Crittenden de-cocked his M1911 pistol, then rolled over onto his back, where he uttered a prayer of thanks, then peered west, into the setting sun, towards safety.

The French silently held their ground, eating their rations in their fighting positions, keeping a wary eye on these strange Americans.  Lt Robinson, peered over the armor of his M7 Priest, understanding what the French were doing, and understanding what he needed to do.  Once it was completely dark, he dismounted his vehicle and moved up to the front lines, searching out the scattered, battered American units, where he ordered them to police up their casualties as best as possible and fall back to the rear, designating a rally point west of the Line of Departure they'd crossed nearly four hours ago.  He started with Lt Crittenden's 3rd Platoon, then worked his way left to 2nd and then 1st Platoons, the entire operation observed, but not molested, by the French under the light of a crescent moon.

The surviving GIs fall back in defeat, bringing their casualties (well, at least their wounded) with them.

Well, holy guacamole, that was nuts!  I've personally never experienced a game with such a wild, dramatic swing.  I mean, initially everything was going the Americans' way; I was actually scared the GIs were going to take the damned Kasbah, and that was not the intent, they were meant to fail, fall back in an orderly fashion, and let the campaign play out in accordance with history (the French fort doesn't surrender until the morning of 11 November 1942).  The French were rolling some terrible dice, and they took some casualties, but ultimately they were saved by the thick walls and entrenchments, which kept casualties to a minimum.  Even so, the Americans were starting to take some casualties and their attack was running out of steam; there was a point where the CO, Captain May, had moved up in the village to rally 2nd Platoon after a pretty stiff mortar barrage, and when it was successful I really should have taken the opportunity to call off the attack and have the GIs fall back at that point. 

But I didn't, and the grunts of Dog Company paid dearly because the French then rolled up a Firefight and used it to absolutely demolish the company.  The only real thing that saved me from my horrible decision to continue the fight when the French had rallied and were about to open their can o'whupass was the fact I made some amazing casualty rolls (five out of eight characters only received a 'scratch' or 'light wound') for the characters so everyone didn't die...

Let's get to some stats:

-the US had 30 men killed, wounded, or missing

-the US lost an M7 Priest Howitzer Motor Carriage destroyed

-the French had 20 men killed, wounded, or missing

-The French had a a 75mm gun destroyed

Characters:

-Sgt Davis, Vehicle 2, Self Propelled Gun Platoon, received the Purple Heart and was killed in action

-Sgt Warren, 2nd Squad Leader, 2nd Platoon, Dog Company, received the Purple Heart and was wounded severely enough to require evacuation to the United States and medical discharge

-Sgt Culver, 1st Squad Leader, 2nd Platoon, Dog Company, received the Purple Heart and was wounded, will return 1 Jan 1943

-Captain May, Company Commander, Dog Company, received the Purple Heart and was wounded, will return 16 Nov 1942

-Cpl Harrison, 2nd Squad Leader, 1st Platoon, Dog Company, received the Purple Heart and was wounded, will return 16 Nov 1942

-Cpl Ambrose, 1st Squad Leader, 3rd Platoon, Dog Company, received the Purple Heart and was wounded, will return 16 Nov 1942

-2nd Lt Carney, 2nd Platoon Leader, Dog Company, received the Purple Heart and was wounded, able to immediately return to duty

-Sgt Brown, 2nd Squad Leader, 3rd Platoon, Dog Company, received the Purple Heart and was wounded, able to immediately return to duty

This was the first fight where the Task Force didn't have someone decorated for gallantry.  I think Captain May and maybe Lt Carney and/or Lt Crittenden might have been decorated if things had gone better; while of course many heroes are born of military disaster, these guys had shown some personal bravery, but their tactical decision-making left a lot to be desire (particularly the Captain's), they didn't carry the day, and they didn't do anything particularly valorous in defeat.  Hell, two of them were wounded, and Lt Crittenden just laid there until it got dark, then grabbed his wounded and walked out.  Actually, Lt Robinson, from the SPG Platoon, did a great job of kinda taking charge to organize the withdrawal, but he was only able to do that because things were much, much calmer way back in the rear, where he was after he broke and ran due to things getting a bit too heated in the village.

In any case, interesting times!  Task Force Reisman hunkered down to lick its wounds, and enjoyed a relatively uneventful night.  In the predawn hours of 10 November 1942, a young Navy Ensign named Starkweather led a team in rubber boats up the Wadi Sebou to cut through a boom-net blocking the river; the French defenders discovered them and, despite every member of the Navy being wounded, Ensign Starkweather's team succeeded in cutting through the boom-net.

But when the sun came up it was realized the breach was made in the wrong location and couldn't be used; nevertheless, the Skipper of the USN destroyer USS Dallas pushed up the Wadi Sebou and rammed through the boom-net, proceeding quickly up river under heavy French fire, until it became stuck in the mud!  It was saved, however, by a near miss from French artillery that actually lifted the vessel's stern out of the mud, freeing her to continue upriver where she used her 5" guns to pound the Kasbah, and landed 75 American soldiers behind enemy lines, quickly capturing Port Lyautey's airfield.

The next day the Task Force was essentially provided no orders, as peace talks with French leadership were being carried out.  But Major Reisman was not satisfied to simply sit on his hands, so he ordered his men in vicinity of the invasion beaches and Mehdia to carry out aggressive patrolling (though they were told to stay well clear of the Kasbah and Strongpoint Marie!), while he sent elements of his Armored Reconnaissance Company on an even wider right hook, around the Kasbah, looking for a back door to Port Lyautey.  Of course, it wasn't long until they ran into French defenders, which is our next fight (and last of the landings in Morocco).

V/R,
Jack