Hell on Wheels, 'Blade Force' Fight #9

All,

1630 Local Time
25 November 1942
Near Chouigoui, French Tunisia

Following Blade Force's successful advance to, and capture of, Chouigoui Pass, they were quite keen on pressing their advance to the east.  The combined German and Italian forces in Tunisia were spread out and, because most forces in North Africa were in the east, countering the British 8th Army's advance across Libya, had its hands full simply holding open the lines of communication, largely due to the ambiguity of the situation with the Vichy-French forces in the area following the combined British-American amphibious landings in French Morocco and Algeria.  With Axis forces in Tunisia thus weakened, the opportunity for the Allies in the west to seize Bizerte and Tunis was quite real, and so they continued pushing east.  

British infantry of the 5th Northamptonshires quickly seized the town of Tebourba, as armored elements continued pushing east to the Medjerda River and the town of Djedeida beyond.

Overview, north is up.  The River Medjerda runs north-south down the middle of the table, with various settlements spread across the area, a small oasis just west (left) of the river, with rocky outcroppings and hills dotting the landscape.  Most importantly, there are two road bridges spanning the river, one in the north and one in the south.

The opposing forces, with Yanks on the left and Germans on the right.  

Conceptually, the Germans have a small outpost in the area, babysitting the bridges, and they're being visited by some light reconnaissance elements passing through from further east, on their way west to identify exactly where the new front line in Tunisia is, while Blade Force is pushing east, hoping to secure a bridge to support its thrust towards Djedeida on their way to Tunis.

The US force:
Commander: Captain Henry, Armored Reconnaissance Company commander

Elements of 2nd Tank Platoon: 2nd Lt Hastings

Vehicle 2: Sgt Bell

Vehicle 3: Cpl Buchannon

Elements of Armored Car Platoon: 2nd Lt Stone

Vehicle 2: Cpl Mixon

Elements of Anti-Tank Gun (ATG) Platoon: Cpl Brock

2nd Armored Reconnaissance Platoon: 2nd Lt Royals

1st Squad: Sgt Castle

2nd Squad: Sgt Hendrickson

3rd Squad: Sgt Ravotti

MG Team: Cpl Buckner

Mortar Team: Cpl Mims

The German forces.

The defensive outpost holding the bridges consists of:
Commanding Officer (CO)

2 x Rifle Squads

1 x MG-42 MG team

The Reconnaissance force consists of:
2 x Sdkfz 234 armored cars

4 x Motorcycle squads

Overview, now with troops.  You can see the lead elements of the American force entering the table at far left and bottom left, while the Germans are in three separate elements.  Two motorcycle squads and an armored car are at/near the north bridge, two motorcycle squads are at the south bridge, with their supporting armored car further back (bottom right), and the German outpost is dug into trenches between the two bridges (center right).  

The outpost position isn't bad in and of itself, but they don't have any organic anti-armor capability to reach out and halt the Allied advance.  Having said that, they don't have any real AT capability to speak of, which is quite representative (at least as far as I was able to find, mostly descriptions of the US force 'surprising light reconnaissance elements at the bridge') of what happened in real life, except in real life the Yanks didn't have any infantry with them (in the last fight, either).

Looking at the US start line, we can see Captain Henry in the south (bottom left) with Lt Stone's M3 Scout Car and Sgt Bell's M3 Stuart, and Cpl Mixon's M3 Scout Car and Lt Hastings' M3 Stuart in the north (far left), with the remainder of the US force beginning the game off table.

And the Germans, with two motorcycle squads and an armored car at top center, their CO, two rifle squads, and their MG team at right, two motorcycle squads at the southern bridge, and the other armored car at bottom right.

The north bridge, with two motorcycle squads at top left and an armored car at top right.  Their CO is visible atop the hill at bottom center right.

The German center, with two rifle squads and an MG-42 team in the trench at center, their CO atop the hill at top center.

And the German left, with two motorcycle squads at the south bridge, their armored car at bottom right, and the defensive trench just visible at top center right.

Let us fight!

The fight begins with Lt Stone's Scout Car and Sgt Bell's Stuart (bottom left) spotting movement on the South Bridge (top right) and opening fire...

.50-cal tracers and 37mm HE rounds prove deadly for the exposed German motorcycle troops caught smoking and joking on the bridge, knocking out one squad and putting the other 'men down'!!!

Hearing the commotion at the South Bridge (just visible at top left), the German motorcycle squads at the North Bridge fall back into cover (left and bottom center left), while their armored car pulls up to cover the area (bottom left).

While back at the South Bridge, the armored car there slinks forward (left center bottom, from bottom right), making the best use of cover in order to reach the stricken motorcycle squads.

The 'men down' motorcycle squad is able to collect itself and falls back to cover (right, from far left).

The US advanced elements creep forward in the south, with Lt Stone guiding his vehicle up a rocky escarpment for a better view (bottom right) and Sgt Bell pushing his Stuart up to a hull-down positions (bottom center).

**What just happened is the US rolled up a 'Firefight!' and shot with the only units that could see the enemy; the Germans couldn't respond because none of their units could see any Americans at that point.  Then the Germans rolled up a 'Scurry,' which allowed their recon units at the North Bridge to reposition and their armored car in the south to move up and rescue the 'men down' motorcycle unit at the South Bridge.  The only Americans able to respond were the same units in the south that shot on the 'Firefight!'  The US units in the north haven't been able to do anything because they haven't been able to see anything, but now we finally get to a 'normal' activation roll.

Sgt Bell's Stuart (bottom left) spots the armored car (top right) and opens fire, suppressing it with 37mm main gun fire...

Sgt Bell then bounds his Stuart forward, toward the bridge, as Lt Stone's Scout Car lays down fire with its .50-cal HMG, targeting the German motorcycle squad that had fallen back (top right, with the armored car at the bridge, center).

The .50-cal rounds rip into the German motorcycle squad, knocking it out of the fight!

Lt Stone's vehicle then takes the lead, heading for the bridge, as Captain Henry's command group falls in behind them.

Not having much to work with but needing to assist the suppressed armored car at the South Bridge (center left top), the German CO (just off camera to bottom right) orders his MG-42 team (center bottom, flanked by rifle squads) to engage the American column approaching the bridge (top center/right)...

Suppressing Lt Stone's Scout Car (red bead at far right top) as the Armored Reconnaissance Platoon's halftracks carrying their heavy weapons (.30-cal MG team and 60mm mortar team) rush forward, up behind Captain Henry...

Before dismounting and setting up shop, with Cpl Buckner's MG team on the hill and Cpl Mims' 60mm mortar team behind.

Back at the main German defensive position (bottom left, between the bridges), a rifle squad spots Cpl Buckner's MG team setting up atop the hill (top center right) and opens fire, to no effect.

While in the north, Cpl Mixon's Scout Car leads Lt Hastings' and Cpl Buchanon's Stuarts forward, with Cpl Brock's 37mm ATG following.

But the German armored car at the North Bridge (bottom left, with motorcycle squads flanking him, still mounted) spots Cpl Mixon's vehicle (top right) and opens fire...

The 20mm automatic cannon fire rips into the M3 Scout Car, immobilizing it and suppressing Lt Hastings' tank crew!

But then the droning buzz of airborne propellers fills the ears of every man in the valley, and they turn their eyes tentatively skyward...

Stuka!!!

**Yeah, I'm kinda overdoing it, but at this point I'm throwing Stukas on the table every time either side rolls up a random event.

The German dive bombers spot the northern American column and tip over into their dives...

The bombs hit at the front of the already stricken column, knocking out Cpl Mixon's Scout Car and Lt Hastings' Stuart, killing both vehicle commanders!!!  The shocked survivors bale out and fall back...

With both motorcycle squads on his left knocked out, the German CO (just off camera to bottom far right) sends a rifle squad left (left), as the suppressed armored car (top left) self-rallies.

But no sooner has the German armored car at the South Bridge self-rallied (top right) then Sgt Bell's tank (bottom left) reloads and sends another 37mm AP round at it...

Knocking it out!

While further back, Cpl Buckner's MG and Cpl Mims' 60mm mortar open fire on the main German defensive position (top right)...

The German rifle squad moving towards the South Bridge is gunned down by Cpl Buckner's MG (top center left), while Cpl Mims' 60mm HE rounds bracket the German trenchline, sending the other rifle squad 'men down' (white bead) and suppressing the German MG team (red bead)!!!

Braving the incoming mortar and machine gun fire, the German CO leaves his perch (bottom right) and moves to the trench (left), but the American fire is too intense: the MG team gets 'up' to pinned, but the rifle squad stays 'men down'!!!

The situation has rapidly deteriorated for the German defenders: with casualties mounting and their left flank crumbling, the German motorcycle squads and armored car at the North Bridge fall back (far right, from top center), not sure if they can re-position in order to cover both bridges, or if they should even try at this point.

Captain Henry moves up to rally Lt Stone's Scout Car (right, with Sgt Bell's Stuart on the road, behind the Scout Car) as Cpl Buckner's MG team and Cpl Mims' mortar team (bottom left) continue working over the German trenchline (top right).

Lt Stone and his crew are still pretty shook up and only get 'up' to pinned, but the crew-served weapons fire continues to be very effective, suppressing the German CO and MG team.

With no resistance at the South Bridge, Captain Henry calls on his infantry; Lt Royals' and his three rifle squads move up in their halftracks, but a bit of a traffic jam is developing, someone needs to actually get across the bridge...

While in the north, Cpl Buchanon takes charge: he turns and signals Cpl Brock's driver to follow, then directs his driver to bypass Cpl Mixon and Lt Hastings' burning vehicles (left) by heading east around the rocky knoll (center, from bottom left), heading for the North Bridge.

**The Germans then roll up a 'Firefight!', but none of their forces can actually see any US units to fire on, so it converts to a 'Scurry,' which will allow them to re-position and rally some troops back into the fight.

The remaining armored car moves up to the trenchline (center, from bottom right), where it can keep an eye on the South Bridge (top left)...

While a motorcycle squad moves to the trench and assists the German CO, rifle squad, and MG team to rally. 

The German CO and MG team are good, but the rifle squad has taken too many casualties and is out of the fight.

The German CO and MG team then fall back, up into a cover on a nearby hill (right, from left).

Captain Henry rallies Lt Stone's M3 Scout Car...

And Lt Stone leads Sgt Bell's Stuart and Lt Royals' halftracks across the South Bridge.

While Cpl Buchanon's Stuart moves up, onto the North Bridge (center right), as Cpl Brock's 37mm ATG (bottom left)...

Unlimbers and sets up.

But the buzzards are back!!!

The Stukas return to their old hunting ground near the North Bridge, but they don't spot Cpl Buchanon's tank on the bridge, so they settle on Cpl Brock's ATG (left bottom)...

And Cpl Brock and his crew go down in a storm of steel produced by the deadly dive bombers...

Thanking their lucky stars the southern column wasn't targeted*, the US crew serves (bottom left) continue pounding the German main trenchline (top right)...

*I thought about weighting the die roll towards the southern column since it represented such a big, juicy target, but in the end I didn't, weighting the two columns equally as I figured the German pilots would stand a decent chance of returning to the same spot they'd hit previously, and probably didn't have direct comms with the German troops on the ground, so didn't know the German CO would definitely have prioritized the southern column and the pilots would probably be a bit worried about committing a friendly fire incident (not sure the southern column was American, and even if it was, it's pretty close to the German troops).

The American machine gun and mortar fire suppresses the motorcycle squad and armored car at the trenchline (center/right)!

As Lt Stone's Scout Car leads the southern column into the enemy's rear (far right top)!

But the German MG team, now atop the hill (bottom right, with the trenchline below it, at far right), slams the tripod into their supplementary position and open fire on the Americans (top left)...

Lt Stone's Scout Car is engulfed in tracer fire and bursts into flames (right), and Sgt Bell's Stuart is pinned!

While on the left, Cpl Buchanon is listening to the chaos coming over the radio net; frantic to help and confident he is in a position to catch the enemy unawares, he orders his driver to advance with all haste (top right, from far left)...

But there's no way the veteran Germans don't have a rearguard posted, and Cpl Buchanon nearly wets himself when his tank finally advances far enough to see around the bend...

The hardened Afrika Korps veterans don't hesitate, setting upon Cpl Buchanon's lone tank with handheld anti-tank mines and grenades...

Cpl Buchanon's Stuart goes up in flames.

Having bloodied the American forces sufficiently, the German CO orders his remaining forces to fall back...

Holy crap, that sucked!  The game was looking like a bit of a pushover, the US steadily attriting the German force, advancing at a steady pace, then wham-o, two Stuka strikes and two 'rash advances-got whacked' later, it's a win that doesn't really feel like a win.  But it did feel like an interesting fight (at least to me), which is what I'm looking for.  Yes, the US advances in the north and south were both very rash (Lt Stone leading Sgt Bell's Stuart and the infantry forward in the south and Cpl Buchanon's rush to relieve pressure on them by busting in the back door in the north), but please remember, I'm not playing one side against the other, trying to 'win' the game, I'm trying to get into the characters, do what I think they might have done in their specific situation, with the knowledge/situational awareness I think they would have had based on the tactical situation, their level of experience, and their temperament.  And it could have worked; the German MG team only had a 1 in 6 chance (on 1D6) of knocking out Lt Stone's Scout Car, and the close combat between Cpl Buchanon's Stuart and the German dismounted motorcycle squad was a straight-up D6 vs D6 roll, no modifiers.  He could have been a hero; if he wins that he knocks out the rear guard and advances on the suppressed armored car and motorcycle squad at the trenchline, which I probably would have simply had surrender.  But he didn't...

Major Reisman was furious, and not shy at all about who he let know about it, berating Captain Henry in front of anyone interested in listening.  "Sir," Captain Henry stuttered, " both bridges were taken..."

"I don't give a good @#$%, Captain!!! What the @#$% kind of @#$% show were you running out there???  What the @#$% were you doing exactly???  I've seen monkey @#$%fights at the zoo better organized and executed than this!!!  How many @#$%ing officers, NCOs, and men of mine do you think is permissible to get killed because of your @#$%ed up decision-making, exactly???  Lt Stone, Lt Hastings, Cpl Mixon, all dead, and Cpl Brock lost a @#$%ing leg!!!  What the @#$% were doing out there, and why the #$% weren't YOU the one leading the attack!!!???  It really must have been hell, back there at the bridge, watching your command, MY men, get chopped to @#$%ing pieces!!!  When are my @#$%ing leaders going to start @#$%ing leading???  You're a @#$%ing disgrace, get the @#$% outta my sight!!!"

Captain Thigpen gave it a few minutes, then moved to Captain Henry, empathizing with the man.  "Hey, don't take the Old Man's piss and vinegar too hard, he just takes the losses personally, and wears it on his sleeve.  It was a tough fight, and these Krauts ain't no slouches, and getting hit by Stukas, twice, there's nothing you can do about that.  But you guys did a great job, you sprung Colonel Watters' tanks (of the 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment), and they went and shot up a buncha Krauts, including one of their airfields, knocked out something like thirty-five airplanes on the ground, and the Brits are getting ready to attack Djedeida, so you did your job, and you did it well.  The Krauts gave ya a bloody nose, and now you deal with it, learn from it.  We're going to be seeing plenty of them, I suspect."

"Thanks, XO, I needed that.  It's been... tough.  We've only been in this war a month, and already I feel like I'm cracking up."  "You're doing fine, Kevin, we're all learning this on the fly, just keep your nose to the grindstone," replied Captain Thigpen, "we're on the move, closing in on Tunis, things are looking up."  But things weren't looking up; Captain Thigpen had no way of knowing, but the tanks of the German 10th Panzer Division were working their way south at that very moment, and "Group Djedeida" was forming up to defend and then counterattack from the east, looking to seal off Blade Force's penetration and bag it, as reinforcements were flowing into North Africa from Italy...

Let's get to some stats:

-the US had 15 men killed, wounded, or missing

-the US had two M3 Scout Cars, two M3 Stuarts, one 37mm ATG, and one 3/4-ton truck destroyed

-the Germans had 25 men killed, wounded, or missing

-The Germans had one Sdkfz 234 armored car destroyed

Characters:

-Sergeant Bell, Tank Commander, 2nd Tank Platoon, was recognized for his steady and calm demeanor and professionalism whilst knocking out an armored car with his M3 Stuart.

-Corporals Buckner (.30-cal MG team) and Mims (60mm mortar team) were recognized for their steady and calm demeanor and professionalism while providing incredibly accurate and deadly supporting fires on the main enemy defensive position throughout the battle.

-Corporal Buchannon, Tank Commander, 2nd Tank Platoon, was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded by enemy infantry that close assaulted his tank (return: 15 Jan 1943).  Major Reisman was so impressed by the story of Cpl Buchannon's audacity that he immediately visited him in the Battalion Aid Station and meritoriously promoted him to Sergeant.  "When you get outta here, I want you right back in that commander's cupola, Sergeant Buchannon, and I want you every bit as aggressive as you showed today," gushed the Major.

-Corporal Brock, Anti-Tank Gun Crew Leader, Anti-Tank Gun Platoon, was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded by an enemy air attack.  Cpl Brock's injuries were so severe as to require evacuation to the United States and medical retirement.

-2nd Lt Stone, Platoon Leader, Armored Car Platoon, was Killed in Action by enemy machine gun fire.

-2nd Lt Hastings, Platoon Leader, 2nd Tank Platoon, was Killed in Action by enemy air attack.

-Corporal Mixon, Vehicle Commander, Armored Car Platoon, was Killed in Action by enemy air attack.

I've been pretty lucky so far with casualty rolls, but this was one of the ugliest: five characters were hit, and I rolled up three KIA, one invalid, and one out for a month.  Ouch...

A costly victory, and the mood of the advance party of TF Reisman is darkening.  The troops were happy (the officers not so much) when Major Reisman arrived, but it was a bit of a shock when they realized the two M3 Grant tank platoons and the two Rifle Companies weren't with him.  With casualties mounting, the men of the Armored Recon Company and the two Stuart tank platoons are beginning to feel a bit hung out to dry.  "Why are we the ones shouldering all the load?"  Even the Major was feeling it...

But much more urgent matters were to hand, in the form of Panzer IVs, with long 75mm guns, crashing in from the north...

Coming right up!

V/R,
Jack