The first battle was meeting engagement against the RSI in the high terrain in northern Italy. Lots of hills and lots of forest, making both the advancement of troops and tactics difficult.
Support units came from the USA and consisted of 4 "Jumbo" tanks, 2 "Hellcats" and 2 P-51D Mustangs (32 men).
Despite of fierce Italian opposition the battle ended with a superior Austrailan decisive victory. The point when the balance of the battle could have shifted was when masses of Italian infantry, supported by many tanks, were charging the hill with the centre flag group, held only by a handful tanks. At first the could only fend off the enemy with their main guns and mashine guns, but later on the Australien artillery and infantry could join in and help defend the hill.
Losses:
-Italy: 79 tanks and armoured vehicles, 4 other vehicles, 2 howitzers, 2 anti-tank guns, 5 mortar positions & close to 1.000 men in total
-USA: 1 M18 Hellcat & 5 men
-Austraila:
--2/7th AR: 3 AC4 Sentinel, 1 Lloyd Carrier & 15 men in total
--23rd/21st IR: 19 men in total
The M18 Hellcat was destroyed by artillery, the Lloyd Carrier by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 and the three AC4 Sentinels by Italian tanks and tank destroyers.
Captured equipment:
-1 75 mm PaK 97 and 1 howitzer could be captured intact by the Australian troops.
Replacements:
-2/7th AR: The crew losses in the damaged tanks were replaced by the replacement manpower shipped to Europe, but the three destroyed AC4 Sentinels with surviving crews will have to wait a month or so for replacement tanks to arrive from Austraila. The destroyed Lloyd Carrier was easily replaced with a new one from the reserves.
-23rd/21st IR: The 19 infantrymen killed in action were well within the replaement manpower limit shipped to Europe to replace losses, thus the losses were completely replaced.
Cheers, Taskforce