Welcome to Vizzini Sicily its a baking hot summers day visibility is 66 hexes & the map size is 100 wide by 80 deep.
Later maps will be 90 wide by 70 deep as this caused the AI to be to dispersed resulting in an easy first outing.
Timed objectives are set to 6 for the campaign.
Meeting Engagement vs The British
Firstly Kudos to the map generator the map could represent several areas in the Mediterranean & indeed reminded me of the view upon cresting a rise on a drive in a heatwave there.
Sorry no pictures for this battle save was overwritten.
MAP for this AAR we will assume the top is always North
The map is dominated by a sprawling hill range in the centre around 30 hexes wide with 3 distinct flat peaks around 70 hexes high.
These overlook other smaller hills around 30 high so are a good vantage point & the game kindly placed the VHexes on each of them.
Forestation is quite sparse just lines of trees scattered around, 2 broken tree lines around 7 hexes long running so \ crossed the top 2 levels of the North hill on the AI side & were the only real ones that mattered. Apart from that quite a few largeish vineyards & some patches of rough but not near where the fighting took place.
A road runs E-W We will call the peaks 1,2,3 Top Middle Bottom.
DEPLOY
Simple split forces peak 1 was Company As objective, Peak 3 Company Bs.
Tanks were split evenly & a platoon of Pz Gren accompanied each. ATGs went with A because of the road.
4 Tanks & the remaining Pz Grenadiers were assigned to the middle, not to take Peak 2 which we would deal with later but to reinforce whoever needed them.
TO BATTLE
Turned out the AI decided to make its pushes in a similar fashion peak 1 being its main push & just as the PZ Grens were ready to crest the rise there the Brits took the victory hexes. Cresting the rise cannot see anything probably an Armoured Car behind the trees. 2 of them place smoke to let the ATGs deploy safely & the 3rd risks using the other line of trees to move forward so I can see hats coming.
My tanks will not crest the hilltop for another 2 turns so one takes position to interdict the AC while the others push forward bailing out their riders. Halfracks headed back to scoop up infantry.
Next turn 3 Shermans & a Honey crest the rise & drop riders, heck no need to see whats coming & I can't now they are here. I charge onto the hilltop firing smoke as am fast moving.
We are only 7-8 hexes apart & the Pz Gren reports infantry movement but 2 tanks have reamined stationary & have been joined by a third. Assume the other 2 have moved to the lower elevation & are skirting to the North. The AC or whatever it is has vanished perplexing not a lot of cover.
The hills are shallow 3-4 hexes between contours producing strips of blind spots.
I decide to play the waiting game to just moving infantry as am still waiting for some to arrive & arty will land next turn. I want to look over the edge to & the central force is coming to reinforce though still a few turns distant. Bit worried about the lone tank I left behind as he may be facing more than an armoured car so he actually pulls back to increase the range of any exchange. sporadic fire nothing serious. Spotted more AC about to take Hill 3s VHexes.
I have taken none & its the same situation Pz Grenadiers are nearly there but nobody else is close except the 250/11 halftrack that takes up an ambush position.
Sticking with hill 1 its now around turn 5 we push forward & first kill somehow my Sturmpanzer is leading the charge trying to pin the infantry & separate them. Not the most sensible situation to be in though he has a Pioneer supporting him. Still no sign of the units that vanished but I am now in a position to look North over the crest & see what's going on.
Scout takes a look & there are now 8 or 9 Shermans & half a dozen infantry. Looks like they are trying to skirt round behind me in which case they will run into the ATGs. & that lone tank. There are also 3 Shermans approaching the Sturmpanzer. If the North group turns back he will be between them.
So far I have been picking off exposed units now I am forced to go I have artillery plotted as now committed it all to this hill that should hit the Northern force if it moves West so take position while trying to cover the Sturmpanzer as best as possible. An AT team & 2 squads go to support him as fast moving to safety is risky.
The AI indeed heads West the AC dies to an ATG which also dispatches a Sherman with a flank shot, some exchange of fire but the lone tank is not targeted its to far away I guess as they are moving. It misses everyone when it opens up. The Sturmpanzer kills one of the Shermans approaching from the East that pops up 2 hexes away & the Pioneer heavily damaged another, 1 left. My artillery hits.
I do not like attacking tank formations with so many infantry close but its time to pull the pin.
The single tank advances, now he is taking low probability fire. Fires smoke to break target lock & keeps coming. One ATG opens up killing a Sherman with its second shot, now spotted as it to draws fire so stops shooting. Scout has a look to see the layout & a squad tries to look at what he missed & receives a lot of infantry fire for his trouble.
The Sturmpanzer & a few squads move to the North Forces rear & pick off infantry out of view of the Shermans. AT Team & squad should deal with the last West Sherman but Sturmpanzer discharges smoke to its rear just in case.
I think around 2/3rds of the allied tanks have 1 shot or less & they are suppressed & moving so try my luck which holds 1-3 hex moves engage then smoke & move my infantry up behind the screen as this was a 4 -6 hex ranged engagement. They should provide protection if the AI decides to enter the smoke. Got a fair few dischargers saved the rest, War Cab kill list for turn 8 which was a decisive blow to the Brits & the height of the battle.
Note the artillery killed some of the infantry the Sturmpanzer had been working over & at this range the 250/11 gun halftrack is a potent tool. fast high ROF & an accurate gun I like it though sometimes ask to much of it. My losses so far an AT team & the 250/11 on the other hill after taking on the armoured cars he went head to head with a tank.
Apologies I remember now they were Cromwell Is not Shermans that's why they got there fast.
One of my Stugs took 1 damage in the exchange but fully operational. A squad has lost a man & the poor guy that took a look lost 5 men.
That was pretty much the battle over for this hill just moping up then fending off sporadic infantry attacks. Only advanced about 10 hexes past the VHexes with some squads to spot approaching units & let the MG & halftracks deal with them from the hilltop.
Funny you remember tense battles quite well bit vague about hill 3 as that was a lot easier but we can save that for tomorrow.