In the coming weeks we hope to have pictures of some of our engagements. However for right not, our camera is unfortunately out of the state and not available to us.
The structure we have laid out for ourselves involve the 91st Cavalry & the 1st Fallschirmjäger-division. We will do a series of battles between ourselves involving these two forces in a kind of "axis of attack" campaign centered in the Town Plan of Attack with the initial starting off at Castle Hill. Each force will consist of 500pt and our goal is to continue playing that section of the battle until all 500pts worth of miniatures have been painted. This will also give us time to create and evolve the field of battle and the terrain that we use.
Battle Report #1
*This is in no way a historically accurate reproduction and it is not intended for that purpose.
-91st Cavalry was assigned with the task of reconnoitering Castle Hill, which was believed to be in the hands of elements from the 1st Fallschirmjäger-division. Their initial orders were to locate, assess and withdraw, however as first elements of the force drew close, they came under intense heavy machine gun fire and decided that since they were there, they might as well take it.
-1st Fallschirmjäger-division has been assigned the critical task of defending the Monastery and all approaches to it through and around the town. As your forces are still being reassembled from the fighting withdrawal that brought you to the Gustav line your first task is to gain a vantage point over the town of Cassino and the greater Rapido River. To accomplish this, a small element of your vaunted paratroopers have been assigned to fortify and defend this critical battlefield location!
The battle itself was set up to be Cauldron. In the center was a structure designated as the castle and two sections of Fallschirmjägers were deployed within and supported by the heavy machine gun platoon that deployed as one unit to provide a powerful guarding force to one side of the objective/building. The other Fallschirmjäger platoon was split in half so one section stayed with it and the other was sent to form a kampfgruppe to bolster platoon numbers. Both of these were held in delayed reserves. The HMG Platoon deployed in immediate ambush.
The Allies just had two platoons of dismounted cavalry. Each platoon supported a mortar and two LMGs and were made of two sections each. The Mortars would be split off and formed into a dedicated fire support group under the command of the 2iC Also, somewhere lurking was a sniper. Deployed and ready to start, the game began with the HMGs appearing and blasting into the 1st platoon of the 91st Cav.
Turns 1 - 2 were all pretty much the same. The Americans moved their 1st platoon up to within the necessary distance of the objective and withstood a withering hail of HMG fire. Instead of returning said fire with their own lighter guns, they choose to keep their heads down till the mortars moved up in support. Soon after the mortars arrived and moved into position, the sniper began to take pop shots throughout the game (and beyond a few pins, did reliably little this game).
On turn 3 German reinforcements start to arrive and move at the double to get up to Castle Hill. However the German Commander, Hauptmann Starke breaks cover and begins moving around the hill to engage the would be American reinforcing platoon and that pesky sniper. Taking command of the Fallschirmjäger platoon he lead it around just in time to see a second American Platoon take up a position across Castle Hill on a olive hill.
Turn 4 - 5 saw traded gun fired between the two forces as the Germans moved their small platoon into position. The arrival of the 2iC and his brave fallschirmjägers saw added weight to what appeared to be a forming German offensive. The American's now dug in on both sides started to try and extract the Germans from their defensive position. One platoon engaged with their LMG while the other provided Ears & Ears for the Mortar teams which proved to be a more reliable method of digging them out. The sniper, was wasting Ammunition this whole time!
Turn 6 - 7 after a dicey dash through the open, the German Commander and his 2iC lead their teams in an assault against the 2nd Platoon of the 91st Cav. What proved a bloody battle over two turns saw the Germans gain no ground as their attacks missed, only to be brutalized in a counter attack. However, the 91st in the spirit of the game attempted a break through into the 2iC platoon of Fallschirmjägers and were in turn, defeated and driven off themselves. The Germans, though bloodied had emerged triumphant.
Turn 8 - 9 saw the Infantry Ace go off on his own to try and drive off the enemy sniper. In the continued spirit of the game we house ruled that the Infantry Ace is able to launch assaults as an independent team, but ONLY the Infantry Ace. Which in the end, he promptly does and the sniper is gone. Back on Castle Hill the two engaged platoons continue to trade fire, with the American Mortars having the better of it. In a desperate attempt the Germans use a cowardly tactic and withdraw out of line of sight, forcing the American's to advance.
Turn 10+ From here on out the game moved rather swiftly. the German Infantry Ace attempts a run across a clearing to the safety of rocks, but at the most crucial moment, his stormtrooper move fails him and he is stuck in the open. Attacked by an LMG team, he is only able to save 3 of the 4 hits he takes and is promptly removed from the field. (Daring this entire game, his luck finally ran out and he was effectively "Driven from the field")
Back on Castle Hill, the Americans advance and the Germans quickly move back into their positions and open fire on the stranded yankee louts. However, gaming Karma rewarded the Germans for their cowardly act and the results were poor. The following ended in a bloody fight within the building. The HMG and 2iC platoons moving in after the 1st Fallschirmjägers were wiped out by the American Assault. Fire was exchanged at point blank range between the two sides and the 2iC launched a desperate assault to try and stabilize the situation. The attack worked and for a moment, the Americans were driven back out, however with the mortars now closer in position and the final HMG falling to their fire, the two command sections made their final stand. However, the HMG stand failed their 2+ morale save and fled, leaving the 2iC to make his final heroic assault alone. He now gets to enjoy the rest of the war as a either worm food or a P.O.W. we will leave the readers make up their mind on that one!
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The end result was a Major US Victory. The 91st Cavalry managed to take Castle Hill on the first attack and on top of that, they managed to kill or capture every participating German! (The shame of it, but we fought to the last!) So with one battle under our belt the game went to the Allies and the 91st Cavalry now, they have to hold it. In an agreed upon setting, the game will now repeat, only this time the 1st Fallschirmjägers-division will be the attackers and attempt to take back what was theirs in the first place.