Baber on wargames

Initial deployment

The Brazilians deployed along the rough road leading out of Collecchio to the west, the centre of their line being the ruined farmhouse. They deployed 6^th Coy on the left, 9^th Coy in the centre one MMG was given to each company for direct support; the recce squadron was on the far right, they deployed a .50cal HMG off their half-track. The mortar FOO was placed dead centre of the table to give him the best overall view to call in support fire for either company.

6^th Coy on the left, MMG position

Troops of 9^th Coy in the ruined farm

Recce Squadron on the far right

The Germans elected to have wide deployment across the entire width of the table, though they held three platoons in reserve to follow the lead units on turn 3. The divided the MMGs among two of the lead platoons so they could be well forward and provide fire support during the assault phase on the Brazilian positions. They also divided the HQ into two units, one of which took direct command of the mortars, the other formed a command unit/platoon within the attacking platoons, so they could if needed rally or change platoon orders, both command sections had a radio link allowing them to communicate.

Turns 1-3 As the Germans advanced their 105mm guns dropped shells among the Brazilian positions

These caused some casualties among both companies, 9^th Coy lost both its .30cal machine gun and 60mm mortar to this fire!

Brazilian 81mm mortars did cause a few casualties among the advancing Germans in return.

Turns 4-5 The Germans continue their advance, but are now within HMG and MMG range as well as continued mortaring. The platoon on the far left walks right into the recce Squadron and is decimated by .50cal and vehicle mounted MMG fire! The fail a morale check and break at the start of turn 6!!

Turn 6 The Germans deploy their MMGs and 75IG to support a direct assault on the Brazilians

Their 81mm mortars are now targeting the .30cal MMG position in the middle of 6^th Coy`s line.

Turn 7 The .30cal is wiped out and the Germans press forward against 6^th Coy, the German MMGs support this advance and the general attack on the centre and the ruined farm, which is also targeted by the 75IG

Turn 8 two German platoons are shot to pieces on the far right trying to turn the flank of 6^th Company, but two others cross stone walls into the fields at the companies centre threatening a breakthrough!

On the Brazilian right the Recce Squadron finds itself without attackers so begins a move to strike into the German left flank  

The Germans are throwing everything at 9^th Company and the farmhouse, which is being raked by MMG and again targeted by the 75IG

The German mortars are now out of ammunition, so the command platoon orders the men to pick up their rifles and move forward to support their comrades.

Turn 9 The Germans on the right are stopped dead crossing those open fields. In the centre supported by MMG and IG fire, two platoons make a desperate close assault across the road to the ruined farm. Their attached flame-thrower causes casualties and a morale check!

A combination of MMG, BAR and the Germans attacking over an open road result in them taking awful casualties! They too require a morale check……….

Turn 10 The Brazilian morale holds (just), the Germans fail their check and run back to the comparative shelter of the road side ditch, but it is at this point the Recce Squadron hits them in the flank causing more casualties and yet another check – which they blow badly and break!!

With both flanks exposed and the Brazilians still well entrenched, the Germans can do no more and withdraw.

A closer run thing than it looked in the AAR, a bit more luck with “to hit” rolls and one failed Brazilian morale check and the result could have been quite different.

As I wrote in my initial post (see link above) if you play Rapid Fire! or another battalion level set you could quite easily play both these two games as one on a single table with little or no re-writing.

Photo includes the Panzersheck and MMG teams (see below)

Looking north along the N62

River Taro

Industrial area in the northern part of the town heavily bombed

Industrial area in the northern part of the town heavily bombed

Industrial area in the northern part of the town heavily bombed

Church and graveyard

looking south towards the town square

Town square

Looking west across the town towards the river

Even though I knew there were no Germans I deployed a couple of platoons to check out ruined factory buildings.

In the town the German defenders waited

On turn 3 the German FOO called down artillery on the leading Brazilian company, luckily for the Brazilians it fell short

The advance continued through turns 4 and 5, even though the Germans continued to throw shells, the Brazilians remained amazingly unharmed!!

On turn 5 they did however received small arms fire and took a couple of casualties from a MG42 by the church. The supporting Shermans fired on any spotted positions causing casualties themselves.

Turns 6 to 9 saw the Brazilians with their armoured support moving forward against stiff opposition within the outskirts of the town. Even though the German defenders had good positions, once they exposed themselves to fire the Shermans opened up with their 75s and the Brazilians plastered the buildings with .30cal, BAR & rifle grenades.

Turn 8 saw the Brazilian platoon on the far right (1^st platoon of 5^th company) crossing more open ground towards a farm, they came under small arms fire and took casualties. Luckily the FOO for the off table 60mm mortars was close by and called in fire against the two shacks.

On turn 9 one shack was hit, a role for effect was devastating killing all inside!

Turn 10 the first German line collapses, survivors break and run! On the Brazilian right the 60mm mortars drive out the remaining defenders of the farm shacks! On the left the platoon there (3^rd of 2^nd Company) clears the graveyard and moves to clear the church.

Turn 11 in the centre 2^nd Company get hit from dug in Germans across the park, an Sdkfz 232 adds its 20mm fire to the mix causing further casualties.

The armoured car is immediately spotted and knocked out by a Sherman!

Turn 12 2^nd Company go to ground under heavy German fire, but the German position is wiped out by several HE hits from various supporting Shermans!

Further right the lead Sherman supporting 5^th Company is fired on by a concealed Pak 97/38 (miss)

Turn 13 the Sherman supporting 2^nd company continue to blast the area around where the German machine guns were.

This causes more casualties among that German platoon and causes a morale check!

On the right the Sherman engages the AT gun, which fires again and hits but fails to penetrate! The Sherman is bang on and wipes out the gun……

Turn 14 2^nd and 5^th Companies continue their push into the town. The German platoon across the park having suffered 50% casualties breaks and flees.

Turn 15 2^nd and 5^th companies push forward, some Germans are still hidden among the houses and cause casualties.

On the far right 1^st platoon of 5^th Company finds more German in the buildings across the road from the farm, luckily they have a Bazooka team attached and decide to engage the buildings with it.

Turn 16 a Panzershreck scores a hit on one of the Sherman supporting 2^nd Company

Men from 2^nd company destroy a shack killing all the defenders

On the far right the Bazooka goes to work

Turns 17 – 19 With the Shermans somewhat reluctant to advance into close terrain with Panzershrecks around the infantry are forced to clear houses one by one, they have good results but do take casualties.

Turn 20 members of 5^th Company approaching the square get a nasty shock when an 88 opens up with HE

Turns 21-23 The 88 continues to blast away at anything visible, this shot on the inn caused the death of 1^st platoons CO!

The Shermans now with a cleared path move forward and give fire support to 2^nd company on the left, destroying a couple of German emplacements.

Turn 24 a brave Sherman commander (a successful heroic test) orders his crew to move against the 88. The 88 is surprised and misses the tank, which in turn nails its deadly opponent!

With most of their infantry dead, captured or running and all the guns destroyed, I think this is a good place to call time.