Game Review 18.02.2012 - Part 1: Order of Battle

(Italian order of battle updated on 21st feb @ 2 p.m.)
Last week has been very quit here. I'm really sorry about that but last Saturday I played my first game in 2012 and the week before was bloody busy. Urgently I had to paint some British Infantry and two Shermans to use them in the game. I'll post some pictures of them next week, but in the next two or three days I'll write a game report about the Saturdays battle.

As usual we used a unpublished, homemade set of WWII skirmish rules. Some dear friends of mine and me started to work on our wargame about 15 years ago and are still updating, changing and re-developing the rules.
However Michael and me decided to play a scenario in Italy 1943. The British were on their advance during Operation Husky and encounter Italian resistance in the outskrits of a small village. We agreed to use forces of medium size which means 750 points in our system.

Here is what I fielded for those points:

Platoon HQ

(49 points)

The HQ is lead by a brave Lieutenant. He carries a Webley Revolver as well as field glasses and is supported by a signaller with wireless equipment (I used the piper miniatur which I really like), a Sergeant with Sten SMG, a 2" mortar team and two Privates with rifles. The section carries some equipment like handgranades and magnetic charges.

The Platoon HQ.

Four Rifle Sections

(4 x 59 points = 236 points)

Although the original TOE stated three Rifle sectionsI included four of them because I had enough points to do so. All four were built up of a Sergeant with Sten SMG, a Private with Bren lMG, a Private with wireless equipment and seven Riflemen. The sections carry handgranades, magnetic charges and field glasses as additional equipment.

Three of the rifle sections. The fourth one is not pictured because I had to borrow it from a friend and gave it back before taking the photos. (the section in the front is the one I painted last week)

Parts of the Support Company

(191 points)

For additional firepower and anti-tank support the rifle platoon got some sections of the support company. I decided to include two 3" Mortar Sections with Bren Carriers (76 points each) and a 6pdr ATG Detachment with Lloyd Carrier (39 points). All three units were commanded by a Sergeant.

Two Mortar Sections with two 3" Mortars each and the 6pdr Detachment. The Lloyd Carrier was borrowed and isn't pictured since I had to give it back earlier.

Armoured Support

(274 points)

Last but not least I added some heavy stuff to support the infantry. A Daimler Dingo (13 points) for fast reconnaissance and a Daimler Mk. II for reconnaissance and taking out light vehicles (41 points). Both were able to range in mortar fire. To support the infantry against dug in enemy troops or fortified emplacements I added a (borrowed) Bishop (25pdr SPG) and to encounter Italian tanks I added two Sherman IIs (89 points each).

The Daimler Mk. II, the two Sherman II, the Dingo (in the game I used a green one) and the Daniel's Bishop.

I hope you enjoyed the first glance at the brave British detachment which faced Italian resistance on Saturday. The point values might not be significant for most of you but maybe you like the pictures and the describtion of my forces.

Here the Italian forces which Michael fielded on Saturday (updated):

• Platoon HQ with Tenente (Lieutnant), Private with wireless set and three other Privates with Rifles and Breda lMG
• three Infantry Sections with Sergente (Sergeant), seven Riflemen and a Private with Breda lMG, the sections carried handgranades, fog granades, magnatic charges and Molotov cocktails
• four 82mm mortars additionally equipped with radio set and Molotov cocktails
• three light armoured cars "L3/35 Carro Veloce" with machine-guns
• a command tank "M. 14/41 Carro Commando" with wireless set for ranging mortar fire
• a SPG "Semovente Medio M. 15/42L da 105/25 "Bassotto"" with 105mm gun
• a medium tank "M. 14/41" with 47mm gun
  
• a light reconnaissance car "Lancia Lince" with wireless set (Italian Daimler Dingo copy)
• an armoured truck "SPA-Viberti AS.42" with 20mm gun
• a "Cannone da 90/53" 90mm AA-Gun (copy of the German 88mm Flak 18/36/37
• a lorry "Carro Unificado Medio Fiat 621/626" for infantry transport or tracking vehicle for the AA-Gun

This evening or tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the battlefield and describe some important scenes of the battle.