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PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > AOIt038
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Roadblock in Dongolaas Gorge
Africa Orientale Italiana #38
(Defender) Italy vs Britain (Attacker)
India (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Display
Balance:


Overall balance chart for AOIt038
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 1
Overall Rating, 1 vote
5
4
3
2
1
3
Scenario Rank: --- of 913
Parent Game Africa Orientale Italiana
Historicity Historical
Date 1941-02-01
Start Time 14:00
Turn Count 32
Visibility Day & Night
Counters 55
Net Morale 1
Net Initiative 1
Maps 2: 84, 86
Layout Dimensions 56 x 43 cm
22 x 17 in
Play Bounty 171
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 1
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Road Control
Conditions
Anti-infantry Wire
Entrenchments
Reinforcements
Smoke
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Africa Orientale Italiana Base Game
Introduction

Advancing ahead of 5th Indian Division, Col. Frank Messervy’s Gazelle Force reached the mountains ringing Keren and moved up the road from Agordat into the Dongolaas Gorge. There the Italians had blocked the road and covered it with machine-gun positions on the slopes flanking the road on either side and infantry dug in behind the barrier. When initial attempts to break through failed, Messervy summoned reinforcements.
Conclusion

Repeated attacks failed to dent the Italian position, even when tanks arrived and joined the assault. The Eritreans and their Italian officers retained their will to fight, and the British staff of 5th Indian Division had to accept the prospect of a long and bloody campaign to capture Keren. If the gorge could not be captured by frontal assault, the steep hills flanking it would have to be taken.
Display Relevant AFV Rules
AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.
Display Order of Battle
Britain Order of Battle
Army
  • Foot
  • Mechanized
  • Motorized
India Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized
Italy Order of Battle
Regio Corpo di Truppe Coloniali
Regio Esercito
  • Foot
  • Towed
Display Errata (2)
2 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 827

This is an armored car.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 871

Ignore the direct fire values.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Display AARs (1)
Not much of a Roadblock
Author dxdavieau
Method Solo
Victor Britain, India
Play Date 2019-10-06
Language English
Scenario AOIt038

Eritrean troops with 7/5 morale do not a roadblock make. This scenario was a British steamroller. The reinforcing tanks never did show up but the Indians don't really need them. The ACWs make excellent supplemental firepower. The Eritreans deployed to guard the pass, using their 65mm Guns as AT vs the Indian ACWs. These whimpy guns had very little effect on the battle, killing one step of ACs and one platoon of empty ACWs. Their BF was completely useless. The Indian plan was to go 'round the eastern flank, up & over the hill into the pass. (side note; the map orientation is incorrect, up is west, not north). Now, to be fair, the axis rolled a lot of 7s and the allied dice were hot. That said, the Eritrean morale is far too fragile to defend against the Indians riding in armored ACWs. Several positions were carried by assault by mounted Indian troops that didn't even bother to dismount! It was a complete rout. The Eritreans lost 23 steps, all but one! The Indians lost just 4, a half platoon, an ACW platoon and a step off the ACs which counts as 2.
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PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > AOIt038
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