After Action Report, Desert Rats Scenario 4, A Hundred Years as a Sheep

This was played solitaire.

Historically, the Commonwealth’s attack on the Italian camp caused a whole-sale surrender of the Axis forces. I was expecting a similar result, given that the situation implemented the “Surrender” rule. Play went an opposite direction.

I almost immediately encountered ambiguities in the surrender rule. When could a unit demand surrender? Could any CW unit, regardless of activation call for surrender? Could a CW unit move and call for surrender as it moved? I posed the question to the Panzer Grenadier WWII Series forum on Consimworld and received multiple interpretations. My own interpretation: Any CW unit, could call for surrender, however this could only happen once per TURN, not Action phase, and only at the BEGINNING of an Action phase (not necessarily the first). AFVs could call for the surrender of any stacked or adjacent unit, demoralized or not. INF, HMG, etc, could call for the surrender of any demoralized unit stacked or adjacent to the calling units.

CW losses began to accumulate immediately, despite the surrender of several Italian formations. AFVs were particularly effective in calling for surrender, as they broke through the feeble AT defenses and dispersed to cause as many Italian surrenders as possible.

The dispersion of the British Matildas, though they caused a maximum of surrender dice rolls, proved costly in the end. Italian units who had survived their surrender checks, abandoned their Entrenchments and assaulted a couple of isolated Matilda units, realizing their complete destruction. This was enough to salvage a draw, which was actually a defeat of sorts for the CW side. Though the capture of all Axis entrenchments and the destruction of all Italian armor was assured, the CW losses exceeded the 10 steps allowed by the victory conditions.

This was an interesting scenario and evolved in a completely unexpected direction. Much fun, once the surrender rule was decided.

This battle was played years before I joined PZG-HQ. There is not much I remember in specifics.

Italian Set-up was to dig-in on the hill. The AT Guns were on the back side of the hills to guard the rear flanks. The Italian tanks were in a rear assembly area to serve as a mobile reserve or depart the map to deny VPs to the Brit, as I had very little to stand up to the Matildas.

The British advanced and closed in with little resistance from the FAN on the hill. Many units surrendered. And such was the situation that I was able to exit the tanks off the map.

Sorry this AAR is not really helpful

Introduction

I played this scenario immediately following its predecessor, "A Single Day As A Lion", and under the same misconceptions as to rules. Without the column shifts for Morale or the Surrender Rule, the presence of entrenchments make it very difficult for the Commonwealth forces to clear the camp and kill Italian tanks in a timely fashion.

The Plans

Italian planning decisions are more complex in this scenario, because the presence of truly mobile forces provides for defensive options beyond holding the fortified camp. The Commonwealth plan must again encompass entry and points of assault, but the Commonwealth player must also keep focus on the Italian tank units, as these are a major objective of the attack.

The Italian Plan

The Italian Player again created a concentrated, heavily-fortified camp on the L2 Hill hexes. The Italian Player chose to place entrenchments in 1525, 1528, 1426, and 1428. The entrenchments in 1426 and 1424 protected one Infantry (INF) platoon and one Heavy Machinegun (HMG) platoon each, those in 1525 and 1528 two Infantry (INF) platoons and a 47mm Anti-Tank Gun each. The third 47mm A/T gun was dug-in with one Fanteria (FAN) platoon and one Mitragliere (MIT) platoon in 1427, making for a "continuous front" defence of the camp. The flanks at 1625 and 1629 were protected by two Fanteria platoons each, both positions being dug-in. The artillery set up at the rear of the camp, with the two 65mm howitzer batteries dug-in at 1726, and the two 81mm Mortar platoons dug-in at 1727. The third 81mm Mortar platoon and the third Mitragliere platoon were dug-in at 1627. One Fanteria platoon was dug-in at 1626, 1627, 1526, and 1527, these constituting a reserve to reinforce any of the positions attacked by the Commonwealth forces. The last Fanteria platoon was dug-in at 1728, ostensibly protecting the gun batteries. Lorries were co-located with the howitzer batteries, the Mortar platoons, and the A/T guns. The remaining lorries were placed, empty, with the Italian armour as a feint.

The Italian armour was disposed along the foreward edge of the camp; that is, the Western Edge, this being the direction from which the Commonwealth forces must advance. The M11/39 Troops were dug-in at 1322 and 1323, the leader being in 1323. The L3/35 Troops were dug-in at 1324, 1325, 1326, and 1327, leaders being in 1325 and 1326. The lorries were disposed in 1421, 1520, and 1620.

Note

By agreement, during deployment, empty transports were disposed with "dummy" counters underneath, except where they occupied hexes with towed weapons; thus it is not possible for either player to simply look at a stack across the table and know if it is loaded with troops or not. This Rule was part of the House Rules for Secret (I use "semi-secret") Deployment, which permit a player to set up their forces without being observed by their opponent. This is not specifically allowed or prohibited in PzGr, though the presence of a scenario in Elsenborn Ridge that has players use a screen to hide their dispositions infers that deployment is made in front of one's opponent; in any event, this is a courtesy I have long observed, and so practice in all my games.

The Commonwealth Player

The Commonwealth Player faces a long approach march followed by an exhausting series of assaults to clear the Italians from their fortified camp, complicated by the need to attack and eliminate the Italian armour. This time, when I should perhaps have chosen to divide my forces, I elected to concentrate them and go straight on to the attack. I used my lorries to bring my Rifle (INF) and Weapons (HMG) platoons into position along the South edge of the map, West of the road, then dismounted. The 3-Inch Mortar platoons were concentrated into a Fire Group under the command of a Lieutenant with a Fire Modifier. The rest of the Rifle and Weapons platoons will advance right up to the camp and launched a series of Assaults, making full use of the element of surprise. The Mathildas will turn the Hill and assault the artillery park before storming into the camp itself. Once the camp has been cleared, the Mathildas will open up on the Italian tanks.

The Battle

Things did not go quite so well as I hoped, but not as badly as they might have done had the Italian Player handled his armour better. As time pressed, the Mathildas turned on the paralyzed Italian tankers before the hilltop fort had been cleared, snapping the Italian armour out of its torpor and sending it charging for to support the Italian infantry. But several Italian tanks attempted to fight it out with the Mathildas, which was particularly foolish given the Italian Player's poor shooting. Still, the Italians were able to inflict sufficient casualties with an armoured counter-attack to force a Draw, though by doing so they offered themselves to destruction. The early elimination of the artillery park crippled Italian efforts to hold their entrenchments, as the Commonwealth forces attacked on a narrow frontage that maximized their ability to bring fresh platoons into action and support assaults with suppressing fire. By the time the Italians could move, their position had been overrun and their artillery park neutralised. The Commonwealth forces did lose a Mathilda Step to close-range A/T fire, and this was the margin between Victory and a Draw.

Conclusions

I don't feel I made the best use of the surprise rule, considering the poor disposition of the Italians. I ought to have got right up nearly on top of them with my trucks, and maybe saved myself a Turn or two. Had I more experience, I would have realized that the Italian tanks were no match for the Mathildas, and waited to attack them until after the hilltop had been cleared. I really ought to have won this one. Fought again, with the correct Rules this one would be conceded. With a better Italian deployment, however, it might still prove possible to force a Draw; the Tanks must be in among the Infantry, so that it is all but impossible for the British not to take out a Step in self-preservation; cross-fire will kill a Step of Mathildas, and that's 30% of the way home for the Italians.

En este escenario, que tiene lugar el 10 de diciembre de 1940, una fuerza italiana integrada por aproximadamente cinco compañías de infantería colonial y regular y seis pelotones de tanques ligeros (M11/39 y L3/35) se enfrentan a una fuerza del Imperio Británico integrada por unas ocho compañías de infantería india y regular británica. Los italianos reciben el apoyo de tres baterías AT de 47mm, tres pelotones de morteros y dos baterías de artillería de 65mm. Los imperiales disponen como fuerza de choque de cinco pelotones de los poderosos tanques "Matilda", así como morteros y artillería fuera del tablero.

Los italianos defienden una colina relativamente bien fortificada, con cuatro trincheras, donde se ubican casi todos los cañones AT. El resto de los italianos se despliega a lo largo del perímetro defensivo protegidos en pozos de tirador. Los imperiales entran por el borde este del tablero y tiene como misión ocupar las cuatro trincheras y destruir todos los blindados enemigos.

Los imperiales utilizan la regla "Surrender" tal como viene en el libro de escenarios y utilizan sus tanques "Matilda" como punta de lanza de su ataque. Los blindados abren rápidamente brecha en el ala derecha italiana, provocando un gran número de rendiciones. Los italianos mandan a sus últimas reservas a taponar el enorme hueco en sus líneas, pero les imposible y son rápidamente aniquilados o desarmados. Los ligeros tanques italianos tampoco son rivales de consideración para los imperiales, cuyos "Matilda" tiene muy superior capacidad de fuego ("eficiencia blindada") y una coraza ("6") que les hace prácticamente indestructibles. Al final sólo ofrecen resistencia las cuatro trincheras italianas y alguna otra posición aislada, pero acaban sucumbiendo todas ellas al final del turno 12.

Los imperiales obtienen una victoria rotunda, consiguiendo todos sus objetivos y sufriendo sólo cuatro "steps" de bajas.

LECCIONES TÁCTICAS

El escenario me parece bastante desnivelado a favor de los imperiales. No obstante, si tuviese que jugar la partida otra vez aplicaría al bando italiano las siguientes pautas: 1) Desplegaría cada batería de artillería en un hex de trinchera distinto, ya que la artillería italiana tiene una moral superior y sería más refractaria a una rendición ante los tanques enemigos. 2) En los dos restantes hexes de trinchera colocaría líderes con bonificador moral (si los hubiera), con el mismo objetivo que el punto anterior. 3) Desplegaría las baterías AT de 47mm en hexes alejados entre sí y a ser posible en trinchera, con objeto de -en lo posible- beneficiarse del fuego cruzado frente a los "Matilda". 4) Utilizaría la movilidad de los tanques "M11/39" para beneficiarme del fuego cruzado, en colaboración con las baterías AT. 5) Establecería un perímetro no continuo de infantería en torno a los hexes de trinchera y formaría compañías de reserva para asaltar a los temibles "Matilda".

Author	treadasaurusrex (Britain, India)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Britain, India
Participants	Sonora
Play Date	2022-12-04
Language	English
Scenario	DeRa004

This was a fun-filled, 4-session play-through with: Sonora, a rapidly-improving rookie player taking the outnumbered defending Italian side. I played the attacking, combined arms, Indians & British attack force. We used the FOW, smoke, consolidation and excess initiative optional rules. This was a very unbalanced scenario in favor of the Commonwealth force, and it played out pretty much as the real battle did - a bloody disaster for the ill-fated defenders of this Italian encampment. Both sides had poor leader draws.

Once we sorted out the poorly-written surrender rule to make better sense of it by requiring adjacent Commonwealth (CW) units to activate to request surrenders of defending hex stacks when one or more defenders were demoralized. Step losses for both sides commenced almost immediately on turn 1 and many Italian units surrendered -- especialy to the Matilda tanks of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment -- in spite of the best efforts of the stalwart Italian artillerymen, and as the game went on, the close assaults mounted by the FAN Colonial Infantry platoons. The latter managed to destroy 2 steps of Matildas (counted as 6 steps) before time expired.

In our play-through, the CW infantry slowly, but steadily, took all 4 Italian entrenchment strongpoints and destroyed the doomed, Italian AFVs one-by-one. This was a costly process in that the final CW steps lost total was a cliff-hanging-almost-draw-causing: 9 steps, and 6 leaders! Italian steps lost totaled 31, including both the M11/39 tank platoons & 4 platoons of hapless L3/35 tankettes. All 5 Italian Tenentes and 2 Capitanos were either captured, of KIA.

The FOW rule shortened 6 of the 22 game turns in this scenario, which hurt both sides. This terminally-unbalanced scenario was almost a draw, and as such I rate it a 2, mostly because it was entertaining to play with a determined & gracious opponent on a rainy day in the Sonoran Desert. This one is probably best played in SOLO mode.

Author	triangular_cube
Method	Solo
Victor	Britain, India
Play Date	2022-12-09
Language	English
Scenario	DeRa004

I should just copy and paste my disclaimer about the Desert Rats Surrender Rule vs the Afrika Korps or South Africa surrender rules...

Surprise surprise, swarms of Matildas charge up and ask for surrender and the Italians quickly take up their offer after one round of ineffectual counter assaults. Allies win, wiping the Italians to a man in quick time with no trouble. So far this has been how all of the nearly identical surrender rule matilda swarm Desert Rats scenarios have gone.

I'm going to talk about the vexing scenario design here instead. This is very similar to scenario 3, fighting in similar circumstances over the same hill (game map wise not real life hill). In 3, the Allies enter from the near side, here they enter from the far side. Why though? This scenario has surprise attack rules, so the Italians just sit and watch as the Allies walk across the map from the far edge? Seems fun? Why not have them come from the near edge like 3, and the far edge in 3 instead, so they can interact with the approaching force. Idk its weird.

Surprise rule, of which there is one, is very strange. Tanks cant move but can fire until they lose a step. Fair enough, I guess. But no one else can Move OR fire, so they Italians, who are surprised by the attack, have been watching and listening to the Tanks shoot up the approaching Indians and have not interest in finding out whats going on? Okay then. They can even be stacked with the tanks, but I guess they are just napping and figure the armored guys will deal with it. These guys unfreeze when they are put under attack, fair enough again, but is calling for surrender an attack? Its ambiguous at best :)

One last oddity. Probably just due to historical OOBs, but both sides have MASSIVE motor pools, but since trucks are not excluded from any step loss counts, they just hang out in the back and do nothing but look pretty. Seriously, there are 33! truck units in this scenario, and they both just drive off into the sunset to find a quiet corner to hang out in. I actually think the only way the Italians can win or at least draw is to get one lone unit safely off to that corner of the map and take out the motor pool.

Just a lot of strange things going on here that don't add up to anything because Matildas and surrender.