Battle Report - 19 Dec 2016 - IABSM "The Road To San Marco"

Another IABSM2 conversion, this from Rich Clarke's "Cymru Am Byth" scenario book which tracks the Welsh Guards throughout WW2.

Nice simple set up - the Germans are defending the town of San Marco as the Welsh Guards drive north from Perugia. This was a long-promised teaching game for the club, so we had old hands (if a little rusty) AndyM and MarkJ (long time no see!) commanding the Germans' scattered couple of platoons, a StuG, a PAK 38 and some off table mountain guns, and Carl took charge of the British company and two troops of Sherman IIIs, assisted by Colin, Ash, Pippa and Tom.

Things started badly when I realised I'd forgotten the box with the StuG III in it, but decided I'd brazen it out and let the Germans place a Tiger (with StuG III stats) on the table instead, 'cause after all everything's a Tiger when it starts out :D Carl was most amused. Other than that I made a few tweaks - the British didn't have 2" mortars and PIAT's listed, which seemed odd, so they got them, and the Germans' Kubelwagen got a Panzershrek, just to even things up a bit. (Still not sure what that's intended for - it seems not to be beefy enough to pull a PAK38).

I'll let the pictures tell the story, with a note that this was SO different to a Normandy game - the lack of head-high bocage makes for a whole different approach to the game.

The table. Mats by Deepcut, hills on the left by the Tree
Fellas, remaining hills by Andy Hawes, roads by S&A Scenics...

...factory by Sarissa, railings and  Italian town 3D printed by me.

The fun's already started, as a section of British 3 platoon, sent out in
advance by the CO to see what's afoot,  has dismounted from its trucks,
wandered into the olive grove and just about fallen over two sections of the
German infantry Zug. It was rather rapidly reduced to 0 actions...

Meanwhile, 3 Platoon's mortar is laying smoke...

...while a troop of the 16th/5th Lancers are forcing their way through
the olive grove. The German Zug is rather regretting its decision
to re-enter the trees... 

View from over the olive pressing plant. The other troop of the 16th/5th
has already lost its CO to the Stug - the double 6 to hit (and thus bonus 3
dice) doing most of the damage there. The brewed-up Sherman can be
seen in the distance just to the left of the chimney.

The smoke laying job has been taken over by 1 Platoon up in the cutting on
the hill behind the single house, as 3 Platoon's mortar team just got cut
in half by two MG34s.

The 'Tiger' lurking behind a house. (The roof material is Wills 00 pantile
sheet). Also visible one of the German MG teams and the overall German
CO. (And some Battlefront vineyards, with a heavy ink wash to hide
the hideously bright green!)

Starting to look a little dicey for Jerry now. The infantry Zug in the olive
trees is getting pounded by 1 Platoon and the Shermans, with 2 Platoon
still in its trucks following in the Shermans' wake. Their Panzerfaust has
just missed the lead Sherman centre left. The pall of smoke in the top right
corner reveals where the tanks on the road unleashed on the StuG.

And there we have it. The Germans are pinned and shocked, and about to lose
their bottle. The forces in the village are about to follow their orders, and
having given the British something of a bloody nose, are falling back.

And we finished inside the time available!