đď¸ AFTER-ACTION REPORT â Assault Sicily ’43: Primosole Bridge Expansion (Production Sample)
Scenario: “Swift Counterattack”
Michael (German Fallschirmjäger) vs. Wolfgang (British Commonwealth Army)
Objective: Control the hills south of the bridge
Duration: 3.5 hours of tactical tension and brutal combat
đ°ď¸ SITUATION BEFORE
14 July 1943, 13:10 hrs, south of Primosole Bridge:
During the night, British paratroopers attempted to capture Primosole Bridge to establish a bridgehead in the north. Italian security forces, however, successfully repelled the attack. Immediately upon receiving the report, Captain Franz Stangenberg (Advance Command FJR 3 in Catania) assembled an ad-hoc Kampfgruppe. It included the 1st Paratrooper Signal Company under Captain Erich Fassl, along with available staff and kitchen personnel in Catania. Various vehicles were mobilized, and artillery pieces were secured and prepared for action.
Early on the morning of July 14, Stangenberg personally drove south to assess the situation. He found the bridge still clear of enemy forces, guarded by Italians. Meanwhile, the British had entrenched themselves on the hill slightly south of the bridge. The moment was opportune for a counterattack against their weakened forces.
On the British side, the short night was used to regroup scattered paratroopers on the hill and dig in. Due to the chaotic nature of the airborne drop, nearly all anti-tank guns were either lost in gliders or destroyed in crashes, rendering them unusable. Communications were also unreliable due to a lack of functioning radios. Still, they used the little time they had to prepare for the German attack.
đŞ STARTING POSITIONS
I had already decided to try and weaken Michaelâs wide front from a distance. Thatâs why I positioned my Vickers MG teams in well-covered positions on the hill. My mortar team and two infantry squads were assigned to support. I didnât want to wait behind the hill until Michael closed in.
Michael chose to attack head-on, advancing across the full width of the hill. His FOUR MG42s and two 50mm mortar teams led the charge to clear the path.
đĽ FIRST ACTIONS
A veritable firestorm erupted in the very first round. My first Vickers team successfully neutralized one of the MG42s. Shortly afterward, they were taken out by concentrated fire from two paratrooper squads. Michaelâs mortar and MG barrage forced my mortar crew to flee. A few of my riflemen managed to cut down the first wave of advancing paratroopers. It was already clearâthis battle would be bloody.
âď¸ THE CORE BATTLE
My mortar team was eliminated shortly thereafter. A group of Royal Engineers that had reoccupied the southern pillbox also fell. Two squads now lay dead or wounded inside this concrete graveâand they wouldnât be the last. Anyone who raised their head above cover or the crest of the hill was met by a hail of bullets. The hill became a deadly trap.
Michaelâs strategy of establishing fire superiority began to pay off. My hopes for a swift counterattack across open ground were dashed by his relentless MG and mortar fire. My casualties began to mount quickly.
Of note were Michaelâs command cardsâalways just the right ones at just the right time. Even when I rolled well, he skillfully played his cards to slip out of danger at critical moments…
Still, I inflicted losses on him. His pressure rose toward the withdrawal threshold. I felt outnumbered, but if I could cause a few more casualties, maybe his troop morale would collapse. The tension was palpable.
đŻ FINAL ACTIONS
After losing my final Vickers squad, I shifted tacticsâpulling my remaining units behind the hill to stay out of sight and survive the MG42 onslaught.
At the end of turn three, Michael launched a textbook Hollywood-style assault. His infantry surged forward. In a pincer movement, he attempted to capture the pillbox and higher objective hexes.
My defensive fire was limitedâonly one unit had line of sight, while the others lay hidden in ambush. One paratrooper squad climbed the southern hill to storm my riflemen in their trench. They were eliminated in brutal hand-to-hand combat. A small victory.
The pillbox claimed its third bloody toll and was finally captured by Michaelâs troops. My few remaining squads held on for three more turns but eventually succumbed to the superior firepower and discipline of the German paratroopers.
Michael had won the game. Congratulations to him!
đ˛ CONCLUSION â Luck vs. Planning
Perhaps my decision to deploy most of my forces at range was a mistake. Ironically, the final third of the game showed promise when I pulled my remaining troops out of the firing line. But in war, you also have to consider the dice and card draws…
Michael had to roll twice for withdrawal due to casualtiesâhe passed both checks. So, in terms of “Luck vs. Planning”, I think the balance was fair.
đ FINAL WORDS
The win was well deserved. I felt I had a strong defensive position early on, but Michaelâs 2:1 advantage and his four MG42s quickly nullified that. The game felt well-balancedâMichael had a real chance to fail. The hill is now the grave of my brave soldiers. But we Brits shall rise again in Sicily!
We also played using the proposed v3.0 rules for close combat and terrain line of sight. Both of us agreed: these ideas significantly accelerated the pace of play. Assault now plays like an intense Hollywood filmâpure action!
Thanks to Michael for the great ideas and a gripping game!