Chain of Command AAR: Operation Husky - putting my US Airborne vs. Italian Bersaglieri again

The last game for this year pitted my US Airborne against Max Bersaglieri again, this time my A>irborne defending a small village against the Bersaglieri trying to push me back into the Mediterranean (Scenario "Attack and Defend").

He was able to use 14 support points, while I only had a meagre 3 🙈

While the Bersaglieri could rely on the support of an additional MMG, a grenade launcher and a Semovente with the short 75mm cannon, I decided to try out a sniper.
As it turned out, the moral combat value on Max himself was much higher than the actual damage caused 😁

A small village somewhere on Sicily. The Airborne are still sitting and lying in their houses, being provided with breakfast by the locals, when the first shots whip through the air ...

One of my squads, supported by a 60mm mortar and a sniper, entrench themselves in the farmstead while one of the Bersaglieri squads advances and seizes the edge of the forest

Closer shot of the Bersaglieri

The Bersaglieri are likewise supported by a mortar, which immediately fires smoke to obscure the Airborne in the farmstead.

To the surprise of the enemy, my 2nd squad has advanced aggressively on the right flank, capturing a JoP and blocking the Bersaglieri's counterattack, which is supported by an MMG.

However, it suffers heavy losses and shock, which sap its fighting strength, especially as it is completely isolated and cannot count on support.

The smoke is getting thicker and thicker, targeted fire to hold down the advancing Bersaglieri is hardly possible, so the Airborne decide to counterattack ...

After much procrastination on the part of the Italian commander, the Semovente is sent on the march after all.

But too late, as it turns out: A bazooka team was lying in ambush and took out the armoured monster with a well-aimed shot. "Burn baby, burn!"

The losses and casualties pile up on both sides, but the Italian attackers are the first to run out of steam now ...

The Bersaglieri have to break off the attack and begin an orderly retreat, much to the relief of the Airborne, who have also suffered heavy losses.

Conclusion:

The Airborne had a lot of luck and the result could easily have been different.

On the one hand, the Bersaglieri were intimidated by the sniper's ability to pick out targets and shoot at them as if they were standing in open terrain.

He didn't really cause any casualties (one hit in the whole game), but he made sure that the Bersaglieri, who were worried about their commanders, acted more cautiously than was good for them.

On the other hand, they were far too worried about their Semovente because of my Bazooka team and only used the Assault Gun when it was too late and I had already accumulated a CoC dice and could therefore even play an ambush with the Bazooka team.

Nevertheless, it was a very close game in the end.

My isolated approach on the right flank could have ended in a fiasco, the squad was completely on its own and I wouldn't have been able to provide any support if the Bersaglieri had taken out this squad first, especially with support from the Semovente.

With the last remaining squad I would then have had no chance of stopping the Bersaglieri.