Last Saturday was not only another game of Big Chain of Command with Bernhard and Max, but it was also the last big test for TaToCon to see if our line-ups including the fixed support work and if the terrain fits.
The plan is that interested players will lead a platoon of infantry and Max and I will play with a squad of light tanks, but mainly support the players with the rules.
On the allied side there will be a US Airborne platoon (regular), supported by 3 M5 Stuarts, while the Italians will oppose with a Bersaglieri platoon, reinforced by 3 M13/40s.
There is also support on both sides in the form of PaK and HMG/MMG.
And now to the game report itself, where Max led his Italians into battle, while Bernhard led my US Airborne and I tried to suppress the Italian counterpart as best I could with my 3 light tanks.
The battlefield as seen from one ...
... and the other side.
One of my M5 Stuarts pushes forward to the village and can force a M14/40 to withdraw from the battlefield ...
... but suddenly a previously camouflaged Italian PaK appears and turns the M5 into a lump of smoking scrap!
However, the Italians' jubilation is short-lived, as the two M5s in the village decimate the PaK crew to such an extent that they have had enough and flee from the hail of HE grenades and MG bullets.
Two squads battle it out across the open valley ground with losses and shock mounting at an alarming rate on both sides.
The 2nd Airborne Squad, which had entrenched itself in the village, tries to rush to the aid of its hard-pressed comrades at the last minute.
But too late. After the squad has not only lost its leader, its LMG team and many comrades, their morale finally breaks and the fate of the HMG team, which continues to hold the position, is determined too.
The Italian commander had skilfully managed to build up an immense superiority and, with the concentrated fire of three squads, the defeat of the isolated Airborne squad was only a matter of time.
The remaining two M5 Stuarts were only able to cover the retreat of the surviving paratroopers: a Bersaglieri squad was almost wiped out by their concentrated fire ...
... and one of the two remaining enemy tanks was forced to retreat and Pinned before the American light tanks also withdrew.
Conclusion:
A great overview by Max, who built up a local fire superiority that the isolated Airborne squad could not withstand for long, and thus the Bersaglieri could add a well-deserved victory on their flags!
