Our monthly CoC game happened on last Saturday, again a Big CoC with 4 players.
Two Italian platoons (one of Fucileri played by me and one of Bersaglieri played by Max) were ordered to probe (Scenario "The Probe") forward to test the defences manned by a mixture of US Paras (commanded by Dodo) and supported by US Armored (commanded by Bernhard).
The patrols of both sides fought to get the best positions with the Italians trying to avoid the orchards on their left flank because of the increased effect the US 60mm mortars would have there and instead attack with force on the right flank while securing the village located on the dominating hill as a strongpoint.
The US boys ended up holding both flanks with the idea of creating a killing zone in the center but overlooked the problem of only being able to support each other with great difficulty as the killing zone would apply to the as well in this case as soon as the Italians occpied the village.
The Italians instead hat the advantage of the "Inner Line" as Napoleon would have called it 😎
In the foreground both Para platoons deployed in the orchards going on Overwatch in case the Italians should want to push down from the hill while the Fucileri had moved as quick as possible to enter the village with one platoon while protecting the left flank with the other platoon supported by an 20mm Oerlikon.
Closer look at the postions of the Paras in the orchards.
On the other flank both the Bersaglieri and the Armored Infantry push forward into the citrus plantation, the latter one supported by an 3,7cm gun.
But the Bersaglieri have support too - a cannone da 65/17.
One platoon of Fucileri entered the houses ready to provide fire support to either the Bersaglieri or their comrades in the vineyard.
All the while the Paras don´t move at all - maybe they are enjoying the apples to much?
So the Fucileri have time to prepare their position to fight off upcoming attacks of them.
In the meantime on the other flank the Bersaglieri pushed forward supported by the fire of the LMGs of the Fucileri - the mortar in the background was wiped out as a result and shortly after the LMG squad of the Armored was nearly pinned. As a consequnce the Commander of the Armored had to use his dice to restore order instead of fielding more of his badly needed squads still waiting for their deployment.
The LMG squad got badly mauled even more while the Bersaglieri are able to concentrate their fire on the isolated squad in front of them with foreseeable consequences.
The US Paras have finally decided to attack the positions of the Fucileri to release some pressure from the Armored Infantry.
However, the attack comes to a standstill in the defensive fire of the Fucileri and the Paras have to retreat with heavy losses.
Even though it looked like a clear victory for the Italians in the end, it was a hard-fought game that could easily have gone in the Allies' favour with only a few different dice results - typical CoC, you should never be too sure that you have victory in the bag.
