Operation Husky: Italian Grit vs. US Airborne – A "Big Chain of Command" After Action Report

The Scenario: The Probe (Broad Front)
During the opening stages of Operation Husky, a platoon of US Airborne, supported by a section of Glider Infantry and a troop of three M10 Wolverines, held a vital outpost near Gela. Their orders: hold the line.
Across the field, an Italian mobile group—consisting of a Bersaglieri platoon, a Fucilieri platoon, and a section of Semovente M75/18s—was tasked with forcing a breakthrough to pave the way for following Italian formations.

Force Disposition & Morale
The Italians started highly motivated (Bersaglieri FM 11, Fucilieri FM 9, Semoventes FM 10). On the other hand, the US forces were feeling the strain; many Africa veterans had been replaced by green recruits, leading to a brittle morale (FM 8, Wolverines FM 9).

The Battle Unfolds

The Patrol Phase proved disastrous for the Americans. Due to a series of tactical blunders and misunderstood orders regarding the armed reconnaissance (the "Probe" mission), the US Jump Off Points (JOPs) ended up stranded in the middle of an open meadow. It was clear from the start that the Italians would exploit this vulnerability.

The Bersaglieri seized the initiative immediately, launching a double-phase to block the most likely route for American reinforcements. While the US Airborne dug into the village (supported by a stray US Infantry squad), the Bersaglieri quickly cleared barbed wire obstacles blocking the road. Despite taking light casualties, they cleared a path for their Solothurn anti-tank rifles to move toward the main road.

To the north, a fierce firefight erupted between the Fucilieri and the Airborne/Glider infantry advancing into the village. While the "US Boys" managed to draw first blood, they were soon pinned down by overwhelming Italian fire, and casualties began to mount rapidly.

Attempting to break the encirclement, an Airborne section tried to push from the village toward the plantations. However, a second section of Fucilieri appeared as if from nowhere and opened a devastating volley. The Airborne had no choice but to "Hit the Dirt."

As they attempted to crawl back toward the safety of the village houses, the LMG team was caught in the open. The Italian HQ displayed excellent tactical coordination, transferring CoC points to the squads to trigger React Fire. The LMG team was wiped out instantly—a massive blow to the platoon’s already shaky morale.

The Armor Arrives
The heavy metal finally reached the field: three Italian Semovente 75/18s against three American M10 Wolverines.

While the Italians used their high-explosive shells to hammer the defenders in the village ...

... the American commanders were preoccupied with the threat of the Solothurn AT rifles. Fearing a hit to their thin side or rear armor, the M10s were forced to maneuver cautiously, leaving the infantry in the village largely unsupported.

One Wolverine eventually managed to suppress the Bersaglieri squad nearest the village, forcing them to withdraw. Another M10 engaged the Solothurn crews, eventually neutralizing both AT guns with well-placed HE shells. Unfortunately, this would be the only significant American success of the day.

With the defenders in the village on the brink of collapse, the US Company HQ had no choice: they ordered a general retreat to preserve what was left of the Airborne for future engagements.

The Wolverines covered the withdrawal, pushing the Bersaglieri out of the plantations before successfully disengaging. The battlefield was left to the victorious Italians.

Aftermath & Lessons Learned

The new Company HQ mechanics in Big CoC added a fantastic layer of tactical flexibility, allowing for more fluid support assignments and the strategic transfer of CoC points.

Tactical Reflection: The game was largely decided during the Patrol Phase. I let myself be lured by the heavy cover of the village, which restricted me to a very narrow sector. This cost me control of the road—the very point where my reinforcements needed to enter. Had I prioritized the left plantation, my JOPs would have been in cover, the road would have been under my control and my M10s could have operated with much more freedom.

Max played his Italians brilliantly and gave me zero room to fix my initial mistakes. A well-deserved victory!

Rules Correction

We realized afterward that in Big CoC, only infantry platoons count toward the number of Patrol Markers and JOPs—tank units do not. I should have used 4 markers instead of 5, and 3 JOPs instead of 4.

This would have at least likely prevented the "JOP in the open" disaster!