Firestorm Gazala Turn 1 Battle 5 AAR – Dust Up at Hill 171

By Ed Hall and Tom Burgess

Continuing with the Breakthrough Assault and No Dice No Glory online Firestorm Gazala Campaign. Ed wanted to play Battle 5 at area C5 “Hill 171.” Ed selected 80 points, before the addition of Firestorm Troops as the point level for this battle.

We both chose formations representative of the forces committed to this battle. So for Tom that would be a Motor Co, backed up by a reinforcing Crusader Squadron. Ed wen with an Afrika Korps Shutzen Co. Tom chose a Defense stance to model the situation and Ed chose Maneuver. Using the Battle Plans matrix this resulted in a Dust Up Mission.

The Table

The battle was played at Ed’s ad he set up the game table to represent Hill 171 with a large central hill in the center of the board.

Forces

German: Ed Hall, Afrika Rifle Company 80 points Formation Firestorm Units: 200th Infantry Regt., 90th Infantry Division (11pts), Stuka Flight (9pts)

British: Tom Burgess, Motor Infantry Company and Crusader Armour Company (50+30pts) Firestorm Unit: Indian Motor Platoon (10pts)

Turns 1 to 4

Turns 1-4: Both sides trade long-range shots and artillery. The Germans quickly charge the Heavy Recon Section to engage the 25lb. Battery using the cover of the dunes. They destroy one artillery team before the 25lb. Battery destroys them. The 25lb Artillery Battery and 3-inch Mortar section destroy one infantry team of the 1st Rifle Platoon on the German Right Objective. The Schlepper Battery destroys the 25lb. Battery on turn 4. On turn 4 the German
Stuka Flight becomes available, but an SAS Raid card is played preventing the flight’s attempt to provide assistance in the battle. The British receive the first of their reserves, as well as the Crusader HQ, arrive.

Initial British defense set up on the British right.

Schleppers take revenge for the loss of the DAK recon.

A two-tube unit of British 3″ mortars harass the DAK platoon guarding an objective. But it takes many turns to eliminate even a couple of teams.

Turn 5

Turn 5: Both sides continue to receive reinforcements. The Stuka Flight destroys one tank and bails another of the same platoon, but the tank remounts immediately afterwards. British mortars and the Crusader HQ destroy another team of the German 1st Rifle Platoon.

Crusaders muster on the board and begin their approach.

Turn 6

Turn 6: The last of the German reserves arrive (90th Infantry) and along with the 2nd Rifle Platoon, and the Light Recon Platoon moves to assault the British Right flank. The 2nd 5cm Antitank Platoon in the center provides long-range support for the assault. Facing them is one Motor Platoon, MMG Platoon (3/4 strength), a 3-inch Mortar Section, and one Crusader Platoon in the far center of the British position. The Rifle HQ platoon moves to support the German right flank.

The British also charge the German of the German Right Flank with the 4 Crusader Platoons, the Universal Carrier Scout Troop, and an Indian Motor Platoon charging over the hill (Point 171). Facing them is the German Rifle HQ platoon, 1st Rifle Platoon, 2nd 5cm Anti-tank Platoon, the Light Mobile AA Platoon, and Schlepper Battery. One Crusader Platoon assaults and kills another team before breaking off.

Once the Crusader squadron is mostly in from reserves, it starts pushing the German right.

Turn 7: The Germans assault the British right, assaulting the Motor Platoon with the Lt. Recon Platoon and part of the 2nd Infantry platoon. The Infantry was repelled by British defensive fire losing 2 teams. The Light Recon Platoon assaults destroying two teams before failing a counter-attack attempt. On the German right, the Stukas arrive. Along with the Stukas, every unit able to fire upon the right flank along with the 2nd AT Platoon in the center of the German position fire. As a result, no single platoon was destroyed, but 4 tanks were destroyed and the rest were bailed except for a single Universal Carrier.

The DAK offensive against the British right finally gets underway.

The British receive a miracle in the form of Tom’s dice. All tanks remount and the Universal Carrier Scout Troop decides to stick around as well. The British assault the German 1st Platoon, overrunning the platoon and kill all but the Platoon Leader and Company commander and securing the object.

The Crusader have to weather the long-range shots of two PAK 38 units, a unit of Marders, and Stuka attacks.

Even with the Schleppers going in against the Crusaders, the Crusaders hold on. Most are bailed or destroyed, but the presence of the British Squadron CO rallies all to remount and stay on the field.

Ed’s offense push closes in on the British right but they are at least a turn behind the British push on the opposite end of the table.

The British weather the first DAK assault. The DAK Recce is sent off after minor losses.

Turn 8

Turn 8: The German 2nd Rifle Platoon fails to unpin. The 90th Infantry are not close enough to assault the three survivors of the Motor Platoon. The Light Recon Platoon chooses not to assault but just contest the British Right Objective. It all depends on the Commander and the Platoon Leader of 1st Platoon to dislodge seven Crusaders off the German Right Objective. With no Stuka support and after a poor performance by AT platoons, The AA platoon, and the Schlepper and Marder platoon, the CO and PL find death in short order.

Desperate to buy another turn, the DAK CO and the one remaining Shutzen platoon move to “contest” the objective. But in the following turn, all the British have to do to win the game is to eliminate these two teams, which they easily do.

Conclusion

The game ended as an 8-1 British win, but it was very close to being a 7-2 German win. If the two Crusaders that were withing 4″ of the objective at the bottom of turn 8 had not remounted, surely another round of intensive German Anti-tank fire likely would have sent them off.