Bolt Action - US and Italian Forces Meet in Tunisia

24 December 1942

After mopping up in Morocco, the 92nd Infantry division spent some time mopping up and patrolling before being moved through Algeria to the front in Tunisia. The Division was tasked with moving to secure a pass on the enemies flank. Little did they know, Italian forces of the 69th Infantry Division ("Provolone") were also trying to flank the Americans and had already taken the pass and elements of the 667th Infantry Regiment (supported by light tanks of the LXIX Tank Battalion) were advancing out of the pass with orders to secure a bridge in the valley beyond that the Americans already held... Bumping into lead elements of the enemies advance, both sides tried to push past each other to get to their objective beyond, hoping the following forces would deal with any enemy they could not stop or eliminate on their way through! 

We were playing a standard battle scenario with the Breakthrough victory conditions, Quarters Deployment zones, and Meeting Engagement deployment types. For each friendly unit that leaves the table via the enemy's Deployment Zone Edge 3 victory points are awarded. For each unit FULLY in the enemy's Deployment Zone at the end of the game, 1 Victory point was awarded. 

The first the contact with Italian forces was when elements of the US 761st Tank Battalion, supporting the 92nd Infantry Division's advance, started receiving fire from an Italian anti-tank rifle as they moved up the valley. 

And shortly thereafter an entire force of Italians were encountered! 

Italian Anti-Tank Rifle was the first casualty of the engagement! 

(not sure it was ACTUALLY any threat at all to the Americans... The Sherman, being a medium tank, is entirely invulnerable to the ATR... MAYBE it could cause superficial damage against it's top or rear...? It could cause superficial damage to the Stuart on it's front - an a roll of 6 - and - also on a 6) potentially cause full damage from the sides... I guess it COULD fuck up the Jeep! if it actually HIT!?) 

Italians taking position while their brave little tanks continued forward towards the objective! 

Americans discovering there are some Italians in their way. 

Airplanes are called in... and a rookie pilot arrives attacking the wrong unit... at least the main target was still an Italian unit... 

But they started their strafing run a little too low and a little too early and sent a lot of Americans diving for cover and rang a few rounds off the Stuart - causing the crew considerable stress and anxiety!

BLAM! Sherman fires on one of the Italian CV33 tanks... and misses!! (Whew!) 

The Stuart considered firing on the other CV33... but was still feeling a little rattled from the air attack and retreated when they heard another airplane coming around! 

A second air attack was called in and this pilot knew what they were doing. No one was killed... but it sure kept the Italians head down for a turn or two... 

An Italian artillery barrage FINALLY arrived... it was considerably less effective than the French ones... or maybe the GIs were just getting more accustomed to being shelled! 

One of the Italian Infantry squads charged the Americans... Somehow, the ferocity of the attack by a smaller force unnerved the Americans, who fled abaondoning their wounded and dead! 

Sherman took another shot at one of the CV-33s, hitting this time. Blew one of the idlers clean off, instantly immobilizing the tank! 

Meanwhile, the other CV-33 pushed past the American forces and continued on it's way towards the objective! 

(Three points for me! YAY!) 

The Italians that survived the close assault pushed ever onwards and up to the edge of the rocky outcropping where the remains of the Sniper team and Forward Air Controllers were hiding. 

The Jeep rolled up with it's pintle mounted machine-gun and let loose at the immobilized CV-33 (who had continued to fire it's own MGs at the American Infantry and support elements immediately in front of it. 

The second American squad moved up to cover behind a ruined building. 

Italian gun and Infantry remained down another turn to clear all their pin markers... 

Eventually, fire from the tank and jeep took out the CV-33... 

Fire from... somewhere...? lit up the Jeep! 

Maybe the Italian Machine-gun crew...? 

American tanks rolling forward. 

American Infantry Squad assaults the Italian light mortar team on the hill... 

Italian squads start moving again toward their objectives! 

The Italian 100/17 Modello 14 medium howitzer takes a shot at one of the tanks... and misses... 

Italian infantry bypassing the Stuart at a run! 

American tanks roll through the Italian lines and towards their objective in the pass... (+6 victory points for the US!) 

Sole surviving member of the Italian infantry squad that assaulted the Americans moves off towards their distant objective!? (+3 points for me... I guess...?) 

Then the second American Squad moved off towards their objectives following the Tanks (+3 VP for the Americans, bringing their total to 9 VP!) 

Italian platoon command moved off the table on Turn Six, (+3VP tying up the game!) 

At the end of the sixth round we rolled to see if there was another round... and there was, so the remaining Italians ran for the American deployment zone... I forgot that the area within 12" of the center was not part of the deployment zone, so I only scored one more point... which wasn't enough to secure a clear victory... 

Another fun game. 

One of these days I'll have these rules figured out and maybe remember most of them! I feel like at least half the time I forget stuff...  

The Six Sweet Sultry Saturday Seductions of Slaanesh

(try saying THAT six times, quickly!) 

I have been waiting for an Emperor's Children codex for YEARS... It was some time during 8th edition that I got it in my head that I should just play CHAOS. I hate having to play my Imperial Guard against other Imperial forces - and there are a LOT of people out there with Imperial forces (between all the marines and guard and Mechanicus and knights, etc). Playing Eldar there is always the possibility of playing against Eldar... (I was still thinking in terms of playing at tournaments at this point). Chaos seemed fun and colourful and they'll fight ANYONE - even OTHER CHAOS forces. So I started working on an Emperor's Children force using the generic Chaos Space Marines codex (only Deathguard and Thousand Sons had their own, at that point).

And I waited... and waited... and WAITED... 

You could play Emperor's Children (sort of) with the Chaos Space Marines... There were Noise Marines (or, rather, you could hunt down old metal ones on Ebay, or buy a conversion kit to convert regular Chaos Space Marines into Noise Marines...) I did a bit of both and amassed THIRTY of them!? Normally they were "elites" but if you were running Emperor's Children, they became TROOPS! 

In Ninth Edition, I THINK there were similar rules... I was playing less during ninth edition and so I didn't buy the Chaos Space Marines codex when it came out... I was REALLY hoping there'd be an Emperor's Children codex eventually... but there wasn't... (World Eaters got their own Codex during Ninth Edition!) 

I've been playing even lass during tenth edition... 

So when they hinted at the end of 2024 that there'd be Emperor's Children in 2025, I... wasn't THAT stoked. I was happy they were finally doing that... but I hadn't played in almost a year and was VERY interested in Age of Sigmar at the moment. 

When they previewed the new minis earlier this year and started dropping hints about the codex and rules and a launch box... I waffled. I didn't really think I'd get to painting and playing with them, as I was still super focused on Age of Sigmar... I did think about MAYBE picking up the launch box...? They are usually INCREDIBLE deals... it would get me the Codex and some of the new minis... I wasn't sure if I really NEEDED any as I have QUITE A BIT of Chaos stuff... and... like THIRTY Noise Marines....

I noted at one point the Noise Marines were going to be sold (and fielded) in units of six, which wasn't a problem, because conveniently thirty is easily divisible by six! Instead of six units of five (or three units of ten). I'd have five units of six (or, presumably, two units of twelve and a unit of six...). Easy Peasy... 

I saw the announcement that it would be coming up for pre-order the following week three weeks ago, and I still wasn't sure... I saw it went up for pre-order two weeks ago and, at that point decided maybe I should pick it up! I'll get back to playing 40K at some point and if ever I think I'd want the new Noise Marine figures, maybe I should. So I contacted my local FLGS and asked if they'd set aside one of the ones they got in for me... and they said all the ones they were getting were spoken for. 

(This has never happened before... for every other game that sold out online within an hour of pre-orders going live - Blackstone Fortress, Cursed City, a few of the Kill Team boxes, etc - I always got a copy! Mind you, I usually asked about them weeks before the pre-orders go live...) 

I checked online and the Warhammer website sold out within minutes. I checked a half-dozen Canadian online retailers, and they'd all sold out as well... 

I snoozed... I losed... 

At that point I decided this was the universe telling me just to give up on it and paint my damned Aeldari if I wanted to work on 40K stuff...

So, I let it go and moved on... 

And ordered a BUNCH of World War Two miniatures... 

Somehow, even though it's been over a year, completely forgot that WE HAVE A WARHAMMER STORE in Saskatoon now and, despite the fact that the Mail Order pre-order sold out... the STORES would be getting copies... and I completely forgot about that until Friday evening... 

...when the local Warhammer Store posted this on their facebook page!!

I had a hard time getting to sleep friday night as I was so annoyed with myself for not having thought of that!? And also there was a bit of me that still kind-of wanted to go and get one... but also a large part of me wished I'd never seen that and was really happy to have moved onto Bolt Action and returned to World War Two gaming and just wanted to let it go... 

I mentioned it to Amanda in the morning and I didn't even propose the idea getting, I just mentioned that the store had some and I felt silly that I hadn't thought of that and recognized that I'd moved on and spent the money on other things.... 

And she said I should just go get one..!?  

So Saturday morning I rode out to the Warhammer Store!

And just before noon, I bought the last of the six copies they had!

I pedalled home as fast as I could and like a little kid at Xmas I  tore into that box!

So many fun things! 

Fancy cards... though... it didn't seem like there were a lot of them...?

Fancy new Special Edition Codex... started flipping through it.

There are not a LOT of Data Sheets (or whatever they're called now)... a LOT of the stuff I have is NOT in the book... Uggggghhhh.... am I STILL going to have to buy the Chaos Space Marine book to field all my things!? Where's he page that says what other chaos things I can take that are in the Chaos Space Marine book...?

(There is NOT such a page...)

My Emperor's Children force went from this... (yeah, there's still a lot that needs painting... ) 

• Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour (1) 95 pts
• Heretic Astartes Daemon Prince (1) 180 pts
• Sorcerer (1) 60 pts
• Master of Possession (1) 80 pts
• Fabius Bile (2) 85 pts
• Accursed Cultists (8) 105 pts
• Cultist Mob (10) 55 pts 
• Cultist Mob (20) 110 pts
• Dark Commune (5) 65 pts
• Fellgor Beastmen (10) 95 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Noise Marines (10) 170 pts
• Noise Marines (10) 170 pts
• Noise Marines (10) 170 pts
• Raptors (5)  90 pts
• Chaos Terminator Squad (10) 390 pts
• Obliterators (2) 180 pts
• Traitor Guardsmen Squad (10) 70 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Traitor Guardsmen Squad (10) 70 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Traitor Guardsmen Squad (10) 70 pts (which I forgot to include in the picture...) 
• Venomcrawler (1) 120 pts

Total: 2430 pts! 

to this... HALF the stuff I have... no longer playable as Emperors Children...

• Lord Exultant (Old Chaos Lord) (1) 85 pts
• Daemon Prince of Slaanesh (1) 195 pts (the old Keeper of Secrets) 
• Sorceress 70 pts
• Tormentors (old Chaos Space Marines - with bolters and plasma guns) (10) 190
• Infractors (old Chaos Space Marines - with bolter pistols and close combat weapons) (5) 95 pts
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts 
• Noise Marines (6) 135 pts 
• Chaos Terminators (5) 175 pts
• Chaos Terminators (5) 175 pts

Total: 1390 pts

(plus the stuff that came in the new box... that adds another 465 points)

Also, if I take one type of Detachment, I can add all sorts of Daemons of Slaanesh - which I have a LOT of! 

DOH!! 

(Oh, they can all still be used in 40K... just not as Emperor's Children, I'd have to pick up the Chaos Space Marine codex and field them as Black Legion or some other "generic" Chaos Space Marine force... Am I going to DO that... probably not anytime soon!)

AND THEN!

Hang on a moment... NOISE MARINES AREN'T "BATTELINE"!??!

THEY CAN ONLY BE FIELDED IN UNITS OF SIX!? 

So.... I went from being able to field units of 5-20 in Eight Edition... and as many units as I could stuff into a detachment... to units of 5-10 in ninth edition (could still do it with the thirty I had!) and could still do so at the beginning of tenth (and, presumably the current 10th Edition Chaos Space Marines Codex still allows it - though I expect an errata will change that with the release of the Emperor's Children). I never picked it up, but I assume there may have been a similar rule that if you were playing Emperor's Children, noise marines would be battleline (therefore allowing you to take up to six units of ten...) 

But now they are definitely no longer Battleline... and just have the six in each unit and cannot be reinforced (to twelve)... So in an Emperor's Children army according to this now codex, I can only field EIGHTEEN Noise Marines... 

I now have FORTY-TWO of them!? 

FML... 

I guess this falls under BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR!!?

Also the new Noise Marines look like they are going to be HUGE - they will dwarf the old ones... Heck, they look like they're going to dwarf my old Terminator!? 

Do I keep the old ones and just play with those (and put them on the bigger 40mm bases)!? Sell off the new ones? Or build and paint the new ones and retire the old ones...? Or use one unit of three of them... Hang onto the others in hopes there are Apocalypse rules at some point in the future again!?

I'll admit I was a little disappointed upon this realization, but I am not despairing.  

I am trying to stay mostly focused on finishing up forces for Bolt Action. I did assemble the Lord Exultant. 

MOAR Italian Tanks!?

Part of the latest flurry of orders.. I did not expect these to arrive until April (because the seller's estimated arrival date was 25 March - 15 April!? 

Two more Italian tank kits... 

I haven't even finished assembling the FIRST ONE!? 

(I like painting tracks before adding the track guard because it's easier to paint the track before rather than after...) 

Ah, well... now maybe I can build and paint them together as a batch? Or perhaps I'll finish the first one and see how it compares to the one I have and then decide what to do with the other two!? 

Of course, now I have to actually make some decisions about WHICH TYPE of tank to build them all as... 

The kit can be built as an M13/40 tank, M14/41 tank, M40 Semovente, or M41 Semovente. I already have one medium Italian tank, which I THOUGHT was an M13/40 (I'm pretty sure that's what it was sold as!) but turns out it's probably an M14/41 (the most obvious visual difference is apparently the full track guard! internally it has a more powerful engine and ISN'T a slow tank in Bolt Action!) 

I'd originally bought just one of these kits and thought I'd build it as one of the Semovente - just incase the model was a slightly different size, I figured the difference would be less obvious if it were completely different types of vehicle. Also, I'm not sure I was even considering Bolt Action (Third Edition) at the time, so whether playing an earlier edition of Bolt Action or something like Five Men at Kursk, there is really only a need for one vehicle of any particular type... 

The original medium tank I have is a resin model that came as a one piece casting of hull and tracks and had its own internal base... which might make it taller than the others (I guess it could be the command tank...? I did leave the hatches open for that reason). As it turns out the plastic model IS just a smidge larger - by about a millimetre in each direction... not sure if this will be noticeable on the tabletop... 

So I COULD conceivably build them all as M13/40... and end up with one M14/41 and three M13/40... which could be fielded as a platoon of three M13/40 in earlier parts of the war... or a platoon of four lead by a newer M14/41 - as those start to arrive as replacements... 

Or maybe build one as an M14/41 and the other two as Semovente - so I could field understrength platoons of both of those vehicle types... (and hope the M14/41 look similar enough!) 

I guess I have other stuff to paint while I think about it... 

But also, I kind of want to get them DONE because last week we wrapped up our Operation Torch games and this week (last night!) I started playing games with my Italian forces against Orion's Americans in Tunisia (Stay tuned for After Action Report this weekend!) and kind of want these done sooner rather than later!! 

The only other thing I'm waiting on from the orders placed a week and a half ago are the three Panzer III for the Afrikakorps. 

And then there are the orders I placed THIS week... now, I had SWORN to Amanda I would not order ANYTHING else after the orders placed a week and a half ago until ALL of those things had arrived, were assembled and painted, and PLAYED WITH - which I expected to be by June or so... 

I don't really buy much off ebay any more. Other than the few eldar I ordered earlier this year, I can't remember the last time I ordered anything off ebay... It's been a few years... However, around the time I was starting to think about WW2 stuff again, I did have a brief look around and... there wasn't much of interest... there was a LOT of people selling 3D printed stuff fairly inexpensively, but of wildly varrying quality... If found a few that look like they were printed at a fairly high resolution, were dirt cheap, and early war tanks. I put them on a wishlist, thinking I'd come back to them later in the year if it seemed like WW2 games ended up being a whole thing... 

Apparently when you put stuff on a watch list of ebay, the seller sees that and can MAKE YOU OFFERS?! And so this week the seller of the 3D printed tanks, after months of those being in the watch list, made an offer!?

Now, I should point out that, while I do have my own ebay account, for reasons to convoluted to explain here, I usually use Amanada's account... and that's where the watch list was... and so it was AMANDA that got the offer.... 

Honestly, if Id gotten it, I probably would have deleted and moved on... (because I did make a promise not to buy more stuff and I really, REALLY wanted to try and keep it!!) But because Amanda got it, and she didn't ignore/automatically delete it and instead said "hey, is this something you're interested in...?" and not "WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU LOOKING AT MORE TOYS ON EBAY!?"... a conversation was had and I ENDED UP BUYING, NOT ONE, BUT BOTH?!?! 

(because Amanda DOES understand a REALLY GOOD DEAL!)

And so... I now have MORE tanks on the way... like, TEN more tanks... five Matilda II and five Cruiser MkI (A9) tanks... for about $150 CAD including shipping!? $15 CAD per tank is just NUTS... The five Cruiser MkI (A9) tanks cost about the same as buying ONE from Warlord Games! It's a bit of a risk and they may turn out to be garbage (but the seller did had thousands of positive reviews...!?). 

If it DOES work out, I'll be ready for some big tank battles in the desert (in a few months...) 

WW2 German Staff Officer

 Just one today... 

A random German Staff Officer I've had for ages but decided I could probably paint up in DAK colours to use as an Artillery Battery Officer. 

I have a pair of extra men that may join his platoon headquarters (or one of them may become a spotter for the Howitzer I'm working on!?). I was going to wait and post them all together when they're all done... but then I decided I needed this guy got TONIGHT to be a sub for an Italian Artillery officer for a battery including the brand new Italian 100/17 Modello 14 medium howitzer I finished up yesterday and want to field in a game TONIGHT!!

I'll need to find an Italian officer at some point... but for the moment this guy will have to do! 

Italian 100/17 Modello 14 Medium Howitzer

The first of the things that arrived earlier this week - an Italian 100/17 Modello 14 medium howitzer and four crew! 

Italian 100/17 Modello 14 medium howitzer (and crew!) 

Somehow I thought I was buying a light howitzer - like the French 75 or the British 25 Pounder - it wasn't until I was assembling it that I realized it was a MEDIUM Howitzer... but that would have been the Cannone da 75/27! 

Not that it makes that big of a difference to me. ANY howitzer on the tabletop firing over open sites seems a little silly to me... but this is what was available from Meeplemart at the time I was ordering, so here we are... 

This is mostly going to be used for direct fire, as the minimum range for indirect fire is 36"!? 

It's a really nice kit. Went together quickly, not too many details, but looks the business! Some of the other guns I picked up have just far too many bits and bobs... ugh... and some don't even have assembly instructions!?  I still haven't even finished assembling some of them!? 

The problem here is... to field this in Bolt Action, I need an officer now - to be the Artillery Battery commander?! 

More World War Two STUFF!!

 Mostly from Warlord Games... ostensibly for Bolt Action... 

There are... 

1x Italian Tank kit (can be built as 2 versions of M-tank or 2 versions of Semovente!)

10x USMC Raiders

1x USMC MG team

1x USMC Mortar Team

2x USMC HQ

2x USMC Medics

1x USMC Casualty

10x Italian Colonial Troops 

1x British 8th Army 6-pdr Anti-tank Gun and 3 crew

1x British 8th Army 2 Pounder anti-tank gun and 3 crew

1x German Afrika Korps LeFH 18 10.5cm medium howitzer and 4 crew

1x Italian 100/17 Modello 14 medium howitzer and 4 crew

1x Italian Bersaglieri Breda 2cm AA gun and 3 crew

WHEW! This should keep me busy for a bit... There are a few more of the cheaper Italeri tanks inbound (2 more Italian, 3 Panzer III). But I probably need to cool it for a bit and get some of this assembled and painted! 

(it is a lot... but even with this added, I've STILL painted MORE than I have acquired so far this year!!) 

WHERE TO START!? 

Bolt Action: Operation Torch Part 3

Wednesday, 11 November 1942 

After the failed attempt to wrest the oasis and the surrounding heights from the Vichy on Sunday, November 15, 1942 , the Americans fell back and the entire site was blasted by USAAF bombers and then by army artillery. The Vichy, under such bombardment were obliged to vacate the position, which the Americans then occupied without further incident or bloodshed... Until the Vichy counterattacked on the the 18th! 

Friday Orion and I got together to play another game of Bolt Action (Third Edition) where we tried the same scenario we had played earlier in the week, but with my French Forces trying to take the position from Orion's Americans! 

Americans holding the Oasis and the flanking high ground - Point 437, in the foreground with the Forward Air Controllers posted on it, and Point 435 in the distance. 

Point 435 was held by a Sniper and a Bazooka Team.

Starting things off I rolled for my preliminary bombardment - which arrived. The Sniper Team and Forward Air Controllers were spared as, being "infiltrators" that could deploy forward of the deployment zone, were not caught in the barrage! Most of the units took a few pin markers... 

Except the Sherman tank - which was KNOCKED OUT!! BOOM!!!

This was kind of HUGE for the French attackers as the Shemann would have likely dealt a great deal of damage to the attackers against which they would have next to no ability to respond! 

The French Foreign Legion platoon advaced on the right of the French line towards Point 437

The Stuart tank moved up into the treed area of the oasis and started firing upon the advancing French! 

The Moroccan Tirailleurs advanced in line, one squad heading for Point 435 and the other heading towards the Oasis proper. 

Initailly I'd started spreading my troops out as much as I could until I had a good idea of where the Air attacks would come in... Otherwise I would have concentrated the entire platoon towards the flank and taking Point 435. 

The squad of Moroccan Tirailleurs advancing up the center towards the oasis had a tough time of it... they took fire from the American infantry in the oasis... and the Stuart... AND a successful airstrike was called in on them... when the dust settled they were no longer there - just a pile of shredded corpses that had been abandoned by the few survivors that had fled to the rear! 

Anerican infantry in the ruins beyond the oasis exited their cover and moved towards the rear of Point 437 to come to the aid of the Forward Air Controllers that reported the advancing Foreign Legionnaires 

The other Moroccan Tirailleurs advanced steadily towards Point 437, with more success... The Sniper and Bazooka took mostly tried to shoot at the Platoon commander (missing). The mortar in the ruins mostly tried firing counter-battery at the French Mortar... and the Sherman was knocked out - which would likely have laid down some DEVASTATING fire on these troops! 

The Foreign Legionaires continue their advance on Point 437. 

The Stuart had been somewhat suppressed by fire from the French 75mm Howitzer - which successfully zeroed in on it on the second round and then just continued to POUND the position. It failed to significantly damage the tank... but suppressed it with lots of pin markers! 

As the Moroccans advanced, they poured fire into the Sniper which suppressed it with pin markers. 

The French 75mm Howitzer that just fired at the Sherman the whole game... 

At the beginning of the third turn, the Artillery called in by the French Forward Observation Team arrived... it missed its intended target entirely (Point 437 - and the Forward Air Controllers!) but deviated to a position beyond Point 437 where the American infantry squad was moving up... and utterly devastated the squad. It deal a BUNCH of pin marker and killed half the squad, which then failed morale and the rest of them ran!? 

And then I forgot to take pictures for a turn...? It was a Turn of Ignominy anyway... One of the squads of French Foreign Legionnaires rolled a 12 for an orders test to advance and paniced and nearly ran off the table! (this is the downside of advacing on the flanks - panic just takes you towards the nearest table edge - including SIDE table edges... luckily the closest model ended 1/2" away from the edge and the squad did not flee entirely!! 

The next turn my artillery landed right on target in the middle of the Oasis... but did little more than adding a few pin markers to the pile all the units within already had... 

The Moroccans advance onto Point 435. Taking their time, they didn't want to risk a charge and fail... they moved up and fired point blank ... and somehow did not take out anyone!? If this were an infantry squad holding this position or a Machine-gun, this would have been a much riskier situation... but as it was, the MOST casualties they could cause were one each, IF they passed an orders test. Snipers cannot snipe within 12"...

Platoon command right behind them. 

Infantry and Stuart still holding in the center. 

French Foreign Legionnaires racing up Point 437! The Forward Air Controllers called in an air attack ON THEIR OWN POSITION!? 

Rookie pilots that don't know how to read maps or understand directions or something... decided to attack the Oasis instead!? 

Very nearly causing the Stuart to just leave due to TOO MANY PIN MARKERS. If it had been deal ONE MORE the tank would have just left (or the crew bailed and left) 

In the last two games, Orion has rolled two or three ones when calling in air strikes - receiving friendly fire at least half the time.

I suggested she should paint some air recognition roundels on the tops of her tanks..

Moroccan Tirailleurs assault the Sniper and just murder the poor bastard... 

Apparently you can only ever assault ONE enemy unit at a time...? Luckily I had another turn to carry the hill...  Surviving member of the Bazooka Team would be next!!

The French Foreign Legionnaires were about to assault the Forward Air Controllers... when I rolled ANOTHER 12 for an order roll!? and THEY nearly fled off the table!? GAH!?

Moroccan Tirailleurs assault the lone bazookaman and secure Point 435! 

The second squad of Legionnaires assault the Forward Air Controllers and wiped them out!

Point 437 secured! 

At this point the American Squad in the Oasis decided to sally forth - lead by the Platoon Commander! - and try to retake Point 435, their only hope of winning the game! 

There was a seventh round (a die is rolled at the end of the sixth to see if the game continues for one more round...) so the Americans moved closer still shooting and throwing hand grenades... they failed to shift the Moroccans off the hill (not that killing or causing them to rout would have done anything... unless the Americans could get troops within 3" of the objective (the centre of the outcropping). 

The Mortar just kept firing on the American Mortar... the Machine-gun team mostly fired on the American Infantry... but failed to do much damage... 

As the Stuart finally moved, so to did the targets of the French 75... but it missed... 

At the end of the game, the Moroccans remained in control of the objective. With two objectives secured the French won the day! Yay! 

I'm still not convinced that asking a force to attack and take objectives from a force of equal points is really fair. I FULLY expected to lose this. I had some INSANE luck in this game, which is really the only reason I won... the initial Preparatory Barrage taking out the Sherman was HUGE... kind of a GAME-WINNER, really! The American air strike attacking their own tank...

I had some not great luck though... 

The French Foreign Legion rolling a FUBAR on an order test TWICE (but then luck kicked in an failed to carry them off the table!). 

I hit that Stuart with the French 75, like four or five times and needed a 5+ to penetrate its top armour and failed to do so... That little Stuart is a survivor - it survived both an air attack by a fighter-bomber and the constant shelling of the French Artillery (preparatory barrage, 4-5 turns of being hammered by the on-table howitzer, the barrage called by the Forward Observer!?). So peppered with shrapnel, I'd be surprised if it had any paint left on it at all!

Infantry ARE essential for both attacking and defending in TAKE OBJECTIVE type games... 

I wish these types of scenarios required the defender to keep at leas part of their force in reserve for at least half the game...  

At this point in our narrative, I think the Vichy have capitulated in North Africa and our American Heroes will make their way toward the front in Algeria or Tunisia... 

I kind of want to try out the recently finished Chindits and Gurkhas against the Japanese, though...