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...