Our Saturday Game - Scenario MM33 - Ariete on Totensonntag

For our Saturday game - Dan Best and I left the jungles of the Pacific and headed into the Sahara Desert of North Africa. And once again we would look to the Kansas City ASL Groups - Hollis Scenario Pack for our adventure in the desert. Our choice would be MM33 Ariete on Totensonntag (designed by Paul Works).

Dan and I would be facing off in our second DTO scenario. Back in October we had played Blazin Chariots in a face to face match. Now we would be facing off in a Cardboard via SKYPE match. 

We have also very nearly played through the entire pack. I think we have one...maybe two more to go to complete our playing of this outstanding scenario pack. 

Even after playing ASL for so many years, DTO is still a very new experience. I tend to be a European Village battle kind of player. Give me board a village board every time. So playing in the desert makes me nervous. It's like Board 4 on steroids...no cover as far as the eye can see. It just makes me overly cautious in my game play. 

But, it's always good to expand your ASL horizons and this scenario would prove to be both challenging and very educational. I had not played a scenario involving vehicle dust. And as I would discover, during this scenario, vehicle dust can come in very handy!

Historically, Totensonntag would take place south Sidi Rezegh, Libya on November 23rd, 1941. The Germans and Italian forces would suffer heavy losses to South African forces on their left flank, but would ultimately prove to powerful for the Allied forces.

Our playing of the scenario would depart a bit from the historical outcome, as Dan's South Africans would ultimately get the better of my Italians. But, we would both agree that this scenario is challenging for both sides. 

After rolling for sides, Dan would end up with the Allies and would command elements of the 5th South African Brigade, 1st South African Infantry Division,  22nd Armored Brigade and 25pounder Battery, 9th South African Field Battery. This force would have the following: 3 x 25 pounder ARTY's,  3 x 4-5-7's led by an 8-0 with an ATR and LMG for support. Reinforcements would consist of 2 x Crusader I tanks. A fairly compact force. Any losses sustained during the game would hurt.

As the South Africans, Dan would be the scenario defender. The victory conditions were built around his 25 pounder ARTY's. My Italians would win if at game end, they had captured or destroyed all three of Dan's 25 Pounders. Sounded easy enough...but oh...I forgot...the desert is just a fancy word for OPEN GROUND.

As the scenario attacker, I would command elements of the Italian 132 Divisione Corazzata. This force would consist of 4 x 3-4-7's, led by an 8-1 and 7-0 with an LMG, 3 x Trucks, and 3 x M31/40 Tanks. For reinforcements I would have 4 x Autocannoni da 65/17 (b). I won't lie...I was underwhelmed by my force. I would be assaulting across open desert with the South Africans behind sangars with longer range infantry firepower and with three 25 Pounders waiting to pound me. My biggest advantage was the 8 firepower machine-gun factors of my 3 Tanks.

So let us now return to the desert!!

 By SSR, Dan and I both had to place up to 8 wrecks on the battlefield.

 DTO...been a long time since I worried about Hammada...and let me tell you...that stuff is a pain in the neck for wheeled vehicles. Let's just say that I rolled a lot of immobilizations checks in this scenario. Fortunately only failed 1.

 Dan's South African positions. He was well prepared to receive my attack.

 I elected to enter on the west edge rather than the south edge. I was looking for the best routes through the Hammada...but to be honest, there just wasn't a Hammada free approach.

 I sent my tanks ahead first to create a vehicle dust screen for my trucks.

While passing through the gaps in the Hammada, I lost one truck as it became immobilized. So at this stage, I existed my infantry from their trucks. I was just too afraid to risk them if a tuck was destroyed. With only 4 squads, I had to be careful with them.

Stay low boys!!!

 Dan's boys began sending welcome gifts towards my Italians...why all the hostility I wondered!?!

 One of my M13/40's would be destroyed.

 Turn 1 had been a hard one. I was down a truck and a tank and was not in a position to return fire against the South Africans.

 Dan would send a 4-5-7 out of the central Sangar and into the open desert. I'll admit, I didn't quite understand why Dan send his boys running through the open. One of my M13/40's opened up with machine guns and I rolled low enough to ultimately break the squad.

 On Turn 2, I moved my empty truck to create enough vehicle dust to give my boys some cover to move on Dan's Sanger with the 4-5-7 and ATR. Dan would break the ATR and fix it, but it would too late as my remaining M13/40's converged on their position.

 In Advancing Fire, my tanks fired on Dan's 4-5-7 with the ATR. I managed a K/2 result. Then Dan's remaining half-squad rolled a 12 on the MC and just like that, the first Sangar had been cleared.

This would be the only success enjoyed by my M13/40's.

 In Dan's next Prep Fire, he would shock on of my M13/40's. It would eventually become an unconfirmed kill and then be eliminated. Dan would also send out another 4-5-7 into the open. My 8-1 with the LMG would succeed in breaking them.

"Sir, I have to report the boys weren't able to make it to the objective. And they are requesting that you not send them out again..."

I teased Dan that his boys wanted to remain in the safety of their Sangar. Throughout the scenario, Dan's 4-5-7's never made a morale check. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take advantage of Dan's broken infantry because his 25 Pounders did such a great job.

Turn 3, my reinforcements come up from the south. I came that direction for three reasons, number 1 I needed to come in a direction outside the current covered arcs of Dan's 25 pounders, second - I wanted a path that wasn't as constricted by Hammada...(failed on this score) and third, Dan's reinforcements were coming on board as well and on the west edge. I wanted to be far away from there. I was trying hard to keep Dan's 25 pounders as my core objective and I was running out of time.

This would be my first experience with these vehicles.

 As expected, Dan's Crusader 1's came in on the west edge. At this point, all of my M13/40's were either destroyed or unconfirmed kill. I had no way to stop the Crusader tanks.

 Dan sent one Crusader to deal with my 8-1 and his 3-4-7 with the LMG and the other went towards my Autocannon Trucks. My7-0 and the 3-4-7 with him had suffered elimination and the 7-0 was broken. 

 Dan managed to immobilize one of my Autocannons, but the crew stayed with the vehicle and would begin firing at the Crusader to the south. I sent another to the rear of the southern Crusader and the remaining two went after 25 pounders.

Time to see what these bad boys could do!

 As Turn 3 wrapped up, I was successful in taking out the westernmost 25 Pounder with a Snake Eyes in Close Combat. That would be my high water mark for the scenario.

Last Hurrah for my Boys!

 In the south, I would experience frustration as my boys tried take out the Crusader in the south. Both of my Autocannon Trucks would get rate. I would immobilize the tank, but my Autocannon firing from the rear rolled a 12 and then an 11...failing to penetrate with both of it hits.

 Turn 5 opened with some success as my immobilized Autocannon finally destroyed the Crusader 1 in the south. My infantry then made their final moves to try and take the two remaining 25 pounders.

Dan's boys would succeed in eliminating my infantry as they made their last attempt to secure a win. With my infantry gone and there being no way for me to take out the two remaining 25 pounders...I offered Dan my concession. He had earned the win...and was again the master of the Sahara!

Congrats to Dan on another great win. 

German Afrika Korps HQ...Rommel learns that Grumble Jones was leading the Italian effort at Sidi Rezegh...

Dan and I will be taking a break for the Thanksgiving Holiday! 

Best wishes to you and your families for a safe and happy Thanksgiving Holiday!