Our Saturday Game - Le Franc Tireur Scenario FT242 That Bridge Again

Well...here we are with our Saturday Game. Pretty awesome weekend of ASL was had as I type this AAR. Dan and I managed to get in two really good scenarios. Our Saturday game would prove to be the most mentally taxing of the two scenarios and came down to the final movement phase before it was decided. We selected a scenario from the new Le Franc Tireur No. 14. I was eager to use my new Italian counters. My Hollow Legions counters are pretty ragged these days. The scenario we picked was  FT 242 That Bridge Again. This scenario is new enough that there were no recorded playings in ROAR or the ASL Archive. So Dan and I would be the pioneers blazing the AAR trail for this very well-done scenario (designed by Steven Swann). 

This scenario is set during the Sicilian Campaign in the earliest days of Operation Ladbroke. Most of us are familiar with Operation Fustian which dealt with the British Para landings at Primasole Bridge. Operation Ladbroke involved the British seizure of the Ponte Grande Bridge near Syracuse. The bridge would needed to speed up the advance of British forces landing south of Syracuse. 

A view of the bridge after the fighting, as British armor passes over it. 

Gliders of British 133 Glider Platoon of the 1st Air Landing Brigade would land in and around the bridge. Less than 90 British Paras would make it to the bridge in time to try and hold off Italian assaults by Coastal Battalions and men of the 75th Napoli Infantry Regiment. 

With scarce ammunition and forced to defend both ends of the bridge, the Paras would be reduced to 15 men and forced to surrender.

The British 1st Air Landing Brigade would suffer significant losses during Operation Ladbroke.

After rolling for sides, Dan would be the attacking Italians. To win the game, Dan's Italians would have to control Hexes 40Q1 and 44Q4 as well as the two bridge hexes at game end. Dan would have 6 turns to take the bridge and would be able to attack from both ends. Dan would command elements of the 385th Coastal Battalion (set up north of the bridge). This force would consist of 8 x 3-6-6's, led by an 8-0 and 2 x 7-0's with 2 x LMG's, a DC and Radio with 80mm OBA. And as part of optional OB Change, Dan had added an MMG to this group.

On Turn 1, Dan would receive reinforcements (could enter along the east./ north / or west edges. Dan would have this force enter on the east edge south of the river. This force from the 1st Battalion, 75th Napoli Infantry Regiment would consist of 10 x 4-4-7's, 2 x 2-2-7's, led by a 9-1 and 8-0 with an MMG, 2 x LMG's and a 45 MTR. While Dan's force would be numerically strong, the Coastal Battalion would suffer from low morale and fire power. Leadership would also be weak for the Italians.

As the defending British, I would command the men of the Glider 133 Platoon of the 1st Air Landing Brigade. My force would consist of 2  6-4-8's, 6 x 4-5-8's, a 3-3-8 and 2 x 2-2-8's led by 9-2 (in my OP Change I replaced the 9-1 with a 9-2), an 8-1 and an 8-0 with an MMG, 2 x LMG's, a 51 MTR and a DC. I would also have two pillboxes and 5 x foxholes to shelter from the Italian OBA. Trying to hold both ends of the bridge with 8 squads would certainly be challenging.

And now for Dan's Pre-Game Comments:

"The plan for the Italians is to attack from both sides of the bridge and see where the British are weakest.  The coastal Battalion will attack from the north.  I will take the MMG as the variable unit and put it a squad and one 7-0 with the radio up in the level 1 location of the building to over watch and rain down OBA.  The 8-0 will lead a platoon from the center and the other 7-0 will lead a platoon from the east.  They will attack through the woods.  The 8-0 will have the DC since he is elite and can use it without penalties.  The Napoli will attack from the south west.  The 9-1 will lead a kill stack of three squads and the MMG.  The 8-0 will lead a kill stack of three squads and two LMG.  The crew will take the MTR.  They will enter and move through the woods and grain to attack the bridge from behind the wall.  Hopefully the Brits will be crushed between the hammer and anvil."  

For the first time, the Grumble Jones staff photographer for this AAR would be embedded with the Italians. Here we see him during the Turn 5 actions on top of the southern Pillbox...the scene of bitter close combat.

My defense was focused on delaying in the South and holding on in the north. Dan's weaker force would hit me from the north. I placed my MMG with a direct line of sight down the bridge. On the south side, I had my 8-1 lead two 4-5-8's and a 6-4-8 in the bunker. They were to hold out for as long as possible.

Dan began things by sending a spotting round, which missed the mark and landed next to some members of the Italian Coastal Battalion...who were none to happy to have that round land nearby...Dan's 7-0 would be sure to correct it and would do a solid job throughout the scenario of hammering my positions with 80mm OBA.

Turn 1 - Dan's southern force from the Napoli Regiment moved forward to get ready for their eventual assault on the bridge. In the north, the Coastal Battalion charged into the woods along the river and were repulsed. To the north, my 9-2 and MMG managed to stop another advance.

Dan's boys would find it hard going on the north side of the bridge.

In my Prep- Fire on Turn 1, I would try to dislodge Dan's boys from the woods on the river's edge. Dan's ARTY observer would move the spotting round on top of my force there as well.  The rest of the turn would be relatively uneventful.

 Going into Turn 2 - my perimeter was still intact.

I had tried to get away from Dan's spotting round, but he corrected and brought the pain on top of three of my units. But...things would go better than expected as I would create a Hero, who would come in very handy as the battle progressed. Only a single half-squad would be broken by the first salvos of OBA.

Turn 2 - saw Dan's Napoli Regiment move into my perimeter. The grain fields reduced my field of fire, though, I did manage to break some of his boys. Dan's attacks in the north would be stopped and pushed back. My Hero would play a large role in protecting my northern flank and a it was a critical moment as the 4-5-8 with my MMG had broken. If Dan's boys had gotten adjacent, it would have eliminated my key position and definitely changed the outcome of the game.

Dan was able to create a couple serious kill stacks.

After breaking under the fire of three kill stacks, I managed to rout a 4-5-8 back across the bridge. I would need  them later.

Dan's boys were solidly in my perimeter and an Italian half-squad had jumped into CC with my 8-1. The half-squad would be eliminated, but I was clearly in trouble on the south side

 The next series of moves would leave both Dan and I dumbfounded...Dan had a large stack of brokies, which was very tempting to my Hero. Dan's 8-0 was broken in the road and we had him for sure, but the brokies might escape. So...I debated...my hero would have to run in front of Dan's MMG. Do I take the risk...??? YES!! I go for it and Dan's MMG fires and MALF's. Then Dan fires his 7-0 stack in the south and activates my sniper, who promptly shoots the 7-0 dead and breaks both 3-4-6's with him. Just like that Dan's northern attack force was done.

MAYHEM....pure ASL MAYHEM!!! And it's soooo  AWESOME!!!

 Well...as you can see my perimeter was changing. I had lost control of the south end of the bridge. My 6-4-8 in the bunker was broken...but would survive every close combat attempt...although they would be reduced to a half-squad by the end of the game. Bunkers can be very useful.

 Dan's ARTY stayed active throughout the game.

In the north, things were relatively calm. Dan's MMG was gone after rolling a 6 on the Repair roll and only one other 3-4-6 was unbroken. In the south my boys were all broken. The end there was coming.

My obsession with Dan's stack of brokies in the north would see me send a 2-4-7 to attract fire from the house while my Hero planned to sprint across the open and take down the brokies. Dan didn't take the bait and shot down my hero.

My 2-4-7 would then be broken and mission killed. So...I had sacrificed a 2-4-7 and a Hero to go after a stack of broken 4 morale Italians with no leader. Pretty stupid.

"HEY now...I'm telling this story and that was a bad idea!!!"

By this point, Dan had control of the south end of the bridge except for my broken boys in the pillbox. In the north, I had MALF'd my mortar for the second time and it would be mission killed. For all purposes the battle in the north was over.

My boys prepared themselves for the final Italian rush on the bridge

"HERE THEY COME LADS!!!"

Turn 6 - Movement Phase - Dan's boys charged forward, squad after squad. My 9-2 laid down a fire lane down the bridge and the road and proceeded to break every unit that ran towards the bridge. As the Italians melted under the machine gun fire, the scenario ended with a British victory. My boys had held the bridge.

With the bridge secured, the boys from the beaches could begin their tour of Sicily!


My thanks to Dan for a great game and a great weekend of ASL. I'll see you in Kansas City on the 14th!!!















And now for Dan's Post-Game Comments:

"The plan did not work.  The northern attack was disrupted by British fire and a counter attack of the British hero aided by a sniper attack.  Without pressure from that side the British were able to keep their position to shoot the fire lane down the bridge.  While I was able to clear the south side.  I could not control the bridge and north side entrance.  Well played by Grumble Jones!  Especially the placement of the British MMG for maximum fire lane efficiency.  Fun game but drawn out with the Italians falling short."

Dan and I will be off next week and then the following week we'll be playing some awesome ASL in Kansas City. We'll be back on Saturday the 23rd of March for a playing of ASL Scenario 124 On The Borderline. 

We'll see you then!!!