WWPD Italian Campaign - FJ V Ghurkas - No Retreat

Alex and I planned our first game for the Italy campaign...I had planned on running my usual list, but the devil (green or otherwise) makes work for idle hands and I ended up fiddling.

FJ HQ with Fausts

2 Big FJ Platoons with attached Shreks and Faust cmd

1 Small FJ Platoon all with fausts and attached Shrek

Flak 38s

Light Guns

3 Nebs

4 Mortars

4 PzIV

Alex took the an Armoured Company

HQ & 2ic, 105mm Breakthrough gun toting Shermans

2x 3 76mm Sherman platoons

2 x GhurkaRoos

25 pdrs for artillery

3 Universal Carriers for Scouts

A Spitfire for air support

We roll No-Retreat...ugg I hate defensive battles.

The Board medium-light density

I deploy all 3 infantry platoons and the light guns, I intermingle the faust platoon, with the other two

Alex deploys

Alex makes a scout move

A1: Yep that plane is coming in

A1: Shermans and Roos move forward

A1: The Spitfire gets the pins but fails to get any kills despite the clumped together stands.

D1: My Nebs arrive from reserve, cos I want smoke

A2: A bit of shuffling around and one lot of Ghurkas jump into the woods

D2: Nebs Dig in and also mortars arrive ready to lay some more smoke

D2: Those Ghurkas look like a tempting target and I don't fancy sitting and waiting for them to hit me.  So Nebs pop smoke and half of first platoon go for it.

D2: If I'd left one stand as a non-assaulting platoon, i'd have got in, but as it is the assault is bounced with exactly 5 hits

A3: Alex's shooting claim a couple of stands including my 2iC

A3: Ghurkas do what they do best and are now known as Teenage Mutant Ninja Ghurkas (TMNG), thanks to warcry I run way.  I have to take a platoon morale check...1, attach company commander 1..that's my CinC and First platoon off the table...

D3: Third platoon pull back into the woods

D3: And I finally remember StormTrooper moves.

A4: Meanwhile the other Ghurka platoon has been working its way through the middle and are prepped to assault.

A4: Third platoon are hit hard

A4: The Assault goes in, I kill 1 stand in defensive fire

A4: Hitting on 2+ is hard to swallow

A4: He's all over the objective now.

D4: I bring on the PzIV's... too late

D4: I fire everything I can at the platoon on the objective and score a total of 11 hits...not a single casulty.

A5: The Spotter on the hill does and fine job and an artillery barrage claim a PzIV

A5: Alex claims his second platoon as third platoon get nailed.

A5: 2nd Platoon are also starting to take casualties, at this moment I'm trying to take a platoon off him.

D5: I smoke the shermans, leaving one open so I can still shoot the platoon.  The mortars and Flak 38s go after the Ghurka platoon in the wood, but fail to take a single casualty.

A6: Alex's bombardment makes mincemeat of my flak38s and mortars, plus hits himself, putting that platoon on a test. 

D6: I have to contest the objective and shoot the Universal Carriers as a potential platoon kill.  One dies, one is bailed...not enough.  On the right, everything fails to hit anything, so no morale check needed there.

A7:  My Mortar get wiped out, the Panzers got down to a tonne of AT12 shooting, the light guns got mullered somewhere along the lines.  In my turn I have to make a company morale check, but I have no CinC or 2iC so Game Alex.

Alex's list is awesome, teenage mutant ninja Ghurkas really do the job.  The scouts were great at lifting gone-to-ground, combined with Semi-indirect fire and repeat bombarding artillery, it was enough to whittle them down enough for the Ghurka's to get the assault in.  I didn't really have anything to respond to that with, which is why I took the fight to him early on...but it didn't work out.  I sulk off home to lick my wounds :(