Chain of Command East Africa in 20mm: Building the forces

On 3 August 1940, General Guglielmo Nasi led 35,000 Italian troops, the vast majority of them native conscripts, across the border from their staging point at Harar into British Somaliland. 

The invaders were organised into three columns: one on the left, which would advance north to the coast at Zeila—a route recently vacated by the now-Vichy French—before swinging east to Berbera; one on the right, which would make the opposite motion on the Burao road; and a main central column.

As ever I shall be following the exploits of the central column... Led by Carlo de Simone, containing the bulk of his forces their objective was to capture the British positions at Tug Argan and make straight for the port of Berbera, effectively ending the campaign with a single decisive battle.

I have prepared several Chain of Command scenarios, mainly using the 2nd battalion Kings African Rifles as my allied unit.

The Italians cross the border at Tog Wajaale on the 3rd.  Here a redoubt (1) has been constructed on  the terraces to cover the road.  A single platoon of the 2nd KAR under the less than formidable Herbert Farthingdale represents the only British force standing in front of an invading Italian army.

The Honour of leading the Italians falls to the Bergsaglieri Motorcycle platoon of Tenente Marco Buttafuoco and his Sergeant the long suffering Trombono Porco.

Border outpost of Guray Xasan, at Tog Wajaale in the Woqooyi Galbeed Highlands

I used HAT Askaris to form the core of the KAR, with some additional Newline metals.  Some scratch building was necessary to create the Lewis gunners.  The Italians are a mix of Early War Miniatures metals and HAT German Shutztruppe plastics.  The Breda machine gunners are almost all EWM. 

In terms of vehicles the Tanker campaign over in Durham has depleted my resources.  A couple of CV33 tankettes, British truck and Bren carriers and a few guns are all I can muster.  I`ve also built a Semovente SP gun.  There were limited resources in the real life campaign any event so, like the original events these games will have the feel of the Great War rather than the second ...

An Italian platoon.  Drying out those bases is a pretty quick job here in Cyprus

The Black Watch, and some of my KAR

Still working on the vehicle park and the rest of the Black Watch

So still a work in progress, but getting there...