East Africa Game 3: The Slow Wadi Wadi

The Italian Spearhead advances along the Slow Wadi road.  The choke point is the site of the KAR ambush.
Can they win this one... ?


Incidentally the Slow Wadi road crosses a wadi named the Slow Wadi Wadi...  The ambush takes place at dawn, so not under the Moon of Love or anything... Where's my coat?

My pre-game resolved the terrain choice below.

Using the time honoured felt over boxes and books I built the Slow-Wadi Wadi.  The pregame had indicated the presence of a sangar on top of the ridge.  I also placed some rough terrain in the centre.  

For Jump off point markers I simply use small rocks, very effective.

Looking form the KAR lines.  The Jump off point on the heights belongs to the KAR, as does the nearest.  The remainder further down the valley are Italian.

Forces
2nd Kings African Rifles Platoon
1 2nd Lieutenant, 1 platoon Sergeant
2 sections, Corporal, Lewis gunner and 6 men
1 Boyes A/T Rifle team
1 2" mortar team
1 Lewis gun team comprised of survivors of the missing sections, Corporal L/gun and 4 men. 

The Italian Spearhead
Random selection up to three rolls: D6
 
1.  Elements of 3rd Bersaglieri Motor Cycle battalion
2.  A Colonial Infantry platoon
3.  A Semovente SP gun, just because I have one!
4.  CV33 Tankettes
5.  A Regular Italian Infantry platoon
6.  Italian Heavy Machine Gun section

The Kar win initiative.  Their dice... challenging

A section of KAR under a Corporal in the Sangar.  I realised afterward that this is the Lewis gun team so technically I didn't deploy a section.   whooops!

A whole section of KAR deploy to the left of the Wadi

The Italian dice

On come the mighty CV33s

The KAR dice

The Mortar team go down.  My fire at the CV33 is ineffective.

And so... I deploy the Boyes Anti tank rifle team

The Italian Dice

On come those damn Mmotor Cycle Italian Boys, as well as a couple of sections.

The Boyes takes out a CV33... easy.  The Mortar lays down smoke

The Italians strike back

Casualties on the MMG

The Italians assault the KAR on the left

The position taken the Italian CV33 pours MMG fire onto the strong-point on the left.   Looks bad!

The Italian MMG teams arrive and begin to chip away at the Sangar

The Motorcycle section push down the road towards the Mortar team

It's getting serious on the hill with the Sangar.  The Lieutenant has arrived to shore up the defence.

KAR Dice.  Pretty good!

But the Motorcycles overrun the mortar team!

The Motor Cycle section swarm around to climb the ridge towards the Sangar

The battle towards the end.  Lieutenant Farthingdale is surrounded with fire being poured in from five different directions

The Lieutenant just prior to his surrender.  The jig is up and the KAR have been defeated in detail.

Night falls across the Slow Wadi Wadi...  demonstrating the value of felt base cloths!