The final game of our Salerno theme was another scenario from “wargamerabbit” –“Crossing the Calore River.” This scenario pits a reinforced US Rifle Company against a reinforced German Panzer Pioneer company. The historical background, map, orders of battle, and other details about the scenario can be found at this link:
The scenario is basically a meeting engagement, and both sides must to attack to win. The game begins with most of the US force occupying a bridgehead north of the Calore River, confronted by an advancing force of Germans. The American objective is to expand their bridgehead while preventing a German crossing of the river. Control of a farmhouse in the SW sector of the table would prove to be a key objective in our game.
During set up, each side alternated placing their platoons on the table. The American commander set up his force very defensively, placing his platoons toward the rear of their designated deployment areas. The German commander set up in a more balanced posture, ready to attack or defend.
With the first move of the game, the American commander played even more defensively by attempting to move his I&R platoon from the northern side of the river to the southern side, in order to form a mobile reserve. This move was hindered by having to cross the river via a ford next to the damaged bridge, but eventually the I&R platoon was assembled in the rear with its jeeps. Other US forces held their ground.
The German commander decided to attack immediately. German artillery bombarded the US defenses in the SE sector of the table, and a PzGd platoon advanced to assault the pinned US rifle platoon. The assault went in, but the Americans prevailed in the close combat. The German platoon was forced to withdraw after suffering heavy losses.
After this setback, the Germans paused and waited for their reserves to arrive. Two SP AA halftracks moved to reinforce the eastern side of the German line, while a platoon of three StuG.IIIs took up firing positions in the center. A platoon US Sherman tanks, which had been deployed around the forward edge of a small wood, moved to take shelter behind the trees, but one tank got stuck and was subsequently destroyed by the StuGs.
Responding to the pullback of the Shermans, the Germans shifted the focus of their attack to the SW. The StuGs and a Pioneer platoon moved toward the Americans defending the farmhouse. The Americans responded by advancing their Shermans to counter this move. The exchange of tank fire knocked out two Shermans and one StuG.
On the other flank, a belated American advance knocked out the two SP AA tracks, but was still not close to the objective at game’s end.
At the end of the game, control of the farmhouse was contested by both sides. The Germans held the other objectives, but had not been able to get any platoons across the river. Both sides were also still in good morale. Thus the game ended in a draw!
- TJ