Bolt Action - Game Report 23

Meeting Engagement – Operation Carinthia April 1945

Introduction

On to the third game against David’s Hungarians – another interesting research task to generate a plausible story for the British fighting the Hungarians. Thank goodness for Wikipedia.

Situation

The allied forces in Northern Italy are breaking out from their bridgeheads over the Po River. There are reports that German reinforcements are being sent south from Austria to block and delay the Allied advance. 6th (BR) Armoured Division has been ordered to advance and destroy the enemy before they can establish blocking positions. CO 1st Bn Duke of Glendon’s Light Infantry (1 DOG) was given orders to block 4 routes from the Alps onto the Po plain, and to destroy any enemy they encounter.

Enemy Forces

SIGINT had detected radio traffic with Hungarian language. Radio direction finding indicated that they were moving South into 1 DOG’s area of operations. Detailed force levels were unknown but it was believed from the radio intercepts that they would have armoured support.

Friendly Forces

CO 1 DOG formed 4 independent Company Groups for the operation. C Company was already reduced to two weak infantry platoons, but the CO used divisional resources to ensure that C Coy was supported by their attached artillery observer, a Cromwell tank, Engineer support from a Wasp flamethrower, an M5 Half track from Division and a Bren carrier from the Battalion Rece Platoon, and a sniper from the Sniper Platoon.

Mission

C Company is to advance to contact and destroy enemy in sector.

Post-Mission Report

The valley in which C Coy advanced had a dominating medieval castle that would provide an excellent defensive position. OC C Coy decided that it was vital to seize this ground or at least prevent the enemy seizing it. The advance went well and the infantry sections managed to deploy aggressively to block the right flank.

The enemy were Hungarians, and they had armour support. What was of greater concern was that they were using Carro Armato M15/42 obtained from Italy. These put down a devastating amount of firepower from their four 8mm MGs. They were weakly armoured but were a great threat to C Coy.

On the right a section from 2Pl carried forward by the Half Track, deployed to a blocking position in the rough ground to destroy the enemy on the right.

The left forward section took significant casualties from the M15/42, OC C Coy despatched the Wasp to attack and destroy it. The other tank retreated under the threat of the Cromwell.

First shot and a kill for the Wasp.

However, a counterattack by the Hungarians soon saw them destroy the Wasp. The infantry on the left were reinforced to hold their position, as the enemy massed to attack. However, the weight of fire and the threat of the Cromwell prevented the Hungarians securing the position.

Outcome

A victory for C Coy 1 DOG 6 to 4.