COTA AAR: Gamble and Scramble

[Raptor1]

I've been playing Airborne Assault: Conquest of the Aegean lately (An excellent operational-level wargame, BTW), so I figured I might as well use my spare time to make an AAR on the scenario I'm playing now

The scenario is called "Gamble and Scramble". It's basic premise is that the Allies learn from partisans that the Axis rear is weakly defended during the Battle of Greece and order a reinforced division to cut off the Axis lines of communication at Ellason. The Axis in turn, learn of this attack, but they cannot afford to pull back units from the front-lines and therefore have to dispatch a scratch-built force to deal with it. The entire area is covered with rain and fog for most of the time, so aerial support is minimal and sighting is often wrong.

Day 1

General Raptor sat with his staff in the rain-soaked headquarters of the Australian 6th Infantry Division, it is 0000 and the division was making final preparations for the attack. A map of the area was laying on the table, showing the plans for the coming attack.



The plan called for a 2-staged attack on Ellason and Timavos. In the first stage, the 16th Infantry Brigade would sweep to the north of Ellason and rendezvous with the Greek 1st Cavalry and 80th Infantry Regiments, which were supposed to arrive in that evening or night. Meanwhile, the 19th Infantry Brigade would attack Timavos head-on, while the British 1st Armoured Brigade would dash to sieze the vital road connecting Timavos and Ellason. The bulk of the division would advance to Stefanovounon and set up the HQ there.

The second stage would see elements the British 1st Armoured Bde sweep south to assist the 19th Infantry Bde, while the rest of the forces attack and crush Ellason. Subsequently the forces would mop up resistance, dig in and wait for the inevitable counterattack.

The Attack Begins

The troops are given order and the division soon gets underway. The first unit to encounter the enemy is the armored column of 1Bde, meeting 2 German companies, but due to the darkness of night and the incessant rain, the Brigade manages to pass the Germans without much fighting.



Nothing eventful happens until morning, when the first news of success reach the Division HQ. 1Bde has succeeded in capturing the bridges assigned as the objective at around 1000, they have also met and severely mauled a German artillery battalion.



Meanwhile, the massive column of the main force moves across the main road to Ellason, sweeping aside any opposition they encounter.



Meanwhile, 16Bde in the north encounters nothing. The way is suspiciously quiet as the troops look around fearing imminent ambush.



Meanwhile, the first elements of the expected Greek reinforcements arrive, but without the rest of the regiment this Battalion is not very useful to the plan.



The first serious combat occurs as 19Bde reaches it's assigned target of Timavos, reports indicate that the area is defended by at least 1,500 German troops (Though, in the rain and fog, this number could be entirely wrong). The Australian troops slowly inch their way towards the center of the city.



Meanwhile, the Greek Cav. Regt finally arrives, but it cannot rendezvous with 16Bde according to the plan due to the fact that German troops have been sighted along the main road to the north, the Regt moves to cut them off.





Meanwhile, 19Bde and part of 1Bde, which has initiated it's part of Stage 2 early, finally capture the strategic town of Timavos, leaving much of the Axis garrison cut off.



Meanwhile, the main column reaches it's destination, the troops are deployed, and the division digs in for the coming night.

End of Day 1

The Division's command staff reviews what has been achieved during the first day. The Allies had suffered practically no casualties, and achieved most of their objectives. The only element which is not in position is 16Bde to the north, which has been slowed down by the lack of good roads, and will have to make it up until morning.

To be continued, hopefully...