Defending Empires #2 - Iraq vs British, 1941

Firstly – an apology for my prolonged absence.  As you may know I’ve been busy setting up a new business and this has involved me literally building the shop (it’s a factory outlet opticians).  This has meant building walls, painting, laying carpet, putting in skirting boards and a hundred other tasks to get the outlet ready for opening (hopefully this weekend).

As the outlet doesn’t have broadband yet I’ve been without internet access during the day and the evenings have generally meant struggling home by train – and then doing paperwork and other assorted stuff.  As a consequence the blogging came down the list of priorities.

Me during the build.  

But now the build is complete (just about) I can now switch back to blogging again.  I hold my hand up and say that my painting challenge this year has gone out of the window – but Curt will get his ronin soon, I promise.

After the build.  Just need some frames and we're ready to go!

And looking the other way.  Just need the desks and chairs.

So – onto the battle.  This was the second of four corking scenarios around the theme of Defending Empires and saw the British trying to hang on to their oil supplies in Iraq while the Germans and Italians stirred up trouble with the local natives.  Therefore myself and Mark took the plucky British and Russ was the dastardly Iraqis looking to secure a form of independence.

Our objectives were to defend the airbase, sweep the heights to prevent artillery dropping onto the airfield and – most importantly – take the town.  You can see the battlefield in the picture below.

Town, sewage works, airfield

The British consisted of a meaty division (me) and a couple of native contingent allies (Mark).  Not knowing what faced us we planned to start my troops in the sewage works (half way up the battlefield) while Mark took the long way around (a theme you’ll get used to with these reports) to sweep the length of the hill.

Both sides were using iPads (Russ finally succumbed and he loves it!) so we were using hidden movement to seek out the enemy (Russ working out what we could see based on the photos he’d taken before removing his troops from the table).  This is a good use of the technology as it makes for a cautious but realistic approach – groping around to find the enemy and then hitting him with everything!

I was on a timed order to come out of the sewage works as Mark reached the part of the hill nearby.

We found out early that Russ had air support in the form of an Italian bomber which soon turned up to make mischief by the airfield which held our air contingent (an Albacore and a Gladiator I think).  He flew in an caused a blockhouse to be suppressed.

The airfield - central to our defence plans

Mark telling us where Russ' troops will be and what they'll do....

Italian bomber vs. blockhouse

Dust was in effect so anything over half speed was invisible and cloaked in a dust cloud.

In the first few turns (of 16) not much happened.  Mark’s troops swept the hill and I then came out swinging with my armoured cars (the only things Russ could spot from his vantage points).  I proceeded to swing down the main road as Mark searched the heights – still nothing to see though!

Russ plays it cool as our dangerous red markers get near to his invisible troops

Then we finally spotted some dug in troops and I had to lay out all my troops in consequence.  Mark then spotted some Italian tanks – we were now fully exposed.  What made me giggle was Mark telling me to stagger my troops to reduce the danger of air attack – and then proceeded to lay his boys out in nice straight rows that any Italian pilot would love to carpet bomb!  Talk about do as I say, not as I do!

Me all over the show, Mark in nice straight lines.  Note the tanks on the  top of the hill.

While I opened up (to no effect) on the dug-in troops, Russ’ tanks made mincemeat of Mark’s troops (running over them in the open).  Units started disappearing at an alarming rate.

Tanks kill Mark's troops as the Iraqi artillery shows its face.

Russ then unveiled his artillery – as far back as they could be.  But at least I managed to shoot his dug in troops dead.  The artillery made good shooting and managed to suppress the two British aircraft (when they could have been strafing the Italian tanks!).  This meant our air cover was grounded for the time being.

That'll mean no air support for a while.

Then another nasty surprise – more dug-in troops AND what looked like a motorised infantry column.  This became target priority and anything we could bring to bear on them was brought to bear.  As a result we managed to kill a truck.  Mark also lost a tank in the combat.  Looking up!

Truck and tank dead!  Woo hoo!

But this was short lived.  The tanks continued to kill everything they touched and we still couldn’t fight back with much.  I did manage to climb the hill a bit more and uncover more dug-in troops but really wanted to kill off his artillery so we could get the planes up.

In a brutal phase of action, suppression markers blossomed as Russ debussed his infantry and a firefight commenced.  I at least suppressed his artillery allowing the planes time to get off the gound.

I then close assaulted everything I could as Mark’s troops gave up the ghost and ran for it.  I was alone for the time being and – with more Iraqi troops now appearing from the town – being assaulted on 3 sides.

However, the British planes were now in action and I managed to blat his artillery and run over a number of ‘in the open’ Iraqis.  The hill was now mine (apart from two Italian tanks) and I was trading shots with the town’s defenders.  

No artillery for you!

In a desperate action, I pummelled Russ’ tanks and killed another.  This forced the Iraqi hill defence to crumble.  All that was now left was the town.  But time was getting on and only a few turns were left.  Mark was out of it so it came down to me.

The hill is mine.  Where the f*** are Mark's troops?  

Rather than rush in piecemeal I re-arranged my assets to put fire into the town and get troops close enough to call in artillery and airstrikes as well as close assault the suburbs.

I managed to suppress the Iraqi HMG in one sector and then charged in with my HQ and nearest armoured car.  In a close fought street battle I managed to secure one town sector – but had get the Iraqis completely out of the town by the end of Turn 16!  I pivoted my troops on the hill to keep fire on the HMG and consolidated my town sector.  Russ didn’t want to force the issue – time was on his side after all – so he stayed in his own town sectors and waited on me to make the move.

The battle for the town commences.  Just a couple of turns left to play!

I manged to knock out one of his troops in the adjoining sector to my own and then poured in troops to kill his HMG.  I also moved more troops into my sector (as the armoured car defending it was alone and vulnerable to counter attack).

But it was Turn 15 already – only one more try before the sun went down!

Time for the RAF to make an appearance.  A bombing mission was called in on the central town sector that the Iraqis still held. As my troops massed for the close assault.  This killed one unit and the subsequent morale test was failed.  Ian deemed that the Iraqis would fall back two moves – which took the Iraqis out of the town.  On the last roll of the dice in the last turn, we manged to winkle him out!  A famous victory and the oil was safe for Blighty!

The RAF earn their corn and the Iraqi's run for it.

A cracking battle and proof that sometimes the smaller battles (and lack of Germans) are sometimes much, much better than the grand affairs.

Hats off to Russ for a spirited defence against the odds.  And well done to Mark for keeping the Italian tanks busy while I did the rest.

And thanks to Ian for setting up another cracking battle.