75th Anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino and Northern Italy (Gaming The Battles)

Turn 5:

The smoke closes in, reducing the visibility to 14” this turn.

GRP unpins and advances along the hedge. The MG team cannot see anything due to the smoke so also advance up toward the station, staying behind the hedge. GBP advances up behind the two smoking tanks and GGP looks to advance around the side of the station and cut off the retreat area. The German shooting is woeful and they can only pin BRP, causing no further damage.

The Maori’s can now begin to fall back if they wish, having survived to Turn 5. But, with the Panzers destroyed, there is a chance that they could hold the station from the assaulting Germans. Adding to the complexity is BRP remain pinned and cannot withdraw, so the Maori’s stay put and fight on. Pinned BRP shoots at GRP and causes another casualty, if the Maori’s can break GRP, they could shake the entire German force and cause them to withdraw. The 2iC is able to kill a team from GGP but otherwise, the Maori’s just aren’t causing enough damage.

Turn 6:

The smoke visibility is again 14”.

GGP advances around the back of the station to the rail line and GBP also advance, creating a pincer movement and surrounding the Maoris. GGP and GBP kill two teams from BGP and also pin them in place. The MG team is able to kill a team from BRP.

The Maoris fail to unpin and cannot withdraw. With their shooting restricted, they can only manage to kill one team from GGP but little else. The situation is deteriorating rapidly for the Maoris but they hold the station and gain 1VP.

Turn 7:

The smoke clears, giving a 22” visibility although everyone is now so close, the smoke is having little impact on the battle.

The Germans now completely surround the station building and continue to fire upon the pinned BGP, removing the last three teams and wiping out the platoon and giving the Germans 2VP.

GGP assault BOP but fail to cause any damage while BOP reply and are able to kill one team from GGP and force them to fall back.

The Maoris manage to lift the pin on BRP but being surrounded, can’t really fall back. They do manage to kill a team apiece from GRP and GBP and gain another 1 VP for still holding the station.

Turn 8:

The MG team cause another team on BRP to be removed and pin BRP in place. The Germans are able to pin BOP as well with volume of fire and the Maori 2iC is killed by GGP’s fire. During the assault phase, GBP manages to kill a team from BRP and forces them to fall back. GBP is also able to assault BOP and kills 2 teams on BOP but can’t push home the assault, being forced to fall back. BOP though is now reduced to just two teams.

The Maori’s start their turn having to make morale checks. BOP passes theirs but with just one platoon in good spirits, the Maori’s are faced with a company morale check which they fail. Surrounded, and with no hope of retreat, the Maori defenders surrender to the superior German force

So this battle played out differently to history. The only similarity was the the tenacity of the Maori to defend against the German counter attack. Unlike history, the Maori’s were able to destroy both tanks but ended up surrendering whereas in 1944 they actually made their way back to Allied lines.