Bucha, Ukraine - 27 Feb 2022 - 15mm
Operation Torch – Panzer Leader Live Game
This week has been the 80th Anniversary of Operation Torch, the Allied landings in French North Africa in World War II. To mark the occasion, we’re running a live-stream game of Panzer Leader to simulate part of the American landings in Morocco.
This was a strange battle, where the opposing sides were technically “allies” – Americans pitted against French. However, this garrison was under orders from the Axis-controlled Vichy government. The Americans didn’t want to fight this battle, thus they openly warned the French of their arrival and urged them to re-join the Allied cause. This deliberate sacrifice of any surprise, plus monumental inexperience among the American troops, caused this unfortunate “battle” to be much bloodier than it should have been.
Hell, it shouldn’t have happened at all.
Live Stream – 2:00PM East US / 7:00PM UK
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Thanks!
I won't lie this map wasn't the easiet to draw last night. Beach maps rarely are, simply because the beach is of course a lower elevation, meaning 90% of the map (inland) is by comparison a large "plateau". Here we also have a winding inlet, depressions, salt marshes, and multiple rail lines. 
Vichy forces fortified on the table. 
American forces. Yes, they CLEARLY have an edge in numbers, but a very low cohesion rating. This was America's first land engagement against the western Axis, and wow were there a lot of wrinkles to be ironed out. Yes, those are US Navy planes in the support box, and those off-board artillery batteries are actually the 6" gun turrets of USS Savannah.
The imminent battlefield, and a modern photo of the restored "Kasbah" fortress at Mediyya. The Vichy French put up a respectably bloody defense of this castle. Today we'll see if the Americans can once again "Rock the Casbah!" 
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