In July 1941 Mussolini sent the 62,000-strong CSIR (Italian Expeditionary Corps) to the Eastern Front. Its three divisions and attached troops linked up with the Wehrmacht in Romania, where the corps vehicular transport was pooled in order to completely motorize the 9th “Pasubio” Division. This unit, reinforced with corps artillery and motorcycle troops, was ordered to advance quickly to the Bug River, then turn south to cut off the Red Army crossing points. In one typical small-unit action during this period, elements of the division’s advance guard had to force a crossing of a small river in order to continue their advance.
Attacker: Italian (1º Battaglione, 80º "Roma" Reggimento Fanteria)
Defender: Russian (Soviet 9th Army)
8.5 turns
Players: 2 OBA: None Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:17.0 D:12.0
AFVs: A:0
AFVs: D:1
T-40
Guns: A:4
Mortaio da 45 Brixia x 2 Fucile-cc S x 2
D:2
50mm RM obr. 40 x 2 PTRD-41 ATR x 3
Misc Rules:
Treat Marsh as Woods. River is Deep. Fording rules in hexes 7M8, M9, O6, R3, U3 and X4.
Q. For Victory Condition purposes, does the 50mm mortar have a FP value of "2", "3" or "6"? Does the Cossack LMG in ASL 33 have a FP value of "2" or "3"? A."3" in both cases.
MMP
The Class on both Russian HS counter illustration should be "[1]" not "1".
MMP
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:
Heroes 2022 - Completely failed to grasp the victory conditions. The bridge garrison failed to hold back the horde. I pushed forward with the village troops thinking I had to have view to all the road/bridge hexes. When the tank malf'd its MA and then disabled it it was game over.
2022-03-04
(D) Ian Morris
vs
Jim Bishop
Italian win
This looked to be all over by turn 3 - a spawny LOS from my bridge mortar to his fording group broke everybody, while the rest of the bridge garrison sold their lives dearly to delay his crossing. The village garrison gained good positions overlooking Y10 and dug in. Nevertheless Jim worked his way forward and eventually sent troops CXing to attack my tankette, which berserked the first group but declined to sustain on the next squad for fear of gacking the MA. He passed the PAATC, and took me down on a 3 ! Gutted, but well played Jim.
2019-05-14
(A) Dwayne Duval
vs
Kevin Duval
Italian win
2019-05-14
(D) Kevin Duval
vs
Dwayne Duval
Italian win
Used Russian balance.
2018-03-17
(D) David Garvin
vs
James Montgomery
Italian win
2017-10-22
(A) Jeff B
vs
John Fedoriw
Italian win
I've never had any luck at bridge crossings...until now. Italians sent the allowed three squads/SW/Leader across the fords to draw some village garrison attention, set up two kill stacks to bust up the bridge garrison, a detachment of troops to clean up an outlying Russian in the south, and the rest of the men were earmarked to storm the bridge. The lone target west of the river with LOS to the bridge proved to be dummies, freeing the Italian horde for the bridge crossing. Russians surprisingly allowed them to span the length of the bridge without opposition, and by Turn 2 they actually managed to get a couple squads across and into the relative safety of the woods. The village garrison made quickly to shore up the defenses, while the tank moved even more quickly to cover the bridge exit with its scary CMG. The key stroke of luck for the Italians came on Turn 3 when they dropped some smoke at the exit, allowing the troops to pour over relatively safely. The low ELR for both sides made things quite interesting, even making the commissar's job difficult (he would actually prove to be a detriment). The tank was dispatched with during Russian Turn 3 and the Russian troops broke at the drop of a pin. They tried to hold out for another turn, but by this point it was looking quite obvious that without the tank they would just be pushed further and further away from the bridge.
2016-01-18
(A) Dave Mareske
vs
Scott Martin
Italian win
The Russians rolled poorly to put any effective fire on the bridge and then one of the Italian ATRs sniped the Russian tank. Went to the end, but was an uphill battle for the Russians at the end.
2015-11-16
(D) Dave Mareske
vs
Dan Best
Russian win
2015-11-16
(A) Dan Best
vs
Dave Mareske
Russian win
2015-08-10
(D) Bill Brodie
vs
Eric Topp
Italian win
This was a scenario the swayed back and forward between us. I got the best of it to begin with, making it very hard for the Italians to cross the bridge.
Eric managed to cross the fords and put pressure on the flank, which bogged down for both sides. Eventually the Italian firepower began to tell near the bridge, and the brittle ELR of the Russians resulted in a lot of broken conscripts.
The time came to throw the tank at the bridge, but after surviving about a dozen shots, it inevitably fell to the Italian ATRs. With that went the chances of the Russians.
A great scenario that I would play at any time as either side.
2014-10-12
(A) Dan Best
vs
Keven Adams
Italian win
2014-03-30
(A) Andy Beaton
vs
Eoin Corrigan
Russian win
The Italians need to put the pressure on the Russians, and my troops (or my dice) were just not up to the task. Got a glimmer of hope when the Russian tank malfed, but it was just not enough.
2013-02-20
(D) Gordon Jupp
vs
Nick Holmshaw
Russian win
Italians got bogged down and couldn't force the crossing.
2012-08-16
(A) Shane Pask
vs
Russian win
Very close. Italians should ignore the bridge and cross at the ford.
2011-11-19
(A) St La
vs
Fix
Italian win
2010-11-15
(A) Steve Bowen
vs
DD
Russian win
I shot self in foot by screwing up my reading of the VCs. Still made it close. Always dramatic when you are fighting to cross a bridge.
2010-04-28
(A) Dan Best
vs
Keven Adams
Russian win
2008-11-06
(D) David Ramsey
vs
Martin Barker
Russian win
Russians held on thanks to a broken conscript generating a hero and a couple of snake eyes on the last turn!