By nightfall on 19 June, the Allied position at Mezzeh was desperate. Ammunition was running low, no food had been eaten for 24 hours, casualties were severe, and medical supplies were exhausted. During the night (when Vichy attacks were suspended), three men managed to reach Gentforce headquarters with the news of the position in Mezzeh. Early on 20 June, Brigadier Lloyd, having handed over to Evetts, resumed command of the 5th Indian Brigade and sent a force comprising two companies from the 3/1st Punjab Regiment, two companies of French Marines and a battery of artillery to fight its way through to Mezzeh.
Attacker: Vichy (7ème Régiment de Chassuers d'Afrique)
Defender: Indian (3/1 Punjab and 4/6 Rajputana Rifle Regiments, 5th Indian Infantry Brigade)
The Indians had a solid defense and good rolls, while the French rolled poorly when it counted most. One effect was that the French lost 2/3 of their leaders by the end of turn two, and their one surviving 8-0 leader was about two turns distant from an important stack of broken troops. Yikes.
2022-05-20
(D) Dan Best
vs
Kermit Mullins
Vichy win
2022-05-20
(A) Kermit Mullins
vs
Dan Best
Vichy win
Tough game. Dan's Indians were initially very strong and inflicted some good hits on my Vichy. But after Turn 5, the Vichy armor cut off rout paths and the DM'd Indians began to fall. The victory location was surrounded and on Turn 8, the two tanks get a critical hit to eliminate the final squad to hit the 16 CVP and win the game for the Vichy.
2020-08-23
(A) Shane Pask
vs
Vichy win
My progress at the start was very slow with no CVP earned until turn 4. French seemed unable to rally but any equipment that jammed was immediately cleared. And the Renaults arrived a turn late (Oops - forgot them). I seem to always lose my artillery before it can unhook so this time I unhooked out of site and pushed the guns into action - and the crew was immediately killed. The second gun eventually made it into position (failed the first push) on turn 6 and began with a three shot ROF tear that cleared out the 2 HS causing trouble along the access road (double broke one, single broke the other). The victory came suddenly on turn six when Sgt Skinner (8-1) and 2 squads surrendered (12VP in one hit). The pivotal points were: Sgt Skinner and his stack broke and routed the wrong way (should have gone upstairs instead) and a stranded conscript Vichy squad rolled snake eyes on a 2MC to rally and battle harden to cut off Skinner's escape. Before that Skinner seemed to break every unit he fired at (including the squad he trapped in the yard that eventually accepted his surrender).
2020-04-05
(A) Jeff B
vs
Scott Sherer
Vichy win
6.5 hrs
French tried to keep safe attacking from behind the buildings on the southernmost hill, as the heaviest hitting Indians appeared to be in the upper levels of the victory building. The AFVs survived driving through the mortar's boresighted hex to link up with them. 2nd round's reinforcements came in on Board 22, half making for the stream to cross, and a kill stack situating itself in the building by the road. The guns parked safely behind this to deal with the Indians outside the VC building and provide smoke cover, Despite the recap talking of "point blank gun fire," crossing the ford would be a highly unlikely prospect with the severe bog penalties, so they would be stuck here all game. Turn 3 saw me lose my first vehicle as my men bided their time in coordinating the main attack. I took my first prisoners on Turn 4, and these would be instrumental on me reaching the 15VP total. My boys in the northwest started lining the olive groves, but their compatriots in the south had a rough time safely getting past the upper level MG nest. This HS prisoner was freed the next turn by an intrepid Indian HS wiping out the full squad French guard in CC, but I captured a full squad in the north. My ACs were threatening the main building, but I still had to deal with the pesky southern defenders. Scott did a nice job using his mortar to shroud my kill stack in smoke, and I thought things looked quite difficult for me at that point. But everything came together for me on Turn 7 when my ACs were able to sleaze freeze his perimeter troops, and Scott's bad luck with molotovs continued as he broke a full squad in trying to prevent my last vehicle from doing the same. A boxcars on a broken Indian squad, and rounding up the Molotov brokie allowed me to hit the 15VP and take home the gold. Fun scenario.
