Orsogna 1944

There are several attractions of the 20mm Spearhead project. It brings another nice guy into the Spearhead playing group in Christchurch, it has given me a use for a large collection of 20mm stuff that has huge nostalgic value for me, and (as Nick and I would both say) we get to put some really cool toys out on the table top. So in planning our second game for the term break we decided to go with Nick's favoured Kiwis (2nd New Zealand Division) vs Germans in Italy 1944. Nick's Grandfather was billeted at one stage near Orsogna in Italy, so he set up a table that looked similar to that area. Nick's report on the subsequent battle can be found here.

I had no particular affinity for the campaign itself, and so  decided to construct a Panzer Division list that used the very cool Sdkfz 251's that I've had in my collection for a number of years (just because the look great). I think these were painted by good friend Gerard Davey for Scott Taylor (correct me if I'm wrong, Gerard), and I bought them off Scott quite a long time ago. However I'd never yet managed to use them in a game. Off we set.... I travelled right across the city which (for those of you who may be unaware takes quite a lot of time as roads and infrastructure are repaired post-earthquakes). Traffic delays are huge in our local area.

Plans were made, initiative diced for, Germans win the initiative, and I let Nick move first. Righto, now for the Germans.. only problem is.. here is the box of armoured infantry.. sitting back on my own games table at home.... B***R!!

No going back, so I had to 'proxy' ordinary infantry stands for the armoured infantry which doesn't shape up for a very pleasing AAR. So I'll leave that to Nick, just follow the link above. However, you can see the sort of scene that unfolded as the Kiwi reserve came into contact with the German forces. An M4 brewed up, another in the background suppressed, and the battalion 6pdr AT gun suppressed.

Of course there's more to it than that as the German armour was worn down by the Kiwi numbers.

My right flank commanded a dominant ridge, one of the objectives of the battle) and I held this with an infantry battalion supported by two platoons of STuG IIIs. The Kiwi push against this objective ground to a halt.

Meanwhile, just in order to show off these lovely 251s, here they are still in their box.

And three of them on the table top (just the wrong table top, on the wrong day!! GAH!!!)

Nice stuff, effective but expensive in Spearhead terms. Next time!!!!!