Border Troubles (2)

 

The Nimruz Expeditionary Force (NEF) made first contact  upon the round hill marking the right flank of the Tchagai garrison defence line. There Brigadier Mugglethwaite had placed the Recon Group: a motor rifle company with Spartan APCs and Saladin armoured cars. 

Three of the Tchagai rifle companies formed the rest of the front line: 'A' about the railway station, 'B' on the ridge nearby, and 'D' upon Snake Ridge on the other side of the road. 'C' Company occupied the town with the 25pr batteries emplaced on either side, and the armoured squadron on the other side of the railway. Mugglethwaite could call on air support - a flight of Spitfires.

The Nimruz forces advanced on a broad front. First Battalion's objective was Snake Ridge, to drive off the defending company and take the 17pr gun position. Second Battalion aimed for the ridge flanking the railway station, whilst 3rd Battalion stormed the station itself (bypassing the clearly visible minefield), as well as the round hill. In support of the latter, the SU85 and SU76 assault guns kept pace with the infantry, the latter adding its firepower to the Battalion's mortars upon the occupants of the hill. The Support group's SU122 company added its firepower to 2nd Battalion's assault upon the middle ridge.

The middle ridge pounded, not very effectually, by 2nd Battalion's mortars, the SU122s and even machinegun fore from the Tank Battalion's BA64 armoured cars, 'C' Company of 2nd Battalion was the first to begin mounting the slopes. Their assault was immediately successful (requiring a '6' to hit, the effect was a '4', driving the defending company's right back upon the Coy HQ). 

Following up, the attackers scattered the enemy as they retreated. By this time the other two companies, 'B' frontally and 'A' from a flank, attempted to storm what remained of the Tchagai company's defence line... 

... whilst 'C' Company pushed their attack upon the enemy HQ and Battalion support weapons. Here they met a check. The early success had yet to effect a complete breakthrough.

First Battalion, facing Snake Ridge, advanced with 'A' and 'C' Companies leading, 'B' Coy in reserve. 

Very soon they were clambering up the northern slopes of the ridge, the defenders' fire seemingly insufficient to slow them down, let alone stop them.

Meanwhile, at quite the other end of the battlefields, Tchagai's Muddi River Horse were fairly easily driven off the round hill. Combined gun, mortar and machinegun fire were enough to force the motor company to give up the position. The armoured cars exchanged a brief fire with the Nimruz Support Group before they, too, slid back down the rear slope of the hill. 

Following up this success, Third Battalion met an immediate check by the half of Tchagai's 'A' Company entrenched close by the railway station. 

An immediate check: Tchagai 'A' Coy rolls a '6' to hit; a '1' for 
an SP loss. This is the second SP lost to 'A'/3 Coy.
The '3' rolled = no damage to the garrison.

Tchagai 'D' Coy rolls '5' to hit and '5' again to force a retreat.
Nimruz 'C' Coy rolls the '6' they need to hit, and the '1' to
inflict a strength point loss.

Returning to the other wing finds a fierce battle raging over the Snake Ridge defence line. The right half of Silliputti 'D' Coy throws back their assailants, but at some cost. So began the loosening of Tchagai's grip upon Snake Ridge.

A strafing attack knocks over a strength point.

'B' Coy under heavy pressure from the whole of Nimruz's 2nd Battalion, Mugglethwaite at last called up his supporting air - the flight of Spitfires with which to strafe the enemy infantry close by the road. This attack had some immediate success, a quarter of 'A'/2 Coy biting the dust, thereafter the fighter was unable to achieve much. 

A brief word on this. The rules seem to indicate that single seater fighters strafing get 12 dice (4MGs, notionally) in attack.  To my mind, that seems a tad generous, unless, perhaps, a '6' is required to hit. So I have formed a convention of just one D6 per MG, still requiring 5 or 6 to hit. That seems to me reasonable, with a better than 80% chance of scoring a hit, and a decent show of scoring more. With 12 dice, you could expect 4 hits (if a '5' is sufficient) and a fair chance of a whole 4SP (4-stand) company obliterated. Mind you, I could be selling air power short!

Middle ridge cleared, 'A'/2 Coy catches the retreating 
Tchagai 'B'/Silliputti Coy on the road.

1st Battalion overruns the Tchagai trench line

That success did not stop 2nd Battalion. Aided by a flank attack from 'A', 'B' Coy swept over the last of the Tchagai troops on the middle ridge. As the survivors fled towards the town, 'A'/2 coy, having shaken off the shock of air attack, intercepted the fugitives on the road.  The brisk fire fight there finally broke 'B' Coy, but weakened 'A'/2 Coy further.

Upon Snake Ridge, the leading companies of 1st Nimruz Battalion threw the defending company 'D' right off the feature and into the plain below. The battalion commander brought up his supporting mortars, whilst 'B' company assaulted the anti-tank battery position entrenched in a col near the eastern end of the ridge. 'C' Company joined in a flank attack from the heights to the right. It would not be long before the entire ridge was in Nimruz hands.

Nimruz has cleared the whole of the Tchagai front line.

Apprehending a breakthrough in the centre, Brigadier Mugglethwaite brought forward his armoured reserve. This move was probably premature, as the Nimruz T34 tanks were still out of range, and seemed to have no particular desire to close. But the Nimruz infantry were by now swarming all over the front line positions that had been held by the Tchagai task force, including the fortified line in front of the railway station. Little remained of the Tchagai companies that had defended those lines.

On the other hand, the Nimruz infantry were paying a fearful price for their successes. Pressing on past the railway station, 3rd Battalion ran into stiffening resistance from the Tchagai Recon group and what remained of 'A' Company. Third Battalion's own 'A' Company briefly overran the whole terminus, before being driven back to the rail construction timber piles at the north end. 

Nimruz attempts to push on and captures the 
railway station, they are reaching the end of 
their resources.

Frustrated by the tack of meatier targets, the Centurions engaged and destroyed the BA64 platoon before it could bug out. Whilst 'A'/2 Coy scuttled up the east end of Snake Ridge out of the way (and forcing the 17pr AT guns to hitch up and drive off), the leading T34s pushed though the pass between Snake and middle ridges.  

The exchange of fire between the respective armoured groups was brief and inconclusive. Neither side took harm, but the T34s bethought it meet to permit the Centurions to come to them, neutralising, with luck, the latter's superior gun range.

It was becoming plain that their very success had led the Nimruz assailants to outrun their remaining strength. Having reached their exhaustion point, they lacked the strength to push on to clear the town and the plantation. 

The action didn't end there - not yet. It was just possible that the Tchagai forces might be induced themselves to attempt to recover the lost trench lines. Accordingly, the Nimruz drew back a little, to take up reverse slope positions along the ridge lines. Although not yet 'exhausted', as Mugglethwaite could see, yet there seemed little prospect of successfully chasing the Nimruz forces out of their positions. They would have to be waited out. The battle sputtered to a close, neither side willing or able further to try conclusions.

A tactical draw was of course a strategic victory for the defenders, although three of Tchagai's infantry companies were scarcely even shadows of their former strength. For their part, the forces of Nimruz debated whether, regathering their own strength overnight, a renewed effort might be made on the morrow... 

POSSIBLY to be continued...