The Megablitz Archive - Messina - part 4

Here are the rest of my photos from the 2008 game.  Above is 2 South African Infantry Division getting stuck in to the Italians.

Blackshirt infantry with artillery support.

SA recce has a look at some Italian armour.

In the north, the US 'car park' is on the move.  The American attacks (in particular) were supported by lavish air and artillery assets.

10PD had this sPz Abt under command.

The HQ and staff of 10PD sticks close to their divisional (and corps) FLAK battalions.

10PD counterattacks 5 Indian Div,

The ever-popular Italian mobile brothel.  

One of several ex-Chris Kemp models on the tables.

The HQ of 10PD find that the front line has come to them!

Led by armour, the Brits break through the Italian minefields.

The Germans had flown in most of  5 FJR Div and the paras 

were busy settling in on the outskirts of Messina.

The US car park encounters some tougher opposition in the shape of 20 PzG Div.  

This had been shipped in earlier in the game.

Sweeping all before them the Americans arrive at Messina.  Gen. Patton's completely objective and unbiased report follows:

Megablitz Game report by Will Whyler (Playing General Patton)

 The Race for Messina – July 1943

Played on Sunday 16^th November 2008

Arrived to find I was allocated the role of General Patton commander of the 7^th US Army with orders to clear Sicily and Beat Monty to Messina.

Basically we had three infantry divisions one of which seemed to have more firepower than the other two and a very good armoured division the 9^th nicknamed “Crap on Tracks” renamed by my orders after this game “Kraut on Tracks”.

For some reason presumably to do with historical accuracy the umpire had placed the two weaker infantry divisions as our frontline.  Compression between mountains (Etna) and the coast meant that we could only field two divisions at any one time with the other two road marching behind.  My divisional commanders Chris Ager and Louis Blackwell settled down whilst I took control of the air force.  Mostly fighters and mostly flying in from Tunisia.

 Day one was largely spent marching to Catania which turned out to be heavily defended by two Italian divisions supported by the Italian air force which sneaked in when our fighters weren’t around.  After a few words with HQ standing fighter cover was the order of the day thereafter!  Attacks on the Italian positions went in as evening fell.

 The following morning having judged it too tricky to change the frontline troops whilst engaged a fresh attack destroyed the Italians completely!  Then it was on to Tobromina.  However as day fell on day two we closed with a strong German position in a narrow plain between the mountains and the sea.  This time we exchanged forces during the night withdrawing the infantry and putting in both the superior infantry division and 9^th Armoured.  On Day three they swiftly overwhelmed the Nazi position thereby getting 9^th Armoured their new nickname.

 After that it was a question of chasing the Germans back to Messina which fell to our forces whilst Monty was still a day’s march away