The Shadow of the Axis - Alternative WW2 campaign - Combined arms Boltaction - The war in Tunisia - Campaign game 1

 Operation Sealion was over, German forces had poured across Southern England with desperate battles over Hedgerows and Bridges. Seeing the success of Sealion and their only Participation being a few Naval squadrons of the Regia Marina enforcing a blockade, Mussolini's jealousy was mounting. Attacks into Egypt had ground to a halt with the only tangible success being a defensive line along the Libyan border holding off the small but aggressive British Garrison. The final straw was a decisive engagement between a Combined Regia Marina and Marine Nationale force that sunk or scattered a large Royal navy force making a run on the landing beaches, the Lions share of the fighting was done by the Marine Nationale. The Embarrassment of being second stick in the glorious defeat of the Royal navy lead to a cascade of political unrest between the French and Italians - Mussolini declared war, stating his prizes for the French campaign were insufficient and his and Italy's honour unmet, troops were shipped to Libya and the ground forces marched west to Tunisia supported by the small craft of the Regia Marina and Squadrons of the Regia Aeronautica.

 The French for their part were not idle, having seen the build up of Jealousy and Troops they had secretly moved their own forces into Tunisia and established strong defenses along the coastal roads, MTB's of the Royal navy had been commissioned in a joint effort to crush Italian Imperial dreams, Germany could not care less about Italy and their backwater wars and bowed out of participation.

Note: The background on alliances in this alt history are touched on in the Previous Sealion campaign, in short France sided with the Axis following their defeat, blaming their loss on the Commonwealth which was further reinforced by the attack at Mers el Kabir which failed in this alt history.

The start of the campaign

The first game of the campaign saw the Italian and French directing their Airforces to bomb each others armoured Divisions moving towards the front. The Surviving Italian tanks then assault the Communication array in the south of the map.

The Scenario we rolled was 'Point defense'

The French take up position along the Rocky ridgelines just outside the village of El Kabir.

The Italian armoured formation attacks across both flanks and leaves the centre alone, the preliminary bombardment pins down almost all the defenders and allows them to approach largely unmolested.

The Heavy Italian AT gun Knocks out the Char 1b allowing the Tanks and infantry to pour forward.

Its flank covered by smoke the Italian Flamethrower tank moves up and flames the infantry on the ridge line missing its first shot, It moves closer next turn and burns the defenders out of their rocky holes whilst the AT gun Fubars and moves off of the ridge.

The following turn the M40 tried to Tank shock the AT Gun by some lucky rolls allows the crew to knock the tank out.

Following this a melee of tanks vs infantry occurs as the French desperately try to destroy or pin down the Italian armour.

French AT rifle comes in from reserve and misses its shot!

The French Veterans fail their order test and go down instead of contesting the centre objective.

Libyan Colonial Infantry then charge and after many casualties dislodge the tough French infantry from the Rocky outcrop.

 

The Game ends with Italy in control of all 3 objectives.

Rolling to destroy get a 5 destroying the French infantry and the Italians take the communication array, the French fleet takes the commercial centre, next game turn its Raining!

The Shadow of the Axis - Alternative WW2 campaign - Boltaction - Combined arms - Sea Lion Game 4 - Iron Hulls and Iron Hearts

 

Operation: Sealion has achieved its initial objectives, A lull in the fighting (reposition situation card, preventing fighting that turn) allowed the Heer to infiltrate and secure a poorly defended London, Storms in the channel scattered a Royal Navy Flotilla and the Wehrmacht is in control of all objectives bar the defenses along the coast of Kent, Germany possess 6 victory points whilst Britain has 5.

Having taken Grievous Infantry casualties in the past weeks the British Army is relying on their armoured formations to smash the invaders and give the infantry time to regroup.

Game 1 was an Bombing run against the German Tank unit crossing from France into the channel. The RAF played the scramble card which allowed them to reposition 2 Air units to attack the single Air unit defending the convoy, so we played 250pts of Luftwaffe to 500 points of RAF.

The game started well for the Luftwaffe, I played a card that made one of my planes an ACE but I made a mistake! I didn't read the 6 turn game limit and only realised turn 3, my strategy of trying the break the Spitfire squadron and then leisurely shooting down the Bombers was undone and by the end of turn 3 I had lost 1 plane and accrued 3 boom chits forcing my squadron to disengage, losing the Tank unit in the process.

Panzers make the bottom of the Channel their home

Next game saw the British try and retake the factory, Conrad rolled on the table and we got Scenario 8: Manhunt! The objective of this game was to capture the LT in an assault or to force a draw kill him.

 The Heer was outnumbered 2:1 facing down a tank unit and an infantry unit, I initially deployed a veteran squad, 2 MMG's, a Forward air observer which I got from playing a Card, my LT and a PanzerJager.

The Preliminary bombardment put a lot of pins on my defenders!

The Homeguard armoured Flamethrower lorry rolled up the table, before it could disgorge its flame cannon into the Veterans in the church the PanzerJager fired and blew it up! Next turn the PanzerJager fired and forced the Tank down before the MVP's of the game my Veteran squad annihilated the tank with AT Grenades.

Following that the Veterans Beat off an Assault of Tommies losing 4 but killing 5 and taking the rest of the squad prisoner.

Then another squad of Tommies poured out of the Bren carriers and were wiped out by the Veterans before they slunk back into their cover.

Two tanks rolled in from my board edge trying the shoot the Veterans out of the building but failed to achieve much other than putting on pins.

Finally the forward observer called in an artillery barrage on his own position and landed a direct hit on the veterans killing the remaining 3.

After some toing and froing the Home guard charged towards the LT and his batman, they responded with SMG fire and then a 3 was rolled on turn 7 so NO turn 8 - Germany wins.

I rolled 2 6's to destroy the tanks and the Infantry, it was getting late so next we auto resolved and tank battle and the Germans won, but didn't destroy the British.

Then the card came thick and fast, Germany scored 2 VP's for holding London a 'Cultural centre', the with the reshuffled deck scored a VP for holding the factory. With one point to go before final victory and only 1 British unit left on the map and only 2 Air units Germany won. The End of Sealion and the End of WW2 in the west (in this alt history atleast).

When I had this Idea to do Sealion I didn't have any minis, I conned my wife into a Early war Germans army set for valentines and 3d printed so many tanks and guns, I also used Wargames Atlantic's BEF. It's been great to see all the hardwork go into such a great and fruitful project. 

Finally I'd like to thank James, Nick and Conrad for their Gentlemanly manners, eager participation and general enthusiasm. I find the greatest pleasure in running these games and bringing people into the hobby, fighting battles, drinking beers and making memories.