Batterie Du Port DTO (id:#58757)
Sherry Enterprises (Schwerpunkt # 5: Medal of Honor ID: SP55)   [next]   [previous]
Fedala, French Morocco 1942-11-08 ()
Designer: Michael Faulkner
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
AmericanVichy French
54.545454545455%

Overview:

Operation Torch had commenced in the early hours of November 8 with numerous landings on the coast of North Africa. One of those landings was at Fedala, French Morocco. After securing Fedala, they had to attack the heavy anti-aircraft batteries southwest of the town and capture the Batterie du Port. . .Colonel William Wilbur, returning from delivering letters to the French officials in Casablanca, detected the hostile battery firing effectively on American troops and decided to act. He took charge of a platoon of tanks and personally directed them from an exposed position on top of one of the tanks. With the fire control station destroyed and twenty-two prisoners taken, the 100mm battery surrendered. With this action and the capture of the two other coastal batteries, the 3rd Infantry Division was able to land additional troops and start the drive for Casablanca. For his actions, Colonel Wilbur was awarded the Medal of Honor.
Attacker: American (Co. A, 7th Infantry regt, 3rd Infantry Division; 756th Tank Battalion)
Defender: Vichy French (Elements 6th Senegalese Infantry Regt; Fedala Garrison Battery)  
4.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: None     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:10.0 D:5.0
AFVs: A:4
M5A1 x 4

AFVs: D:0
Guns: A:0
M2 60mm Mortar
D:4
Canon de 105 L mle 13 S x 4

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: Treat all Woods as Brush. Ov5 w D: FB
Overlays: X8 RR1 RR3 RR4 RR6
Errata (source)
The "or" in the American setup means American forces may set up on both boards 10 and 17.SR Compendium
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2024-10-12(D) John Garlic vs Ed Beekman American win
2024-03-09(A) Jack Wilson vs Mark ThompsonA American winSecond go-round with this one, but as the Americans. Mark decided to put all his guns in a circle around the VC stone building, with all remaining units either in the +4 TEM Fortified building or sheltering in the trenches.

IMO, I thought it was a brilliant defensive tactic, and I frankly thought my chances to win were slim to none. However, right off the bat, fortune smiled on the Amis when he malf'd one of his HMGs on T1 (later rolling a 6 repair dr). More unkind DRs kept him from taking out any of my tanks with his 105s. To rub salt in the wound, I got some friendly DRs, and by the start of T3, he had no more manned/functioning guns. And then when his last HMG malf'd Les puavre Francais were almost defenseless.

The game ended on a failed MC with his last MMC. I think the outcome was much more in doubt than it appeared. Mark is a great opponent, and the game was very fun and well-played.
2024-02-27(A) Mark Thompson vs Jack Wilson (Germans)D American winThe Americans used Armor Assault to attempt a flank of the Vichy right, suffering repeated breaks/DMs from the two HMGs in the 2 Level victory building. By the American Turn 4, each of the Gun crews had succumbed to a combination of M5A1 Canister, MGs, and Overrun at the loss of one tank and immobilization of another, but the remaining American infantry faced the daunting task of assaulting the victory building across open ground, with all of its occupants unbroken. A fateful decision to Prep Fire one M5A1 at the building won the game for the Americans, with Canister and MG fire breaking everyone. Good scenario, great fun!
2024-02-27(D) Jack Wilson vs Mark ThompsonD American winA tricky and challenging scenario. Due to the terrain and SSRs, the French have limited setup options, and even fewer maneuver options once play begins. The Americans win immediately if the French have all four guns unpossessed and there are no unbroken MMC in the main VC building. And since the French have almost no wiggle room for maneuver, their basic strategy is to die in place, but die s-l-o-w-l-y.

At first glance, the strength of the American OB seems to be all that classic American small arms FP. However, in order to close with the main French positions, the American infantry has to cross a lot of OG under the LOS of at least two HMG posted in the 2 level, fortified, tower of power.

In our game, the weapon that did me in was the four American M5s. Their overrun attacks (after passing Bog checks) were 12 +3 on the French entrenched positions. The four French 105s seem powerful. In reality with only HE available their usual TK # was a 4. But the real threat of those American light tanks was their ability to attack up to three hexes at once with 12 FP canister. And by rule, they can target the middle floor of the building and attack all three locations with one DR.

As it turned out, I was able to keep the infantry at bay, and I was able to wreck one tank and immobilize another, but the two that survived wreaked total havoc by silencing all my guns with OVR and using canister and MGs to burn down my tower of power (3 MMC, one at each level). The game ended during his Turn 4 Prep Fire Phase.

Mark was a solid opponent and made the most of his OB to get the victory. He played an excellent game.

Despite the early finish, the game was very close, and if just a couple of DR had gone the French way, it may have ended differently. Worth a replay.
2011-04-16(D) Paul Messina vs Dan Preston Vichy French winA good scenario that came down to the very end. I was lucky and survived Dan's last trun push toward the victory hexes.
View all or balance report
ActionDate
jgarlic79@gmail.com Added a playing2024-11-06 22:17:07
Stewart Uploaded the Board image2024-03-21 07:53:39
Stewart Deleted the scenario board image2024-03-21 07:51:33
Thompsonmg(MGT) Added a playing2024-03-18 14:52:20
Jwil2020 Added a playing2024-03-09 01:59:23
DescriptionUploaded by
Americans in the North African CampaignMisterhawk
TitleAuthorDate

Quick Map View

Location

Not found

Images

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt presenting the Medal of Honor, to General William Wilbur, as Generals George Marshall and George Patton look on.
 
Statistics:
Avg Rating: 7.83Votes: 6
Views: 24459
To-Play list count: 2
Estimated Play time: 2.9 hours
Recorded Games: 4
Archive recorded plays:
American3
Vichy French1
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
Batterie du Port [Confirmed]
[A] American 9
[D] Vichy 9
All Rights Reserved. (c)2022 Dave Ramsey.