Bolt Action - Cameron Ridge - Feb 1941

The Italian held ridge on the left

Following on from last weeks game, this time, James, Steve, Laurence and myself had another go at the Cameron Highlanders clearing the Savoia Grenadiers from the ridge, this time using Bolt Action.

The forces were very similar, the British were:

• Officer (+1 Motivation): Pistol
• Platoon Sergeant (+2 Motivation) SMG
• Five sections each NCO and six rifles, LMG gunner
• Two light mortars
• Vickers MMG

The Italians were:

• Officer (+1 Motivation): Pistol
• Four sections each NCO and six rifles, LMG gunner
• Medium Machine Gun
• Sniper

British press onto the ridge

All troops were regular, but the British sections containing an NCO were made Motivation 10 while ever the NCO remained in the section.

Steve would play the Italians, James and Laurence the British, I would umpire the game and push things along.

The Italians had one section, the MMG and the sniper defending the ridge from the start, all other squads were in Reserve. The entire British force was deployed as First Wave.

British section provide fire support from a rocky outcrop

The British put a large push up their left flank and despite the loss of one of the NCOs to the sniper were soon pressurising the Italians at that end of the ridge and a bayonet charge saw off all the Italians at that end of the table. On the other flank the British fared less well, soon pinned down by the Machine Gun and the commitment of most of the Italian reserves on this flank that attack soon faltered. However, as soon as a pin was placed on the Italian MMG it failed three consecutive motivation checks allowing the British to push forwards, especially as the Italian reserves committed to that flank were being drawn off to counter the British successes on their right flank.

The attack on the left makes great games.

By the end of the game the Italians were pretty much surrounded in the centre of the ridge but were proving very difficult to dislodge from the rocky outcrops. The British had lost two sections and a light mortar, the Italians one section and the sniper. A small victory to the British forces.

Here are some more images from the game, I provided a couple of sections of British, the remainder of the British, all the Italians and the terrain was made an painted by James.