Tag Team - May 1940

A two-on-one handicap match where Hun plays heel. The Gaul of some people!

Welcome to the ninth article in this series, where I discuss designs that I’m busy developing for an upcoming scenario pack. “Tag Team” is an unusual scenario, the first of its kind. I think. Am I wrong? 

Operation Niwi was a bold adventure. It took its name from the first two letters of the Belgian villages of Nives and Witry, where makeshift airlandings—employing small, three-seater aircraft—were to take place during the early hours of the German invasion of the Low Countries. The mission was threefold: sever communications on the Neufchâteau-Bastogne and Neufchâteau-Martelange roads, contain enemy reserves around Neufchâteau, and provide rearward pressure on Belgium’s fortified line along the Belgian-Luxembourg border. At 0805 on 10 May 1940, Oberleutnant Andreas Obermeier arrived at the head of the second wave. Unbeknownst to him his company commander Hauptmann Walther Krüger, along with the rest of the first wave, had landed at Léglise, some 15 kilometres to the south. As the final wave landed, the German lieutenant took stock of the situtation and assumed command. Short an infantry platoon, he was also missing the pioneer section with its flamethrower, explosives and Tellermines. Undeterred, Obermeier set off with a few of his men—using commandeered civilian vehicles—to reconnoiter the Neufchâteau-Bastogne road at Petit-Rosière.

Petit-Rosière, Belgium circa 1940

Battlefield

The Petit-Rosière we are concerned with is found in the Belgian provice of Luxembourg, less than 15 kilometres from the country of Luxembourg and two kilometres west of Nives. The village lies astride the Neufchâteau-Bastogne highway where a tributary of the Sûre River, known alternatively as the Rosière or the Hache, cuts the road. Easy to miss today, the stream forms a key component of my scenario, dividing the battlefield in two. Petit-Rosière is situated on the northern bank. About a kilometre south, on the opposite side of the valley is Vaux-lez-Rosières.¹ Between these points, on the south side of the bridge, are two collections of farm buildings flanking the highway. Based on current photographs, at least one stone building on either side of the road appears to predate 1940. 

Rather than resort to overlays—I find stream overlays especially fiddly—I went with board 66, from Winter Offensive Bonus Pack 4 (2013). A stream conveniently bisects board 66. The board 66 hill was distinctly inconvenient. So I removed it with a Scenario Special Rule (SSR), deepened the stream (B20.43) and invoked Soft Ground (D8.21) at the same time. The impact of the latter changes will become apparent shortly.

 

Dispositions Petit-Rosière, Belgium 10 May 1940

The Hun

Lieutenant Obermeier didn’t have much to work with. Granted his was an élite force of men from the 11th and 12th Companies of III Battalion, Infantry Regiment Großdeutschland. Highly trained and motivated, they were nevertheless too few in number for the task assigned them. In addition to his marksmen, a couple of machine guns, and a Bulettenschmeisser, the young officer had an extra anti-tank rifle (ATR) at his disposal. Extra ATR had been issued as a priority, in anticipation of encountering enemy armor. The Allies wouldn’t disappoint.

Obermeier recognized that he lacked the resources to prevent his force from being swept aside. He needed to buy time. Hasty barricades would become the order of the day.

Panzerbüsche 39

The Gauls

You may recall that Lieutenant Obermeier (making like Steve McQueen in The Great Escape), had sped off from Nives on a purloined motorcycle, trailed by some of his men in a Belgian motorcar. When Obermeier’s flying circus neared Vaux-lez-Rosières around 1000, it ran headlong into an enemy reconnaissance detachment headed in the opposite direction. The French opened fire. The Germans turned back. And armored cars gave chase. 

Upon learning of the German invasion at 0640, the French began crossing into Belgium in accordance with pre-war plans. Around 0900, Sous-lieutenant Toussaint, the commander of a motorcycle platoon in the 5e division légère de cavalerie (5e DLC), had left Neufchâteau for Bastogne. Also under his (temporary) command were four “Pan-Pans.”² French doctrine called for a platoon of Panhard 178, or AMD 35 (French Vehicle Note 18), in tandem with a motorcycle platoon, to operate as a reconnaissance detachment. Toussaint’s détachement de découverte 2, or DD.2, though capable of rapid movement, was effectively restricted to roads. Barriers, natural or manmade, could bring these fast movers to a grinding halt. 

In his after-action report, Toussaint described how his detachment was “delayed by abattis” before it “came into contact with the enemy at 10 o’clock at Petite-Rosière.” I don’t know what to make of felled trees and poles blocking the road well south of Petit-Rosière. Nothing in German accounts would lead me to believe that the Obermeier’s men were responsible for this barrier. Whatever the case, the lead Panhard didn’t come under fire until it closed on Petit-Rosière. There it was hit twice by ATR rounds that penetrated its armor.

Following an initial skirmish, the French abandoned their rush. Any plan to turn the enemy flank involved fording the stream, something the Panhards were ill suited to undertake. And so the detachment withdrew to where it could keep the Germans under observation without putting its Panhards at further risk of ATR fire.

In “Tag Team,” the French are in play for three full turns. During this time, the French Sniper cannot be activated, although it can be the target of the German Sniper. Play tests have shown that despite its small size, the French force can have a significant impact on the scenario. In one game, for instance, the German 9-2 leader was eliminated in Close Combat (CC) before the French departed. Most of the time attrition is less pronounced. Some plays will see the Germans lose only a half-squad (HS). Of course, the Germans can choose to leave the area south of the bridge undefended in the hope that they will avoid suffering any casualties. This gambit may work. However, in ceding the south bank to the Allies initially, it can be difficult to get units over the bridge later in the scenario. And having at least one HS on the south side of the stream is often what wins the game for the defender. 

Even so, one shouldn’t discount what three turns of fire can do to German positions, regardless of which side of the bridge they’re on. In a test earlier this month, I was surprised at how effective the Main Armament (MA) of an AMD 35 could be. For those just tuning in, the MA of the French Armored Car is a 25mm cannon. On the ASL counter the calibre of this weapon is underscored, meaning that it has no High Explosive (HE) rounds. Therefore, when targeting Personnel, the gun’s Armor Piercing (AP) round is said to have an HE equivalent (C8.31) of one Fire Power (FP) on the Infantry Fire Table (IFT). Laughable, I know. That is, until your 9-2 leader fails a Morale Check (MC) after one of these pop guns finds its mark in your virtually impregnable stone building!

Automitrailleuse de Découverte (AMD) 35 - Panhard 178

Les amis

On the morning of the 10th, Capitaine Berger’s 10e Cie moto du 2e Division de Chasseurs Ardennais (2e DChA) was in regimental reserve near Bastogne. Most of it, anyway. Half a platoon of motorcyclists, together with the company’s three Auto blindee mitrailleuse T-15—which despite their official designation, were light tanks (Belgian Vehicle Note 17), not armored cars—were deployed in the Ourthe valley between Houffalize and Laroche, some 15 kilometres northwest of Bastogne. Relax! Tanks won’t be on the test.

After multiple orders, counter-orders and delays, the 10th Motorcycle Company finally moved out, joined by four T-13 tank destroyers. Berger’s slow-to-react force had been directed to help contain the airlandings reported near Léglise. Ironically, this is where Obermeier’s company commander had landed in error, along with the rest of 11th Company and its engineer attachments. The Belgian column never got that far. 

Around 1300 a T-13 fell victim to the unexpected German presence at Petit-Rosière. The vehicle caught fire as its ammunition exploded. Once the shock had worn off, and unaware of how strong the enemy actually was, Berger’s men likely probed the German lines for weaknesses. At some point they may have concluded that there was no way to bypass the enemy position in time to reach Léglise. Details of the battle are hard to find. But we do know that at 1500 the Belgians were ordered to retire. 

Belgian sources don’t discriminate between T-13 models. ASL does. I included a mix of each. The later version was in many respects comparable to the Panzerjäger I (German Vehicle Note 43), another early-war tank destroyer. The German vehicle had a Czech 4.7 cm KPÚV vz. 38 (see Slovak Ordnance Note 29) mounted on the chassis of a PzKpfw I. The T-13 Type III (Belgian Vehicle Note 16) had a made-in-Belgium Canon anti-char de 47mm Fonderie Royale de Canons Modèle 1931—what ASL refers to as the C47 FRC M32 (Belgian Ordnance Note 9)—mounted in a small turret. 

As far as Armored Fighting Vehicles (AFV) go, the T-13 III benefits from having a coaxial machine gun (CMG). You may not be impressed by its low FP, but the CMG does offer some insurance against Close Combat attacks. The MA is also an improvement over the MA of the AMD, which lacks HE. The pluses end there however. Weak armor makes Belgian AFV more vulnerable to ATR strikes than AMD 35 are. Both types of T-13 III are also prone to Brew Up (D5.7), as indicated by the red Crew Survival Number on the back of the counter. If you think that’s bad, spare a thought for the directionally-challenged model. 

Belgian T-15 tank and T-13 tank destroyers

Granted the T-13 II (Belgian Vehicle Note 15) is also equipped with a C47 FRC M32 cannon and a CMG. But bringing these to bear is a little more, shall we say, awkward. I won’t bore you with why these weapons point in the wrong direction. They do. And that leads to all sorts of awkwardness in ASL. For starters, the MA is mounted in a turret with a traverse deliberately oriented to fire through the rear of the vehicle’s covered arc (VCA). Before the turret can be rotated to face threats from the side or front of the vehicle, the driver must disembark. Armor plates that would otherwise protect the crew must then be lowered to provide unimpeded traverse of the cannon. There are three plates or shields, one each side of the forward crew compartment, and one facing forward, with a vision slit for the driver when the shields are raised. More on the front shield in a moment.

Considering the time needed to change turret covered arc (TCA), the vehicle note instructs players that the T-13 II must be stopped to change TCA and may not change TCA in the same Phase (MPh and DFPh being counted as one phase) of any player turn it fires its MA/CMG and/or moves. But wait there’s more!

On the T-13 II counter there’s a black star symbol next to a “T” below the Armor Factors (D1.6). This indicates that the turret/upper-superstructure Aspect (C3.9) of the rear Target Facing is unarmored (D1.22). That’s because the turret isn’t fully enclosed. Therefore, the vehicle itself is treated as unarmored to any hit that strikes the rear turret facing. In practical terms this measurably improves the prospect of destroying the tank destroyer. For example, at a range of seven hexes, an ATR hit on the rear hull would require a To Kill DR ≤ 4 to destroy the vehicle. However, a hit on the rear turret would succeed with a To Kill DR ≤ 6.

The lack of armor on the rear turret also puts the crew at risk of breaking. Rather than Stun, an unprotected crew (D5.311) will break if it fails a MC and is thus compelled to rout from the vehicle! If moving or in Motion when this occurs, the vehicle will automatically Stop, without expending a Stop Movement Point (MP).

It gets better, or worse, depending on which side you’re rooting for. If the TCA isn’t aligned with the rear VCA, a Direct Fire attack emanating from outside the TCA treats the turret aspect as unarmored and the crew as unprotected. Additionally, the crew only receives a +1 Crew Exposed Dice Roll Modifier (CE DRM) versus Indirect Fire (C.1) instead of the normal entitlement of +2 (D5.31). In other words, only when the TCA matches the rear VCA of the T-13 II, does the crew receive the +2 CE DRM to fire emanating from outside the TCA or VCA. The +2 DRM presumably has to do with the side shields being raised when the turret is facing directly to the rear. But did you catch the distinction?

Belgian T-13 Type II tank destroyer

Unless the TCA is aligned with the VCA, incoming fire traced through the VCA always treats the crew as unprotected. For some reason ASL ignores the front shield, assuming either that it can’t be raised or that it doesn’t exist. I think this unfairly penalizes the T-13 II. At the same time, ASL fails to take into consideration the lack of armor on the rear portion of the improved, but still vulnerable, T-13 III turret, which is never treated as unarmored.³ 

If this all seems complicated. It is. Which is why I strongly urge you to read the vehicle note more than once.

T-13 Types II and III Armored - Unarmored -Unprotected

Encore! Encore!

The French would renew their attack that evening. At 1730 Capitaine Fontant arrived with two platoons of his motorized dragoons from the 15e Régiment de dragons portés and six Automitrailleuse de reconnaissance or AMR 33 (French Vehicle Note 2), bolstered by Aspirant Guignard’s Hotchkiss tanks. Panzerbüchse proved no match for the thicker armor of the Char léger modèle 1939 H—H39 (French Vehicle Note 7) in ASL parlance, and Obermeier wisely withdrew eastward. As dusk fell, however, the French halted their advance after encountering what later proved to be a dummy barrier on the highway. Next morning lead elements of 2. Panzer-Division entered Nives.

Blind tagged

A blind tag is a term used in so-called professional wrestling. It’s an orchestrated means of switching entertainers, sorry wrestlers, supposedly without their opponent’s knowledge. It’s tiresome theatre designed to “confuse” a fighter prone to being duped. The mug faces what he perceives to be his active threat only to be blindsided by a second fighter, usually from behind, who had tagged his partner without the mug being any the wiser. There isn’t much chance of this happening in “Tag Team.” Still, it’s easy for the German player to get distracted and be out of position when the Belgians stop waffling and ride into town from the opposite direction.

The Allies can come out on top in one of two ways. They can remove the roadblocks for an immeditate victory. Or they can free a given stretch of road from potential enemy fire. Because the barriers are hastily constructed, they can be pushed aside easier, especially with the help of a T-13 roadblock wrecker. This prevents, or ought to prevent, the Germans from playing hide-and-seek all day. At some point, the defenders need to poke their heads up and fire, or risk losing the game outright. 

If you’re a sucker for tin cans and pop guns, you’ll want to give “Tag Team” a test drive. And if you’re a fan of fighting on two fronts, what are you waiting for? Check out articles about my other scenarios here. Sign up to play test today!

Notes

1. Vaux-lez-Rosières is also called Vaux-sur-Sûre, after the stream-like river that runs through town. In case you were wondering, Rosière-la-Grande is also on the north bank, only further west.

2. The commander of DD.2 was Captain de Canchy. However, he was on on leave when the Germans invaded and would rejoin his detachment on the night of 10-11 May. 

3. In my opinion, both vehicles should be considered partially-armored given that their turrets weren’t fully enclosed, as shown in contemporary photographs. The armor shields are a little more difficult to model in ASL. Ignoring the many possible combinations of this or that shield being up or down, it could be treated in one of two ways. For instance, there could be a default state where as many shields as possible are raised after the turret is traversed. Or a counter could be used to indicate the status of the shields: up or down, with the latter state permitting unrestricted traverse while this condition persists. For ease I have chosen to ignore the obvious inconsistencies between the current ASL treatment of the T-13 and what my research has revealed. Having said that, feel free to agree to improvise.

Tug of War - August 1940

Tug of War - August 1940

A dust-free, desert dustup in the thorny Horn of Africa beckons.

Welcome to the eighth in a series of articles that preview designs that I’m busy developing for a future scenario pack. Eritreans and their Italian overlords face stiff resistant from what amounts to poster children of the British Empire. A medley of uncommon men are tasked with holding a key hill against a combined-arms force comprised of antiquated artillery pieces, modern Italian armour, and colonial infantry with more coraggio than your average Bersagliere. 

Almost two weeks into their invasion of British Somaliland, which began on 3 August 1940, the main Italian column remained held up by a line of hills overlooking the Hargeisa-Berbera road—the so-called Tug Argan Pass. Heavy rains had slowed the advance, snarling traffic on the muddy track that passed for the main road to the capital. Since the 11th, Italian bombers and artillerymen had been pounding the hills, reducing the defensive positions until, one by one, the hills began to fall to Eritrean infantry. On Observation Hill, the forwardmost position, Africans from Rhodesia and local Somalis had repulsed three such attacks. From their vantage point high above the flood plain, Vickers gunners had cut down enemy attackers as far away as Mill Hill, 1500 metres to the north. In response, artillery had been brought forward to within 650 metres, scoring two direct hits on the loopholes of Somali dugouts. The carnage resumed on the afternoon of the 15th with a violent, two-hour bombardment that presaged another combined-arms assault.

Italian invasion of (British) Somaliland Protectorate - August 1940

Late to the party, again!

Owners of the 2021 edition of Hollow Legions may be aware that an updated version of Scott Holst’s “Showdown at Tug Argan Pass” was reprinted in the Italian core module. First published by Avalon Hill in ASL Annual ‘92, Scott’s work remains the only “official” scenario set in British Somaliland. Admittedly, the Italian conquest of the Somaliland Protectorate was done and dusted in little more than two weeks. And the lack of interest in another colonial sideshow is understandable given the paucity of historical accounts and the nature of the theatre. Chapter F, the ASL rule set dedicated primarily to desert warfare in North Africa, has never enjoyed widespread appeal. At best a niche area within the hobby, East Africa is arguably even less popular than the Western Desert is. The brief Somaliland campaign nonetheless has its share of ASL fodder. Mike Augustine, a Florida-based designer, agrees. 

Scenario 262 "Showdown at Tug Organ Pass" [2021 version]

You may recall that “Day of the Jackals” is my take on the battle of Kuneitra, Syria in June 1941. I began  work on the scenario in 2022. Lionel Colin beat me to the punch, publishing his version of the battle in early 2023. “Tug of War” has likewise been under development for some time. Yet again, someone has beaten me to it—that someone being the aforementioned Augustine character. Mike’s “Lazarus Wilson” appeared in the October 2023 issue of Rally Point. That same month he kindly shared some of his design insight. While our designs share some similarities, it fascinates me just how different they are. I’ll touch on a few of these differences throughout this post, demonstrating in the process how we overcame certain design challenges, for instance. 

Battlefield

“Showdown” takes place astride “Punjabi Ridge,” in honour of the stretched-thin D Company, 3/15th Punjab Regiment that manned this section of the line. Four kilometres to the west lies Height 3150, dubbed Observation Hill by British headquarters. 

I’ve never been to Somaliland, as it calls itself today. In late 1992, the Canadian Airborne Regiment was ordered to deploy to Bosaso, a city on the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden in northeastern Somalia. I’ve read that Bosaso was originally called Bender Cassim, after the legendary Somali trader Bandar Qasim, who set up shop nearby in the 14th century. It is said that Qasim’s favourite camel was named Boosaas, hence the city’s name. And as it happens, Bosaso is within camel-spitting distance of the border between Somali and Somaliland—in 1940 and now.

Camels don’t actually spit. They regurgiate the contents of their stomach, along with  saliva and phlegm, launching their sputum in response to a preceived threat. And surprising as it may seem, their effective range is shorter than the 25-kilometre distance to the border. But you get the idea.¹ 

Camel Country - Somalia

Whereas much of former Italian Somaliland, or modern-day Somalia, is low lying and relatively level, (British) Somaliland has a mountainous spine extending eastward from Ethiopia and running the length of the former British Protectorate. At the westernmost point of the Assa Range lies Tug Argan, a broad, dry and sandy riverbed, a tug or khor. Isolated hilltops form an arc extending northwestward to series a lower hillsides. Dug in on the latter was 3/15th Punjab Regiment less D Company. To their south, spaced roughly two kilometres apart were four hills defended by rifle companies of the 1st Battalion, Northern Rhodesia Regiment (1 NRR) unevenly reinforced with indigenous soldiers and other colonial assets. From north to south were Black, Knobbly, Mill, and Observation hills. The Hargeisa-Berbera road wound between the two southernmost sentinels, edging closest to Observation Hill. Battalion headquarters occupied Castle Hill some five kilometres to the northeast.

Battle for Tug Organ Pass - 11-18 August 1940

Mr. Holst replicated “Punjabi Ridge” with board 25. Surrounded on three sides by flood plains, Observation Hill called for a different approach. Mr. Augustine opted for a pair of hilllock overlays on desert boards. For my part, I was sorely tempted to use one of Le Franc Tireur’s gorgeous arid boards, released last year in their LFT No.15 magazine. Board LFT 8 is close to ideal, in part, because both low and high ground are peppered with scrub (F2.) and Hammada (F3.). And while there is a road on LFT 8, it doesn’t traverse any hill hexes and could therefore serve as the Hargeisa-Berbera road.

The missing link - arid boards such as board LFT8, a stunner!

Instead, I’ve broken with convention and combined one part Europe with three parts Africa. My decision necessitated some compromises. For example, I initially transformed those pesky European woods into candelabra trees (F13.7). A candelabra tree is a type of drought-resistant succulent endemic to the Horn of Africa. The tree can be found in dry, partially wooded grasslands and rocky slopes. 

Added to Chapter F in 2021, F13.7 substitutes candelabra trees for scrub. Like woods, candelabra trees have a +1 Terrain Effects Modifier (TEM). Candelabra trees are also a +1 Hindrance to same-level Line of Sight (LOS), meaning they’re a half-level hindrance (A6.7) like brush. However, like orchards, candelabra trees are Inherent Terrain (B.6). Finally, unlike scrub (F2.3), candelabra trees are unconditional Concealment Terrain (A12.12). The photograph below notwithstanding, it’s clear from the updated F. Desert Terrain Chart that candelabra trees aren’t an obstacle to LOS to or from a higher elevation.

And now for something completely different: candelabra trees (F13.7).

But I wasn’t (that) interested in converting scrub into tree-sized succulents. Rather I wanted to convert unwanted trees into succulents. I mean, isn’t F13.7 just begging to be abused? Speaking of tormented artists, Tom Repetti graciously offered to create a Scenario Board Overlay (SBO) to suit. (A repeat offender, he recently whipped up a wintry SBO for another of my esoteric creations, as featured in my previous post.) Perhaps wisely, moderation trumped my desire for scenario succulence and I traded exotic for mundane. Woods became brush. Orchards morphed into cactus patches (B14.7), what I like to think of as light rubble.² 

Another Scenario Special Rule (SSR) that bit the dust was Steep Hills (W1.3), a port from the Korean War rule set. Steep Hills are Concealment Terrain (W1.31) in the same way scrub is. And get this! An Open Ground Steep Hills hex isn’t considered Open Ground (A10.531) for concealment gain or loss purposes, regardless of whether First Fire Movement in the Open (FFMO) applies! With Steep Hills in effect, even Dummy stacks can set up in Open Ground hill hexes and move from one to another with unruly abandon. Rule W1.3 also restricts vehicle entry, entirely if roads are removed by SSR. As useful as Steep Hills are, I can appreciate how their inclusion might dissuade the less adventurous from reading beyond SSR 1. Without Steep Hills in play though, I had to bar vehicles from entering hill hexes—one look at the hill below shows why. 

Observation Hill à la Chapter F et VASL.

Board 88 is the uninhabited half of a “double-wide” map from ASL Action Pack 17 (2021). If we ignore the water hole in U7—an actual waterhole did exist beside the Argan near Darboruk a few kilometres to the east—the higher-numbered half of the map is a passable proxy for Observation Hill. One change I did muck about with was hex CC6. According to a number of accounts, there was an observation post at the summit constructed of large blocks of rock and concrete. In order to recreate this feature I (briefly) considered using overlay X12. A collection of tightly packed stone buildings (with a +4 TEM) that rest on a single-hex hill surrounded by cliff hexsides (F12.43). 

Eschewing overlays for all but my DASL scenario, I cobbled together an elaborate SSR that raised the height of CC6 to level 4 and plopped a 360-degree pillbox on top. I whittled the SSR down further until only the pillbox remained. At the same time, I removed the special tunnels that connected the “eyrie” to adjacent lower Locations. More on tunnels in a moment, but suffice it to say that if recording them was tedious, keeping track of them wasn’t worth the added aggravation. 

Observation Hill

Thorn bush, laid some four to five metres deep, and barbed-wire wire entanglements guarded the approaches to height 3150. The hill was also strewn with adeptly camouflaged natural and artificial caves, many of which had been reinforced.³ I haven’t taken the reference to caves too literally, but I have tried to retain their effects on the battle. These effects manifest themselves in three ways. First, the caves are represented by Cave counters (G11.1). Before you get your head in a Japanese topknot, these counters are treated as 1-4-6 pillboxes (B30.1). The second wrinkle is that in addition to setting up hidden in any hill hex save crag, a pillbox remains hidden until an occupant fires or the fortification is revealed as per E1.16.⁴ The third element is the ability to connect a pillbox with another pillbox or trench. As I hinted earlier, pillboxes in earlier drafts were connected by tunnels (B8.6). But I scrapped them. Players are nevertheless free to create bunkers (B30.8) by positioning trenches, provided in the Allied order of battle (OB), accordingly.

Acting Captain Eric Charles Twelves Wilson goes to war.

Contrary to what the fanciful drawing above might lead you to believe, the overwhelming majority of those fighting and dying to hold Observation Hill were indigenous Africans, natives of Northern Rhodesia and the British Somaliland Protectorate. Take, for example, Acting Captain Eric Wilson—the gunner in the scene above and commander of the Somaliland Camel Corps (SCC) Machinegun (MG) Company. When he sustained the eye injury shown in the drawing, the same artillery round killed a Somali Sergeant at his side. Somalis like Sergeant Omar Kujoog played a key role on 15 August 1940, as they do in my ASL portrayal of the battle. An SSR reflects this.⁵

However, the primary defenders of Observation Hill were the men of A Company, 1st Battalion, Northern Rhodesia Regiment, askaris from disparate tribes with a sprinking of white officers and other ranks posted to the SCC from Southern Rhodesia. Rhodesian numbers, like those of the Somalis fighting alongside them, had dwindled in the days leading up to 15 August. Italian bombers and artillery pulverized the hill. At the same time, the defenders began to run short of water and ammunition. Two SSR address this state of affairs, one of which should be obvious. A de facto “walking wounded” SSR—modelled on similar rules found in historical modules such as A Bridge Too Far and Pegasus Bridge—seemed a good fit, degrading the performance of all Allied units equally. 

Roll of Honour - Black Rhodesians who fell defending Observation Hill on 15 August 1940 

It’s telling that more than 40 percent of the names of Rhodesian servicemen inscribed on the Hargeisa Memorial (as having no known grave) died on Observation Hill on 15 August.  Serving alongside them on that fateful day were three Australian sailors.

Although the invaders fielded fewer than ten actual tanks, the Allied force was wholly lacking in anti-tank (AT) guns, or armour for that matter. Desperate times being what they were, the Captain of HMAS Hobart, an Australian light cruiser on station in the Gulf of Aden, offered his 3-pounder Hotchkiss M1886 saluting gun as a makeshift anti-tank weapon. Jerry-rigged to a 44-gallon drum on Observation Hill, three ratings with about 30 rounds of semi-armour-piercing ammunition (SAP) were assigned to operate the obsolete weapon.  

In ASL terms, we’d normally be talking about a 47mm gun with a long or “L” barrel. Given the cumbersome setup, which degraded performance substantially, the gun could manage only one round every few minutes. Accuracy was, as to be expected, hit-and-miss. My original draft called for a Canon Antichar de 47 SA mle 37 APX (French Ordnance Note 6) to sub for the naval gun. Because SAP is made of mild rather than carbon steel, I doubted the gun could perform anywhere near as well as the ASL standin. Martin Vicca suggested a To Kill Number (C7.31) of 8 instead of 11 normally assigned to a “47L.” I have heeded his advice. 

Mike Augustine went with a Type 1 Machine-Moved Gun (Japanese Ordnance Note 8), another contemporary 47mm AT Gun with a long barrel. As my scenario evolved, it became apparent that the Canon de 37 mle 16 TR (French Ordnance Note 8) was literally a better fit. Going with this Support Weapon (SW) in place of a Gun, I was able to remove two SSR at a stroke. As a SW (C9.2), the diminutive cannon isn’t subject to Covered Arc (CA) change penalties and I therefore had no need to specifiy that the naval gun be treated as having a 360° Mount (C2.3). The cannon’s status as a SW also prevents it from gaining Acquisition (C6.5), which I no longer needed to deny. Nor was there any change to the weapon's effect on Infantry, as both calibres equate to 4-Firepower (FP) on the Infantry Fire Table (IFT). The SSR is a little shorter as a result. You can thank me later.

His Majesty's Australian Shipmen and the Battle for Observation Hill

To sum up, three of the four SSR in “Tug of War” are wholly to do with the Allied side. One SSR describes how the fortifications work, another puts general and specific limits on Allied units and SW, while the last spells out how the Aussie “expeditionary force” fits into the picture.

The other askaris

The Divisione Speciale Harar, under General Carlo de Simone, formed the core of the Italian force in Somaliland. Along with perhaps 1000 Somali irregulars, the central column fielded XIII, XIV, and XV Colonial Brigades, almost the entirety of Italian armour in East Africa, and the lion’s share of artillery deployed in support of the campaign. For the attack on 15 August, de Simone committed his XIII Brigata di Fanteria Coloniale. Despite their numerical superiority, over the course of the past three days Eritrean infantry had suffered appalling casualties during their attempts to dislodge the defenders from their hilltop bastions. Indeed, by the end of the campaign the invaders had sustained roughly ten times as many casualties as their opponents had. Accounts nonetheless praise the steadfastness of Eritrean infantry. 

Introduced in the third edition of Hollow Legions, Ethiopians are treated as Allied Minors (A25.93) and Eritreans as Italian allies (A25.66).⁶ Compared to their Ethiopian cousins, Eritreans were generally more reliable, their fire discipline reportedly less so. Still, there isn’t an Elite Eritrean squad class comparable to what the Ethiopians have. Having said that, Eritreans don’t degrade as much as Ethiopians (or Italians) do.⁷ As a matter of fact, there is no such thing as an Inexperienced (A19.2) Eritrean squad class. The resilence of Eritrean squads is also reflected in their broken Morale Level, which is the same as their unbroken Morale Level. Their junior leaders were also reportly competent. Initial test results suggest that the Eritreans bear up reasonably well to Allied fire in “Tug of War,” rallying when they do break, much better than their Italian counterparts would under the same circumstances. 

Eritreans upstage their colonial counterparts?

The Axis player has a choice of setting up on board or entering all or part of his Eritreans on Turn 1. Should the Axis take advantage of the second option, they can coordinate the entry of their Infantry with that of three M11/39 medium tanks (Italian Vehicle Note 7). The Italians had a half company of these new tanks in East Africa. Due to an SSR that prohibits vehicles from entering hill hexes, a “Mighty Double-One” won’t be storming the heights. Used wisely, the medium tanks do offer welcome support to the Eritreans who will bear the brunt of the fighting. Recognizing what these tanks have to offer is part of the challenge. The same goes for a pair of armoured cars that join the fun later on.

The Mighty Double-One in action - M11/39 in Somaliland, August 1940

In addition to the antiquated Lancia 1ZM (Italian Vehicle Note 19) that entered service in 1917, the Italians in East Africa operated the Fiat 611 (Italian Vehicle Note 20). Just ten were manufactured. All entered service with the Italian police in 1933. I can’t say whether any of these police cars had sirens. However, five were armed with turret-mounted, semi-automatic cannons, effectively the same Vickers-Terni gun mounted in the hull of the M11/39 tank! In ASL, this version of the car is referred to as the Fiat 611B. All five became property of the Italian army in 1935 and were shipped to Italian Somaliland where they quickly became embroiled in the conflict in neighbouring Ethiopia. 

In 1936 the Italian army appropriated the five remaining cars, sending them to East Africa. There, along with the surviving cars with 37mm guns, they eventually formed an armored car squadron within what became the Harar Special Division in June 1940.⁸ Only marginally more police-like, the new arrivals lacked the 37mm cannon. In its place were two Breda MG, each operated by a different crewmen. Both vehicle types had rear drivers and an aft-mounted Breda in the hull. Fun fact: the rear MG may be Removed (D 5.41) as a dismantled medium machine gun (MMG) during play. 

Since we’re on the subject of fun, I included armoured cars so that the Axis player would have more “Meccano” to play with. From the Allied perspective, fewer tanks is a mixed blessing. Although a Fiat 611 is easier to knock out than an M11/39 is, the twin MG of a Fiat 611A poses a more serious threat than a tank’s coaxial MG does. And since I replaced the 611B in earlier iterations of the scenario with a 611A, the Allies now face two beastly twin Bredas. 

For those insistent on historical accuracy, I confess that the presence of Fiats at Observation Hill on 15 August is highly speculative on my part. I can say, with much greater certainty, that if a Fiat 611A was present, it wouldn’t have had an MG mounted in the rear of its turret, as shown on the “official” ASL counter. Only the model with a 37mm gun had what ASL calls a “turret Rear MG” (D1.82).⁹ Aside from infrequent, erroneous drawings, I haven’t seen any documentary or photographic evidence to support the extra MG. Make what you will of this information, but I doubt it will have any impact on play. 

Fiddly Fiats in British Somaliland - August 1940

According to more than one account of the battle, Axis forces pushed their guns well forward in order to bring direct fire to bear on the caves and bunkers that had so far proven relatively bombproof. The only organic divisional artillery piece in the Harar Division was the dated Cannone da 77/28 (Italian Ordnance Note 9). Although one battery of Cannone da 105/28 (Italian Ordnance Note 13) had recently arrived at Tug Argan, it played no part in the battle of 15 August. Meanwhile, a battery of four Obice da 149/13 (Italian Ordnance Note 14), the only four of their kind in Italian East Africa, was still enroute to the front when the hill fell to the Eritreans that evening. The one artillery piece repeatedly cited in secondary sources as being present on the day was the Cannone da 65/17 (Italian Ordnance Note 6), of which there were more than 300 in theatre. By 1940, most of these hand-me-downs had been pawned off to the infantry, except, that is, in Africa where they could still be found in the artillery parks of colonial brigades. Indeed, each brigade at Tug Argan had its own artillery group of 65/17.

Some of you may recall that the 65/17 was featured in my previous post. For “Tug of War” I desperately wanted to include a rarity like the Cannone da 70/15 (Italian Ordnance Note 7). There were about 90 or so of these fossils in East Africa at the time. To my disappointment, all were then assigned to colonial formations in places like Mogadishu, in the southern part of Italian Somalialand. Although the 70/15 did see action against the Allies in 1941, it was hard to justify its inclusion in my tussle at the tug. 

However, even the 65/17, which unlike the 70/15 is capable of acquiring a target (C6.5), will have a tough time hitting hobbits deep in their hillside burrows. For example, a 65/17 that has acquired a 1+4-6 pillbox maximally at a range of 12 hexes, usually will score a hit on the occupants with a To Hit Dice Roll (DR) of ≤ 4. Moreover, an Original DR of 2 wouldn’t be a guaranteed Critical Hit (CH). Say what? (See my Sitrep post of 31 October 2021 for a detailed look at the subject.) 

It boils down to what you can reasonably expect from your artillerymen. If they’re to have a meaningful impact on the battle, the crews of your 65/17 probably need to get up close and personal. But don’t let me tell you how to fight. Have a look at the table below and draw your own conclusions. 

Getting the most out of your Cannone da 65/17. Click to enlarge any image.

Desert Lite

To paraphrase the famous 1973 advert: “Plays great. Less bloat.” Consider my scenario a way to reacquaint players with the desert without throwing the rule book at them. Apart from hammada and scrub, there’s little in “Tug of War” that can’t be found elsewhere in the rules outside Chapter F.¹⁰ 

I was concerned that the scenario might be a bit staid or dull for the Allied player. Even without the recent changes to the Victory Conditions, the Allies had to shift forces in order to meet developing threats to their positions. Once placed, fortifications are fixed. Units aren’t.

I’m reminded of “Timmy,” first introduced to me in 1980. Timmy was an army training aid: a long, heavy wooden pole. Timmy had no arms or legs, but loved to run. Walking wounded can’t run either. They need to improvise. So do Eritrean gunners, although in their case the “poles” have wheels. With only five-and-a-half turns on the clock, Axis units need to hustle if they are to secure one of the numbered heights on board 88 in time.

Wanna take a stab at “Tug of War?” Sign up to play test it today!

Notes

1. We never did deploy to Bosaso, by the way; we were based instead in Beledweyne—the provinical capital of Hiran, a 1000 kilometres or klicks to the south. While much of Somalia was reputedly starving, the port of Bosaso was too busy to notice as it exported not camels, but cattle, to Saudi Arabia! We had our unfair share of camels in 3 Commando’s area of operations. Cattle, not so much. Today, Hiran is one of three regions in Somalia that constitute the major sources of cattle raised for export to the Gulf States.

2. Rubble (B24.2) and cactus patches are Half‑Level Obstacles. Both (B14.7; B24.4) cost Infantry 3 Movement Factors (MF) to enter. Whereas wooden and stone rubble have a +2 TEM and +3 TEM (B24.3), respectively, a cactus patch has a +1 TEM (B14.7). Easy peasy.

3. I’m indebted to Thierry Gongorra for making me aware of Marek Sobski’s book on Italian operations in East Africa. Sobski’s account, based on Italian sources, filled in gaps that several British accounts didn't document.

4. In the context of this scenario, E1.16 means that a pillbox would be revealed if its protective TEM is used, or an enemy unit enters the hex containing the pillbox, or extra MF are used to enter or exit the pillbox in LOS of a Good Order enemy unit.

5. According to the British author Harry Fecitt, the SCC MG (or “B”) Company was composed of Yao in 1940, Muslim tribesmen from Nyasaland, now Malawi. Fecitt also records that when the British withdrew from Somaliland in August 1940, they took the Yao from B Company with them, using them to fill the ranks of their countrymen in the 2nd (Nyasaland) Battalion, The King’s African Rifles, or simply 2 KAR. (See my battle map in this post, which shows 2 KAR deployed in depth at Tug Argan.) However, I haven’t found anything pointing to the presence of Yao on Observation Hill per se, certainly not in any of the many accounts I have read of the action. The British had recruited a company of Yao for service in the Somaliland Protectorate during the mid 20s. The Yao replaced the Somalis of B Company who had refused to fire on their own countryment engaged in civil unrest. But apart from that I can find no mention of these Yao tribesmen being deployed at Tug Argan. 

It’s also worth noting that in 1931 the Nyasaland MG Company became motorized. In fact, by 1939 only one rifle company of the SCC retained camel mounts. A second rifle company was mounted on horses, the remainder rode trucks, when available. One thing I can claim unequivocally is that no camels were harmed in the breaking of this scenario. The same couldn’t be said of the poor camel that our three-man recce patrol came across one night. In the darkness we listened as Somalis slaughtered the beast in slow motion, its cries of agony breaking the desert stillness with each blow of a dull machete.

6. Multi-Man Publishing added Ethiopian and Eritrean orders of battle, and rules describing their capabilities, to this module in order to play scenarios (likewise included) from Soldiers of the Negus (SoN). Previously published by the third-party publisher ELR, SoN is concerned with the Second Italo-Abyssinian War of 1935-36. The Eritrean counters and rules supplied in Hollow Legions remain useful, however, for recreating actions that took place in East Africa during the Second World War. 

7. For a breakdown of Ethiopian squad classes see my scenario Tin Omen, where I repurposed these Allied Minors (A25.93). 

8. A separate section of older Lancia 1ZM armored cars also fell under the command of the Harar sector. If not relegated to patrolling the main supply route or similar police duties, they may well have been operationally active in British Somaliland. But I have no evidence to suggest that this was the case.

9. See, for example, Filippo Cappellano and Pier Paolo Battistelli, Italian Armoured and Reconnaissance Cars 1911-45, Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2018, p. 10.

10. If you want to quibble, an Emplaced Gun (C11.2) is treated differently if it sets up on a desert board. Rule F.1A states that such a Gun is considered Emplaced only if it sets up hidden or concealed in Concealment Terrain, in Sand (7.41), or in a trench. With neither Sand nor trenches on board 31, Italian Guns may only set up Emplaced in one of five scrub hexes. I’ll leave you to decide whether Emplacement is desirable in the context of “Tug of War.”