Near Bizerte, Tunisia --- The Pillbox

A GENERAL PETTYGREE BATTLESTORY

THE PILLBOX

Date: Spring 1943 

Location: North Africa, Northeast Tunisia Near Bizerte
Situation: The Pillbox
Imagineered From History Using What We Have
Solo Tabletop Game Using Home Rules and 28mm Miniatures

You will perhaps give me the honour recalling my previous Battlestory from Tunisia. It related Colonel von Recker's surrendering the last Afrika Korps Battlegroup in the land of Ancient Carthage. For your convenience, if needed, memories may be refreshed here.

https://northafricancampaigning.blogspot.com/2021/04/tunisgrad-nord-afrika.html

and

https://northafricancampaigning.blogspot.com/2021/05/tunisgrad-nord-afrika-2-das-ende.html

Now let's meet Jack, Colonel Brand and others as they continue to the seacoast to end the campaign in North Africa. --- Click on photos to enlarge them.

CHAPTER 1--- THE HALT

"See anything, Jack?"

"Nuthin', mate. The last remnant of the vaunted Afrika Korps surrendered with von Recker last week. Now here we are in Wadi Uh Noh smell'n the sea air drifting inland."

"Suppose some didn't get the word to stand down? Eh Jacko?" 

"Give it a rest then, Tim. Havoc stop! Radio the Colonel we've arrived at today's destination and all is clear."

"Colonel Brand, Sir, Havoc reports they've halted at the village north edge and all is clear."

"Very well. Halt the column under cover. We'll have a look around and take a rest break. I'll shift forward to see for myself though."

"Bottle of fig wine, Engleeschman offizier?"

"No thank you. Fig wine? Well, what do you know?"

"Only fifty pence. Bargain. Forty pence?"

"NO! We don't want any carpets. For the love of...."

"A good shady spot Tim. The column's come round taking what cover there is. Do you have any Lucky Strikes left?"

"Sure. Time for a peaceful smoke. --- Wait, you hear something, Jack?"

CHAPTER 2 --- BIRDS OF PREY

"Allierten soldaten in die Wadi Uh Noh. --- Vorwärts."

"Allied soldiers in [the] Wadi Uh Noh. --- Forward."

"Ach ja! Sherman panzer, links, zehn Uhr. --- Angriff!"

"Oh yes! Sherman tank, left, ten o'clock. --- Attack!"

"Take cover!"

"Auf Wiedersehen, nichts! --- Und Sie, mein Freund?"

"Until we meet again, not. --- And you my friend?"

"Artillerie kampfwagon."

"Artillery [halftrack]."

"Zurück."

"Back."

"Stukas at 12 o'clock, Bert"

"I see 'em Allan.

"Fire."

"I got him Allan!"

"Steady mate. There's one more and yours is still flying. --- Never mind! 109s at 11 o'clock. Follow me to engage."

LATER

"Make a decent line. --- The show's over."

"Colonel Brand, what happened to the dive bombers?"

"Our chaps chased them until German fighters intervened. As near as I could see at this distance, nothing was shot down though one Stuka was trailing smoke."

"Our only loss and a cruel one was the Sherman. Sergeant Buckmaster, set up a perimeter. Then find me for tomorrow's orders to attack the pillbox."

CHAPTER 3 --- EARLY NEXT MORNING

Right Flank

"Sergeant Buckmaster. Two kilometers this way is a large tree with lots of cover overlooking the pillbox. There were no Germans or Italians anywhere. They were probably hid'n behind the coastal ridge or gone."

"Very good. Forward men."

"This is the tree lads. Latham and Grimm take the left. Borg and Roget take post on the right. The rest of you bed down. Quiet and no cigarettes."

"When will the attack begin Sergeant?"

"Just after dawn when Havoc makes her clever move behind us."

Dawn

"Oi Jacko, I sure wish we still had the tank!"

"Yeah well mate, that French 75mm over there is potent enough, I guess." 

"Sun's up. Let's recheck the halftrack."

"You know Larry, I think we ain't goin' home again after today."

"Shut up Tim. You drive proper at speed an' we'll get through."

"Radio message com'n in from Colonel Brand, Jacko."

"And he sez?"

"Release the fox."

"Alright, start her up and let's make a big fuss so Jerry sees us before the others."

"God help us!"

Left Flank

Brand's Mobile Force in lorries on loan from USA General Patton. 

"See the pillbox, Colonel?"

"I do Lieutenant Darby, clear as day."

"Give the order to Havoc, release the fox."

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CLOSING REMARKS

The rest of the story will be played using Fog of War dicing for German numbers, ammunition available and overall morale. The campaign is within hours of ending in favor of the Allies. Will the Germans obey a hold at all costs order or not. Dice will decide.

Come back in January 2022 for the finish.

Thank you for looking in. Comments welcome.

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TUNISGRAD, NORD AFRIKA 2 "DAS ENDE"

 A GENERAL PETTYGREE BATTLESTORY

IN TWO CHAPTERS

Date: Spring 1943 
Location: North Africa, Northeast Tunisia Near Bizerte
Situation: Von Recker's Last Stand
Imagineered From History Using What We Have

Tabletop Game Using Home Rules and 28mm Miniatures

Players: Chuck The Lucky and yours truly, Bill P.

See Chapter 1 here

https://northafricancampaigning.blogspot.com/2021/04/tunisgrad-nord-afrika.html

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Chapter 2 "Das Ende"

Colonel von Recker and General Pettygree continue conversing about the Battle of Metline.

North Sector

"By the time the Americanische 1st Armored Division's...."

"Vanguard arrived and approached the north and south Metline heights, we were deployed and waiting for them."

"Everyone was carefully concealed within the ancient Carthaginian temple ruins or behind rises in the ground."

"For a time near the north sector ruins, their tank commanders stood in open hatches peering through binoculars until they thought differently. Perhaps they saw movement on our part." 

"Whatever it was, they suddenly disappeared below slamming hatches closed above them resuming forward movement."

"As they trundled forward our defenders began to show themselves preparing to fire. We engaged with the Marder and anti-tank gun to no effect."

"The Americans rushed forward like cavalry outflanking us. Our infantry did execution among the Yankees but that was not enough. It was at this point that....

"Kapitain Boelke summoned his courier."

"Kurt, tell Colonel von Recker, we are outflanked, the Marder is destroyed, our shells are defective and we're falling back --- to prevent capture. Schnell!" 

"It was not long before Americanische panzer and motorized infantry ascended and occupied the height. Boelke managed to escape with his infantry and somehow hooked up the anti-tank gun bringing it back to our final defensive line."

South Sector

"The southern height we initially occupied fared worse. Our infantry prone behind dirt mounds (not shown) were hit by high explosive rounds and immediately retreated below a distant crest. Our remaining Marder was pummeled by the Americans."

"The Marder as well as our only remaining armored car were lost at this point. Our defective shells and accurate enemy firepower  stunned us. The Americans were thought to be green and therefore ineffective. This was not the case. However, their infantry suffered a high rate of casualties from our infantry."

"They rushed forward causing our previously concealed infantry to rapidly fall back to our final defensive position mentioned moments ago.

"There was only one card left for me to play."

"Schuelemann's Panzer Mark VI Tiger appeared stopping the American advance. This allowed us to regroup behind the Metline rivulet. The Americans needed to regroup as well."

DAS ENDE (The End)

"Once again our survivors were carefully concealed as...."

"The Americans came toward us."

"Even crossing the bridge that our Tiger could not cross without collapsing it."

"We were waiting for the right moment to open fire with a Mark IV held in reserve and the redeployed anti-tank gun."

"The Sherman was hit and...."

"Taken out of the fight. Minutes later...."

"Our Mark IV was knocked out."

"Schuelemann's Tiger suffered a lucky strike."

"More Americans came from the ruins  eventually...."

"Easily crossing the stream to...."

"Overwhelm our last heavy weapon."

"More enemy came forward."

"Boelke rallied his men but it was the end. There was nothing more to do for honour and comrades. Surviving and captivity was all that was left." 

SURRENDER

"As an American P-40 flew overhead, we assembled in Metline."

"For terms and departure."

"Terms were naturally unconditional."

"One of the American panzer crews decided to...."

"Take a look at the Tiger. I later learned they were amazed by it."

So now for me this wretched war and madness is over. It was soon time to depart but not before I was given the kind opportunity to change into my more formal uniform. General Pettygree that is the story of Metline." 

CLOSING REMARKS

Metline was a two-player, two-session tabletop game for Chuck The Lucky and myself. We used my home rules featuring fast movement, easy fire mechanisms and a feature to end the battle to redeploy without the necessity to move units doing so and spending precious time too. The latter is what happened after Schuelemann's Tiger appeared. We stopped the game and redeployed all forces.

Fog Of War Funny Thing! I utterly forgot about the Mark IV Panzer until von Recker redeployed east of the Metline Stream. How's that for game fog of war folks?

Not a big game but it was stimulating, fun and offered an opportunity to use 28mm collections not often used.

Thank you for looking in. I really appreciate you doing so.

Your comments are welcome, if you please, below.

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