Units have been assigned their 1st day Operations. On the morning of December 30, 1944, the 87th Infantry Division will launch attacks along the length of the front. The initial objectives are the villages of Vesqueville, Moircy and Remagne. The 345th and 346th Infantry Regiments will take part in the operation with the 347th Regiment acting as Division Reserve. At this time the main supporting elements of the division are not in position to support the attack to include the Division Artillery, 312th Combat Engineers and 761st Tank Battalion.

The map below shows the situation as of 2300 hours, December 29, 1944. This overlay shows the 87th Division in their preliminary positions. As mentioned, much of the Division’s supporting units are “enroute” on the roads leading into the Assembly Area and are not expected to be available until sometime late in the day on the 30th.

Blue Arrows indicate the individual BTN attack routes for the morning of December 30, 1944.

• 1/346 – Clear the area from Vesqueville to the West.
• 2/346 – Clear the Bois de Freux and cut the Vesqueville-Moircy highway.
• 3/346 – Pass through Vesqueville and the Bois de Vesquevill, sweeping to the NorthWest in an effort to cut off Vesqueville from St. Hubert.

• 1/345 – Assault and capture Moircy.
• 2/345 – Support 11 Armored Division (coming up from Rondu/Nimbermont) in the Assault and capture of Remagne.
• 3/345 – Sweep through the 11th Armored Division positions at Rondu and Nimbermont to encircle Remagne from the East.

This is the initial “plan”, however, once the campaign starts, things will most likely change and players will get updated intel based on their specific situation.

87th ID GSASL Website

OK, I have decided to join the ranks of those running a GSASL game. That’s Group Solitaire Advanced Squad Leader for those that might not know. This one will be based on actions of the US 87th Infantry Division in the St. Hubert/Tillet area from December 29, 1944 through January 14, 1945. Players will fill the roles of individual Company Commanders and depending on the number of participants that sign up, I will also include Battalion and Regimental commands.

Company Commanders will command a standard US Rifle Infantry Company. At full strength this would include the following;

Leader x3; 6-6-6 x9; 3-4-6 x3; 1-2-6 x6; HMG; MMG x2; M2 60mm MTR x3; BAZ x3

Players will take command of units at less then full TO&E as they have been pulled from operations in the Saar and sent 90 miles to the North to assist with stopping the German Ardennes Offensive and opening a route to the 101st encircled at Bastogne.

87th ID GSASL Website

I have had to put this on hold due to some “balance” issues that need to be worked out. I am also working on designing an HASL type map tailored specifically to the campaign.

Mission 1 : Across the Rio Grande! Lajitas, Texas. January 18, 1941

Shortly after dawn on the morning of January 18th lead elements of the US 1st Cavalry begin crossing the Rio Grande River into Mexico from their staging areas near Lajitas, Texas. Their objective to cross the border and clear the small Mexican village of Lajitas, Mexico (sister village of Lajitas, Texas) of any Fascist forces. Although fordable in many places, Engineers managed to emplace pontoon bridges across the Rio Grande River during the previous night to make the crossing easier.

Your men will be up against those Fascist forces in Mexico who are currently receiving training and support from Italy in the form of military advisors. These advisors are made up of Spanish Civil War veterans and as such have a higher than normal ELR for Italian troops. Some Italian vehicles have been smuggled into Mexico as well.

• Type: River Assault (modified).
• NORTH is to the right side of the mapboards.
• Mapboard selection: 2 mapboards. The eastern-most mapboard (only) must be a river mapboard: use random dr to determine which mapboard to use (either 7, 8 or 40). No standard bridges exist across the river. Roll directly on the Farmland column of Table A9 to determine western-most mapboard.
• Weather: EC are Clear, Moderate with a No Wind.
• Enemy ELR: Fascist Partisan 2; Italian Advisors 2.
• FRIENDLY side can place 2 Foot Bridges across the river in any location. If islands are involved, no Foot Bridges are placed in those hexes, the bridges just continue again at the next water hex in the bridge path.

MISSION SETUP

The main objective for C Troop is the central area of the village, Lajitas, Mexico. The actual objective is house marked on the map with the Yellow “V” although the rest of the village should be cleared of any enemy forces as well. During the previous evening US Engineers managed to place 2 Foot Pontoon Bridges across the Rio Grande to help speed up entry into Mexico (see map for location).

Intelligence reports that both Mexican Fascists (Partisans) forces and their Italian Advisors are operating in the area of Lajitas. Suspected Enemy Positions are show below (Black S? counters).

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TURN 1

Most of the Americans move forward and begin to dismount to lead their horses across the river. Just as the lead elements begin to move onto the pontoon bridges things start to go bad for the Americans. South of the village, enemy reinforcements (obviously tipped off to the pending incursion) begin to arrive (Grey S? counters). At least 1 squad of partisans is identified, engaged and forced to rout.

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TURN 2

As the lead elements of C Troop cross the river and begin to spread out, a squad of Italian Advisors is spotted and engaged. Fortunately the majority of enemy reinforcements appear to be heading toward the safety of the village. It seems that the enemy is not going to contest the actual crossing and is preparing to base their defense in the streets of Lajitas.

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TURN3

Bad luck continues. On the northern-most pontoon bridge a squad panics, blocking all further movement across the Rio Grande! To the south, the Cav Troopers continue leading their mounts across the pontoon and up the western river bank. As 2nd Squad/2nd Platoon closes in on the village’s outskirts they are met by an Italian Lancia 1ZM Armored Car and more Mexican Partisans.

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TURN 4

The traffic jam caused by the paniced squad finally breaks loose and more men are able to move toward the village. The Lancia 1ZM continues to be a major obstacle as the US troops have no AT capability. Fortunately, the Americans are able to press the attack forward even as more Partisans materialize in the village.

In the far south, 1st Platoon is ordered to head for the gully in an attempt flank the village. Staying mounted, they are able to cross the open ground at significant speed and without receiving any fire.

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TURN5

1st Platoon continues heading for the gully, overrunning the broken Italians and routing the Partisans back beyond the gully. Captain Torrance send 3 of the LMG squads to support 1st Platoon in their advance and to get them into position to suppressive lay fire on the village.

The Company HQ along with 2nd and 3rd Platoons keep trying to move in closer to the village from the southeast but the Lancia 1ZM keeps most of them pinned. without any AT capability the Cav Troopers will likely need to be taken it out in Close Combat.

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TURN6

Coming Soon!

This is an SASL Hypothetical Campaign recreating an incursion into Northern Mexico by the US 1st Cavalry Division in operations against the enemies of the newly elected President of Mexico, Avila Camacho in January 1941.

My command is the C Troop/1^st Squadron/7^th Cavalry Regiment/1^st Cavalry Division which includes the following units;

• x1 9-1 (Captain Torrance)
• x1 8-0 (1^st Lieutenant Narvel)
• x1 7-0 (2^nd Lieutenant Dins)
• x1 7-0 (2^nd Lieutenant Johnston)
• x10 6-6-7
• x4 3-4-7
• x6 2-2-7
• x6 LMG
• x10 Horses(3)
• x10 Horses(2)
• x4 Horses(1)

I have originally planned to use 5-4-7′s as the Base Cavalry Squad (M1903 armed) but these are not available in the US OOB so instead I am using the 6-6-7′s (M1 Garand armed squads).

For this campaign there will be 5 weekly missions played using the following ‘Special Rules’.

Terrain Rules;

• All buildings are Wooden and single story (no stairwells).
• All Roads are Dirt.
• All Grain is Out of Season.
• All Woods are Brush.
• Rooftops {23.8} are in effect for all multi-hex buildings.

Campaign Rules;

• OBA not available (both sides).
• Air not available (both sides).

As I play each of the 5 missions I will start a new post for each of them with more details on the mission and an AAR with VASL screenshots. The missions for this campaign are tentatively set for the following;

1. River Assault (modified)
2. Cautious Advance (1)
3. Patrol (8)
4. Rescue (by Ken Scheer, modified)
5. Search and Destroy (by Ken Scheer, modified)

MEXICO SASL Historical Campaign
© 2008 by Michael Torrance
Sources : Still researching.

A Weekend in Mexico

C Company/1st Squadron/7th Cavalry RGT/1st Cavalry BDE/1st Cavalry DIV
Campaign in Northern Mexico
January 1941

INTRODUCTION: This in a custom SASL Campaign simulating a “hypothetical” invasion of Northern Mexico by US forces in support of the newly elected Mexican president, . There are 5 Missions covering the period of January 18th to January 19th, 1941. This is 2 per day and one for the night of the 18th.

The theme is loosely based on the real situation in Mexico in the 1930′s. Before the 1940 presidential election between conservative candidate Juan Almazan and P.R.I. designate Avila Camacho, tensions between pro-fascist and pro-communist groups that had simmered since the middle 1930′s began to erupt into violence. Alarmed by the possibilities of an unstable pro-fascist or pro-communist government below the Rio Grande, the U.S. began to offer both covert and clandestine aid to the established government.

After the election of Avila Camacho to the presidency in July of 1940, the new President did not take office until December of that year. During the five month hiatus the right wing forces of the defeated candidate, Almazan, continued to struggle to overturn the election results. His followers in the U.S. started buying arms and agents of the fascist Spanish Falange headed for Mexico to foment subversive activities. Elected to a second term, President Roosevelt, always a friend to Mexico, used both the F.B.I and U.S. military intelligence to assist the Mexican Army in their struggle against the pro-Almazan forces.

It is at during this time that the campaign and alternate history takes place.

Supporters of Juan Almazan and the Spanish Falange were able to arrange for equipment and advisors from Italy (veterans of the Spanish Civil War) to be smuggled through Spain and into Mexico. While most of these forces were to be used as enforces to “overturn” the election results of 1940, a small part of them were to be positioned along the northern border to detect and block any Yankee troops coming to President Camacho’s aid. As January 1941 began, instability in Mexico began to get out of control, President Roosevelt ordered US troops across the border to seek out and eliminate these threats to the new Mexican administration. On the morning of January 18, just across the border from Lajitas, Texas the 7th US Cavalry makes contact with Mexican Fascist Partisans and their Italian trainers.

The player will command a horse mounted US Cavalry Company, most likely C Company of 1st Battalion/7th Cavalry Regiment/2nd Brigade/1st Cavalry Division. I chose them due my being a member of that same unit from January 1982 – June 1983, while stationed Fort Hood. Garry Owen!

I’m currently working on designing an SASL Campaign based on a hypothetical incursion of northern Mexico in early 1941 by elements of the 1st US Cavalry Division. The preliminary campaign name will either be “Weekend in Mexico”, if I go with 2 missions per day or “5 Weeks in Mexico” if I go with weekly missions. I am also considering designing custom maps based on real life terrain of the “incursion area”.

The theme is based on the true situation in Mexico in the 1930′s. Before the 1940 presidential election between conservative candidate Juan Almazan and P.R.I. designate Avila Camacho, tensions between pro-fascist and pro-communist groups that had simmered since the middle 1930′s began to erupt into violence. Alarmed by the possibilities of an unstable pro-fascist or pro-communist government below the Rio Grande, the U.S. began to offer both overt and clandestine aid to the established government.

After the election of Avila Camacho to the presidency in July of 1940, the new President did not take office until December of that year. During the five month hiatus the right wing forces of the defeated candidate, Almazan, continued to struggle to overturn the election results. His followers in the U.S. started buying arms and agents of the fascist Spanish Falange headed for Mexico to foment subversive activities. Elected to a second term, President Roosevelt, always a friend to Mexico, used both the F.B.I and U.S. military intelligence to assist the Mexican Army in their struggle against the pro-Almazan forces.

It is at during this time that the campaign and alternate history takes place.

Supporters of Juan Almazan and the Spanish Falange were able to arrange for equipment and advisors from Italy (veterans of the Spanish Civil War) to be smuggled through Spain and into Mexico. While most of these forces were to be used as enforces to “overturn” the election results of 1940, a small part of them were to be positioned along the northern border to detect and block any Yankee troops coming to President Camacho’s aid. In January 1941, as instability in Mexico began to get out of control, President Roosevelt ordered US troops across the border to seek out and eliminate these threats to the new Mexican administration. On the morning of January 14, just across the border from Lajitas, Texas the 7th US Cavalry makes contact with Mexican Fascist Partisans and their Italian trainers.

The player will command a horse mounted cavalry company, most likely C Company of 1st Battalion/7th Cavalry Regiment/2nd Brigade/1st Cavalry Division. I chose them due my being a member of that same unit from January 1982 – June 1983, while stationed Fort Hood. Garry Owen!

Due to lack of time I have halted this campaign and may start it back up later. I believe I got burned out since I was trying to develop a WinSPWW2 campaign along the same theme. It seems the eastern front is getting old and I am moving on to another theater and theme for an SASL Campaign.

I will post more once that project is put together.

I managed to get a 5 more turns done of Mission #2 of the SASL MOSKVA Campaign.

Mission 2 : Counterstroke. Kryokovo, Russia, December 8, 1941

Starting on December 5th the Soviet Counteroffensive hit the tired and cold Germans hard. 7th Guards Rifle Division was thrown into the fight and ordered to widen a gap in the German lines. At the end of the first week German troops were thrown back along the entire front.

• Type : Take the Highway (5)
• Mapboard selection : Roll directly on the Farmland table
• Initial mapboards : Weather : EC are Snow with a Mild Breeze from the Northeast
• Mission End : Divide the total Road Network by 4 (four) to determine the number of turns.
• Enemy ELR : 2
• There is an additional +2 DRM on tables G2, G5a G7 and G8

MISSION SETUP
My 2nd mission is to clear a 1700 meter section of road of all enemy forces so that follow-on forces can exploit the gap. The company will start the mission off-board to the East (top of map image). Weather is ground snow which may slow my advance but fortunately my men are equipped with winter camouflage. As a benefit, this should help prevent them from being identified too early allowing them to close on the enemy without being hit with long range fire. With the death of Kapitan Demochev, Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin has taken command of the company and Lejtenant Orlov has been newly assigned to the command.

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TURN 1
As the majority of the company advances on line through the snow towards the objective 1st Platoon follows the road making sure it is clear of any enemy forces. Interestingly, both Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin and Lejtenant Orlov are noticeably absent from the front line. Perhaps they are busy trying to round up any stragglers. As the main force advances across the open a large row of wire is spotted about 80 meters to their front. Fortunately, it appears no mines are part of this obstacle. As the men approach the wire, German scouts open fire and one of our Rifle Squads is cut down. There are no survivors. Return fire from the rest of the Company manages to drive the Germans from their positions and they are forced to fall back.

TURN 2
On the right flank, 1st Platoon continues to clear the road while on the left flank 3rd Platoon has become hopelessly entangled in the wire. It appears that 2nd Platoon has managed to skirt the wire and keep moving with Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin finally arriving on the field to direct their advance. Lejtenant Orlov has still not shown up. Where is a Commissar when you need one. The German Scouts continue to fall back but other than those, no more enemy forces have been spotted.

TURN 3
On the right flank Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin continues to lead efforts to clear the road without meeting much resistance. In the center, only some of our forces have managed to get through the wire. Lejtenant Orlov is still absent.

TURN 4
The advance continues and Lejtenant Orlov finally shows up, just in time to try and assist the mortar team who has managed to get entangled in the wire. On the far right, Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin deploys 1st Platoon (including the Company’s HMG) to overwatch the main road as it winds through a small walled village. 2nd Platoon follows behind to make sure the road is fully cleared. A small force of Germans continues its retreat in the center after having been routed by an advancing Soviet Rifle Squad.

TURN 5
After much effort, Lejtenant Orlov is still unable to get the Mortar Team moving though the wire so he decides to move forward without them. Along the way he rounds up the Company MMG Team and a lone Rifle Squad who recently managed to get through the wire. On the right flank, Germans troop open fire on Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin and his men from the village. During the firefight, Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin is wounded and also becomes Heroic. It looks like the Germans have decided to block our advance from this location.

TURN 6
The retreating German forces manage to fall back to the village and quickly rally around the HMG position. Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin orders the men accompanying him to advance in line on the village through some nearby brush. Lejtenant Orlov leads the rest of the men from the center. Heavy fighting ensues and another Germans squad is eliminated. On the far left flank more Germans are spotted coming to the defense of the village.

TURN7

Our Mortar Team finally manages to get through the wire and resume their advance. Heavy enemy sniper fire forces Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin to abandon his defensive position and so he begins to relocate it to the center where he can better coordinate the advance. As the main body of the Company moves into position opposite the village they come under murderous MG fire and 2 Rifle Squads become casualties. Fortunately, in the exchange, our forces manage to rout most of the Germans defending the front of the village but there is still a sizable force holding on.

TURN 8
Starshiy Lejtenant Pronin, though severely wounded, moves to the front to personally direct the attack on the village. Ordering his men to concentrate their fire on the enemy HMG position, they manage to rout the remaining Germans there. While enemy resistance seems to have been broken a direct assault on the village may not be a good idea at this time especially as the Company has taken significant casualties. Just in time, our Mortar Team arrives and sets up the mortar in a position where they can fire on the village.

TURN 9
Coming Soon!