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!