Operation Fischfang (German counter-attack on Anzio beachead) February 16-20, 1944

Massive Micro Armor battle on a Wednesday night as eight players gathered at Mark's for a MicroMAG WWII blow out. The troops were already laid out.  All we needed was a fistful of d10s and we were off.  

We played a portion of the historical Operation Fischfang, one of the German counter-attacks on the Anzio beachead, February 16-20, 1944.  The specific operational area was around the Aprilla (Factory) down the Bowling Alley and towards the Padiglione Woods which fit easily on our 4'x8' hex mat.  In this area the British and US zones met, and the Germans attacked hoping to split the Allies. down the road towards Anzio.  For the Allies, there's no place to run to as the beachhead was only about 4 miles deep at the time.  

There were 10 logical command groups, and roughly 40 aircraft between the three Corps commands. We split these among two U.S., one British, and five German players. We started moving pieces at 7pm and timed our turn limits to be about 20 minutes so we would be done around 10:30pm.  Each commander controlled aircraft, reinforcements and Corps-level artillery. Every command had tanks and infantry/paratroopers/engineers.  Historically there were Tigers, Panthers, Ferdinands, Nashorn, Nebelwerfer, Brumbar, Railroad guns and Stukas on the German side, plus some historical wrinkles. Allies had artillery, more artillery and naval gunfire support (artillery), with plenty of Sherman, Churchill, Valentines and Firefly tanks…and maybe some more artillery.  Also the A-36 Mustang ground attack version of P-51 with dive brakes was present in numbers!   About 8 pounds of micro armor were on the board.  Massive levels of destruction were anticipated.

The corridor between the Allied commands.

Set up begins.  "Have a plate of micro armor".

Dawn came to Aprilla only to see a large group of  Fallschirmjägers emerging from the mist.  Two German command groups can be seen churning up the fields as they come in east of the town and also begin to head for the vineyard.

View from the allied lines from behind Aprilla.  Americans hold the town.
British armor advancing on the left.

Fighting for Aprilla.

M10's try to hit the advancing German flank as a massive air combat begins.  Too few allied planes made it through the German defenses to stop anything on the ground.  Kesselring had thrown all he had into the Italian skys, stripping other areas to achieve air superiority at Anzio.         

                                                 

The Allies put up a good front, but it was disturbing to see all the empty space to the beachhead.

At about 10:30pm this is where we called it.  Germans began to penetrate the center with only the possibility of a slow but steady British advance eastward interfering with them keeping open a corridor to the beach,