A Qualified Success Battle Report 1&2

My buddy Greg and I have started to play through A Qualified Success, a "Pint Sized Campaign" written for the WWII game Chain of Command. The campaign focuses on Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, specifically the Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry pushing north toward Syracuse while the Italian Coastal defenders and Napoli Infantry Regiment try to slow them down.

July 11, 1943

The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry have landed on the shores of Sicily meeting only token resistance from scattered and under-equipped coastal defense forces. They moved to take control of a railway station just outside the small village of Cassibile but soon came under fire from unexpectedly strong positions within the brick station itself as well as entrenchments and sandbag fortifications. 

Under deadly fire from four Breda machine guns, two squads of the British platoon soon take casualties and become disordered. The British commander decides to pull back and wait for another chance. The green coastal defenders are ecstatic--if this is all the British can throw at them, perhaps Sicily is saved!

July 12, 1943

The next day is eerily quiet as the Yorkshire Brigade sends out a fresh platoon to attempt the capture of the rail station. A pair of mortars lay down a smokescreen but there's still no sign of the Italian defenders. Two British squads see the opportunity and begin an all-out sprint over the rails (this is where Greg got a quadruple phase while I had zero soldiers on the board!).

Finally, after two jump off points had been captured by the British, they heard a sound coming from the train station--the coastal defense platoon was singing songs and still celebrating their victory of the previous day. And the sentries seemed to have come in for limoncello too!

A few confused men staggered out of the station to trade shots with the British but the result was clear--after two attempts the Yorkshires had taken control of the train station. Next they'd be headed to the village of Cassibile.