A Qualified Success Battle Report 6

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.

The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, after being bogged down early in the campaign, have started to gain momentum, forcing the Italian coastal defenders and survivors from the Napoli regiment back to a final fallback position along the road to Syracuse. Digging in near a creek, the Italians are attempting to buy just a little more time for the divisions that are being evacuated from Sicily. The Allies have captured the island, the question remains: how many divisions will they capture before the Axis moves them to the Italian mainland?

Sergeant Roy Keane advances with his squad in the calm morning. Suddenly a machine gun opens up ahead of them. The squad check themselves and look around to see that they are unscathed--except for Sgt Keane, laid low by the first shots of the day. There's no time to say any words for Keane though. If the Brits are going to win the day and complete their mission, they have to carry on!

The British soon pay the Italians back, sending several small enemy positions into flight. A Sherman arrives to support the platoon and the under-equipped Italians have no answer to the heavy armor.

British resolve slowly overcomes the weakened morale of the Italians. Wayne Rooney leads a determined push with the No. 2 Section.

Finally exhausted, the Italian forces surrender. The Kings Own takes the creek and is able to make an unhindered push towards Syracuse, mopping up disorganized and fleeing remnants of the Sicilian defenders.

And that concludes our Chain of Command Sicilian pint-sized campaign! We played 9 games total and victory came down to the wire. Playing CoC as a campaign added an exciting push-pull dynamic and changed the way we played the game, forcing us to be more strategic in our thinking.