SALVOS AT SAN SALVO - with BG: Italy

This was 1,000 point historical re-fight of the the 6th Inniskilling Fusilier's (with 46th RTR Sherman support) assault on the village of San Salvo, part of their breakout from the small Trigno river bridgehead which the Irish Brigade (of 78th Infantry Division) had won in late October 1943, during the initial advance up the Italian eastern coast. On Nov 3rd, they launched a dawn attack towards the high-ground, station and village, held by elements of 16th Panzer Division, and the after action report mentions encountering quiet a bit of enemy armour (46th RTR reported to have encounter 12 tanks, photo evidence has these as mixed StuGs and Pz IVs). 16th Pz was in a weakened state following heavy losses fighting against the Salerno landings before withdrawing. Post San Salvo, the division would not be much longer for the Italian theatre, being withdraw, refitted and sent to Eastern Front. Oddly. the Luftwaffe even showed up and bombed the Inniskillings... a very rare occurrence, we assumed this to be a Bf-109 airstrike... the report didn't say (of course, it's unlikely to identify what type of aircraft from the ground, but it doesn't say dive-bombed either, and there were very few Stukas left in Italy by then).

Hill top village of San Salvo, in the German right corner

The high point villa, observer's position with excellent field of view across the approaches

British side, advancing out of the woods they held as the bridgehead (river would be just behind, off table) to take the village a ridge ahead.

The initial deployment complete, and the preliminary bombardment resolved (3 pinned German units to start with), the attack could get going, with more forces arriving at the start of each turn, the game would build-up. The British pressed up and the Germans dropped some mortar fire to no effect, and the tanks rolled in and pressed quickly forwards to lead, as the infantry navigated the vineyards and paddocks, under some long range MG fire that caused some pinning, but nothing major. British mortar fire opened up, their spotter lurking back in the woods, on a PRTP on the edge of the town. Accurate, but the infantry within were all in three fortified buildings, so not much doing to. Slow start.

It got cracking as the panzers arrived and more infantry with them. They moved up to get firing positions from the ridge and edge of town. As they arrived, a British artillery request saw a big 25 pdr divisional stonk land, crushing the edge of the town in HE, with much pinning and a Pz-IV KO’d (probably by a town falling on it). Ouch! The Brits also had (from the day) some off-table 40mm Bofors guns used for suppressing fire, to rake along the ridge from beyond the river, which caused some pinning too. The Germans were under heavy fire suppressing fire as the Shermans moved up, the infantry running not far behind.

The Germans own artillery request was turned down… so mortars again (still zippo form them) and MGs, but most was unpinning. The Pz-IVs got into place, a first shot from the edge of town whipping past a Sherman, close… only for accurate return fire to KO it… 1 hit, 1 kill… a second panzer gone and that left the forward edge of town with no anti-tank firing. The two Shermans could brass-up the place at will with nothing coming back. The fortified buildings just had to hold out, which they did well for now.

The PAK-38 made up for the tank gunner’s aim by scoring a first kill, KOing a Sherman down below, but return HE fire was heavy and pinned it. On the German left, one Pz-IV crept along the flank to try and pick-off a Sherman, but missed, then missed again. My tank gunners hit nothing all game! When the two Shermans spun their turrets and opened fire back – kaboom! Hit…kill… 3 down.

Meanwhile, the timed strike from the Bf-109 had zoomed in and dropped it 2 bombs, scoring direct hits and blowing surprised British infantry at the farm sky high. The British infantry in the centre and on their left pressed up again, climbing the slope now, under fire, but returning as good as they got. Go the ‘skins… the German artillery request did get through, but the two 150mm guns that fired went wild and hit nothing - big bangs but no help.

BR counters had mounted, and the German BR (51 total) was approaching (from all the unpinning). The British took an objective on the road (braving a minefield to get it), but lost the bold 2” mortar team to MG-34 fire. Small win though, as one defending rifle team, then and MG team were overwhelmed by lots of tank MG fire and British rifle sections now spotting them. The fortified buildings couldn’t save them forever. On the ridge, the last Pz-IV took aim, fired, and missed, twice again… guess what! A Sherman’s return fire KO’d it… good grief. The tank fight had been one sided, 4-1 to the Brits (and the 1 was from the PAK, which was bravely still going, but either missed or glanced off). With that counter, and the threat of British infantry about to assault into the buildings and mop-up the last bedraggled rifle teams holding them (all pinned), the German BR broke. A solid British win, only losing 39 BR from 61. San Salvo would be the 6th Inniskilling’s hands by noon… as it was on the day. Good fun… truly terrible from my tanks (all 4 hit nothing all game). We might play the simultaneous battle next to this one next, at the coastal railway station were 46th RTR encountered some StuGs, so just to the German left along the same ridge as it descends to the sea and the rail lines follows the coast.  Hopefully, this scenario will appear in the Italy book later this year.

The action...

Pak-38, well dug-in, covers the entire approach... too many targets.

2 objective buildings in the village held by the Germans, this one marked by the comfy red armchairs and gramophone player... well worth fighting for.

46th RTR lead the way... tally-ho!

The Inniskillings advance on the left flank, under MG fire from the buildings,
they hide behind the walls, until Shermans get those MGs pinned down in return.

Four Pz-IVs from reserve, two move onto the ridge to pick-off those Shermans.... two into town.

Deploying into the village streets.

Mortars hit the village as the troops move it from reserve, watched by the FHQ.

Pz-IV on the ridge, fire - miss, fire - miss!

The FAO arrives in his kubelwagen and joins the spotters in the pink villa.

46 RTR press on with valour and grit, but the vine rows are impassable to tanks due to the wires.
First 6 pdr deploys to help engage the Pz -IVs too.

Support arriving, M3 towed 6 pdr, on reserve move, to race up if needed.

Bf-109 timed strike, scores 2 direct hit (double 6!). Long time since this aircraft model saw a tabletop.

First Pz-IV KO'd by the big 25 pdr stonk. 1 down.

2 down, KO'd by Sherman fire from the olive orchard below.

Wild 3" mortar fire menaces the FHQ in his 251 and the motorcycle dispatch rider at the back of town.

Sneaking round the left flank, lining up a target.

2 Shermans press the village from the British left, spot and KO a Pz-IV and hammer the buildings with a lot of MG fire.

'Forward the Skins!', the first section makes it up the ridge through the vine groves.

Reaching the top, they are raked by MG fire from the 250 and its deployed team.

3 down - KO'd by a 75mm AP round, having hit nothing!

4 down - KO'd by more Sherman fire, having hit, err... nothing! Useless panzers...
Sherman's win the day today.