abyssinian campaign

7/30/2019 Abyssinian Campaign

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By Manny Granillo2008-2013 Hoplite Research, LLC


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The Abyssinian War

October 1935

Il Duces War: Abyssinia!

Scenario: Abyssinia November 1935: You are the Force Commander of the Southern Attackcolumn consisting of the 29th Division (Peloritana), a Libyan Division, and several other forcesincluding the 28th October Black Shirt Division and the 5th (Cosseria) Division being brought inlater as reinforcements. After celebrating last nights arrival of Ladies from Rome and have re-covered enough, your orders call for your force to advance and finish the job of taking Abyssinia.Your key Objectives are to take and hold the following earnestly!: Marda Pass (starting point),Harar, Dlredawa, Warieu Pass, Awash, Hera, Aselle, Wondo and Addis Ababa.

Intelligence: This is a major effort for Commando Supremo Africa Orientale. Large concentra-tions of natives and Abyssinians appear to have been seen by aerial reconnaissance to thenorth. Several officers who have recently escaped from an ambush indicate that some appear tohave limited artillery. Expect full support from the Regia Aeronautica. The enemy has spies eve-rywhere and know your every move. (No Initiative Clock bonus at any time).

Time to complete the mission: Each Battle represents 5 days (1 battles is a week)

(The following is from the Campaign system and represents your objectives) If you are

able to capture your key objectives within the time allotted:

5 Weeks: The Stuff of Legend! You are ordered to Rome to be decorated by Il Duce himself andgiven choice of command!

8 Weeks: Victory! You have been given a healthy bonus and a villa on Capri.

11 Weeks: Sloppy Campaign, but you will not be court martialed.

15 Weeks: Disgrace to the Uniform! Transferred to Albania.

20 Weeks: Dont come back as you have been sacked! You will be shot on sight!

Supply Conditions: Fully Supplied. 1 Caproni Squadron 133 is available to drop supplies byair. Roll before the battle and see if it available. 1-3 on a d6. Normal Air Supply rules apply oth-erwise. Must remain in control of the Italian entry point on the battle map so as to count as fullyin supply for the next battle day. Failing that, the Force is considered out of supply until the linesare restored.

Initiative Clock: 0

Weather Conditions: Clear. Start at the 6am Day Segment. The battles will take place in dryconditions. Dry conditions cause all European formations not in shade/buildings to take 1 DM

per turn after 8am unless 15 inches from a non-poisoned Well/Oasis/River.

Replacements: 25 DM's per 3 Days if supplied/ 8 DMs if out of supply.

Initial Forces to start: 29th Division, Libyan Division, 6th CCNN and all forces from the Reservesupport group. The 4th Corps under Ezio Babbini becomes available after the 10th week. Noother replacements are available.


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Battle of marda pass

November 1935

Battle of Marda PassInitial mapTribal player places terrain as is shown on the initialmap. All subsequent battle maps will be generated using the Battlezone Builder in ThePANZER KORPS CAMPAIGN system . Unless determined by the scenario or the Game

Master, if applicable, the force with the initiative will always enter on one side of the mapwith the other force defending on the map. Placement of Tribal forces will be determinedby spotting and rolling to spot as described in the scenario when playing solo. Units thathave been spotted are assumed to be behind light cover/rocks unless they have movedand selected randomly. Abyssinians defended a vast and desolate territory marked bytrails, mountains and isolated settlements. This Campaign assumes that the regionalforces have been assembled to meet the Italian threat. The Ras Kebbede (F) Force isavailable after Dlredawa. The Ras Seyoum (H) Force becomes available on a 5-6 on ad6 before each battle or after Awash. These two forces are the same as the Ras Mulu-geta Force as the start. Once joined, the additional forces stay in the Army. Before bat-tle and after Italian deployment, roll a d10 per formation: 9-10 and the formation leaves

the field/has been bought off.

Imperial Guard: Consists of 4 Infantry Battalions with a MMG Co. attached and appearonly when Selassi is on the field. Abyssinian player chooses if and when Selassi is onthe field. Loosing a battle with Selassi on the field will add +4 to the ODQ. Effect ontroops is a +1 column shift right additional in Close Combat.

Italian Transports: The Italians have 9 Cos of Truck Transports. When used in groupsof 3, these trucks can carry one infantry battalion or tow a gun battalion. They functionindependently, but do otherwise function like a normal formation.

Abyssinian Morale:All formations are Recruits; Tribal Safaris are Militia and the Imperial Guard Regulars.

All are Fanatics.

Map Size 9 ft. x 6 ft.


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Map Notes: Hills cost -1 inches for infantry and wheeled vehicles are allowed only on the road.

Tracked vehicles will check for breakdowns as per the rules. Abyssinians do not pay for mov-ing in rough terrain. Rough terrain disrupts and no trucks can enter.

The game starts with the 6am-8am Day segment. Italians have initiative for first day seg-ment.

When Italians have the initiative, because they were working with old unreliable Englishmaps, they will automaticallyadd a 2 to all number of turn

determination rolls for day seg-ments.

The Abyssinians use map de-ployment for hidden movementand they receive 2 phony mark-ers that are deployed before thegame starts. Each Spawn pointis a hidden unit selected at ran-dom. Units will continue to ap-pear at a point unless a 1 isrolled on a d6 after placement of

a unit. Then no others are there.


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This is the army meeting the Italians in the first battle. No other forces unless brought in as partof the scenario can be used.

Ras Mulugeta Force E Decision Die: Yellow 15 Decorated LeadersRas Mulugeta on Horse

Supply Column 1 Horse Wagon

26 Tribal Warrior Safaris with Swords/Spears

3 Cavalry Safaris

Field Artillery Batt. 65mm Howitzers Horse Drawn

Support companies for Ras Mulugeta12 Camp Followers (attached to any formation)3 HMG Co. (can only be attached to regulars)

Abyssinian Air Support: 1 Squadron Curtis Bi-planes Starts under strength with 4 DMs which cannever be replaced.

Camp Followers Effects: Each attached Co. absorbs every 3rd DM inflicted on the hostunit.

Army of Abyssinia: Selassi E in Staff Car

Ras Kassa Force F Decision Die: Yellow13 Decorated LeadersRas Kassa on Horse

12 Abyssinian Infantry Battalions

4 Cavalry Safaris

19 Tribal Warrior Battalions with Swords/Spears

Field Artillery Batt. 65mm Howitzers Horse Drawn

Support companies for RasKassa

3 HMG Co. (can only be at-tached to Abyssinians)

6 Camp Followers (attachedto any formation)


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Italian

Zo

BATTLE ZONE

Playing Area 9 feet x 6 feet 15mm,20mm or 6 feet x 4 feet 1/285

Abyss

spawn


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XXVIII October Black Shirt Umberto Somma F D. Die: Blue 14 Decorated1 Division HQ Command Car

1 Divisional Supply Column (1 Truck)

1 Recon Battalion 3 Lancia Armored Car Cos

1 Motorcycle Battalion

114th Regiment

114th infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

115th infantry w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

116th Regiment

116th infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

125th infantry w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

180th Regiment

174th infantry w/ 50mm Mortar Co.180th infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

Black Shirt Artillery Regiment

1st Artillery Battalion (65mm with 3 Lorries)

Support Companies:

(attach any formation)2 Military Police Co.

1 Eng Co. 2 20mm Cos

2 AT Rifle Cos. 9 Mule Cos.

2 65mm Cos. 3x45mm ATCo.s 2 Medical Cos.


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Libyan Division Guglielmo Nasi F D. Die: Blue 12 Decorated Leaders1 Division HQ Command Car


1st Libyan Regt

1st infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.2nd infantry w/MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

2nd Libyan Regt1st infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

2nd infantry w/MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

3rd Libyan Regt

1st infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.


Artillery Regiment


Support Companies:


1 Eng Co. 4 Mule Cos.

2 65mm Cos.

.


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6th (Tevere) Black Shirt Division Enrico Boscardi F D. Die: Blue 15 DecoratedLeaders1 Division HQ Command Car


1 Recon Battalion 3 Lancia Armored Car Cos

1 Motorcycle Battalion

219th Regiment Vittorio Veneto



220th Regiment


Arditi Assault Battalion w/MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

221st Regiment Italiani all Estero1st infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.


Black Shirt Artillery Regiment


Support Companies:


1 Eng Co. 1 L3 Light Tractor

2 20mm Cos 2 AT Rifle Cos.

6 Mule Cos. 2 65mm Cos.

1x45mm AT Co.s 2 Moto Cos

2 Medical Cos.


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29th Division (Peloritana) Giuseppe Pavone E Decision Die: Red12 Decorated Leaders1 Division HQ Command Staff Car


1 Recon Battalion 3 Carro Armatos w/Motorcycle Co.

3rd Regiment



3rd infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

4th Regiment



3rd infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co

Artillery Regiment1st Artillery Battalion (65mm with 3 Lorries)

Support Companies: (attach any formation)2 Military Police Co. 1 Engineer Cos. 9 Truck Cos

12 Mule Cos. 2 65mm Howitzer 1 45mm AT Co.s 2 Medical Cos.


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4th Corps: 5th Division E Decision Die: Red 12 Decorated Leaders1 Division HQ Command Staff Car


41st Regiment Modena

1st infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.2nd infantry w/MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

3rd infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.

42nd Regiment Modena1st infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co.


3rd infantry w/ MMG Co. w/ 50mm Mortar Co

Artillery Regiment1st Artillery Battalion (75mm with 3 Lorries)

Support Companies: (attach any formation)2 Military Police Co. 1 Engineer Cos. 1 20mm AA guns

12 Mule Cos. 2 65mm Howitzer 2 Medical Cos.

9 Truck Cos


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Support/Reserve Formations:Aosta Lancers Cavalry Regiment

6 Battalions Royal Colonial Troops (Arab-Somali Colonial Troops)

Camel Mounted Artillery 65mm

XIV Battalion indigeni (Eritrean)

Motorized Artillery 77mm Battalion

18 Transport Cos (trucks) (Three Cos to moveone formation)

Motorized Battalion of 20mm AA

2 Medical Cos.

2 Military Police Cos

6 Dubat Band Cos

2 L3 Tank Cos

3 Armored Car Cos

Air resources:

2 CR-20 Squadrons 4 Caproni 101 Squadrons

2 Savoia-Marchetti SM-79


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Bands (Italian Army irregulars)A "Banda" (singular) was approximately a company size unit. The largerunit was the battalion size "Gruppo Bande" (infantry) or "Gruppo Squadro-ni" (cavalry). The "Milizia" a regimental unit appeared briefly during thefascist period in the Balkans.

The first of these irregular units employed by the Regio Esercito originatedfrom a mercenary Arab force employed by the Ottoman Empire and calledBasci Buzuk, that was created in Eritrea by theAlbanian adventurer Sagi-ak Hassan in the second half of the 19th century. In 1885 the Italian Colo-nel Tancredi Saletta, commanding officer of the first Italian troops involvedin the conquest ofEritrea, enlisted Bashi-bazouks in the service ofItaly.

As lightly armed irregulars the Bands were able to perform duties for which regular Italian and colonial troopswere unsuited and at lower cost.

Locally recruited bands were employed in the conquest of Italian Libya from 1911 to the 1930s. Their Somalicounterparts played an important role in Italian Somalia during the 1920s. In Somalia the Italians also employed

Dubats - levies that were maintained on a permanent basis and were better trained

and equipped than the essentially tribal Banda.

During the guerrilla war that continued in Ethiopia after the 1936 Italian invasion,groups of irregular Banda were recruited amongst tribal groups collaborating with theItalian regime. One ot the best known of these was the Gruppo Bande irregolari "UolloAmbassel"in northern Ethiopia.

While most Bande were recruited in the various Italian colonies in Africa, many unitsbearing this designation were also created as auxiliaries during the Second WorldWar inAlbania and in the occupied territories of the formerKingdom of Yugoslavia.

Not only the Italian Regio Esercito employed Bands but also the other branches of the

Italian armed forces and corps. The Banda n 9 "della Marina", formed of Greek-

Orthodox and local young Italians from Dalmatia, was established in Zara under thecontrol of the Italian Royal Navy. These naval auxiliaries fought side by side with acompany from the Reggimento "San Marco" during the period 1941-43.

Gruppo Bande Amhara One of the most famous Italian irregular bands was the "Gruppo Bande Amhara". Atthe beginning ofWorld War II the Italian ViceroyAmedeo the Duke of Aosta gave lieutenant Guillet command ofthe 2,500 strong Gruppo Bande Amhara, an irregular troops unit made up mainly of recruits from Ethiopia's re-gion ofAmhara. This force was primarily a cavalry one, but also included camel mounted troops and some Yem-eni infantry led by EritreanAscari NCOs.

At the end of 1940, the Allied forces faced Guillet on the road to Amba Alagi, and specifically, in the proximity ofCher. He was charged with the task of delaying the allied advance from the North -West and his Eritrean Ascariwere successful but suffered many casualties. Guillet's most important battle happened towards the end of Jan-uary 1941 at Cher when he decided to attack enemy armored units. At dawn the "Gruppo Bande Amhara"charged a column of tanks armed only with swords, guns and hand grenades. They passed unhurt through theBritish forces who were caught unaware. Guillet then turned to charge again. In the meantime however, the Brit-ish had organized themselves and fired horizontally with their howitzers. Their shells ripped open the chests ofGuillet's horses and soldiers before exploding. This was the last cavalry charge the British faced and the last butone in the history of Italian cavalry.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkanshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regio_Esercitohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashi-bazoukhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashi-bazoukhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritreahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Libyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Somaliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bands_(Italian_Army_irregulars)#cite_note-1#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalmatiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regia_Marinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco_Regimenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amedeo,_3rd_Duke_of_Aostahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Aostahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amedeo_Guillethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amhara_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldati_class_destroyerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amba_Alagihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_unitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalry_chargehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalry_chargehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_unitshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amba_Alagihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldati_class_destroyerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yemenhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amhara_peoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amedeo_Guillethttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_of_Aostahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amedeo,_3rd_Duke_of_Aostahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_IIhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Marco_Regimenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regia_Marinahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zadarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dalmatiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Yugoslaviahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubatshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bands_(Italian_Army_irregulars)#cite_note-1#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Somaliahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_Libyahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eritreahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albaniahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bashi-bazoukhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ottoman_Empirehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regio_Esercitohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balkans


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abyssinian campaign

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