A Long Way to Go

Biscary Station, Sicily, July 10, 1943: During the pre-dawn hours the U.S. 7th Army had successfuly 
landed at both Licata and Gela. Unaware of each others plans the Italians and the Germans began a 
series of uncoordinated attacks against the Americans with the intention of breaking through to the 
beachhead. In the Gela area, the Italians were attacking with a mobile armored force while on the 
eastern edge of the invasion came two columns of the Herman Goring FallsschirmPanzer Division. One 
of these columns was busy engaging the Americans at Piano Lupo, the other attacked the inexperienced 
45th "Thunderbird" Division at Biscari Station. With their Tiger tanks unable to keep pace in the dense 
olive groves of the region, the German infantry would have to overwhelm the Americans without armor 
support.

Game Length: 6.5 turns

For the Germans to win they must exit a number of troops to reach the beachhead
For the Americans to win they must prevent the German breakthrough

Germans: Squads, MMG, LMG's
Americans: Squads, BAZ's, MTR

Boards: #X, #W

Aftermath: The Herman Goring Division, lauded before the invasion by Allied press as a "crack" unit, 
was actually a shell of its former self in refit. The attack on Biscari Station proved how poorly led, 
equipped, and trained the unit actually was. The untried Americans led by Lt. Col. Schaefer, though 
heavily outnumbered, managed to halt the initial German attack and delayed a German breakthrough until 
the afternoon, when another battalion of the "Thunderbirds" managed to counterattack and cause the Germans 
to panic and flee from the battlefield, saving the beachhead. The "crack" Germans had no more luck in 
threatening the beachhead than their Italian allies.

Source: ASL Scenario S11, A Long Way to Go
