Malta - Ray Of Hope

[Agema]

So, Malta's fallen, and the allies need to retake it.

To do this, it starts with the landing of a commando brigade to secure the landing beaches. A few hours later, the Australian 17th Brigade arrives. About 24 hours after first landing, the Australian 19th Brigade arrives. Rather later the Aus 16th brigade arrives, followed by the 1 Arm. Brigade.

You're quite heavily guided by the objectives. Secure a few coastal locations very early on. Into day two, you need to be looking at securing the major airfields (Luqa, Qrendi) and be well on your way to Vittorioso. By days 4-6, you want to be thinking of controlling everything.

My plan was to use the commandos (MEC) to secure the beach, and for the first Aus brigade to arrive to rapidly take over and push back my perimeter. Due to the importance of Vittorioso, I thought I'd use the fresh Aus brigade (19th) to exclusively grab that objective, whilst the 17th and commandos advanced steadily over the airfield objectives. With the arrival of the Aus 16th brigade (day 3) and UK 1st Armoured I'd have a force to smash into Valetta.

[Agema]

1) This is the situation 9 hours in. The 8th Middle East Commando forces rapidly cleared the coast and securing the landing beaches, then a few hours later the Australians arrive. The Italian forces are beginning to counterattack, and the newly arrived 17th Australian brigade is pushing them back to secure better defensive terrain and prepare for the next phase of invasion. The assault has gone smoothly. Casualties are low, except for the 2/5 battalion (A) which is shelled to ribbons and forced to withdraw and recover. The Commndos are to switch to take Hal Far, secure it, then take Safi airfield.

[Agema]

2) It's almost 24 hours since invasion. (A) The shattered 2/5th battalion is holding the nothern end of my line; I plan for the soon-arriving 19th Brigade to form up behind them and advance on the main harbour. (B) the 2/6th and 2/7th are taking over where the 2/5th were beaten back. Resistance is fierce. This poses me a problem: The MEC have secured Hal Far and Safi airfields, but I cannot get to Qrendi without exposing them. I send one battalion to hit the Italians in the flank. The other two btns, rather tired and with less strength than I'd like, or to make gentle progress towards Qrendi airfield (C).

[Agema]

Map for above:

[Agema]

3) About 36 hours from first landing. The Aus 19th Brigade is attacking Vittoriosa. The 2/4 and 2/8th battalions go for the objective (A), with the initial Italian defences crumbling rapidly. The 2/11 bumped into a large mass of reinforcements pouring towards Vittoriosa (B). I hold them over the Paula objective, defending the town, where they can pour fire into the passing Germans.

[Agema]

3b) Meanwhile elsewhere... My central assault has met the most resistance: the troops are tired, and have taken significant casualties. However, I think I've brokwn the back of their opponents, so I attempt to force Luqa airfield after giving them a 12-hour breather. The recovering 2/5th (out of shot) are to hold the right flank. Qrendi was virtually undefended, the commandos virtually just saunter in to take the airfield.

[Agema]

4) This is a whole day later (60 hrs from start) - not much major action has happened in-between. The big change is that Vittoriosa is all but mine: virtually all the units remaining are retreating, routing or have already surrendered (A). C company of the 2/4th is the only battalion to have taken a severe ponding, now below 2/3rds strength. (B) I'm worried about infiltration through gaps in my line. I move independent MG and AT units in to cover.

[Agema]

4b) The 17th Brigade, with support from the Aus armoured cavalry, have crushed the opposition at Luqa. The Commandos are chasing down rogue units ruining their supply lines. Also of note is the 16th brigade, due to launch what I plan to be the destruction of the enemy army. There are about 20 units trying to get to Vittoriosa on the Corradino heights, and they are all under threat of being cut off from this offensive. When the 1st armoured brigade arrives in a short while, they will join in this assault.

[Agema]

5) After 3 days: My assault has crashed into the suburbs of Valetta (A), and the forces around the Corradino heights (D) are now cut off. However, there are still several armoured units there, so I ensure they can't escape by blocking the south with my own tanks (B). The 2/5th continue their flank-guarding, but are now to guard the left flank of main assault as they are replaced by armoured units (C).

[Agema]

5b) The steady advance elsewhere. The commandos are tasked with taking Ta Kali airfield (A). I don't expect much opposition, because they're the abttered remnants facing the Australian 17th brigade, which is to sweep them out of the way (C). The Aussie armoured cars will fill the gap between the formations (B).

[Agema]

6) Just under 4 days gone. The forces on the Corradino heights have been surrendering in droves. I send the tanks in to sweep away the remains. One armoured and three infantry battalions have assaulted Valetta. They were held up for a while by some German line troops, but eventually they cracked and I hit the soft underbelly of base, HQ and artillery units. Nothing left but mopping up for the main objective.

[Agema]

6b) The 17th brigade are to move rapidly north and take Sliema, the only major objective in enemy hands. There's almost nothing left to put up a fight.

[Agema]

7) And indeed, 6 hours later, they lay down their guns. Malta is retaken

[RayWolfe]

Well done, old boy. A smashing victory.
Ray
Pfff I never did that well, and I designed it! [:'(]

[Agema]

In conclusion, it was a crushing victory. Apart from some sturdy resistance against the 17th brigade early on, there was relatively little trouble, and even more satisfyingly my plan went almost exactly as I'd hoped.

The biggest worry was the large body of reinforcements that I caught on the Corradino heights. Had they got to Vittoriosa before my troops, I'd have probably had a nightmare on my hands. As it happens, I had taken the outer fortifications already, and simply diverted a small force on the left flank to defend the road. They were not able to launch an effective attack, although it was touch and go before I could stabilise the left flank of my assault. If I were the enemy commander, I'd have withdrawn them instantly. As the AI did not, I had the opportunity to cut them off. Surrounded, unsupplied, and heavily shelled, they did nothing but die in masses.

The Italian troops were dire. The fact that it was largely Germans who were neutralised on the heights undoubtedly made my job a lot easier. The counterattack that the AI made against me early on caused me a spot of worry, but I can't help but think it might have been better off sitting in well defended locations.

[Agema]

ORIGINAL: RayWolfe

Well done, old boy. A smashing victory.
Ray
Pfff I never did that well, and I designed it! [:'(]

Thanks! [:)]

[Bil H]

Nice plan, good execution, and great AAR!  [8D]

[chamberlain]

Well done!  I got a decisive victory as Allies (both sides with normal reinforcements) in this scenario using this battleplan:
1.) Secure the beachhead - Similar to yours, with similar results.
2.) Expand the beachhead - With the S. (left) flank anchored by entrenched Commando Bns between Birzebbugia and Safi Airfield, the remaining Commandos raced W. to capture Safi Airfield. At the same time, the first wave of Inf. reinforcements attacked on a broad front to secure the line Zeitun-Ashiak-Gudia. The second wave of Inf. reinforcements went full-speed from the beach to attack Tashin-Paula, to clear a corridor for follow-on armored forces. At about this time (Day 3?) The enemy AI started massing a huge force around Hal Far-Hal Far Airfield. It looked as if Jerry was planning to roll up my left flank at Birzebbugia, and sweep right up the coast. I deliberately ignored this, hoping that this force would get bogged down attacking my entrenched commandos. As the commandos fended off wave after wave of attacks, the enemy poured more forces into this area and I considered having my main armored/infantry force cut off the whole lot with a quick thrust SW from Safi Airfield to the coast at Zurriek. But Valletta was the real prize, so I stuck to my original plan...
3.) Exploit and breakout - The main landing wave rolled straight on through to Paula. At the same time, the infantry brigade already at Paula attacked quickly to seal off the Valletta peninsula at Fioriana while the armored cavalry formed a screen facing W on the line Hamrun-Curmi. This "cork in the bottle" strategy trapped a number of enemy supply bases and combat units in Valetta. That set the stage for a massive tank battle (henceforth known as "The Msida Melee") on Day 4 and the following evening. It was a meeting engagement, which started as German armor-infantry columns counterattacked Msida to try and reopen the Valletta peninsula. Instead, they ran head-on into the attacking 1st UK Armored Brigade and were vastly outnumbered. As the armor battle swirled in the Curmi-Birikari area, I sent the 8th Hussars Regt. to outflank them at Balzan. Airstrikes and artillery did the rest...soon the area was littered with gray crosses and by the evening of Day 6, the last of the Valletta holdouts surrendered. The final day featured mop-up attacks on the battered and reduced enemy force around Hal Far in the south in an attempt to claim the only two uncaptured objectives (Hal Far and Qrendi airfields).

[GoodGuy]

Good job.

Spearheading troops attacking/seizing Paula and the crossroads Corr. heights - Marsa early (dawn/night between day 2 and 3), then have them dig in, did a great job for me, as this blocked vital supply lines, especially with additional units occupying the SW-tip of the fortifications at Cospicua, to block forces who try to transfer from Vittoriosa via Paula/Marsa/Hamrun or the other way round.

Another early spearhead attacking Hamrun + Msida (a huge pincer movement via Sijuwi --> Cumri, avoiding/ignoring Qrendi airfield), to cut the supply lines, uses to result in a surrender early on Day 4, with my forces wiping out the rest of the Axis units in late evening of Day 4.

[chamberlain]

I noticed some German units popping up in Valletta long after I had apparently won the objective and cleared it of all enemy reistance. I know the city was completely sealed off, so how did they get there? Can they airdrop in or land by sea? Or do they represent units that had always been in Valletta and simply went to ground for a while and then rallied, failing to be picked up by Allied intelligence until they started shooting again?