Bolt Action Monte Cassino Campaign. Game #3- Free French vs Panzer Grenadiers Cassino

Another sologame of Bolt Action. This time I am starting a small campaign to commemorate the beginning of the First Battle of Monte Cassino which started 80 years ago this week. This game sees a platoon from the 2nd Moroccan Division attempting to storm a fortified position on the lower slopes of Monte San Croce. The game sees 1500pts of Free French (Moroccan’s) vs 1200points of the 115 panzer grenadier regiment.

[@andrewtiffany1733]

Good stuff!

[@Courham]

Cheers Tiff

[@c3aloha]

This is cool because the reason I got into BA was to teach kids about the 100th Infantry Battalion (34th Division) who were on left flank of the French and almost took the town of Cassino at that time after crossing the Rapido River.

[@Courham]

Lots of fascinating aspects of this campaign and so many nationalities involved. My own interest coming from growing up as a young kiwi it was seen as one of the most important events in WWII for NZ. In recent decades as the veterans of WWII have died off our focus as a country has tended to shift back to Gallipoli whereas a few decades back Cassino was one of, if not the, defining moments in that lives of that generation of kiwi's for those that survived it and so more widely known than it apepars to be now. I'm glad like the report, I'm trying to do something a bit different by puting each game into a historical context, creating some special rules for the game based on the engagement I am representing and then at the end touch on the actual outcome of that encounter. I should have anoher game to upload later this evening.

[@c3aloha]

@@Courham sweet as. It might be nice to see how you built those pillboxes too! In Hawaii the Japanese American 100th Infantry Battalion is regarded with great reverence but the memory of it is fading as the last veterans pass away. They were severely depleted at Cassino after which they were joined to become part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team. People often don’t realize that the Americans assaulted the town before they decided to bomb the monastery. We are very fond of our Kiwi allies! Cheers

[@Courham]

The original version of the pilbox video showed them being made but the sound quality was poor as my digital camera wasn't working properly (thanks to user error) so removed it but will show a close up at some point- very easy. They took about 1/2 an hour (+ drying time) as they are simply foam core and some filler. The 100th Nesei was one of the most decorated units in the US army IIRC. Will be moving onto the ititial American assaults in a few weeks time. I've 2 more battles for the British sector to do, then the 34th's attempt to cross the Rapido before moving onto the the 36th's attacks.