WF: First Battle of Tembien - Need Play Testers

[Kool Kat]

Gents: :smoke:

Looking for players to step up and help play test my new West Front scenario!

You may register and download the game files HERE.

Hopefully you can get one of your regular opponents to help test the scenario with you? :chin:


First Battle of Tembien (January 20, 1936)

Tembien, Ethiopia: [H2H] [HISB] [GD] On 3 October 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia without a declaration of war. The inital campaign began with 100,000 men organized into four corps, marching southward in three columns south from Eritrea. The Italians met no resistance at the border: Ethiopian Emperor Haille Selassie had ordered his frontier troops not to fight, that Italy might be clearly established as the military aggressor. General Emilio De Bono adopted a slow and cautious advance since invading East Africa was not like fighting a war in Europe. There were virtually no paved roads. Water, food, and shelter were scarce. Furthermore, East Africa lay at the end of an over 1,000 mile supply chain. But Mussolini grew impatient with De Bono's pace, and in December, after a brief period of inactivity and minor setbacks for the Italians, De Bono was replaced by General Pietro Badoglio. In early January 1936, the Italian position was precarious. Their line ran a length of about 150 miles, from Asmara to Makalle, across high mountains punctuated by passes and ravines. Ethiopian forces were in the hills everywhere overlooking the Italian positions and launching attacks against them on a regular basis. Ethiopian leaders Ras Kassa and Ras Seyoumm armies were excerting pressure from the Tembien and Badoglio decided he needed to dislodge these troops from their strong positions in order for the Italians to continue the advance towards Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. On 20 January, elements of the Italian 2nd Eritrean Division, made up of the Eritrean ascari who provied the regular colonial forces of Italian Eritrea, and the 2nd Blackshirt Division (28 October) named in honor of the Fascist March on Rome (28 October 1922), advanced through the area around Abaro Pass and assaulted the Ethiopian forces in the hills overlooking the pass. [All: No EA: No VV] (Note: Ethiopian Retinue units function as HQs. Map used is a heavily modified stock WF map file name 1-7pzLCG_5.map. A special thanks to the map designer.)


First Battle of Tembien is a Complexity 4, 15 turn scenario that features tribal forces, colonial units, Blackshirts, camels, and tankettes. Tough battle as the Italians assault Ethiopian forces occupying rough terrain hills overlooking a mountain pass.

[Kool Kat]

Gents: :smoke:

Also, I have included a brief analysis of both the Italian and Ethiopian forces including suggested tactics. I was also able to attach the MS Word document to my original post.

Forces & Tactics

Italian Forces

2nd Eritrean (Native) Division: Pros: Good assault strength. Cons: Poor defense strength and low morale. Tactics: Advance in mass and concentrate direct fire attacks. Close to assault distance utilizing defensive terrain and remain out of enemy LOS as much as possible. Somewhat “brittle” units that will retreat and lose strength points often when attacked. Use MG units to provide covering fire. Keep leaders close to assist in morale checks and rallies.

2nd Blackshirt Division: Pros: Good attack strength. Cons: Poor assault strength. Tactics: May operate in open terrain and have better survivability then Eritrean units. Use MG units to provide covering fire. Engineer unit has 6 smoke rounds.

Tankette Company: Pros: Speed and being armored helps too. Cons: Poor defense and attack strength. Tactics: Scout and spot. Use behind Ethiopian lines to spot enemy artillery and high value units like the retinue (Ethiopian supply unit).

Artillery: Pros: Attack strength and some organic movement. Indirect fire. Cons: Poor defense strength. No capability to use smoke rounds. Tactics: Use to bombard concentrations of Ethiopian troops. Effective against enemy advancing / defending in rough terrain.

Aircraft (fighter & ground support): Pros: Availability to attack any spotted hex on map. Cons: Poor attack – especially fighters and limited numbers (only 4 aircraft in scenario) Tactics: Use against Ethiopian troops in open terrain and against spotted enemy artillery and high value units like the retinue (Ethiopian supply unit).


Ethiopian Forces

Mahel Safari (Ethiopian Infantry): Pros: Good attack strength. Cons: Poor assault strength. Tactics: Use in mass against Italian forces. Utilize “hit & run” tactics by moving out of rough terrain to attack Italian troops and then retreating back into covered terrain. Remain out of enemy LOS as possible to avoid artillery bombardment and aircraft attacks. Attack where the Italian is weak and retreat where he is strong. All victory hexes are out of direct enemy LOS at start and surrounded by rough terrain on hills. Emphasis is on the Italian to attack and secure Ethiopian-controlled victory hexes.

Mahel Safari (Ethiopian Infantry) mounted on pack camels: Pros: Good attack strength and mobility. Cons: Poor assault strength. Tactics: Use as mobile reserve to plug holes, and add weight to any attacks against enemy forces.

Artillery: Pros: Attack strength and some organic movement. Indirect fire. Cons: Poor defense strength. No capability to use smoke rounds. Tactics: Use to bombard concentrations of Italian troops. Effective against enemy advancing / defending in rough terrain.

[Kool Kat]

Gents: :smoke:

World events that "set the stage" for my scenario.

Brief introduction to the Italian Invasion of Ethiopia 1935 and the shameful treatment of Ethiopia by the League of Nations. Narrated by Eric Sevareid. Click HERE.

First minute of film has some clear images of Italian tankettes, aircraft, native troops, calvary, and artillery.


More battle footage of the Italian Invasion of Ethiopia 1935. Click HERE.

[JackaBoy]

I'll give it a go. Have downloaded the scenario. Now waiting for someone to send me first turn (what's the protocol with starting HTH?).