Historical Background: In April 1941, units of the "Force publique" stationned at Gambela were reinforcing their strenght to prepare the future offensive to Saïo. During this time, company 1/V (1st coy of 5th Battalion) was on the front line on the Bortaï river. Following an air bombing on Saïo by two Wellington British bombers, the Italian reaction was immediate and they launched a surprise attack on the Bortaï Belgian defense line. After a violent artillery fire, Erythrean soldiers leaded by Italian officers assaulted the Belgian positions. Soldiers of the 1/V resisted on their positions but were soon overcame by numbers. The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
Briefing: Axis player [Italy] : 5 command cards, you move first. Allied player [Belgium] : 5 command cards.
Conditions of Victory: 6 medals. The hexagons with a medal token are a temporary medal objective for the Axis player.
Special Rules: - Use "Italian Royal Army" rules (Nations 6) to all Axis units. Badges are not required. - Special Weapon Asset rules (SWAs1 - Special Weapon Assets) are in effect for all Allied units equipped with Mortar ( SWAs 3 - Mortar) and Machine Gun (SWAs 7 - Machine Gun). - Use "Fords & Fordable Rivers" rules (Terrains 41) for the Bortaï river.
Scenario Bibliography: - "Bortaï" Campagne d'Abyssinie 1941 - Philippe Brousmiche. - Image Google Earth.
Warning: Please note that this scenario was not approved by Richard Borg or Days of Wonder, so you have to check yourself about playability, potential gaming issues, etc.
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