| 1st GSASL RANGER BRIGADE 1st RANGER BATTALION MIEL COMPANY IN ITALY |
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| Mission 2 Italy 01.01.1944 : Bunker Busting |
| 1944 |
| CO Captain Hans Mielants |
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| 1st Lieutenant Mielants was promoted to Captain, effective 1 February 1944 |
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| MIEL Company swiftly broke the enemy fortified line with Cpt Mielants taking the lead. Sadly 2 Platoon Commanders were lost due to Enemy Sniper activity |
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| The end of 3rd turn with Cpt Mielants and hist lead squads on top of their 3rd victim in only two turns. At game end they had taken out 5 pillboxes and 2 foxholes. The total VP for IP was a staggering 105. Cpt. Mielants was awarded the Bronze Star for this action. |
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| With 4 captured guns and 3 British 6 pounders the Rangers were ready to stand up to the armored onslaught. However due to the many guns lots of S? came onboard generating tens of vehicles. Vehicles were hit and burned but swamped Ranger positions taking out gun after gun and encircling the brave Americans. When the dust cleared 16 Panzers were death and 2 more immobilized but only one Ranger platoon was still alive. A Phyrric victory. |
| The end of 9th turn with the central platoon being swamped and fired on by all sides after all its guns were taken out. The only bright spot here is the British OBA finding its mark. |
| Mission 4 Italy 23.01.1944 : Hoch Hoch |
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| MIEL Company, trapped in the town center, fought for its survival, having all of its squads in CC by the end of the second turn. Several got killed but even more Germans bite the dust and by Turn 3 the British Commando's are in arriving on the scene. Several other German attack waves were beaten off an by game and the town center was cleared. German losses were terrifying : 12 leaders and 30 squads against 2 Allied leaders and 10 squads. Cpt. Mielants is now the last survivor of the original MIEL Company landing in Sicily half a year ago... |
| End of 3rd game turn with the Commando's and Rangers forming a nice strait line, waiting for the next German wave. |
| Mission 3 Italy 10.01.1944 : Tank Attack |
| Mission 5 Italy 05.02.1944. Scenario a : Cautious Advance |
| MIEL Company, now reinforced by new recrutes, had to attack and take a hill near Cassino. The company made only slow progress on the hillside scrub at night but managed to take the hill and the doctor's house. Cpt. Mielants then took a platoon to take another hill to the south which was taken thanks to the German counterattack concentrating on the first hill. |
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| End of 3rd game turn with MIEL Company in solid control of the hilltop. |
| Mission 5 Italy 13.02.1944. Scenario b : Cave Raid |
| MIEL Company had to take out 6 ammunition caves in a hit and run action. With a bold stroke the company advanced, took out the sentries set the DC's and blew 5 caves before the German counterattack set off. A Panther appeared on the hillside taking pot shots at the remaining cave but Cpt. Mielants managed to set and explode the last cave. |
| End of game turn 6 after exploding the first cave in the center. The cave just to the left failed to explode on the first Set DC. The next turn 4 more Set DC, seen on the right, exploded. |
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| Mission 5 Italy 13.02.1944. Scenario d : Extraction |
| MIEL Company managed to slip away and encountered only a small German patrol on its way home. The Rangers deployed in a C to hold the advancing Germans and welcomed them with a hail of fire. Two M8 came to help but one was lost to a Marder. The Marder was blasted by a BAZ and the Rangers advanced to eliminate the German force. |