Last Game of 2017 - 15mm WW2 in Madagascar!

On Sunday 6 of us (one as umpire/game master) played a 15mm WW2 game based on the British invasion of Vichy French held Madagascar in May 1942.  The following extract sets the scene...

The Battle of Madagascar was the British campaign to capture Vichy French-controlled Madagascar during World War II. The seizure of the island by the British was to deny Madagascar's ports to the Imperial Japanese Navy and to prevent the loss or impairment of the Allied shipping line. It began with Operation Ironclad, the seizure of the port of Diego Suarez near the northern tip of the island, on 5 May 1942.

Following many reconnaissance missions by the SAAF, the first wave of the British 29th Infantry Brigade and No. 5 Commando landed in assault craft on 5 May 1942. Follow-up waves were by two brigades of the 5th Infantry Division and Royal Marines. All were carried ashore by landing craft to Courrier Bay and Ambararata Bay, just west of the major port of Diego Suarez, at the northern tip of Madagascar. A diversionary attack was staged to the east. Air cover was provided mainly by Fairey Albacore and Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers which attacked Vichy shipping. They were supported by Grumman Martlets fighters from the Fleet Air Arm. A small number of SAAF planes assisted.

The defending Vichy forces, led by Governor General Armand Léon Annet, included about 8,000 troops, of whom about 6,000 were Malagasy tirailleurs(colonial infantry). A large proportion of the rest were Senegalese. Between 1,500 and 3,000 Vichy troops were concentrated around Diego Suarez. However, naval and air defences were relatively light and/or obsolete: eight coastal batteries, two armed merchant cruisers, two sloops, five submarines, 17 Morane-Saulnier 406 fighters and 10 Potez 63 bombers.

The beach landings met with virtually no resistance and these troops seized Vichy coastal batteries and barracks. The Courier Bay force, the 17th Infantry Brigade, after toiling through mangrove swamp and thick bush took the town of Diego Suarez taking a hundred prisoners. The Ambararata Bay force, the 29th independent brigade, headed towards the French naval base of Antisarane. With assistance from six Valentines and six Tetrarch light tanks of B Special Service Squadron they advanced 21 miles overcoming light resistance with bayonet charges. Antisarane itself was heavily defended with trenches, two redoubts, pillboxes, and flanked on both sides by impenetrable swamps 

On the morning of 6 May a frontal assault on the defences failed with the loss of three Valentines and two Tetrarchs. Another assault by the South Lancashires worked their way around the defences but the swamps and bad terrain meant they were broken up into groups. Nevertheless, they swung behind the Vichy line and caused chaos. Fire was poured on the Vichy defences from behind and the radio station and a barracks were seized In all 200 prisoners were taken, but the South Lancs had to withdraw as communication with the main force was nonexistent after the radio set failed. With the French defence highly effective, the deadlock was broken when the old destroyer HMS Anthony dashed straight past the harbour defences of Antisarane and landed fifty Royal Marines amidst the Vichy rear area. The marines created "disturbance in the town out of all proportion to their numbers" taking the French artillery command post along with its barracks and the naval depot. At the same time the troops of the 17th Infantry Brigade had broken through the defences and were soon marching in the town. The Vichy defence was broken and Antisarane surrendered that evening, although substantial Vichy forces withdrew to the south.

Rick and I played the French - unfortunately for us, our defensive position did not prove to be anything like as strong as that encountered by the British in May 1942, and we were comprehensively beaten by the British, commanded by Paul, Chris and Mark.

We did have the satisfaction of making the British pay a high price in dead infantrymen, but the British tanks and particularly their artillery easily overwhelmed our meagre forces. We lost every single unit bar three 75mm guns I managed to pull off right at the end of the game, as the 50 Royal Marines appeared in our rear!

Here is the map and following that a few pictures I took at random intervals during the day.

Chris advanced at the top of the map with the artillery whilst Mark advanced at the bottom with the armour. Paul came up the middle with the bulk of the infantry.

 Marks initial recce force in bren gun carriers found our first line of defence but were wiped out doing so.

 Our first unit of 3 R35 tanks emerged to confront the Brits, but failed to do any damage and were soon burning wrecks. Likewise our two 20mm AT guns proved ineffective against anything except the unfortunate bren gun carriers!

 The massed British infantry advance - not many of them would live to see Diego Suarez!

 WW1 vintage 18lb field guns head forwards - these proved one of the most effective tools in the British arsenal, along with a battery of 25lb ers

 A general view of the first ridge defended by the French. In the real battle, the British came quite a cropper here and were basically halted - in our game, the British lost the four carriers of their recce force then easily destroyed our defending force before advancing to the second line.

 Some of Marks British armour moving in line abreast

 British and French infantry slog it out in the first position - one French unit bravely charged and destroyed a British company, but were then shot to pieces by two or three others!

 The 18lb guns deployed to finish off the defenders of the first line whilst the second recce force reaches the second defensive position

 More of Marks armour skirting the flank of the first defensive position

French AT guns making a run for it from the first line of defence...they did not get far.... the 18lb field guns can just be seen deployed for action in the top of this picture - you can imagine the rest!