Thursday Fight in the Desert

Last Thursday's game was a British assault against an Axis defended minefield.  Russ, Ozy and Phil were defending three sets of tables but knew the assault would be against only one.  They cunningly deployed the majority of an Italian battalion on the right hand table and they were correct!  Reserves were posted behind the middle table with a two turn delay, but the artillery battalion was well deployed on the middle table with a FOO on a high ridge able to spot any dust on all three tables.  It looked like a strong defence.  Mark, Jon and Frank were about to test it.

Jon's battalion has successfully cleared a way through the initial minefield but has strayed into another unmarked mine field.  Frank's engineers are widening the original gap to secure a better line of supply.  Mark's battalion on the far side has lost casualties to mines and to the German FOO on the adjacent table.  He attempts to demonstrate in front of the Italian held defences whilst Jon and Frank consolidate a bridgehead.

Ozy's German rifle battalion arrives from reserve and takes up a holding position to the left of Phil's Italian held fort.  The Italian defences were positioned too far back from the minefield.  Further forward they would have inflicted casualties on the British engineers and allowed Ozy's Germans to more quickly counter attack.

German artillery arrive on the flank and Russ' panzers put in a rapid counter attack.  Jon's Foo has neutralised the 88mm and he has used the unmarked minefield as a defensive feature for the bridgehead.  Jon and Frank's  supporting Valentines check the panzers whilst Ozy's infantry battles with the defending British infantry.  Mark's casualties have been high and he pulls his troops back to avoid a morale check.  As dusk falls Phil launches a counter attack which narrowly fails to finish off Mark's British.

The British managed a marginal win by establishing a bridgehead before dusk.  However, the reserve tank regiment had been launched and with a few more hours of daylight it is possible the British may have broken through - and yet Ozy's infantry with antitank guns was still fresh and Russ was about to pull his panzers back into a stop position. 

Another great game, well played, with a few more desert specific situations played out before the operational game.  This Thursdays battle will be a tank v tank encounter featuring the classic Sidi Rezegh scenario.