I usually don't like enter and exit scenarios that much but this one was full of action from start to finish. It was also the fastest moving, 20 turn scenario I've played yet, finished in less than 24 hours and that is especially fast for these 'King's Officers' campaign ones. Also, I didn't have any complaints losing with Italy as I did what I could with them and made the most with what was left of their units that did not escape the British onslaught.

I set the British forces up heavily on the flanks but kept 2-pdrs and 81mm's loaded on Brens and trucks to move where the major Italian breakthrough would begin. There was a stronger build-up on the Western end but placed the 25 pdrs on the East guarded by a few dug-in platoons of INF and Rolls Royce armored cars. With the Italians I matched the British defenses but managed a partial, central breakthrough with some L3/35s and some very fast-moving AB41 armored cars. Over half of this central force actually made it through the A.T. gun gauntlet and would eventually escape pursuit. The Italians were able to do a lot of damage with their 47mms and wiped out all the Rolls Royces with them while the M11/39 tanks destroyed half of the MkVIbs. However, with a lot of help from one my LC(Leader Character)Captains with both the forward observer and mortarman/artillerist skills, the bulk of the personnel units were stopped halfway to their intended destinations through massive disruption and demoralization, especially to higher ranking leaders. So the fog of war would aid the British as well with a mess of scattered and disorganized units. But the Italians still pressed on even though it seemed certain that less than half of their overwhelming numbers would escape the North edge of the map.

British forces called off their attacks and focused on chasing down stragglers before they could escape the second half of the game as it didn't matter with generating step losses anymore as Italy had no real fight left in them at this time. I finally found a use for the remaining MkVIb tanks other than easy A.T. prey and with their move of 9 were able to catch up with 2 platoons of demoralized HMGs that were one move from being off the map and blocked them while mortar fire reduced their numbers in half from compound demoralization results. At one point the chase was so close that the only way certain Italian units could hope to escape were to fail recovery rolls and flee. So in a rare case I was hoping they would fail those attempts as disrupted units only have a move of one.

So it ends in another victory for Britain with the V.P.'s at games end: Britain:85; Italy:50. This one proving to be even more decisive than their success with Operation Compass. As for the LCs, Italy managed to keep all three of their's alive though two left the battlefield with negative LPs while the British LCs fared average except for one newly promoted Major was seriously wounded (once again the survival skill modifier saves a LC from certain death with a fatal 5 result adjusted to a 4) and would have to sit the next battle out being reduced from (1-8-0)strength to(0-7-0). However, funnily enough, by a 13+ dice roll of double sixes my best British LC was promoted from Captain to Major in his place. So midway through this early Desert War campaign Britain holds a lead by 60 CPs. Italy quite simply has to not only win but win big during the last four battles. Germany will finally arrive to help bail them out in the next scenario: El Ageila.

This is the fifth scenario for the first campaign and the first one in the list that I will rate low. The reason, a slight imbalance in the initiative that give the British a great advantage. A +3 different gives the British all the initiative until the Italians can knock it down. This allows the British to pick apart the Italian attack and slow them down.

In play the British setup in three groups, dugin and protecting all lines of advance. Each group and and HMG and AT gun with mortars in the center group and the 25 lbr well back to provide fire support.

For the Italian attack they plan to rush the left group as it has some cover with the lower levels in front. Once cleared, they will rush the down the left side and get off the board.

But all goes wrong with the attack, British bombardment and opp fire quickly disrupt and demoralize a large part of the attacking force. Leadership is stuck trying to rally units while the armor tries to get by but AT fire and bombardment, so and stop the tanks. Eventually the Italians push past and try to get off the board but once the attack has become known and the other groups to the right start to shift to the Italian push. Several small groups pin the slow moving Italians and eventually the drive stops.

In the end no Italians get off the board with the loss of 15 British steps. As for the leaders, all survived some gained LP's but even the British leaders were disrupted several times. All Italian leaders wound up with negative LP's.