Mechili 24th January 1941

Scenario played : 10th September 2009 (ftf game with D.Simms)

On the 24th January elements of 4th Armoured Brigade went looking for a fight at Mechili where intelligence placed an infantry regiment and two tank battalions. They found a strong unit of the Babini Armoured Brigade, a scratch unit formed from around the 4th Infantry Tank Regiment detached from the Ariete Armoured Division. The Italian units had had no time to work together before being thrown into action and it’s officers hoped the mother division’s hard training of individual crews could make up for this lack.

Along the main east-west road running north of Mechili about 0915 hours, elements of the 7th Hussars Tank Regiment began their approach on the Italian positions. Some way behind these, about 2 hours distant were another 16 British cruiser tanks from the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment. The Hussars were made up of 20 out-of-date Mk VI tanks armed with just MG’s, and with these they hurried towards the positions of the Italian 60th Sabratha Division two miles south positioned behind a great wadi. Once the Hussars committed themselves, the Italian armour, positioned astride the east-west road quickly made their way to the expected entry point of the following cruisers and placed themselves in a position to launch an ambush tank v tank battle. The Italian infantry also began advancing toward the oncoming Hussars.

The Hussars made contact with the enemy about half an hour later and were greeted by the accurate fire of some Italian 47mm AT guns. The Hussars lost two tanks but pressed on. This proved a suicidal ploy as a mass of enemy infantry rose up and destroyed the rest of the already demoralised platoon whilst AT fire knocked out another two Mk VI’s. The Hussars were by now in complete shock and with some Italian M13/40 tanks also becoming embroiled the combined force knocked out a further 8 tanks ! By 1030 am, with 14 of their starting number now smoking wrecks, the Hussars had to try and extricate themselves. Meanwhile, up at the main road, the 2nd RTR sailed into the prepared ambush with their cruisers, losing 10 of the 16 within thirty minutes. These were able to lose off some shells themselves and this accounted for 4 x enemy M13/40 tanks.

The battle at the main road then raged on for about one and a half hours as the remaining British cruisers fought courageously for their lives. Using their better training, tanks and rate of fire, they managed to hold in combat a far larger Italian tank force of 32 tanks throughout that time. But having lost the initiative, the remaining 6 tanks were picked off one by one, as were the rest of the Hussars, but not before a further 6 Italian metal hulks were left strewn in the desert sand. Italian losses were almost more than required but they had managed to pick off the last few British tanks in time. But regardless, this was still a fantastic Italian tank victory, inflicting 36 destroyed tanks on the British at a loss of just 10 of their own.

The British did try and fling a late arriving infantry force at the Italians around 1430 hours, but against the tanks that were now dug in, this simply resulted in the wasteful loss of 50 or so infantrymen from the Kings Royal Rifle Corps. Italian victory was by now complete as the British resorted to desperate bombardments from their 25 pdrs with little or no effect. The Italians had won at Mechili.