"Sorry, Can't Stop, We Are Invading Egypt"

This 16 turn game was played in 2 sessions over Skype against Nebelwurfer, totalling about 6 hours play. It is the first of 9 scenarios that represent a desert campaign in North Africa between 1940-41. Each of the 9 scenarios are a seperate entity of a battle from that which follows thereafter. This campaign has a scenario for Italy's opening move towards Egypt, Op Compass, Bardia, 2 x Tobruk, Beda Fomm, El Ageila, Op Brevity and Halfaya Pass all follow this one. The campaign features for the Axis mainly Italians against a mixed bag of British Empire forces. VP's are awarded each game and the sum of the 9 games can be totalled to detrmine a winner. For each scenario, we are using a 30% greater score of VP's as a minor victory and a 50% more as a major win. The same applies for the campaign as a whole.

This opening battle has the Italian 10th Army 'gloriously' advancing into Egypt. The Italians score points for exiting troops at the other end of the half-map and controlling the one main road. Their opponents, The Coldstream Guards score points for having at least one hex of the road and keeping Italian exit steps to less than 10. Both sides score points for eliminating enemy steps.

The Guards set-up with nearly all their infantry on their right flank dug-in on the first hill line and across the east-west road. On their left flank was posted 2 batteries of 2pdrs, and a section of mortars. In the middle were just 2 x INF platoons. Seeing these dispositions, the Italian commander decided against a head on attack along the road against well-motivated and well-trained Kings Guardsmen. Let them have the road was the attitude. Instead, the Italians pushed ahead from the far left flank of the British forces, deciding that their thinly protected tankettes could brave the 2pdrs and that their infantry could do their best to out run a British redeployment and get most of them Egypt bound.

At 1000 hours to the singing of "Italia, Italia", Mussolinis new Roman legions entered and pushed west in attempt to bypass the British left flank. The Italians also immediately deployed their 2 x mortar platoons and 75mm artillery battery which would be used to harry any British attacks on the advancing Italian infantry and tankettes. Unfortunately, these guards and their AT guns were pretty well-drilled and the 2pdrs soon took out a step of L3/35's that were lumbering along. The demoralised survivors soon about turning and making their way to the Italian rear..... They never returned to battle! By 1030 hours, the Italian on-field artillery had zeroed in on the meanly accurate 2pdrs on the ridge and destoyed one of the two batteries. But this was not before the same 2pdrs had completely destroyed another and complete L3/35 unit. There was just no place for these thin-sheeted slithers of metal to hide and the experience must have been terrifying for them. To their credit, the remaining platoon of L3/35's and 2 x platoons of L6/40's manfully pressed on up the ridge and away from the determined surviving 2pdr battery.

By 1100 hours, the Italian infantry advance was in full flow with the southern part of the ridge scaled and yomped over. To their left, the Coldstream Guards were rushing from their initial positions on the road to try and cut some of this force off from the main body. The Italians were forced to detach their HMG platoons as they were just too slow to make the dash. In the longer run, this probably helped a little elsewhere as will be seen. The British Guards laid down some good accurate rifle fire and this too caused some stragglers amongst the Italian foot troops as some disruption and demoralisation set in some units.

By 1130 the British began to get bolder as they saw a large part of the Italian force now nearing the map edge. They thrusted their 2 x sections of Bren Carriers forward to try and cause mayhem, probably in the belief that the lightly armed L6/40's would struggle to cause harm to them. But at 800 yards, and having a bit of time to hand before having to move again, the L6/40's fired a salvo (both needing to roll 10's in PG terms). Their gunnery was perfect and both sections of Brens came to a shuddering halt as they were picked off and destoyed by the tankette fire. With that, the British seemed to sayisfy themselves in concentrating on picking off enemies that had failed to make the dash. Therefore, the Guards attention now turned to these heavier ladened stragglers or disordered enemies. To help with their comrades survival, the on-board Italian artillery started to bombard the attacking Guards. A well aimed bombardment removed a step from 2 such platoons about to assault Italian disrupted machine guns. Like the MG's, these Tommies themselves were disrupted and demoralised, with some survivors fleeing back to the main road.

The final 8 turns became a struggle for survival for the remaining Italians and a desperate attack by the Guardsmen. Slowly, the Italians generally retieved their cohesion and it was their HMG's that were unable to exit that were used in effect to protect what remained on board. One Italian infantry platoon was assaulted by twice their number of Guardsmen and although holding out for an hour, they eventually succumbed and were completely overpowered. To balance that up, the aforementioned fleeing guards platoon was eradicated by Italian artillery and mortars and Italian OBA accounted for another 1/2platoon. Another Guards assault finished off a second Italian infantry platoon, but once more, the Italians countered by destroying the British mortar section and using withering fire to force the final 2pdr crew to flee its guns. Italian planes stalking overhead also had a slight say in causing some of the British problems. Over the final 8 turns (2 hours), both sides succeeded overall in inflicting another 4 steps each on each other. The Italian guns were never harmed.

The Italian force exited 3 plns of tankettes (12pts)and 9 x plns of infantry (18pts). They had inflicted 8 steps of casualties on the Guards for a game total of 38pts. The British, quite flimsily held the road, despite the HMG unit there receiving some unfriendly bombardments and air-strikes and so gained 5pts. They inflicted 10 steps of casualties on the enemy (3 x AFV, 4 x INF). Both sides lost a LT each (0pts). The final game score therefore was Italy 38pts, Britain 15pts for a major Italian victory. The 38/15 points score will now be carrried over to total with scenario #2's result. This incidentally will be a representation of Op Compass, the British offensive. I expect the Italians to have to cling on in the next one and perhaps have their time at taking a bashing. Therefore, their 23pt lead will be something they will be keeping an eye on and trying to allow minimal damage to.

I score this scenario a '3'. Normally it would have been a '2' because, despite 1 x Brit win being shown on PGHQ, this really should be an Italian victory and as a one off scenario would be unbalanced. The only thing that should be decided is the points advantage the Italians end up with. However, on this occassion, as it is designed to sit with 8 other scenarios where many favour one side or the other, it should be judged like that. With that in mind, the husbanding by both commanders of their points totals in the last 8 turns was something quite refreshing and obviously something that needs to be considered for the campaign overall totals. You can't just concede in these campaign games, they have to be seen out to the end. That made for some indulging and intriguing play, so '3' it is :-)