This game was played using Skype over 2 sessions with nebelwurfer and is the third scenario from our 9 scenario campaign game from C&C2. It is a representation of the Australian infantry attacks on Italian fortified positions at Bardia. They have 16 turns to do it

The game starts at night 4 turns before dawn. For the Italians, that means their greatest fear is having the Australians advance on top of their positions pretty unscathed due to night cover. The Italians are issued with 11 INF plns, some MG's, lots of artillery and 7 tank-ditches. I set up the Italians pretty central with the entrenchments just 2 hexes apart in a circular formation. The front obviously bristled with the most punch. Within the circle, dug-in were the Italian guns plus 2 of the 4 AT units. One AT unit was placed 'advanced' 7 hexes from the Australian edge, hidden by night and set up on the track. The other was to the west on a hill there. The AT ditches were placed along the road and track to make it a generally waste of time to use and therefore prolong the time Australians could reach Italian positions. The Australians had 18 INF units supported by HMG's, Brens and 4 x modules of OBA. Their morale was 8/8 against the Italian 7/6, but in this scenario, the Allies had drawn the worst leader selection I'd ever seen the Aussies have. Only 3 of 16 leaders had a beneficial morale modifier.

The Australians entered in the dark and as expected, sent their HMG's on Brens up the tracks. When the first platoon came into the sight of the lone Italian AT unit, they were blasted away losing 3 steps. Worse followed in turn 2 as the Diggers made sure to redeploy their HMG's and Brens to safety. This ate some activations and FOW came before their infantry had moved forward again. This placed them a turn behind schedule and meant the trenches would not be reached in the dark. Turn 3 saw the end of the Italian AT gun and normal service was resumed. Thereafter, for the next 6 turns, it was a case of the Aussies setting up fire lines and bombarding Italian artillery whilst DF'ing at the Italian hedgehog. The Italians meanwhile slung back their own artillery shells and less threatening DF. BY the end of turn 9, Aussie losses had reached 8 steps and the Italians 5 steps. Most of it from on and off board artillery.

After turn 10 the Allies sent their left flank forward in an attempt to crash into the Italian west side. An Italian AT unit was wiped out on the western hill and one of the dug-out positions was in serious strain. This was really to be the pinnacle of the Australian attack. They did tentatively try an assault on one entrenched position and although it inflicted some disorder, their own troops too became disordered. Italian OBA was now throwing caution to the wind and attacking any 3-stacked assaults for max effect. The attempt to take the trenches failed and not one fell into Australian hands. It should be mentioned that from turns 10-16, the Italians also had to choose between trying to knock out fleeing units with OBA for points, or using the OBA to cause chaos on the Australian main line and thus later gaining points for holding trenches. The latter option was chosen and rare was the time the Allies had full control of all their forces.

Both sides lost 13 steps. Italian 5 FOOT, 8 GUNS & 3 OFF, Australian 12 FOOT, 1 APC, 4 OFF. As the Italians still held all 5 trenches, they gained an extra 10pts. The final score therefore was a 23-13 win for Italy. On going campaign score after 3 battles, Italy 86pts, Commonwealth 73pts.

Overall, a pretty standard desert war attack against lesser-moraled Italian defensive position forces including their ubiquitous artillery counters. Nothing wrong with it, nothing special about it, so a middling 3 rating from me.