A small UK force of Matildas and Inf assault a mixed defense, IT inf and GE tanks. The UK won the scenario, with 12+ step losses inflicted, and all 3 entrenchment hexes occupied, and giving up only 5 steps lost. It did come down to the last turn, as the Germans had some shots at the Matilda that, if they hit, would have pushed the UK losses to 7, causing a draw at that point. But the GE tank dice were really off. They missed on 20 some consecutive shots that had an 11 or 12 shot.

This is probably a good learning scenario. The Germans can use the hill to protect their weaker tanks, and the Pz IIIs can cause havoc with the British Brens (against careless play you could easily score 4-6 step losses by taking out the carriers and passengers with AT fire).

The best british move is to push the Matildas into the wire, but if you don't cover your flank the meager GE/IT AT assets could score hits that will essentially end the scenario.

Well I hooked up with another contributor here yesterday, Darryl Sims in a face-to-face game, thus adding yet another 'live' opponent, and we certainly had some fun, as well as off-topic chuckles.I'm pretty sure we'll be battling again in the next couple of weeks.

The scenario heading this post is a smallish one but varied with each side possessing 7 or so INF units, some tank platoons and ordnance but no OBA. There is also a little desert fort to capture with surrender rules involved too and this is all fought over quite a decent size expanse. Here's a short AAR of the battle :

‘Operation- BREVITY : Fort Capuzzo’

Near Halfaya Pass : 15th May 1941

Scenario played 14th July 2009

Following the capture of Halfaya pass, a squadron of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment and the 1st Durham Light Infantry Bn.headed for Fort Capuzzo. The battered colonial out-post had become a lynch pin of the Axis defences, more for its ease of location than any defensive benefits.

Around 1pm, two Matilda tanks ‘riding point’ some way ahead of the main British force spotted 16 German Panzers advancing toward them some 2.5 km away. The Panzers, made up of Pz III’s & II’s then split into two even sections with each one rounding the Matildas flanks. There was a flurry of long range shooting as well as maneuvering for 90 minutes, but with little damage at all on either side. By this time, the main British forces had come into sight. Within 15 minutes , the British had suffered the loss of half their Bren carriers and a section of 2pdr AT guns from German tank fire 2kms distant. The two Matildas out front were also eliminated in some very close-in tank action by the Panzers.

But this proved to be the Axis high-point. The British pressed on with their attack , and this included another 8 Matilda tanks heading towards Capuzzo. The German Panzers harassed these thick-skinned monsters but were unable to stop them. Their 50mm shells pinging off like peas against a house. The Panzers efforts began to prove costly to themselves too. Soon, 6 of them had become victims to Matilda close range fire that was supported by the DLI troops. The Matildas pressed toward Capuzzo and once they were by its perimeter the Italian Major sent forward a whole company of Infantry to try and knock out the British tanks. This 151 man company lamely surrendered when asked, along with its officers as they were able to see 4 of their own L3/35 tankettes brewed by the unstoppable Matildas.

With the British infantry nearby and supporting the Matildas, it was all or nothing now for the remaining Italian garrison that consisted of a Coy. of Infantry, a platoon of MG’s,some AT and other ordnance. The British had inflicted more than enough casualties and prisoners. So out went the last company, and they withstood all enemy fire for a full 30 minutes and refused to surrender. In return, their own 65mm’s and mortar platoon pounded the British infantry in front of them. Some of the British became casualties whilst others broke. As they ran, this last Italian company fired into the fleeing British infantry and cut them down in flight. The problem was compounded when a couple of Matildas, fired at from one end by the last platoon of PzIII’s were then finished off from another angle by the Italian 47’s.

The attempt to take the Fort had failed, but a bloody nose had been administered to the Axis. The battle ended as a draw with Axis casualties too high (12 Panzers, 4 Italian tankettes destroyed, 152 Italians surrendered) and British casualties also not wanted with 51 infantry losses , 4 Matildas, 6 Bren carriers and a section of AT guns.

Those last British casualties meant that I was able to pull the COAL of a draw result out of the fire on the final turns... a good close match !

This was a face-to-face before the shared play applet was in place. My opponent was new to the game and only thirteen at the time and I had not played the system much myself. So this was more of an exploratory effort on both sides. The British move directly towards the "Fort," but allow their Matilida's to be approached by and engaged in assault by the German armor (the move and get initiative next turn ploy worked).

I cannot recall off-hand much more other than one Matilda survived. The British were knocking on the door as I recall when the scenario ended.

Sorry not much detail here, just documenting some of the older, early plays.

This played out as an odd scenario. There are a bunch of entrenched Italians surrounded by wire. They are mostly an infantry force, with a little artillery and an anti-tank gun. They are subject to surrender. Aiding them are a few German PzIIs and a bunch of PzIIIs, including some IIIGs. The British have 1 reduced Matilda in the lead, with a mixed force of infantry, AT and more Matildas following behind. Historically, the tanks traded shots for a while, doing not much, and then the Matildas went up to the Italians and asked them nicely to surrender. They didn't, so the British went home.

Not so this time. The Germans came off their hill to try to get some flank shots on the Matildas to attempt to kill a few, while the Italians dug in and hoped for the best. The lead Matildas got bored and decided to cross the wire to demand surrender. The Italians were more than happy to comply. The Italians have a 7 morale, so basically a 58% chance of not surrendering (they had no leaders with modifiers). I think out of about 8 surrender rolls, I made 2 of them. The Italian force melted away, with the few that survived the 1st round of surrendering not able to take out the Matildas in an assault. The German tanks finally got into a position where the PzIIIGs took out a step of Matildas at close range, only to have the surviving step wipe out all of the PzIIIGs. The Axis conceded on turn 12, with the Italians basically gone and the best German tanks out of action. It was a rout.

That being said, I don't think this is a terrible scenario. In retrospect, I should have sent the German tanks to the entrenchments to negate the chance of Italians surrendering. This would have put them in a much stronger position. It also might have devolved this into a massive assault, however in that case the Axis can afford more casualties than the British and might carry the day. Also, if I had rolled half decently on the surrender rolls, the lead Matildas might well have been eliminated, buying time for the rest of the force to hold on until the end.

Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany, Italy)
Method	Face to Face
Victor	Germany, Italy
Participants	Tambu
Play Date	2022-07-22
Language	English
Scenario	AfKo045

We played out this unbalanced scenario in 6 intense, face-to-face sessions. Tambu ably-led the British side on offense. As in so many of the older PG scenarios, this one is all about the Axis force defending a piece of worthless desert terrain in Libya. An understrength, entrenched Italian infantry battalion with a mortar platoon, a light tank outfit, a 65mm mountain gun unit, and a 47mm AT gun platoon are wired-in at the beginning. Unfortunately, the surrender rule for the Italians was in effect. On the brighter side, we played without the tedious fog of war rule, and with the smoke, consolidation and excess initiative optional rules.

As play developed, it was a mad dash to get the 4 German armored platoons integrated into the Italian defenses as quickly as possible, in order to prevent too-easy, Italian surrenders to the combined arms teams of my quick-thinking British opponent. It was very tempting to spread out the German armor to try and get crossfire shots setup on the heavily-armored Matilda IIs, but in the end, digging the panzers in with the poor bloody Italian infantry proved to be a game winning, or at least surrender preventing, strategy. The Italian leader draws had been favorable, with all 5, having morale modifiers, which helped prevent mass surrenders and allowed for some eventually successful, but costly, close assaults. A total of 8, number 7 combat dies rolls were thrown by the attacking side which undid some clever attack sequencing. All told, the dice gods were on the side of the Italo-Germans as most morale recovery, AT shots, and close assault die rolls went their way. Expect very heavy casualties in this scenario, no matter how things turn out.

This scenario generally favors the British side, but if the Axis force can outlast the initial onslaught and is favored by the dice gods, there is hope for a successful defense. I give this vintage scenario a 3, mostly because it was fun to play with many decision points for both sides. Though, if you want a game of sweeping maneuver, pick another, as this effort is likely better-played in solo mode.

One step of Matilda's advanced for the first five turns as German tanks moved south to intercept. Balance of British units entered board on turn 6 and two Brens were knocked out at long range by Panzers. It took about seven turns for the British to reach the wire, where they were stopped by the Panzers and Italian artillery and small arms fire. It seemed the British simply did not have enough men to carry out the mission. Although the Matildas have great armor, but their lack of viable offensive weaponry made them less than useful. I may try this one again, just to see if I can improve on the British performance.