Desert encounter - British Versus Italians

BKC game two- Encounter Battle British vs. italians. Forces were

British -

1x Co(8)
1x Hq (7)
1x Hq (8)
FAO (7)
1x Scout Carrier
12x Infantry
1x Vickers
1x 2 Pounder
1x 3- inch Mortar
1x Engineers
2x Vickers VI
3x A9
2x A10
3x A13
2x Matilda II
1x A10 CS
25 pdr 8 gun
1 carrier

Breakpoint: 15

Italians

Co (8)
HQ (7)
HQ (8)
FAO(6)
2x AB-40/41
3 regulars
6 vetran
2 breda
2 47mm atg
1x 81mm mortar
1x 65mm ig
4x L3-35
8x M13-40
1x 100-105mm artillery
11x trucks

breakpoint- 15



The table

The italians got the first move and raced forward on the left ,their belesgari infantry reaching the rise of the british right.

The Italians reach the hill. The light tank at the front is a stand in for a L3/35



M13/40s reach the Pass on the road. Mix of GHQ and Heroics & Ros

The British counter this by storming forward with the Cruisers and the Infantry, (with two double ones!) coming within range of each other

British tanks catch the flank of the Italians

.



The british also deploy a 2 Pounder on the crest of the large hill, and the Matildas fail to show up, which leads us to.  . .

Turn 2

The Italians march their tankettes up the hill and are suppressed by the 2 pounder at short range.

The italians deploy their 47mm ATG and suppress a Vickers light tank. The M13/40's also destroy two A9's and force the third to pop up smoke.

If in doubt, hide behind a cloud of Cotton!

The italians dismount their infantry and take fire from two Vickers VI which make up the British flank



The Vickers VI's destroy a lone L3-35

The British fight back by shelling the Enemy Tanks, which causes a bit of carnage as 25 pounder shots destroy 1 M13 and suppress the rest on the hill.

The italians take heavy fire from the flank.

The infantry continues to advance across the open desert, but the Matilda's still refuse to move into battle.

Turn 3

The small italian infantry unit with the tanks fails to move again, and when the tanks do fire they face carnage from the British  on all sides.

Having been forced to split by threats from the British Formations the italians take heavy fire.

However, on the british right the flank the 2 pounder and a Vickers tank are knocked out leave little for anti tank defence for the Infantry.

Light tanks under heavy fire.

The Italian Artillery also gets in, Hitting the british Infantry as it climbs the hill.

However, during the British turn the Italians tanks remain stuck on a hell's highway, their tanks too suppressed to fire back at the British.

Stuck in the wrong place at the wrong time- Italians in a Crossfire

The Infantry fails to move, but the Matilda's are inspired to charge forward ....

Matilda's take fire as they cross the battlefield.

Turn 4

the Italians  attempt to move their infantry forward to support the tanks, but they are hit by A13's on the hill and forced to dismount

The italian Infantry Company is forced to dismount from their transport

The Tanks fail to get a command through, and the infantry, in true Italian style, pull back from the hill and decide that Benghazi looks more favourable than Alexandria. The Italians don't look very hopeful of victory now, even though the Mortar has taken out a few infantry units lately. . .

The British still churn up Italian Tanks, taking three out in one go , as the Matilda's hurry across to give a coup de grace . . .

Beware the Wrath of the Matilda . .

At this point my old man calls it quits and goes upstairs for a cup of tea,arguing that british armour of the left would eventually chew up his entire force. Fat chance!

Final Score
British 8/15
Italians 9/15