Allied Turn 4 - The Allied hammer blow falls.

Allied Turn 4

Things are hotting up in the Tactics II campaign with engagements taking place across the front (normally the breaking point of most campaigns with more games than time allows.) 4 battles to play out this round..

Starting from right to left the Allies look to break out from the recently captured port of Karalaan but found there way unhindered by a solitary Infantry formation they would need to pushed aside. Rolling for a scenario within Platoon Forward - A platoon attack is called for against a defensive position. Heavily outnumbered this could be a short lived battle for the Axis defenders.

Similarly in the centre the blue forces/allied army was pushing up from the centre catching the Axis forces who had crossed the river and were screening the city, they had failed to activate to fall back and have been caught by three times their number.

The third battle is an all armoured affair with both sides under taking a point reconnaissance and finally on the left flank allied forces continued to face off against each other, a veteran mountain unit had cleared the pass looking to cut off the Axis forces at the river, but have out stripped their supporting units.

On the far left the allied forces have pushed down the mountain road and were on the outskirts of El Habira generating a Battle (Type N) Defence against flank attack.

On with the first battle and a challenging clash. The Italian defenders who were outnumbered 3:1 but were confident in taking a chunk out of the allied attackers. The terrain fell nicely for the red forces with a village and rough ground all sitting on their side of the table. The Allied forces would need to clear open ground to reach the defenders.

We are a small gaming group and you get to know how people play, however every now and again you can be surprised by players actions and this was one of those occasions.

With a road running into the cluster of buildings the British player put is foot down and headed straight for the village neither side knew the exact numbers they are up against.

Turn one and the Italian defenders open up turning the lead lorry into a burning wreck with the occupants scrambling into the scrub.

However having sprung the trap the remainder of the allied column bypassed the first wreck and pushed into the village, the small number of defenders were unable to stop the charging lorries.

The allied attackers spilled from the backs of trucks and set about the defenders. Quite a bold move and not one the Italians had expected.

On the right flank more allied troops entered the fray, they were brought under mortar fire but it did not stop their advance as they looked to envelope the village.

In the centre the Italians were flanked as the allies leapt from one house to the next.

Finally Italian reinforcements entered the table but the village was already in allied hands, the Italians looked to open up on the speeding transport but far off a solitary Matilda fired a 2 Pdr round which sent the Italian tank to go Down.

Boom and a second shell brews the first tank. The second tank had had enough and retired from the table it's Force Morale broken.

A short but bloody affair the Italian formation was all but destroyed as a fighting force and will need to be reconstituted in the replacement zone as an inexperienced unit.

On to the next encounter and hopefully a more balanced battle.