Club Night 3rd September

Luke and I decided to do a big game, using the battalion level rules from the back of the rulebook. At 4,000 points each we should be able to field some hefty forces covering most bases. I took control of the Italian forces, and took a Squadron Esplorante, a Bersaglieri company and a tank company, supported by as much artillery as I could fit in. Luke took the British forces and had a Grant squadron under 'Pip' Roberts, a Crusader company and a guards motor rifle company, with a battery of 25 pounders in support. We played a break through mission with the more armour orientated British taking the roll of the attackers.

I deployed with a Bersaglieri company on either flank, keeping the armour and recon forces in reserve, except for the motorcycle mounted troops which I deployed to speed towards the furthest objective and dig in before the British flank march arrived.

AS Luke took some nice photos I will let these speak for most of the game, but highlights included the devastation my pair of 88's managed on the Grants before they were knocked out, removing my key threat. The inefficiency of the Italian air force and the failure for the Desert air force to turn up. Unfortunately when it did it smashed my self-propelled guns quite efficiently. The fight in the town on my right was also fun as initially the Stuarts crashed into buildings to try and drive out my infantry and then once my armour arrived it was a case of trying to find fire lanes as abandoned and destroyed tanks littered the battlefield.

The British flank attack finally arrived, but under some quick redeployment and viscous fire I made to do some serious damage before they completely drove off the motorcycle infantry, and although they passed a company break check the British admitted this attack had been blunted, as they only had 6 operation armoured vehicles left against considerably more Italian.

British Deployment

Two views of the Italian left flank

The Bersaglieri motorcycle troops rush to the furthest objective


The attack on the Italian right


Two more images showing the intensity of the fighting in the city

The desert air force arrive!