Djebel el Hamra

This game was played on 13/4/13. Chris hosted. Chris and I played the Americans, Dave & Ian played the Axis. Most of the Axis kit was supplied by Dave & Ian, with Pz Abt Stotten coming from my collection. The Americans were mostly mine, with Dave supporting with jeeps and artillery and Ian supplying the M3 scout. Please excuse the bare boards, someone forgot the deserty cloth.

US recon screen: Recon company 3rd Armored Regiment. Italeri M3 Halftracks (the OB calls for scouts but I don't have any)

The AT elements of the Recon Company were deployed further back than the the recon screen. This pic showcases some of Dave's jeep collection.

33 Pz Aufklarungs Abt, attacking up the main road, bumps into the recon screen. Dave's lovely captured carrier leads (substituting for a 222) followed by a (Matchbox) Pz-IIF. The Scout Car is from Ian's collection.

Despite destroying the carrier and forcing off the Pz-II the recon screen was soon overcome and the Aufklarungs forged up the road to attack the AT screen. Although the US gun crew was forced away from the gun, this was the Aufklarung's high tide. Dave's legendary bad morale dice struck again and the Germans fell back shaken due to the casualties received in the attack

Back down the road the pioneers attempt to mop up the recon screen

The lead elements of 13th Armored Regiment enter the battle. Airfix Lees

German artillery firing in support of the newly arrived Panzergrenadiers. Technically all arty was off table, but they are such nice models they deserved a picture. Models by Ian

2nd Battalion 13th Armored Regiment continues its advance. A company has already branched off down the road occupied by the Halftrack, which leads to victory location "B". Note the difference in size between the two lead Lees (Airfix) and the Hasegawa Lee following. One day I will have enough Airfix lees and the Hasegawa examples will be lend leased to the Russians. Halftrack by Acedemy.

DAK traffic jam. Being forced to enter down a single road lead to delays in the Axis forces deploying

Pz Abt Stotten enters the fray, flanking the road and heading for point "B". Airfix Pz-IVF2 and Matchbox Pz-IIIL. The Pz-IIIN is a Matchbox conversion, The PzBefWg-IIIJ is an MMS conversion

I Btl Panzer Grenadier Regiment Afrika, deploy for an attack down the main road. All figures by Dave

The US artillery was ubiquitous on the battlefield. It did great execution amongst the German Panzer Grenadiers and most of the German tanks were suppressed most of the time, significantly reducing their effectiveness. Guns by Dave

894th Tank Destroyer Battalion arrives to support the 2/13th. The lack of cover and the TD's lack of armour meant their lives were going to be very limited. M3 GMC are a eclectic mix. Those with yellow stars are Italeri, The track with white starts to the far left is Milicast and the other is a Mike Starmer conversion of an Airfix model

Pz Abt Stotten takes an early casualty

The TD make a brave (foolish?) flanking move on the German tanks. However it did stop the Germans firing at Chris's Lees

Eventually Pz Abt Stotten overcame US resistance and started to forge forward towards point "B". In the top right hand corner of the pic you can just see the Centauro Armoured Battalion struggling down the main road. Although the Lee is hopelessly outclassed by the German panzers it is a super-tank compared to the Italians, and Centauro is taking a pounding, effectively bringing to a halt the trust down the main road towards point "X"

Soon after the last pic was taken we called the game on turn 9. Point "B" was defended by a handful of US infantry (without Bazookas) and was soon to be crushed by the might of Pz Abt Stotten. 2/13th was looking a shadow of its former self and the Lee was nowhere near a match for the Panzers. However the Axis had taken considerable armoured casualties and even if they had got all remaining tanks to point X they would not have had enough to win. The game was certainly heading for a hard fought draw.

Back to Scenario