Ptolemais

This game was played Sunday 3/6/12 in my conservatory. The Germans came from my collection. Broadly the Green AFVs and most of the infantry were from the collection of Chris S. Ian A and Dave C supplied the deserty stuff. Dave and I ran the Germans and Chris and Ian played the Commonwealth

The table from the south, "Commonwealth end", looking north to the "German end". Mavropye is in the bottom right corner and Ptolemais is in the distance

The 1st Rangers deployed in Ptolemais. The British strategy was to stop the Germans just blasting down the main road to the objectives. This left the western flank rather weak. One company started mounted up in its trucks ready to drive back and provide a backstop around the objectives

B Squadron 4th Hussars guard the western end of the Commonwealth front line

1 Kompanie 33 Panzer Regiment on the track leading to Mavropiye

L&N Battery 2nd RHA on the heights at Mavropiye watching the panzers approach. 25pdrs from Dave's collection

H&I Battery 2nd RHA on the road from Ptolemais. The positions of 27th NZ MG battalion can be seen further down the road.

A Squadron 3rd RTR and C Squadron 4th Hussars cover the Commonwealth right flank. Brit tanks from Ian's collection

Declining to attack Ptolemais frontally 1 Kompanie 59 Kradschützen Bataillon and their supporting Panzers probe the Commonwealth left flank

33 Panzer Regiment move up the track to Marvropiye, under fire from the 25pdrs and the 6 inch howitzers called by L&N battery's GPO

B Squadron on the road to Mavropiye moves past the Brigade HQ

A Sqn 3RTR and C Sqn 4H pull back to confront the encroaching panzers to their rear

2 & 3 Kp of the Kradschützen outflank Ptolemais to the east

Fire from the 25pdr destroys the SdKfz-221 and accurate 6" howitzer fire forces back a Pz-III. The subsequent morale failure would delay the German attack for a turn or two

A Squadron 3rd RTR swings west behind Ptolemais

A company of the Rangers, having left Ptolemais, de-bus behind Mavropiye. The depleted C Squadron 3rd RTR moves up behind them. In the background it can be seen than L&N battery have taken casualties from the approaching panzers and are down to a single troop

After regrouping 33 Panzer Regiment re-starts the attack

The Luftwaffe makes its first (and only) appearance. However it proves to be decisive, destroying a 25pdr and an A10. Subsequent morale failures saw the gunners abandoning the remaining gun and the brigade HQ going shaken

The second Stuka bombs the Rangers

6Kp 33 PR, leaving the Kradschützen to take Ptolemais, moves north around the Commonwealth left flank.

The Hussars realising they can't take on a Pz-IV fall back before them

The 33PR splits, the lead panzers move on to Mavropiye while the others swing south to confront A squadron 3rd RTR

The lead elements of 33PR reach the outskirts of Mavropiye. By this time the last 25pdr has been dealt with but the GPO clings tenaciously to his position and continues to call down the 6" Howitzers

A Squadron rushes (well sort of the A10 isn't very quick) to meet 33PR

In the South the Kradschützen move to oust the rangers from Ptolemais

Fearing a break through at Ptolemais and realising the MkVI is no use against a panzer the 4th Hussars pull back to support the blocking position of 27th NZ MG Battalion

A Squadron 3rd RTR and the 33PR come to blows

1 Kompanie 10 Schützen Regiment enters Mavropiye

A Squadron's clash with the Panzers does not go well for the British. One A10 urns and the others are forced back. The subsequent morale check will see the Brits fail spectacularly, effectively putting A Squadron out of the battle

Hero in trouble. Schützen de-bus and rake the GPO of  L/M battery with  fire. The GPO calmly ignores then and keeps calling the 6" howitzers on the Germans

Ptolemais on the verge of falling to the Germans. However the Ranger's stalwart defence has delayed the Kradschützen and its unlikely there will be time for them to reach the objectives

The remaining Rangers flee Ptolemais

33PR pursues A Squadron. The clock is ticking and the Germans must push to reach the objectives in time. Unfortunately for the Commonwealth they are perilously low on available AT weapons

6 Kp 33PR moves to the objectives

The remains of  I/33 PR almost upon the objective. The final 2pdr portee fails to kill a panzer and dies in a hail of return fire

One turn to go and 6Kp are not on the objective as yet. However there is little between them and glory

Rather optimistically the Kradschützen push beyond Ptolemais. However 4 Hussars start to take their toll

On the final turn 6Kp reach their objective, brushing aside the shaken and demoralised remains of the British forces

Ultimately the Germans won handily with two panzers on each of the objectives. However if the Commonwealth could have delayed them another turn things might have gone differently. L/M Battery's GPO survived the battle and must be deserving of a medal. At one point the entire 33PR shot at him. It was really good game with lots of manoeuvre with plenty of interesting decisions for both sides

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