Tebourba

This game was played out in my conservatory on July 29th. Chris & I played the Allies and Dave & Ian played the Axis. Much of the kit was mine but the Fallschirmjäger were all Dave's. Ian helped out with the panzers

2/13th Armoured Battalion in position behind the 5th Northants Battalion. The Lee's with stars are Airfix. That without is Hasgeawa

5th Northants Battalion defend the road to Tebourba

KG Hudel advanced up the Tebourba road. Pz-IV are Airfix, Pz-IIIL are matchbox, the Pz-IIIJ is (I think) MMS

KG Luder attacks across the railway line. Unfortunately Ian has put the Pz-IIIN on the railway bridge where it can be seen by the 6pdr, but none of his other troops can see the AT gun. This allowed the 6pdr to shoot the Pz-III with impunity. Pz-IIIN is a Matchbox conversion. Tiger is a re-painted diecast, SdKfz-251/5 is a SHQ and the 6pdr is Airfix.

HS-129 dives in on El Batham. Unfortunately his aim was off and it attacked the Fallschirmjäger instead. Dave them managed three appalling morale rolls in a row and his entire advance came to a total halt, leading to several lost turns as the battalion and regimental commanders hurried round rallying their troops.

KG Hudel continues its advance, screened from the Lees by the hedges along the railway line

E Coy 2/13th arrives and bravely engage the Tiger

Once rallied 5FJR re-start their offensive...

..watched by the battalion commander next to his captured Jeep

1st East Surrey Battalion, defenders of El Bathan

The Bridge at El Bathan covered by a Crusader III or the 17/21st Lancers. Hasegawa Crusader

E Company 2/13th are joined by D company, which runs into the advance of the German infantry which then close assaults a Lee.

Kampfgruppe Hudel moves up to confront the depleted 2/13th which are hull down behind the ridge. Guess who forgot the Lee has a hull gun which means it can't fire from hull down?

The confrontation goes better than expected for the Lees, with a loss apiece. What's more two German tanks are forced back. Unfortunately for the Americans the morale gods were not in their favour, and the rest of the Lees fell back shaken whilst the Germans were unperturbed by their losses

90 Panzerjäger Abt arrives to alleviate the pressure on the outnumbered Tiger. The Marder III are repainted Altya diecasts

In the south 11Kp 5FJR confronts the British recce in an effort to cross the Mejerda river

Whilst 7Kp moves up to El Bathan again

In the north Allied resistance starts to crumble

E Coy 2/13th bravely holds its ground despite telling fire from the Marders. They have managed to finally nail the Tiger though.

The remains of 2/13th in the Olive groves. the commander of the 11th Infantry Brigade moves up to start rallying the tanks

KG Hudel forges forward

The Lancers re-deploy to Terbourba to guard against KG Hudel

El Bathan under strong pressure from the the Fallschirmjäger, however time is running out for the Germans and as yet they've not achieved a single objective despite inflicting grievous losses on the allies

The Para's LG-40 strangely quiescent at the rear of the advance.

HS-129 strikes as the Lancers return to the olive groves to deal with infiltrating Fallschirmjäger. Unfortunately for the Germans to Luftwaffe's aim is off. Italeri HS-129

Having taken the town 1Kp 5FJR storms the bridge at El Batham

The RAF appears in very close support close support and strafes the paras on the Bridge. Their intervention is much more telling than that of the Luftwaffe inflicting several casualties. The spitfire is a diecast of unknown provenance.

The Northamptons start to crumble, however there are quite a few of them in the grove and the Germans are lacking in infantry with which to clear them. The Axis needs to clear the grove to win.

90 Panzerjäger joins in the mopping up, the the Germans only have a couple of turns before the game ends

The rallied remains of 2/13th and the Lancers hunt 11Kp 5FJR in the woods. 11Kp are the only German forces within realistic striking distance of Terborba. Unfortunately for the Germans they lack AT weapons

11Kp makes it to Trebourba, hounded by the Allied armour. Luckily the Luftwaffe is on hand for a danger-close strike on the M3.

However its not the Luftwaffe's day, they hit the Lee but don't damage it. In the subsequent morale tests the Fallschirmjäger run but the Lee doesn't. In the distance the East Surrey's are still clinging on to their end of the bridge

No doubt the Germans would have won if they has more time, but as it was it was a Allied victory. Its a *very* tight timetable for the Axis. The Luftwaffe "home goal" at the start of the game and Dave's subsequent morale roll debacle (10, 10 and a 9 rolled) really put the pressure on the Germans. It was a very good game with plenty of manoeuvre and it may well play differently next time

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