Game 5 of the Operation Battleaxe campaign saw the second British attack on Point 208/The Hafid Ridge.
*spoilers* It went even worse than
the first attack.
This time the British force would be a mixed Cruiser tank squadron from 2 RTR, mixed A10s and A13s with an A9 CS tank. The German defenders would be much the same as last time, with the added reinforcement of armour arriving from reserve.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhguoafAimc9-wyWxRfElL28uebFp18Gtrf74E80-XaaA4LSzz7rGk4O2Tmad9NiRzY7TEuG2-jpU0UfHQkIKyCmcyCNPwBnNknnjvXkAiEdZNim98HUGCv0Ryu7EFm7XrNelou-5I6A0tF/s640/20180926_180430.jpg) |
German position, from the flank the British would attack. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbi3TkcyrcNrpkpHqBBjoPk5zliJmtwwVA8ESCm6KZ925DMMsQtwhau1T2g29hfhJh4X8Gbqo4Z9BYM88O3FmoorDWep2_oLaCuAOyruoLUAdACWrwIQ9z1jwx18f64Wjw6mT6CVgLZZz/s640/20180926_181855.jpg) |
British deployment: subtle, isn't it? |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebRPrzqyOybb2D8hRhc1hxr-fljAClUAOCuqlbg2Xh-dgwt6IdwqDPyWsTn42W89eXmOhipwfdmfxpuup8SMvcRbIrxTQDNo9Z4EJE6JMsfWLglIpQW5dlQukO1BsIZZUfKz9rM9XNo0G/s640/20180926_182948.jpg) |
A10s and an A13 move forward, the latter is KO'd almost immediately by the PaK38. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbmMETQTQ1T_3KXDlERR_gBbiwWeh0XLKePsb8FEzz-pBWr3iabpPaU5_RfU43SDg7Hekzf_hI-rySUW9gxBaFi1OvscbWig9GjtgMiuz2OHyYzSTTm70_Klp65NBHZb-M2Oq9og1gRaz/s640/20180926_183645.jpg) |
British fire on the PaK38 causes a couple of crew casualties, the 88 returns the fire and KO's the A9 CS tank. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpdxcB658L4sQ-x-MS8Avhsh2uVBeBgIt2OFLmjcnShRP03mbN8zrGY4shnvGBNHxBJyQ2UcOEcx4FvmM_NcYtP3tCMyQbpFmkuLhJiIP37xBIfI8SwgiWC7SNKF22a-q_1S-fcy8ZBEzn/s640/20180926_190650.jpg) |
The British finally eliminate the PaK38, but lose an A10, and then suffer heavy casualties as the 88 destroys two more A10s. The first wave has been decimated. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgilN-_Du_Hfe7UoQIHHkkvh6GpV_kzmfWtuGI9Jv1V-vZ62e7WytOCP2WmWqKLekxGTlGKiUmuCD3eRwW6jeyog5o-ryi8SDahGRGAldJgd11wNUJSL-5bC8CkuJjc6_XNM3u59Qnqn0OF/s640/20180926_191628.jpg) |
British reinforcement arrive to a poor situation: A13s and more infantry. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDceafSDV0iOj4lH9J4Skmy5D5kavKcp_lXBMA1qw9h-vSPW2hIntcKd3GRZP_o_4lVV2r0vLLPTrXpIAcjYsDpo0c6KNSamkQUCVEXbWG1Rkioyo-DRD1BUmPfr2fbt80in-HTaTtHooe/s640/20180926_192911.jpg) |
The Germans too revive reserves, though they are hardly be needed. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_PwN2rZuQYGz9qlSHu_FpTMuUWy1q1UixtLNT-UHUlzM-3ZotWGBYpLLQpLLZBhbt9MenuQnOwHs7QbINcRkpmcBXpO3wikzG6KOaOC80QJI-sp_TjUk03rcxFxymKaZoPFdYuEvxR8Y/s640/20180926_195551.jpg) |
A13s advance into the cauldron only to slowly be picked off one by one for little result. The 88 takes a few crew casualties, but the crew holds firm and keeps firing. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxLZHbDr8KMcJovhx-x_ECCQMJlWo3V9_ZO-Hl5MnR-3xldAtvV3i0cS6NihsqwNcV7xC5ly3tG8GA9g5U2lszMx9nkUgfaPbuQIwebuqG49bg8I5vAHgWfLGaJA02GOFFeAlqX0go5LhT/s640/20180926_200836.jpg) |
The Germans are even cheeky enough to launch a flanking attack with just one Panzer III...which works. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_S9V_AFQkHsBCLRvzl-wqDIhjk5-qAh3LN7AYNdhQFO6-aA2pQtwef8-Aa1fmBd_MF_usIJ-IiShaIgi-ZrKJJ00kWM1whHTbV_lETz7STRRg4TsBY6klp6Sfhrp0vfNZwFCrVjRbibT/s640/20180926_203554.jpg) |
The British morale breaks as their tanks losses are almost complete for very few gains. |
A very one-sided game, but one which does illustrate the futility of attacking a prepared position without sufficient fire support or anything remotely resembling a "plan". Poor dice rolling simply added salt to the wound.
CdlT
Ouch! Those poor Cruisers!
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