Op Battleaxe - Game 9: Second British Attack on Musaid

Here we go again...

The second British attack on Musaid, despite the treat of force imbalance, was still launched by the British commander. While the odds were somewhat better than last time (400 Pts British + Artillery vs 500 Pts Axis), it would still be a tough ask to remove a larger defending force in defensible terrain with a smaller attacking one.

Quite.

The British right flank, the 88 already taking fire from turn one as it was deployed too far forward.

The attack progressed slowly, the Matilda soon crossed the rise and the 88 fired and missed at point-blank range...

...but where the 88 failed (and then died), the German 8cm mortars scored a direct hit on the tank and rolled a 12 to knock it out. Typical.

More Matildas and infantry were fed forward, but German 8cm mortar fire proved exceedingly accurate while a few timed 10.5cm barrages added misery to the British advance.

Nonetheless, the forward German infantry positions were taken and the British infantry began pushing into the town.

The second 88 spent most of the game doing very little and mostly missing things...

...before taking a few casualties which saw the crew break and run.

British infantry penetrated even further into the town, but losses are mounting on both sides.

The British advance on their left is stalled as the Matilda break-downs and catches fire, while the German platoon command group refuses to budge and keeps the Tommies pinned down for most of the game.

With visibility becoming a problem thanks to dust, the firefight in the town proves difficult: German mortars again bracket the British units with frightening accuracy.

The British would push further and succeed in eliminating a few more Germans, but a swift counterattack saw them take more losses and their morale broke. The British withdrew, leaving the DAK holding the field with a Major Victory.

CdlT