Op Battleaxe - Game 7: Second British Attack on Fort Capuzzo

Turn 3, or the morning phase of June 16th, 1941, saw several attacks launched by the British in their (so far pretty unsuccessful) attempts to breach the Axis defences. Game 7 would see their second attack on Fort Capuzzo, the first having been repelled fairly easily. This time the attack would be launched from the west, with the Crusaders of 6 RTR leading the charge.

The table was made with Ft.Capuzzo turned to (a) provide some different scenery, or at least from another angel, and (b) to hopefully represent the attack coming from the west rather than the south as before.

Table set-up: German infantry are actually Italians again.

The nearest PaK36 received a Timed 25-pounder Barrage on Turn 1, destroying it and half the Italian LMG team nearby. The far PaK36 would receive the same on Turn 2, also being eliminated.

The lead Crusader Troop charged forward behind their bombardment and inflicted a couple of casualties on the PaK38.
Good rolling by "Terminator" Steve for much of the game.

Return fire...missed. The PaK38 was eliminated.

The eliminated PaK36 and PaK38 provided special chits which saw the Germans Immobilise one Crusader, cause another to be abandoned by fire from a Panzer III, while a third was burnt-out after mechanical failure. "Chits are good"...

More Crusaders arrive and things begin to get messy: a Panzer III G is KO'd...

...and the German Supply Truck is Pinned by artillery fire.

The PaK38 in the fort returns fire and claims a Crusader.

Massed MG fire from the British tanks see the PaK38 silenced, while the unwary Repair Truck races forward, only to be met with glee-filled fire from the Italian infantry on Ambush Fire who discover they have something to shoot at.

The HERO Panzer III on the left, survived numerous frontal AP hits (six?) and kept fighting to the end of the game. The Germans were forced to use Tactical Coordination to unpin the Supply Truck and Re-supply the Hero Panzer...it worked!

The right table infantry fight saw a couple of British infantry sections exchange fire with Italian LMG teams...a successful BTCOD test later and the Italians were all gone for relatively light losses.

Crusaders advance slowly forwards, claiming the Panzer III in the fort but losing one of their own in the process.

German artillery fire KO's a Crusader and pins another.

The HERO Panzer III claims his third kill of the game.

Another cautious advance by Crusaders: the HERO Panzer is hit, but the AP rolls are repeatedly failed!

Despite the heroics of the HERO Panzer, German morale eventually breaks and they must retire. The British have at last succeeded.

"Chits are good"...until they're not.

CdlT