29th March - Operation Compass

This week saw the return of Battle Group, 1940 Western Desert style. After the previous 850 point British vs Afrika Korps bash, this was a much more modest affair, with 350 points of Chris' finest Italians vs Phil's plucky Brits.
The Italians won the initiative and rapidly rushed a platoon of infantry in trucks, into the objective, a small village and watering hole.
The Brits responded by pushing a pair of Vickers Mk VIs up to the village, to keep the Italian infantry heads down.

Meanwhile, both sides were pushing armour up the road toward the village. The Italians opened fire first, quickly scoring some non-penetrating hits on the A10s. This resulted in a strange ping-pong of "Beyond Call of Duty" exchanges,  with the Italians coming off the worst.

Eventually even more British A10s rolled up (my......these things are cheap!) and this firefight was only going one way! In the end two A10s were left burning against two brewed-up M13/40s and two abandoned.

Back at the village, a 3rd Mk VI had joined the party, hosing the village with HMG fire. Despite losing one tankette to Italian mortar fire, the Mk VIs succeeded in clearing one side of the village of Italian infantry, as well as killing the Italian CO and tipping the Italian Battle Rating over the top.
I must say that I prefer these smaller Battle Group games, especially where there is some room for manoeuvre.

Elsewhere we had a game of 15mm Pike & Shotte and a very nice looking 15mm Crusades game (sorry missed which rules).

Over near the Kitchen, Colin and Brian were playing Bolt Action 2. But hang-on, aren't those lizards!? Yes, they were! Harry Turtledove's "The Race" had arrived! The adaptation of the rules and game seemed to be going well, but it was a good job that Simon was not here to see such a sight!