Dust up in the Desert - Part Due

After yet another short break from action our indefatigable reporter packed his solar topee and greatcoat and headed to the Libyan/Egyptian border in November 1941. The British have launched Operation Crusader and this action sees the Brigadier Scott Cockburn’s 22nd armoured Brigade trying to wrest the Bir El Gebi crossroads from the Italian Ariete Armoured Division and their supporting Bersaglieri. Will the Italians live up to their reputation and crumble like a stale Panettone?

The British advanced cautiously onto the field with pairs of Crusaders to the north and south, and the Valentines holding the centre. The Italian plan proved more interesting, or should that be chaotic. Whilst Chris’ lone M13/40 and Tony’s L6/40 advanced to meet the Crusaders, the other M13/40, Semovente, L6/40 and “Dummy” decided to form a “target-rich environment” for British artillery in a palm grove/ Lucky there is no artillery in WAT!

Eventually the Semovente lurking in the palm grove crawled out of its lair and planted a shell into the side of a Crusader, which was finished off by Chris L6/40.

More disaster followed for the 22nd Armoured when a Valentine fell to a single shot through its frontal glacis plate. Matters evened up somewhat with an L6/40 falling to 2pdr fire, and things looked decidedly tricky for the Northern M13/40 and Southern L6/40 as British tanks manoeuvred for close-up flank shots but then failed completely to manage a “kill”. 

Indeed both of Phil’s Crusaders fell victim to the Semovente and the lucky M13/40.

With only one Crusader and a Valentine still in the fight the British called it a day and retired, leaving Bir El Gebi in the hands of the Ariete Division.

Post game I have been looking at the data for the various tanks involved. Those for the Italians seem correct. I was surprised to find the “light” L6/40 actually had thicker armour than the “medium” M13/40. My personal view is that the Valentine should have a frontal armour of 6 not 5. As an infantry tank it was well-armoured, if not as heavily as the Matilda II. Armour 5 is exactly the same as that of the Stuart and it was better armoured than that! I sense a home-brew modification coming on!

Simon