Battlegroup, North Africa, 1941

 A 15mm 1941 Western Desert game, between Tony (Afrika Korps) and Chris (British). Tony got off to a great start, rolling 11 units for the initial deployment and a great first round orders total, enabling the Afrika Korps to rush the platoon of Panzer IIIs to the North of the central walled orchard and the platoon of Panzer IIs, between the orchard and the solitary dwelling.

Chris’s British only managed to deploy a meagre 3 units! A 2 pounder deploying on the hill overlooking the orchard, a single load of lorried infantry on the road, while a single Vickers Mk IV roared off to contest the orchard.

This game looked like it was going to be over before it started! However, the Afrika Korps’ luck not so much changed, but more turned into a Greg sized luck blackhole!!

While the Afrika Korps managed to get few orders, the British managed to accumulate a steady progression of decent order rolls & reinforcements, managing to reinforce the single 2 pounder A/T gun with a second 2 pounder A/T gun & an A13 cruiser, then 2 more A13s. Soon 2 of the 3 Panzer IIs were burning.

More trouble then arrived for the Germans. While their Panzer IIIs dithered over orders, a platoon of Honey tanks rounded the hill, to engage them. Initially German gunnery was good, but something was horribly wrong with their shells, most shattering on the frontal armour of the M3s. The volume of return fire convinced one Panzer III crew to abandon, while the other two were giving it very serious consideration!

In the centre, the sole surviving Panzer II decided to attack! Caught by surprise, by this very aggressive move, the A13 gunners could not get a bead on the plucky Panzer II, while the 2 Pounders simply missed!

The Panzer II rampaged over the hill, getting amongst the lorry mounted British infantry, but all it seemed able to do, was punch holes in the canvas backs of the lorries!! While the Panzer II crew frantically tried to find the fault with the vaunted May Luck, the left-most 2 pounder pivoted around and brewed up the Panzer II. This was the last straw for Tony’s Afrika Korps!! He went in search of his four leaf, rabbit’s foot!?