The Box At El Bartar

Date: December 1940 (24 September 2011)
Situation: Italian Defense of the El Bartar Box
Location: Northwest Egypt Below Mersa Matruh
Rules: Blitzkrieg Commander II
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ROYAL AIR FORCE HEADING WEST TO BOMBARD EL BARTAR

A Blenheim Bomber overtakes a slower Gloster Gladiator biplane. Below a Royal Horse Artillery battery prepares to commence firing into the El Bartar Box off image.

Looking westward we see the distant El Bartar Box from the cockpit of the Blenheim. The lower right corner sides of the box have been bombarded with prodigious smoke to afford cover to two advancing British Battlegroups. Each battlegroup had orders to assault the corner sides under the smoke. (Smoke = white cotton) The battlegroup on the right is nearly at the defenses. (Four command blunders amazingly confounded it's attack.)

Luckily wind direction cooperated so dust kicked up further retarded Italian fire into the Battlegroup above.  Infantry and engineers rode into battle aboard British AFVs. Note three small stands of engineers dismounting to successfully clear the four base minefield directly ahead of them. In seconds the Blenheim would drop its bombs at the top center of the photo causing ineffectual damage within unseen Italian trenches.

After the minefield was cleared, the barbed wire (removed in the photo) was trampled and the A9 and Matilda II tanks fought their way into the fortification. And....
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CLOSING REMARKS

1. We were only able to play four turns. In spite of an apparent British success, General Pettygree had unsolvable problems. These were:

2. Half of the infantry and all the mortars assigned to attack the BOX in the last photo had a Blunder and retreated taking them out of action for the time we had to play the game. They were returning but were still quite far away.

3. The other British Battlegroup suffered four Blunders suffering most cruely as a result. It's mission was to help collapse and exploit the rupture of the above corner of the BOX.

4. There were considerable Italians in the BOX;  AFVs, artillery and infantry which eventually would have been very troublesome.

5. We ran out of time deciding the British should withdraw awarding victory to the Italians.

6. RAF aircraft painted and decaled artfully by Chuck.
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What We Learned:
1. Buy a lot of smoke to cover attacks across open ground. The Battlegroup under the Blenheim bomber luckily suffered no losses on the approach though a few rounds came in to an exposed AFV poking its front out of the dust it kicked up.

2. The House Rule upgrading COs and HQs +1 helps player morale. Historically 
British officers at this time in The Western Desert were highly skilled and energetic.

3. We forgot to make it easier to hit units in shallow trenches. See house rules on our Quick Reference Chart for hits and saves. We were using our more difficult die throws for tougher defenses.
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Losses:

Italians: 95 points adjusted x 50% as the winner to only -48 points.
Winners recover 50%.

British: 310 points adjusted x 75% as the loser to -233 points.
Loser recovers 25%.
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What's Next?
Todd as the Italian CinC decides:
(A) Stay in the El Bartar Box and in others nearby.
(B) Advance eastward again to attack the British.
(C) Retreat into Libya defending Halfaya Pass, Fort Capuzzo and Bardia.
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Thank you Todd and George as the Italian Tenth Army and to my fellow British player Jim H. Lots of fun.
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Comments?
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