[RERomine]

Turn 15

Back to action with what I have at the moment. Thanks for the suggestions Andy.

Alpha assaulted the immobilized Matilda II again. It isn't destroyed, but the crew was rattled enough to bail. They won't last out the next turn. Assaults were also made against a Matilda I, but no luck there. Alpha is a disorganized mess, but still pretty spry.

Smoke is being popped by my infantry along Bravo's line. Assaults tend to work better if the tank blunders into the assaulting unit. At least that is my impression. Even if I'm wrong, my infantry can't move up against a group of tanks without getting shot up. I'm trying to make the battle field smaller in these areas. In the meantime, ATGs from the plateau are still slinging steel at targets of opportunity. There is an A10 with two new holes. Mortar fire is still coming up, but hitting the tail end of the advancing tanks. Further south along Bravo's line, there are a few enemy squads, but they aren't advancing. One fragment was dispatched by machine gun fire from the plateau. Those guns up there are doing a good job of pinning down the enemy infantry.

The north edge of Charlie's line is still getting pressured by two enemy Matilda Is and a platoon of infantry. My tank took some shots at one of the Matildas, but he wasn't close enough to damage. Light mortar fire also pounded on the enemy infantry. Their infantry seems to be waivering.

Still waiting on the advancing Matilda IIs in Delta sector. Most enemy infantry has been sent packing, but at least one fresh squad has been spotted with the lead enemy tank. I have been pelting it with anything I can to keep it buttoned up. Machine guns and infantry guns have been hitting it. With luck, maybe one of my IGs will score a mobility kill. In the meantime, we wait. One thing I have to do is duck a platoon of my tanks into a gully. I've been popping smoke to screen them while they fire at infantry in Charlie and Delta sectors. They need to scoot before that smoke clears and they get hit by the Matilida 2-pdr guns. The enemy truck mounted 2-pdr was destroyed during op-fire by a machine gun. Those things think they are tank destroyers and are trying to advance when they should be picking a spot at long range and plinking away. Two mortar sections have been plotted on the enemy's line of advance. Anything and everything against those Matildas.

Engineers are shifting a bit. Given their position, they might be able to move north and hit the advancing Matilda IIs. The axis of advance is only about 400m to the north and I know my engineers could kill them. The problem is the nearby enemy platoon. They have my engineers pinned in their wadi right now. Light mortars hit the main enemy group, but the results are unknown. Since Echo is more or less behind the line with the engineers out front, I'm going to move them up and try to free up the engineers.

My tank platoon has cleared the wadi and rough in Foxtrot's sector. Once out, they destroyed another Matilda I and Vickers tank. I just noticed the crew bailed on the immobilized Vickers as well. One Matilda I left and this area should be clear of armor. At that point, I will push my units forward and clear the area of infantry.

Casualties

Friendly: Estimated 10 casualties.

Enemy: 1xMatilida I tank, 1xVickers VIb tank and 1x2-pdr Portee truck destroyed. Estimated 15 casualties.