14th September 1940. The Italians have finally begun their invasion of Egypt, what, what?

Two days ago, newly promoted Lt Bumfluff Farthingdale watched in amazement as a huge column of Italians - motorcyclists in front, followed by infantry in trucks, followed by those tin cans they call tanks - streamed across the border in almost a parade ground formation. Five divisions-worth!

And in front of them? Why, just the Whoosarse, supported by some gunners and grease monkeys from 1RTR. A sticky wicket, if ever there was one!

Ah but the Eyeties have to keep to a narrow strip of land near the coast - no good in the desert these foreigners: takes an Englishman to do the business, eh? - so can’t project their force properly around your flanks. Means as well that you can punish them as they come forward, eh? What? What?

Bumfluff has been ordered not to lose any guns or any tanks, but to delay and do as much damage as possible to our pasta-loving chums. Hah! Hah!

Map & Terrain

The map shows the path of the rough track running along the coastal strip. The track gives no benefit to movement. The terrain in general is very rough: any vehicle that intends to move must roll 2d6 at the start of its turn. If it rolls a ‘double 1’, then it has become temporarily bogged down, and cannot use its initiative dice for movement that turn. Otherwise it moves as normal over rough ground.

The hills and patches of rough scrub shown provide some sort of cover and spotting benefits, but are shallow/sparse enough not to affect movement.

The Support Group

Company HQ

Major The Hon. "Will" Hay

Sergeant-Major Stanley Holloway

1st Platoon, 3rd Coldstream Guards

Lieutenant Charles Hawtrey

3 x Rifle Section (8 men each)

Attached from 1st Royal Northumberland Fusiliers 

1 x MMG (3 crew each) 

Attached from C Battery, 4th Royal Horse Artillery 

2 x 2pdr A/T gun portees (5 crew each)

Attached Armour from 1RTR

Capt George Formby

2 x A9 Cruiser Tank 

Attached Armour from 11 Hussars

Lt Bumfluff Farthingdale

2 x Rolls Royce A/C

Elements of 1st “23 Marzo” CCNN Division

Company HQ, CILVIII “Tavogliere” CCNN Battalion 

Capitano Pietro Porcini 

1 x Staff Car 

2 x Rifle Squad (8 men each) 

1 x Truck 

Motorcyclisti Scouts 

1 x Motorcyclisti Squad (8 men, on motorbikes) 

Recce Elements from XLI Light Tank Battalion 

4 x L3 Tankette, 1 x L3-lf flamethrower tankette 

1st Platoon, CILVIII “Tavogliere” CCNN Battalion 

4 x Rifle Squad (8 men each) 2 x Truck 

Attached from CCI MG Battalion 

1 x MMG (3 crew) 1 x Truck 

Platoon from XLI Light Tank Battalion 

4 x L3 Tankette, 1 L3-lf flamethrower tankette

The Game

The Coast Road and only two blinds on table so far.

urn three, the Support Group roll up. Two A/Cs, two A9 Cruisers and two portees.

The A9s descend towards the road

On come the Italians looking blurred

The Coldstream Guards platoon de-bus from their blind

First blood to the 2pdr portees, as they brew up a tankette

Italian Artillery form a defensive line straight from the blind.

But the Italian guns shoot over

Bumfluff and Pitkin use the road. "Isn't that an L3-lf ahead?" "Mr Grimsdale? Mr Grimsdale!!!"

The A9 tanks are far too much for the L3 tankettes

Turns out it was a flamethrower tankette. Bumfluff narrowly escapes a roasting.

Once again the 11th Hussars Vickers MMG massacre the gun crews. Italian Morale is failing and they call in their reinforcements from the last unspotted blind.

The last Italian blind, Tenente Macaroni again, followed by his troop of tankettes plus another L3-lf.

A Breda machine gun penetrates Pitkin's Roller. The flame thrower destroys the stranded machine.

But Allied Armour 2 is the last card out as the A9's massacre Macaroni and his tankettes.

The Campaign Roll indicates that Bumfluff is out of favour for losing Sergeant Pitkin and one of the precious Rolls Royce armoured cars.  

Division add a troop of Vickers Mk VI light tanks to 11th Hussars and the Colonel sends Bumfluff to command them.  Mr Grimsdale will now command the 5th Armoured Car troop.

Worse, a troop of RAF Fordson Armoured cars is also added to supplement 11H, and Bumfluff must take these under his wing too (not having any Fordsons I will be using Marmon Herringtons for the next game).

A Wargamer in Cyprus