WW2 Western Desert campaign turn 10 game 3

I generally think of my wargaming campaigns as being "lite" campaigns, and if asked to describe them briefly I would say:

• Record keeping is kept to a minimum, often being just a map to track progress.
• Campaign wargames are small games, quick to setup with a few rules and played within an hour using simple one-hour wargaming style rules. 

As I was prepared for this game I realised, the one thing I missed in the above list is maintaining a campaign diary. A campaign diary is not an obvious thing for me as the diary is a series of posts on this blog, which I refer to when setting up the next game. This got me thinking, would my campaigns work for me if I was not blogging and kept a campaign diary instead? The simple answer is no. 

Blogging about the campaigns provides a reason to write up the campaign progress in a deliberate and structured way. I am not sure without blogging I would have the self discipline to spend the time to write such detail about a campaign's progress. If I did keep a written diary, it certainly would not be as detailed and would most likely take the form of a campaign tracker rather than diary.

I raise the above note as when preparing the game I had to refer back to the previous game post to set up the game and recall where the campaign was up to in terms of supplies. Now on to the next WW2 Western Desert campaign game...

The Italian Ariete division is making at frontal assault against the Allied 1st Armoured division. The Allies are defending a town and ridge. This is the final game in the turn and the winner will win the campaign turn.

The Italian plan is to quickly push forward before Allied reserves arrive. Their right flank with armour will swing around the town attacking thorough some broken ground, and also attack down the road with their Semovente self-propelled 75mm guns. A small force of infantry and guns will push up on the left flank to provide artillery support for attacks on the town.

Objectives and attack plans

The Italian attack began better than expected destroying two Grant tanks early on (with their dice rolling being consistently on the high side).

Italian armour pushes forward

Early successes by the Italians had two Allied Grant tanks destroyed.

Allied reserves arrived and the Italian progress started to be slowed. Importantly the Allies were still able to hold on to the town. The battle was very much in the balance at this point and the Allied forces had started to reorganise and recover from their earlier poor luck.

Allied reserves arrive and are able to disrupt the attacks

The action was focused on the town, the first objective, and its control eventually going the way of the Italians after some to and fro fighting.

The first Italian attempt at capturing the town

Allied units reoccupy the town

Italians finally occupy town

Having captured the town the Italians continued their momentum and began their attack on the ridge, the second objective. Armoured car units quickly leading the attack and striking at the artillery units positioned on the ridge. As the self-propelled guns arrived joining the attack, the remaining Allied units gave ground and the second objective was taken.

After taking the town the attack begins on the ridge

Allied defenders are unable to hold the ridge and the last units will soon retire.

An Italian victory and the Axis forces win turn 10. They will now advance one zone on the campaign map into the last zone where the Allies will have to make a final stand.

This Axis victory will move the Allied forces back to their last line of defence at El Alamein.