Rommel Operation Battle Axe Day 3

This Game took place on 1/18 but I haven't been ablt to write it up until now. 

John and I continued our Rommel mini-campaign picking up more or less were we were at at the end of day two .  The Germans have lost many troops but have on of the British objectives and the British hade lost all there cruiser tanks.

John starts off with a bid at Fort Capuzzo the Guards men throw it back...

But the odds the guardsmen face look bleak (John is out numbered but has a qualitative edge)

I start moving on the left flank hoping to lure John off the captured objective.

This works but neither side gains an edge yet.  I had poor operations dice early on limiting my flexibility and initiative.  John made good use of this time launching several spoiling attacks.

The Guards are finally plowed under after 4 turns of repeated attacks.  I just wasn't able to get men up to support them quickly enough .

The 4th Indian division has moved up to strike at the town..

John launches a spoiling attack... I drove the Germans back but lost some strength doing it.

The skirmishing on the left flank continues with John getting the better of the fighting.

Waves of Indian soldiery crash on the the German defenders grinding them down "western front style."

John catches some of the Desert Rats between his men but...

Cleaver use of the withdrawal tactic saves the men and has John spending valuable operations dice.

John gets reinforcements to the coastal town of Sollum just in time but the Indians are making progress...

The guards retake the left flack objective restoring the British starting line form day 2.

The Desert Rats make a push at fort Capuzzo but are turned away by German Panzers.

The Indians take the town and move to hold the pass against a counter attack.

John has a lock on Fort Capuzzo and two other objectives...

I now control the whole coastal rout though John still has the exit tot he interior under his control.  This is a German victory though the British avoided a defeat as significant as their historical one our lock on Halfaya (which John never go near) and our capture of the Sollum would probably men the British would have persisted (though both side would be hard pressed to continue operations without a pause).  A fun Series of games even if I was on the loosing end of both.  I think the author has the balance of forces right One on One fights tend to go the Germans way though not quickly.   The average British formation ratting starts at 4 while the Germans are a 5 on average.  Fights tend to go several turns as fights between full battalions of men and tanks should.