The Hard Road from Bir Massoud, with BG: Torch.

A meeting engagement in Tunisia, as the US move to advance from Bir Massoud, captured yesterday, and run into the German counter-attack coming to kick them out. This was the last of our desert trilogy of games, at 750 points of US armour vs Defenders of Tunisia.

It was a slow start, with both sides moving troops in, the US infantry deploying to occupy the village buildings, supported by their half-track machine guns, but not much to shoot at yet. The Germans lobbed some mortar rounds in and recce 8-rad armoured car claimed a first objective. The US sniper did good work pinning their recce HQ observer team with some near misses… which cut the mortar fire.

The tanks started to arrive, the US sole Sherman trundling up the road. Coming the other way, a Tiger. Ouch! It’s 88 lined up the unsuspecting Sherman and smashed it into scrap first shot… ahhh… problem. The rest of the US armour was mere M5 Stuarts and M3 Lees, not much of a match-up. Behind the Tiger, the Pz III platoon and sole Panzer IV-lang rolled in and moved up as well.

By now, the US self-propelled artillery had arrived and its 105mm guns began the turn by turn shelling of the German lines, helped by a PRTP, and harassing barrages. To little effect so far, and the truck was required to reload the half-tracked guns after each fire mission. Still, just keep it up… as both sides moved up, fire was inconclusive, with no armour losses, a few infantry at range, but mostly pinning. A M5 Stuart hunted after the 8-rad,which hit reverse to get back, but didn’t make it, KO’d by 37mm AP round hit on the road.

The German’s timed Stuka air strike arrived to bomb the village, but my M16 quad AA was already waiting (for once I got it on early and ready onto ambush fire). It tore big holes in the Stuka which, caution before valour, turned for home, bombs still in place. Still, the village was under MG fire, and from HE from two guns on the far hills, 75mm captured Russian stuff mostly, but with was causing pinning with their loader teams aid.

The tanks had all arrived and the crucible of the battle would be their fight on the edge of the village and along the road. Fire was traded, a few glances and pinning, except for the Tiger, which KO’d an M3 easily… only to be pinned by 60mm mortar HE fire in return… a triumph for a lurking light mortar team. Still, it just unpinned and continued it reign of terror.

The M5s were struggling verse the Pz IIIs and IV, and one, then another was hit and KO’d… revenge was gained when a Pz II boldly made for the edge of town and was hit by ambush bazooka fire and KO’d. That just drew the fire, so the Tiger could roll up safely. As MGs rattled and tank guns boomed, the USAAF swooped in to bomb with their P-38 Lightning, with a direct hit on the rocks which KO’d his recce observer HQ… no AA defence for the Germans today. An air attack counter would be handy… but no such luck. Neither drew one all game (always the same when you include a Forward Air Observer, which I had).

Anyway, into the later turns, the Germans just ahead in counters. 105mm shells and mortar bombs hammered down, to keep up the occasional pinning on his armour, but the Tiger crew cared not, its next shot destroyed an M5, for its third kill of the day. A brave US GI with his bazooka moved up to get a side shot at the beast, and… missed! Damn! MG fire then cut him down. Tiger fear was setting in… and the panzers pushed up, confident they had the beating of the last few US tanks. They did, another M5 when up in smoke, then a M3, leaving just one still fighting (hiding on the edge of town to try to get a flank shot on the Tiger). It didn’t work, when the big cat rolled round the corner into town, mighty 88 pointing at it at PB range, the M3s just shot bounced off… and the 88’s didn’t! Kaboom! Last tank gone, and with it all the US BR gone too… time to run away and abandon Bir Massoud, ‘there’s goddamn Tigers everywhere!’. 

A solid German win in the end, with 4 kills to the surprise Tiger tank… a rude awaking for the US tankers here. No way through at Bir Massoud. Retreat! Quickly! 

 Shots of the action.

US move on, in green, Germans attack (grey).

'What Tiger?' Kaboom!

This Tiger, straight down the road.

8-rad claims the well objective.

GIs deploy into the edge of the town. Sniper team doing excellent pinning work.

M5s arrive on the left and line up the 8-rad, which tries to flee.

German support gun way back on the high ground, harassing HE fire and the occaisonal 'feeling lucky?' AP shell.

8-rad returns fire and hits reverse.

Stuka arrives and is shot fill of holes, .50 cal sized ones... M16 does its job!

Infantry support on the left.

Coming the other way, Pz III and tank riding grenadiers.

8-rad, didn't quiet make it. AP shell found its mark in the end.

US artillery support in place... and resupply truck.

The M5s seek some cover behind the orchard.

The infantry half track hits a land mine!

Panzers on a roll to their right.

Panzers on a roll to their left, Tiger straight up the road... unstoppable.

USAAF timed strike... bombs away...

Under heavy fire on the edge of the village, but the Tiger rolls on.

Pz II is KO'd by a bazooka hit...

On their right, the Panzers lurk behind the high ground, which is an objective. A waiting bazooka on ambush fire keeps them cautious though.

Another Tiger kill... hardly seems fair... M5 vs Tiger...

Last Tiger kill, last M3 can't save itself and is destroyed at point blank range... time to run away!