THE PIMPLE BEDA FOMM, LIBYA, 6 th FEBRUARY 1941: After their crushing defeats at their camps near the Egyptian border and at Bardia and Tobruk the Italian 10 th Army was in full retreat. But, units of the British 7 th Armoured Division had outflanked the Italians and cut off their retreat from Cyrenaica. On the afternoon of the 5 th of February CombeForce arrived to blocked the Italian escape route south on the Via Balbia. By the evening, elements of 4 th Armoured Brigade arrived and took up positions to the north of the blocking force overlooking the coastal road in the vicinity of Beda Fomm. Despite the huge disparity in numbers the first Italian attempt to break through on the 5 th was a disaster with almost the whole 10 th Bersaglieri Regiment being wiped out. General Annibale Bergonzoli tried again on the morning of the sixth. The Brigata Corazzata Speciale (Special Armoured Brigade) was ordered to drive the British armour off their positions on the heights. Failure to do so would mean capture for the remnants of the 10 th Army. YOUR ORDERS BRITISH: 2 nd RTR has taken up position on the ridgelines overlooking the coastal road. The remainder of 4 th Armoured Brigade is attempting to reinforce you, although they will arrive in dribs and drabs as they battle their way through the unforgiving terrain from Msus. A mass of Italian transport lies below you. Hold against the impending attacks and total victory in Cyrenaica is ours. ITALIAN: Although 30 tanks have been left behind in Benghazi as a rearguard, your command is composed of 60 of the new and improved M13/40 tanks. With their 47mm guns you can finally take on the British. Your brigade must capture the heights to open a path for the army to escape. PREPARING FOR BATTLE 1. Set up the terrain using the map as your guide. 2. Place the starting British troops in their deployment area, then deploy the starting Italians. 3. This game can end up as big or as small as you want it, up to a maximum of 20 turns. Add the British and Italian reserves as desired, if you want to represent the continued Italian attacks throughout the afternoon. 4. The road is cluttered with trucks from Point A northwards. Although numerous, the dispirited mass of Italian infantry played virtually no part in the attack. However, if British forces are driven off the Pimple and no other tank or gun teams are within 24 of the road then this mass of trucks may advance. The road is two trucks wide for the purpose of truck movement and for the purposes of this scenario a never-ending line of trucks can come on from the north table edge if the starting trucks advance. 5. British Ammo shortage: The British were short of ammo during this battle. If a Tank or Portee platoon firing main guns rolls more ones than sixes in a shooting phase then it counts having run short. Place a marker on the platoon and thereafter it cannot fire at long range. A British ammo truck comes on from Entry Area A on turn eight. If a platoon that is short of ammo can move all its vehicles to within six inches of the truck, then it can resupply instead of shooting in the shooting phase, and the Short of Ammo marker is removed.
6. The Italian player has the first turn. ENDING THE GAME The battle ends when: 1. The agreed turn limit is reached. 2. The Italian player fulfills their victory criteria. Neither force can fail Company Motivation Checks due to the desperate nature of the fighting, although Platoons can be removed as per normal. DECIDING WHO WON The British player wins if they reach the agreed end turn having denied the Italian victory conditions. The Italian player wins if they control the Pimple hill objective and have managed to exit 20 trucks off the south table edge. SCENARIO MAP 1. The table size is 5 x 9 foot. 2. The dominant terrain features are The Pimple hill and the Mosque Ridge. Driving on these counts as slow going and vehicles may go hull-down behind the crest line. The Mosque is an old tomb which can accommodate one infantry team. 3. The rocky ground in the north-east corner counts as difficult going, and will conceal infantry and gun teams. 4. The patches of scrub in the north-west will conceal infantry and guns.
ENTRY AREA D N ITALIAN STARTING FORCES A CHURCH ENTRY AREA C VIA BALBIA THE MOSQUE ENTRY AREA B PIMPLE BRITISH STARTING FORCES ENTRY AREA A
SCENARIO FORCES 4 th ARMOURED BRIGADE, 7 th ARMOURED DIVISION (CONFIDENT VETERAN) STARTING FORCES A, B, HQ Squadrons, 2 nd RTR Command: 1 x CinC A13 Cruiser Mk IV 1 x 2iC A13 Cruiser Mk IV 1 x A13 Cruiser Mk IV 1 st Platoon: 3 x A13 Cruiser Mk IV 2 nd Platoon: 3 x A13 Cruiser Mk IV 3 rd Platoon: 3 x A13 Cruiser Mk IV 1 st Light Platoon: 3 x Light Tank Mk VI B 2 nd Light Platoon: 2 x Light Tank Mk VI B RESERVE GROUP ONE (Start rolling for entry on turn three. Entry Area B. Must come on in the order specified with 3 rd Hussars first) A Squadron, 3 rd Hussars HQ Platoon: 1 x Command A10 Cruiser Mk IIA 2 x A10 Cruiser Mk IIA CS 1 st Platoon: 3 x A10 Cruiser Mk IIA 2 nd Platoon: 3 x A10 Cruiser Mk IIA AT Platoon, RHA: 1 x Command Rifle team 1 x 15cwt Truck 4 x 2pdr Portee C Squadron, 2 nd RTR 1 st Platoon: 2 x A9 Cruiser Mk I 2 nd Platoon: 3 x A9 Cruiser Mk I RESERVE GROUP TWO
(Start rolling for entry on turn seven. Entry Area A.) F Battery, 4 th RHA: 1 x Command Rifle team 1 x Observer Rifle team 2 x 15cwt Truck 4 x 25pdr with Quads RESERVE GROUP THREE (Start rolling for entry on turn 15. Entry Area C.) 1 st RTR, 7 th Armd Brigade 1 st Platoon: 3 x A10 Cruiser Mk IIA 2 nd Platoon: 3 x A10 Cruiser Mk IIA AT Platoon, RHA: 1 x Command Rifle team 1 x 15cwt Truck 4 x 2pdr Portee BRIGATA CORAZZATA SPECIALE (ELITE) STARTING FORCES Carri Battalion Command: 1 x Command M13/40 1 st Platoon: 5 x M13/40 2 nd Platoon: 5 x M13/40 3 rd Platoon: 5 x M13/40 4 th Platoon: 5 x M13/40 5 th Platoon: 5 x M13/40 6 th Platoon: 5 x M13/40 RESERVE GROUP A (Start rolling for Entry on turn three. Entry Area D. The cannon batteries may choose to come on, while the howitzer batteries set up off-table. Their observer teams may come on.)
46 th Reggimento Artiglieria (ARTILLERY) 1 st Howitzer Battery: 1 x Command Rifle team 1 x Observer Rifle team 4 x 100/17 gun 2 nd Howitzer Battery: 1 x Command Rifle team 1 x Observer Rifle team 4 x 100/17 gun 1 st Cannon Battery: 1 x Command Rifle team 4 x 75/27 gun 5 x Truck 2 nd Cannon Battery: 1 x Command Rifle team 4 x 75/27 gun 5 x Truck RESERVE GROUP B (Start rolling for entry on turn 11. Entry Area D.) Carri Battalion Command: 1 x Command M13/40 1 st Platoon: 5 x M13/40 2 nd Platoon: 5 x M13/40 3 rd Platoon: 5 x M13/40 4 th Platoon: 5 x M13/40 5 th Platoon: 5 x M13/40 6 th Platoon: 5 x M13/40