BlairWitch749
Banned
The end of an empire (chapter 10)
Western Egypt May 1941
Hermann Balck at the head of the 5th Light division sent his veteran desert warriors against the frontier defenses. Diligent night work had cleared paths through the mine fields. Balck looked up and saw dozens of German fighters and bombers flying top cover to his advancing troops. The created wastelands of destruction as much as 30 miles behind the lines and helped guide the mobile artillery of the Africa Corps.
5th Light's recon battalion with an attached company of panzer 4's crashed through the wire obstacles making as much as 40 kilometers per hour and overran two regimental headquarters. Whenever firm resistance was encountered it was fixed then surrounded by motorized infantry backed by armor. Mobile guns would pound the surrounded commonwealth troops and repeated pattern bombing runs would force their surrender.
Within 4 hours 7th Armored was in deep trouble. They committed 60 cruiser tanks and 45 matildas to stop the Africa Corps. They committed the classic blunders against the determined troops of GeneralOberst Von Manstein. They attacked directly into the sun, didn't receive artillery support and engaged in wild charges against forward light tanks. The Germans inflicted a turkey shoot with their 88mm guns firing from the center and 50mm guns in hollows and sand traps aiming for the flanks. The Desert rats lost 50 tanks in as many minutes. Ariette then arrived on the battlefield with their 38 L-3 75's. Their high velocity and flat trajectory again proved formidable in desert conditions that were without cover. The matildas went up like torches far beyond the range of their puny 2 pounder guns.
By the end of the day 7th armored was down to 20 runners and had lost immense amounts of prisoners. More importantly the Germans kept possession of the battlefield and added 80 repairable tanks to their depots. British mobile infantry forces proved more a nuisance than a threat to the Africa corps as they motored down the via balbia in 10,000 vehicles to meet up with their parachutists. Whenever the British showed themselves Balck called on his circling bombers to keep them busy while the ground troops forced an encirlement.
By the second day of battle Manstein could shake hands with General Student and his boys for a job well done. 7th armored was utterly destroyed. 4th Indian was falling back fast while the Africa corps pursued and the Australians were stuck in the desert further to the south. Forward airfields were captured and Mersa Matruh was surrounded and overrun by the seemingly unstoppable Panzer Army Africa. They reached a small rail junction at El Alemain and were compelled to stop as resistance hardened and their supply lines broke down due to their length and days of intense combat.
Manstein would have to reach into his bag of tricks to get the advance going again....
to be continued
your thoughts or critiques?
The ME-110 fighter bomber. While not first class against single engine fighters it proved invaluable in Africa were endurance and versatility were key
Western Egypt May 1941
Hermann Balck at the head of the 5th Light division sent his veteran desert warriors against the frontier defenses. Diligent night work had cleared paths through the mine fields. Balck looked up and saw dozens of German fighters and bombers flying top cover to his advancing troops. The created wastelands of destruction as much as 30 miles behind the lines and helped guide the mobile artillery of the Africa Corps.
5th Light's recon battalion with an attached company of panzer 4's crashed through the wire obstacles making as much as 40 kilometers per hour and overran two regimental headquarters. Whenever firm resistance was encountered it was fixed then surrounded by motorized infantry backed by armor. Mobile guns would pound the surrounded commonwealth troops and repeated pattern bombing runs would force their surrender.
Within 4 hours 7th Armored was in deep trouble. They committed 60 cruiser tanks and 45 matildas to stop the Africa Corps. They committed the classic blunders against the determined troops of GeneralOberst Von Manstein. They attacked directly into the sun, didn't receive artillery support and engaged in wild charges against forward light tanks. The Germans inflicted a turkey shoot with their 88mm guns firing from the center and 50mm guns in hollows and sand traps aiming for the flanks. The Desert rats lost 50 tanks in as many minutes. Ariette then arrived on the battlefield with their 38 L-3 75's. Their high velocity and flat trajectory again proved formidable in desert conditions that were without cover. The matildas went up like torches far beyond the range of their puny 2 pounder guns.
By the end of the day 7th armored was down to 20 runners and had lost immense amounts of prisoners. More importantly the Germans kept possession of the battlefield and added 80 repairable tanks to their depots. British mobile infantry forces proved more a nuisance than a threat to the Africa corps as they motored down the via balbia in 10,000 vehicles to meet up with their parachutists. Whenever the British showed themselves Balck called on his circling bombers to keep them busy while the ground troops forced an encirlement.
By the second day of battle Manstein could shake hands with General Student and his boys for a job well done. 7th armored was utterly destroyed. 4th Indian was falling back fast while the Africa corps pursued and the Australians were stuck in the desert further to the south. Forward airfields were captured and Mersa Matruh was surrounded and overrun by the seemingly unstoppable Panzer Army Africa. They reached a small rail junction at El Alemain and were compelled to stop as resistance hardened and their supply lines broke down due to their length and days of intense combat.
Manstein would have to reach into his bag of tricks to get the advance going again....
to be continued
your thoughts or critiques?
The ME-110 fighter bomber. While not first class against single engine fighters it proved invaluable in Africa were endurance and versatility were key
