Sidi Barani: Bumfluff and Barker Force

Sidi Barani: the Coast road 9th December 1940 

11th Hussars, now reinforced by No.2 Armoured Car Company RAF acting as D Squadron, and 

backed up by the Support Group, maintained contact with the Italians and carried out extensive 

reconnaissance of their positions. The Hussars reported that the Italians had built a number of widely separated fortified camps between Maktila and Sofafi (a distance of some 50 miles), and spread their divisions (including General Maletti’s composite Raggruppamento) out between them. 

As 7th Armoured turned onto the attack the 11th Hussars with other 7th Armoured units were tasked to cut the coast road, falling in with the Maletti battlegroup.

Its one more classic L3 Tankette vs Rolls Royce encounter, but the Maletti Battlegroup have M11/39 tanks with them.

Lt "Bumfluff" Farthingdale has performed prodigiously during the campaign so far.  He is however currently out of favour with the Colonel, having lost too many of the Regiment's armoured cars in battle.  

He has been sent to command a troop of Vickers MkVI light tanks loaned to the Regiment by 3rd Hussars.  Also under his command are Warrant Officer Arthur Askey of No.2 Armoured Car Company RAF.  The RAF use Fordson A/Cs however I will be using my Marmon Herringtons as substitutes.  To be honest the Rolls Royce is very similar but I want to differentiate between the two.

Bumfluff's transfer is to "Mad" Ronald Barker's Squadron, or "Barker Force.*"  Odds in the Regiment give him a week before the Mad Major gets him killed.

*Birkforce for the historically minded, and because I`m not playing too fast and loose with events!

Barker Force 

11th Hussar C Squadron

Major The Hon. Ronald Barker VC

3 x Rolls Royce Armoured cars (Boyes A/T)

Sergeant-Major Ronnie Corbett

3 x Rolls Royce Armoured cars

Attached from C Battery, 4th Royal Horse Artillery 

2 x 18/25-pounder Field Gun (5 crew each) 

2 x Quad 

Lieutenant "Bumfluff" Farthingdale 11H Commanding:

Attached Armour from 3 Hussars

3 x MkIV Light tank

Warrant Officer Arthur Askey RAF

Attached from RAF Armoured Car Company

3 x Fordson A/C

  

The Maletti Raggruppamento

Raggruppamento HQ

Colonele Lorenzo D’Gelato 

Staff Caravanette filled with "luxuries"

1st Platoon, IX Light Tank Battalion

3 x L3 tankette 

2nd Platoon, IX Light Tank Battalion

3 x L3 tankette 

Elements of 17th Battery, Libyan Artillery

2 x 77/28 guns (5 crew each) 

2 x Lorry 

Elements of III Medium Tank Battalion

1st Tank Platoon 

Tenente Pepe Spaghetti  

4 x M11/39 tanks

2nd Tank Platoon 

3 x M11/39 tanks

IABSM Cards
Allied Armour One Allied Armour Two Allied Armour Three Allied Armour Four Allied Artillery One Allied Big Man One Allied Big Man Two Allied Big Man Three Allied Big Man Four	Italian Armour One Italian Armour Two Italian Armour Three Italian Armour Four Italian Artillery One Italian Big Man One Italian Big Man Two Italian Big Man Three Italian Big Man Four	Tea Break  Commonwealth Blinds Italian Blinds Vehicle Breakdown Charge! Hesitant Commander Heroic Leader  Hesitant Troops x 2   Poor Fire Discipline

The Game

Somewhere near Sidi Barani

The Italian medium armour comes off its blind. 

The 11th Hussars Rolls Royce get out of the way as the

The Italians immobilise two tanks in the soft sand as the

7th Armoured deploy a pair of 25pdr field guns

The L3 tankettes take on 3rd Hussars MkVI tanks. 

Strangely enough 3rd Hussars get the best of this.  Huzzzah for Bumfluff!

The 25pdrs put down some fire onto the Italian Medium tanks, as the RAF Boyes Rifles get another one.  The tank in the foreground has dug its tracks into the sand.

Another L3 dug in.  the Vickers tanks do well.

11th Hussars have crossed the board.  They outflank the Italian guns and use their Vickers .303 MMGs on the crews.  My Rolls Royce seem to excel at this manoeuvre.    

Reminiscent of  game of Tanker!  The surviving Italian armour breaks

And the second Italian Big man follows the first as his stalled tank is shot to pieces.

But the 11th Hussars close up and mow down the gun crews.  Tea Break and the Italians are out of options.

For my mini campaign roll Bumfluff accrues a further 3 VPs and is mentioned to General Wavell as a "steady chap."  Who would have thought it!  Barker Force has won its first great victory.