Sidi Rezegh: November 1941

A little something different here at Lead Gardens today. I painted the flip side of my table surface a nice desert tan and to get right down to it, I set up a historical scenario I've been wanting to play for a long while with my fairly large collection of 15mm WWII Western Desert stuff. Back in 2005 while my wife was expecting our first, I spent the evenings painting these guys in the hopes that someday I would have a table large enough to have a go with them. I've used all flavors of WWII rules over the years and using the popular "Flames of War" for me is just another facet of a long interest in the period. I've found "FOW" works really well for simulating desert battles.



The scenario you see in the pictures is the November 22nd 1941 battle for the landing field near Sidi Rezegh. I've scaled it down to fit my collection but the basic positions of the forces is fairly true to history. In a nutshell, the Brits are set up around the airfield (the area around the building in the pics) and to the north the 1 KRRC infantry have a foothold on an escarpment. On the southern escarpment South African infantry are opposed by Infantry Regiment 155 of the Afrika Korps. In the ground between is the airfield defended by batteries of the 4th Royal Horse Artillery (represented in the game by a single 4 gun troop) and a few 2lbr portees. In this particular part of the battle, the 21st Panzer (with PzIIIs PzIVs and a supporting battery of 88s) makes a strong attack from the west to recapture the airfield. Opposing them are the 3rd and 5th Royal Tank regiments with M4 (Honey) tanks and in support tanks of the 22 Armored Brigade with Crusader IIs. (There was also remnants of the 7th Armored present with A13 Cruiser tanks posted at the airfield...I've yet to lay them out in these pics). The pics show the battle at the start, I'll post some updates as it progresses.

The rest of these pics are to show the figures in no particular order...

A troop of Crusader MkIIs

the staff of the RHA battery

2lb portee

the business end of an RHA 25lbr...

Honeys of 3RTR

21st Panzer in full flood...

PzIII

Rommel and staff...

view of the airfield and the Brits in the distance from the PzII recon screen

Crusaders of the 22nd Armored Brigade

4th RTR (gallant but small...)

2lbr portee section

4th RHA defends the airfield

Pz Regiment 8

Command group and MkIVs PzRgt.8

...the deadly 88s!

and finally I broke out my tripod and managed some pretty clear close ups...