Italians Assault Halfaya 10/4/41

[robot]

Halfaya Egypt
October 4 1941
1800 Hours


Once again as the Germans put it we have the glorious duty to assault the British mine field at Halfaya. I would like to see the Germans have this glorious duty just once. When ever they assign us a duty like this they expect us to fail so they can deride us some more. Our men are so pissed off I pity the poor British we find on the battle field today.

It is clear today and the time of day will be a little cooler as we begin our advance. At 1800 hours the engineers will begin to move forward of our lines towards the dreaded mine fields after an initial bombardmment by our heavy guns. Each company will have three platoons leading the assault in the hopes of cutting some kind of hole thru the mines as quickly as possible. Visability will be in the 500 Yards range.

B company will move along the north of map edge over an old road there. C Co is to move along an old rr line in the middle. A in the south will use another road that moves 450 yards n then turns se for 350 yards then e 250 yards to there objectives. Middle has 250 yards to reach the mine field then east 600 yards along a road. From there 450 yds se then another 800 yads east to rear objectives. A in the south will split there company sending 2 plartoons straight east 500 yards to the mines then on east to the southern objectives mean while the rest of a will move along the road east to the middle objectives with 3 plartoons of tanks as support.

This is a very daring plan and I just hope that our big guns have really softened up the enemy before we even get thru the dam mine field. Today is going to be a tough and long fight. But like i said before our guys are very upset with the German high command and plan to take there anger out on the British today.

HQ: I Ariete Roma Legion
Col: Anthony Cochelli Commanding

[V22 Osprey]

Your soldiers should be just glad that it's early in the war and Brits don't have their 17pdrs yet.They only 2 and 6 pdrs so Brit armor shouldn't be a problem.Not to mention your MG34s.(MG42s won't be there til next year,sorry)

[robot]

Halfaya Egypt
October 4 1941
1845 Hours


Already 45 minutes into the battle and no luck cutting a hole thru the mine fields for either company. Our troops are massed behind the engineers eagerly awaitng there time to be able to rush thru and hit the enemy. The engineers are really having a tough time trying to clear a path as the British are raining the artty down on there positions. They are spending more time on there bellies then standing up and locating the mines. I really cant blame them as I dont really think I could work under the same conditions they are.

We have taken at least 7 of there tanks out at long distance. I have positioned our tanks on some hills overlooking the mine fields so as to give the engineers some protection from small arm fire and the occasional tank that shows up.

If we dont get a hole soon our men will be all dug in so deep they wont even be able to climb out of the holes they have dug. Have lost a couple of tanks and at least two of our 105 guns from the very heavy artty fire. We are ready and rarin to go just have to wait and see how good our engineers are.

One consolation we have tho is that the XV Grenadeers on our left flank assaulting Halfaya along with us is not fairing any better. There engineers I understand are having the same kind of trouble we are. I fear today is going to be a very long and brutal battle and we still have along way to go even after we breach the mine field if we ever do.

HQ: I Ariete Roma Legion
Col: Anthony Cochelli Commanding

[robot]

Halfaya Egypt
October 4 1941
1940 Hours

Well at last our Engineers have managed to cut some holes thru the mines. How they were able to do this under the circomstances I dont know. They sure need to be commended for the fine work they have done today. At least 5 whole squads have been cut down from the very heavy artty bombardment that has been going on all day. They have had no let up from the 4.5 and 18mm with 25mm thrown in for good measure.

All companys have at least 2 platoons thru the mines so far. The south and middle objectives have been taken and being held by our boys. The Co in the north still has at least 400 yards before they can secure there objective. They are running into at least 2 platoons of tanks as they approach the objective with several bunkers thrown in for good measure. The British are not running and are still fighting with the tenacious reserve of the British bull dog.

We are hitting them with all we have at the moment and still they do not break. A heck of lot of the British manhood has bit the dust along the way. At least 75 of there tanks have been blown to smithereens and well over a thousand men have gone down.

Have heard that the XV Grenadeers to our left have been having the same success as us. They too are thru the mines and have taken two of there objectives as well. Halfaya will be ours today there is no doubt and the British will be run out of Egypt as well.

It took well over an hour to cut some small hole thru today. But once thru our men have been pushing and pushing hard to beat the British soundly today. A great day for the Italians and once again we have shown we can fight as good as our allies the Germans with far inferior equipment as well. Maybe some day they will reconize this fact and treat us as an equeal. If I can live so long ehhh!!!!!!!

HQ: I Ariete Roma Legion
Col: Antony Cochelli Commanding

[robot]

Halfaya Egypt
October 10 1941
2100 Hours

Three hours of hard fighting and only managed to get a draw. We lost way too many good men today. Over 500 of our friends died today trying to take this hell hole. We also lost too many tanks 37 of them were ripped apart by the British armor and those hellish bunkers. We took out 27 of the bunkers today as we moved towards our objectives. These were mostly of the steel type with some concrete and wood log ones thrown in for good measure.

The British lost over 1600 men along with 34 artty and 67 of there super tanks. And I do mean super tanks. Today an instance showed exactly why I call them super. !2 of our tanks had gotten on the rear of a MatildaII and began to pound on it with every thing they had. They fired 47mm and 75mm and even had a 90mm atg fire 3 shots at it. They hit it 39 times in the rear managing to only take out the radio antenna. It began to move away from them and disapeared into the dust thrown up by all the misses they had. Never did see that tank the rest of the battle. But I bet they went to the closest creek and cleaned it out before they went back to there depot.

We have recieved orders we are to stay here until next month and try once again to take Halfaya. Also recieved bad news from High Command that we will not get all our ruined tanks replaced due to a shortage of them. So we will enter the next battle at least 7 tanks short. Now this is bad news as no matter how many of the enemy equipment we destroy they never seem to come into the next battle short. Fortunes of war I suppose.

HQ: I Ariete Roma Legion
Col: Anthony Cochelli Commanding