12/19/40 Brits face the Italians again

[robot]

Halfaya Egypt
12/19/1940
1100 Hours

Well this year will be over in another 12 days. Xmas will be here in 6 days. dam this year has went by so fast. Didnt think this war would go on this long. Not much like December here in the desert. There is a sandstorm which started early this morning. Vis is somewhere near 1200 yards good for our tanks can pick the Italian armor off at distance. Once again we are to set up a defensive line and stop the Italian advanve here outside of halfaya. Dont know why, it is a godforsaken place here havent seen anything to really fight over.

There is a road that runs east to west almost down the center of the map. This is where the Italians will come from moving east to our west. The Canadians have been given the job of holding the road. Just north of this road maybe 150 yards lie the two objectives. Sort of behind some dry ridges that run along in front of a low hill. A co will guard the north flank while B Co will have the duty on the south flank. The last objective sits on the southern edge of the map. All three companys have 2 platoons of tanks as support.

A single lane of mines have been laid along the intire front plus the three platoons of Engineers are to supplement these with what ever they have on hand. We will also have as support 3 batterys of 8 inch guns on call for only us. Should make for good fast response time. The approach has been previously been marked for a fast strike as well. This is about 500 yards out in front of our lines in four key spots.

laid in a bombardment just the other side of no mans land. Must have done some good saw at least two fires from hitting something dont know as yet what it was. Already have spotted at least 30 pieces of armor coming our way. All north of the road looks like A Co will take the first wave. It is made up of mostly Lancia SRO and Auto belindas. No real threat to our armor but a heck of waste of ammo. Have had all ranges set to 750 yards before they open up. Also saw a bunch of those 63/33 type of armor. Not sure if I have the number right on that but they look like little beetles running around in the desert.

December and it is hot as hell here today should be very interesting to say the least. The sweat has already begun to run from under my cap. Must remember to take my salt dont want to cramp up in the middle of the fight. Tally Ho off to battle we go.

Hq: VII Royal Dragoons
Col: Nigel Kingsly

[robot]

Halfaya Egypt
12/19/1940
1125 Hours

Only 25 minutes into the battle but it seems like hours. Our tankers and ATG have been almost constantly shooting at trucks armored cars and light tanks. They are knocking out an alarming rate every five minutes or so. In the past five minutes at least 25 pieces of there armor have been blown to smitherins. And yet they keep pushing forward. Three have been blown up in the mine field as well. A smokey haze has setteled over the battle field. Smashed and shattered armor lies like the bones in an elephant graveyard. Fire is ever where and the Italians rise up out of this like a spector rising from the ground. There has been no quite only a constant booming from our guns and from there 75mm and 81 mortars as they rain down on us. The heat adds to this by soaking your uniform and making it stick to you, the dried salt from your sweat chaffs your skin as you try to move around. What with the acrid stink in your nostrils and the constant sweat this has become a living hell. Why does our country even want to have anything to do with this place is beyond me.

There is no doubt about the outcome of this battle. They cannot last much longer not with the rate of destruction we are dealing to them. We have lost maybe ten men is all no loss of equipment at this time. I cannot understand why a command would even keep up this madness as long as they have. It makes me wonder where the stories begun about the Italians fighting spirit came from. They sure have proved to me they dont and will not give up without a fight.

HQ: VII Royal Dragoons
Col: Nigel Kingsly

[robot]

Halfalya Egypt
12/19./1940
!145 Hours

Looks like we will make it home before Xmas after all. The Italians have given up and are in full retreat back towards Libya. We not only whipped them we tore them apart. We only lost one man while there loss of life was staggering 605 from the body count. No loss of equipment on our side while we managed to take out 10 trucks and 112 tanks. Our gumners ripped there light tanks apart today.

Today will slow down the Italian war effort for some time. I dont believe they will try to move into Egypt any time soon again. This was a massacre today. It will be a long time before our men get over the horror of todays battle.

We are to move to the rear and get some rest before we move to a place called agadabia or somethign like that. We under stand this will be early next year. We are to go up against the XV Grenadiers if rumor proves to be true. We hope we are able to avenge our friends who lost there lives in france earlier this year. I dont think we will ever get over the beating we suffered there.

HQ: VII Royal Dragoons
Col: Nigel Kingsly