Aga-what? Actually, it's in Libya, where the battle represented in this Steel Fury mission was fought, in March1941. The mission, and the British tanks encountered, come with the STA2.2+Japanese Community Mod+JCM mission pack, all of which you can find here: https://wikiwiki.jp/pzfr/Steel%20Tank%20Add-on

Here we are, moving up under artillery fire. My platoon of five Panzer IIIs, all with the short 5 cm tank gun, is one of a company tasked with chasing off some Tommies in trucks, clearing two successive defensive positions, and then going firm just beyond the second one. There are also panzergrenadiers in half-tracks who will be pushing up the road that is our axis, so some mutual support will be in order.



We make short work of the motor transport and kill or chase off its former owners.



Time to get moving again! Unfortunately, my movements have confused my platoon who are lagging behind and need some clearer orders to get them closing up again.



We're soon back in line but have fallen behind our other tank platoons, which are up ahead and on either flank.



The shooting starts again as the others bump the first enemy defensive position.



We stop for a while and join in the fun. AP and MG tracers are flying back and forth while we engage some enemy tanks at just over a thousand metres. Their dazzle camouflage makes them easy to see on the skyline but hard to identify. I'm inclined to think they are the heavily-armoured Matildas, which is a bit of a worry. I get some hits without obvious results, but then see the first enemy tank burning and realise from their angular turret sides that they are lightly-armoured Cruisers.



After beating them up, we send a few MG rounds in the direction of an A/T gun which is soon knocked out by somebody else. Then we hose down the enemy infantry. While I'm doing that, the other platoons press on, joined by the panzergrenadiers who race up the road like they're in some kind of a race. The whole lot runs into more enemy tanks in the dead ground beyond the first position. Feeling rather left out, I edge out to the right, in an effort to flank them while avoiding driving over the low crest. This brings me under fire from what looks like a 2-Pounder A/T gun. Somebody manages to shut this up but I'm rather distracted. Edging up to the left of the crest next to a knocked out Cruiser, we drive right into the line of fire of one of a pair who appear suddenly on the far side.



I blast the Tommy with the HE shell I have up the spout but while waiting for an AP round to be loaded, I'm hit and my gun is put out of action. I back up into dead ground and clear the line of fire. But the 40mm AP round has gone straight through the plate next to the gun tube and that's me out of the fight.



The others have better luck. Mostly - not the light platoon, whose Panzer IIs have taken a hammering.



The SPWs have also taken losses and damage, though casualties amongst the grenadiers aren't too bad.



The consolation prize is that battlefield is littered with knocked-out A-13s, not to mention the MT further back.



I'd have been a lot more worried if I'd realised the defences included this dangerous 6-Pounder A/T gun.



Less so, about the 2-Pounders, which I did notice...



...or the Vickers Guns.



Anyhow, despite the crippling of my own tank, it was an eventful, enjoyable and well-designed mission, and the desert scenery was rather beautiful. They even played the Panzerleid at the end! Highly recommended for anyone who fancies a go at virtual tanking.

Well done 33 Lima.