DAR: Alam Halfa Ridge

[RERomine]

My deployment is complete and I'm ready to start my advance. Turns out I have a lot more tracks than expected. I couldn't disperse them nearly as much as I wanted. The "bait" for the air ambush is deployed outside the air engagement area and will move into it on the first turn. My infantry and machine guns are sitting in rough positions to provide some protection against enemy prep fire. They will move online once the scouts move out and any local prep fire ends. Scouts are on the LD ready to move. Hopefully, they won't take too much of a beating.

I've attached my save for anyone who wants to see my initial deployment.

Turn 1 to follow shortly.

[RERomine]

Turn 1

Enemy prep fire was disturbingly light. Just one 25pdr battery. A second battery dropped smoke during the turn. This could mean a few things: the enemy just limited its prep fire, air assets could be fairly significant or its ground force will be larger than expected. My inclination is there will be a larger than normal number of air assets present. Prep fire resulted in some light suppression of a couple of units.

Anyhow, the scouts hit the LD, most of the infantry is coming online and the "bait" is on the move.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero

Enemy: Zero

[RERomine]

Turn 2

Another 25pdr battery just dropped smoke, so that makes three batteries so far.

Scouts are continuing to move forward, all infantry moving online now and MG-42s moving now. "Bait" is continuing to move, but nothing is happening yet.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero

Enemy: Zero

[RERomine]

Turn 3

All enemy artillery fire ceased.

Scouts are continuing to move forward, infantry now online, MG-42s continuing to move. Still no enemy air assets seen.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero

Enemy: Zero

[RERomine]

Turn 4

I took a closer look at the map and noticed the smoke/dust from the enemy prep fire might have blocked their LOS to my tracks trying to bait enemy air assets into an ambush OR maybe they just can't see them OR maybe the enemy doesn't have air assets OR the enemy doesn't care! Enough ORs

My infantry crossed the LD. MG-42s are moving on line. Scouts haven't seen anything yet, but farthest ones are only 500m out.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero

Enemy: Zero

[RERomine]

Turn 5

Nothing new; reporting same.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero

Enemy: Zero

[RERomine]

Turn 6

Random incoming mail this turn. Fairly big stuff, too. One battery of 5.5in howitzers and it's onboard. I made note of it for later attention. One tube hit in the air engagement area, so maybe someone has seen my recon tracks zipping around. Probably not. Fire would have been more concentrated if the enemy felt they had a real target.

Scouts are out 750m now. Contact should made soon. I need to set their firing range to 2 before the give away their position in case some enemy units launch a spoiling attack.

Casualties

Friendly: Zero

Enemy: Zero