To ring in the start of a new incarnation of the Race for Tunis campaign, the Gourmet Wargaming Club decided to fight a "what if" scenario. Imagine that Axis and Allied forces clashed not at Kasserine, but rather just to the south of Tebessa, in an adjacent valley. This is the setting for our wargame. The units in the battle are taken from the Race for Tunis lists, with some changes to provide us with a challenging one-off battle. We played with our homebrew Hail of Lead rules and 20mm miniatures collected specifically for the upcoming campaign. Click here to download a PDF containing the scenario parameters and order of battle.

The battlefield before the action. Germans enter from the top edge, Italians from the upper left; the Americans enter along the lower left, and the British along the lower right. The French hold the two villages.	A pre-game bombardment by a flight of Ju 87 "Stuka" dive-bombers effectively wipes out a French infantry company.	French 25mm AT gun flanking the first village. This gun would soon prey on German light AFVs.	Initial German moves: An armored car company (top left) and panzer grenadiers with halftracks prepare to assault the first town (Bordj Oum Ali). Note the burning armored cars felled by the French 25mm gun.	German armored cars provide fire support, and are fortunately far from the enemy 25mm.
The brave, entrenced defenders of Bordj Oum Ali. It required considerable firepower to drive these French soldiers from their positions.	A British armoured car squadron moves safely behind the crestline of the hills along the German left flank.	French char D1's of a tank squadron move up beside the 25mm AT gun, covering the German left flank. (Actually these models are D2's, but if you squint they look the part.)	Italian Semovente L40's (with the 47mm gun) are brewed up by a hidden French 47mm AT gun. American M3 Lee medium tanks drive pell-mell into the advancing Italians.	A company of dismounted Bersaglieri motorcycle troops (left) are confronted by the American headquarters company, sent on a "reconnaissance by force" mission.
The Italian Arditi company arrives in their AS-42 Sahariana vehicles. Fortunately, they are not in line of sight of the American tanks (top right). Note the Autocannone 90 (self-propelled 90mm AA gun) burning in the foreground; this vehicle was not even set up to fire when the Americans bagged it.	The sharp end of the M3 Lee mediums.	An unfortunate AB-41 armored car that "discovered" the hidden French 47mm AT gun.	At the southern town, the German attack was thrown back once, but at a cost: the French infantry are down to a single stand of Hotchkiss MMGs.	More German troops enter: a company of Panzer III J2's along with the Panzer Regiment HQ.
The German front line is reinforced by a truck-mounted panzer grenadier company to keep up the momentum. No French defenders are visible in the town, but the Axis are still under artillery fire (marked by "krump" markers, at right).	The Heavy Company from the motorcycle battalion sets up its 75mm AT gun and 8cm mortar. The engineer stand must wait for its chance.	More Germans: a company of Panzer IV F2's--aka the "Mark IV Specials."	The Panzer Regiment HQ moves up behind a crestline (marked by a line of stones).	Bersaglieri infantry hold the hilltop nearest the Americans; the enemy HQ unit has pulled back. These Italians now overlook the French 47mm gun (at top), but can't do much to undo the damage. The 47 is out of ammo anyhow.
A gasp of fear bursts from the Allied side as a new German unit takes its place on the German left flank: the Tiger company. (It's only a single Tiger I platoon accompanied by a couple of Panzer III N platoons--but a Tiger is still a Tiger!)	An overview of the southern half of the battlefield. The Germans press forward (to the right) as an American tank destroyer company arrives on the road in the open (top right).	American AFV's ready for action: two M3 GMC's (with 75mm guns) lead the pack, followed by an odd-looking T28 MGMC (with twin HMGs and a 37mm AA gun). A comical M6 GMC (with a 37mm AT gun behind a large shield) follows.	The tank destroyer company's left flank is supported by these M3 Stuart light tanks.	M3 Lee tanks move up to the crestline to engage the Italians, beyond. An AS-42 Sahariana with 47mm AT gun fires away at close range, but would not achieve a kill.
The German left flank is now made up of the Tiger company. These vehicles take up hull-down positions behind a crestline, just to the flank of the first town.	German armored cars and panzer grenadiers regroup after suffering sharp artillery attacks.	The battle in progress. The first town, Bordj Oum Ali, has been captured by the truck-mounted panzer grenadiers. The US tank destroyers have fallen back off the main road to behind the safety of a crestline (far left).	M3 Stuarts burn. A company of Panzer III J2's caught them in the open.	German tank fire finds the shaken US tank destoyers and puts them right out of action.
After holding on for many turns, French D1 tanks bear the brunt of more Stuka attacks. The Luftwaffe seems to enjoy singling out the French.	A combined arms attack on the second village, El Ma el Abiod. Another beleaguered company of dug-in French infantry awaits the Axis onslaught.	The end is near. French D1's reel from air attacks and are finished off by the Tiger company. War is clearly not fair.	The battle of the crestlines: Panzer III's face off against US M3 mediums. The German machines are low on ammunition, while the M3's have the advantage of two main armaments.	The wrong place at the wrong time: the bulk of the British armoured car squadron is completely outgunned by Panzer IV F2's on the German left flank.
A German heavy flak unit (with dreaded towed 88mm gun battery) is spotted at the German starting positions, and brought under intense artillery fire.	Taking a chance, the Tiger company decides to uncover a hidden British unit on its flank. A battery of 6-pounder AT guns are revealed, still hooked to their towing vehicles. You can imagine the result.	The German assault on the second town continues. Artillery fire whacks the French infantry, but the Germans find the occasion to be no cakewalk.	As the Panzer III's fire off their last shells, M3 Lees advance to point-blank range to get more punch out of their puny 37mm turret guns.	British armour! A mixed squadron of Valentine and Crusader tanks hug a crestline in front of the Tiger company advancing on the German left. They quickly come under fire, but hull-down positions keep them alive.
A view across the German line of attack, as seen from their right flank. The attack on the town of El Ma el Abiod has been driven back, and the town itself (top right) is under heavy German artillery fire. Italian Arditi in Sahariana vehicles have re-entered the battle in the German center.	German command elements, including a Forward Observer stand, direct events to the front.	A compay of US armored infantry counter-attack near El Ma el Abiod. Fortunately, their adversaries in the armored cars have already been neutralized by American tank fire.	More fire consumes the Arditi company. The Italians have not had a banner day.	6 giant generals...and a little dog, too! The game ended with a minor Axis victory and plenty of carnage. Stay tuned for the revenge of the Allies!