Sound and Fury: The Battle of Mechili, January 24-25, 1941

On December 9, 1940 the British launched their offensive, called Operation Compass, against the Italian 10th Army in the Egyptian frontier border with Libya. The British were vastly outnumbered, and the offensive’s goals were limited in scope (it was just supposed to be a “five day raid”). However, it wasn’t long before the surprised and poorly-led Italians were in headlong retreat. Following the capture of the Italian fortress at Bardia, the Italian retreat turned into a full-scale rout. All that stood between the British and complete victory were the remnants of the Italian Strategic Reserve, the Sabratha 60th Infantry Division and the Babini Armor Group (roughly a brigade) who were dug-in at the frontier village of Mechili. The war’s first major tank battle in North Africa occurred here as the British vanguard ran into an Italian force that was ready and primed for a fight. Each copy of Sound and Fury is composed of the following: • One 11 by 17 inch map with game record-keeping tracks and terrain identification. • 56 un-mounted double sided units. • One set of 7 page rules.