General Raptor sat with his staff in the rain-soaked headquarters of the Australian 6th Infantry Division, it is 0000 and the division was making final preparations for the attack. A map of the area was laying on the table, showing the plans for the coming attack.

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The plan called for a 2-staged attack on Ellason and Timavos. In the first stage, the 16th Infantry Brigade would sweep to the north of Ellason and rendezvous with the Greek 1st Cavalry and 80th Infantry Regiments, which were supposed to arrive in that evening or night. Meanwhile, the 19th Infantry Brigade would attack Timavos head-on, while the British 1st Armoured Brigade would dash to sieze the vital road connecting Timavos and Ellason. The bulk of the division would advance to Stefanovounon and set up the HQ there.

The second stage would see elements the British 1st Armoured Bde sweep south to assist the 19th Infantry Bde, while the rest of the forces attack and crush Ellason. Subsequently the forces would mop up resistance, dig in and wait for the inevitable counterattack.

As the second day dawns on the Ellason front, Allied staff frantically runs around the Division HQ trying to adjust plans for an unforeseen adversary, mud. The division woke up to find that the rains of the last day have turned the area into a sticky bog where tanks and men dig into the ground with every step.

Luckily, the first ones to suffer from this are the Germans, who, in their rout from Timavos, got themselves bogged in the city and the plains to the north.

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The Allies prepare to launch their final offensive against Ellason. Intel reports suggest that a German Fallschirmjäger regiment is approaching the town from the north (The same one that forced the relocation of the Greek cavalry) while a Whermacht force blocks the road from the south, where 1Bde is located.

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The Allies spot the incoming Paratrooper regiment and order a general bombardment from the artillery positioned on the hills to the west, the regiment is caught on the road and forced to a crawl as the muddy conditions and artillery restrict their movements.

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Meanwhile, Allied infantry begins advancing on the town. Revised plans call for an encirclement of the Paratrooper regiment in the hills northwest of the town, where they will be annihilated.

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By 1300, much of the German resistance around Timavos has surrendered, seeing no way to escape in the mud and under heavy fire.

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The main assault force on Ellason reaches the target in late-noon, having been slowed down severely by the mud. Nevertheless, the tactical envelopment of the German force is successfully completed, though much later then expected.

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That night brought an end to the constant rain and the lifting of some of the fog, whether that will help or disrupt the Axis remains to be seen.

Last minute orders before the day rises, the 3rd Royal Tank Rgt is ordered to attack the Axis spearhead north of Timavos.

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But as the dawn arrives, the lack of falling raindrops is quickly replaced by the thunder of artillery shells, the Axis counterattack has begun.

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Alarm! German units are sighted trying to disrupt the all-important supply line to 6Div, but luckily an infantry regiment has been kept in reserve just for such an event.

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In the south, the Germans run into determined defense by the mixed Australian/British force, their first attack is repulsed.

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The much smaller force in the North advances (Likely to rescue the still-trapped Paratrooper regiment), sweeping 2 Greek companies out of the way before falling under fire from 16Bde.

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The Germans attack again in the south, but once more they are bloodily repulsed.

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The Greek Cav. Rgt in the north is ordered to attack the northern German force, thus trapping them in a crossfire from the north and south.

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The trapped Paratrooper regiments attempts to attack Ellason in support of the rest of their northern force, but they are quickly beaten back.

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1Bde moves south to reinforce it's regiment in retaking the road.

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The Greek Rgt finally moves to attack the Germans in the north.

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The reinforcing 17Bde is making painfully slow progress to the south. Meanwhile, Axis troops are sighted trying to outflank the defenses in the south, a regiment is detached should they try to come near.

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Despite the Greek cavalry's apparent...overcaution...German forces in the north are now trapped in a deadly crossfire and come to a complete halt.

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The German troops who tried to cut off the supply lines now find themselves surrounded by Allied infantry and take cover in the town.

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The trapped Paratrooper regiment attempts to continue it's attack, only to come under massed artillery fire, the entire regiment is soon broken and routing back to the hills.

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In the meantime, the Germans continuosly try to attack in the south throughout the day, only to get beaten back again and again.

With victory in clear sight, Allied HQ orders all units to hold all objectives come what may.

The muddy, shell-torn plains east of Timavos, by now littered with bodies and destroyed tanks, continue to see minor skirmishes in the night and morning.

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The morning sees the fog and rain lifted enough to allow an Allied airstrike to get over the area, no time is wasted calling it on the Axis pinned near Timavos.

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A major Axis pullback from Timavos is sighted, 1Bde is ordered to attack and cut off the retreat of the forces pinned nearest to the town.

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By the time the orders get through and the brigade started to move, dark has already fallen.

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As the last day of the operation begins, General Raptor steps out of the Division's HQ in Ellason. It takes a few minutes for the fact that something is wrong to register, and a further minute to realize that his boots aren't sinking into the ground with every step anymore. The mud has completely solidified, allowing unimpeded movements throughout the battlefield.

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Seeing that the lack of mud will allow an unlikely final push by the Germans against Timavos, the Allies decide to take the initiative and strike at the thoroughly depleted Germans first. The plan is to build upon the minor thrust that the 1st British Armoured Brigade was commited to the first day into a major offensive against the Axis to the south.

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The 17th Au. Inf. Bde will join the attack in the morning, with the 19th attacking from the west and south later in an effort to push the Germans into a killing zone along the river.

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Minor skirmishes continue in the north, but most of the German strength there has already been crushed in the previous days.

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17Bde is given attack orders at 0734.

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19Bde is ordered to move 2 hours later.

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Greek and Australian units mop up in the north.

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The gap on the river begins to form as all 3 brigades move to attack.

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The gap cloeses, at this point there are approximately 1,500 German troops trapped in the pocket.

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The Germans attempt to extract their units and form a defensive line to the east.

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The pocket is under heavy bombardment, with practically no cover for the Germans on the river, they are quickly annihilated. (Grey crosses mark destroyed or surrendered units)

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As night falls, there are approximately 150 troops left inside the pocket, a 90% casualty rate.

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The engagement continues for 2 more hours until the operation is concluded.