Long Range Desert Group

"The [Long Range Desert Group] caused us more damage than any other British unit of equal strength."

- Erwin Rommel, German field marshal during WWII

The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was formed specifically to counter Italian operations across North Africa and around the Mediterranean. Comprised mainly of British commandos, the LRDG carried out their missions with an air of professional secrecy, and many of their battles were fought at a distance, as their name would imply. Using bolt-action rifles and submachine guns to keep the enemy at a distance, the LRDG was just as prepared for close-combat with revolvers that packed a nasty punch. They contributed to Allied victories at the Battle of Kufra, Operation Caravan, and the Italian campaign that led to the fall of fascist Italty. The LRDG is famed for their covert operations and thanks to them, the Allied troops got a great foothold on North Africa that was vital to deposing Mussolini and later, invading Southern Europe.

Battle vs. Z Special Unit (by El Alamein)
LRDG: 

Z Special Unit: 

The surf pounds against the rocks and the high tide sweeps up against the sand on the beach. The moon casts an ominous shadow over the quiet battlefield. Smoky craters hiss their rage at the sky and weak tank obstacles sag in their positions on the wet sand. Crunching footsteps announce the arrival of the Z Special Unit. They scout the area around them and hike forward, hoping to scale up the cliffs.

Meanwhile, up on the cliffs, the LRDG is watching down for intruders. Seeing the dark shapes of the Z Special Unit commandos as a threat, the sniper with the SMLE aims at the dark figures and fires, missing by a hair. Down below, the Z Special Unit commandos crouch in surprise, but recover, quickly spot their opponents, and get battle-ready. Three of the commandos keeps pushing up the beach while two of them fan out, keep on the move, and return fire with Arisaka rifles. The LRDG sniper is hit in the shoulder and jerks upward in pain, only to be shot in the head by the other commando.

The LRDG men above ready their grenades and lob them as a group down the cliff. One of the commandos dives out of the way into a crater but the other man throws one of the grenades back. It bounces halfway off of the cliff wall, rolls back down at him, and rests in place just in time for the massive explosion.

The commando in the crater is still visible from above, and is shot to pieces by the LRDG high up on the cliffs.

By this point the Z Special Unit commandos have scaled the cliff walls and charge at the LRDG members, guns ablaze. The Sten cuts down several LRDG soldiers, killing 2 of them. A third is wounded in the arm.

The Z Special Unit leader throws a Mills Bomb at the LRDG as they scramble for cover. They dive behind a low wall and avoid the brunt of the blast. They fire back with the heavy Thompson SMG, and kill one of the advancing Z Special Unit soldiers with a spray across the belly. He falls and squeezes the trigger, firing off shots in the air as he dies.

The Z Special Unit leader takes out his S&W revolver and fires through the wooden boards into the stomach of the Thomspon-weilding LRDG troop. He doubles over and falls behind the wall, groaning. Blood pools out from his wound and he lays choking in the stuff. The LRDG leader, with his Webley revolver, stands up, aims briefly, and kills the Z Special Unit second-in-command with a headshot. His neck snaps backward and he falls like a rock. Meanwhile, the LRDG soldier has died of blood loss.

The LRDG keeps firing as he runs away and the Z Special Unit keeps chase, conserving rounds. Suddenly, the LRDG comes to the peak of the cliff at an outpost - he can run no further. Raising his hands in surrender, he allows the Z Special Unit to confiscate his revolver. Then, he turns, puts a knee into the man's groin, punches him in the chin, and grabs his wrist just in time. The revolver fires into the air, but the LRDG clamps a hand around the Z Special Unit's mouth and walks him to the edge of the cliff before throwing him off of it.

The LRDG soldier peeks over the edge of the cliff to make sure his opponent is slain. He puts a round from the enemy's revolver into the corpse to be sure, then heads back to the main officer's building to report the attack.

Expert's Opinion
The LRDG had superior long-ranged weapons (where they excelled) and were better suited to a regular firefight than their specialist foes, which carried them to victory.

To see the original battle, weapons, and votes, click here.