Author	treadasaurusrex (Germany)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Germany
Participants	NBGB (AAR)
Play Date	2022-07-10
Language	English
Scenario	DeRa029

This was a 7-session play-through with the hard-fighting and able, Ron Motley, as the British Commander seeking to block the German 15th Panzer Division on its way to Tobruk. We used the optional smoke, consolidation, excess initiative and extended assault rules, We chose not to not use the Fog of War rule. I played the Germans attempting to penetrate the multi-battalion, armor-heavy, screening force guarding the single – 37-hex long – road atop the large east-west ridge. The stringent victory conditions required the Germans to clear and hold the entire road! No British units must occupy even one hex of the road at game end. This required a fast German movement-to-contact, followed by a rapid deployment of an anti-tank and garrison screen along the road going west. Wisely, British Commander deployed his infantry and scant AT artillery directly on the western reaches of the road, thus forcing the Germans to over-extend their meagre force of infantry with very limited armor support along a very long and vulnerable ridge top. Fortunately, ample German OBA was able to pin the Allied infantry force in their foxholes for most of the game, and also managed to eliminate their sole AT gun platoon and a single INF unit in the early going.

Tragically, twelve Stuart platoons of the British 4th Armoured Brigade arrived on the south edge of the map in the second game turn and were almost immediately engaged by the German AT guns and a mobile tank screen. This brave, but unsupported, armored attack on the southern flank was rapidly countered by German armor and 7 platoons-worth of Honey tanks were destroyed in short order over the next 6 turns, in spite of the British Commander’s best efforts to evacuate the scattered formation of light tanks to the west and out of harm’s way. German Pz-III and Pz-II platoons vigorously pursued the retreating Stuart formation across the southern half of the map board in a sweeping counter attack that carried to the far western edge of the map.

In the meantime, an extended series of fierce, and costly infantry close assaults beginning on the eastern edge of the long, British-held string of dug in positions in the western half of the map ensued. Little German armor support was available to support this effort, and there were multiple, well-sited and dug in British tanks in support of this defensive effort. The going was very slow and bloody for the attacking Germans and this thrust was constantly menaced by both, the emerging threat of British tanks deploying from off-board in the north, and by clever reinforcement, limited counter attacks, and frequent successful morale recoveries engineered by the British Commander.

From the start of the game, a force of repaired British armored elements began entering the north edge of the map. These were met by a set of British Crusader tanks with tank leaders who guided them into the growing fray in the central portion of the map. Stretched-thin, German spearheads facing this thrust rapidly fell back to positions higher on the ridgetop in hopes of avoiding becoming decisively engaged by this stout force of tanks. Surprisingly, the British Commander began husbanding this armored force and reinforcing this force with multiple platoons of refugee Crusaders moving from the main fight on the road surmounting the southern margin of the main east-west ridge.

By the end of game turn eight, British step losses had reached 49, at a cost to the Axis of 7 steps. Allied losses continued to mount in the next two sessions, culminating in 70 steps lost by the end of game turn 12. At that point, the German side had lost 7 steps, mostly in a series of fiercely contested close assaults on the main British defense along the road, and in the extended armored advance south of the ridge-top road. Additional dug-in, Allied infantry positions began to fall as the Germans relentlessly pushed west down the road. The British continued to concentrate their armor on the lower slopes and open ground on the northern margins of the ridge. Cleverly, the Tommies spread out their remaining tank leaders so that the reinforcing armored units would eventually be able to overwhelm the Germans on the main ridge mass. German AT and infantry units slowly moved forward to setup a typical Afrika Korps defensive gun line on the forward (south-facing) slopes of the main ridge.

The 6th session (game turns 16-17) was an unexpectedly, costly affair for the Tommies that was marked by a dramatic change in strategy, some incredible bravery on the part of their last infantry platoon, and multiple very brave Crusader tank leaders. The Allied Commander resolutely pushed about half his remaining armor forward and up the central ridge in pursuit of two close assaults to prevent AT crossfire situations from developing on the high ground. An extended set of unfortunate die rolls plagued the Tommies in this session! One of the British-initiated, tank-on-tank, close assaults ended with the loss of all 3 Crusader platoons involved, as a result of a determined German counter attack.

The Germans tried to close assault a combined Valentine/Matilda group, but only managed to chase them further downslope to their original positions. The final close assault on the last of the original, dug-in British infantry units on the main road was finally successful for the Germans on game turn 17.

BY the end of turn 17, step losses totaled: 15 for the Germans, and 104 for the British side. Of the latter, all 14 Honey (Stuart) tanks platoons had been eliminated along with 7 platoons of Crusader I cruiser tanks, 6 infantry units, and 5 Bren Carrier units. Hopes for a German victory remained tied to the elimination of the remaining British tank leaders to help prevent the occupation of the required road hex as per the scenario’s gamey victory conditions.

The 7th session (game turns 18-20) was somewhat anticlimactic as by then, 4 of the seven remaining British tank platoons were decisively engaged by German infantry in several costly close assaults that were supplemented by long-range AT fire from multiple directions. Mercifully, the British Commander chose to withdraw his few remaining tanks at the end of the 20th game turn, as both sides agreed that there was no longer a hope of securing an Allied victory. Thus, a hard-won victory for the Afrika Korps. Was the end result. The final step losses amounted to 120 for the British, and 15 for the Germans.

This scenario was fun-to-play, exciting – unbalanced in favor of the German side – but with lots of maneuver and many decision point for both sides. I give this scenario a rating of 4 for fun, and not a 5, due to the gamey victory conditions and excessive length.

Suggestions for Better Scenario Play:

Add a special scenario rule that allows the AT gun platoons of both sides the ability to fire twice in their activation as though they were efficient tank units. Play as we did, with dug-in units on the ridge being in limiting terrain, so that they are not visible to units over 3 hexes distant – or 4 away – in the case of recon elements. Decrease the game length to around 24 turns, and require that at least 8 steps of British combat units end the game astride any hexes on the road, for an Allied victory. Also, expand the requirement for German step losses to at least 15, that must be eliminated for the British side to claim a victory. Any other result is a German victory.