Kasserine 43 - A Rumble with Rommel.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

This is a really great scenario for noobies. Its short and in a small area and easy to manage and keep track of the action. I ran through this 4 or 5 times with similar results the last 3 so I thought I'd put this up for other noobs like me.

The first thing I did was to ensure my meager air assets were set to "Minimize losses" and set to Interdiction missions rather than Air Superiority. The German AF just has too many planes to fight and the Interdiction mode worked out very well, never having lost a unit to Reorganizing. A few time they went to rest, but were always there for me.

The troops were set to Limit losses by game default so they were all set.

My first priority in the early turns was to get defenses set around Kasserine Pass and Bou Chebka to the immediate south. These too points are critical objectives that will cost you the game if you lose them. Also that Supply Point (SP) to the south will need capturing to start the starvation diet for the Germans as well as prevent the entry of more troops later in the scenario.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Still on Turn 1.

I also want to capture and destroy the two SPs in the southeast of the map. The southern SP is also an Entry Point as is the spot to the north the red arrow is pointing to.

The Germans make this easy with their blind rush to get to Kasserine. I simply stepped out of their path and they blew on by me.

Remember! This is a defensive stand you are fighting and the Allies do not have enough to counter attack at this point. The objective right now is capture and destroy/occupy SPs & EPs.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 2

As you can see, the southern SP/EP has brought in a column of Germans. I moved my lone Brit unit, an Armored Cav outfit, into a position where they can slide into the SP hex as soon as its clear.

The rest of my attention is focused on getting a decent defense formed around Bou Chabka pass and Kasserine and I'm moving such as I have to accomplish this. The main problem at this point is lack of firepower and distance from SPs for the Allies thus "DIG IN & HOLD" is the order of the day.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Meanwhile to the southeast my little plan is working well. The South SP is captured first and due to low move points the eastern SP will have to wait one more turn.

The forces that side stepped the German blitz at Sidi Bou Zid can now step in and capture this objevtive.

To the north my units that were still unavailable to me took a pounding from the new German units that entered to the east of them. This will never do.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 3

The two defenses are firming up and reinforcements are trickling in from the Allied SP/EPs in the north.

The Armored Cav unit waits patiently to pounce.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

With the German SP/EPs taken care of I captured the two objectives south of Sidi Bou Zid and SBZ as well. Rommel's forces now have only one SP left.

Meanwhile north of SBZ I surounded the unit in that objective hoping for an easy Evaporation. Also more troops are coming in at our SP/EP to the north so we can begin our deadly game of "blind man's bluff".

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 4

The defense at Kasserine and Bou Chabka are about as good as they're going to get at this point. As you can see, the SP/EP to the south is now occupied by my Brit AC unit and they were never challenged.

The Germans have begun to form their assault forces, but some disturbing news has reached HQ about trouble in their rear areas.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 5

Apparently they noticed the retaking of those little objective towns and um, objected adamantly. Some more side stepping and the dance is on.

The attempt to eliminate the pocketed German unit failed and I decided to not press the issue in favor of living to fight another day. A quick regroup and we'll see what we can do to toy with Rommel's mind next turn.

Now just WHERE did all those German units, that big red arrow is pointing to, come from anyway? ROFL!!

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Oh Rommel! What are you doing?

Suddenly the assault forces disappeared! I was shocked to tell the truth. We heard a lot of comotion during the night and were prepared for the worst, but when the sun leaped above the horizon in the morning all we saw was tracks in the sand. The attackers were GONE! This has never happened before in my prior run-throughs.

Part of the forces at Bou Chebka moved up to Kasserine while the Kasserine assault force and all the rest of the Bou Chebka units flew east to help fight for those dinky little objectives my units are dancing around.

Time to dig in more and keep the rifles cleaned and maybe enjoy a well earned beer.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 6

Now all the action is centered to the southeast and eastern marches. The Germans really wanted Sidi Bou Zid so we just stepped south and retook the 3 spots they vacated.

To the north a bit my troops have taken away that EP on the east edge of the map and occupy the objective at Jebel Aboid(sp?). The rest of the troops are preparing to move west and join up with a new task force coming south from our SP/EP up north away.

Meanwhile Rommel's tanks are slogging through the sand to try to get into position. If they could just decide on which position to take and hold now.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Well it appears they want to party at the Bou Chebka pass and all their Kasserine units have returned to their original positions there. I can only imagine the grumbling that the German troops were doing over all those road marches.

Now Kasserine faces no threat and the new forces coming from the north EP are moving into a roadblock position. The (blue) French units are heading down to Bou Chebka to bolster the defenses there with some more infantry, armor and two Arty units.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 7

The Tunisian Waltz continues near Sidi Bou Zid. Again, I just sidestep the assault and let them come. Meanwhile I started digging in at the road junction to the north and a small armored force is west bound to shore up the Kasserine defense.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

"Hans, why can't komand make up their minds???? Here we are back at Kasserine again!" "I wish I knew old friend. Here have some schnaps I've been saving. It doesn't look like we will really do any fighting anyway." Glug, glug. "Oh. good stuf Hans, danke."

Yep, the Bou Chebka assault has moved back to Kasserine again. They won't be putting up much of a fight either as all their units are in the orange and red now just from moving so much.

Meanwhile the road junction is well covered and the extra armor is taking up defensive potions at Kasserine.

More than half way through the scenario and very few shots have been fired thus far. This has become a lesson in maneuvering.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 9

Turn 8 saw little in the way of any reportable action so...

The Tunisian Waltz goes round and round.

As you can see the Germans are once again ensconced in the objective south of Sidi Bou Zid and since they didn't seem to care much about it I slipped north and retook the other two.

The road junction is well secured and the assault units at Kasserine seem to have lost interest........................again.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 10

With Rommel sending his troops all over the place they forgot to cover an important objective (again) so I slipped a unit south and grabbed control of Thelepte.

That Arty unit circled in red is in the red simply from road marches back and forth between Bou Chebka & Kasserine. LOL.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 11

Sidi Bou Zid is captured by the Germans. I again stepped out of range and just gave it to them.

By now everyone is flagging and in red or orange with low Readiness percentages. The Germans continue trying to take and hold objectives only to leave something else undefended and allowing the Allies to dance around them.

Maybe the name of the dance should be called the Sidi Bou Zid shuffle?

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Turn 12

The end is near in this 12 turn scenario. The US units have done a masterful job in out maneuvering Rommel's fearsome Afrikan Korps.

Again I sidestep the assaults and give the Germans two more minor objectives. The US troops have done their job well in distracting Rommel enough to prevent any assault, never mind a serious one, on Bou Chebka or Kasserine. The German Korp spent all their energy running through the sand dunes chasing shadows and taking then retaking the same few hexes over and over.

[1st Sgt Tnic]

Ah, success is sweet!

Remember noobs, this is a defensive battle. Trying to take the Afrika Korps on head to head is suicide and will lose you the game.

It's all about defense and deception. By keeping a large enough force in the southeast of the game map and being a "pain in Rommel's rear" around Sidi Bou Zid I kept them looking the wrong way the entire game.

I tried a couple times, in earlier run throughs, to put all my troops in defense and hold on as the Germans attacked again and again at Bou Chebka and Kasserine, but this was the most fun play of this scenario yet.

[Kuokkanen]

I've got question: Why was british armored cavalry ignored and not attacked by AI?

[Catch21]

ORIGINAL: Matti Kuokkanen

I've got question: Why was british armored cavalry ignored and not attacked by AI?

The AI is not very intelligent here- as an attacker it will tend to focus on objectives. If you put units in its way, it will attack them, if you side step AI units you can easily move in behind them to seize objectives and SPs the AI already owned or had taken. It's generally better at defense, plus I doubt this scenario was built with the AI in mind.

Kasserine 43 is really a PBEM scenario, and you'd find it next to impossible to duplicate what's posted here against any reasonable human opponent, and the stats here at 70/7/7 Win/Lose/Draw to the Axis would tend to support this.