Campaign For North Africa 40D-43

[warspite1]

Turn 4 - Axis Turn
21st December 1940

The Italians continue to fight back.....

[warspite1]

A Question please gents

What does the Black and Orange circle mean?
What does R:2 mean next to the Attack Strength (I notice some units have a +(no.) e.g. the Aussie infantry states 8 +3 - what does that mean?).

Some units when attacked, don't ask you to plan, the computer simply carries out the attack. This could happen a number of times - attack, retreat, attack retreat - I've seen about 4-5 of these in one attack. What is that all about? These don't seem to be classed as battles on the reports either.

Thank-you

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: warspite1
A Question please gents
What does the Black and Orange circle mean?

That means that the unit in question is out of supply. No LOC to it's supply source.

ORIGINAL: warspite1
What does R:2 mean next to the Attack Strength

Range is two hexes.

ORIGINAL: warspite1
(I notice some units have a +(no.) e.g. the Aussie infantry states 8 +3 - what does that mean?).

And 8 is the AP ( anti-personnal ) and the +3 means the AT is 3.

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Some units when attacked, don't ask you to plan, the computer simply carries out the attack. This could happen a number of times - attack, retreat, attack retreat - I've seen about 4-5 of these in one attack. What is that all about?

That's what we call an RBC retreat before combat. The unit is overrun and gives way in a rout so to
speak.

ORIGINAL: warspite1
Thank-you

You're quite welcome. Keep it up with this fine AAR.

[warspite1]

Okay thank-you. I was getting confused over what was actually happening here.

In the picture on the left it is the CW turn and the AI has retreated with about half a dozen 10th Army artillery units. These are 10th Army units. They are on the road leading to Tobruk (a Supply source) and the 10th Army HQ is nearby (just out of shot). That being the case I could not understand why these were out of supply given what I'd read and written previously.

The picture on the right shows that these units are receiving supply - albeit in tiny amounts (a function no doubt of the supply calculation).

However, I could not see why the supply numbers are so low. The supply lessens the further from the supply source (Tobruk), I get that. But am I right in saying that, unlike supply units, HQ don't boost supply - they help dish out supply but don't boost it? Also, am I right in thinking that despite the proximity to their HQ the artillery units have probably been hit by 'density'? All of which worsens the already poor Italian basic supply number. The HQ is actually in a Badlands hex which probably doesn't help.

[Olorin]

Something doesn't add up here. There are no CW units to the west of the Italian artillery, so they shouldn't be cut off and and black and orange sign shouldn't be there.

According to the manual, adjacent HQs should boost supply by x1,5.
The formula should be:
Hex Supply * Formation Supply * HQ bonus * Moved malus

So, the 4/1Ar Art should get: 11 * 0.6 * 1.5 * 0.67 = 6 units of supply each turn.

[warspite1]

There were eight 10th Army artillery pieces. One - the one next to the HQ - was in supply the turn that the other seven were showing out of supply.

Here is the start of the Axis turn before. The seven out of supply units apparently began the turn out of supply (these are the units in the south 2 hexes south of the Corps HQ) - presumably because of British Zone of Control. The definition of LoC does not say that the ZoC is negated by an Italian ZoC.

Could this be that at the start of the British turn (picture on the left above) they were in supply - but did not receive enough supply to remove the marker - something that was rectified by the start of their turn (picture on the right above)?

Olorin in the formula you quote should there be a modifier for unit density?

[Olorin]

OK that explains it.

Axis supply is calculated at the start of each Axis turn.
At the start of Axis Turn 4, the Italian LOC is cut off by your ZOCs.
Then in Axis Turn 5, they did not receive any supply. The AI moved them back and they should be resupplied at the start of Axis Turn 6.

Tip:
Destroyed unsupplied units are eliminated permanently from the game.
Destroyed surrounded units that are still supplied (surrounded during the current turn) do return a few turns later, as cadres, filled by replacements from the pool (if available).

Unit density:
The manual doesn't state any particular modifier, it just says: "Note that this will mean that very dense locations
will likely suffer some supply reduction due to added movement costs of that density condition".

I would only worry about it if I see a red circle on the left of the counter, signifying a huge stack.

[warspite1]

Turn 5
25th December 1940

Right. So how does O'Connor knock Italy out of the war? or at least out of Cyrenaica? - that would be a start [;)]

Now he knows those artillery pieces are out of supply he can order the Australians to pile into them and see if they can't remove them from the Italian order of battle. This would then allow them to isolate Bardia and start to reduce it.

The 7th Armoured are allowing much of the Cirene and Marmarcia Divisions to get away, but if the Australians can do their bit west of Bardia, he could order the 70th Division to swing southwest to block the Italians retreat path.

The Italian Saharan units are being a nuisance and have hit the LRDG. O'Connor will have to do something about them soon.

O'Connor orders Major-General Mackay to begin the isolation of Bardia. This begins with a battalion attack on the retreating Italian artillery. The motorised infantry plough through the transport columns like a hot knife through butter. Buoyed by the success, a second battalion is ordered to assist the operation. On a couple of occasions the British were hindered by air strikes from the Regia Aeronuatica (picture 5) but these attacks did not delay the Australians. The attack only came to an end when they met artillery in prepared positions near the coast. Seven battalions of 10th Army artillery destroyed.


Devastatin'!

[warspite1]

Turn 5
25th December 1940

Following on from the success against the 10th Army artillery, the remainder of 6th Australian Division separate into two. Seven battalions are ordered to operate against the Italian HQ. The remaining units head for Bardia. An attack by the British against the Italians south of Bardia sees the Italians pushed back toward the fortress.

[warspite1]

Turn 5
25th December 1940

To the south there was just one attack. The 2nd Armoured Division's 6th Royal Tank Regiment - supported by artillery push back a mixed Italian force. This attack and the earlier one has taken up 20% of the turn.


Edit: Apologies - that is the wrong combat chart and description for that battle [8|]

[Phoenix100]

This is a super-useful AAR, and process (with others chipping in to help and answer questions). Thanks.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Phoenix100

This is a super-useful AAR, and process (with others chipping in to help and answer questions). Thanks.

warspite1

Thank-you sir! [:)]

[warspite1]

Turn 5
25th December 1940

I think the dockyard workers are on strike [:(]

The Royal Navy ships of the Mediterranean Fleet remain in various states of re-supply.... can this be right?

[warspite1]

Turn 5
25 December 1940

A little more movement, and the following attacks are announced:

South of Bardia a mixed force of Australians, Indians and British attack the retreating Italians that includes the remnants of the Libyan Paratroopers, while in the south, 7th Armoured Division attempts to follow-up its earlier success.

I wondered why I had no aircraft in support in the last few rounds. It appears at some point I turned the air assistant back on. What a bozo.

These attacks should keep the turn going by only taking up a round. Let's see.

On 7th Armoured's front (left side of picture below) the 8th Hussars completely destroy the enemy in a series of follow-up attacks (arrowed). In the north (right side) the Italians are surrounded and destroyed, but the success comes at a cost, as five rounds were required to finish off stubborn Italian resistance.

[marion61]

I was wondering the same thing about the Royal Navy ships. Mine sat in port for 5 turns without moving, with no damage, but they only recovered about 50% of their supplies. I wouldn't think it would take 2.5 weeks to re-fuel, re-arm, and re-supply naval vessels, and still only be half done in all that time. They left port to shell Bardia with only 74% supplies on average. The smaller vessels got more supply, it was the Battleships that seem extremely slow to regain supply.

[warspite1]

Turn 5 - Round 6 & 7
25th December 1940

Once again, two attacks are ordered, and once again it is one in the south and one in the north. Both are successful, but attempts to destroy the surrounded tanks near Sollum takes up three rounds and, while inflicting grievous casualties, fails to destroy the defenders.

Its all down to the last rounds of battle.....

[warspite1]

Turn 5 - Round 8-10
25th December 1940

And so to the final attacks. Bardia is not to be assaulted this turn. Instead the two reinforced brigades of the 6th Australian that set out for the coast will attack the Italian artillery seeking to protect the 10th Army HQ.

There will no requirement for any attacks south of Sollum as the remaining Italians tanks were quickly mopped up.

That leaves an attack by the 9th Australians east of Buq Buq and a further attempt by 7th Armoured to reduce the Italians divisions around El Hamra.

Sadly I have still not found a way to stop the game advancing automatically and so I cannot provide a proper recap of the final rounds. From what I can see, the artillery in the north retreated, the units on the coast held their ground and in the south the Italians were destroyed.

But here at least, is a summary of the 9 attacks that turn (with the last three at the bottom.

[warspite1]

Turn 5 - Axis Turn
28th December 1940

The Regia Aeronautica takes advantage of Air Commodore Raymond Collishaw's lack of fighters and bombards RAF airfields. One attack caused the loss of 4 aircraft (3 of which were damaged). The Italians lost 16 aircraft that turn.

[warspite1]

Turn 5 - Axis Turn (Cont)
28th December 1940

I thought the Cirene and Marmarcia Divisions would continue to retreat, but instead they have stopped and set up for battle.

Meanwhile the 9th Division did not manage to destroy the remaining Italians east of Buq Buq.

[warspite1]

Turn 6
28th December 1940

Lt-General O'Connor knows that he needs to make some major progress this turn. The Australians will be left to mop up Bardia on their own. O'Connor orders all other units to try and cut-off the forces that 7th Armoured seem unable to deal with.

General Wavell, with much more than this operation to concern him, reminds O'Connor of the withdrawals and replacements he can expect in the next few days.