Campaign For North Africa 40D-43

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 29 - Axis Turn
19th March 1941

Oh dear.... I think my blocking force may have been a little too optimistic... That is not a good start. I sit here watching the AI turn and the British/Australian units are going to be surrounded.... That's a heavily reinforced brigade down the pan on the first turn....

Post turn.
All the Australian units which were hit by artillery are reorganising - but so too are those stacked with the British battalions. A big chunk of the 18th Australian Brigade is toast. An anti-tank regiment further up the road is out of supply too.

The only good news about that turn is that a unit of the Saharan Detachment wiped itself out making a desperate attack while out of supply.

At least O'Connor hasn't been captured (yet).

[warspite1]

Turn 30
22nd March 1941

As I look around the map to see the situation I notice that things are even worse for the Australians. In Agadabia, three 18th Brigade units are reorganising there too, including the Brigade HQ.

This is very much a case of leaping into the dark here, I have absolutely no idea what I should be doing in this situation so lets just see what happens.

As said, the poor Australians of 18th Brigade in the picture below are all in the same boat - all are reorganising and so none can move. The artillery regiment from 9th Division tried to and promptly got stopped in its tracks by accurate fire from German and/or Italian gunners.

This leaves the three British battalions of the 70th Infantry Division. They cannot escape as their retreat is blocked by tanks of the Ariete Division. An option would be to simply stand and fight, however that would - I think - make life easier for the slow moving Italian infantry and just give them a bigger target. So instead Lt-General Scobie gives orders for all three to try and break-out to the south east. One battalion takes up position in reasonable defensive terrain at El Gtafia, while to the north, two battalions attempt to reach the track at El Hosaiet but come across a German supply unit. They will attempt an attack if possible.

[warspite1]

Turn 30
22nd March 1941

There appears to be three main tracks that the Axis may use to get to Egypt - the coastal road and two tracks to the south. Lt-General Neame notices there is nothing on the southern, most direct route, to block any German advance. He orders an immediate change to the plan. 2nd Armoured are moved south to guard the northern track, while 7th Armoured will guard the southern track.

The 2nd Armoured take up initial position northwest of Msus airfield, while 7th Armoured centre on Ben Gania. Both come under air attack while moving.

[warspite1]

Turn 30 - RAF, RAAF + FF Air Force
22nd March 1941

The Hurricane fighters are once again reorganising. Collishaw orders all Blenheims and the French fighters on rest to avoid the bombers having no fighter support and the French being outnumbered and shot out of the sky for no purpose.

The stats show air superiority and interception both in the Axis favour unsurprisingly.

[Szilard]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 30
22nd March 1941

There appears to be three main tracks that the Axis may use to get to Egypt - the coastal road and two tracks to the south. Lt-General Neame notices there is nothing on the southern, most direct route, to block any German advance. He orders an immediate change to the plan. 2nd Armoured are moved south to guard the northern track, while 7th Armoured will guard the southern track.

The 2nd Armoured take up initial position northwest of Msus airfield, while 7th Armoured centre on Ben Gania. Both come under air attack while moving.

I do so like yr AAR's, Warspite! The narrative adds a lot to the game -
Matrix/Slitherine should pay you

But is it wise to disperse yr forces like this, unable to support each other?? Let's see.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Szilard

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 30
22nd March 1941

There appears to be three main tracks that the Axis may use to get to Egypt - the coastal road and two tracks to the south. Lt-General Neame notices there is nothing on the southern, most direct route, to block any German advance. He orders an immediate change to the plan. 2nd Armoured are moved south to guard the northern track, while 7th Armoured will guard the southern track.

The 2nd Armoured take up initial position northwest of Msus airfield, while 7th Armoured centre on Ben Gania. Both come under air attack while moving.

I do so like yr AAR's, Warspite! The narrative adds a lot to the game -
Matrix/Slitherine should pay you

But is it wise to disperse yr forces like this, unable to support each other?? Let's see.

warspite1

Thank-you sir!

I agree splitting forces has dangers of its own, but IF (big IF if the loss of the 18th Aussie Bde is any measure) I do it properly, I can use these as mobile obstacles to slow the Axis and impede progress.

The ideal would be concentrating - but I'm not sure where? There seem to many places that Rommel can simply outflank the CW.

As you say, let's see [:)]

[warspite1]

Turn 30
22nd March 1941

In the desert a squadron of Matildas from the 7th RTR overrun an Italian anti-tank battalion and bear down on the Saharan Detachment's infantry battalions - which they also put to the sword.

[warspite1]

Turn 30 - Axis Turn
22nd March 1941

Why am I about to click the next turn button with an overwhelming sense of foreboding???

Is there anyway of freezing the action during the AI turn?

Before drilling down into the detail here is the high level summary

[Olorin]

Maybe because Rommel is about to crash your forces, capture Suez and begin a major build up for an attack on Baku!

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

Maybe because Rommel is about to crash your forces, capture Suez and begin a major build up for an attack on Baku!

warspite1

Yes, I think you are right [:)]

[Olorin]

The important thing here is to know where the Axis get a Supply Point. I think El Aghela, Benghazi and Derna are Axis Supply Points. Which means that your choice of battlefield is good, imho. It's closer to you supply (Benghazi and Tobruk) and away from Axis supply (El Aghela).

If you stand your ground for a few turns, Rommel's forces will be red very soon.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Olorin

The important thing here is to know where the Axis get a Supply Point. I think El Aghela, Benghazi and Derna are Axis Supply Points. Which means that your choice of battlefield is good, imho. It's closer to you supply (Benghazi and Tobruk) and away from Axis supply (El Aghela).

If you stand your ground for a few turns, Rommel's forces will be red very soon.

warpspite1

Sunburn?

[warspite1]

Turn 30 - Axis Turn
26th March 1941

The Australians are ejected from their defensive positions and remain out of supply, reorganising and exposed to further attacks.

[warspite1]

Turn 30 - Axis Turn
26th March 1941

While the bulk of the Italian infantry toil away at Mersa Brega, the motorised units push east at a rate of knots. The 7th Armoured reorganising could hardly have come at a worse time....

[warspite1]

Turn 31
26th March 1941

With the CW penalties (and the Axis bonuses) attacking seems like a risky thing to do. However.....

[warspite1]

Turn 31
26th March 1941

The Germans have taken to the northern and southern tracks Neame suspected they would. The news filters through that the bulk of the 21st Panzer are heading along the southern track. News of 7th Armoured's predicament is received around the same time.

The decision is made that to assist the British armour, an attack should be made on the Ariete Division west and south of Msus. There are a number of problems with such a move - not least that the 2nd Armoured Division (which would be needed to spearhead the attack) is not concentrated.

The plan is for the motorised infantry of Brigadier Harry Latham's 2nd Support Group to head south of the northern track to cover any attack from the 21st Panzer in the south. This releases the Australian 15th and 23rd Battalions to move north onto the road.

Meanwhile the actual attack on the Italian tanks of the 132nd Regiment is to come from the 3rd Armoured Brigade.

[Zorch]

Your performance is consistent with history, which is not a good thing for the British. [8|]

[warspite1]

Turn 31
26th March 1941

The Germans appear to have advanced up the coastal road with two Luftwaffe units on their own. Three battalions of the 70th Infantry are ordered to attack these units. The attack is opened by a bombardment from the 107th Royal Horse Artillery based at Soluch, and followed up by an infantry attack - specifically the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders which are given orders to pursue the Germans to their end.

To the east around Msus the 2nd RHA launch their 25-pdr's at the Italian tanks west of the airfield. This assault is followed by an attack by the entire tank strength of the 3rd Brigade (such as it is). The attack is a success and the Italians retreat to the south. There is nothing more that Lt-General Norrie would like than to pursue the retreating enemy, but the need to conserve their armoured units means Norrie's battalions must satisfy themselves with this short term win.

[warspite1]

Turn 31 - Axis Turn
26th March 1941

Bloody Hell!!! The British armour is screwed [X(]

I had to end the game last night as it was getting late and unfortunately that means I can't now call up the detail. I'll run through what appears to have happened as best I can.

This seems like a strange thing to say considering I am being hammered, but I'm not sure about the AI. Last turn it sent the LW units toward the enemy alone, and now its moving Supply units, HQ and ART (without infantry or tank support) deep into enemy territory.

[warspite1]

Turn 31 - Axis Turn
26th March 1941

At Mersa Brega the Australian units were destroyed, but the cavalry and field artillery regiments to the east were left unmolested and have now recovered. The British brigade at El Gtafia has also been left alone while the Italian infantry charge off to Agadabia. The artillery join the British 'Buffs' battalion at El Gtafia while the cavalry tries to join up with the other two retreating battalions of 70th Infantry east of Giuf el-Matar. Both are attacked from the air along their journey.

At Agadabia the the Australians are reduced to the 18th Brigade HQ and the 12th Battalion. They are cut off but are at least not reorganising. They retreat northwest to the coast - although one company of the 12th Battalion are badly shot up and fall behind.