Campaign For North Africa 40D-43

[warspite1]

Turn 67
30th July 1941

If it moves, funk it.... Every aircraft that can fly is ordered to standby and there is no rest envisaged for sometime to come....

[warspite1]

Turn 67 - Round 1, 3 and 5
30th July 1941

On the coast road the Australian 12th Field Artillery Regt. open up against the Italian units blocking the way to Tobruk.

To the south the entire divisional artillery of the 2nd New Zealand Division targets the Bologna Division and anti-tank support that bar the route to 'Knightsbridge'.

The Italians in between these two then come under fire from the Australian 8th Field Artillery Regt. and the 4th RHA, while the Kiwis keep up the pressure to the south.

The efforts expended by the Australians are disappointing, but the Kiwi artillery causes losses to the infantry before switching to the tanks to the north and causing heavy loss to these units.

40% of the turn remains

[warspite1]

Turn 67 - Round 7
30th July 1941

British Armour then takes over. The 1st Royal Tank Regiment charges a squadron of Italian tanks, forcing the survivors to retreat back towards the Ariete cavalry. Having caught the Italians out in the open and in retreat, the Hussars - 8th and 11th - supported by the 2nd Rifle Brigade then join in the attack. The Italian cavalry are destroyed as the New Zealand infantry to the west of the battle cut off any retreated. Only a few Italian tanks remain on the battlefield.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 67
30th July 1941

If it moves, funk it.... Every aircraft that can fly is ordered to standby and there is no rest envisaged for sometime to come....

[warspite1]

Turn 67 - Round 7 (cont)
30th July 1941

On the coastal road two regiments of the Royal Tank Regiment, the Kings Dragoon Guards and two battalions of motorised infantry from the 2nd Support Group try and clear the Italians from the highway. The British call in support from four Blenheim bomber squadrons. The losses are heavy on both sides - particularly the Axis - but the Italians hold their ground and the turn ends.

[warspite1]

Turn 67 - Axis Turn
30th July 1941

Well that set the cat amongst the pigeons. The Axis react with expected vigour, and there is no let up in the attacks on Tobruk - or the Royal Navy. However the resulting bombardments are depressingly familiar.

Away from Tobruk, a mix of the 90th Light Division and units from three Italian divisions counter-attack the Australian 23rd Battalion on the Trigh Capuzzo. The Australians retreat and are separated in the confusion. All three companies remain in the field however and Axis losses are high.

At Sidi Rezegh the New Zealand 24th Battalion holds off an assault by Bersaglieri troops of the Trento Division. But another battalion from the division brushes aside two companies of the Australian 23rd Bn. as they try and force the Allies back. The Australian cavalry south of the coastal road are forced to retreat, allowing the Savona HQ on the road itself to link up with its rescuers. Importantly the trapped Ariete unit breaks encirclement with the help of the German 90th Light Division, pushes the 11th Hussars southeast, and then heads north. To the southwest the Italians are too eager to attack and a poor attack by Bologna infantry and Ariete tanks is rebuffed - with some loss - by the 26th New Zealand Battalion. The Layforce Commando unit that had taken up station near Rotunda Segnali holds off a weak attack by Bersaglieri of the Ariete Division. As if galvanised into action by the attack, the bombardment of the southern strong point yields 16% losses.

The attacks on Tobruk are less effective in round 6. However on the Trigh Capuzzo the Australians continue to take the brunt of the Italian counter-attack. A company of the 23rd being forced to retreat along with the 8th Field Artillery. At Sidi Rezegh the Kiwi 24th Battalion cannot hold off a second, much stronger attack by the Italian infantry and Italian line moves forward impressively. The Commandos continue to hold off the Ariete motorised infantry.

Attacks on Tobruk prove desultory, but the New Zealand 24th is remorsely attacked and one of its companies is forced to retreat. Unlike in the Australian sector though, the New Zealanders prove a tougher nut to crack and a follow-up attack against 26th Battalion fails to dislodge the defenders. The position of the Australians is becoming precarious as another retreat, this time of the 28th Battalion allows further Italian gains. The victory here came at a price though.

Still no breakthrough at Tobruk but the New Zealand 24th Battalion is in serious trouble as one of its companies evaporates and the second is forced north.

More retreating for the New Zealanders, courtesy of the Trento infantry ends the turn.

[warspite1]

Turn 68
2nd August 1941

The front line after the Italian counter-attack. Now is not the time for faint hearts. Wavell orders bold counter-strokes from his divisional commanders....

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Turn 68
2nd August 1941

It appears that the Italian position was not as robust as it appeared (above). In making the gains it did the Italian units are low on supply and exhausted. Pre-round 1 the New Zealand cavalry (and even infantry) plus the 7th Armoured Division have made short work of some of the weaker Italian units and created pockets of trapped enemy troops.

[warspite1]

Turn 68
2nd August 1941

The artillery of the New Zealand Division smashes into the surrounded infantry, while the Australian guns do the same further north. Pre-round 3 the Italians are herded into two pockets - and both of these are quickly liquidated.

Unfortunately the Tower Hamlets Rifles then decide to act out a scene from the Battle of Waterloo - even though the film wouldn't be made for almost 30 years. The British battalion spots an Italian battalion from the Brescia Division, attack it and then pursues them in retreat. Sadly they only stop when they reach Rommel's perimeter troops at Tobruk....

The final attack is an assault by the 7th Armoured Division against another Brescia battalion east of Tobruk and that succeeds in retreating the Italian unit.

[warspite1]

Turn 68
2nd August 1941

The German units around Tobruk get less and less as they have to react to the CW offensive, but this is temporary as the AI appears to use the Germans as a fire brigade, sorting out problems and then returning to the job in hand i.e. Tobruk. The largely German forces have pushed back 7th Armoured's attempts to reach Tobruk and then resorted to bombardments for the rest of the turn. The Axis are back up to 38 attacks - perhaps not surprising given the need to counter-attack.

[Rusty1961]

Nice write-up!

[warspite1]

Thank-you! [:)]

[warspite1]

Turn 69
6th August 1941

As a result of the German counter, much of the 2nd Armoured is now reorganising. It will be up to the Kiwis and 7th Armoured to try and get this attack back on track. The sheer number of Axis artillery units that battalion commanders are reporting back to Wavell is most discomforting...

Away from Crusader, the Indian 5th Division are looking to take up where there comrades left off by trying to eject the Germans from Siwa in the deep desert.

[warspite1]

Turn 69
6th August 1941

But first things first and its back to Crusader. Wavell's goal in this next phase of battle is to keep the pressure on the coastal road and to destroy isolated Italian units. A bombardment of three units kicks off proceedings.

[warspite1]

Turn 69 - Round 1
6th August 1941

The bombardments go well, particularly against the German east of El Adem. As a result of the losses taken the German infantry are demoralised, allowing the 21st New Zealand Bn. to sweep them aside, trapping Ariete tank and Bersaglieri units.

[warspite1]

Turn 69 - Turn 3
6th August 1941

The follow-up attacks are largely successful, although the 4th New Zealand Brigade's attack at Bir Hecheim was strongly resisted at heavy cost to both.

Turn 5

The next attacks succeed in destroying all remaining Italian units behind the front line. There is just one more target left in order to straighten the CW line. The Australian cavalry gets over excited and chases after the retreating Italians and, heads straight into the teeth of the Tobruk perimeter. We shall return to this....

Turn 7

In the meantime its back to Siwa, and the two Indian brigades attack against the German Oasis Battalions. Both attacks are successful

[warspite1]

Turn 69 - Round 9
6th August 1941

The final attack of the round sees just the overextended Australian and New Zealand cavalry. Wavell would like to use more, but he doesn't want the turn to end before the Allied units can get back to their lines.

In view of the massive amounts of artillery that the Axis appear to have, Cunningham has agreed that his battleships can be used east of Tobruk for a limited time.

Sadly Wavell's great plan for getting the cavalry back fails, although the New Zealanders are slightly less vulnerable than the Australians....

[warspite1]

Turn 69 - Axis Turn
6th August 1941

The turn opens, predictably, with an attack on the convoy escort ships off Tobruk. The Axis suffer more aircraft losses and it is doubtful the Axis air force even saw the ships before being bounced by the CW air forces. The bombardment force was also attacked with one of battleships suffering slight damage - but once again these attacks are simply a drain on aircraft for the Axis. Tobruk suffers 5% losses and the Australian cavalry is pushed back, though not destroyed.

Four attacks on Tobruk yields 18% losses, including 10% on the southern strong point.

Round 4 and the Germans continue to hit the southern strong point hard (9%) - but they are also expending an inordinate amount of shells against the Kiwi cavalry...

13% against Tobruk this time but still no sign of a major assault.... yet.

At Siwa the Axis try and fightback using a detachment to try and cut-off supply. The 10th Brigade HQ fights off the attack and inflicts heavy losses on the German unit. The southern stong point takes another 9% hit. The Axis are aiming at the Kiwi infantry as well as the cavalry and the left flank of the Allied line will need to be watched. 8% this time vs the southern strong point....

The Axis continue to spend too much effort on the cavalry units to the south, rather than Tobruk. But the attack on the Kiwi infantry is far more sensible.

The turn ends with the Allied line still intact.

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Turn 69 - Axis Turn
6th August 1941

Round 4 and the Germans continue to hit the southern strong point hard (9%) - but they are also expending an inordinate amount of shells against the Kiwi cavalry...

Kiwi cavalry!

[warspite1]

Turn 70
9th August 1941

At Siwa the German Oasis companies have gathered together. The Indians decide to try and outflank them to cut off supply. With the Baluch battalion having gone chasing off after one of the retreating units, this leaves the actual number of infantry units quite low. The 4th Battalion, 11th Sikh Regt. - on their way to join their 4th Division colleagues - is diverted to assist temporarily.