Campaign For North Africa 40D-43

[Curtis Lemay]

Naval units don't need to return to port to receive resupply. They are resupplied at sea.

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Phase I
14th December 1940

In the south Lt-General O'Connor implores Major-General "Dickie" Creagh to inject some urgency into the 7th Armoured Division's push northwest.

The attack gets underway as the 11th Hussars battalion push back a battalion of CCNN infantry marching south. The 7th Hussars then sandwich another Italian battalion from behind. Behind them the 2nd Rifle Brigade push aside a regiment of the Cirene Division. Guarding the rear of the division's front, the 1st Battalion of the King's Royal Rifle Corps retakes safafi, and in the process pushes back units of the 2nd CCNN Division in disarray.

Meanwhile the Australian Cavalry continue their astonishing progress ahead of Creagh's division. They brush aside a weak Italian unit and take the airfield at Sidi Omar.


These attacks have been completed with no need for planning (and so I assume 1 dot only)

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Curtis Lemay

Naval units don't need to return to port to receive resupply. They are resupplied at sea.

warspite1

[&:] What using that well known RFA Fleet Train? [:D]

Okay thanks. I will remember that in future. But in the meantime they can enjoy a spot of R+R amongst the flesh pots of downtown...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cwyq3XWeHE

[Anonymous]

[Deleted by Admins]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: larrybush

Warspite this is a very well done scenario, the new graphics make the map look great! I might play it again!

warspite1

Yes I agree about the scenario (although the naval units chosen are a little sloppy). As you can see I am hopelessly at sea here - many concepts are new to me - but its so good to be able to play something different - and I have been gagging for a Med War 1940 scenario for so long. It's great to command such units once again! And the support from the community has been so good too [&o]

[marion61]

I took my ships back to port too when they were low on supply. I'm not sure what surface units the Italians have, but I sent the fleet back to Alexandria area so that I wouldn't get caught out there with my britches down, so to speak.

When they are green again, they'll be ready to help at Tobruk.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: marion61

I took my ships back to port too when they were low on supply. I'm not sure what surface units the Italians have, but I sent the fleet back to Alexandria area so that I wouldn't get caught out there with my britches down, so to speak.

When they are green again, they'll be ready to help at Tobruk.

warspite1

Good God sir! Are you ill? Admiral 'ABC' Cunningham is itching for a fight! The Regia Marina? Bring them on sir, they welcome an attack. The 15-inchers of Valiant and Barham are bristling with anticipation [:)]

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Phase II
14th December 1940

The next round of attacks will hopefully see the 7th Armoured make further in-roads into the Cirene Division and those that came to their aid.

But first its back to the coastal plain and the stubborn Italian resistance around Sidi Barani, and to the west the units in and around Buq Buq.

Elements of the 4th Indian Infantry Division have moved north along the coast to take Solum. This means less attacking possibilities around Buq Buq but O'Connor figures that this will lessen the possibility of reinforcements heading south as quickly.


I've found the crossed swords - so I don't have to ring the planned attacks anymore - instead they are nicely highlighted!

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Phase II
14th December 1940

That wasn't too bad I don't think. The attack by the 7th Hussars and the Brigade HQ against the 2nd CCNN Division artillery to the west was a bit of a flop - although British losses were not disastrous.

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Phase II (cont)
14th December 1940

The only other reverse was south of the coastal road where, despite RAF support from Blenheim bombers, the Italian corps artillery inflicted more losses than it took in holding off three battalions of the 70th Infantry.

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Phase III
14th December 1940

Just 6 battles planned here, one of which is a little risky - but Creagh needs his 7th Armoured to smash the main enemy force southwest of Sofafi.

[warspite1]

Hex Issues?

I cannot move into the hexes marked with a red cross - or attack the Italian unit with the red cross. I cannot move into the hexes marked with a red circle.

The red circled hexes are described as Badlands (isn't that in one of the Dakotas?) and the other hexes are dunes.

The manual indicates no motorised movement but does not indicate these are impassable - if they were how come about 9 or 10 Italian units occupy one hex. Could this be a bug?

[marion61]

Not a bug. You have one foot unit, I believe attached to the 70th Inf Div+ that can enter those hexes and attack. You just can't use mobile units or motorized in there. The Italian units are foot units so they can move in those hexes. It's the 11th Czech+ of the 70th Inf Div that can move in there. I had the same problem, then I figured it out. I waited a turn to let those units in the dunes be un-supplied a turn before I used the 11th Czech to attack them. Made mopping them up easier.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: marion61

Not a bug. You have one foot unit, I believe attached to the 70th Inf Div+ that can enter those hexes and attack. You just can't use mobile units or motorized in there. The Italian units are foot units so they can move in those hexes. It's the 11th Czech+ of the 70th Inf Div that can move in there. I had the same problem, then I figured it out. I waited a turn to let those units in the dunes be un-supplied a turn before I used the 11th Czech to attack them. Made mopping them up easier.

warspite1

But if the Italians have a ton of units and I can't attack - except with two units - how would I ever destroy the Italians in those hexes?

[marion61]

I actually pounded them with artillery the turn they retreated in there, then the next turn I moved the 11th in and with arty support killed them off. They were un-supplied when the 11th attacked them and they didn't last long. Once they are un-supplied they are easy to kill off.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: marion61

I actually pounded them with artillery the turn they retreated in there, then the next turn I moved the 11th in and with arty support killed them off. They were un-supplied when the 11th attacked them and they didn't last long. Once they are un-supplied they are easy to kill off.

warspite1

Okay thanks - good job its not a bug [:)].

[Curtis Lemay]

The 2nd New Zealand Division is also foot. It releases on turn 9.

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Phase III - 7th Armoured Division
14th December 1940

So lets look at the situation in a little more detail following the third round of attacks. The attacks were generally successful although there were a couple of attacks that could have gone better.

On 7th Armoured's front there has been some real progress in terms of inflicting heavy reverses on the formations that Marshal Graziani has brought in to reinforce the front. The Marmarica and 2nd CCNN divisions have been badly mauled. Elements of the Cirene Division however continue to stubbornly hold their ground.

[warspite1]

Turn 2 - Phase III - 7th Armoured Division
14th December 1940

Let's look a little closer at one of the battle's. This battle involved:

Battle of El Hamra

Italian OOB
Marmarcia Division
115th Infantry Regiment HQ
1st Bn, 115th Regiment

Cirene Division
158th Infantry Regiment HQ
1st Bn, 158th Regiment
2nd Bn, 158th Regiment
3rd Bn, 158th Regiment

44th Artillery provides support to the defenders of the fort.

Commonwealth OOB
7th Armoured Division
4th Armoured Brigade HQ
1st Royal Tank Regiment
3rd Hussars Regiment
8th Hussars Regiment
3rd Royal Horse Artillery

202 Group Royal Air Force
3rd Sqn RAAF (Hurricanes)*
45th Sqn RAF (Blenheims)
Free French contingent (Moranes)

* As with some of the Royal Navy ships - and even army formations, I don't think this is correct. At the time of Compass I thought the RAAF had Gladiators but I may be wrong.

The Combat Chart below seems pretty straightforward, with a nice legend available for understanding the lettering. This shows that the battle started in Round III (or Phase III as I call it before I realised). No further explanation required for this (see above). I did the early battles with units that were high in movement allowance and didn't need to move or move much. For this third phase, the battles started in rounds 3 (and 1 miscalculation on my part in round 4) reflecting the movement required and or movement allowance remaining - or as the manual states far more elegantly:

Each player Turn is divided into ten Tactical Rounds, and individual battles begin on the Round that most closely corresponds to the proportion of the attacking units’ Movement Allowance expended before the combat. Example: A unit with a remaining Movement Allowance of 12 and an initial Movement Allowance of 18 begins its Attack on Round 3.

The battle only lasted one round before the British units broke off, four of the Italian units retreated but two held their ground.

After each Round, all involved units check for “break off ”. The chance that a unit will break off depends on losses, Orders emphasis, coordination difficulty, and the duration of the individual Attack. Attacking units that break off simply cease their participation in the Attack. Defending units that break off attempt to disengage and retreat.

At the end of each combat round, units that have not dropped out of the attack or retreated from the defence will be used to determine the current Assault Strength Ratio. This ratio is then further modified by terrain and deployment scalars of the defender’s position appropriate to the equipment types in that defence.

This final ratio then scales the quality of each defender for purposes of Retreat from Combat (RFC). So, the higher the ratio, the greater the chance of RFC, and vice-versa. Units set to Minimise or Limit Losses must face further tests due to any losses they suffered.

[John B.]

This is a very interesting AAR. Thanks for wading through some of these issues so that we can see in real time how things are supposed to work without trying to figure it out on our own.