Campaign for N. Africa N41-43 Hellen v. PO

[StuccoFresco]

Elmer likes too much to plunge his best units deep into enemy lines. As soon as the initial shock ends, it's easy to trap and annihilate them, achieving much more than the temporary damage of the initial breakthough. Seen several times in the Hungarian scenario: panzerdivisionen charging into my ranks and getting lost.

[Hellen_slith]

ORIGINAL: StuccoFresco

Elmer likes too much to plunge his best units deep into enemy lines. As soon as the initial shock ends, it's easy to trap and annihilate them, achieving much more than the temporary damage of the initial breakthough. Seen several times in the Hungarian scenario: panzerdivisionen charging into my ranks and getting lost.

Elmer has been going at that railroad, but hasn't quite got to it.
Looks like he's getting a lot of reinforcement from Benghazi.
It is almost his turn again, about to resolve combats.
Finally got the "swinging gate" almost formed up.
Cleaning up the desert LoL

[Hellen_slith]

@CW T20
Disaster! Elmer smashes the gate
and almost gets into Bardia.

Back to the drawing board

[Hellen_slith]

@CW T23
Another close call.
Okay, new plan:
Just build the RR to Tobruk.
get reinforcements to the front...

Seems Elmer swings up the Egyptian border
Going to have to figure a way to slow down his reinforcements

[Hellen_slith]

@CW T28, about to resolve this combat...

DAK HQ and X Korp HQ are surrounded and about to meet their maker.

That ought to slow Elmer down a bit ... I hope ...
about 75km of RR to build to Tobruk now

[Hellen_slith]

Round 1 of combat: entire 1st Armored Division and the fleet =
40% loss for DAK HQ

Round 2 of combat: remainder of 1st AD and the fleet =
40% loss for DAK HQ

Target remains. <sigh>

[StuccoFresco]

I hate when that happens.

[Hellen_slith]

Yes, it took two turns but I finally got those two HQ units.

Trying to get 1st Armored to Tobruk now

everyone else works on the RR for now

[Hellen_slith]

Remember the old TV show, "The Rat Patrol"?
I loved watching that as a kid.
Maybe that's part of why I like these desert scenes.

Got a conga line going through Tobruk now.

Rat patrols are going out more. I think I found where Elmer's coming from.

[Hellen_slith]

Well *this* looks familiar...

a few more RR hexes to repair

Elmer's tougher on +2 setting;
takes 2 moves to get through most hexes.

He held a hex with ONE armored car left in it.

And it wouldn't retreat. Tough guy.

[Hellen_slith]

Finally got through the DAK holdouts

except that danged Ariete unit

True to their colors, they have been
systematically troublesome

Leads me to ask, Who's surrounding who

[StuccoFresco]

How is supply level?

[Hellen_slith]

ORIGINAL: StuccoFresco

How is supply level?

The desert seems fruitful despite an arid environment

[StuccoFresco]

Looks a bit much.

[Hellen_slith]

Making much faster progress now.
Scouts are already in Derna.
Two Indian divisions going to clean up the oases down south.
Benghazi in about 20 turns or less now, I think.

[Hellen_slith]

Well, I thought this would be an easy drive around the coastline...

but Panzers keep popping up out of the desert

[Hellen_slith]

CW73 now, not much left to do
but sweep up the desert
Forward recon / a few tanks and troops are already in Benghazi
The Oasis down south has a lingering DAK division
but should be able to clean that up in a few more goes

[StuccoFresco]

Looks thoroughly done.

[Hellen_slith]

Yes, still a little dust up at the Oasis.

Benghazi has a few DAK trying to reclaim that,
and just random units popping up out of the desert it seems.

[Hellen_slith]

after CW turn 77
Oasis has been secured,
Benghazi is almost sewn up,
goal now is to get to Abagadi
and all the way around the Gulf of Sidi and secure all point hexes

I had planned to complete the scene by the end of year,
about 44 turns are left so I am on pace ...