CFNA 1940-43 devoncop (Axis) vs warspite1 (CW) - no devoncop please

[warspite1]

18th June 1941
Turn 79

Anyway, back to the game, and the Axis have attacked once again - putting my infantry force on the junction south of Zawyet Shammus out of supply.

As seems to happen with frightening regularity to the CW, just as the enemy attack, so key units decide to reorganise. This is a big problem as can be seen below...

I've no idea where the enemy is but, when putting borders on, it appears devoncop has moved to the position indicated. (assuming I've read this right).

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

The Western Desert Air Force are up to 14 Squadrons.

7 (7 Operational) x Hurricane sqns - 160/168 aircraft with 59 reserves (6 per turn). Proficiency of 7 sqns 55%*, 70%, 75%, 81%, 83%, 83% 97%

* Newly arrived Greek Squadron - will be placed near Alexandria

3 (3 Operational) x Blenheim sqns - 70/72 aircraft with 56 reserves (3 per turn). Proficiency 75%, 87% and 99%

2 (2 Operational) x Tomahawk sqn - 42/48 aircraft with 20 reserves (2 per turn). Proficiency 75% and 91%

1 (1 Operational) x Gladiator sqn - 18/24 aircraft no reserves (0 per turn). Proficiency 80%

1 (0 Operational) x Beaufighter sqn - 6/24 aircraft no reserves (1 per turn). Note: This unit continues to build 1 aircraft at a time and will not be thrown into battle until up to strength.

By placing on rest I've managed to build up the squadrons and with a decent level of reserves too. All squadrons except the Beaufighter will be brought into action this turn.

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

That's interesting. I've also noticed the Axis are trying to sneak up behind the lines at Bir Khadir. What is particularly interesting here is that I assume the orange line confirms there is an Axis unit in that hex - and yet I cannot see it.

This is tough....

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

So I'm without the 2nd Armoured and the 22nd Guards Brigade, but what do I have?

The only ahem.. 'division' I have is the 7th Armoured. I have three battalions of the Royal Tank Regiment - 2nd, 3rd and 6th - and the 7th Hussars. The complement of tanks within makes for pretty grim reading...not the numbers but the quality...

To be honest I am scratching round for a workable plan here and I won't be able to think of one until I know what I'm up against. I can't know what I'm up against until I start to move my units, one by one and more enemy are exposed. And once I start to move my few precious units there is no going back....

Well, work calls so I am going to have to consider this later....

[Cfant]

You always stack your units. So it is quite easy for your opponent to bypass or encircle them.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Cfant

You always stack your units. So it is quite easy for your opponent to bypass or encircle them.

warspite1

I think as always there are two sides to every story. Not saying you are wrong or that my tactics are right, however the British are suffering from a number of handicaps;

- They simply have very few units. These are precious and can't be frittered away.
- The Axis completely have the initiative as the CW has no intelligence (and I'm not just referring to the bozo they have in charge)
- Put those two facts together and you get the situation where the Axis can pounce on individual units acting as a screen and wipe them out. Bigger stacks are - like with the attack at Buq Buq and Sofafi - designed to give the CW time, even when in danger of envelopment.

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

The LRDG at Ben Khadir moves north on a reccy and comes across three Italian AA units and Mingar Qaim. These are destroyed and the special forces men continue west toward Bir el Gellaz where they come across three more. Sadly the British then run out of moves.

Annoyingly, as the unit moves away, so the reconnaissance information gained disappears. Clever - but just something else to make life tough...

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

The sneaky wotsit! I order the 4th Battalion, Green Howards to split into three companies. I am surprised to see no enemy within the orange hex-sides (I've misunderstood that!) but B Company does come across another AA unit!

devoncop is either using these as scouts or as a diversion from the main attack. Either way, that's jolly well not cricket.

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

It seems devoncop is using his AA as human shields... I order an Indian company south and it too comes across Luftwaffe AA units. But this time, there are a number of Italian tanks and infantry units - albeit in company and squadron size.

East of Piccadilly Circus I try and get some idea of what is surrounding my infantry. I order the Royals to do some reconnaissance and I think its fair to say the British infantry is surrounded.

I don't know where the panzers are but have to assume they are lurking and ready to pounce once I show my hand - nice tactics from my opponent.

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

I'm sitting here looking at the screen and hoping some great big, lightbulb moment will happen.....

If I could guarantee the turn won't end it would be so much easier. I have to prepare for a failed proficiency check - but at the same time, I can't afford to move all my units...

I decide to go for a halfway house... sort of. The trapped infantry battalions seek to escape to the northwest, assisted by the tanks of the 7th Armoured and some infantry provided by the divisions support group and a battalion of the 5th Indian Division.

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

The attack is a success but annoyingly the units in the pocket don't advance northwest, instead they stay put and the units attacking advance toward the pocket....

The Royal seek a way out to the southeast but Italian tanks appear to block any advance.

After a brief artillery bombardment (just one regiment available) its time to attack and to try and widen the breach in the Italian line. The attack is successful, with the infantry of the Savona and Ariete divisions being pushed into retreat to the south.

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

The turn starts to wind toward its close (a maximum of two rounds left).

The British armour and infantry (with assistance from a battalion of Indian infantry) is ordered to attack to the south once again. The assault is again successful in forcing the Italians into retreat.

[warspite1]

Turn 79
18th June 1941

The last round, and I'm not able to pull back anymore. I therefore have to dig-in and hope.....

Its pleasing to see that the Tobruk artillery caused heavy losses on the besieging forces during the turn.

[ChuckBerger]

So the Axis is attacking deep into Egypt, without having secured Tobruk? They should be pretty much out of petrol and ammo if the scenario has been designed well... in real life Rommel found it impossible to proceed past Sollum without having Tobruk's crucial port in hand. Shouldn't be possible for Axis to truck supplies this far from Benghazi.

[warspite1]

There is a house rule that says the supply units must end on the coastal road (i.e. an improved road). I have asked devoncop if he's seen this* - its pretty important but not made that clear in the rules so I guess its possible he has supplied his units from the desert tracks in error. If not then yes, I agree it seems strange.

From early days at playing the scenario the value of (and ability to defend) Tobruk is my biggest concern. I won't say too much until I've played this more.

*devoncop has confirmed that he saw this rule and - as expected - he has been following the rule.

[warspite1]

Turn 80
21st June 1941

The Axis made sure of the destruction of the British and Indian companies near Bir el Gellaz.

There was the usual bombardments of Tobruk and the usual losses incurred....

The Axis intel is clearly very good. The enemy air forces attack one of my supply units, although fortunately without damage and their air force came off slightly worse than the Hurricane squadron sent to defend.

The big sweeping move from the south to encircle my rescue forces that I feared did not come to pass.

[warspite1]

Turn 80
21st June 1941

I send further reinforcements to Tobruk (shipping limitations are the big issue here - only 2 units (size depending I guess) are able to be transported). The ships are attacked at sea and I lose one rifle squad destroyed and 1 machine gun squad disabled - for the loss of two CR-42 fighters destroyed.

In April, sometime after the fighting started, the defenders numbered:

1 x cavalry regiment
14 x infantry battalions
3 x machine-gun battalions
3 x anti-tank regiment
1 x anti-tank battery
1 x tank battalion
5 x artillery regiments
2 x anti-aircraft regiments

However, these were largely at full strength.

The latest returns show a reduction of 2 infantry bns, 2 machine-gun bns and 1 AT regiment, but an additional cavalry regiment, 2 AA regiments and an engineer regiment. However its not the numbers of units that is a problem; its the numbers of men. Of 513 rifle squads, there are only 345 available to the infantry battalions. So that is effectively 9 1/2 battalions - or a reduction of 4 1/2.....

In the air I adopt the usual approach and place to rest all units not 'dark green'. This leaves me with the following operational squadrons:

- 6 fighter squadrons (air superiority)
- 1 bomber squadron (combat support)
- 1 bomber squadron (interdiction)

[Cfant]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Cfant

You always stack your units. So it is quite easy for your opponent to bypass or encircle them.

warspite1

I think as always there are two sides to every story. Not saying you are wrong or that my tactics are right, however the British are suffering from a number of handicaps;

- They simply have very few units. These are precious and can't be frittered away.
- The Axis completely have the initiative as the CW has no intelligence (and I'm not just referring to the bozo they have in charge)
- Put those two facts together and you get the situation where the Axis can pounce on individual units acting as a screen and wipe them out. Bigger stacks are - like with the attack at Buq Buq and Sofafi - designed to give the CW time, even when in danger of envelopment.

This are good reasons. On the other hand, I played this scenario 2 times in a pbem. The problem is: units have very high movement points here. they can bypass you either way. If your units are stacked, ONE attack is enough then to wipe them all out. Even more, the axis only have to bypass ONE hex. It costs them much more time if they have to bypass 3 or 4 hexes. And there are more fights to reduce the encircled units, having more chances for turn-burn.

[warspite1]

Turn 80
21st June 1941

The CW form a line and dig-in awaiting developments. In the meantime another half a dozen AA units are destroyed - probably at the cost of a couple of infantry companies but I think that a sensible trade off. That is an awful lot of AA units the Italians (and Germans) have lost in the last couple of turns.

This means that the turn is composed of artillery barrages from Tobruk. These are successful in destroying:

Brescia Division HQ
An infantry company from the XVIII battalion (4th Libyan Division)
II Battalion, 86th Infantry Regiment (Sabratha Division)
551st Machine Gun Battalion (Trento Division)

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Cfant

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Cfant

You always stack your units. So it is quite easy for your opponent to bypass or encircle them.

warspite1

I think as always there are two sides to every story. Not saying you are wrong or that my tactics are right, however the British are suffering from a number of handicaps;

- They simply have very few units. These are precious and can't be frittered away.
- The Axis completely have the initiative as the CW has no intelligence (and I'm not just referring to the bozo they have in charge)
- Put those two facts together and you get the situation where the Axis can pounce on individual units acting as a screen and wipe them out. Bigger stacks are - like with the attack at Buq Buq and Sofafi - designed to give the CW time, even when in danger of envelopment.

This are good reasons. On the other hand, I played this scenario 2 times in a pbem. The problem is: units have very high movement points here. they can bypass you either way. If your units are stacked, ONE attack is enough then to wipe them all out. Even more, the axis only have to bypass ONE hex. It costs them much more time if they have to bypass 3 or 4 hexes. And there are more fights to reduce the encircled units, having more chances for turn-burn.

warspite1

I have certainly taken on board the point and in the last few turns have been utilising the dividing of units more to allow for reconnaissance (without losing too many precious units if they get found).

I think in that last turn I was guilty of taking the Italian approach and having too big a gap between defending units - and these gaps were cleverly exploited by my opponent.