Setup

Situation: The Allies reached their starting positions during November 18, now they are ready to attack. However, there are no signs of Axis units, except for some recon units which was driven away by own recon screen bolstered with a tank detachment. Due to lack of information on Axis positions, the Allied commander, General Cunningham decides that the three objectives for the initial phase of Operation Crusader will be Bir el Gubi, Sidi Rezegh and Sidi Omar. However, to relive the Tobruk Garrison is still the main objective. The Axis led by Erwin Rommel are unaware of the impeding attack and is focused on their own planned assault on Tobruk.

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Turn 1: November 19-20

Allied Turn:

Scouting – The Allied player begins the next phase of the operation by sending out scouts (recon assets). The 4 SA scouting attempt is successful, and it reveals an Axis ghost unit (which is removed). The KDG recon’s attempt becomes harder and fails, since the Axis counter-recce with the 33 Auf recon asset.

Movement Phase – With a clear path north-west, the 7 Armored Brigade moves to the Sidi Rezegh area in order to seize the airfield (allowing one Air Mission event to placed in the Allied Selection Cup) and to gain a precious yellow star VP. The detached 3 RTR moves to investigate the Axis unit that the KDG recon failed to scout, it turns out to be a false report (ghost unit) and the 3 RTR continues to take Sidi Aziez airfield, accompanied by a friendly ghost unit to confuse the Axis player.

The 22 Armored Brigade moves into contact with the Axis unit south of the Italian held Bir el Gubi, to clear the way for the South African 1 Motorized Infantry Brigade, which is placed in reserve.

The 7 Support Group is also placed in reserve while the 4 Armored moves east of Gabr Saleh, to protect the flank of the 7 Indian Brigade which moves around Sidi Omar. This sweep around the Axis hold Sidi Omar is necessary to avoid the Frontier boundary surrounding the objective. If a unit crosses a Frontier boundary into a newly-contested area, a Crossing Assault will occur.

Combat Phase – The 7 Armored easily eliminates the Sidi Rezegh Garrison and takes the airfield by the book. After devastating fire, the 22 Armored Brigade inflicts heavy damage on the Italian RECAM unit, which retreats out of harm’s way. The Allies has spent 2 Attack Supply Points, which is recorded on the General Record Track.

Breakthrough Movement and Combat Phase – The reserve marked 7 Support Group moves to join the 7 Armored at Sidi Rezegh. The 1 SA Brigade, now with a clear path, moves and attack Bir el Gubi, occupied by the Italian Ariete Armored Division. The attack, supported by artillery and one air mission, reduces both Italian units in exchange for one hit on the 1 SA.

Axis Turn:

Admin Phase – The Allied player places a recon asset (11 Hussar) east of Sidi Rezegh to screen Axis units trying to intervene there. An Allied Raid with the LRDG event is conducted against Axis Supply, which fails.

Movement Phase – The Axis, due to the surprise of the Allied attack, is suffering from slow response and no Axis unit may spend more than three (3) MP’s during Game Turn 1.

The Axis player conducts a scouting attempt with the 3 Auf recon asset in the Gabr Saleh area, the attempt is successful and reveals a ghost unit. This leads the player to assume that the unit east is a real threat and moves in to attack with the 5 Panzer Regiment, from the famous DAK. The 104 Infantry Regiment (Mech) is too far north to assist, so it moves to investigate the Allied units occupying Sidi Aziez.

The two units of the Afrika Division moves south towards Sidi Rezegh. The 115 Infantry Regiment from the 15 Pz Division moves south. However, due to not enough MP’s, it must stop prior to reaching the Allied recon asset conducting screening operations on the approaches to the wide open desert. The 8 Panzer Regiment is placed in reserve, as a response to the upcoming Allied actions. This ends the Axis Movement for the Turn.

Strategic Movement Phase – No Axis unit may use Strat-Move during Game Turn 1.

Combat Phase – The Axis player resolves combat with the 5 Panzer first, it turns out to be the Allied 4 Armored Brigade. The Axis assigns the 33^rd Artillery, 15^th Krd and the 33^rd FlaK (88mm AT guns) assets to the battle. The Allied player, low on assets for the 30 Corps, assigns one engineer and one AT asset. The Axis opens up with artillery fire, scoring one hit (taken by the engineering battle asset). Allied return artillery fire with the 4 Armored’s intrinsic artillery (the artillery icon on the unit), scoring no hit. The Allied 4 Armored now conducts ground fire, but the firing is reduced by the German 33 AT asset (AT assets have a special capability to reduce firing of one enemy armor instead of firing as a battle asset) and by the Elite TQ of the German 5 Pz unit, so only one hit is scored. This hit is absorbed by the 15 Krd asset and is eliminated. The 5 Pz now fires but it is also reduced by the Allied AT asset and the Germans inflict only one hit as well. The German 33 AT fires and scores a hit (as opposed to other AT assets in the game, the two German 18^th and 33^rd FlaK AT assets may both fire and use the special AT capabilities. A disastrous result (from the Axis player’s view). The Allied player takes the one hit as a retreat, moving south one are and becomes Disordered. After combat, all surviving assets are moved to the Used Box on the Resources Display.

Note: In FAB Crusader, armor units firing with a +2 SN, so AT assets are crucial in combat since they reduce enemy armor firing by -1 SN. Be sure to always have at least one AT asset available if you are going up against enemy armor, especially if you only have infantry unit(s) in combat.

The German 104 Infantry unit in Sidi Aziez now conducts combat. After Axis assets are assigned (the Allied player has no assets left for the 30 Corps in the Available Box), units are revealed. The Allied ghost unit is removed and after exchanging fire (inflicting one hit each), the Allied 3 RTR retreats south and becomes Disordered.

Axis combat this Turn costed 2 valuable Attack Supply Points, for little success.

Supply Phase – All units marked as Disordered are now marked with a Recovering marker. Supply is also checked for all units, but at this stage of the battle, no unit is out of supply. The Allied 11 Hussar recon asset is moved to the Used Box.

Victory Check Phase – The Axis player now has control of four VP areas and the Allies of two VP areas. This is a total of +2 in the favor of the Axis.

Turn 2: November 21-22

Reinforcement Phase – During this turn, several Allied units arrives, among them units from the 4 New Zeeland Infantry Division. Allied ghost units are also placed in Entry Areas with the arriving units. No Axis reinforcements arrives this turn. The Allies receive 2 Attack Supply points and the Axis one.

Allied Turn:

Admin Phase – With the Reusable Special Action now available, the Allied player decides to use it and authorize the Tobruk Breakout.

The Axis player draws the Beta Convoy chit. After rolling for each available event in the Beta Convoy Box, the player receives the DAK Elite Armor Replacement and the Supply Event.

Movement Phase – The 7 Ind attacks Sidi Omar, the 5 SA moves to a position south of Ed Duda. 1 SA remains in Bir el Gubi to keep the Italians there busy. The 4 NZ Division is split up, two brigades (the 4^th and 6^th) moves north to Bir el Chleta at speed, to secure the right flank of Sidi Rezegh. The remainder of the division (the Cav unit and 5 Infantry) moves towards Sidi Aziez. The 22 and 4 Armored Brigades moves to take position in the center of the map. Some ghost units are also shuffled around, mostly to confuse the Axis. In the north, the Allied 32 ATB and 14 Infantry from the Tobruk Garrison crosses the fortress perimeter and attacks into Bir Suesi. The breakout has begun!

Note: I forgot to place fieldworks in the areas next to the Frontier Boundaries during setup.

Combat Phase – At Sidi Omar, the 7 Ind attacks parts of the Italian Savona Division. The battle ends with the 15 Savona has only one step remaining and the Allied 7 Ind takes one hit.

To the north, the Tobruk Garrison conducts combat against the Italian Bologna Division. After some fierce fighting the area remains in Axis control. But most important, the Allies established a bridgehead across the perimeter.

Reaction Phase – The reserve marked German 8 Pz moves to secure Gambut, if the Allied player uses a Special Action to move a unit there in the Breakthrough Movement Phase.

Axis Turn:

Movement Phase – The 33 Recon from DAK makes an unsuccessful scout against the Allied units west of Sidi Aziez. The 15 Panzer Division moves to attack the Allied units in Bir el Chleta. The Italian 28 Regiment from Pavia Division moves into Ed Duda, to support the German 155 Infantry from a possible Allied attack there. The 5 Pz and a ghost unit moves into a blocking position at Bir el Hariga. RECAM unit moves east to block any Allied retreat from Bir el Gubi.

Combat Phase – The only combat to be resolved is at Bir el Chleta. The two German units from the 15 Panzer Division inflicts four hits on the Allied units/assets. The 4 and 5 NZ Infantry units retreat south and becomes disorganized. However, they manage to score one hit on the German 8 Pz and a Tank Recovery marker is placed in the combat area. One Axis Attack Supply is spent.

Supply Phase – The Allied 4 and 5 NZ Infantry units adjusting their Disorganized markers to the Recovery side. The Axis player rolls on the Tank Recovery Table and the result is success. The Tank Steps Repaired marker is moved into the #1 space on the track. This step becomes available as a replacement step during the Reinforcement Phase.

Victory Check Phase – There is no adjustment to the VP level.

This ends the first part of this playthrough of FAB: Crusader, available for pre-order at GMT Games.

Regards

Michael Gustavsson

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Articles in this Series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4