Below is Part 2 in Michael Gustavsson’s Playthrough AAR of FAB: Crusader. Part 1 an be found here. Enjoy! -Rachel
Situation: The Allies have reached their secondary objectives of Operation Crusader. The Tobruk Garrison initiated its breakout attempt and is now slugging its way southwards.
Note: I will from now on show units from both sides unmasked on the images, as it is easier for the reader to follow through this report.
Turn 3: November 23-24
Reinforcement Phase – The Allied player receives the 22 Guards Brigade (mot) and the Axis the Trieste Motorized Division. The German 8 Pz Regiment also receives one step of repaired panzers as a replacement step, bringing it back to full strength.
Allied Turn:
Admin Phase – The Allied player uses one engineer asset to build field works in the area containing the 4 and 5 NZ Brigades. This is to give the units some defensive protection during recovery.
Note: The only way to create Field Works in FAB: Crusader is by using an Engineering Function.
Movement Phase – The 1-pip 3 RTR (Royal Tank Regiment) moves to rendezvous with its brigade, the 4 Armored, and merge with it, bringing the 4 Arm up to full strength. After merging, the 3 RTR is eliminated from play. The 4 Arm then moves to attack the lone Axis unit south of Bir el Gubi, as does the newly arrived 22 Gd Brigade.
One of the ghost units is moved south of El Adem to confuse the Axis player. The Allied player also decides to withdraw the 1 SA from Bir el Gubi. This thorn in the side will be dealt with later and for now this unit is needed elsewhere.
The 7 Armored and 5 SA units swap positions so that the 5 SA will take position to hold the Sidi Rezegh area. The 22 Armored moves to join the 7 Armored south of Ed Duda, preparing to assist the Tobruk breakout.
The NZ Cav and 6 NZ moves slightly westward to protect the right flank of the Allied operations around Tobruk.
Not many offensive moves by the Allies this turn, but positions of the units look good for the upcoming operations.
Note: In this Volume of FAB, units may exit contested areas into vacant enemy-controlled areas.
Combat Phase – The Allied player looks at the Available Box, but the lack of useful assets makes the decision tougher on where to conduct combat this turn. However, taking control of the Sidi Omar VP objective would put some pressure on the Axis. The 7 Ind is ordered to continue its battle there and is supported by the 8 RTR and Maori Inf assets. The combat ends with the elimination of the Italian 15 Infantry of the Savona Division and Allied VP control of the area.
The Allies also conduct combat in Bir Suesi in order to keep the Tobruk breakout continuing. This battle is supported by an air mission, a machine gun, and the Elite 2/3 Aus Infantry asset. The Axis responds with a less effective Tankette and the 1 Cel Artillery asset. The combat result in an Axis retreat by both units of the Bologna Division, leaving the Allied in control of the area. The Tobruk breakout has been successful so far.
The third battle takes place south east of Bir el Gubi where there is a newly-contested area (mandatory combat). The Allied 22 Gd and 4 Arm attack the Italian RECAM unit, which retreats before combat by the use of the reusable Special Action by the Axis player. The 4 Arm is awarded an Exploitation Opportunity.
Breakthrough Movement Phase – The exploitation marked 4 Armored moves one area north to secure the rear of the units in front.
Axis Turn:
Admin Phase – One Axis field works is created by the DAK 900 Pio asset in Belhamel to protect the 155 Infantry unit there.
The Allied player places two recon assets on the map to conduct screening missions, one west of Bir el Gubi and one west of Sidi Omar.
Movement Phase – The 104 Infantry moves from its position at Sidi Aziez into an area occupied by one Allied unit as a recon in force move. The Allied unit turns out to be a Ghost unit, so the 104 Infantry may continue its move. Now that it is time to act offensively, the 104 continues and attacks the now Allied held Sidi Omar via Bir Ghirba. The 5 Pz follows and suddenly the Allied player realizes what is going to happen.
In another surprising move, the 15th Panzer Division with the 5 Pz and 115 Infantry Regiments makes a sweeping move around the Allied right flank.
The German 361 Infantry joins the 155 Infantry in Belhamel, and now both units from Afrika Division are operating together again.
The 27 Infantry from the Italian Pavia Division moves to join its “sister”, the 28 Infantry in Ed Duda, replacing the newly sortied German unit.
The 66 Infantry from Trieste Motorized Division moves to take up the position left at El Adem, together with a ghost unit. The 65 Infantry moves to join the RECAM west of Bir el Gubi. The second ghost unit remains in place for now.
Combat Phase – There is only one combat to resolve this phase — the newly-contested area at Sidi Omar. The Axis player brings one artillery and one MG (Machine Gun) asset to the fight. The Allied player (desperately) looks at his Available Box and sees that there is one MG, one AT (Anti-tank), and an artillery asset available. He knows that he probably has one full panzer division against him. After a heroic fight, the 7 Ind holds against all odds the full blow of an entire panzer division and is reduced down to one step. Sidi Omar remains in Allied control. The Germans lost one precious panzer step as well as one valuable Supply Point. A Tank Recovery marker is placed in the area. Rommel is furious about the outcome and the commander of the 21st Panzer Division, Major-General von Ravenstein, is almost sacked. However, Lieutenant-General Crüwell, commander of the DAK, calms him down and convinces him that Sidi Omar will be in their hands by the next few days.
Supply Phase – The Axis rolls for the Tank Recovery in Sidi Omar, and luckily, the tank step lost in the battle will be repaired.
The two Allied recon assets on screening missions are returned to the Used Box.
Victory Check Phase – After counting VP’s, the Allied now have +1.
Turn 4: November 25-26
Reinforcement Phase – The Allies receive the 5 Ind Infantry Brigade and the Axis the 9 Bersaglieri Regiment. The Germans also receive the repaired panzer step, which is added to the unlucky 5 Pz unit.
Allied Turn:
Admin Phase – The Axis player uses the HQ Staff function as a replacement to increase the Italian 40 Infantry unit (Bologna) by one step.
Movement Phase – It is time for the Allies to become aggressive and focus on the relief of Tobruk, but also to keep a watchful eye on the Axis units on the right flank. The Allied player begins by scouting Ed Duda with the 11 Hussar recon asset. The scouting is successful, and it reveals that the two units there are the Pavia Division. Knowing this, the Allies decide to strike immediately by ordering the 7 Support and 22 Armored to advance into the area.
The 4 NZ unit moves into Bir el Chleta, revealing the Axis ghost unit there and continues to Zafraan. The 5 NZ then follows. The NZ Cav and 6 NZ units moves westwards to continue covering the right flank.
There are also some other slight movements of Allied units and two units, the 4 Armored and the 22 Gd, are placed in reserve in order to react to the Axis operations later.
The 5 Ind is moved across the Frontier boundary to reinforce the weakened 7 Ind unit in Sidi Omar. However, crossing the Frontier boundary is risky but there is no time to go around the barbed wire and minefields. The 5 Ind moves across the frontier boundary and makes a TQ check. If such a check is unsuccessful, the unit loses one step. Luckily, there is an engineering asset available to add a +2 to the TQ check and the 5 Ind crosses without any step loss.
The CIH recon unit moves west of Sidi Omar.
Combat Phase – A Combat Round is required in the newly-contested area Ed Duda. The Allied 22 Armored and 7 Support along with battle and artillery assets are up against the two units of the Pavia Division. The 11 Hussar recon asset, which previously scouted the area, remains to act as a battle asset. The Italians bring only an artillery and a MG asset to support the troops there. This battle is a disaster for the Axis as only one hit is scored on the attacker. The two defending units and the MG asset are eliminated due to extremely good firing from the Allied units. A very critical blow to the Axis as the road to Tobruk is now open. The units there have a clear supply path and are considered relieved. This also results in 5 VPs to the Allies, very bad for the Axis!
Axis Turn:
Admin Phase – The Allied player uses the HQ Staff function to add one step of replacements to the 7 Ind. The player also places a recon asset in Gabr Saleh to conduct screening mission.
The Axis player uses a replacement event to bring the 104 Infantry up to full strength. The player also builds field works (using the XXXI engineer asset) in Bu Amid, where the remains of the Bologna Division is located.
Movement Phase – The Axis must now react to the relief of Tobruk by the Allies, otherwise the Allied player will receive a bunch of VPs at the end of this Game Turn.
The 8 Pz and 115 Infantry (mech) of the 15th Panzer Division move to an area between Bir el Gubi and Gabr Saleh, occupied by two Allied units.
The DAK also receives urgent calls from units around Tobruk that a breakthrough has been achieved, and therefore withdraws from Sidi Omar and moves to Sidi Aziez.
The Italian 9 Bers (mot) moves across the wadi boundary south of El Adem and discovers an Allied ghost unit, which is removed.
The Italian 132 Armored and 8 Bers (both Ariete Armored Division) attack the lone Allied unit east of Bir el Gubi. The 65 Trieste (mot) moves to replace those units in Bir el Gubi.
The two units of the Trento Infantry Division move into Bir Suesi to attack the Allied units there that lead the breakout. The 7 Bers moves to the area previously occupied by the Trento Division.
Combat Phase – The German units from 15th Panzer Division inflicted heavy losses on the 6 NZ, which retreated south together with the NZ Cav unit. The two Italian units from Trento aborted their attack in Bir Suesi and became disorganized.
The Ariete Armored Division’s attack on the Allied 4 Armored is now resolved. The Allied player uses a Special Action event to reinforce the battle with the 7 Armored unit, which is in an adjacent area. The Italians aborted the attack after a devastating ground fire by the two Allied Tank units – 5 hits were scored. However, since the Italians aborted the attack only one hit was inflicted. All these attacks brought the Axis Attack Supply level down to a critical level.
Victory Check Phase – After totaling VPs for both sides, the score is +3 to the Allies.
This ends the second part of this playthrough of FAB: Crusader, available for pre-order at GMT Games.
Regards,
Michael Gustavsson
Articles in this Series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
Author: Michael Gustavsson
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