Below is the first part in a series of articles from designer Ted Raicer in which he shares an After Action Report of the Campaign Game of The Dark Sands. Enjoy! -Rachel

December 1940: Lt. General O’Connor, commanding the Western Desert Force, launches a surprise attack on the invading Italians deployed for months in fortified boxes around Sidi Barrani. (O’Connor chit)

Bringing up reserves from the Nile to block the coast road east of Sidi Barrani, the British attack the three Italian camps south of Sidi, stretching southwest. The two northern camps are enveloped, destroying 2Libya and 1Med divisions, along with their armor, though the Selby force suffers significant losses. The southernmost attack sees the Cirene Division escape northwest to the rough terrain southwest of Buq Buq. These attacks are heavily supported by the RAF. (Both RAF counters used)

The two Italian divisions around Sidi Barrani discover that not only are they cut off, but their immediate supplies have been overrun leaving them short of ammo, food, and most importantly water. (Logistics chit)

Satisfied with the initial attack, O’Connor is less happy when his commanders pause to regroup, allowing the enemy (responding with unusual speed) to fall back. (Axis Move chit). Abandoning Buq Buq (and the units trapped at Sidi Barrini), the Italians form a line of three divisions from Sidi Omar to Halfaya Pass, while three other divisions backstop them at Gabr Salah, El Adem, and map reference 2533. There are reinforcements on their way to Derna, and the Italians are determined to screen that town until they arrive.

Orders from Rome are to counterattack immediately, and for the unsupplied forces at Sidi Barrini to break out. (Axis Combat chit) These orders are ignored by the commanders on the ground as they are hopelessly unrealistic.

Turn 1 before Attrition

O’Connor gets the WDF moving again (British Move), sending a reinforced 7t Armored to force the line at Sidi Omar, while the bulk of the British infantry approaches Halfaya on the coast road. O’Connor is worried the Italians will slip away again without a fight, and in fact the Italians pull back a few miles to Sollum and southwest of Fort Capuzzo, but leave a division with the garrison at Sidi Omar. (Axis ½ Move).

O’Connor strikes at Sidi Omar, despite supply problems (Allied Combat -1). Sidi Omar falls, but the 7 pays heavily in tanks and infantry (½ Exchange).

Once again orders from Rome to attack are ignored. (Axis Combat -1)

The 7t Armored sends one regiment to take Bardia, cutting off the two divisions at the Egyptian border, while a reduced tank regiment moves through Gambut to confront the 23 March Division on the coast road. (British Move). The reduced regiment is ordered to attack if practicable, but declines. (Allied Combat -1).

The Italian Reinforcements arrive at Derna (Axis Reinforcement chit) and the turn ends with four Italian divisions OOS (Logisics chit) and forced to surrender (Attrition). A total of 7 Italian divisions along with the Maletti Tank battalion have been eliminated. The British advance the railroad 18 miles west.

The British goal in January is to take Tobruk and Benghazi, while destroying as much of the Italian army that remains as possible. An advance to El Aghelia is considered secondary as the British sense there will be a long campaign ahead.

Turn 2 January-February 1941: Though he is taking a chance and the Italians may react before he can fully exploit his advance, O’Connor decides to hold off combat to allow his army to cut off the Italian divisions at Gabr Salah and west of Gambut, hoping that will help him destroy them at less cost. (Move chit chosen for Initiative rather than O’Connor.) A Garrison is left behind at Bardia.

When the Italians fail to react, O’Connor decides to order an all out effort to take Tobruk and clear his immediate front before the reinforcements at Derna become a factor. (O’Connor chit drawn.) The 7/7 Tank Brigade attacks the Italian garrison at Tobruk, the reduced 4/7, along with two brigades of the 4 Indian attack the 23 March Division west of Gambut, the 4/7 attacking the Italians from the rear. The reduced Support Group of 7 Armored, with the remaining brigade of 4^th Indian, and the remains of Selby Force attack the Italians at El Adem with heavy RAF support (both RAF counters). The 22^nd Guards and a brigade of 70 Division attack the surrounded 28 October at Gabr Salah.

Tobruk falls easily to the British armor and large amounts of supplies are taken. (Add the British Tobruk Falls chit to the cup.) The 23 March is destroyed, but exacts a heavy toll in British tanks (reduced 4/7 is eliminated). Likewise the Italian division at El Adem is destroyed, but not without inflicting losses. (Reduced Selby Force eliminated.) Worse, the attack on the 28 October fails bloodily, reducing the British 16 Brigade. But the 28 October remains surrounded, the only surviving unit of the Italian Army apart from the forces at Derna.

The forces at Derna react, but gas shortages slow their response. (Axis ½ Move) The Italian armor moves slowly east on the coast road towards Benghazi the Pavia still farther behind on the coast road. The Sabratha is left to guard their rear along the road just west of Derna.

With orders to garrison Tobruk, the 7/7 is formed into Combeforce and ordered to drive hell for leather to Benghazi. (Combeforce chit, extended move). Unfortunately Combeforce drives into an enemy minefield instead, and ends up stalled just west of Mechili. (Disruption roll of 6 on entering East Map)

At this point the 4 Indian is withdrawn, its place taken by the 6 Australian. Two brigades of the 70^th Division are shipped into Tobruk, and an Indian brigade arrives at Mersa Matruh.

The Italians receive conflicting orders to attack and to withdraw, and as a result do nothing. (½ Move/-1 Combat chit chosen as -1 Combat with no attacks. The Italians need a full Move to reach Benghazi.)

Finally clear orders from Rome arrive to fall back, along with a column of trucks bearing badly needed gas. (Axis Move chit) The Italian tanks reach Agedabia, the Pavia reaches Benghazi,  and leaving a garrison behind at Cirene, the Sabratha reaches Mjus. (Extended Move) But the strain of this movement leaves the two infantry divisions exhausted and disorganized. (Disruption rolls on the Pavia and Sabratha)

The Italians left surrounded at Gabr Salah find themselves running out of supplies. (Logistics chit.)

O’Connor moves two Australian brigades to join one brigade of 70 Division in occupying Tobruk and its perimeter fortifications. The other Aussie brigade moves to the trail crossing at map reference 2424, while the reduced Support Group of 7 Armored moves to 2321.

Rome sends gas but no orders to move, so the Italians remain in place. (Axis Move, which they are unable to use having used a Move and ½ Move chit already.)

Using the supplies captured at Tobruk, the 7/7 moves to attack Mjus, the 7 SG occupies Mechili, while the 14/70 Brigade moves to confront (but not assault) the garrison at Cirene. (Tobruk Falls chit.) Though badly disorganized, the 7 Armored faces an equally disorganized Italian foe. (Disrupted 7/7 attacks the disrupted Sabratha Division at 2-1, no drms.) The Sabratha is sent scurrying back and 7/7 occupies Mjus. (DR result.)

(Logistics and the British -1 Combat chit are next, but as the Italians at Gabr Salah are already OOS, and the British choose not to attack Cirene, neither has any effect.)

Out of water, the Italian 28 October surrenders.  The British 7/7, and the Pavia and Sabratha find breathing room to sort themselves out (Disruption counters removed) and the British advance their rail line another 27 miles. (Note that if this were the scenario, rather than the campaign, the Brits would have won a Tactical Victory, but if the 7/7 hadn’t disrupted on its Extended Move, they would have won at least an Operational Victoy.)

Facing only three Italian formations, O’Connor belives he can sweep forward to El Aghelia. But unknown to the British, German forces have landed to rescue the Duce’s fortunes. The war is about to change.

Turn 2 After Attrition

To be continued…

Note: After finishing the Second Turn, I remembered that the British 70 Division is withdrawn at the start of Turn 3, making the activation and movement of its 14 Brigade with the British Tobruk chit pointless, so I allowed myself (since there were no Axis Move Chits after that point) to go back and activate the 6 Australian instead, allowing one of its brigades to move to hex 2922, blocking the Coast Road. Where it will be promptly replaced by a brigade of the 9 Australian.

Articles in this Series: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Part 4  Part 5

Author: Ted Raicer