Below is the second part in an series of articles from designer Ted Raicer in which he shares an After Action Report of the Campaign Game of The Dark Sands. Part 1 can be found here. Enjoy! -Rachel
Turn 3: March-April 1941
As the 21 Panzer and various Italian formations gather around El Aghelia, the British are forced to strip Libya for other fronts. The 6 Australian is replaced by the 9 Australian, the 7 Armored by the 2 Armored (one Tank Brigade arrives at Tobruk, the other two units replacing 7 Armored at the front), and the 70 is withdrawn. Tobruk is occupied by a garrison, a Tank brigade and a brigade of the 9 Australian, but lack of troops leave the two perimeter forts empty. The British position now looks all too much like that of the Italians back in December.
(Axis Move Initiative Chit) The Afrika Korps HQ, two tank battalions of the 21 Panzer, along with a machine gun battalion and an armored car recon battalion rush down the Coast Road to map reference 3121, but many tanks break down as a result. (Both Panzer units Disrupted on extended Move.) Surprisingly the Ariete holds up better, advancing to 3115. The 21 Corps HQ, with two Italian divisions and a German machine gun battalion moves to 3014, but the Pavia becomes disorganized (Extended Move Disrupted) on the march. The Savona moves to 3507 but is likewise disorganized (Disrupted) by the speed of the march. Meanwhile Italian tanks support the Sabratha across the wadi from the British tanks at Mjus. Lacking transport, two other Italian divisions are left behind on the Coast Road west of Agedabia.
Under the direction of the 21 Corps HQ, the Ariete, supported by the Bologna division, destroys the British 2 Armored Support Group and captures Mechilli. (21 Corps chit) In the process they capture General O’Connor who was visiting the front. (The O’Connor chit is out of play after Turn 2)
Rommel now intervenes and personally leads the 21 Panzer (despite its many broken down panzers) in an attack on the 20 Brigade of the 9 Australians at 2922. Rommel is attacking across a Wadi into rough terrain, but more importantly, the Australians are supported by naval guns of the Royal Navy and heavy RAF support. (20 Attack Factors vs. 11 Defense Factors for a 1-1). Despite having many tanks out of service, the panzers are a shock to the Australians, but they quickly adjust, using the terrain to their advantage. (+2 drm for panzer superiority in Rough terrain, -2 drm for Disruption) In a sharp bloody fight both attacker and defender take losses. (BL1: both 20 Brigade and the German 1/5 Panzer battalion are reduced) Rommel has failed (so far) to break open the Coast Road.
With O’Connor gone, confusion reigns at British HQ. Orders are given to attack despite lack of preparation and are thankfully ignored. (British ½ Move/-1 Combat chit played as Combat but with no attacks. The Brits need those two Move chits in the cup.)
Not giving up, Rommel and the 21st again attack the reduced Australian brigade. (Axis Combat -1) Even with some RAF support the Germans break the Australians, but not without loss. (MG battalion reduced on an EX as the 20 Brigade is eliminated. With the road open, the 21st two Panzer battalions advance to occupy the outer forts of the Tobruk perimeter, while the reduced MG battalion moves to 2723.
Despite limited supplies, the British in Tobruk attack the reduced 1/5 Panzer Battalion in the southern Tobruk fort. (British Combat -1) Though the British tanks take heavy losses, the Germans suffer even more and the 1/5 are left with only a handful of runners and are effectively eliminated. (Odds of 1-1 +2drm for the Disrupted Panzers, -1 drm for the -1 British Combat chit results in a BL1.) But with a full (if disorganized) panzer battalion occupying the adjacent Fort, the British choose not to advance.
(Logistics chit. Everyone is in supply.)
Rommel initially plans another attack, this time on Tobruk itself, but ammo shortages cause him to cancel it. (½ Move/-1 Combat taken as -1 Combat with no attacks. The Axis too want their second Move chit). Instead, worried about his supply lines, Rommel pulls the 2/5 Panzer Battalion back to 2823. (Panzer Momentum)
(British Move chit) The British 3/2 Brigade moves by sea to Mersa Matruh, to remove any chance of the Germans racing to Alexandria. Leaving a rear guard Garrison behind at Mjus, the British 1/ 2 Tank Brigade withdraws to 2514. The Coldstream Guards and the 22 Guard occupy the Tobruk northern perimeter fort, while the 24/9 Australians move into the southern perimeter Fort, amid the still smoldering remains of British and German tanks. The 3rd Indian Motorized Brigade trucks all the way to Acroma in good order. (Extended Move, no Disruption.)
Afrika Korps HQ orders the reduced MG battalion to 2322 to cut the supply line for the British tanks withdrawing from Mjus, while the HQ, with the armored cars, moves to join the panzers at 2823.
(British Move) The British armor withdrawing from Mjus moves to 2519, allowing it to trace overland supply to 2225 despite the MG battalion blocking the trail at 2321. The British forces around Tobruk hold their positions. The British 26/9 Brigade builds a Fortified Box at 2424.
(Logistics) The British garrison at Mjus finds itself unsupplied as the trail has been cut at 2321. Everyone else has enough to make do.
(Axis Move) The Ariete moves to 2826. (This is an Extended Move. The Ariete passes the roll for moving onto the Center Map Section, and because this is the last Round of the Turn there is no need to roll for Disruption at the end of the move.) The 21 HQ with the Bologna moves to 2723. (Ditto). The German MG battalion ends at 2825. (Disrupted entering Center Map on a roll of 6.) The Pavia (Disrupted and unable to do Extended Move) moves to Mechili. The Brescia is sent to garrison Benghazi, while the Trento ends at Gazala. Rommel positions his remaining panzers and armored cars with the Afrika Korps HQ at 2624.
(Attrition) The British garrison at Mjus surrenders.
The rail line advances to 1751.
End of Turn 3
Turn 4: May-June 1941
New tanks allow Rommel to partly rebuild the 1/5 Panzer Battalion and infantry is fed into the reduced 8 Machine Gun Battalion. (Axis spend one Panzer and one German Infantry Replacement)
The British rebuild the 20 Brigade of the 9 Australian at Cairo. Tanks arrive, but the 2nd Armored is in no shape to receive them and they are stockpiled in the rear. (British save two Tank Replacements and spend one Infantry Replacement)
British reinforcements arrive. (Reinforcements chosen as the Initiative chit) The 7 Armored returns to the theater, arriving at Alexandria. The 1 Independent Tank Brigade arrives at Mersa Matruh, and two brigades of 4 Indian return, arriving at Tobruk.
Rommel hoped to send the Ariete Division in a probing attack to the east, but poor Italian staff work leaves it adjacent to Acroma without attacking the British brigade holding it. (21 Corps chit, but Ariete is out of range and only able to move one hex.) The Babini Tank Brigade and Sabratha successfully reach 3121. (Extended Move, no Disruption.) The straggles into the rough terrain at 2517 (Extended Move-Disrupted) less than 20 miles from the tanks of 2 Armored. The Pavia moves 9 miles east of Mechili. (1 hex Move) while the Trento moves to block the flank of the Coast Road at 2926 and the Bologna moves to 2522, forming a link between the 21 Panzer and the 8 MG Battalion.
The British respond sluggishly despite their dangerous position. (British 1/ 2 Move/-1 Combat as a half Move) The 20/9 Australian moves to the Coast Road at 1674. 7 Armored ships the 7/7 Armor to Bardia by sea while the remainder moves to El Alamein. Leaving a garrison at Mersa Matruh the 1 Tank and the 3/2 move to 2053. 1 Brigade of 2 Armor moves 9 miles east Bir Hachiem, covering the southern flank of 26/9 Australian in its Fortified Box. The 3 indian Brigade build as a Fortified Box at Acroma, with the 3 Coldstream Guard Battalion deployed to its southern flank and the 7/4 Indian covering its northern flank on the Coast Road. The remaining Australian Brigade occupies the rough terrain west of El Adem. The 22 Guards and the 11/4 Indian occupy the perimeter forts around the Tobruk garrison.
(This a dangerously thin British line, but it at least prevents any chance of an immediate Extended Move into their rear and takes good advantage of the terrain. Given a ½ Move Chit the British options were limited.)
The British expect an immediate Axis attack on their thin lines west of Tobruk. When it doesn’t come, they decide to reposition. The 1/ 2 reaches 2127 on the trail to Bir el Gubi. The Coldstream Guard Battalion takes up position just north of El Adem. The 26/9 Australian abandons its Fortified Box and moves to replace the 24/9, which withdraws into the southern Tobruk perimeter Fort. The remaining British forces in the area likewise withdraw into the Tobruk fortificantions, deploying two brigades in the northern perimeter and two in the south. The Tank force from Mersa Matruch sends the weakened brigade from 2 Armored to 1749, the newly arrived Tank brigade to Buq Buq, and the 7/7 from Bardia to 1746, while the 7 Armored moves to Fuka, and the rebuilt 20/9 reaches El Alamein. (Another 1/ 2 Move and the British face the reality they are essentially sitting ducks, leaving the defense of Tobruk and the Nile Delta as their priority.)
Though low on gas and ammo, Rommel advances (½ Move/-1 Combat as Move). 21st Panzer moves to confront the Australian brigade west of El Adem. The Ariete moves up to face the Coldstream Guard Battalion. Other Italian units guard the Coast Road or slowly plod west. 21st Panzer then attacks the 26/9 Australians. The Aussies get heavy air support(+2) but German armor superiority tells, and the brigade is driven back to the Coast Road at 2631 with heavy loss. (14 Attack vs. + 8 Defense, -1drm for -1 Combat chit, +2 drm for Panzer Superiority, odds 1-1 +1 with a dr of 6).
Continuing his limited operations, (another ½ Move) Rommel sends the 21 Panzer against the Coldstream Guards while the Italians close in on Tobruk from the West. 21 Panzer annihilates the Guard battalion.
(British Combat chit) The British briefly consider an attack from Tobruk against the Italians, but decide not to take the risk. (With Italian air and 21 Corps artillery support, the best they could get is a 1-1. Too risky.)
(Axis Reinforcements) The 15t Panzer arrives at El Aghelia, along with the motorized infantry regiment of the 21, part of 90 Light, some Luftwaffe support, and two units of 88s.
(Rommel Priority Chit) Rommel personally ensures that the two panzer battalions of the 15, along with its motorized infantry and that of the 21 Division are rushed to the front. The 104/21 Regiment only makes it as far as Gazala before running out of gas. (Extended Move-Disrupted). The two Panzer battalions, both suffering numerous breakdowns, are sent by Rommel to seize the Halfaya Pass. (Extended Move-both Disrupted. This leads to the decision not to attack the Garrison at Sollum.). The 115/15 Regiment moves to the desert flank at 1645.
With the panzers in Egypt, the British 1/ 2 Brigade finds its supply lines cut. (Logistics chit)
(Logistics chit again) No change.
The British again ponder and refuse to attack. (British Combat -1, no attacks)
With Rommel at the front, the Afrika Korps commander directs the 21 Panzer west to assault Bardia, and the two tank units of the Ariete to attack the 26/9 Australian just east of Tobruk. (Afrika Korps chit) The garrison at Bardia falls, but Allied Naval guns take a heavy toll among the panzers. (2-1 odds +1drm with a dr of 1 = BL1) Meanwhile at 2631, with British, Italian and German aircraft dogfighting overhead, the tanks of the Ariete suceed in overrunning the reduced Australians and cutting the last route out of Tobruk.
Near Bir Hacheim the British 1/ 2 ,out of water and gas, surrenders to the Sabratha. (Attrition)
The rail line advances to 1648.
Though the British still have a cut-off garrison at Sollum, Rommel controls everything else west of the border apart from the forts at Tobruk. But with Berlin’s attention now on events in Russia, and Allied attacks on Axis convoys increasing, Romme will find his scope of operations growing more limited.
End of Turn 4
Note: In the photo of Turn 4 the Afrika Korps HQ should be in Bardia.
To be continued…
Articles in this Series: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5
Author: Ted Raicer
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