Here are links to Part 1 and Part 2 of this article.
Turn 2
The British have the initiative and need to select their initiative chit. Not an easy decision with the Italians still perched on the coast road east of Helfaya Pass.
Only the two 7th Armored Tank Brigades are in range to move and attack, so the OConner chit is not a good option.
If the Italians were not holding the coast road at Halfaya Pass, a HalfMove would be sufficient to get everyone in range to Move and Attack on the next chit. But, they are holding the coast road. They could take a FullMove, and hope the British do not disrupt sprinting through the desert. Mindful that the turn has just started.
The British play it safe and take the HalfMove to better position themselves.
Chit 1: British Full Move
7th Armor captures and garrisons Bardia and then moves toward Bir El Gubi, supported by one brigade of the 4th Indian Division.
The pocket around the Italians on the coast road tightens.
The British still have to capture Tobruk to hold the Tobruk/Bardia VP. Until both hexes have fallen to the British, the Axis will continue to hold the VP.
Figure 13 British Half Move
Chit 2: Axis Full Move.
The Italians rearrange their lines in front of Tobruk.
The Pavia division moves up to Tobruk, dropping a garrison unit in El Adem.
The Sirte division uses the full move to build a fortified box at Bir El Gubi
And the Sabathra division extended moves back to Benghazi, and disrupts when it gets there.
Figure 14 Axis Full Move
Chit 3: British Full Move
The British get a FullMove and isolate the two forward Italian units. They are hoping for a Logistics chit next.
The Italians east of Helfaya Pass have moved into the rough and the British attempt to pin them there.
ZOCs do not extend into the rough terrain so the Italians are not truly pinned, but they are not going far either. Although they can trace an LOS to a road, the road does not reach a supply source.
Figure 15 British Full Move
Chit 4: Logistics
This is exactly what the British needed to see. Now the three forward Italians are easy pickings.
Figure 16 Logistics
Chit 5: British Half Move/Combat
Figure 17 British Half Combat
The British draw a HalfMove/Combat and opt to use it as a combat.
Since the Italian near Helfaya pass is not OOS and off the road, there is no need to attack it. The British player decides to keep it pinned and eliminate it through attrition.
The British do attack the two encircled Italian divisions at Bir El Gubi and Sidi Rezegh.
The net DRM is +1; +2 for the OOS, and-1 for the Chit.
Attack number one is a 2-1 +1 rolls a 1, which becomes a 2 for a BL1.
The 5/4 flips leaving the 4th Indian Division with only one full strength Brigade.
Attack number two is a 4-1 +1 with a roll of 4, which becomes a 5 for a DR*.
Both Italian units are eliminated.
Chit 6: Combeforce
This allows one in supply unit to do a Full Move and then Attack.
The 4/7 Tank sprints forward and attacks the Italian north of Bir Hachiem. This will be a 2-1 attack. A risk since the goal is to clear the road to enable bypassing Tobruk. A roll of 1 will not eliminate the Italian and flip the 4/7. But the combat result is a BL1! The Italian is eliminated and the 4/7 flips. A costly but critical victory. The road is now clear for a dash to El Agheila.
Figure 18 Combeforce
To be continued…
Author: Tim Wilcox
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