Operation Battleaxe Day 2: The South Flank, Jun. 16, 1941 A Fistful of TOWs 3 Scenario By Bob Mackenzie and Paul Minson

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1 Operation Battleaxe Day 2: The South Flank, Jun. 16, 1941 A Fistful of TOWs 3 Scenario By Bob Mackenzie and Paul Minson Background On the June 15th, 1941, British forces in the Desert launched Operation Battleaxe, a fine sounding name for a poorly executed operation. The British objective was to punch through the Axis forces on the Egyptian/Libyan border and relieve their besieged comrades in Tobruk. On the south flank was the 7th Armoured Division, whose striking force consisted of the 2nd RTR with a mixed bag of old cruisers and 6th RTR with a complement of the new Crusader tank. On Day 1 these forces assaulted the German defences around Hafid ridge and lost. The British tanks attacked piecemeal without any meaningful artillery and infantry support and were repulsed by what was basically a reinforced German company, though the panzers did arrive later. The British tanks took a fearful pounding, and by Day 2 were at roughly half strength. There were grandiose plans to renew the attack the next day, but the Germans beat them to it as the 5th Light Division pushed east. A running battle evolved as the British tried to stem the German advance, now badly outnumbered and out-fought by the veteran Germans. We join the ongoing battle at 10am as the German forces approach the wire delineating the Libyan/Egyptian border. Stands Needed to Play German Stand Inventory 1 PaK 35/36 37mm ATG 1 SdKfz 10 Tractor 1 7.5cm IeIG 18 Section 5 Light Trucks 2 Motorcycle MG Plt stands 1 Motorized Pioneer stand 1 SdKfz Motorcycle Rifle stands 3 Pz. IA-B 10 Pz. IIIG (not the early model) 6 Pz. IIC (mod) 3 Pz. IVE 1 8.8cm Flak 18/36/37 1 2cm Flak 38 British Stand Inventory 1 Cruiser Mk.I A9 2 Cruiser Mk.II A10 3 Cruiser Mk.IV A13 Mk. II 4 Crusader I-II 8 Scout Carriers 8 Motor Infantry stands 11 Light Trucks 1 Marmon-Herrington II-III 3 2-pdr ATG portee 3 40mm AAG 4 25-pdr Mk II, Mk III FG 4 Quad (C8 Arty. Tractor) Terrain Table size: 2.5 ft. x 5 ft. Visibility Limit: 30 Mostly open desert devoid of any cover. The ridgelines are crests of low rises, and have special rules for this game. They break LOS to stands over 3 away from the ridgeline. Any AFV stand within 3 gets the ridgeline terrain save vs. fire which crosses the ridge and which is fired by stands over 3 from the ridge. To check the 3 distance, always measure to the nearest point on the ridge for both target and shooter, not along the line of fire. The barbed wire is the border wire, this is a fairly impressive obstacle. Infantry can cross it but must start adjacent and spend an entire turn to do so, and cannot fire or do anything else in the turn they cross. They will not clear a gap. Engineers are no faster at crossing but will create a gap. All vehicles will get tangled in the wire and become immobile if they attempt a crossing. The marked gaps in the wire (45 and 46) are around 2 wide. Deployment German Deployment 1st Bn. 5th Panzer Regt. and 3rd Panzer Recon. Bn. are deployed in the box shown on the map delineated by pink dashed lines. 2 Bn. 5th Panzer Regt. and the 5th Panzer Regt. Support are a reinforcement for Turn 6, they arrive on the table edge from point D to point C. No reinforcement can arrive within 9 and LOS of an enemy AFV stand. If entry is impossible, the reinforcements can enter a turn later up to 6 from their indicated entry location. If entry is still impossible move 6 further away every turn until entry is possible. British Deployment 2nd RTR and 6th RTR are deployed in the areas indicated by the pink dashed lines. 1st Bn. KRRC, 4th RHA Support, and the 4th RHA batteries deploy east of ridgeline AB. 3 Troop B Squadron 11th Hussars may not start in the 2nd or 6th RTR s deployment zones and must start over 9 away from the nearest German stand 1

2 Air Support At the start of each player turn that side rolls d6. On a 6 a ground attack plane arrives carrying 1 Light GP Bomb attack a Ju 87A,B Stuka for the Germans and a Hurricane IIB for the British. Special Rules Game starts at 10am. The battle was oddly stilted and both sides had replenishment difficulties which slowed the tempo of the action. Turns therefore represent 1 hour. Victory Conditions Game Length: 10 Turns For a German victory there must be no British tanks to the west of ridgeline AB. British tanks touching the crest do not count as being to the west of it. If the Germans fail the British win. The British commander can feel extra chuffed if he has tanks west of the wire. Order of Battle German Combat Formations 3rd Panzer Reconnaissance Bn. (Good) 1 PaK 35/36 37mm ATG + 1 SdKfz 10 Tractor 1 7.5cm IeIG 18 Section + 1 Light Truck 2 Motorcycle MG Plt stands 1 Motorized Pioneer stand + 2 Light Trucks 1st Company (-) 1 recon SdKfz 222 2nd Motorcycle Company 3 Motorcyle Rifle stands 1st Bn., 5th Panzer Regt., 5th Light Div. (Good) 1st Company 3 Pz. IIIG (not the early model) 2nd Company 2 Pz. IIIG (not the early model) 4th Company 1 Pz. IVE 2nd Bn., 5th Panzer Regt., 5th Light Div. (Good) 1st Company 3 Pz. IIIG (not the early model) 2nd Company 2 Pz. IIIG (not the early model) 4th Company 2 Pz. IVE 5th Panzer Regt. Support, 5th Light Division (Good) 1 8.8cm Flak 18/36/ Light Truck 1 2cm Flak Light Truck German Artillery Support Groups 1st Battery, 75th Artillery Regt. (off-table) Availability Modifier: 2, Accuracy: cm lefh Light Truck British Combat Formations 2nd RTR, 7th Amd. Bgde., 7th Amd. Div. (Average) HQ + A Squadron 1 Cruiser Mk.I A9 2 Cruiser Mk.II A10 B & C Squadrons (combined) 3 Cruiser Mk.IV A13 Mk. II 6th RTR, 7th Amd. Bgde., 7th Amd. Div. (Fair) HQ + A Sqaudron 2 Crusader I-II C Squadron 2 Crusader I-II 1st Bn. KRRC, 7th Support Group (Average) A Company B Company C Company D Company 11th Hussars (-) (Average) 3 Troop of B Squadron 1 recce Marmon-Herrington II-III 4th RHA Support (Average) J (?) Battery 3rd RHA 3 2-pdr ATG portee Battery 1st LAA Regt. 3 40mm AAG + 3 Light Trucks 2

3 British Artillery Support Groups C Battery, 4th RHA (on-table) (Average) Availability Modifier: 1, Accuracy: pdr Mk II, Mk III FG + 2 Quad (C8 Arty. Tractor) F Battery, 4th RHA (on-table) (Average) Availability Modifier: 1, Accuracy: pdr Mk II, Mk III FG + 2 Quad (C8 Arty. Tractor) References The primary reference for the game was Tank Combat in North Africa by T. Jentz. Additional info from the 11th Hussars war diary: 3

4 I A 3rd Pz Rec 1/5th Pz Rgt 6th RTR Gap 46 3/B/11 Hus 1 Bn KRRC Gap 45 4th RHA 2nd RTR B C D SPT Support 5th Pz Rgt 2/5th Pz Rgt Road (Dirt) Low-Embanked Road (Dirt) High-Embanked Road (Dirt) Sunken Road (Dirt) Road (Paved) Low-Embanked Road (Paved) High-Embanked Road (Paved) Sunken Road (Paved) Stream River/Canal Path Hedgerow Low Crops Railroad Ridgeline High Crops Low-Embanked Railroad Hill Level 1 Rough High-Embanked Railroad Hill Level 2 Water Low Hedge Hill Level 3 Swamp High Hedge/ Dense Windbreak Cliff Low Stone Wall Light Woods High Stone Wall Heavy Woods Low Earthen Berm Forest Planted Low Earthen Berm Town Deployment Area Boundary N Surface Minefield Buried Minefield Dragon s Teeth Bridge Abatis Antitank Ditch Barbed Wire 4

5 A Fistful of TOWs 3 Scenario Data Sheet Vehicles, AT Guns, AA Guns, and On-Table Artillery Special AT Ammo Gun or Missile Indirect Fire Vehicle or Gun Period Points Move Armor Pen ROF Rng AI Pen ROF Rng Rng Ammo Equip Cap Notes German Pz. IA-B t mm MG Pz. IIC(mod) t mm/L55 R (Germany) Pz. IIIG t mm/L42 R (Germany) Pz. IVE jun t 3 A mm/L24 R (Germany) SdKfz w o - 20mm/L55 R (Germany) SdKfz 10 Tractor ht s Light Truck (German) w s PaK 35/36 37mm ATG x s f ½ 37mm/L45 R (Germany) 8.8cm Flak 18/36/ x s mm/L56 R AA (Germany) 2cm Flak x s mm/L65 R AA (Germany) 7.5cm leig 18 Section x s 4he hs f ½ 75mm/L12 R (Germany) British Cruiser Mk.I A t mm/L52 R 2-pdr (UK) Cruiser Mk.II A t mm/L52 R 2-pdr (UK) Cruiser Mk.IV A13 Mk. II t d - 40mm/L52 R 2-pdr (UK) Crusader I-II 41-aug t d - 40mm/L52 R 2-pdr (UK) Scout Carrier t fdo - 14mm/L65 R Boys ATR (UK) mm MG Marmon-Herrington II-III w d - 14mm/L65 R Boys ATR (UK) mm MG Light Truck (British) w s Quad (C8 Arty. Tractor) w s pdr ATG portee 40-aug w s r - 40mm/L52 R 2-pdr (UK) 40mm AAG x s mm/L56 R AA (Sweden) 25-pdr Mk II, Mk III FG 41-jun x s 4he hsc mm/L28 R 25-pdr (UK) Infantry ----Anti-Infantry LAW MAW SAM Infantry Stand Type Period Points Move AI ROF Rng Pen ROF Rng Pen ROF Rng Pen ROF Rng Equip Cap Notes (LAW/MAW) German Motorcycle Rifle 41-Jul w +1 3 / 4 4 2he 1 C Improvised/None Motorcycle MG Plt 40-jul w +1 (2 / 3) 6 2he 1 C Improvised/None Motorized Pioneer / 4 4 2he 1 C Improvised/None British Motor Infantry mar41-jun / 4 4 4h 1 C AT R-Gr/Boys AT Rifle Artillery Support Groups Ammo Avail. Accuracy Fire Units Rolled Each Turn # of Fire Expended Gun Support Group Name Caliber Types Mod. Number MRL Stand Type Units Fire Units 10.5cm lefh mm hs

THE PIMPLE YOUR ORDERS PREPARING FOR BATTLE

THE PIMPLE YOUR ORDERS PREPARING FOR BATTLE THE PIMPLE BEDA FOMM, LIBYA, 6 th FEBRUARY 1941: After their crushing defeats at their camps near the Egyptian border and at Bardia and Tobruk the Italian 10 th Army was in full retreat. But, units of