Contents Introduction 4 Montgomery in the Desert 5 Orders of Battle 8th Army Brtish Division 7 Page British and Commonwealth Infantry Division 12 British Tank Units at El Alamein 14 Panzer Army Afrika* German Panzer Division 20 German Light Afrika Division 24 German Ramcke Brigade 28 Italian Division 29 Italian Motorised Infantry Division 33 Italian Infantry Division 34 Italian Folgore Parachute Division 35 Alamein Rules 37 Tactics and Formations 40 Scenarios Himeimat - Delaying Rommel 31 st August 1942 47 Alam Halfa - The Turning Point 31 st August 1942 50 Lightfoot - Desert D-Day 23 rd October 1942 54 Naqb Rala - Foreign Legion v Folgore 23 rd October 1942 59 Snipe - Anti-Tank Epic 27 th October 1942 62 The Saucer - Holding 'The Thumb' 31 st October 1942 67 Bir el Abd - Ariete's Last Stand 5 th November 1942 71 Nofilia - Rommel at Bay 17 th December 1942 75 Gaming Guide 77 Useful Reading * Renamed the German-Italian Panzer Army from 25 th October 1942. The famous Deutsche Afrika Korps (DAK) officially commanded only the two panzer divisions, but it was often used to describe all German troops. 82 Page 3
Think of the W.W.II Western Desert Campaign and three names immediately spring to mind: Rommel, Montgomery and El Alamein. Rommel's fame was founded on nearly a year and a half of brilliant mobile campaigning before Montgomery took command of 8th Army in August 1942. Yet less than three months after his arrival, General Bernard Law Montgomery had routed Rommel's German- Italian Panzer Army at El Alamein and become Britain's most celebrated general of W.W.II. Surprisingly, for most wargamers the Battle of El Alamein Britain's first major victory of the war and its last without its American allies is largely unexplored territory, as are the other desert battles fought between Rommel and the British general who became better known as 'Monty'. This book aims to give Rapid Fire players the information and inspiration to build and command the forces that fought in Monty's desert battles. This period of the war in North Africa featured sweeping mobile attacks, stubborn delaying actions, attritional assaults against prepared positions and desperate counterattacks. It was characterized by the large scale deployment of minefields as battlefield obstacles by both sides and the development of the means to pierce them. Many new weapons were introduced for the first time, including Sherman tanks, self-propelled field artillery and more powerful towed and self-propelled anti-tank guns. New organisations were also introduced on both sides from divisional to company level and amongst the desert newcomers were the Highland Division and elite German and Italian parachutists. John Sandars - pioneer wargamer To me the ultimate W.W.II desert wargamer was the late John Sandars. Way back in the 1970s he devised his own rules, created huge armies of scratch-built vehicles and plastic figures and wrote an inspiring series of wargamingfocused articles on 8th Army for Airfix Magazine. John researched every detail of the later desert campaign, but most of his games set in late '42/early '43 - were fictitious and his armies were only based on historical units, allowing him to include vehicles such as the Kingsforce Churchills, Vickers AA tanks and American halftracks captured at Kasserine. In this spirit his 8th Army force was commanded by Brigadier Gore-Blimey and its opponents by General von Bludengutz. Introduction How to Use this Book Experienced Rapid Fire gamers will doubtless dip in and out of the contents, but for those of you new to the Rapid Fire format I suggest you first read the brief historical background that follows, referring to the maps on the inside covers, and then move on through the following sections. Orders of Battle This section gives the organisations of British, Commonwealth, German and Italian units from divisional to company level in graphic format. The scale is the standard Rapid Fire ratio of 1:5 for vehicles/guns and 1:15 for infantry, but players who want to use divisional-sized forces can increase this to approximately 1:15 for vehicles and 1:45 for infantry by dividing the size of the divisional units by 3. This means that a reduced scale British armoured division has only one armoured regiment, a motor company, a lorried infantry battalion and a single field artillery regiment, plus 'shrunken' anti-tank, anti-aircraft and engineer units. See the Alamein Rules and Scenarios sections for more information and examples. The organisation tables are based on those in operation for the Battle of El Alamein in October 1942 with variations given for earlier and later actions. Apart from common terms such as 'bersaglieri' and 'panzergrenadier' all unit descriptions are in English. Alamein Rules To help capture the feel of the period this section provides new and modified rules covering everything from flanking shots to Alamein minefields. Tactics and Formations This section explains the basic tactics of the period, with diagrams of some key movement and attack formations adapted to Rapid Fire ratios. Scenarios Eight scenarios span Monty's desert campaign, each including historical background, battle map, objectives, additional special rules and forces. The latter refer back to the orders of battle section, removing or adding elements as required to match unit strengths in each battle (i.e. 'Remove 2 x Crusader' or 'Add 81mm mortar and crew'). Game Guide Finally, this section gives ideas for more scenarios and tips on modelling terrain, figures and vehicles. These armies were amassed at a time when only a few Airfix plastic kits were available and the bulk of his vehicles were based on the 1/87th scale Roco Minitanks range, or scratch-built using materials like balsa, cardboard and even shirt buttons! John Sandars was also a talented modeller and author and sadly died aged just 41. This book was inspired by his model making and writing. Acknowledgements I would like to thank: John Durston for his play testing skills and numerous book loans; Dave Tuck for play testing and the loan of key books and Fighting French vehicles; Alan McCoubrey for additional research and being a font of all knowledge, and Colin Rumford for even more book loans, his graphic design skills and inspiration. My appreciation also goes to any other gamers who gave information or playing time to this project. Finally, thanks yet again to my long suffering wife Jo who lost me to the desert for three years! Page 4
Montgomery in the Desert The Road to Alamein After British victories in Operation Crusader at the end of 1941 Rommel turned the tables in January, driving 8th Army back into Egypt and the Gazala Line. In May 1942 he struck again, precipitating headlong retreat and the loss of Tobruk. In late June the Commander-in-Chief Middle East, General Auchinleck, took direct command of 8th Army. He planned to stop Rommel at the Alamein 'bottleneck' 150 miles west of Cairo, where just 40 miles of rock and sand separated the Mediterranean in the north from the impassable Quattara Depression to the south. First Alamein - The Battle for Eygpt On July 1st Rommel attacked Auchinleck's incomplete Alamein line, but was swiftly halted and counterattacked by 8th Army until both sides disengaged and fell back to strengthen their defences. After First Alamein supply improved and Rommel realised a breakthrough was still possible if he struck before 8th Army grew too strong. 1940, to the 3rd Infantry Division in France. Arrogant and opinionated, he was nevertheless a dedicated professional and 'soldier's general' who insisted that his men knew what they were risking their lives for. No dashing Rommel or Patton, he never fully came to terms with the use of armour, but in North Africa his meticulous preparations led to a string of victories. Study the individual soldier. Create the atmosphere of success. Morale means everything. - Montgomery Alam el Halfa - Monty's First Battle Montgomery quickly instilled his steely confidence into the 'brave but baffled' 8th Army. Using Auchinleck's planning as a basis he prepared for a wholly defensive battle to counter the expected Axis assault. The armies faced each other across a heavily mined line stretching from the sea to the Quattara Depression, but with only four divisions available there were insufficient troops for 8th Army to man it completely. Enter Montgomery Despite Auchinleck's success Churchill was convinced that 8th Army needed new leadership to achieve victory. He insisted that the veteran corps commander, Gott, took command of 8th Army, with Auchinleck replaced by General Alexander. However, when Gott was killed the job went to the second choice: Montgomery. 'Monty' A bishop's son whose mother made his childhood a misery, Montgomery defiantly pursued a military career, being wounded and winning the DSO during World War 1. As a staff officer he developed his forte as a trainer, rewriting the Infantry Training Manual in the 1930s. Command of a regiment in Palestine led to a brigade and eventually, in Rommel s Plan Rommel decided to launch his second drive to the Nile at the end of August. He had far more tanks than in July and his depleted infantry had been reinforced by the Ramcke Parachute Brigade and German 164th Light Afrika and Italian Folgore Parachute Divisions. In total he had eleven divisions available. Using his tried and tested 'right hook', Rommel's German armour would plunge through the enemy's defences at a weak point and exploit to the rear, severing supply lines and isolating the bulk of 8th Army. Montgomery's Plan Montgomery ordered a strictly defensive posture for his units, with infantry divisions defending behind the twin minefields in the north and tanks and infantry holding the Alam el Halfa Infantry and a 6 pdr portee from 51st Highland Division prepare to assault a 90th Light Afrika Division rearguard dug in on El Neb, just east of Tripoli in January 21st 1943. The attack on 'Edinburgh Castle' as the Scots named it, was typical of the numerous actions - large and small - that were fought during the pursuit* after El Alamein; giving lots of scope for 'typical' fictitious scenarios (*see page 4). Page 5
Ridge to their left flank and rear. 7th Division in the south would provide a mobile defence aimed at delaying the Axis advance. The Battle When Rommel struck on August 31st the delaying action and a shortage of fuel forced his panzers to take a direct course to Alam el Halfa to stay on schedule. Here they were repelled by the British and forced back on to a defensive footing behind the minefields. 8th Army morale sky rocketed after this resounding victory, but Montgomery was more circumspect. The failure of both a tank raid before the battle (Operation Bulimba) and Operation Beresford - an attempt to cut off Rommel's retreat after Alam el Halfa - convinced him that 8th Army was a fragile tool that desperately needed intensive training if it was to truly rout the 'Desert Fox'. You must have the will to win: it is more important to fight well when things are going badly than when things are going well. - Montgomery El Alamein - Monty's Crowning Glory Victory at Alam el Halfa enabled Montgomery to resist Churchill's demands and delay the date of his great offensive until a full moon gave the most favourable conditions. The Battle of El Alamein would commence on October 23rd with a night assault on an unprecendented scale. To achieve this, new mineclearing and artillery techniques were devised and intensive training undertaken, whilst a massive deception programme aimed to dupe Axis intelligence. These factors, plus complete tactical integration of the Desert Air Force and a huge build up of men and materials, put 8th Army at the peak of readiness. The Defences The regular sinking of Italian oil tankers left Axis forces short of fuel, so with largely immobile reinforcements Rommel created a static line in depth across the Alamein 'bottleneck'. Thousand of mines were laid to create huge mine 'marshes' dotted with mutually supporting infantry positions and backed by artillery and tanks. The Plan Montgomery thought that the battle would last for 12 days, but the initial assault - 'Lightfoot' - still aimed to break through the Axis defences in a single night. The main attack would be in the north, with Leese's multi-national XXX Corps advancing against positions held by Axis infantry. Minefield task forces would clear gaps behind the infantry to allow infantry tanks and support weapons to join them on their objective, ready to resist counterattacks. The gaps would then be widened, allowing two armoured divisions to advance beyond the infantry to draw out and destroy the Axis tank force. Unbeknown to Montgomery, all of this would be aided by Rommel's absence. He would be receiving medical treatment in Germany when 8th Army attacked. Operation Lightfoot Following the famous '1,000' (actually just over 800) gun Alamein artillery barrage, XXX Corps' infantry battalions advanced doggedly to secure their objectives. However, in some sectors they fell short and the gapping process took longer than expected, leaving the armour unable to break out and achieve their objectives by dawn. To the south the Fighting French failed to secure high ground overlooking 7th Division's diversionary assault and the 'Desert Rats' failed to get much further than the first Axis minefield. Their attack was eventually called off to avoid excessive losses. Crumbling The battle now fell into a 'crumbling' phase, nibbling away at the Axis defences to secure the last infantry objectives and edge the tanks forward into open ground. The most significant action - Snipe - took place on October 27th after two motor battalions drove into enemy territory to provide anti-tank support for an advance by 1st Division. The outcome significantly reduced the strength of Rommel's armour, but still meeting strong resistance and with dwindling numbers of infantry, Montgomery decided to switch the assault to the coast, using the relatively unscathed Australian 9th Division. This succeeded in drawing enemy armour and Rommel's personal attention away from the sector just two miles to the south where Operation Supercharge - the final breakthrough - was being prepared. Supercharge On November 2nd another huge barrage lit the skies as 2nd New Zealand Division led a night attack against the makeshift Axis defence line. This time the infantry met all its objectives and the New Zealand Division s Brigade passed through, only for its advance to be smashed by an anti-tank gun line. A large tank battle ensued and at the end the Axis still held, but with catastrophic losses. Two more days of probing attacks finally led to a fracture in the line and the German - Italian Panzer Army began its long retreat. There are only two answers to most military problems: one of them is wrong - Montgomery The Pursuit- Montgomery's lost opportunity When it was finally clear that Rommel had started to withdraw 8th Army was surprisingly unprepared and the 'Corps de Chasse' that Montgomery had planned to lead the pursuit was slow to assemble and struggled to negotiate the congested minefield gaps. The Italian Ariete Division delayed 7th Division with a stubborn rearguard action and a series of 'hops' along the coast road managed to cut off some Axis units, but not the bulk of the retreating force. Into Libya Hampered by winter rain, the effects of the long battle and a lengthy pursuit, Montgomery decided to rest and reconstitute his battered divisions, sending armoured car 'Jock Columns' into Cyrenaica to keep the enemy on the move and under observation. When a serious stand seemed to be materialising at El Agheila Montgomery built up a large force to mount a formal attack, only to find that the Desert Fox had melted away over night. At Nofilia another rearguard was swept aside by the New Zealanders. After a brief stand at Beurat Rommel pulled back again and on January 23rd 8th Army entered the Libyan capital Tripoli. Here a victory parade was finally held and the victors took a deep breath before the next stage of their journey: the advance into Tunisia. Page 6
British 8 th Army (August 1942 - January 1943) Division/Brigade HQ 6 figures, Dingo scout car, Dorchester ACV, command tank British 8 th Army Division (1 st, 7 th and 10 th ) Divisional HQ Brigade (some divisions had two. See pages 13-15) Motor Battalion Lorried Infantry or Motor Brigade With three divisions available, the all-british armoured force under Montgomery reached its peak strength at the Battle of El Alamein. Only the 7th and 10th were available at Alam el Halfa and the 10th was withdrawn before the start of the pursuit. The introduction of the Sherman tank just prior to El Alamein transformed the firepower of 1st and 10th Divisions and shocked their opponents in the first clashes. Lorried Lorried Infantry Infantry or Motor or Motor Battalion Battalion Supporting Artillery Anti-Tank Other Units Anti- Aircraft Car Lorried Infantry or Motor Battalion 3 or 4 Artillery s 2 x Field Squadrons (engineers) Minefield Task Force Top: The CO gets his mug of char alongside the Command Vehicle (ACV). Above: An armoured division (or brigade) HQ. The CO s charger varied between units. See pages 12-16. Page 7
al HQ CO: Grant command (37mm/75mm), Recce troop: 2 x Dingo scout car (VMG), Attached: Stuart OP (37mm) C Squadron 3 x Sherman II (75mm) Light Aid Detachment Scammel breakdown truck A Echelon (Supply) 2 x 3 ton truck A Squadron 2 x Crusader II (2 pdr), Crusader III (6 pdr) B Squadron 3 x Grant (37mm/75mm) Attached Motor Company (from Motor Battalion) 10 figures, anti-tank rifle, MMG, Bren carrier, 2 x 15 cwt truck, Anti-tank platoon: 3 figures, 6 pdr anti-tank gun, 3 ton portee Variations for Alam el Halfa (August/September 1942) Replace Shermans with Grants. Crusaders are all MkII (2 pdr) or replace with Stuarts Above is a typical armoured regiment for the Battle of El Alamein and the pursuit. See pages 12 16 for historical examples. One Grant may be replaced by an M3 Lee. Shermans may be Mk II (cast hull, and most common at El Alamein) or Mk III (welded, and the most common replacement during and after the battle). Right: A motor company MMG and crew. Below: A motor company deployed in cover. Page 8