By the time of Operation Brevity, Commonwealth units are no longer classed as veterans. Following the success of Operation Compass, many veteran units were transferred to Greece where they mauled by the advancing Germans and forced to evacuate to Crete leaving most of their equipment behind. New units from Great Britain did not benefit from the extensive training enjoyed by the original Western Desert Group.
Mk VIb Light Tank
Fast and lightly armoured, MK VIb tanks are armed with two machine guns making them effective against infantry and lightly armoured vehicles, but ineffective against more heavily armoured vehicles. Use Break Off to get it out of trouble.
Training: Regular
Move: Fast
Reliability: Poor
Reaction: 3D
Weapon: Machine Guns
- Range: 6/12/24
- FP: 6D AT: –
Notes: Recon. Break-off. Anti-armour machine gun.
A10 Cruiser Mk II
Originally designed as an infantry tank version of the A9, the A10 had the twin machine gun turrets removed and was fitted with extra armour. Slower than the A9, the A10 lacks the heavy armour of the A12 Matilda II infantry tank and was reclassified as a heavy cruiser.
Training: Regular
Move: Slow
Reliability: Poor
Reaction: 4D
Weapon: 2-Pounder Gun
- Range: 6/12/24
- FP: 5D AT: 6D
Notes: No High Explosive ammunition.
A13 Cruiser Mk III
Fitted with the Christie suspension and a larger engine, the A13 is as well armoured as the A10, but moves as a fast tank.
Training: Regular
Move: Fast
Reliability: Poor
Reaction: 4D
Weapon: 2-Pounder Gun
- Range: 6/12/24
- FP: 5D AT: 6D
Notes: No High Explosive ammunition.
A13 Close Support Tank
The A13 close support tank provides smoke screen cover and high explosive fire from its 3” howitzer. It may use direct and indirect fire.
Training: Regular
Move: Fast
Reliability: Poor
Reaction: 4D
Weapon: 3” howitzer
- Range: 10/20/40
- FP: 6D AT: 3D
Notes: Close support (explained in the next post).
A15 Crusader I Mk VI
The Crusader 1 has better armour than the A13, but this reduces its speed to average. It is just as unreliable as all early war British tanks.
Training: Regular
Move: Average
Reliability: Poor
Reaction: 5D
Weapon: 2-Pounder Gun
- Range: 6/12/24
- FP: 5D AT: 6D
Notes: No High Explosive ammunition.
A12 Matilda Mk II
Heavily armoured and slow moving, the Matilda II was dubbed the “Queen of the Desert” by its crews. Resistant to most enemy anti-tank gun fire, the Matilda suffers from a lack of HE ammunition.
Training: Regular
Move: Slow
Reliability: Poor
Reaction: 6D
Weapon: 2-Pounder Gun
- Range: 6/12/24
- FP: 5D AT: 6D
Notes: No High Explosive ammunition.
Off-Table Artillery
25-pounder Battery
The Ordnance QF 25-pounder (87.6 mm) equips the armoured divisions with effective off-table artillery.
Type: Light Off-table Artillery
Training: Regular
Move: —
Reaction: —
Weapon: 25-pounder
Range: Off-Table
FP: 3D AT: 3D
Notes: Artillery Suppression
