4th Armoured Brigade vs the Babini Armoured Group

24 January 1941

In this battle, the 7th Hussars are probing ahead of 4th Armoured Brigade as it advances to cut the Derna–Mechili track. Attacking the other way are elements of the Babini Group consisting of the Italian LX Light Tank Battalion and the III Medium Tank Battalion. As the forces clash, both sides call for reinforcements.

Dunes: Broken Ground – a unit moves at half-speed.

Rock Piles: Difficult Ground – a unit entering difficult ground loses its Fixed Move, and its Variable Move is reduced by half.

Deployment Zones

The Commonwealth Deployment Zone extends from the table edge to the centre of the table.

The Italian Deployment Zone extends from the table edge and 12″ into the table.

Flank Zones are 12″ wide and extend from one table edge to the other.

Deployment

The Commonwealth Player deploys his Blinds first, followed by the Italian Player.

First Turn

Each side rolls their Command Dice. The side which rolls the most 6s etc has the First Command Pulse.

Victory and Defeat

The battle continues until one side suffers a Morale Collapse.

Desert War scenario played at the Guildford Wargames Club last week. Imagine A9s and A10s were still plentiful when the Afrika Korps arrived, and were used in an attack to occupy an important ridge. The few PzIIIs proved potent, though a few were forced back behind the crest. There was an overrun of some reckless Tommies by PZIIs, but a foothold was gained on the objective in the end thanks to a powerful armoured attack on the right flank. Everyone enjoyed this one, though it was a bit of a ‘learning’ game for most players. They want to play again in a couple of weeks.

End of turn fire disperses the Soviet anti-tank rifle platoon (-1 Morale) dropping the Soviets to 1 Morale.

Further heavy fire fails to disperse the Soviet rifles.

The Germans fire again but fail to disperse any Soviet platoons.

After surviving the German fire, the Soviets win a Major Victory with 1 Morale!

The Soviets decide to play safe and regroup three platoons.

End of Command Pulse.