The Diary of Herr Wüstenfuchs

[Horseman]

12:00 (5)
The most northern strong-point in our area of operations is close to falling. The Australian infantry is caught still trying to regroup and wiped out


The Defenders of Ras El Mdauuar are scattered by a concentrated assault. With our infantry busy clearing a built up area I have ordered my Panzers to clear the path to Giaida. Accordingly they engage and destroy the anti-tank guns suffering few loses in return. My recon units move forward and report our final objective to be lightly held, the British must have concentrated the majority of their defenders on the outer ring


The Italians (with my German AT guns in support) manage to knock out the second group of Matilda tanks as well as another strong point. They have however totally ignored their set objective and punched a hole though the defensive line adjacent. They are also failign to make good headway towards the final objective at Giaida! I have reiterated the need for them to occupy the objective area


Brescia division have allowed themselves to enter the killing fields close to an enemy strong-point, luckily they give a good account of themselves


Australian artillery near Ras El Mdauuar shell the area catching elements of the 5th divisions infantry in the blasts

[Horseman]

13:00 (6)
The Northern strong-point has been destroyed.

Ras El Mdauuar has been secured by the 5th division and the Australian artillery destroyed. I have ordered supply trucks to head to the front as my infantry is badly in need of supply


My reconnaissance units have made a preliminary report of the defences at Giaida


The Dingo recon battalion is shattered by my Panzers as we begin to encircle our last objective


I believe my forward forces will be enough to defeat the weak forces defending Giaida and capture the objective so I have sent orders to those in and around Ras El Mdauuar to neutralise the remaining strong-points in the area. This includes the Bersaglieri Regiment left holding my centre


Ariete division has been ordered to secure the southern objective and made some headway


With the need for the Italians in the north now greatly diminished I have ordered Brescia division to begin neutralising strong-points to the south of Ras El Mdauuar


The Australians prove their courage once more as they launch a counter attack at Giaida but my men hold fast


Perhaps sensing their impeding doom the British have launched another attack out of one of their strong-points

It might not always be the wisest thing to do but I don't like leaving enemy units alive...the xp gained form killing the forts will be useful. I'll use auxillary units to soak up damage where possible and do every thing possible to reduce core step loses but ultimately I can use normal replacements between scenarios if needed and while the net xp gain may be zero (or close to it) I gain kills to speed up gaining hero's

[Horseman]

14:00 (7)
Heavy fighting around Giaida in the past hour has seen the destruction of an Australian infanty battalion and the Australian artillery reduced to a handful of scattered survivors. The British heavy weapon battalion is now almost completely surroned and I expect to receive reports soon of their surrender


another strong-point has been overrun and the 2nd and 8th machine gun battalions receive fresh supplies


Ariete division secures their objective but the majority of my Italian forces need to pause while the supply trucks catch up. I am surprised as with their lack of progress I hadn't realised they'd actually been fighting...


The trapped British battalion surprises me with their stubborn refusal to see that their position is hopeless. In a desperate attack they manage to knock out some Panzer IIs


May 1st 1941 08:00 (8)
The last defenders of Giaida are eliminated and with them gone the final objective is mine. All that is left is the moping up of remaining commonwealth forces and the elimination of their strong-points


Another strong-point destroyed in the west


Machine gun battalion 2 link up with Brescia division and eliminate another strong-point


And Ariete division is also making good progress


My Flamm Panzer company lose most of their remaining tanks but do manage to inflict casualties on their attackers

[Horseman]

May 1st 09:00-14:00 (9-15)

The remainder of the day was spent mopping up. Both anti-tank battalions near Giaida were destroyed and a total of ten strong-points neutralised.

This came at a cost of 1 grenadier and 1 anti-tank strength point from my core (as well as numerous points from auxiliary units with one pioneer being totally destroyed) In my opinion a worthwhile trade especially as I was awarded 500 prestige (I only got half due to Rommel difficulty setting) for destroying all the strong-points, a totally unexpected bonus!

An hour after the last strong-point was destroyed I received a message from high command


And shortly after the assault was deemed a success




I also received a communication directly from Berlin advising me that two formations under my command have been awarded campaign honours


I am now able to rest and my forces regroup and rearm.

All in all not too bad a scenario which despite some weaknesses I'm not used to and some blunders on my part I managed a DV. I managed to not spend any prestige at all which means I have quite a bit going in to the next scenario. The lack of air hampered me as I'm used to having lots of it, if I continue with my plan to have a smallish air-force then this is something I will have to get used to! I was also struggling with my lack of artillery (2 core and 2 aux) I'm used to suppressing tough targets utterly then bringing in the big hitters for the kill. To compensate I had to make good use of the mass attack bonus which is something else I haven't made massive use of in the past so its all good to learn new strats and ways to play. Oh and I normally try not to use aux units as I'd rather get the kills/xp for my core but again with a lack of air/artillery I really had to use these guys to soak up damage especially with those tough forts.

The Panzer IIs really are too weak so will have to go for the next scenario (I'd rather get a Pz III for its value against hard targets but for role play purposes it'll be a Pz IV) and I will need a bomber or two (probably a fighter bomber 1st so as to be able to take care of itself and support my limited fighters) I'm not sure how much of a benefit upgrading the Italian infantry was in this one as most (all?) of their attacks were against hard targets and a boost from 1 to 2 probably didn't help too much, the prestige would probably have been better spent upgrading my artillery as the 105mm jobs really struggled to hurt those strong-points. Upgrading my anti-tanks really paid of though as these babies (along with the 2 aux ones) really tore up the strong-points.

Tactically I should not have allowed myself to get distracted up north taking out strong-points that were not in a position to hamper me before I had secured the objectives. I got lucky as if they had been better protected my limited force that went east could well have struggled badly. Also in the south I almost missed the Italians objective hex and was ready to push north/west with them before I realised! A sit turns out things were OK and it left my forces in position to mop up methodically without too much danger but in later scenarios mistakes like these could prove disastrous!

[LandMarine47]

So where are we off to next in the wonderful deserts of Libya? I wonder if that new general Montgomery is in charge now

[Horseman]

So where are we off to next in the wonderful deserts of Libya? I wonder if that new general Montgomery is in charge now

Not yet...I Monty won't arrive to take command of the 8th army until 1942 I believe....on the other hand I don't think the 8th army actually exists yet a sit wasn't "created" until sept/October 1941 if my memory serves me correctly

[Horseman]

May 10th 1941
Following the successful breaching of Tobruks outer defences the Afrikakorps has been pulled back from the front line to allow us to rest and refit. My formations are back to combat strength and we have are ready to resume the assault.

May 12th 1941
Today Johannes Streich had reported that the 5th Light division has received some equipment upgrades.
2nd Panzer battalion has been supplied with enough Panzer IVEs to replace their obsolete Panzer IIs
1st Panzer battalion has been retrofitted with new armoured skirts giving them much better protection (Panzer IIIH)
The 10.5cm guns of their artillery battalion have been replaced with 15cm version
Further more we have received enough new Half-tracks to mount our artillery and 39th Panzerjager battalions.

May 14th 1941
The guns of the Italian Brescia division have been replaced with 149mm pieces which will help immensely with our assault on the well fortified defenders of Tobruk.
Further more Rome has issued orders for a new squadron of Bombers to be assigned to the 10th Fliegerkorp.

Brevity

05:00 May 15th 1941
I was woken today with urgent information


Within minutes I had my officers organise the men ready to meet this new threat. No more units of the 15th Panzer division have reached our position so it is unlikely that they will arrive in time to help me stall this offensive though I am advised that the transport ships continue to arrive in port.

Johannes did provide me with some good news


The 101st squadron are reputed to be ace Tank busters as well as being competent air to air combatants so their assignment to the 10th Fliegerkorps is most welcome and also shows that High Command do place some value on my operations here.

More news arrived from Berlin before I'd even finished breakfast


The Kradschutzen are an infantry battalion mounted entirely on motor bikes..I am informed the first of these units has already deployed to meet the British offensive and High Command is interested in my assessment of their viability.
The Panzer II has now been withdrawn as a front line tank (about time) as the new F model is better configured for a reconnaissance role.
The Wurfrahmen 40 mounts rockets on a mobile chassis. I am interested in the amount of suppression these beasts could lay on static infantry but I fear I am unlikely to see any deployed in Africa for some time.
The Piaggio P.108 is a good quality level bomber from our Italian allies. Reports indicate in may even be superior to anything we can build ourselves! It is indeed good news then that the first equipped squadron has been assigned to German command.

Prestige spending:
Elite reinforcements for 7 units = 348p (Any unit that would lose a level of experience got elite plus both my fighters)
PzII > PzIVE = 319p
PzIIIG > PzIIIH =27p (could/should have done this last scenario but forgot)
10.5cm art > 15cm + half tracks =179p
105mm art > 149mm = 79p
Bf110D > Bf110D = 16p (my new SE unit)
5cm Paks > half tracks = 100p
Purchase new Piaggio P.108 = 426p

Total cost = 1494p leaving me with 123p!

Well I thought I had a ton of prestige but as it turns out it was only really just enough and I still haven't used any over strength points. I was hoping to get a PzIII as a SE unit but am happy with what I got, I didn't even realise air units were possible! If I hadn't destroyed all the forts and bagged myself an extra 500p last scenario I would have struggled once again to upgrade everything I wanted and kept myself from dulling the fighting experience of my troops with normal replacements.

07:00
As I review sketchy reports from the forward units my Korp deploys

Ariete and Brescia divisions supported by 2nd Panzer battalion of the 15th Panzer division will advance south parallel with the coast. The will pass though Fort Capuzzo and secure Sollum and Halfaya pass. If the oppurtunity presents itself they may also be sent eastwards to secure us some forward air bases.

The 5th light division will sweep through the desert to engage any and all British forces found. They will reinforce and secure points 208 and 206 before redeploying to act as a strategic reserve in case my Italian divisions fail to hold the forward line. The 5th will also perform a reconnaissance of the areas around Sidi Omar and Sidi Suleiman. If resistance is light they will secure both these towns.

Already deployed to the area is a battalion of recently formed Kradschutzen. They have deployed with my Italian divisions to help with reconnaissance duties. There is also a regiment of poorly equipped Italian infantry nearby but I do not hold out much hope for their use.

Sidi Azeiz is garrisoned by a German infantry battalion though they are reserve forces and I do not expect them to take part in too much heavy fighting. One the 5th has passed their postion they will act as a rear guard.

Point 208 is manned by a lone German infantry company while point 206 has a company of 3.7cm Paks. I expect these forces to come under attack before we can get to them so I send orders that they must hold at all costs.

A German recon company is stationed in Fort Capuzzo and despite reports of the elite British Long Range Desert Group being seen in the area I expect them to hold.

Sollum is held by some Italian infantry and Halfaya pass by Italian anti-tank guns. Orders are sent ordering these units to hold at all cost but I have little faith......

[Horseman]

08:00 (1)
The battalion holding Sidi Azeiz come under attack by some British Cruiser tanks but holds for now


The Garrison at Fort Capuzzo comes under attack by a superior force but hold their ground. Meanwhile the forward defenders at points 208 and 206 are forced back with heavy casualties, there may be no chance to save them but I order them to stand fast


The Italians against all expectations hold Sollum against a determined British attack. More in line with my expectations we have lost all contact with the defenders of Halfaya pass and we assume they have been lost. The last garbled communication from the position mentioned Matilda tanks


With the Kradschutzen battalion scouting ahead my Italian divisions advance hoping to reach fort Capuzzo before it falls


The 5th light division advances to bolster the defenders at Sidi Azeiz and call in an air strike. The newly arrived 101st squadron prove their reputation by knocking out many British Cruiser tanks, the 181st shoot up some tucks and the Italian Tempesto squadron sow panic through the advancing British


09:00 (2)
Disturbing reports from my Italian commanders, they are asking for air support after being strafed by several Hurricane squadrons. Luckily no damage was caused


Further south we have lost contact with the fort Capuzzo garrison and assume they destroyed and the Kradschutzen battalion comes under attack from some British infantry mounted in Bren carriers. They take heavy casualties but hold their ground.
As I expected Sollum has fallen


I must re-evaluate my assessment of the Sidi Aziez holding battalion as they manage to destroy the attacking armour though fully half the battalion has been lost in action


The 181st and Stormo squadrons answer the call for air support downing half the attacking Hurricanes for only light loses


The 5th division surges forward. Machine gun battalion 2 forces the engineers to fall back in disarray allowing our armoured cars to finish them off. British artillery and anti-tank guns are caught still limbered and are annihilated. More anti-tank guns and some Cruiser tanks are also forced to fall back with heavy loses


The Kradschutzen move around the flanks and spot more British troops moving up. 132nd Ariete and 15th Panzer divisions engage and destroy the British Bren carriers

[Horseman]

10:00 (3)
Ariete division comes under artillery fire and loses several tanks. The Panzers of 15th division ambushed a British Dingo recon battalion inflicting heavy loses. Scattered radio signals from the Kradschutzen battalion indicate they are under heavy attack from the British. I order their withdrawal shortly before all contact is lost. Brescia Division caught in transit takes heavy casualties from another Dingo battalion and the RAF Hurricanes


In the west the British hold position to regroup and bring up more artillery

Once more the 181st and Stormo squadrons pounce on their enemy destroying their foe


The 5th Division advanced destroying the British Cruiser tanks and the artillery battalion moving up. The anti-tank guns prove more resilient and fall back with heavy loses


Brescia and Ariete divisions destroy the elite LRDG and with help from 15th Panzer the two Dingo battalions. Lorries towing Bofor flak guns have been forced to turn back


11:00 (4)
The British show utter disdain for the Italians and remain mounted in trucks as they move close to the battle line. They show more respect to the 5th Division, attempting to hold the line they reinforce with more anti-tank guns and another Dingo battalion


None the less the 5th advanced destroying all three British battalions opposing them and should secure the recapture of point 708 soon. The recon battalion heads south to scout for enemy formations


The British infantry and flak battalions were quickly destroyed by my Italian troops and fort Capuzzo recaptured. Heavy British tanks spotted to the south and the 101st go into action

[Horseman]

12:00 (5)
The British Matilda battalions hammer into Ariete division knocking out many of their tanks but they do hold position and punish the British in return. More battalions are seen moving up


5th division strike back destroying a British anti-tank battalion in trucks and with heavy air support obliterate one of the Matilda battalions (albeit the weaker of the two) The 101st cause some damage to the other. The forward British infantry is driven back and destroyed.


13:00 (6)
More British Hurricanes appear attacking 15th Panzer. Orders are sent to our fighter squadrons “engage and destroy”
The Matilda battalion attempt to prevent themselves from being surrounded by attacking the 1st Panzer battalion 5th division but fail to force their way through. British heavy weapons battalion seen moving up

181st and Stormo squadrons once more engage the RAF but this time need to call in the 101st to help, the Hurricanes are destroyed but both Luftwaffe squadrons take loses.


The 101st return to base to rearm and refuel.

The last Matilda battalion proves most resilient. Practically everything nearby throws all we have at them expending countless ammunition to take them out and even then they almost survived...almost (units marked with blue dots all attacked the Matildas) Only the Panzer IV battalions did not take part in the combined assault and instead punished the British infantry


Sidi Omar is seen to be empty of enemy troops so I order the recon battalion to recapture the town with the 8th Machine gun battalion moving down in support

[Horseman]

14:00 (7)
The British heavy weapon battalion regroups and reinforces to full strength though they are still in some disorder


Both British infantry battalions are crushed and 15th Panzer approaches Sollum engaging an artillery battalion near the city. Point 206 is captured and my forces advance on Halfaya pass. A lone battalion of Scots Guards stands in my way


In the south we move closer to Sidi Suleiman and encounter no resistance


08:00 May 16th 1941 (8)
I can see why Scots are considered good combat troops. They have flung themselves at 605th Panzerjager battalion and caused massive damage.
The 25pdr artillery have redeployed to Sollum and prepared for direct engagement


Both objectives are secured by my forces and I order my Panzers to push east


Sidi Suleiman captured for no loss.

09:00 May 17th 1941 (9-16)
The past day has been spent scouting for British forces and finding only a lone Vickers tank battalion that was easily dispatched. Both airbases have been captured and the enemy utterly routed.

I did farm the vickers, never destroying them so that they could be reinforced to full strength until the last turn...a few free sp kills and some xp for some units

A message form Berlin


High command is worried about the British reinforcements, I however am confidant I can meet this new threat.

Johannes Streich has brought me a list of formations that have earned combat honours


And has also informed me of some young men who he feels should be singled out in recognition of brave deeds

That was by far the easiest mission so far, I was a little disappointed by the enemy forces as I was expecting to be on the defensive for far longer (indeed my core never really adopted a defensive posture) On the plus side I've got through with my core intact and 1385 prestige to spend.

With regards to my core I'm relatively happy with what I've got so far and the Italians really are performing better than I'd imagined they would. I must remember to OS my fighters though as the two I have struggled just knocking out strength 7 and 8 Hurricanes! An extra strength point or two will help massively, looks like the Italians have an upgrade available too so that should help. My recon is doing ok...not quite a front line combat unit but that is not what its for and I'm enjoying the extended spotting range without bring in my (limited) air. I'm not convinced by my towed anti-tank though, this should have been its shining moment as a “defensive” mission however I think they fought once as anti-tank and several times as half-tracks (on the flip side they have bags of xp and as I've already mentioned this was hardly a defensive mission in the end)

I've got another unit slot in the next scenario and will probably leave my flak battalion in reserve again so that I can purchase another unit for the 15th Panzer division...these guys really should be here by now!

Oh and my first hero was an Italian – who'd have guessed?!

[Horseman]

June 10th 1941
The past few weeks have been spent reinforcing securing the boarder as well as resting and refitting the Afrikakorps. 15th Panzer Division has taken over the duty of maintaining the siege around Tobruk while the remainder of my forces wait for news of the recent British reinforcements.

June 12th 1941
The Panzer IVs of the 5th and 15th divisions have been up-armoured and now reclassified as the F model, The increased protection should help greatly in the desert war. Also I have been told that Stormo squadron has been supplied with new model fighters that have greater range, speed and manoeuvrability.

June 13th 1941
General Von Paulus has made a visit today to inspect the troops. He was pleased with our performance to date and indicated that he though highly of my assembled men. In private he did show concern over our lack of manpower and equipment but I assured him that given free reign I would be able to secure the Suez canal. None the less he wired directly to Berlin that we shoul dbe considered for reinforcement at the earliest possible time.

Battle Axe

June 15th 1941


Worried by my lack of armoured units I have ordered the 1st battalion of the 15th Panzer division to move to the front


On paper they were shown to be using the IIIF model though once they arrived it was clear a clerical error had been made and they were actually using the H type. I also brought up the 3rd artillery battalion (sturmpanzers) to provide additional support.

I have also been provided with information on new equipment available


My Panzer IV battalions have already been upgrade as have Stormo squadron.

I brief my officers on the plan


5th Light division will hold the east flank with the elements of 15th Panzer holding the centre. Both of these formations will fall back slightly in an attempt to draw the British in. On my west flank Brescia and Ariete divisions will first hold then at the opportune moment drive forward and flank the British.

The fall back plan is to allow the allies to capture some objectives to boost my prestige when I (hopefully) recapture them.

The defenders at Sidi Omar, point 206, Sollum and Halfaya pass have been ordered to hold as long as possible to delay the enemy advance.

The Flak units in and around the objectives in front of 15th Panzer will fall back and hold the line that will be created when my German troops pull back slightly.

Prestige spending:
Elite reinforcements on 8 units = 371p
Upgrades:
2xPzIVE > PzIVF = 60p
1xSE PzIIIF > PzIIIH = 72p
1xMc200 > Mc202 = 43p
1x NEW Sturmpanzer = 327p
Over strength 1 point 3x air units, 5x tanks 2x anti-tanks = 315p

Leaves me with 197p

[Horseman]

08:00
Despite suffering heavy loses the British have secured the desert objectives near to Hafid ridge


Halfaya pass comes under heavy attack but holds for now


Both Sidi Omar and point 206 have been lost though I am sure my forces put up a fight.

My forces execute the plan and fall back in good order hoping to draw the British in to our trap


10:00
Hafid ridge and point 208 are lost but as we had already withdrawn we suffered no loses. I hope this will make the British believe we are in full retreat so they become reckless.

The forces at Halfaya pass report they are under heavy attack and have requested permission to withdraw. I tell them they must hold to and become a thorn in the British sides.


Lead troops reach the outskirts of Fort Capuzzo and we prepare to launch out counter offensive


For now I send in the Luftwaffe

[Horseman]

12:00 (3)
RAF squadron reported at Halfaya pass but we hav elost contact with the defenders there.
Sollum comes under attack but the Italian tanks stationed there hold fast. Fort Capuzzo has been captured


My fighters down the bombers for no loss


The 5th pull back slightly while my air units continue to soften up the allied armour


14:00(4)
Sollum continues to hold but we have reports of large numbers of British and commonwealth troops assembling in the area


An anti-air unit that has yet to be deployed is shot up by my bombers and my fighter squadrons engage and destroy some RAF Hurricanes


16:00 (5)
The Italian tanks in Sollum continue to hold, they are true heroes. Tempesto squadron reports enemy fighter contact and take heavy loses even as they call for support


Grave news received so I place my Italian divisions on alert...no sightings yet


181st and Stormo squadrons exact revenge for the downed pilots of Tempesto who withdraw along with the 101st.


18:00 (6)
Sollum has fallen to overwhelming odds.
The Panzer IVs of 5th division launch and ambush on some mounted infantry causing massive destruction


Another message from intelligence has me worried, it would appear they think the flank attack is coming further north that I anticipated


With a new threat reported I unleash the 5th, they destroy two infantry battalions and force another back with heavy loses


Machine gun battalion 8 is assigned to defend Sidi Azeiz and 15th Panzer is put on alert incase they need support


Ariete and Brescia divisions advance with caution to retake Hafid ridge

[Horseman]

08:00 June 16th 1941 (7)
Intelligence reports that a sand storm is on its way and may well hit within the next hour or two.

After a peaceful night the British launch an attack on the 5th division with 605th Panzerjager battalion taking the brunt of the assault


The British flanking forces must have moved through the night as unexpectedly some armoured cars snatch Sidi Azeiz from under our noses. On a more positive note I am informed that an Italian armoured regiment has arrived to reinforce my forces


Ariete division manage to ambush a British Cruiser battalion and two more move up in support


181st and Stormo squadrons once more sweep the skies clear of enemy fighters while the 101st with support form some additional Italian fighters shoot up the bombers


The 5th fall back slightly under intense pressure but manage to knock out some Cruiser and Matilda tanks


The armoured cars in Sidi Azeiz have been cleared out but a battalion of Cruiser tanks has been spotted making me wonder how strong this force is


Ariete and Brescia divisions destroy two of the three tank battalions facing them and advance to capture Hafid ridge

[Horseman]

10:00 (8)
Despite the warnings from intelligence there are no sign of sand storms.

Machine gun battalion 2 with artillery support holds the line against two Matilda battalions, an anti-tank battalion trying to outflank us is ambushed by my Panzer IVs and takes heavy loses while a flak battalion engages the 101st squadron destroying several planes (1 strength point)


More British battalions have been spotted near Sidi Azeiz and this is turning into a major cause for concern


The British counter attack my Italian Divisions who manage to hold


I received another message from command


The “Diversionary” force is a major attack coming form our flank..I already considered that they must be eliminated!

Stomo squadron finish off the RAF bombers

The 5th stop retreating and throw themselves at the British eliminating the three Matilda battalions as well as the anti-tank battalion that had attempted to outflank us


A tank battalion of the diversionary force is knocked out and we have secured our grip on Sidi Azeiz


My Italians break the British forces ahead of them and begin to secure the objective area

[Horseman]

12:00 (9)
The British shy away from the 5th Light division. After being bloodied in their frontal assault it appears they are content to try and contain my elite division rather than kill them.


The British “Diversion” force has brought up a battalion of Matilda II tanks. 15th Panzer ordered to hold even as the newly arrived Italian tank regiment was severely hammered by the Cruisers


Captured Italian tanks have attacked Ariete divisions infantry while Dingo armoured cars break through to attack the Brescia artillery


The 5th proved that they can not be contained by destroying a battalion of Dingo armoured cars. An infantry division is also destroyed with another forced to fall back with heavy casualties.
Two Indian infantry battalions are seen moving up near Fort Capuzzo.


British 25pdrs deployed to engage our Panzers were destroyed by our infantry and the 101st have been told to neutralise those heavy tanks


Ariete and Brescia secured the area


The strength of the flanking diversionary force is greater than expected and they are tying up more of my troops than I anticipated. This fact combined with the 5th facing stiff opposition has prompted me to order Ariete and Brescia divisions to head east and secure Halfaya pass. Johannes has been told that I expect the 5th to retake Sollum.


14:00 (10)
The British armour has made moves to encircle Sidi Azeiz but 15th Panzer is in position to stop them


Brescia infantry ambush a battalion of Cruiser tanks heading north but fail to take full advantage of their surprise. Infantry falling back from the 5th Light division launch a minor attack on point 208


The 5th continue to push hard destroying two more infantry battalions (including one heavy weapon) The British are finding themselves caught between my forces


The 101st squadron weaken the British Matildas enough to allow 15th Panzer to destroy them. 5th division Panzergrenadiers rout the Engineers


My Italian forces finish the ambushed Cruisers and prepare for an advance against point 206

[Horseman]

16:00 (11)
The 5ths recon battalion exchanges fire with the Indian infantry to little effect. More artillery is spotted moving up


Yet another Dingo battalion has moved into contact with my Italian forces...the British must be building these in Africa somewhere for their numbers seem limitless!


The 5th continue their rampage destroying three of the infantry battalions opposing them and also the artillery that had yet to deploy


15th Panzer prove their worth buy destroying one tank battalion and forcing the other to retreat with heavy loses


Brescia division has seen much heavy fighting and must pause to allow supply trucks to reach them but Areite go into action and take out the annoying armoured cars


18:00 (12)
An RAF Hurricane squadron engages our supporting Italian fighters and gets the worst of the exchange. I am glad the British sent the RAF in piecemeal otherwise my air may have been overwhelmed by sheer numbers (or as my squadron leaders like to call it “targets”)
Tanks of Ariete division have been engaged by more captured Italian tanks


The 181st easily dispatch the RAF fighters and I begin to wonder how many more pilots will dare take to the skies against them


Fort Capuzzo has been retaken and their defenders forced to surrender. The 5th divisions 1st Panzer battalion swings south to aid Areite and destroys the captured armour. A battalion of Matilda tanks are seen guarding the route to Sollum and more captured Italian tanks are seen moving north


The area around Sidi Azeiz is clear of enemy with the destruction of the last Cruiser tanks. Is this the end of the British flanking forces?


Areite advances and engages yet more of the Italians lost tanks.....did any actually fight before we arrived or did the British simply walk up to them and take them?! Brescia moves cautiously forward


08:00 June 17th 1941 (13)
The British should be retreating but still they foolishly advance


In the midst of battle I receive word from Berlin of new equipment now available


A new type of half-track, faster than our older models but no better protected.

The Matilda tanks are easily swept aside and Sollum once more belongs to us. Some British infantry are located ready to defend Halfaya pass


My Italians prove they are a better calibre than those that came before them advancing and destroying the tanks that were once theirs as well as the foolish British infantry. Point 206 is reclaimed


15th Panzer sweeps west scouting for remnants of the British flanking force. The Italian 1st tank Regiment is ordered to continue south to check the defenders of Sidi Omar and retake the town if the opportunity presents itself. 5th light division will secure Halfaya pass and head east in an attempt to occupy the forward airbases once more. Brescia will head south and test the defences at Sidi Suleiman. Tacking the town if possible. Ariete will support against any stiff opposition.

[Horseman]

10:00 (14)
Halfaya pass is now surrounded and though I don’t expect it I do hope the defenders realise the futility of fighting and surrender. 15th Panzer continue to comb the desert in the Northwest but find nothing to indicate any remaining force sin this area. We have advanced with caution towards Sidi Omar and Sidi Suleiman but find no enmey


12:00 (15)
We find no resistance in the east and easily occupy both the airfields. As predicted the British refuse to surrender and we are forced to wipe them out, even with their homeland lost these men fight with intense courage. A lone infantry battalion garrisons Sidi Suleiman but Sidi Omar is unoccupied


14:00 (16)
The remaining British infantry are easily removed and both southern towns are secured

16:00 (17)
My forces have found a surprise at Sidi Suleiman



Johannes assure me that we will be able to find crews for this gift but I am not sure we should. The Matilda II whilst sporting very heavy armour has a weaker main gun that our Panzers but more importantly is slower than even the Italian tanks, I am not sure this is a trait I can overlook as desert warfare is a fluid movement affair!





Johannes brings me a list of formations that have earned battle honours in our latest campaign


And several men have come to my attention to be singled out and promoted

And that was more like it! Falling back to allow the British to capture some objectives certainly made things harder in the end. I didn't have the time in the last turns to be as cautious as I'd have liked and for quite a while I was seriously doubting my ability to get a decisive victory...when the order came to destroy the Division group for victory I wasn't sure if the forces I had in the area could achieve that and I didn't want to weaken my main line any more than it already was with so many enemy units in front of me! Luckily I was underestimating the ability of the German tanks to handle their British counterparts! The constant trickle of RAF reinforcements was also frustrating and lead to Tempesto squadron getting a rude awakening! But Bravo to the designer of Battle Axe it was my favourite so far.

Going into the next scenario I have one more core slot to fill...tempting as it may be to keep the captured Matilda's I'm just not sure how long they'll be useful being sooooo slow. I feel I need to reinforce my air as only two fighters and one fighter bomber is not really quite enough but a quick look at Dash to the Wires deployment it looks like I'll be defending for quite a while (which makes the Matildas a viable option) on the other hand at some point I rekon I'll be on the attack (which once more makes the Matilda's some what obsolete) Also getting an 88 could be an option..defends well against armour can aid my air force but would still be next to useless when the time comes to attack. 15th Panzer really could do with some reinforcing as at this point it really must be at full strength and also at this point 5th light will have been re-designated as 21st Panzer and therefore also needs some reinforcing! Choices choices......at least I have 2222 prestige to play with.

For those interested my forces are:
5th Light Division (21st Panzer by scenario start)
1x PzIIIH
1x PzIVF
2x Grenadier in halftracks
1x Panzerjager IB
1x5cm Pak anti-tank
1x 15cm artillery
1x8rad recon
1x 1xsdkfz 10/4 (not yet deployed beyond the 1st scenario)

15th Panzer Division
1x SE PzIIIH
1x PzIVF
1x Strumpanzer

132nd Ariete Division
2x M14/41 tanks
1x Bersaglieri in trucks

27th Brescia Division
2x Bersaglieri in trucks
1x 149mm artillery in trucks

10th Fliegerkorps
1x Bf109E
1x MC202 (Italian)
1x SE Bf110D
1x Piaggio P.108 (Italian)

Additional
1x Matilda II

[Horseman]

June 20th 1941
With the British once more driven back I have diverted much of my force to reinforce the siege of Tobruk. I have also dispatched several Italian divisions to the boarder with orders to dig in, this is an attempt to avoid any more surprises. I have been ordered to send the Matilda tanks that we captured back to Germany where they will be serviced and then utilise din the occupation of France.

June 21st 1941
I learnt today why every request for more men and materials is denied. Africa is considered largely unimportant to Berlin and we are only here to stop a potential Italian collapse. Meanwhile everything that can be sparred is massing for the largest invasion in history....

June 22nd 1941
Today operation Barbarossa was launched in eastern Europe. My cousin Herr Pferdmann has been given the honour of leading the spearhead into Russia and I hope he manages to reach all the way to Moscow before the year is out and force a surrender. If this is achieved then I should expect more resources to be released to Africa which at present is very much a secondary theatre.

August 25th 1941
I have received news that whilst my cousins forces have enjoyed much success against the Russians others have not been so fortunate and he has been forced to divert from his drive on Moscow to bail out another commander from failure.

September 8th 1941
A message from Berlin has arrived informing me that as the 5th Light division is now at full strength they have been re-designated as the 21st Panzer division. Johannes is pleased with this news as it makes his position more secure now he is no longer commander of an ad-hoc unit! I on the other hand greet this news with indifference...its not like I have received any reinforcements or new equipment.

September 29th 1941
The 3rd battalion of the 75th artillery regiment has arrived in Benghazi and I am told the 2nd battalion is also on its way.

October 2nd 1941
I received a telegraph from my cousin today. He writes to let me know that he has started what he believes to be his final offensive against Russia and that once it is concluded he will use what influence he has to ensure reinforcements are sent to me. This is great news.

November 18th 1941
I was woken today with alarming news, intelligence has intercepted a British transmission that read simply “Operation Crusader is a go” A mere two hours later and the first British units have been spotted crossing the boarder.

November 20th 1941
15th Panzer has been withdrawn from the front due to a lack of fuel...I have already sent counter orders to bring their tanks back into the fight. I WILL find the fuel to keep them in action.

Dash to the wire

06:00 November 21st 1941


I include now a review of new equipment that has been made available over the past few months


My Panzer III battalions have already been up-armoured to the J variant, both my self propelled artillery battalions have been supplied with the new sIGs and the 101st squadron has the improved armament of the Bf110F.

Prestige Spending:

After much thought I decided to get rid of the matildas as I just cant see the speed of 3 being viable and once the better German tanks become available I'd want to upgrade them anyway. I decided on more artillery to fill the remaining unit slot as 3 pieces really is too few (IMO) and with an upgrade to my fighter bombers air attack they can function pretty well in an anti-air role. I'm also assuming the allies will be feeding in 1 or 2 air units from time to time again as they have done in previous scenarios and my 2 fighters along with the 110s should be able to handle that. I am worried that he next scenario is going to be tough on my core...looking at the set up I suspect it'll be a bit of a “dog fight” to start with and my weaker units might take a beating with no way to retreat out of harms way if badly reduced (as I have done previously) so for that reason I over strength everything as high as I can (and boy does it get expensive under 1.2!!!)

Total for elite reinforcements = 361p

Upgrades:
2x PzIIIH (1 SE)> PzIIIJ = 24p
Sturmpanazer > sIG 33 II (sf) = 27p
SE Bf110D > Bf110F = 74p
Total upgrades = 125p

Purchase 1x sIG 33 II = 354p

Over strength everything as much as possible = 1399p

Disband Matilda II = +374

Leaves me with 357 prestige

I can make some assumptions looking at the deployment map


Circled in red is where I expect to find a fairly large concentration of British units and so the deployment hexes circled in blue could turn out to be surrounded. My plan will have to take this into account and its the forces there that I suspect will take the biggest hit to start.

07:00
Johannes has brought me an update on our dispositions


21st Panzer (red) is in a hairy situation with most of their units possibly caught in a pocket. I have told them to fall back northwards and attempt to keep their vulnerable backs to the escarpment all the while attacking the British units that have pushed towards Tobruk.

What troops of 15th Panzer (blue) I have mobilised along with two battalions of the 21st who escaped the pocket are to launch diversionary attacks on the British flank.

Ariete and Brescia divisions (yellow) are to push south and link up with 21st Panzer.

The Italians on the boarder have been told to hold the British off until we can reinforce them while those around Tobruk must simply maintain the siege and stop any breakout attempts.