Afrika Campaign

1ComOpsCtr · Post by **1ComOpsCtr** » Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:55 pm

Current point totals

Axis point total: -2093 (Allied forces eliminated - Axis losses)

Axis Political Will: 466 (The Germans have arrived)

Axis Commander Rating: 6 (improving due to recent success)

Allied point total: 1723 (Axis forces eliminated -Allied losses)

Allied Political Will: 575 (CP - failure not an option)

Allied Commander Rating: 7 (reduced due to recent failures at the front)

Italian high command has announced the deployment of two Armored divisions to the Libyan Theater of Operations. The German High Command has also announced the deployment of a force of observers and technicians that will assist their Allies in the African Theater though they will not play a major roll in combat. General Erwin Rommel, of the Fuehrer's Staff, will assume an advisory roll to the Italian High Command.

The Allies have failed to drive the Italians completely out of Egypt. Additional troops are being sent to reinforce the desert Army and the command structure of the Army in Africa is being shuffled a bit.

jb · Post by jb » Sun Oct 21, 2007 4:01 am

Thanks for the update...

1ComOpsCtr · Post by **1ComOpsCtr** » Tue Oct 23, 2007 1:37 am

German 90th Light Division arrives Tobruk...

Members of the 90th Division's advisor teams have begun off loading from their transports and will begin desert acclimation work as soon as possible.

Additional Italian units arrive Bardia. Reports indicate additional armored units equipped with the newer M13-40 tanks arriving daily. Ariete and Trieste Divisions form up west of Buq Buq assuming the tip of the new Italian Spear aimed into the heart of Egypt.

The Egyptian military said to be evacuating Alexandria.

1ComOpsCtr · Post by **1ComOpsCtr** » Mon Dec 03, 2007 10:23 am

The arrival of the Germans was thought to bring success for the Axis. The initial German armor attacks have proven unsuccessful with additional Italian failures partially to blame the Allies are pushing the Axis lines back steadily. A new Allied commander has brought new success and hope to the Allied cause.

Axis point total: -2788 (Allied forces eliminated - Axis losses)

Axis Political Will: 404 (The German's Allies have failed again)

Axis Commander Rating: 5 (two recent failures spell trouble)

Allied point total: 2723 (Axis forces eliminated -Allied losses)

Allied Political Will: 644 (Allied success upon success)

Allied Commander Rating: 8 (new commander brings success)

Allied commanders learned something from reading about German defense in depth plans and adapting the 25# gun to a new role...

Moderator

1ComOpsCtr · Post by **1ComOpsCtr** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:15 pm

Axis point total: -3027 (Allied forces eliminated - Axis losses)

Axis Political Will: 382 (The German's Allies have failed again)

Axis Commander Rating: 4 (three recent failures spell trouble, but the DAK is here)

Allied point total: 3317 (Axis forces eliminated -Allied losses)

Allied Political Will: 698 (Allied success upon success)

Allied Commander Rating: 8 (continued success)

The 5th Light Division has arrived with supporting Pioneers and more Italian armor. Last night's battle (the first DAK) has not been figured into the total, but perhaps the tide is finally turning in the Axis favor after two months of setbacks.

Above you can see the first encounter between the newly arrived 5th Light and an Australian Battalion of infantry. The Germans have air support and the Australians have a few Gladiators trying to disrupt their attacks. We have really simplified the air portion of the battle to make it usable, but not too complicated. Each side gets two aircraft on the board at any one time for now. The aircraft on the board may be fighters, bombers, or ground attack. Air combat is conducted on the "0" table with any "D's" causing the aircraft so damaged to abort. "S" results accumulate as normal causing an abort when appropriate. There is some equipment differentiation in that the ME109 gets an intercept attack with only one AC while it takes two Gladiators to fight evenly against the 109's though the Gladiators can drive off bombers and ground attack with only one AC on the "0" table as mentioned above. So far the air rules have worked very well.

In the picture above you can see a Gladiator trying to drive off a ME109. In the battle mentioned they did manage to keep a couple of JU87 Stuka attacks away but the ME109's kept driving the Gladiators off the board one at a time. The Allies never got to use a ground attack plane or bomber. The Axis player took out a couple of positions with his Stukas in combination with artillery and mortar fire.

All-in-all the campaign is working well.

Moderator

1ComOpsCtr · Post by **1ComOpsCtr** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:19 am

Axis point total: -2837 (Allied forces eliminated - Axis losses)

Axis Political Will: 399 (The Afrika Korps has a small victory)

Axis Commander Rating: 4 (DAK is here, ...with their very high command ratings)

Allied point total: 3219 (Axis forces eliminated -Allied losses)

Allied Political Will: 690 (Allied success upon success)

Allied Commander Rating: 8 (continued success, minor setback)

OK, after several weeks and games where the Axis players allowed their forces to be slowly pushed back to the hills along the coast a little east of Bardia the Germans have finally acclimated the first of the DAK, with the 5th Light's primarily medium German armor. ....But, having to rely on the Italians for much of their artillery support and infantry to cover the flanks has not helped the German advance.

First real test came against an isolated Australian Battalion that could have given the DAK all it could handle with a little support, ...but fortunately for the Panzer commander the Allies just weren't quite up to it. German minor victory, which just may start the giant pendulum swinging back the Axis' way.

First use of our variation of the "air rules" which worked very well. Simple means usable in this case.

We took T. Sabastian's (from Nafziger's) 5th Panzer April '41 organization and adjusted it to GHQ's rules which made the first and second companies three Pz III's and a Pz II and the fourth company two Pz IV's and one each Pz I and a Pz II. Remember the third and seventh companies were eliminated from the Panzer Regiments at this time. Only the first battalion of the 5th Panzer and half of a battalion of Pioneers actually got into this fight with a little artillery support from the Italians and some German air support.

Italian bomber that was due to make it into the conflict above but just didn't quite get there, ...just like a lot of the Italian command at the battle.

Moderator

Mk 1 · Post by **Mk 1** » Fri Dec 21, 2007 6:04 am

I can't stand it ... I LOVE THOSE AIRCRAFT PICTURES!

I love them, I love them, I love them. Great paint jobs. Great look to the pics.

Gladiator chasing a Messerschmitt?

Go get 'em, spunky!

And a BR20 Cicogno chugging along trying to reach the field of battle?

Hey Paulo, ain' we gonna bomba da Anglishers? *
Vinnie, it lika you momma she's a say: Fra dire, y il fare, che de mezzo il mare!

Nice stuff, guys. Always a pleasure to see the newest post in the series.

*The Fine Print:
With due respect to Italian members of this fine forum ... There was no insult intended. Just trying my best to stylize as if I were writing for a cartoon character. Maybe we'll do John Wayne next time.