North African British - Early war (June 41)

Ivicus · Post by **Ivicus** » Thu Feb 19, 2015 10:00 pm

Hello everyone. I'm getting started building forces for my collection to carry me from 41-43 in North Africa. Primarily battles will be fought in the summer to fall of 1941, and I would like to have the bulk of my units to be from that time. We are playing MATG-WWII and it is platoon scale, my current forces include:

14x Infantry stands
9x Crusader I/II
3x Valentine II
3x A-13 Cruiser
5x M3 Honey
4x Rolls Royce Armoured Cars
5x Daimler Armoured Cars
2x 15cwt Trucks
2x 25lbr Battery stands w/transport

How would you recommend expanding on this? I had the idea of purchasing another pack of Crusader I/IIs to bring it up to a full strength Battalion, as that will be the primary armour I will be running in my home force to begin with.

Thank you all,
Ivicus

Donald M. Scheef · Post by **Donald M. Scheef** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 1:24 am

Some 2-pdrs for 1941-1942
Some 6-pdrs for 1942-1943
M-3 Grant (not Lee - wrong turret shape) tanks, if you are willing to include US products
A Hurricane if your play includes air support

Ivicus · Post by **Ivicus** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 1:34 am

So some 2pdr AT guns. Would you recommend the stationary guns or the Portee versions?

As far as the Hawker Hurricane I had considered some air support but wasn't sure if it was worth the investment, considering how many points they cost in game. Certainly wouldn't hurt to have it as an option.

Also in your opinion is it worth the investment to acquire some more troop transports in the form of trucks? I was basing my force on the historical OOB for the 7th Armoured Division and they did have trucks, but it seemed like I wouldn't ever use them in a game unless it was quite large.

Thank you for the help!
Ivicus

Donald M. Scheef · Post by **Donald M. Scheef** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 6:36 am

Purely personal preference:
- towed guns rather than portee
- Hurricane may be expensive, but worth its weight in gold if the opposition gets a Stuka
- even if you don't use them in every scenario, trucks are useful. I'd get some more 30 cwt and at least on pack of 3-ton 4x4.

Ivicus · Post by **Ivicus** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 11:27 am

Thank you for all the feedback. I believe my next order (which I try to do in $40 or less chunks each payday so I don't completely break the bank) will look something like:

1 pack 2pdr towed guns
1 Hawker Hurricane
1 pack 30cwt Trucks
1 pack Crusader I/II's

After that I may get an extra pack of Daimler's and possibly some more M3 Honey but will start building up my terrain. Bigger boards allow bigger forces so I will have reason to bulk up in man and material.

I actually just finished my Desert terrain TM hexes tonight, and will post pictures tomorrow for feedback.

Regards,
Ivicus

John Secker · Post by **John Secker** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 9:04 pm

I would add to your shopping list a pack of Grants (not Lees). We tend to look back on these as an oddity - much too high in profile, and with the main gun in that inflexible sponson. But if you read accounts by the British tankers who fought in the desert, they loved it, because they finally had a gun which could penetrate the armour of the Panzer IIIs and IVs.

As an added bonus, precisely because it is so high and square, I find you can paint a really nice camouflage pattern. The Western Desert allows you to have some fun with British armour colour schemes, unlike the boring overall Olive Drab in northwest Europe.

Ivicus · Post by **Ivicus** » Fri Feb 20, 2015 9:22 pm

I had though about getting some Grants, but was a bit hesitant as the 7th Armoured OOB in June 41 didn't have any. That being said, 7th Armoured didn't have any AT guns at all, all of their 2 pdrs were allocated to them from the Army level or from other Divisions. Sense I will end up getting those anyway, I see no reason to hold off on the Grants. Thank you for the suggestion.

Ivicus

green beanie · Post by **green beanie** » Sat Feb 21, 2015 10:07 am

you also might want to add some 2 prd portee trucks and some 37 mm Borfors ATG's. The Western Desert Force as it was called in 1940-1941 took over a shipment of the 37 mm Borfors ATG's for their own use. Some were used as Portee's.