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AAR of Strategy & Tactics #278Tobruk 1941

This is a simulation of Operation Crusader from 18 November through 7 December 1941. The units are regi-ments and battalions, hexes represent approximately 4 miles, and turns are two days each. The Commonwealth has a garrison sealed off in Tobruk. This is led by General Scobie, the commander of the 70th Division. General Norrie’s 30 Corps and 13 Corps are charged with relieving the Tobruk Garrison. Meanwhile, the Axis has the Italian 21st Corps around

by E.R. Bickford

Production:Lise’ Patterson

© 2013 Decision Games

Bakersfi eld, CA.

TOBRUK 1941

Tobruk, with the German 15th and 21st Panzer Divisions deployed to the east and other Italian formations covering the coastal positions.

The Axis can win a sudden death victory if they manage to capture Tobruk. The Commonwealth accrues 5 VP if the Tobruk garrison can trace a line of supply out of Tobruk at the end of the game. Additionally, various named locations yield one VP each for the Commonwealth if controlled at the end of the game. Both sides earn VP for eliminating enemy units but the Allies can forfeit a victory if they lose more air units than the Axis.

As the game begins, Rommel is focused on his plan to attack the Tobruk Garrison. Only lead elements of the Commonwealth forces are present at fi rst, but on Turn One they are reinforced by the 7th Armoured, 1st South African, and 2nd New Zealand Divisions. We’ll see how this affects Rommel’s plans.

Turn One (18-19 Nov 1941)

Since every unit begins in supply, there is no need to carry out the opening Supply Phase. Next is the Activation Phase. During this phase, the players select activation chits to determine which units may move/fi ght or fi ght/move.

The fi rst activation is the Italian 21st

Corps. This corps is commanded by Italian General Navarini and consists of the Pavia, Trieste and Brescia Divisions. These forces do not have permission from Rommel to do to much yet, so they are shifted slightly.

Next is the Commonwealth player’s 30 Corps. These units arrive as turn one reinforcements, so the chit is played as a movement rather than combat. Some elements of the 7th Armoured Division capture Gabr Saleh. The 1st South African Division marches toward Bir el Gubi. The use of trails facilitates movement in the desert.

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TOBRUK 1941 General von Ravenstein activates the 21st Panzer Division which moves along the trail and consolidates on the trail between Sidi Aziez and Gabr Saleh.

Then the Commonwealth draws 13 Corps. The 4th Indian Division is already on board, but the 2nd New Zealand arrives as a reinforcement. General Freyberg drives the forma-tion toward Sidi Omar in an attempt to outflank the Axis position.

The 15th Panzer Division becomes active. It advances toward the South African Division which is advancing toward Tobruk from the southern position. The Afrika Korps, under General Crüwell, repositions around Tobruk. Additional units are deployed in Gambut and Sidi Rezegh.

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Turn Two (20-21 Nov 1941)

30 Corps begins operations. First, the 1st South African Division launches an attack against the position at Bir el Gubi. This is defended by the Italian Ariete Division. Both sides employ air support and the Axis fighters win the day. The Western Desert Air Force suffers some damage. General Brink’s attack is carried out and it goes fairly well, driving the Italian units backward toward Tobruk. Bir el Gubi is captured.

Nearby, the 4th Armoured Brigade strikes the German 33rd Aufklarungsabteilung, which suffers a setback and is retreated. This time, the Commonwealth air power holds the day. Then the 7th Armoured drives straight into the 21st Panzer. The German panzers suffer heavy losses and retreat.

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TOBRUK 1941

Despite the losses on the frontier, Rommel decides to go after the Tobruk Garrison from the east. His troops assemble a massive force on the via Balbia. Despite the defensive fortifications, the attack meets some success and the Australian infantry is driven backwards.

13 Corps begins its attacks on the Axis flank at Sidi Omar. This is defended by an Italian 15th Regiment of the Savona Division. It is completely overwhelmed. Sidi Omar falls to Freyberg’s New Zealanders. Finally, the Tobruk Garrison punches back at the Afrika Division. These are forced to fall back.

Turn Three (22-23 Nov 1941)

The turn opens with the Trieste Motorized Division entering from the west along the Via Balbia; General

Piazzoni orders the formation toward Tobruk. 13 Corps begins to close in on the eastern position of the Italian troops. Along the track just west of Halfaya Pass, the New Zealand infantry attacks the German battalion and wipes it out. Then the British armor strikes at Fort Capuzzo which is defended by one of the Savona MG Battalions. The Italians have some close support but this is not enough to save the position. After suffering some heavy losses, the Italians retreat and the 8th RTR captures Fort Capuzzo. Two weak Italian units are defending Sidi Aziez. 13 Corps presses the attack. Again the Commonwealth withholds air support with such an overwhelming attack. The Regia Aeronautica provides close support, but the two defending units suffer casualties and retreat to the via Balbia.

The Afrika Corps activates and attempts to salvage the situation in the east. Troops pull away from Halfaya Pass because it is clear that they will soon be out of supply. The Afrika Korps launches another attack against the Tobruk Garrison. The British 149th AT fires to no effect. The Luftwaffe provides a lot of close support air cover and the Australian units are hit quite severely and retreat.

Then 30 Corps resumes the attack. The 1st South African Division attacks the Italian Ariete Division. Both sides employ artillery fire and close air support. The Western Desert Air Force loses a fighter squadron. The battle results in a retreat and the Italians suffer casualties retreat-ing through an enemy ZOC.

The 15th Panzer is hit by the 7th Armoured Division just east of Ariete’s

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position. Both sides employ air support as well as artillery. The Commonwealth generates overwhelming strength and the 15th Panzer is forced to retreat after sacrificing a number of panzers.

Turn Four (24-25 Nov 1941)

13 Corps opens the action with a march up the coast. The weak Italian defenses are likely to be compromised, but the Tobruk Garrison is running out of time. The 4th Indian Division is in Sollum and attacks along the via Balbia against Savona's 16th Infantry Regiment. The 4th Indian has artillery support and with it the enemy is overcome. An infantry detachment from the Bologna Division is eliminated by the New Zealand combined arms force. This will cut off some of the Italian units near Bardia.

The 15th Panzer activates and immediately launches a counterattack against the 7th Armoured Division, using artillery and air support. The Commonwealth counters with air

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TOBRUK 1941 segment. The Italian 8th Med Tank and the 2nd Light Tank Battalion are both destroyed as the rest of the General Balotta’s formation is retreated under fire. No one knows where the General is (HQ overrun).

Next, General Gott attacks 15th Panzer with 7th Armoured Division. Although outnumbered 2-1, the Commonwealth Air Force shoots down the Axis fighters. (Low dice by the Axis player.) The British infantry suffer a step loss, but 15th Panzer retreats in order. The 7th Armoured captures Sidi Rezegh.

The Tobruk Garrison remains quiet, awaiting the relief column. Next, the action flips to the 21st Panzer Division, deployed to the east of the recent activ-ity. General von Ravenstein decides to attack the rear of 7th Armoured Division’s position. The British have two artillery groups there, and one manages to deplete the 2/5 Panzer

Then the 7th Armoured Division hits back against 15th Panzer. The Luftwaffe supports the defense but the Commonwealth has artillery support. The 15th Panzer suffers some losses and is forced to retreat toward the sea. They do manage some armor recovery first.

Turn Five (26-27 Nov 1941)

Two of the Italian units in the area of Sollum and Bardia are low on supply. The 15th Panzer Division is a little spread out. General Crüwell decides to consolidate this formation at Sidi Rezegh. The panzers avoid enemy contact.

Then General Norrie orders 30 Corps to attack. General Brink has the 1st South African Division strike what is left of the Ariete Division. The Commonwealth loses a valuable fighter unit during the air-to-air

support too and manages to destroy a Axis fighter unit. The dice are terrible to the Axis player this time (snakes) and the attack is repulsed. The 15th Panzer loses a step to boot.

The Tobruk Garrison launches a counterattack against the Afrika Division. The Commonwealth has excellent artillery support here, but they call in some air support in case the Axis expends some of their air assets. The air to air takes out another Commonwealth air unit. Nonetheless, the Australians attack and push the German units backwards again.

Next, 30 Corps attacks Ariete and 15th Panzer. The 1st South African Division strikes into the weakened Ariete Division. The Italians retreat but inflict some casualties on the South African infantry first.

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Battalion. The Western Desert Air Force loses another fighter in the air-to-air battle. As a result, the 7th Armoured Division retreats in order.

The Axis player wants to make another attempt to break into the Tobruk Garrison. The Afrika Korps troops swing around to the desert trail to the south of the fortified position. Although the Axis has fighter cover and artillery, the fortifications are too strong and the attack is repulsed. The 2/155 Battalion suffers the brunt of the losses.

13 Corps has surrounded the Italian troops in the Bardia-Sollum corridor. The 4th Indian Division has these units contained and it is a matter of time before the Italians surrender to General Messervy. Meanwhile, the 2nd New Zealand Division advances along the two roads toward Tobruk, the via Balbia and the Trigh Capuzzo.

Turn Six (28-29 Nov 1941)

The Italian units in Bardia are out of supply. The British 13 Corps works its way westward. The 2nd New Zealand converges and then attacks the German units along the road. These are the 1/33 FLAK and the 3/255 Battalion and they defend Gambut. The German FLAK fails to inflict any damage on the Commonwealth tanks. Two Axis air units fly close support for the defense while the 2nd New Zealand’s artillery supports the attack. The German forces have to retreat and the 2nd New Zealand captures the key location of Gambut.

Then the Afrika Korps attempts another attack to break through the fortifications outside of Tobruk. The attack is supported with artillery and aircraft, but the Commonwealth Air Force counters and one Axis fighter is destroyed. The Afrika Korps also gets a low dice roll (3) and suffer a step loss as their attack is turned back by the Australians.

30 Corps makes a two-pronged attack. The 7th Armoured Division moves against the 21st Panzer Division. The Commonwealth has artillery support but the Axis flies in close support aircraft. The 21st Panzer is forced to

retreat, leaving the division sepa-rated in two parts. Then the 1st South African Division makes another run at the Italian Ariete Division. Many of this formations tanks are already destroyed from earlier fighting. The Italians have an AT element but these are ineffective.

The 9th Med Tank Battalion is elimi-nated even as the division retreats. In a nearby attack another Italian tank unit is eliminated (7th Med Bn).

The 21st Panzer Division redeploys in an attempt to consolidate. This is

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TOBRUK 1941 at an isolated infantry battalion from the 15th Panzer. The Commonwealth has plenty of artillery support, but the Axis has close support aircraft. The 1/15 Infantry Bn is eliminated. Then the 7th Armoured Division strikes the 3/347 Battalion. The British are sup-ported with three artillery markers and thus eliminate the enemy formation.

The 21st Panzer consolidates and launches an attack against the 1st South African Division near el Adem. Both sides employ air support and the Western Desert Air Force knocks down two enemy air units. The panzer attack destroyed the RNC Battalion and the Duke Bn retreats through enemy fire.

Meanwhile, 13 Corps attacks the weak enemy units stuck near Gambut. The 2nd New Zealand assaults the 28 GAF Battalion which is easily eliminated. A second attack hits the German units nearby. The 1/33 FLAK fails to damage the Commonwealth tanks and as a result both the 3/255 and 1/33 suffer heavy losses and retreat toward Tobruk.

The Afrika Korps prepares for an assault against the southern entrance to the Tobruk fortress. The

only a limited success as the enemy is in between the two positions. Thus far the battle has seen a wild swing.

Turn Seven (30 Nov through 1 Dec 1941)

Some of the Italians in Bardia sur-render to the 4th Indian Division. Then 30 Corps opens with renewed attacks. The 1st South African Division strikes

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overwhelming assault causes heavy damage to the Australian units. The fortification is compromised as the Australians retreat.

Then 15th Panzer moves from the track west of El Adem to the via Balbia on the eastern side of Tobruk. The Tobruk gar-rison musters a counterattack -- it has plenty of artillery support -- and dam-ages the German infantry on the edge of the fortified position. There are no Axis fighters available, which allows the remaining Allied close support aircraft to participate. The German units beat a hasty retreat under all of this firepower.

Turn Eight (2-3 Dec 1941)

The last of the Italian units in Bardia surrender to the 4th Indian Division. 30 Corps begins an attack from the east of Tobruk. Here a mixed force of German and Italian formations are deployed. There are some 88’s in the defenses. The 1st

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TOBRUK 1941 position is attacked by 7th Armoured Division. The Commonwealth Air Forces loses another fi ghter, but both Axis units are destroyed.

Then 13 Corps joins in the assault, as the 4th Indian moves from the posi-tion at Bardia which has completely surrendered. The 2nd New Zealand Division strikes two positions which are defended with 88’s. The1/33 FLAK misses with its AT fi re. The Western Desert Air Force loses another fi ghter in the battle, but the 2nd New Zealand attacks and pushes the Italian and German units back toward the west.

Finally, 21st Panzer maneuvers and launches an attack against the 1st

South African Division. General Brink decides that a retreat is in order, and he falls back with minimum losses.

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Turn Nine (4-5 Dec 1941)

13 Corps focuses another round of attacks from the east along the via Balbia. The 2nd New Zealand is the main arm of this attack. The 2nd

South African Division has entered from the east as reinforcements. These move in to cover the areas captured from the Italians at Halfaya Pass, Sidi Omar, and Bardia. The 4th Indian Division marches out toward the battle area near Tobruk.

The Axis has prolifi c air support for the fi rst round of fi ghting. The 2nd New Zealand has artillery in support and the German 2nd MG Battalion is elimi-nated, while the 33rd Pioneer Battalion retreats. There is a supply line open to Tobruk but this is only temporary.

The 21st Panzer attacks the 4th

Armoured on the fl ank. There is massive air support for both sides and the Axis loses one fi ghter in the air-to-air combat. The 21st Panzer successfully pushes the 2 SG Battalion and it consequently retreats.

30 Corps attacks the German forces surrounding Tobruk. The Germans have a large contingent of 88’s which take a toll on Norrie’s armour. The 3rd RTR is destroyed and the Commonwealth attack is stalled. A second attack is launched against the 33rd Pioneer Battalion. This time it is eliminated.

Turn Ten (6-7 Dec 1941)

The Axis player focuses on his defense. In particular, he wants to prevent the Commonwealth from opening a supply line to Tobruk, which is a 5 VP advantage. The Afrika Korps shuffl es units around in hopes of defending to the east. The 21st Panzer is a check to the southern fl ank.

Then the 21st Panzer strikes at the 7th

Armoured Division. The Axis calls in heavy air support and destroys both the 2nd SG and KDG Battalions. Unfortunately, the Axis has no more air support available now.

Then 13 Corps sends the 2nd New Zealand to open the supply line to the Tobruk Garrison. With artillery and air support this may be doable. The defense is relying on the Italian 27th

and 39th Infantry Regiments. Both suf-fer losses, then the Italians disintegrate by retreating under fi re. The 2nd

New Zealand establishes an overland rout to Tobruk! Then the 30th Corp activates. The Commonwealth player plays cautiously so as not to risk any armor steps against the German 88’s.

Summary

The Commonwealth has captured all of the Victory Point locations and has an open supply route to Tobruk (12 V)). Additionally, he has collected 28 VP for enemy casualties. The Axis has 6 VP in enemy casualties, except that the Commonwealth has lost one more air unit than the Axis. This simple factor reduces the Commonwealth Victory to a Draw.