Enter Rommel

[Dog Soldier]

Here we begin an AAR of a HTH T41 scenario, #01a_Mersa_Brega_PBEM.scn. This is an exciting little gem of a scenario. There are several approaches to the game for the Axis player. Here is but one of them

Dog Soldier

[Dog Soldier]

AAR Enter Rommel
T41 Scenario #01a – (HTH) Mesa Brega
Axis player Dog Soldier
Allied player Foul

German pre-game plan. This is my first game of T41.
The German plan for this short scenario is one of fast movement and violent assaults. There are only seven turns in this scenario. I will not waste much time shooting at the British. The default optional rules are being used with only the addition of the recon spotting optional rule. The default rules use the alternate fire and assault rules, so unless the British create large stacks the only way to inflict enough damage to force them back will be by assault.
T41 has weak ZOC in effect. I expect both sides to use this to infiltrate the enemy lines. The British will be difficult to corner due to this feature, while I intend to use it to help the Axis forces to force the British to give up ground rather than be destroyed. The key to my tactics will be to keep the Fifth Light units in close order, but not stacked. This will prevent British infiltration and allow units to support each other in the British turns.

The Fifth Light division will move to surround the Cemetery Hill position and then conduct an assault VP hex. I hope to have this position in hand by end of turn three.

The Italians will form a blocking position in the center. Some German AT units will aid the Italians in preventing any British mischief in the Axis rear areas.

Infantry Regiment 200 will perform a fast march to the southeast. Their primary mission is to engage the British mobile forces on this flank and neutralize their mobility. Capturing objectives and circling eventually to the north, east of the marshes will be secondary missions as the battle develops. 200th Infantry Regiment will also be tasked with guarding the southern flank if the British prove more difficult to bring to battle in the south. I would prefer a straight fight in the south, but I expect the British to use the speed of their units to perform hit and run maneuvers here.

German initial plan of attack.

[Dog Soldier]

Allied Player Foul
Opening Comments

Dog Soldier vs. Foul Tobruk AAR
Introduction
Brian asked me if I would like to post a AAR on the Blitz forum and I thought “why not”! We decided to highlight one of the great little scenarios on the PzC H2H approved list…. https://www.theblitz.club/h2h_production...p?ladder=3

Tobruk 41 “Enter Rommel” is a fun little scenario I had edited from the Wig Graves original, it is fast paced encounter in the salt marshes of the western desert.

[Dog Soldier]

Axis turn one.
06:00 AM March 31, 1941
Normal Conditions
Visibility 3km.


Axis first turn.

Recon element s of 200 Infantry regiment bumped into the British obtaining water at Bir Sueicher.
Lieutenant Gruber was as surprised as the British. Gruber’s orders were to occupy the nearby oasis of Bir Sueicher in the opening moves of the first German offensive in the desert. Since arriving at Tripoli, Gruber had nothing but boring marches to the front and constant maintenance on his machines. “This dust gets into everything”, complained the company mechanics. Gruber had to admit they were right; it was even in the food.
Quickly the following Italian motorized infantry came up. They sealed the northern exits from the oasis. Further German units sealed off the southern exits. The surprised British had only enough time to race back into their armored cars as the first spray of machine gun fire came from the advancing German scout cars. The British took some hasty shots at the Italians as they raced in their trucks to their blocking positions and dismounted. No casualties resulted from this fire.

Fifth Light Division
General Striech had told Major Dossler, “Move fast, hit hard, and move fast again." Speed is our best weapon in this open country.” The tank crews were excited about this offensive. Everything seemed to be true from intelligence. The British did not expect such an aggressive move from the Afrika Korps. They were not all assembled yet. Columns were still moving up from Tripoli. Rommel wants to give the British an inferiority complex with this attack. The first target was some British Bren carriers who were sitting on a hill watching the coast road. The Major’s orders were to surround them and take their unit out. It was not to be allowed for them to spot for the British air or artillery. The tankers were too keyed up and all three units fired at the same time instead of staggering their fire and waiting for the assault orders. There were seven smashed Bren carries. Thanks to the panzer jagers of the 605 who obeyed orders and held fire until the assault was ordered. The panzer jagers were now mixed up on the hill top with the surviving and stunned British. Major Dossler knew it only took one British officer with his wits still about him to call in the air strike or artillery fire that was now soon to come. Dossler gave the order to disperse and surround the survivors of the assault then finish them off. This was not what he had hoped for.

[Dog Soldier]

Allied First turn.
31st March 1941 intelligence has reported that elements of the 5th Light Division are advancing on my position at Mersa Brega, I must try to hold the excellent position amongst the salt marshes for the day (7 turns) to allow the 3rd Armoured Brigade (off map to the east) to counterattack later in the day.
To accomplish this I have the 2nd Armoured Division support group and the Divisions recon element.

My positions turn1.


I will have to wait to see by which route the attack will come and react accordingly, I am worried that my two companies on Cemetery Hill are very vulnerable out in front of the main position.

Situation at the end of turn 1 (Below).


I breath a sign of relief as my opponent does not isolate the two companies on Cemetery hill and I pull them back to the main position leaving a recon unit in their place, I hope they will be of great use later on in the scenario, I also reinforce the gap between the Sebcha marsh and the sea with a company of Free French troops.
I have also abandoned the position at Bir es Suera (south of map) to reinforce the positions to the north, I hope to use the extensive marshes to delay any Axis advance from this direction.

[Dog Soldier]

Axis turn two.
08:00 AM March 31, 1941
Normal Conditions
Visibility 3km.
The German Fifth Light division surges up onto Cemetery hill. Only a small British AC unit is encountered, and easily dispatched. Major Dossler knows now the British have retired into their entrenchments in force. Air attacks draw little blood and seem to cause no damage. It may become difficult to dig them out.

On the southern front, Lieutenant Gruber witnesses the stubborn resistance of the surrounded British armored cars. The Italian assaults disrupt on the armored cars defense. Reluctantly, Gruber sends in the German assault engineers to break the British defense and force their surrender. This has cost us too much time, thought Gruber. The southern flank stalls.


German turn two. Where are the British?

[Dog Soldier]

Situation at the end of Allied turn 2 (below)



The Axis turn saw me lose the exposed Cemetery Hill position, I hope its resistance has bought me some valuable time.
With my recon units arriving from the south I can now organise my defences, as time is of the essence I place them I blocking positions amongst the marsh’s apart from a single 3x A13 tank unit of the C/5 RTR which I move to support the main defensive position (circled).
I expect in the next move to see the main thrust of Rommels attack to come straight up the road, while a push along the coast is also a possibility.

[Dog Soldier]

German turn three.
10:00 AM March 31, 1941
Normal Conditions
Visibility 3km.

Fifth Light Division
Major Dossler watched as the coordinated attacks went in on objective. Taking these British trenches now was vital to the German time table. “Through the eye of the needle we must go”, he thought. First the engineers laid down a covering fire to suppress the Tommys. The British infantry disrupted under the combined fire of the mortar section and the engineer’s fire. Tanks moved up next to deal with the British AT guns. Nothing for it thought Dossler. We can only hope the gun crews are dazed. As each tank section moved up an took their shots, there was no effective fire from the British. Only one MkIV was disabled. All units were in good order. Machine gun battalion eight moved up for the assault. Only disorganized rifle fire met the unit and one man was wounded. The assault went in forcing the British out of the objective. The German losses were more than the British. More armor moved up into the captured British positions and began firing at the next British units attempting to dig in quickly behind the original trenches. With any luck we will slaughter them in the open after we regroup thought Major Dossler. Now will the British try to hold the narrow strip of land between their minefields, or will they retire to defend the next objective? A feint was made along the coast which revealed the location of the Free French, another British infantry unit and some AT guns. All these units were digging in fast. Major Dossler ordered some panzer jagers to begin finding a way through the salt marshes to the north; just in case we need the insurance of flanking the next British position.

Infantry Regiment 200
Lieutenant Gruber saw the MG battalion deployed as companies catch up to the forward elements. He ordered the fast recon vehicles to protect the flank as the tanks first breached the sand dunes ahead followed by the infantry in their trucks. The slow AT guns were all left behind with the Italians and one section of engineers to guard the center of the German position. The British were no where. A cat an mouse game on the German flank? Had they retired to defend the narrow land at the end of salt marshes? Or did the British AC move into the salt marshes only to emerge later when the Germans had passed by? No way to know. Lieutenant Gruber radioed the armored car with the Luftwaffe liaison officer. “Can you call in some recon missions ahead of us in the next couple of hours. I do not like this blind feeling”, he told the officer. Maybe the short delay waiting for the MG battalion will confuse the British as to our intentions. Many doubts plagued Gruber on his first mission in the desert. Time was slipping away. He would have to move very fast now to secure the southern objectives and sweep into the British rear.


The big picture on Axis turn three.


A close up view of the push along the coast.

Dog Soldier’s notes
In a small scenario like this every move must count. Even though I did not want to use the German tanks for direct fire, in this turn I had to do so mainly to draw fire from the stacked up British behind the trench. Since they were digging in they will fire at ½ effectiveness. All the British units in the stack fired at my infantry now occupying the trench as my tanks rolled up in the hex and fired on the stack. This will prevent the British units from digging in now, since they fired in the defensive fire phase. Foul will have to decide if he will risk staying in the open with a large stack acting like a plug between the marshes and minefields to delay one more turn. Or will he pack up and occupy the 40 victory point hex and new delaying positions to the north to prevent me getting a good attack on the port of Gasrel Brega before time runs out? A lot will depend on if the British infantry that is disrupted will rally.
I could have stacked up all the German armor for one big assault on this stack of British infantry. The units digging in would be defending at ½ their normal strength. This would be a gamble with so many infantry in the hex. If I failed to dislodge them, my armor could end the turn all disrupted. That could end the game with such a tight time table for the Germans. It is too early for that type of chance to be taken. In retrospect, I should have held back the air strikes until now. The air attacks were very ineffective against the entrenched infantry and armored cars so far. Perhaps they could have fatigued the stack enough to make and armor assault work; maybe not. That will be for some one else to try.

[Dog Soldier]

Situation at the end of Allied turn 3 (below)


The Axis turn brought a real setback for my defence on the main road as I lose the entrenched position I was hoping would hold out at least one move. I gamble that there will be no serious push along the coast and transfer my Free French company to bolster the main position aided by the arrival of the unit of A13 tanks.
As there was also no sign of any move through the marshes to the south, I also moved two units of Recon to the rear of my position to guard against any attempt to outflank my position from the far south, a desperate message has been sent to the 3rd Armoured Brigade for help, but it seems that it will come to late in the day to help me out.

[Dog Soldier]

Axis turn four.
12:00 PM March 31, 1941
Normal Conditions
Visibility 3km.

Fifth Light Division
Major Dossler sent his troops forward to try and overwhelm the British infantry and guns holding the bottle neck. Though they had an early success disrupting the British infantry, the assault failed to force the enemy back. The major could take some comfort that his troops were still in good shape to assault again after a short reorganization. The British took greater casualties and might be thrown back with the next assault. Engineers are clearing the mines near the marshes and Pz jagers have moved through the marshes on the northern flank to threaten the weak flank of the defenders.
A message from Infantry Regiment 200, Lieutenant Gruber reported surrounding some armored cars and AT guns at Bir es Suera. They should be liquidated in the next two hours. No other signs of the enemy. “They will know we are coming. I do not think the enemy is prepared for us.”, radioed Gruber. Dust clouds suggested the British were clogging the bottle neck between the marshes with more units. The Free French infantry seemed to have moved off the ridge near the coast. “Maybe Gruber will draw some of the British off now that he has been revealed”, thought Dossler. We shall know soon enough.

Dog Soldier’s notes
T41 is a different game altogether. I fired three shots with the 88mm AT guns section at the armored cars across the minefields. Only got one fatigue for my trouble. I expected to blast them out of the hex.


German positions for the Infantry Regiment 200 on turn four.