#410515_01 Operation Brevity - North Africa 1941

Fort Capuzzo, Egyptian - Libyan Border: May 15th, 1941. (Scenario Size: Division. Head to Head or Human vs AI for either side) By mid May 1941, Tobruk had been surrounded by the Axis forces for a month. The Commonwealth forces within the fortress had held against Rommel's initial assaults, but Churchill was concerned that the cost in naval vessels and men would be prohibitive in maintaining the garrison. He pressed the Wavell, the Allied North Africa commander to prepare to relieve Tobruk as it was a vital supply base for any advance back into Cyrenaica. Wavell was awaiting a major convoy carrying hundreds of replacement tanks and vehicles (the Tiger Convoy) but was goaded into attacking by Rommel's sudden capture of the strategic Halfaya Pass on April 25th. Wavell, therefore planned a three-brigade advance to both recover the pass as well as push back the Axis border defenders before the arrival of the Tiger convoy and his proposed major offensive - Operation Battleaxe. This scenario covers both days of Operation Brevity.