Zachary Grant, 19 January 2025
Welcome back to How (Not) to Win at North Africa ’41, part three. When we last left the Axis forces, they had lost their HQ and a truck loaded with supplies. Even with this major setback, the remaining Axis forces continued to advance north along the Via Balbia and east across the desert toward Mechili. The Brits were withdrawing in the face of the Axis advance, while trying to form a defensive line west of Tobruk.

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Events of the first impulse
The Allies continue to withdraw to the east towards Tobruk and simultaneously are furiously pushing units from Alexandria to the west. The defensive line has been broadened and pushed forward a wee bit, with the 6 Royal Tank Regiment (RTR) and the 1 Kings Royal Rifle Corps (KRRC) guarding the northernmost flank of the defensive line which runs south through Mechili, protected by the 3rd Indian brigade and a weakened 5th RTR. Continuing south, the Aussie’s 26 brigade is setting up a defense at the crossroads at the Trigh el Abd and Trigh Enver Bey tracks, supported by the 3rd Hussars and the 1 RTR. The last defenders, just to the south of these units are the stalwart 11 Hussar’s Recon battalion. More fortifications are being constructed at Tobruk as reports of the rapidly approaching Germans filter back to the rear.

I know I need to advance quickly and I’m not sure I have the resources to push the Brits and their Allies back. OKW thankfully sends Rommel 1 RP, so that’s good news.

All the reinforcements for this turn, along with the depleted DAK HQ and the newly rebuilt truck unit, are convoyed from Italy to Tripoli. The British Navy briefly spots the convoy; however, the convoy evades the Brits and manages to arrive safely at Tripoli. I breathe a sigh of relief and focus on how to continue the Axis advance.
I determine the best place to attack the Allied defensive line is in the north. I advance all of the 5th Light Division to attack the 1 KRRC and the 6th RTR and bring up some Italians to support the German attack. The rest of the Italian infantry continues to shuffle north along the Via Balbia and to slowly make their way along the desert tracks leading east. These units are meant to act as a defensive line against any Allied advance toward the west, so hopefully the Allies are more concerned about the Axis forces in the north and do not attack these meager defenders.

I need to use my RP to purchase the Commando Supremo ability so the Germans and Italians can combine their forces in the attack on the Allies. The attack is a resounding success!

The British are shattered and need to retreat up to four hexes. I couldn’t have hoped for a better result. The 6th RTR takes the step loss and both units conduct a Full Retreat towards Derna. All the attacking units involved in the combat can advance 4 hexes in any direction. The bulk of the 5th Light Division advances to the south toward Mechili to threaten the 5th RTR and the 3rd Indian brigade. The 5th Light Division Recon battalion and the Ariete 32 tank regiment advance to be adjacent to the two retreating units. This causes both units in Full Retreat to fall back again.

Events of the second impulse
The Brits roll Air Support for their event. Because the Axis has air superiority during the first six turns of the game, this can only be used to improve attacks and not as defensive air support. That will change on turn seven, when neither side has air superiority. With the northern flank destroyed, the Allies completely fall back to Tobruk and abandon the defensive line they were creating west of Tmimi. The 1 King’s Royal Rifle Corps (1 KRRC) and the 6 Royal Tank Regiment, (RTR) escape to the east of Tobruk to rest and reorganize. The 11 Hussars and a mixture of British and Australian brigades and battalions are preparing to defend south of Tobruk to prevent Axis units from zipping further west.

This is the latest episode in a running playthrough of North Africa ’41 from GMT Games; you can find the links to all published episodes at the end of article, with new ones each Sunday
I will admit I am “ein wenig überrascht” at the rapid withdrawal of the Allies to Tobruk. With the way west now cleared of obstacles, this impulse sees the slow advance of the non-mechanized Italian infantry regiments and battalions and the rapid advance of the mechanized German panzer battalions. The end result is the German forces find themselves on the doorstep of Tobruk without the necessary supplies to maintain any sort of prolonged combat. The DAK HQ and the rebuilt truck unit return to service and speed along the Via Balbia to get to the front as quickly as possible. They are accompanied by elements of the 15th Division, the 115 Motorized Infantry regiment and the 33 Recon battalion. A couple more units from the 15th Division are in the pipeline to arrive over the course of the next two turns. The Tobruk defenses are looking formidable. The thick brown line outlining the Tobruk defenses is also an obstacle to combat, making attacking into the area around Tobruk that much more difficult. Oh, if I only appreciated how much more difficult!

Events of the third impulse
The Allies get another Air Support from their event roll. The RAF is now fully ready to aid the Allied ground forces in the defence of any Axis attack. The Allies continue to advance reinforcements from Alexandria to the front line and to bolster Tobruk’s defenses. Tobruk’s port capacity is at its maximum and they have plenty of supply to sustain their troops. To end their impulse, the Allies place a Delay Marker just south of Tobruk in an attempt to slow the German panzer battalions.

Just as this was a quiet turn for the Allies, it is a quiet turn for the Axis. My Event roll results in the arrival of Engineers. I task the Engineers to repair the Benghazi port, which the Allies destroyed during their retreat to Tobruk. This allows me to use Naval Transport from Tripoli to Benghazi. I transport Savon’s reduced 16 regiment from Tripoli to Behghazi and they arrive unscathed.

I realize attacking Tobruk is a battle of attrition the Axis can’t afford, and my best course of action is to bypass Tobruk and cut off its lines of supply. I advance as many mechanized units as possible, threading the needle between Tobruk and the Allied defenders at Bir el Gubi . I maneuver German units behind the 11 Hussars to cut off their line of supply. My hope is this will force the Hussars back without having to engage in combat. The DAK HQ arrives on the scene fully ready and there is one mobile supply unit being guarded by Italian tankette battalions at Bir Hacheim. My supply lines are okay; however, the rapidly advancing mechanized units might be in danger if I’m not careful. On the subject of supply, as this is the final impulse of the turn, I check for supply attrition and lose a supply point in the Tobruk sector. I select to remove the supply from the DAK HQ in order to keep the Mobile Supply Unit.

Conclusion & Discussion
For the Axis, this was a good turn. Where are the blunders and mistakes I hear you ask? Well, let’s just say the rest of the game will provide more examples. Also, Toburk’s port capacity is at its maximum and I haven’t done anything to reduce it. The only way the Axis player can reduce the shipping capacity of Allied ports is to bomb them. Having neglected this task will cost the Axis dearly and is a boon to the Allies. Also, not bringing in more Supply Points will be a problem too. Tune in next week, same Armchair Dragoon time, same Armchair Dragoon channel, for the next installment of the series!
NORTH AFRICA ’41 AAR
PART 1 ~ PART 2 ~ PART 3 ~ PART 4 ~ PART 5 ~ PART 6 ~ PART 7 ~ PART 8
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