Scenario: Operation Brevity 3/1941

[Mobhack]

UK division sized force (-) vs Axis.

UK assaults the Axis to take Halfaya (Hellfire) Pass near Sollum on the Egypt/Libyan border to start the relief of Tobruk.

450 UK units, 50 turns, 200x160 map. i.e. This is not a small scenario!.

UK has Australians, including the Divisional Cavalry - some captured M11/39s added since they were available (and cute ). Axis has both Italians and German DAK.

Main feature of this map is the coastal escarpment, which made the Sollum position and its back door ("Hellfire" Pass) important. The escarpment rises about 600 feet and is impassable except at a few points, thus splitting the battlefield.

This one has both an infantry assault and mobile "tankie" stuff too. Designed as Axis AI only, but may be playable as a PBEM between 2 humans?.

Slot number 428.

Feedback welcome.

Cheers
Andy

A new zip attached 11/04/2012 since the original did not have the .cmt file included.

[Rosollia]

I'm currently at turn 20. Very interesting battle. The AI seems to be doing small counter attacks and is suprisingly active. Are there waypoints used in this scenario for the AI?

I got my troops in the Hellfire Pass making very slow advance from both South and North. I have not been able to send any troops to Sollum yet. I did try, but got hammered by AAA fire from the escarpment. Stubborn defenders those Italians in the pass.

In the South of the map I captured Sidi Suleiman and by turn 15 I was pretty sure of a victory. I had my tanks advancing North and intented to cleverly attack the enemy at Qualala from behind. That all changed by turn 18 when fresh German armor met my cruiser tanks head-on and decimated them. I managed to save about 20 of them and have retreated behind some small hills in hopes of ambushing the enemy armor. The 2 pounder AT guns are much better against the German armor than the cruiser tanks I've noticed.

In the middle area at Qualala I have my infantry right at the first houses, but the Germans have poured in infantry on motorcycles and there are a ton of panzer III's in there too. I have made steady advance, but no breaktrough yet. The Matilda II tanks have fared better than the poor cruisers. I've only lost 2 matilda II's sofar.

Oh, and the three captured Italian tanks are quite useles. Though they are blessed it seems. When the cruiser tanks were getting destroyed left and right the Fiats survived unscathed. They are now hiding behind some sand dunes hoping that the enemy panzers won't notice them.

Anyway great scenario!

[Mobhack]

No waypoints - all navigation is normal AI pathfinding.

Matildas and the 25 pounder are your assets. All other UK armour is hunksajunk which have to hide and/or use rough hexes (or enemy vehicle dug in areas) to have a hope of surviving. The 2 pdr gun can whack German armour on the lighter Panzers, esp from the side where all their mediums are vulnerable - sniping on their flanks from 1000-1200m+ is a favourite cruiser tank tactic of mine. I'll pop up from behind a hill and snapshot at them, returning to cover if fired at, out of shots, or the Jerry turns to face me. (Once the later Pz3s with 6 and more front armour appear then flank sniping is the only valid British tactic till the 6pdr and US 75mm arrives). Or just dump a shed-load of 25pdr indirect on any concentration of armour.

Matildas have to be a bit wary of the German 5cm Pz 3s, esp any with a supply of APCR. (The German armour is an assorted bunch, as was the case for the DAK). Actually, I have lost Matildas to the 3.7cm APCR at ~1 hex too... And Panzer II can whack an A13 if lucky.

The Italian AT rifle is a 20mm job, which can deal with the lighter hunksajunk as well, so be careful if using Mk VI to hose down any troops. Italian 47mm guns can deal with all armour bar Matilda, and the 75mm Ansolado does a nice number on those at under 1Km.

UK has only soft MT, no APCs bar carriers, so has to be wary of any 20mm FLAK and machine guns if moving mounted.

The scenario is doable for the UK player, provided he does not simply do a headlong tank charge with his cruisers towards Point 206... He has 50 turns, and will have to deal with the counter attacks before exploiting through the wreckage of these.

Probably the best way to get to point 206 is an infantry and I tank combined arms advance with massed arty support along the high road while 7 brigade secures the South. So don't waste too many I tanks mopping up Hellfire pass.

Cheers
Andy

[Rosollia]

Got a marginal victory which was a pleasant suprise considering how heavy losses I took. Poor tactics on my part wasting so many of those cruiser tanks. Also I managed to make a huge graveyeard of my Marmon-Herrington armored cars. Got the last victory hex at Sollum on turn 49 so quite a close call there.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that the scenario zip package is missing the "spscn428.cmt" file.

[Mobhack]

Originally Posted by Rosollia

Got a marginal victory which was a pleasant suprise considering how heavy losses I took. Poor tactics on my part wasting so many of those cruiser tanks. Also I managed to make a huge graveyeard of my Marmon-Herrington armored cars. Got the last victory hex at Sollum on turn 49 so quite a close call there.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is that the scenario zip package is missing the "spscn428.cmt" file.

Drat! - have attached a new zip with the .cmt included to post No. 1 of the thread.

Andy

[Cameronius]

Turn 12 and the cruiser group in the south has reached the end zone. Will be turning north to roll up the enemy flank. Centre cruiser group engaged Pz IIs and IIIs who decided to turn north along the road and exposed their flank at 1200-1500yds, filled them with 2 pound shells. Center Matilda group has destroyed entrenched Pz.IIIs an is waiting for a breach in the minefield to advance west. Assault of positions in the pass is proceeding. The north entrance to the pass was a real B**** to breach. Feeding the enemy arty parks a steady diet of 25 pound shells and .50 cal strafing. Have not lost any cruisers or Matildas yet. Great scenario!