[Joe98]

In SSG’s game “Battlefront” game, there is a scenario named Gazala.  It covers Rommel’s drive on Tobruk.

In my view, this is one of the best scenarios in the whole series of SSG’s games.

The scenario has it al!  Large sweeping armoured movements, close infantry fighting, armoured clashes, dogged defence, supply problems etc etc.

The map covers the coastline from Gazala to Tobruk as well as the area inland to the Free French defences at Bir Hakiem.



If 2 players are of equal ability, then, in my opinion, the Allied player should have a victory. But the Axis player can win so long as he thinks like Rommel.  Battlefront brought some new innovations to wargaming that would of benefit, a “Rommel” type of player.

Battlefront, gave wargaming, the concept of attack supply as separate from defence supply.

So it is the Axis player needs to form  2 battlegroups. Each battlegroup would be made up of armour, infantry, artillery, an attack HQ and a defence HQ.  

The idea is that each one moves about the map destroying allied units. As each one runs short of attack supply it stops and entrenches. Then the other battlegroup takes over and continues the rampage.

The next screen shot shows a battlegroup formed up ready to advance. Note the infantry is leading, with engineers behind, armour behind them and artillery at the rear together with the HQ units.




A clever player will have multiple battlegroups moving over various parts of the map and the allied player will never know where the next blow will fall.

Many of the Allied troops are worth high victory points but most of the Axis troops are worth only few victory points. This means that, where the Axis advance, then, mostly, the Allies must withdraw or else lose many valuable units.  This means withdrawing almost right back to Tobruk!




Should Bir Hakiem be captured?

To win the scenario, the Axis must either capture Bir Hakiaem or else go around it and capture the objectives deep in the British Commonwealth rear.

In a typical game, the winning margin will be will be some hundreds of points. The Objective of Bir Hakiem is worth 1,875 points and the Free French troops there are worth 610 points making a total of  2,485

Even the best players take 7 or so turns of a 23 turn scenario to capture it. So there is incentive to go around it.

In the early turns the British Commonwealth forces, are quite scattered.  If Axis battlegroups moved quickly and go around Bir Hakiem, the battlegroups should destroy most Commonwealth forces they meet. This opens the door to a series of objectives around an area that became known as “Knightsbridge”.

The value of the objectives that could be captured and are not usually captured, amount to 1,865  and the Commonwealth troops that could be destroyed amount to maybe, perhaps  2,000 points.  Which makes a total of perhaps 2,800 points

In the meantime, Axis troops in the west need to push hard. It is important the Axis threaten the valuable objectives of Ain El Gazala and  Alem Hamza, which between them are worth and  of 2,120




The Commonwealth defences are very strong and the Italians, except for a few units, are not so good. The purpose of an attack in the west is to draw off the Commonwealth troops in the centre and in the east.

In my view, instead of a direct attack, the Axis should move around the south and then strike north.

As usual some battlegroups need to be formed, with a mix of infantry, armour, artillery, engineers, attack HQ and defence HQ.




If the Commonwealth troops move to defend the objectives in the west, the Axis troops that went around Bir Hakiem have a much better go at advancing.

However. The French troops at Bir Hakiem are few in number but have much combat power.  Once it has become obvious that the Axis are not going to attack the fortress, the French will probably begin to make short excursions out of the fort, with a view to cutting the Axis supply lines. The desert is so large this is quite difficult to do but the Axis will need to leave a battlegroup behind keep a watch on the situation.

Also, the French do have some entrenched artillery and this can damage Axis units passing near to the fort.

I think this is a terrific scenario. It is too bad it is not played so much.

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