Panzer Grenadier Battles on April 27th:
Arctic Front Deluxe #40 - Children's Crusade Broken Axis #14 - Târgu Frumos: The Second Battle Scenario 3: Sledge Hammer of the Proletariat
Army Group South Ukraine #6 - Consternation Road to Berlin #73 - She-Wolves of the SS
PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > AfKo044
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Afrika Korps #44
(Defender) Germany vs Australia (Attacker)
Britain (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Australia 2/12th Infantry Battalion
Australia 2/23rd Infantry Battalion
Germany 104th Panzergrenadier Regiment
Germany 33rd Engineer Battalion
Display
Balance:


Overall balance chart for AfKo044
Total
Side 1 3
Draw 1
Side 2 2
Overall Rating, 6 votes
5
4
3
2
1
2.67
Scenario Rank: 849 of 913
Parent Game Afrika Korps
Historicity Historical
Date 1941-05-17
Start Time 05:30
Turn Count 32
Visibility Day
Counters 77
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 1: AK3
Layout Dimensions 88 x 58 cm
35 x 23 in
Play Bounty 114
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 6
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Rural Assault
Conditions
Entrenchments
Off-board Artillery
Reinforcements
Severe Weather
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Afrika Korps Base Game
Introduction

Believing posts S8, S9 and S10 captured by the German attack early on the 16th, General Morshead ordered their immediate recapture. The battalion chosen was the 2/23rd, which had just been rotated out of that portion of the front and into the fortress reserve. The Australian Imperial Forces' youngest battalion commander, 35-year-old civil engineer Bernard Evans, led the unit. With the attack planned for 0530, the battalion only completed its movement to the jumpoff positions at 0030. Before the attack began Evans learned that post S10 had been recaptured and posts S8 and S9, while invested, still held out. Lt.Col. Evans proposed continuing the attack, but changing the mission to the recapture of posts S6 and S7, both long-held by the Germans.
Conclusion

Again the accompanying tanks became lost and ended up firing on the Australian infantry. Posts S4, S6 and S7 were all captured, although at heavy cost to the two assault companies. German counterattacks were not long in coming and by noon had retaken or forced the defenders to withdraw from the three posts. Two/Twenty-third Battalion had suffered 173 dead, wounded and missing in the attack. In Canberra, the whispers of "Gallipoli" grew louder.
Display Relevant AFV Rules
AFV Rules Pertaining to this Scenario's Order of Battle
  • Vulnerable to results on the Assault Combat Chart (7.25, 7.63, ACC), and may be attacked by Anti-Tank fire (11.2, DFT). Anti-Tank fire only affects the individual unit fired upon (7.62, 11.0).
  • AFV's are activated by tank leaders (3.2, 3.3, 5.42, 6.8). They may also be activated as part of an initial activating stack, but if activated in this way would need a tank leader in order to carry out combat movement.
  • AFV's do not block Direct Fire (10.1).
  • Full-strength AFV's with "armor efficiency" may make two anti-tank (AT) fire attacks per turn (either in their action segment or during opportunity fire) if they have AT fire values of 0 or more (11.2).
  • Each unit with an AT fire value of 2 or more may fire at targets at a distance of between 100% and 150% of its printed AT range. It does so at half its AT fire value. (11.3)
  • Efficient and non-efficient AFV's may conduct two opportunity fires per turn if using direct fire (7.44, 7.64). Units with both Direct and AT Fire values may use either type of fire in the same turn as their opportunity fire, but not both (7.22, 13.0). Units which can take opportunity fire twice per turn do not have to target the same unit both times (13.0).
  • Demoralized AFV's are not required to flee from units that do not have AT fire values (14.3).
  • Place a Wreck marker when an AFV is eliminated in a bridge or town hex (16.3).
  • AFV's do not benefit from Entrenchments (16.42).
  • AFV's may Dig In (16.2).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables. Do not take step losses from Direct or Bombardment Fire. If X or #X result on Fire Table, make M morale check instead (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT).
  • Closed-top AFV's: Provide the +1 modifier on the Assault Table when combined with infantry. (Modifier only applies to Germans in all scenarios; Soviet Guards in scenarios taking place after 1942; Polish, US and Commonwealth in scenarios taking place after 1943.) (ACC)
  • Tank: all are closed-top and provide the +1 Assault bonus, when applicable
Display Order of Battle
Australia Order of Battle
Army
Britain Order of Battle
Army
  • Foot
  • Leader
  • Mechanized
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Mechanized
Display Errata (2)
2 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 20

The reduced direct fire value of the Heer HMG became 5-5 starting with Fall of France.

(plloyd1010 on 2015 Jul 31)
Overall balance chart for 63

The morale and combat modifiers of German Sergeant #1614 should be "0", not "8".

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Display AARs (2)
Another Dog of a Scenario
Author treadasaurusrex
Method Solo
Victor Australia, Britain
Play Date 2022-11-03
Language English
Scenario AfKo044

For the last 6, or so, weeks, I have been playing a series of Afrika Korps scenarios in solo mode, that others have branded as suitable for solo play only. This one has been referred to as half-baked, and the description fits, as this is poorly play-tested mess. I won't bore the reader with a more thorough description of how badly designed this battle is -- but from the initial setup, to the victory conditions -- this one is fatally flawed. One ends up having to make this into a do it yourself effort to try and make any sense out of the scenario directions. In this solo effort, the Australian/British side managed a very costly win on nearly the last of the WAY TOO MANY, 32 game turns.

Perhaps the order of battle for this engagement is historically accurate, but I strongly recommend giving this deplorable mess of a scenario a pass, and if you must play it, do so in solo mode, so you can at least try your luck at making the many fixes required to at least make it playable. I give this one a VERY GENEROUS rating of 2, but it is really not suitable for shared play.
1 Comment
NBGB
2022-11-03 07:06

Please tell us how you really feel!

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Afrika Korps #44
Author triangular_cube
Method Solo
Victor Draw
Play Date 2022-02-28
Language English
Scenario AfKo044

This is another Afrika Korps scenario that unfortunately needed a lot more time in the oven. The setup just doesnt make sense. Units are unable to enter anything but a small section of the map (fair enough) but setup areas and VC points and terrain features are on all sides of the limitations. Could be the frequent offset issue, could be not all of the limitations are appropriate, could be anything really.

The ultimate payoff if you DYO scenario from the framework we have left after removing the conflicting instructions is just another slog for the Australians to get butchered taking strongpoints that they dont have the firepower to deal with. This time they get attacked by their own tanks too to make it even harder on those poor guys.

I couldn't rightfully declare a winner as the VCs themselves conflict with the setup instructions. My Australians got butchered after achieving nothing. There really isn't much to tell though. While the circumstances around Tobruk may be accurate here, there are plenty of other scenarios where you do the exact same thing but with coherant instructions. Its really not worth the effort to "fix" this one. I did for completionist's sake, but I'm silly like that.
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PG-HQ Library - Panzer Grenadier Hall > Scenarios > AfKo044
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