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
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Operation Aberdeen
Desert Rats #50
(Defender) Germany
(Defender) Italy
vs Britain (Attacker)
Gurkha (Attacker)
India (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Britain 22nd Armoured Brigade
Britain 2nd Highland Light Infantry
Britain 2nd West Yorkshire Regiment
Britain 4th Royal Tank Regiment
Britain 50th Reconnaissance Battalion
Gurkha 2/4th Gurkha Rifles
India 10th Infantry Brigade
India 4/10th Baluch Regiment
India 9th Infantry Brigade
Italy 132ª Divisone Corazzata "Ariete"
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for DeRa050
Total
Side 1 0
Draw 0
Side 2 2
Overall Rating, 2 votes
5
4
3
2
1
4.5
Scenario Rank: --- of 913
Parent Game Desert Rats
Historicity Historical
Date 1942-06-05
Start Time 02:30
Turn Count 44
Visibility Day & Night
Counters 207
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 1
Maps 2: DR4, DR5
Layout Dimensions 116 x 88 cm
46 x 35 in
Play Bounty 184
AAR Bounty 171
Total Plays 2
Total AARs 1
Battle Types
Breakout
Rural Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Reinforcements
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Desert Rats Base Game
Introduction

The confused Gazala battles had placed both Axis and Allied forces across each others' supply lines. While Rommel turned to crush the British "brigade boxes" blocking his lines, British and Indian units fought furiously to re-open the lines to those same brigades. Barring their way stood the Italian Ariete division and its awesome tank-killing batteries.

Conclusion

Allied valor was in no short supply, and British and Indian infantry attacked repeatedly despite serious losses. With daylight, the British tanks also came forward without pause, and the big Italian guns smashed them with ease. After hours of fighting, Ariete's line had not been dented. The brave troops holding the Gazala line were lost, and Gazala would become Rommel's greatest victory.


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).
  • Open-top AFV's: Immune to M, M1 and M2 results on Direct and Bombardment Fire Tables, but DO take step losses from X and #X results (7.25, 7.41, 7.61, BT, DFT). If a "2X" or "3X" result is rolled, at least one of the step losses must be taken by an open-top AFV if present.
  • 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
  • Tank Destroyer: do not provide the +1 Assault bonus, even if closed-top (SB)
  • APC – Armored Personnel Carrier: These are Combat Units, but stack like Transports. They can transport personnel units or towed units. They are not counted as combat units for the +1 stacking modifier on the Direct Fire and Bombardment Tables (4.4). They may be activated by regular leaders and tank leaders (1.2, 3.34, 4.3, 5.43). They do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Armored Cars: These are Combat Units. They are motorized instead of mechanized. All have their own armored car leaders, who can only activate armored cars (6.85). Do not provide the +1 Assault bonus (ACC).
  • Reconnaissance Vehicle: 8.23 Special Spotting Powers Both foot and vehicle mounted recce units (1.2) possess two special spotting abilities. The first ability is that they can spot enemy in limiting terrain at one hex further than the TEC specifies for other units and leaders. For example, an enemy unit in town can normally be spotted at three hexes or less, but a recce unit can spot them at four hexes.Their second ability is that they can place a Spotted marker on any one enemy unit they can spot per turn, just as if the enemy unit had "blown its cover" by firing. Such Spotted markers are removed as described earlier.

Display Order of Battle

Britain Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized
  • Towed
Germany Order of Battle
Heer
  • Motorized
  • Towed
Gurkha Order of Battle
Army
India Order of Battle
Army
  • Motorized
  • Towed
Italy Order of Battle
Regio Esercito
  • Motorized

Display Errata (3)

3 Errata Items
Overall balance chart for 869

All Bren carriers should have a movement value of 7.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 855

Two British infantry have their full strengths printed on the back. They should both be "2-3" when reduced.

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
Overall balance chart for 104

Four counters (ID#s: 1502 to 1506) have the incorrect NATO symbol (infantry in lieu of armor).

(Shad on 2010 Dec 15)

Display AARs (1)

More Bodies Than Bullets
Author Retiredgrunt17
Method Solo
Victor Britain, Gurkha, India
Play Date 2017-10-08
Language English
Scenario DeRa050

This was a good scenario for a Sunday. Plenty of time to take a bit of a longer scenario and hash out some desert warfare. As it was, though, this didn't take all that long. The first half entailed the British moving forward under Italian fire to be able to get a hold of the Italian front line and try to get some action on the Italian gun line. The British outnumbered the Italians 4:1 in infantry. As losses were not a victory point factor, they advanced ahead and took heavy fire. Heedless of losses, they barreled ahead in to the Italian line and penetrated the infantry in several spots, gaining access to the gun line.

Turn 23 saw the entry of 23 British armored units. Even with fog of war cutting 5 turns short, the British went on to clear a corridor and attain the victory.

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