Author	treadasaurusrex (Australia, Britain)
Method	VASSAL
Victor	Draw
Participants	sagunto
Play Date	2022-10-10
Language	English
Scenario	AfKo028

This scenario was a 3-session play-through with a rapidly-learning & sly newcomer to online PG. I was again serving my penance, and played the defending-but-tank-less Commonwealth side, while the Axis side had all the armor in this one. We played with the wretched defense-favoring fog of war (FOW), and with the excess initiative, smoke/illum, and extended assault rules.

The combined British & Australian force set up in a strong, well-dug-in, hedgehog position covering the required victory hexes. In the end, this position with its interlocking field of fire proved to be just barely too much for the onrushing, Axis horde bent on taking Tobruk. Alas, British OBA was spotty, but periodically accurate during this play-through and was lost completely on game turn 23.

The Italo-German infantry formations attacked with vigor from the beginning but had their attack sequencing thrown off when they came into close range and began their close assaults. Frequent disruptions, but not demoralizations resulted, thanks to the German's sky high morale. Inaccurate Axis OBA strikes and friendly fire episodes caused many Axis casualties, in addition to accurate & lethal British HMG direct fire. As the turns passed, Axis casualties increased dramatically and the frontal attacks became significantly weaker by the end of turn 17.

When it eventually developed, the Axis combined arms thrust was aimed more at the flanks of the Commonwealth hedgehog. The Tommies' AT guns began to score hit after hit on the headlong charge of Axis combined arms assault groups. By the end of turn 24, the powerful Axis attack had collapsed, for lack of sufficient infantry support and significant leader losses. As others have stated: "The Axis force was chewed to pieces," while total Allied losses included both Bren carrier platoons, 7 steps of infantry, 4 units of trucks, a single HMG platoon, as well as 4 leaders. By the end, the Axis had lost 8 leaders, suffered a decapitation, lost all but one of their attacking Italian infantry platoons, as well as all three German SPW platoons. Other Axis losses included their complete allotment of Pz-II and Pz-IIIG tanks, two platoons of German motorcycle infantry, and 4 steps of their Africa Korps' infantry. The final result of our encounter was a hard-fought draw.

In a perfect world, this relatively balanced, scenario could go either way. For an early AK scenario, this battle requires significantly more planning & target preparation fire than most. It also requires substantial patience and should be played without the turn-wasting, and attack-sequence-destroying malign influence of the FOW rule. In our play-through, 9 turns were terminated prematurely, which substantially helped the Allied side to survive an Axis frontal attack that nearly succeeded in winning the game. This one is probably better played as a solo effort and I give it a 3.