This game was played PBEM against John Legan over some months.

The German forces had concentrated at one end of the ridge line in an effort to coax the South Africans to corral themselves as a group at the other end of the ridge. The Germans believed their artillery would then knock out enough South African strength for the DAK infantry to finish the clear up, especially with Luftwaffe flying overhead regularly too. The South African advance began at 1230 hours and some casualties were absorbed from the off. However, these troops had some pretty keen officers leading them and continued to plough on to the ridge. The Germans meanwhile sent their own troops to meet them on the ridge line.

Over 3-4 hours or so the South Africans continued to be bombarded and straffed and though casualties mounted, it seemed to mean nothing to the advancing SAF infantry. Their determination was fixed on the target ridge. Furthermore they were beginning to receive some armoured support and the dark was drawing in. Once the ridge was reached, the Boks dug-in there. For another 3 hours, they clung into the dug-outs quite unshakeable despite all that was being thrown at them, including DAK small-arms fire added to the OBA and air-attacks.

By 1830(turn 25) it was clear to the DAK commander that these enemies were not going to be moved off the hil. There was no point in throwing in senseless low chance frontal attacks and so the ridge was given up to the South Africans. Casualties had been just the 1 DAK HMG step and an officer against 13 SAF steps lost and 4 officers. But they had been completely unbreakable throughout the battle and for that, they had earned their target prize.

This turned out to be a pretty straight forward scenario. SAF to rush the ridge, Germans to stop them or throw them off. Unfortunately, I believe I chose completely the wrong way to stop the Boks but I made sure I completed my self-imposed minimum 75% of play-turns (got through 83% of this one before conceding despite VC defeat on wall at the half-way stage).

I had set up the Germans at one end of the ridge. The logic for this being that a whole desert map is used, which is a vast frontage for the small amount of DAK foot troops available. I wanted the SAF's to corral themselves at the other end, thus keeping them in one place. This would wipe out any chances of those silly chase and tag situations where players try and slip the odd unit all over the map. I would also be able to then use the large OBA to blast them till they were so weak, my lower-moraled infantry could then chase them off. But SAF morale just kept holding up and holding up in what became a tiresome game of bombard, morale check, pass morale, bombard, morale, pass, air-attack, miss, etc etc. It really was very dreary.

That all said, my plan was at fault and I think a far more exciting game and one where the DAK may have a better chance is to divide the DAK troops into 4 x groups made up of 3 x INF, 1 X HMG. Plot them, evenly spaced in 4 areas of the ridge. As the SAF attack goes in, those DAK groups away from the SAF advance will have time to make their way to the action area and can therefore move to support. The fly in the ointment in all this though is that the SAF's get a group of fast moving armoured cars. Once darkeness falls, they will be able to slip onto the ridge somewhere and speedily without DAK 37mm's seeing them. The SAF's also later on, get some British tanks.

Its a tough one for the Germans, but my plan made it a boring one too and I do regret my choice of play. But for being so bored, and the VC's very tough on one side, I only rate it a '2'. This is a shame as my previous two SAW's scenarios have been exciting and epic '4's !!