AK Scenario 41 Set Up error?

[Blackcloud6]

I'm setting up Afrika Korps Scenario 41, Failed Foray, for VASSAL play.  The Aussie's entrance is stated such: "Enter the west edge within two hexes of Hex 0215."  Well, 0215 is on the east edge of the map.  So, the instructions are mistaken, and should read "enter on the east edge...," or "...within two hexes of Hex 2415," or the map orientation should be flipped.  I can't find any correction of this error.  Any thoughts?

[triangular_cube]

I havent gotten to 41 yet, but have been playing through roughly half of AK so far. Nearly every scenario in that module is unfortunately an exercise in guesswork as to what the intended setup instructions are. Something is definitely wrong in the instructions here but your guess is as good as mine.

[plloyd1010]

I would say from the east. I base that on the fact that the northern portion of the Tobruk perimeter only has a west face. So the entry hex number is right, direction is wrong. On-the-other-hand, hex 0215 makes a bit of a long march (5-6 turns) for 17 turn game.

[Schoenwulf]

Setup problems seem to plague a number of the older scenarios, so maybe proof reading was a bit lax back then. We are currently playing Airborne IE Scenario #15. All the German and US units set up in hexes xx01-xx09, but the German reinforcements enter 0114-0217. That doesn't sound too bad until reading that units may not enter "hexes numbered ##12". Makes the reinforcements relatively useless.

[plloyd1010]

Setup problems seem to plague a number of the older scenarios, so maybe proof reading was a bit lax back then. We are currently playing Airborne IE Scenario #15. All the German and US units set up in hexes xx01-xx09, but the German reinforcements enter 0114-0217. That doesn't sound too bad until reading that units may not enter "hexes numbered ##12". Makes the reinforcements relatively useless.

Drew and I played that one too. We allowed the reinforcements to enter, but once in xx12 or north, could not return. I owe a lot to a determined captain and a reduced platoon in that scenario.

[triangular_cube]

Setup problems seem to plague a number of the older scenarios, so maybe proof reading was a bit lax back then. We are currently playing Airborne IE Scenario #15. All the German and US units set up in hexes xx01-xx09, but the German reinforcements enter 0114-0217. That doesn't sound too bad until reading that units may not enter "hexes numbered ##12". Makes the reinforcements relatively useless.

With AK in particular, I seem to recall a conversation long ago on CSW about how the hexgrid on the maps was altered between design and testing, and then again from testing to production so hex references tend to be all over the place for terrain/set up/entrance. Usually its pretty easy to tell what was intended because of the terrain blotches on the map and location of roads. Othertimes, like with entrenchments it didn't matter too much because they tended to be in the open and with the generous turn limits of the time an extra turn moving didn't really make a difference. 

Scenario 10 was my personal favorite, where a group of reinforcements came in from or adjacent to 0834 on map 3. Map 3, of course, goes from 0833 to 0835 in an apparent typo  . 10 was the worst, and the only one that I failed to "fix" with a hex grid adjustment as it was truly incomprehensible. 

Not that any of that at all helps in the situation at hand.

[Blackcloud6]

I would say from the east. I base that on the fact that the northern portion of the Tobruk perimeter only has a west face. So the entry hex number is right, direction is wrong. On-the-other-hand, hex 0215 makes a bit of a long march (5-6 turns) for 17 turn game.

I pulled out the maps from MMP's BCS game, Brazen Chariots.  The Wadi Sidi Belgasem, where this action took place, is about 9 miles SE of Tobruk so it was on the northern portion of the eastern perimeter.  The Aussies attacked out of the perimeter to take pressure off of Operation Brevity vicinity Sollum.  So, the entrance for the Aussies in the scenario should be from the west at Hex 2415.

[triangular_cube]

I would say from the east. I base that on the fact that the northern portion of the Tobruk perimeter only has a west face. So the entry hex number is right, direction is wrong. On-the-other-hand, hex 0215 makes a bit of a long march (5-6 turns) for 17 turn game.

I pulled out the maps from MMP's BCS game, Brazen Chariots.  The Wadi Sidi Belgasem, where this action took place, is about 9 miles SE of Tobruk so it was on the northern portion of the eastern perimeter.  The Aussies attacked out of the perimeter to take pressure off of Operation Brevity vicinity Sollum.  So, the entrance for the Aussies in the scenario should be from the west at Hex 2415.

Good to know. You might want to add that to the erratum on the scenario screen.

[plloyd1010]

I pulled out the maps from MMP's BCS game, Brazen Chariots.  The Wadi Sidi Belgasem, where this action took place, is about 9 miles SE of Tobruk so it was on the northern portion of the eastern perimeter.  The Aussies attacked out of the perimeter to take pressure off of Operation Brevity vicinity Sollum.  So, the entrance for the Aussies in the scenario should be from the west at Hex 2415.

I would agree that the Wadi Sidi Belgasem is on the eastern side of the perimeter, last on the road to Bardia. Here is a map of the defensive lines.

The XXI Corps (17th, 27th and 102nd divisions) is on the western side, on the Derna road. There are 2 detached companies of Bersagliari down near Halfaya Pass. That seems a little far from Tobruk to be the unit in the scenario.

I guess the question would become if the wadi should be an obstacle or not. Until one of the designers answers, we really won't know.