Panzer Grenadier Headquarters - Library: Desert Rats #46

Panzer Grenadier Battles on November 21st:
Desert Rats #16 - The Panzers Pull Back	Desert Rats #19 - The Panzers Return
Desert Rats #17 - The Tomb Of Sidi Rezegh	Jungle Fighting #7 - Line Of Departure
Desert Rats #18 - A Pibroch's Skirl	South Africa's War #5 - Irish Eyes

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Ariete Attacked Desert Rats #46
(Attacker) Germany (Attacker) Italy	vs	Britain (Attacker)

Formations Involved
Britain		1st Army Tank Brigade
Britain		2nd Armoured Brigade

	Total
Side 1	1
Draw	0
Side 2	1

Overall Rating, 2 votes
5 4 3 2 1 3.5
Scenario Rank: --- of 940

Parent Game	Desert Rats
Historicity	Historical
Date	1942-05-28
Start Time	08:00
Turn Count	60
Visibility	Day & Night
Counters	151
Net Morale	0
Net Initiative	0
Maps	2: DR4, DR5
Layout Dimensions	116 x 88 cm 46 x 35 in
Play Bounty	172
AAR Bounty	171
Total Plays	2
Total AARs	1

Battle Types
Inflict Enemy Casualties
Meeting Engagement

Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Terrain Mods

Scenario Requirements & Playability
Desert Rats	Base Game

Introduction
With all three Axis tank divisions having suffered much heavier tank losses than expected, Rommel ordered one of them (21st Panzer) forward on the second day of Operazione Venezia while the 15th Panzer recovered. The Italian Ariete Division would move northward to join them. While moving to join the Germans, they were beset by a two-pronged assault by a pair of British tank brigades.

Conclusion
This meeting engagement went on for most of the day, with neither side able to claim a victory when the fighting wound down. Even the British official historians only claimed a result "slightly in favor" of their side, an unusual admission after combat with Italians. Ariete was at its peak during these battles.

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.

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
Foot Leader Mechanized Motorized Towed

Army

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Motorized

Towed

Germany Order of Battle

Heer
Motorized

Italy Order of Battle

Regio Esercito
Foot Leader Mechanized Motorized Towed

Regio Esercito

Foot

Leader

Mechanized

Motorized

Towed

Display Errata (4)

4 Errata Items
	All Bren carriers should have a movement value of 7. (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
	Two British infantry have their full strengths printed on the back. They should both be "2-3" when reduced. (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
	Ignore the direct fire values. (Shad on 2010 Dec 15)
	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)

Desert Rats, scenario #46: Ariete Attacked

Author	JayTownsend
Method	Solo
Victor	Britain
Play Date	2011-07-16
Language	English
Scenario	DeRa046

*For years I have wanted to play this scenario even though it looks to favor the British too much but it has a lot of cool unit types. The Italian have: M13/40, M14/41, Sem 75/18, Fiat 611, AB41 and big 90mm AT guns units to name a few and the British have: Grant, Crusader I, Crusader CS, Valentine, Matilda units to name a few as well. Both sides have supporting Infantry & Heavy Weapons units as well. But the British have 42 armor unit verses the Italians 21 and the British have armor efficiency, so it’s more like 84 to 21.

*I played it anyway, as it is played out over two desert maps and I really wanted to play this. The Italians start kind of in the middle of the two maps the British have one battle-group enter from the East and the second slower battle-group of Valentine & Matilda tanks enter from the far north-west corner. So at sometime in the battle, the Italians will be a sandwich.

*The Italians fended off the first group of British for a few turns but after that the British started to control the map, even after and Italian counter attacked with tanks and a flanking move with their armored cars. The Italian losses became too great to overcome as whoever has the most eliminated enemy steps wins, there was no way for the Italians to ever catch up! This was a total British victory. I did learn that the Italian 90mm AT gun can take out a Matilda and a SEM 75/18 can take out a Grant but those were small victories in a major British Victory and a sea of British armor!

*The reason I ranked this scenario a 2, is that fact that I do not believe it to be a very balanced scenario but it still fun to push all those different armor types around that huge desert terrain.

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