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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On the Trigh Capuzzo
Desert Rats #48
(Defender) Germany
(Defender) Italy
vs Britain (Attacker)
Formations Involved
Britain 22nd Armoured Brigade
Britain 2nd Armoured Brigade
Italy 132ª Divisone Corazzata "Ariete"
Display
Balance:



Overall balance chart for DeRa048
Total
Side 1 1
Draw 3
Side 2 0
Overall Rating, 4 votes
5
4
3
2
1
3.25
Scenario Rank: --- of 940
Parent Game Desert Rats
Historicity Historical
Date 1942-05-30
Start Time 07:30
Turn Count 40
Visibility Day
Counters 150
Net Morale 0
Net Initiative 0
Maps 2: DR4, DR5
Layout Dimensions 116 x 88 cm
46 x 35 in
Play Bounty 165
AAR Bounty 165
Total Plays 4
Total AARs 2
Battle Types
Exit the Battle Area
Rural Assault
Conditions
Off-board Artillery
Terrain Mods
Scenario Requirements & Playability
Desert Rats Base Game
Introduction

While Rommel gathered his German panzers to crush the isolated 150th Infantry Brigade sitting astride his supply lines, he detailed the Ariete Division to hold back the British tanks. The British Eighth Army ordered its tank brigades back to the attack to save the infantry, and the troops plunged forward with near-suicidal abandon.

Conclusion

The British flung themselves at the Italian line with great courage, but little coordination. Behind a screen of infantry and lighter anti-tank guns, the heavy Italian batteries shot the onrushing tanks to pieces. One battery alone fired over 1,700 rounds, and the two armoured brigades lost dozens of tanks. "What was needed was a deliberate attack," one British participant wrote later, "not one more 'Charge!'"


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
Italy Order of Battle
Regio Esercito
  • Motorized

Display Errata (6)

6 Errata Items
Scen 48

2nd Armored Brigade gets 7 Crusader I's and 6 Grants, not the reverse.

(PG-Tank Dude on 2010 Apr 30)
Scen 48

If one accepts the map set-up and orientation on page 41 as correct, then there are several problems.

British set-up in hexes xx25 or greater on maps 4 & 5 places them on the EAST side of the space. Thus the Victory Condition as written make no sense. Presumably, the British are to exit off the WEST edge of the boards (also consistent with history as UK forces were attacking from the EAST).

The Italian set-up instructions are either misprinted or broken. As written, Ariete forces must set up in hexes xx10 or less only on board 4. The E/W road on board 5 is 14 hexes away from the map 4/5 boundary. British tanks setting up on xx25-xx28 can exit the WEST edge in two turns whereas the best Italian tank, the Sem. 75/18 takes three turns even to get in range of the road!

Thus, all the British need do is run five Crusader I units (movement of 9) along the E/W road on board 5 and off (five units x two steps/unit x double/tank step = 20 "steps" for VC. Now all the British need do to win is kill 10 IT steps without losing 20. They can keep their armor out of it and let the infantry attempt to achieve this result. Totally a-historical.

My solution is to allow Ariete to set up on xx10 or lower on both boards 4&5, not just board 4 as given on page 41.

(Poor Yorek on 2012 Mar 07)
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 871

Ignore the direct fire values.

(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 (2)

Too much desert for Ariete to prevent a British exit
Author Brett Nicholson
Method Solo
Victor Draw
Play Date 2013-11-19
Language English
Scenario DeRa048

I finished this scenario in 18 turns out of a potential 40 with a draw. I thought that with the corrected set-up and deployment that this would be far more enjoyable but still found flaws. There was a lot of action at times, especially with the tank battles, but still found two maps and plenty of time gave the two British forces not much trouble in exiting 20 steps off the east edge; especially as there are east-to-west roads on both maps. I set the whole of the Ariete Division forces up only on map 5; contrary to the original, written scenario's deployment, as this was the only area with limiting terrain with the two hills. Luckily the Italians had plenty of transport as soon enough, 90mms and 47mm guns would be transported to attempt to chase down the 22nd Armoured Division after most Italian tanks were quickly dispatched. However, the remnants of the M13/40s; M14/41s and even a reduced Sem 75/18 that survived the first showdown versus British armour were able to rally and take out a few more Grants before they were finally all eliminated. Surprisingly, the Italian manned 88mms failed to eliminate one step of exiting British armour with rolling a natural '2' and then a '3' on the AT fire table at a convoy of Grants fleeing off the east edge but at the same time, even spotted, British OBA failed to knock out either battery of 88s. Eventually, even after the British exited the 20 required steps Ariete was also able to eliminate 20 British steps as well, forcing the draw.

I gave this a low rating of '2' because even fixed, played solo, I didn't get much out of it overall except a lot of counter pushing. I don't think it would be too much better as a shared play either but not the worst scenario; just still something broken about it. If the victory conditions required the British to only be able to exit off the east edge of map 5 then I think it would of made for a better or at least more challenging play. Other than that there is just too much desert area from north to south for Ariete to cover.

0 Comments
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Broken as written, but ...
Author Poor Yorek
Method Solo
Victor Draw
Play Date 2012-03-07
Language English
Scenario DeRa048

See my extensive errata for this scenario. I believe something is broken in the scenario set-up instructions as the British can achieve half of their victory conditions as written (assuming we correct exiting east to exiting west!) in two turns with essentially no chance of Italian intervention (see my post in the errata).

I'm going to try to play this as though Ariete can set up in hexes xx10 and less on either board 4 or board 5. This makes the problem much more of the British having to force themselves through and/or between Italian strong points (as it was historically).

To be continued ...

1 Comment
2012-03-07 20:43

Excellent errata, PY. Thanks for caring enough to write all that!

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