As part of the Breakthrough Assault and No Dice No Glory online Firestorm Gazala Campaign my friend, Charles, and I managed play Battle 4 from turn 1 in the campaign. I’d be playing the defending British with a force themed on the 7th Motor Brigade, while Charles was to roll with a 5th Panzer Regiment force with some loaned support from the 132nd Areite Division’s tanks.
We naturally decided that the British would take a defensive stance while Germans would be attacking. Using the Battle Plans matrix we rolled up “No Retreat’ for a mission. Charles set up the table using my terrain while I finished updating my list from a battle I played on the previous day. Charles set up a mostly open deep desert board. I chose to defend on the slightly more hilly side and where I could have better access to the short table edge.
The Table
The British defending side of the table. Note the minefields on the British left.
The German attacker side of the table.
The Forces
Charles’ attacking Panzers.
The defending British had a Motor Co and support with a full Crusader Squadron and Hurricanes in reserve.
Deployment
The British defensive deployment. Mines on the left, refused flank on the right. 6 pdr forward deployed to breakup and delay the Panzer advance. 25 pdrs in ambush.
The Panzer weight their left while Marders and Schleppers over-watch their advance.
Turn 1
As the Panzers move forward at a tactical pace, little damage is done as the Schleppers fail to range in on the 6 pdrs. The Hurricanes arrived but lost a plane while going after the Schleppers.
The 6 pdrs knock out two Italian tanks while the 25 pdrs come out of ambush on the British deep right KO’ing just one Panzer,
Turn 2
Th Panzers slow roll forward and knock out two of the no longer Gone-To-Ground 6 pdrs.
The Crusaders start to roll in from reserve.
Turn 3
The Schleppers make up for earlier inaccuracy by taking out three 25 pdrs in one bombardment.
Panzer III’s assault to destroy the last 6 pdr and secure the forward hill.
The Crusader HQ rolls in from reserve and one PzKw-III is knocked out by long range 6 pdr fire from a Crusader III.
Turn 4
With a deep field of fire, the Panzer mass on the Crusader squadron. This long range battle goes very poorly for the Crusaders whose formation is broken, doing little damage to the Panzers in return.
The Schleppers take out the Bofors. Last of the British “AT” guns.
Turn 5+
With all the British Tanks and Guns destroyed, we decided to call the battle then rather than go through a slow grinding but inevitable German win. The British had destroyed the Italian tanks, 8 Rad Armored Cars, and the AAA Half-Tracks so the game ended as a 6-3 win for Charles’s Panzers. Rommel will be pleased.
A “surprise” Vickers MMG bombardment catches some unarmored AAA half-tracks off guard, netting the British their last VP as their “parting shot.”
6 thoughts on “Firestorm Gazala Turn 1 Battle 4 AAR – No Retreat at Retma”
Too bad Schleppers didn’t show up until Alamein! Looks like they were super-effective for the Germans in this battle….
Yes they were.
I thought large guns (25pdrs) cannot ambush in the open?
Large guns cannot be placed in an Ambush within 16″ of the enemy. These were not.
As part of the Breakthrough Assault and No Dice No Glory online Firestorm Gazala Campaign my friend, Charles, and I managed play Battle 4 from turn 1 in the campaign. I’d be playing the defending British with a force themed on the 7th Motor Brigade, while Charles was to roll with a 5th Panzer Regiment force with some loaned support from the 132nd Areite Division’s tanks.
Too bad Schleppers didn’t show up until Alamein! Looks like they were super-effective for the Germans in this battle….
Yes they were.
I thought large guns (25pdrs) cannot ambush in the open?
Large guns cannot be placed in an Ambush within 16″ of the enemy. These were not.
Nice report Tom. Say hi to Charles for me.
Howdy Ron! Wish you were here!