Encounter at Antelat

3/4/41

v1.2

On the 31st March 1941 Rommel's newly arrived forces in North Africa started their offensive against the British. All that stood in their way was the very much under strength 2nd Armoured Division which was screening a huge frontage. As planned the British started an orderly retreat. Flushed with success Rommel ordered his forces to pursue the British

Historically on the 3rd most of Rommel's forces ran out of fuel, and sat twiddling their thumbs awaiting re-supply for most of the day. This left the 3rd Pz Aufklärungs Abt to maintain and harass the retreating British

However what if the fuel situation had been better for the Germans, they may well have been able to press the British more closely? The British were prepared to fight. indeed 5th RTR was given orders on the 3rd to engage the enemy, except historically the "enemy" turned out to be the retreating 6th RTR.

This scenario is a hypothetical clash that may well have happened if the Germans had just a bit more fuel...

Antelat, taken from a modern Russian map: http://loadmap.net/download/753791957/200k--h34-09.gif

Map and Order of Battle

British Deployment

6th RTR is deployed on the track within 6cm of point Y (Y is where the ridge cuts the road)

5th RTR, A/E Battery and HQ 1st RTR are deployed on the road between points C&Z. (Z is where the ridge cuts the road). The tanks must be closer to Antelat than the guns

B/O Battery starts deployed within 12cm of Antelat

The 3rd Hussars are a possible reinforcement. Starting in the orders phase before turn 5 roll 1d10. On a 8-10 the 3rd Hussars enter the battle. They may enter the table up to 12cm either side of road B. Roll every time until they arrive

The HQ 3rd Armoured Brigade is a special reinforcement. The turn after any British allied unit goes shaken or demoralised it may be ordered to ender down road C (so enters the turn after the orders are laid)

German Deployment

3 Pz Aufklärungs Abt starts on table deployed along the road AY. They must be deployed within 60cm of point A

II/5 Panzer Abt enters the table turn 1 at point A in convoy. Each stand after the first has it move reduced by 3cm for each stand that went before

Terrain

The table is 3ft x 6ft if playing 1cm =50m

The open terrain is undulating desert. Antelat is at one end of a fairly high ridge

The red lines are tracks. They have no game effect

The brown dashed lines are ridgelines which for the most part break LOS and give hull down positions to vehicles touching them vs. all fire that crosses the ridge. The darker. thicker dotted lines indicate ridges that are higher than the others. If touching a dark brown ridge the lighter ridgelines do not block LOS or provide hull down positions.

The double brown lines are gullies. Tracked, half tracked an personnel stands take a BMA to cross. Wheeled vehicles take 2xBMA to cross. Personnel within (not towed guns) take 1/2 BMA to enter and get +2 cover once within. Movement along the gully is half speed

The grey square is Antelat, it can hold 1 personnel stand only (no towed guns) and gives +2 cover

Special Rules

The game is 12 turns long

Victory Conditions

To win the Germans must get at least one panzer or armoured car stand off table along road C AND maintain a creditable kill ratio. If they only manage one or the other it is a draw. If they get neither it is a British victory

A creditable kill ratio is 2:1 - so for every 2 Germans lost, they must kill at least 1 British stand

For the purposes of calculating the kill ratio, tanks, panzerjäger and armoured cars count

References

Tank Combat in North Africa, T Jentz

The Years of Defeat, M Farndale