Armoured Fist

FINLAND

NORWAY

SWEDEN

 North Sea 

Baltic Sea 

DENMARK

IRELAND

GREAT BRITAIN

THE NETHERLANDS Te Hague 

Warsaw 

Berlin O    d     e  r  

London

Dieppe 

BELGIUM Brussels 

 a  u  l a  s s t t u   V i

GERMANY

R      h      i      n    e   

 Atlantic Ocean

POL

Prague 

SLOVAKIA

Paris 

H

S       e     i      n    e    

Vienna 

Budapest 

L o  o i  ir  r  e  e   

FRANCE

SWITZERLAND

Belgr 

Po

YUGOSLAVIA

ITALY CORSICA

Rome 

ALB

SPAIN SARDINIA

SICILY GIBRALTAR

unis 

 Algiers  Oran Casablanca 

MALTA

SPANISH MOROCCO Kasserine Pass 

ALGERIA FRENCH MOROCCO

TUNISIA

0 Miles 0 KM

500 500

1000 1000

1500

ripoli 

LIBYA

 Medit 

Leningrad 

KEY Germany and Occupied Territories

 Moscow 

SOVIET UNION Countries in association  with Germany 

Rzhev 

 Allied Countries V       o    l         g     a    

Kursk 

Smolensk 

 Minsk 

Neutral Countries

D    o  n  

Voronezh 

Stalingrad 

D     n    i      e       p    e    r   

ND

Kiev  Caspian Sea 

Rostov 

CAUCASUS OIL FIELDS

Odessa 

NGARY

Black Sea 

ROMANIA Bucharest  e Danub

de 

IRAN

BULGARIA

TURKEY NIA

GREECE

SYRIA

 

IRAQ

 Athens 

CYPRUS

CRETE

rranean sea 

PALESTINE

TRANS-

JORDAN SAUDI ARABIA

Gazala   Alexandria 

obruk  Halfaya Pass 

 El Alamein Alamein  Alam el Halfa 

 El Agheila 

EGYPT

Written by: Editors: Graphic Design: Assistant Writers:  Assistant Graphic Design: Miniatures Design: Miniatures Painting: Cover Art:

Phil Yates Peter Simunovich, John-Paul Brisigotti Casey Davies  James Brown, Brown, Andrew Haught, Haught, Mitchell Mitchell Landrum, Luke Melia, Melia, Jonathan Jonathan Peace, Nigel Nigel Slater, Slater, Chris ownley Sean Goodison, Morgan Cannon Evan Allen, im Adcock, Will Jayne, Bob Naismith, Charles Woods  Aaron e Hira-Mathie Hira-Mathie Vincent Wai

Internal Art:

 Warren  W arren Mahy 

Web Support Support::

Charlie Roberts, Luke Glover

Proof Readers:

David Adlam, Austin Cheverton, om Culpepper, Alan Graham, Mark Goddard, Mitchell Landrum, Luke Parsonage, Stephen Smith, Duncan Stradling 

Playtest Groups:

290 Bunker (Carl Bellatti), Atlantic Canadian esters (Ryan Sullivan), Armia Poznań (Bartosz Smarsz), Battleground Club Rostov-on-Don Rostov-on-Don (Alexander Ilyn), Cavalieri dell-Esagono (Eis Annavini), Dad’s Dad’s Army (Gavin Van Rossum), El unel unel (Jose Angel Graña Collazo), Collazo) , Flames Of War War Regina Rifles (Lance (Lan ce Mathew), La Brigada de Madrid (Jorge Sancho), Maus Haus (Daniel Wilson), Octopus & Friends (Michal Jozwiak), Russians (Ilya Semenov), Te Dynamic Duo (Mark Goddard), Wargames Association of Reading (Ian Brook)

 All rights reserved. No part of this publication publication may be reproduced, stored in in a retrieval system, or transmitted, transmitted, in any form or by any means means  without the prior written permission permission of the publisher, nor nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

© Copyright Battlefront Miniatures Ltd., 2018. ISBN: 97809951 04211

The Armoured Fist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 78  ‘Battleaxe’ Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 British Special Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 North Irish Horse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Churchill Armoured Squadron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 War in the Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 TH

Te Battle of Gazala . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 First Battle of El Alamein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Second Battle of El Alamein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Te Race for unis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Te Battle for Longstop Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Know Your Tanks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Armoured Fist Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 7  ‘Desert Rats’ Armoured Division. . . . . . . 22 Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 TH

Sherman Armoured Squadron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Sherman Armoured Squadron HQ. . . . . . . . . 26 Sherman Armoured roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Royal Scots Greys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Grant Armoured Squadron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Grant Armoured Squadron HQ . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Grant Armoured roop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

County of London Yeomanry . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Crusader Armoured Squadron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crusader Armoured Squadron HQ. . . . . . . . . Crusader II Armoured roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crusader II & III Armoured roop. . . . . . . . .

33 34 35 35

Churchill III Armoured Squadron HQ. . . . . . 50 Churchill CS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Churchill III Armoured roop . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

40TH (The King’s) RTR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Valentine Armoured Squadron . . . . . . . . . . . . Valentine II Armoured Squadron HQ . . . . . . Valentine II Armoured roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . Valentine II & VIII Armoured roop . . . . . . .

53 54 55 55

Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. . . . . . . . 56 Rifle Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Rifle Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Rifle Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 3-inch Mortar Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 6 pdr Anti-tank Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Vickers MMG Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Universal Carrier Patrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 The Rife Brigade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Motor Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Motor Company HQ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Motor Platoon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 3-inch Mortar Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

8 Hussars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Support Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 TH

Honey Armoured Squadron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Honey Armoured Squadron HQ . . . . . . . . . . 38 Honey Armoured roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

6  ‘Mailed Fist’ Armoured Division . . . . . . . 40 Death or Glory Boys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 TH

Death or Glory Squadron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Valentine III Death or Glory Squadron HQ . . Crusader CS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lee Death or Glory Squadron HQ . . . . . . . . . Valentine III Death or Glory roop . . . . . . . . Crusader III Death or Glory roop. . . . . . . . .

43 44 44 44 45 45

Hurricane ank-Busting Flight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kittyhawk Fighter-Bomber Flight . . . . . . . . . . . Priest Field roop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 pdr Field roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Honey OP Observation Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17/25 pdr Anti-tank roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Humber Armoured Car roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bofors Light AA roop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daimler Armoured Car roop . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

65 65 66 67 67 68 68 69 69

Painting Desert British. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Desert Armour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . British Service Colour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ank Markings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . British Infantry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aircraft . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basing Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

70 72 73 74 76 76

1

Our mandate from the Prime Minister is to destroy the Axis forces in North Africa. It can be done, and it will be done, beyond any possibility of doubt. —Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (‘Monty’) Te North African desert is a harsh and forbidding place. Arid rocky wastes are interspersed with patches of soft sand, where the only vegetation is scattered clumps of desert thorn bushes. Roads are few and poor. In the vast swathes of arid, trackless waste, navigation is often no easier than on a ship at sea, far out of the sight of land. All supplies must be carried to the front by long, straggling supply columns, which are constantly hounded by air attacks. Fuel is always scarce, and even water is a precious resource. It is a brutal environment where only the toughest and most resourceful can survive, let alone fight.  With the Operation orch landings in Morocco, Algeria, and unisia just days after the decisive British victory at El  Alamein, the fighting spread across North Africa from one side to the other. Te British and American armies have the Germans and Italians trapped between the two fronts, and are now squeezing the vice closed. Te rich oil fields of the Middle East and the strategically vital Suez Canal are safe, and soon the Mediterranean Sea will be in Allied hands too. Te British Eighth Army in Egypt have fought long and hard, being defeated by and defeating the Axis forces in turn. Tey have developed a reputation for dash and flair, and a distinct disregard for dress standards. By comparison, the First Army in unisia is fresh from years of hard training in Britain, with the latest equipment and weaponry. Te British Army has two distinct classes of tanks, the cruisers of the armoured divisions and the infantry tanks supporting the infantry divisions. Te tactics of the armoured regiments in the desert embodied the chivalrous traditions of the original cavalry regiments, as they charge headlong into battle like country gentleman riding on a hunt. Te fast, lightly-armoured Crusader and Honey tanks can run circles around their slower opposition. With the arrival of the American-built Grant and Sherman heavy tanks, they can now sit back and blow the enemy away with their big 75mm guns. Either on their own or in support of the light squadrons, the Grants and Shermans are a fearsome sight for the German panzers. Te tank battalions supporting the infantry are far more methodical. Teir slow, well-armoured tanks encourage a more plodding approach, steadily rolling forward crushing all opposition. Te latest Churchill tank epitomises this approach, even being capable of shrugging off a hit from a German ‘88’.

2

Te smaller, cheaper Valentine tank spans the gap between the cruiser tanks and the infantry tanks. It has the thick armour of its infantry tank ancestry, but served mainly with the armoured regiments, both in Egypt and unisia, fighting enemy tanks and supporting infantry in equal measure. Te infantry in their distinctive khaki drill uniform of short sleeves and baggy shorts symbolise the tough practicality of these hardened desert veterans. On the attack, their job is to beat a path through the enemy minefields and antitank defences for the tanks to exploit. In defence, they  will steadfastly cling to their patch of desert, digging in and fighting off the enemy with pluck and determination. Tey can call on mortars and Vickers machine-guns to halt the enemy infantry, and their 6-pounder anti-tank guns to knock out any Axis tank. For artillery cover, the Desert Rats have the excellent 25-pounder and the new self-propelled Priest. Tese provide outstanding fire support, knocking out the German 88mm anti-tank guns at long range before they can do their deadly  work, then eliminating enemy machine-gun positions as the infantry close. When things get truly desperate, they can be called on to bolster the anti-tank guns, knocking out German panzers with direct fire. Finally, the dauntless aviators of the RAF's Desert Air Force attack the Afrika Korps  anywhere, at any time, making sure they can never feel safe.  Are you ready to get stuck in to the enemy with courage, dash and a bit of old-fashioned British stiff upper lip? If you want to command a highly-mobile army featuring a generous supply of fast tanks, then grab your riding crop and a hot cup of tea and join the cavalry — ally Ho! If you prefer proper preparation and tactics to wild charging about ‘up in the blue’, then the infantry are just what you are looking for. Advance behind the artillery barrage int o the enemy positions with fixed bayonets. Remember, they don’t like it up ‘em!

Te following special rules are characteristic of British forces, reflecting their own style of equipment, tactics, and approach to battle.

ARMOURED FIST

INFANTRY

Te British Army is battered after years of hard fighting, but there is still a lot of fight left in them.

BULLDOG British infantry are extremely tenacious. Tey don't like to quit a fight once their blood is up, and once they have fought to capture ground, they won't willingly give it up.

TANKS FIGHT ANOTHER DAY Te Eighth Army has been pushed back and forth across the deserts of North Africa more times than they care to count. Tey still have the stomach for a hard fight, but if the casualties get too high, they will withdraw until they can restart the fight from a more favourable position. roops that Fight Another Day have a worse Last Stand rating.

INFANTRY TANK Te heavy infantry tanks have heavy armour along with side skirts to protect their vulnerable tracks. Teir crews are trained to lead the infantry into and through the enemy defences, and know that they have little to fear from either infantry or guns. Infantry anks have a better Counterattack rating.

SECONDARY WEAPON Te Grant has a hull-mounted 75mm gun and a secondary turret with a 37mm gun, while the Churchill CS (Close-Support) has a hull-mounted 3-inch howitzer and a turret-mounted 2 pdr  gun. While both of a tank’s guns can be fired at the same time, the commander can only assist the gunner of the main gun to  find targets, leaving the other gunner to his own devices.  A ank may fire its Secondary Weapon at ROF 1 at the same time as its main gun. If they do this, the Secondary  Weapon suffers a +1 penalty to hit. Each weapon may fire at a different target. If the ank fires an Artillery Bombardment, only weapons firing an Artillery Bombardment can fire.

TALLY HO  Armed with guns that struggle to penetrate the enemy armour, and protected by only light armour themselves, the Crusader, Valentine, and Honey tanks of the light squadrons are no match  for the German panzers in a toe-to-toe slugging match. Instead, they charge straight in close, where short-range fire can threaten the enemy’s weaker side armour. Tis direct style is effective, but does not allow for much tactical subtlety.

roops with Bulldog have a better Counterattack rating.

DEADLY Long-range fire can be very deadly, and is excellent at suppressing infantry forces, but often the decisive action is an old-fashioned bayonet charge. British infantry don’t shy away from a handto-hand fight. Teir training includes ample bayonet drill, and they always have a plentiful supply of Mills Bomb fragmentation hand grenades. Deadly troops have a better Assault rating.

NIGHT ATTACK Te desert lacked natural cover, so British infantry developed techniques for attacking under cover of darkness. Tis took a lot of planning, so was only useful when the enemy was defending  fixed positions. If a Force with Night Attack is the attacker in a mission  where the defender has Minefields, the player may attack at night. If they do so, Night Fighting rules (see page 113 of the rulebook) are in effect at the start of the game. British Units from Formations with Night Attack can move freely from the start of the game. Friendly Units from other Formations or Support may not move out of their Deployment Area until morning breaks.

ARTILLERY MIKE TARGET Te Royal Artillery have learned the value of concentrating their artillery fire. Different orders indicate the size of the bombardment. A ‘Mike target’ order calls for the fire of a full regiment of artillery, with 24 guns.  When a Spotting eam successfully Ranges In an Artillery Unit with Mike arget, they may immediately roll to Range In another Artillery Unit. If successful, the second Artillery Unit is treated as Ranging In on the same attempt as the first.

anks with ally Ho have a faster actical Speed at the cost of a worse actics rating.

3

S O V I E T U N I O N

ESTONIA

NORWAY SWEDEN

LATVIA North Sea 

 Moscow 

LITHUANIA DENMARK  Minsk 

GREAT BRITAIN

Kharkov 

POLAND Berlin

NETHERLANDS

London Dunkirk 

Kursk 

Warsaw  Kiev 

G E R M A N Y BELGIUM SLOVAKIA

Paris 

CRIMEA

F R A N C E

HUNGARY

Sevastopol 

SWITZERLAND

ROMANIA

Black Sea 

YUGOSLAVIA

VICHY FRANCE

BULGARIA

ITALY CORSICA

SPAIN

ALBANIA

Rome 

TURKEY

GREECE

SARDINIA

SICILY

 Algiers 

unis 

CRETE

Oran

TUNISIA

ALGERIA MOROCCO

 Mediterranean Sea 

Kasserine  Pass  ripoli  Benghazi 

LIBYA

Buerat 

Beda Fomm  El Agheila 

4

Gazala   Mersa   Alexandria   Matruh  obruk   El Ala mein

E G Y P T

Rostov 

On 10 June 1940 the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, known as Il Duce , declared war on Great Britain and France. He had dreams of a new Roman Empire, which he  would start by kicking the British out of North Africa. In September, Marshal Rodolfo Graziani led a 250,000-strong army out of the Italian colony of Libya into British-held Egypt. Te Italian enth Army, lacking motorised transport, advanced slowly at the pace of their marching infantry. Te British and Commonwealth defenders, the 30,000strong Western Desert Force under General Sir Archibald  Wavell, were heavily outnumbered and equipped with outdated equipment. Tey were, however, well trained and determined. Wavell conducted a fighting retreat, his tanks continually harassing and delaying the advancing Italians. Graziani stopped to wait for reinforcements and supplies at Sidi Barrani, less than a quarter of the way to Alexandria, Britain’s general headquarters in Africa. Tere, the Italians dug in, building a series of fortified camps.  When Wavell launched a counteroffensive on 9 December 1940, code-named Operation Compass, its success surprised both the Italians and the British. Wavell’s more mobile forces  were able to pick off the dispersed Italian positions one by one. Ten, what was planned as a five-day raid turned into a general advance, pushing the Italians right back into Libya. Te triumphant British captured Bardia and obruk before making an ambitious thrust through the desert, cutting off the retreating Italians at Beda Fomm, and wiping out the enth Army. Te British suffered fewer than 2000 casualties in Operation Compass, while Italy lost over 130,000 men killed or captured in a campaign lasting two months. Te British advance halted at El Agheila, unable to continue further due to vehicle breakdowns, exhaustion and the long supply line from their base in Egypt. Tinking the Italians beaten, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill redeployed several of the best divisions from Africa to Greece, to help defend against the expected German attack there. However, a new factor was about to enter the desert war.  After the embarrassing defeat of his Italian allies, Hitler  was reluctantly forced to either send help or risk facing British domination of the Mediterranean. So, in February 1941, a brilliant commander, Generalmajor  Erwin Rommel,  was sent to Africa at the head of the newly formed Deutsches Afrika Korps . With two panzer divisions and motorised support, the  Afrika Korps   was a small, highlymobile force.

Rommel immediately launched a daring offensive, catching the weakened British off guard. Tey were driven back from El Agheila in disarray. Te German forces swept onward, recapturing Benghazi. In just 12 days, Rommel reversed the tide of the campaign and drove the British back out of Libya, apart from the 9th  Australian Division and assorted other troops left behind in the port of obruk, denying the  Axis a vital Mediterranean supply port. Te besieged ‘Rats of obruk’ steadfastly resisted everything the Germans and Italians threw at them. Tey could not break out and escape, but the need to keep them contained made it much harder for Rommel to press his advantage. Te British made two attempts to relieve obruk. In May, Operation Brevity recaptured the Halfaya Pass, but the British were thrown back again later the same day. In June, Operation Battleaxe aimed to encircle the Germans, but the  Afrika Korps’   effective use of mobile tank tactics and antitank guns—especially the dual-role 88mm gun—repelled the attack with heavy losses. Having failed to lift the siege of obruk, Wavell was replaced by General Sir Claude  Auchinleck. Tanks to information received from the Ultra programme,  Auchinleck knew Rommel planned to launch a massive attack on obruk in November 1941, and made plans to pre-empt him with his own offensive. Reinforced and re-supplied, the newly designated Eighth Army now had over 400 tanks, including the speedy new Crusader and the  American-built M3 Stuart (which the British nicknamed the ‘Honey’). Auchinleck launched Operation Crusader on 18 November, taking the Germans by surprise. Te plan was for the 7 th Armoured Division to destroy the  Axis panzer force while the infantry pushed through and linked up with the obruk defenders. Te plan started to unravel when the British tanks were outfought by the  Afrika Korps   at Sidi Rezegh. But the British fought grimly on and eventually, after days of chaotic fighting, Rommel was forced to withdraw. Te obruk garrison was finally able to break out, joining up with advancing New Zealand troops. Meanwhile, the South Africans re-captured Bardia and Sollum on the Libyan border. Once again, the Axis front line was pushed back to El Agheila. Operation Crusader proved that the  Afrika Korps  could be beaten, but the Eighth Army had suffered much heavier casualties than their foes.

5

 After advancing 800km (500 miles) to El Agheila, it was again the Eighth Army’s turn to struggle with the challenges of an overextended supply line. Tey also overestimated the losses inflicted on the Germans by Operation Crusader. So when Rommel unexpectedly launched Operation Teseus on 21 January 1942, the tired British were caught off guard and driven back. Te Axis forces, now designated Panzer Armee Afrika , recaptured Benghazi on 28 January. By 6 February, the Axis advance had been halted and the front line had been stabilised at Gazala, as both sides settled in to rebuild their strength. Te British Gazala Line was composed of isolated defensive ‘boxes’ spread out across the desert, each containing a single brigade defending behind wire, linked by deep minefields. Auchinleck would soon learn, as the Italians had before him, that this tactic did not suit the fluid nature of mobile  warfare in the desert. Te line stretched 80km (50 miles) from Gazala on the coast, to an old Ottoman fortress at Bir Hakeim, which was held by the 1 st  Free French Brigade. On 27 May 1942, Rommel struck again. After a heavy artillery bombardment, the Italian infantry attacked to the north along the narrow coastal road, exactly where the British expected the main attack to come. 15 INFANTRY BRIGADE

GAZALA

SABRATHA

DIVISION

3 SOUTH AFRICAN BRIGADE TRENTO

DIVISION

2 SOUTH AFRICAN BRIGADE

S  o  l 

a  r  o 

 E  s  c 

1 SOUTH AFRICAN BRIGADE

BRESCIA

 Acrom a 

DIVISION PAVIA

a  r  p 

TOBRUK

t 

T   o b r  u k  D e   f    e n c  e s 

151 BRIGADE

DIVISION

m  e  n 

69 BRIGADE

20 GUARDS MOTOR BRIGADE

Knightsbridge  150 BRIGADE

 El Ad em

2 ARMOURED BRIGADE

Belhamed 

 El Duda 

TRIESTE

DIVISION

he Cauldron

22 ARMOURED BRIGADE

Sidi Rezegh 

ARIETE

DIVISION 21ST PANZER DIVISION 15TH PANZER DIVISION 90TH LIGHT AFRICA DIVISION

Bir Hakeim

4 ARMOURED BRIGADE

1 FREE FRENCH BRIGADE

Bir el Gubi  7 MOTOR BRIGADE

Retma 

6

 With characteristic cunning, Rommel sent the bulk of his armoured force south through the supposedly impassable desert, hooking around the southern end of the British line at Bir Hakeim. Te speed of the German advance caught the Desert Rats off guard and their scattered brigades found themselves fighting in isolated pockets. Rommel constantly visited the front lines wherever the fighting was fiercest, personally directing operations and inspiring his troops. Counting on a quick victory, the attacking panzer units only had enough fuel, food and water for four days. But the Eighth Army was not defeated yet. Determined British counter-attacks from 29 to 31 May put the Axis back on the defensive. Rommel pulled his forces back into a defensive position that would become known as ‘the Cauldron’, using the Allies’ own minefields to protect his rear. Te French valiantly hung on in Bir Hakeim, disrupting Rommel’s supply line from the south.  Although the Italians were able to clear a narrow path to them through the mines, the  Afrika Korps’ supply situation remained desperate. But while the Germans  were at their most vulnerable, the British command hesitated.

BARDIA

KEY GERMAN UNIT

German  Movement 

ITALIAN UNIT

Italian  Movement 

BRITISH UNIT

British  Movement 

FRENCH UNIT

British Defences 

Rommel wasted no time, throwing his full force against the 150th  Brigade box. After determined resistance, the defenders were eventually worn down and forced to surrender, splitting the Gazala Line and finally giving Rommel a clear line of supply.  A major British counterattack on 5 June, Operation  Aberdeen, was badly coordinated. Te initial artillery bombardment fell in the wrong place, leaving the German anti-tank defences unharmed. Te advancing British tanks were mauled by expertly placed 88’s, leaving their infantry exposed without armoured support. Te British suffered heavy casualties—10,000 killed or captured, along with 100 tanks and 120 guns. Rommel was once again free to throw everything he had at the remaining pockets of resistance. Te battered French in Bir Hakeim were finally beaten on 10 June. Many were able to withdraw under cover of darkness and rendezvous with 7 th  Motor Brigade.  With Bir Hakeim finally eliminated, Rommel launched an all-out armoured assault towards El Adem. On 12 June the 201st  Guards Brigade was pushed out of the Knightsbridge box. Te  Afrika Korps   demonstrated a superiority in tactics, combining tanks with anti-tank guns while on the offensive. Te retreating British were pushed back so quickly that they were forced to leave damaged tanks behind. So many tanks were lost on 13 June alone that it became known as ‘Black Saturday’. Te remaining British armour fell back towards obruk, and the Gazala Line was effectively cut off, leaving its remaining defenders no choice but to break out and flee.  Auchinleck ordered that obruk must be defended at all costs, but by 17 June it was clear that nothing could prevent it from being besieged once again. Te British finally withdrew and retreated back across the border into Egypt. With cunning and determination, Rommel had won a crushing victory against superior numbers. Notified that Hitler had promoted him to field marshal, he wrote to his wife, ‘I would much rather he had sent me one more division.’

Sollum Buqbuq 

Roads 

7

 Auchinleck ordered his forces to fall back to defensive positions at Mersa Matruh, where he hoped to stop the Axis advance. Te garrison at obruk was left to hold on behind the Axis lines, threatening their communication and supply lines as it had in 1941. Tis time, though, the neglected obruk defences had fallen into disrepair, and within days the defending 2nd  South African Division was forced to surrender. Halfway to Alexandria lay Mersa Matruh, a fortified port town, much like a smaller obruk. A single-track railway terminated there, running through El Alamein to Alexandria. Having learned the limitations of fixed defensive positions,  Auchinleck planned to fight a mobile defensive battle, determined to avoid having his forces encircled and capt ured. Even so, due to poor communication and co-ordination, the British were decisively outmanoeuvred. Rommel captured Mersa Matruh along with 6000 prisoners and a large haul of supplies and equipment, but his main goal of destroying the Eighth Army had narrowly escaped him. Te Eighth Army turned and made a last stand at El  Alamein, a nondescript railway station on the coast only 60 miles from Alexandria. Te British had recognised it as a strong natural defensive position and started to hastily build a fortified line, laying wire and mines. Unlike the Gazala Line, the flanks were secure. Te right flank was the sea, and the left flank was the Qattara Depression, a huge, deeply sunken area of salt marshes totally impassible to vehicles. A strong defensive ‘box’ had been prepared at El Alamein, and  weaker ones at Bab el Qattara and Naq Abu Dweis, on the edge of the depression. But most of the ‘line’ still consisted of open desert. Auchinleck planned for the fortified boxes to split up the attack formations, allowing mobile units to attack their flanks and rear. Te first German units reached the El Alamein line on 30 June 1942. Rommel’s forces were exhausted by weeks of constant combat without rest. Te supplies captured at obruk were helpful, but water and ammunition were still in shor t supply. Most of their transport vehicles were out of service, and they  were only still moving thanks to captured British vehicles. His panzer units were down to only 55 operational tanks, against the British tank strength of 179. Nevertheless, it was now or never for Rommel. He knew that the British position  would only get stronger if he didn’t attack immediately.

Panzer Armee Afrika’s  attack began in the pre-dawn darkness of 1 July. Everything in the first day’s fighting went in the Eighth Army’s favour. Te German 90 th  Light Africa

8

Division found themselves pinned down by the South  African artillery firing from the El Alamein box. Te 15th and 21st  Panzer Divisions were held up all day by determined resistance from 18 Indian Brigade and the 1 st  Armoured Division at Deir el Shein. Te British were finally learning to match Rommel’s mobile tactics. Te majority of their strength was divided into mobile brigade groups supported by tanks, as well as the powerful new 6 pdr anti-tank gun, which could penetrate the armour of any of the German panzers. By the end of the first day, the Afrika Korps  had only 37 tanks left operational. Nevertheless, the British General Staff in Cairo were in a panic, burning confidential documents on 2 July.  Although the British were on the defensive, they spent as much time counterattacking as defending. Wherever possible, Auchinleck tried to strike against the Italians,  whose morale was lower than the Germans but whose numbers were critical to holding the Axis line. Much of the bitterest fighting was concentrated on the Ruweisat Ridge, a low stony rise that provided a commanding view for many miles across the surrounding desert. Te fierce combat was messy and confusing, and would drag on almost until the end of July. Both armies were at the limit of exhaustion, grimly staying in the fight but too weak to deliver a final knock-out blow. By 21 July, Rommel was reduced to 26 active tanks and had switched to the defensive. Te Eighth A rmy was not in much better shape, and was in no position to make a determined counterattack. By 27 July, the First Battle of El Alamein had ended in a stalemate. Te Axis push towards Alexandria had been stopped, but it had cost both sides dearly in men and materiel. Early in August, Prime Minister Churchill personally visited the front lines for five days. Determined to end the Eighth  Army’s string of defeats, he sacked General Auchinleck and replaced him with the energetic Lieutenant General Bernard Law Montgomery. ‘Monty’ brought a renewed sense of purpose to his battered but determined forces. Within two  weeks, he had eradicated any thought of further retreat and prepared a solid defence against Rommel’s next attack. Monty mounted a carefully planned and executed defensive battle at Alam El Halfa, keeping his armour under tight control. Skilfully placed in hull-down positions, with concentrated support from massed anti-tank guns and artillery, the British tank regiments decimated the attacking panzers and halted Rommel’s last-ditch attack in its tracks.

el el Eisa  el el Makh Khad  90TH LIGHT AFRICA DIVISION

21ST PANZER DIVISION

 M     i    t    R    e   i    i   r   d     i     g      y   e   a  

15TH PANZER DIVISION

D  

EL ALAMEIN 1  SOUTH AFRICAN DIVISION ST

9TH AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

4 ARMOURED BRIGADE

e  i  

r  

e  l    A  

ARIETE

b     y  

DIVISION a  

D 

d    

e 

i  r 

e  l  

23 ARMOURED BRIGADE

S   h 

18 INDIAN BRIGADE

21ST PANZER DIVISION

 El Mreir 

e  i  

n  

R  u  w  e 

i  s  a  t 

R  i  d  g 

1ST ARMOURED DIVISION

e   A

 A  l a

a

5TH INDIAN DIVISION

Bab el Qattara  6 NEW ZEALAND BRIGADE

 l

m

 m

 e

 l

f  a

l  H a

g  e R  i d

KEY

GERMAN UNIT

German  Movement 

ITALIAN UNIT

Italian  Movement 

BRITISH UNIT

British  Movement 

 N  a y  i  l 

Deir el Muhafid 

British Defences  LITTORIO

DIVISION

Railway 

Deir el Munassib 2  NEW ZEALAND DIVISION ND

 Jebel Kalakh 

Roads  R  a 

 g   i 

l  

D  e    p 

r  e 

s 

s 

i 

o n

7  ARMOURED DIVISION TH

Naq Abu Dweis  9 INDIAN BRIGADE

Q  a  t  

Qaret el Himeimat  t  

a  r   a 

D 

e 

p 

r 

e 

s  s 

i 

o n

9

 Again, both sides dug in and rebuilt their strength. Montgomery was under pressure to launch an attack as soon as possible—before the planned Operation orch landings in November at the latest. Te Eighth Army spent six weeks resupplying and rigorously training, each unit carefully rehearsing their part of the upcoming attack. Under the lend-lease programme, President Roosevelt ordered every spare tank to be sent to North Africa. By the start of the battle, Eighth Army had over 1000 tanks, almost double the armoured strength of Panzer Armee Afrika . Te Second Battle of El Alamein began on the evening of 23 October. It started with a heavy artillery bombardment all along the line, with almost a thousand guns pounding the German and Italian front lines for half an hour. At zero-hour, 10pm, the attack began. Te artillery bombardment did not cease, but instead crept back across the deeper defences, advancing ahead of the attacking infantry—a perfecting of the rolling barrage tactic developed in the First World War. Te Axis defences stretched back up to 7km (4.5miles) b ehind their front lines. Te British plan was to attack with infantr y, forcing narrow corridors through the deep Axis minefields, then progressively widening the breach by ‘crumbling’ the defences on either side. When the German armoured reserve came to the aid of the defenders, the British tanks would be ready to pounce, destroying the outnumbered panzers and breaking out behind enemy lines. Te main thrust would be against the north of the line,  with four divisions pushing forward towards el el Eisa and Miteiriya Ridge. Simultaneous diversionary attacks  were launched by the Indians at Ruweisat Ridge and the 7th  Armoured Division, supported by the Free French Brigade, at Qaret el Himeimat in the south, aimed at keeping some of the Axis reinforcements away from the main attack. For several days, the Eighth Army failed to make significant headway. Te first, lightly-held, Axis defensive line collapsed quickly, and the infantry were mostly able to push forward to their objectives as planned. However, while the British fought to ‘crumble’ the successive lines of Axis defences  with artillery and localised infantry attacks, their armour repeatedly failed to push through the minefields and antitank guns to open ground, where they would be free to manoeuvre. Te British persevered, launching attack after attack in the north, forcing Panzer Armee Afrika  into a battle of attrition. Tey began to push a large ‘bulge’ into the Axis line, centred

10

around a low geographical feature known as ‘Kidney Ridge’. Rommel kept up a spirited mobile defence, carefully committing his dwindling panzers wherever they were most needed. A strong Axis counterattack was stopped just south of Kidney Ridge at a position codenamed Outpost Snipe,  with two days of desperate defence by the 2nd Battalion of the Rifle Brigade, which destroyed over 50 armoured vehicles at close range with their 6 pdrs.  As the infantry attacks kept up the pressure and continued to crumble the defences, Montgomery began assembling a strong armoured reserve behind the front line, preparing for one last big push, which he hoped would ‘hit Rommel for six, right out of Africa’. Tis final attack, Operation Supercharge, was launched on 2 November. Again, an overwhelming artillery barrage preceded an attack by the motorised infantry. Tis time the attackers succeeded in blasting a hole in the exhausted Axis lines, and the next day 1 Armoured Division pushed forward 8km (5 miles) to the el El Aqqaqir ridge. Tere it smashed the last German counterattack. Within days, Rommel ordered a retreat. Following the pattern of the previous two years, the pursuit quickly pushed Rommel out of Egypt and retook obruk. Halting at El Agheila, Rommel received new tanks, but Allied landings in Morocco and Algeria drew away most of the planned replacements to unisia. After a month’s preparation at obruk, Montgomery attacked again, outflanking the El  Agheila position and taking the British forces further west than they had managed in their two previous offensives. Evading the trap, Rommel broke away, retiring to another defensive position astride the Wadi Zem Zem at Buerat. Despite a lengthy supply line, Montgomery’s preparations paid off and Buerat fell to another ‘left hook’ through the difficult going of the Wadi Zem Zem. Once again Rommel retreated, abandoning the port of ripoli, and took up positions along the Mareth Line, the old French fortifications along the unisian border. Following up, Montgomery halted and regrouped, bringing up supplies for the next stage. El Alamein eradicated the myth of Rommel’s invincibility, and it established Montgomery’s reputation as a smart, adaptable commander, and a master of the meticulously planned set-piece battle. Churchill finally had the victory he had been waiting for, assuring the British public, ‘Tis is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.’

90TH LIGHT AFRICA DIVISION 15TH PANZER DIVISION LITTORIO

DIVISION

TRENTO

DIVISION 164TH LIGHT AFRICA DIVISION

9  AUSTRALIAN DIVISION TH

el el Eisa 

51  (HIGHLAND) DIVISION ST

Kidney Ridge  el el Aqqaqir 

2  NEW ZEALAND DIVISION ND

 M    i   t   R   e  i    i   d    r  i     g  e    y  a  

EL ALAMEIN 1  SOUTH AFRICAN DIVISION ST

1  ARMOURED DIVISION ST

BOLOGNA

Deir el Abyad 

DIVISION

Deir el Shein

10  ARMOURED DIVISION TH

4  INDIAN DIVISION TH

RAMKE BRIGADE

 El Mreir 

BRESCIA

e  R  u w  e  i  s  a t  R  i  d  g 

DIVISION

 A

 l

a

50  INFANTRY DIVISION

Bab el Qattara 

 A  l a

m

 l

KEY

TH

21ST PANZER DIVISION

 m

 e

a l  f   H a

g  e R  i d

GERMAN UNIT

German  Movement 

ITALIAN UNIT

Italian  Movement 

BRITISH UNIT

British  Movement 

FRENCH UNIT

 Minefields 

 N  a y  i  l 

ARIETE

DIVISION

Deir el Muhafid  44  INFANTRY DIVISION TH

Deir el Munassib

Railway 

FOLGORE

 Jebel Kalakh 

Roads 

DIVISION

R  a 

 g   i 

l  

D  e    p 

r  e 

s 

s 

i 

o n

7  ARMOURED DIVISION TH

Naq Abu Dweis 

Q  a  t  

Qaret el Himeimat  t  

a  r   a 

D 

e 

p 

r 

e 

s  s 

i 

1 FREE FRENCH BRIGADE

o n

11

BIZER TE  M at e ur 

EAS TERN  TASK FORCE

B ône  ALGIERS

B ou g i e 

T e bour ba  TUNIS   l B ab   e z e   M e d j  Bou Arada  S ouk  e l  Ar ba  E n f i d avi l l e  S ous s e 

T h al a S bi ba  TÉBESS A F aï d  K as s e r i ne  i d i B ou Z i d  S  S be i t l a 0

50

100 50

150 Km 100

150 M

SFA X

GAFSA  E l Gue t t ar 

W ad i  Ak ar i t 

On 8 November 1942, just days after the victory at El  Alamein, a combined British-American force landed on the coasts of French Morocco and Algeria in Operation orch. Te Western ask Force landed around Casablanca on the  Atlantic coast of Morocco, the Centre ask Force landed at Oran in Western Algeria, and the Eastern ask Force landed on beaches to either side of Algiers. Many of the defending Vichy French troops put up little resistance, and the Allied infantry quickly pushed inland and surrounded the city,  which surrendered that evening. Te American General Eisenhower, in charge of Operation orch, negotiated a ceasefire with the French who, spurred on by the German occupation of Vichy France, changed sides on 11 November. With Algeria secure, the Eastern ask Force, now officially designated as the British First  Army (even though it included American and French troops as well) was given the task of making its way east with all possible haste and seizing the unisian capital of unis. However, the Germans were not going to let unisia go  without a fight. Immediately the Allies landed, the Germans began ferrying troops into unis, including their brandnew iger tanks. Te French forces in unis reluctantly allowed this as the Germans were still nominally their allies. Unable to stop the Germans landing, they took up defensive positions in the surrounding hills before joining the Allies. Te British 78th  Division was the first to enter unisia, advancing on three routes. 36 Infantry Brigade’s advance  was along the northern route through Mateur to Bizerte,  while 11 Infantry Brigade (supported by parts of Combat Command B of the US 1 st  Armoured Division) took the

 12

GABÈS  M ar e t h Li ne 

 TH EIGH ARM Y southern route through Medjez el Bab and ebourba towards unis. Blade Force (a battalion of British tanks from the 6th ‘Mailed Fist’ Armoured Division and another of US light tanks) travelled cross-country between the two. Blade Force got closest to the objective, raiding a German airfield at Djedeida just 9 km (6 miles) from unis on 25 November. Unfortunately the main body was held up by German and Italian forces west of the Chouigui Pass, then counterattacked by the newly arrived German 10 th Panzer Division the next day. Vigorous German counterattacks at Djefna in the north and ebourba in the south halted the infantry brigades there as well. On 1 December, the Germans launched their own offensive, and despite the arrival of 1 (Guards) Brigade and the rest of Combat Command B, as well as rains that turned the roads to muddy quagmires, pushed the Allied forces back to Medjez el Bab by 4 December. Another week’s hard fighting failed to gain further ground and the offensive was called off. On 22 December, First Army launched another offensive aimed at retaking Longstop Hill near Medjez el Bab. Te newly-arrived US 18th  Infantry Regiment (from their 1st Infantry Division) and the Guards Brigade initially took the ridge, but lost it again in heavy fighting over the next fe w days. Te ‘nutcracker campaign’, to crush the Axis between two unstoppable Allied armies and drive them out of North  Africa, was not going to be as easy as the Allies had hoped.

Te jockeying for position continued through the winter,  with the next major offensive being the German attack on the French forces holding the pass at Pont du Fahs on 18 January 1943. Te British 6 th Armoured Division moved south to Bou Arada, halting the German offensive and capturing a iger tank. Further German offensives later in the month took the rest of the passes through the eastern mountains, including Faïd Pass in the south.  With the Eighth Army reaching the unisian southern border on 4 February, the Germans were surrounded and increasingly outnumbered. Teir solution was typical — attack! Teir offensive, using all available German and Italian armoured troops, began on 14 February, quickly defeating US forces at Sidi Bou Zid and Sbeitla in the south of unisia.

 With the American forces falling back in disarray, the 6th  Armoured Division rushed south to take over the defence of Sbiba and Tala. Te attack on Sbiba by the German 21st   Panzer Division was quickly defeated. However, the American defenders of Kasserine Pass fell to the next phase of the German attack, and the defenders of Tala faced a tough fight.  Advancing through Kasserine Pass, the Germans split their force with 10 th  Panzer Division going north to face their old foe. A staunch defence by the British force at Tala and Combat Command B in front of ébessa finally halted the advance, and the overstretched German and Italian forces withdrew back to their starting positions.

BIZERTE

Sedjenane  Djefna  36 BRIGADE

BARENTHIN PARACHUTE REGIMENT

 Mateur 

Djebel Aboid  Chouigui 

Hunt’s Gap

Djedeida 

ebourba 

BLADE FORCE

Beja 

0

11 BRIGADE

5

1 (GUARDS)

BRIGADE

10

M

KEY

 Medjez el Bab

10TH PANZER DIVISION TUNIS DIVISION

Bou Arada 

10

Km

Longstop Hill 

6TH ARMOURED DIVISION

TUNIS

5

COMBAT COMMAND B 18TH INFANTRY REGIMENT

10TH PANZER DIVISION

Pont du Fahs 

GERMAN UNIT

German  Movement 

US UNIT

US  Movement 

BRITISH UNIT

British  Movement 

FRENCH UNIT

French  Movement  Roads 

Railway 

 13

Believing that the British had weakened their northern flank to reinforce the defences around Kasserine, the Germans launched an offensive against Mateur and Medjez el Bab on 25 February 1943. In the north, around Sedjenane, the British 46th Division was outflanked, and after hard fighting, pushed back to Djebel Aboid.  Attacking south from Mateur towards Bou Arada with the majority of the available tanks of 10 th Panzer Division and the iger tanks of 501st Heavy ank Battalion, a second German force pushed another brigade from 46 th  Division back to Hunt’s Gap. Tere they ran into a killing ground of artillery and air attacks, before being counterattacked and pushed back with heavy casualties.  Around Bou Arada, the third part of the German offensive hit the 78th  Division and the improvised Y Division (based around 38 (Irish) Brigade, reinforced by paratroopers and some Churchill tanks) holding the ground previously held by the 6th Armoured Division. Tis scratch force was pushed back about 10 km (6 miles) before being further reinforced  with 1 (Guards) Brigade and a regiment of US infantry. Tis strengthened force counterattacked at Steamroller Farm where the Churchill tanks showed their worth with the German commander ascribing his retreat to a ‘mad tank battalion  which had scaled impossible heights’.  With their offensives through Kasserine Pass and towards Beja halted, the Germans attempted one last, desperate offensive in early March. Te Eighth Army was gathering in front of the Mareth Line, ready to attack the unisian positions from the south, so the Italian-German forces in front of them launched a spoiling attack at Medenine on 6 March, hoping to delay the inevitable British attack. Unfortunately for the  Axis forces, the British knew of their planned attack thanks to their intelligence network, and were waiting. By nightfall the offensive was already over with the loss of many Italian and German tanks. Te Eighth Army’s offensive began on schedule on 19 March, but proved unable to breach the Mareth Line. It was only the outflanking move by the New Zealand Division a week later that finally broke the Axis defence. Te Germans and Italians then withdrew to Wadi Akarit, holding this position until 6 April. Te Italians and Germans held a parallel American offensive at El Guettar and Kairouan up even longer, only retiring when outflanked by the Eighth Army breaking through the Wadi Akarit position. Despite the 6th  Armoured Division breaking through Fondouk Pass in an attempt to cut them off, the retreating  Axis forces reached their next defensive position at Enfidaville on 12 April, halting the Allied advance.

 14

Te British 5th  and 9th  Corps launched their own offensive in the north on 28 March, and by the middle of April they had recovered most of the ground lost to the Germans earlier in the month. Tis cleared the way for the planned final offensive to take unis.  With the Eight Army taking over the southern unisian front, the US 2nd Corps moved to the very north of the line, facing Mateur and Bizerte, allowing the British Corps to concentrate around Medjez el Bab. Te Allied offensive opened on 18 April with the Eighth  Army’s attacks against Enfidaville. Ferocious resistance by the Italian defenders halted the attack well short of a breakthrough after nearly two weeks of heavy fighting. Meanwhile, knowing that First Army’s offensive would soon follow, the German Hermann Göring Division launched another spoiling attack towards Medjez el Bab on 20 April, but once again, this ran into a solid defence and was stopped cold. Te First Army’s offensive began on schedule two days later on 22 April. Te 5th Corps facing 15 th Panzer Division and the Hermann Göring Division had a tough fight. One of the key positions to be overcome was Longstop Hill. 78 th Division’s attack went in on 22 April, supported by plentiful artillery and the Churchill tanks of the North Irish Horse. After five days fighting, the infantry took both of the peaks of Longstop Hill, opening the route forward towards ebourba, although German resistance remained stubborn. Further south, the 46th  Division around Bou Arada had an easier time, breaking through the southern flank of the Hermann Göring Division after a day and a half’s heavy fighting. Te 1st  and 6th  Armoured Divisions were thrown through the gap, advancing as far as Djebel Kournine before running into the 10th  Panzer Division whose stout defence halted their advance. Between these two attacks, the 1st and 4th Divisions faced ridges similar to Longstop Hill. Tese were tenaciously defended, and took until the end of the month to clear. Although the British and US offensives had all been halted, they had taken the hills that formed the main German defence line across the  whole First Army front, setting the stage for another offensive. Leaving the rest of the Eight Army to a secondary role for the remainder of the campaign, the 1 st  and 7th  Armoured Divisions and 4 th (Indian) Division were transferred to First  Army in early May, reinforcing First Army’s final offensive  which began on 6 May. Tis time the depleted and exhausted German and Italian defenders were quickly overcome and the three British and one US armoured divisions finally found themselves free to race for unis and Bizerte. A week later, the campaign in unisia was finally over.

0

5

10

15

Km 5

10

15

M

KEY

BIZERTE 9TH INFANTRY DIVISION

DIVISION VON MANTEUFFEL

Djefna 

 Mateur 

1ST ARMOURED DIVISION

GERMAN UNIT

German  Movement 

ITALIAN UNIT

Italian  Movement 

US UNIT

US  Movement 

BRITISH UNIT

British  Movement 

FRENCH UNIT

French  Movement 

2ND

Roads 

CORPS 1ST ARMOURED DIVISION

Railway 

Hunt’s Gap

Chouigui  334TH INFANTRY DIVISION

34TH INFANTRY DIVISION

Carthage 

Djedeida 

ebourba 

1ST INFANTRY DIVISION

TUNIS

7TH ARMOURED DIVISION 15TH PANZER DIVISION

Hamman Lif   4  INDIAN DIVISION TH

78TH DIVISION

 Medjez el Bab

5

TH

4TH DIVISION

Longstop Hill 

HERMANN GÖRING DIVISION

1ST DIVISION

4TH INDIAN DIVISION

6TH ARMOURED DIVISION

4TH DIVISION

 n   B o s u  l a  p   C a e n  i n   P

1ST ARMOURED DIVISION 10TH PANZER DIVISION

CORPS

Djebel Kournine  Steamroller Farm

46TH DIVISION

Bou Arada 

Pont du Fahs 

9TH

CORPS

21ST

AFRIKA KORPS BATTLEGROUP

CORPS

20TH

CORPS 56TH DIVISION

7TH ARMOURED DIVISION

19

TH

CORPS

4TH INDIAN DIVISION

 Enfidaville  2ND NZ DIVISION

10TH

CORPS

 15

Te Desert Rats employed a variety of armoured vehicles, from their own speedy Crusader cruisers to the tough Churchill and Valentine infantry tanks and the American-built Sherman, Grant, and Honey tanks.

Te British developed the concept of a cruiser tank to act as fast mechanised cavalry vehicles, in contrast to their slow and heavily-armoured infantry tanks, which operate closely with infantry. Te most numerous British cruiser tank in the Desert  War was the Crusader, which entered service in 1941. Tis first model had an auxiliary machine-gun turret in front of the hull. Tis was quickly discarded, and slightly thicker armour was added.

CRUSADER II Te Crusader's 2 pdr gun was effective against the lightly-armoured Italian tanks, but when the German panzers arrived it was a different story. Te Crusader crews would have to use speed and manoeuvre to survive against the larger guns of the panzers.

Crew (4):

Commander, gunner, loader, driver Weight: 19.1 tonnes  Length: 5.97m (19’ 7") Width: 2.77m (9' 1") Height: 2.24m (7' 4") Weapons: QF 2 pdr (40mm) gun  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: 22 - 30mm +18mm Speed: 42 km/h (26 mph) Engine: Nuffield Liberty V12 250 kW (340 hp)

CRUSADER II CS Making up for the 2 pdr's lack of HE (high explosive) ammunition, the Crusader II CS (Close Support) tank carried a 3-inch (76.2mm) howitzer  which could fire high-explosive shells as well as smoke. Te Crusader II CS has a shorter, thicker gun barrel than the Crusader II, otherwise they are visually identical.

Crew (4):

Commander, gunner, loader, driver Weight: 19.1 tonnes  Length: 5.97m (19’ 7") Width: 2.77m (9' 1") Height: 2.24m (7' 4") Weapons: QF 3-inch (76mm) howitzer  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: 22 - 30mm +18mm Speed: 42 km/h (26 mph) Engine: Nuffield Liberty V12 250 kW (340 hp)

CRUSADER III Te Crusader III entered service in time for the Second Battle of El Alamein. It was up-gunned with the powerful new 6 pdr gun, which packed a decent punch. Te larger gun, along with ammunition storage and extra ventilation for the gun fumes, didn't leave enough space in the turret for three men, so the commander also had to act as the loader.

16

Crew (3):

Commander/loader, gunner, driver Weight: 20 tonnes  Length: 5.97m (19’ 7") Width: 2.77m (9' 1") Height: 2.24m (7' 4") Weapons: QF 6 pdr (57mm) gun  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: 27 - 35mm +18mm Speed: 42 km/h (26 mph) Engine: Nuffield Liberty V12 250 kW (340 hp)

Te strong industrial base of the United States enabled it to go from having virtually no tanks in 1939 to providing large numbers of tanks to its Allies by 1942. For the British, these came at a critical time when their own industry was struggling to replace losses with their own tanks. Tese well-armed American tanks enabled the British to fight the German panzers on an equal footing for the first time.

SHERMAN Te M4 Medium ank, aka the Sherman, is the replacement for the Grant. Even better protected than the Grant, and mounting a new, long-barrelled 75mm gun, the Sherman was an instant hit with British crews when it arrived  just before the Second Battle of El Alamein.

Crew (5): Weight:  Length: Width: Height: Weapons:

Armour: Speed: Engine:

Commander, gunner, loader, driver, assistant driver 30 tonnes 5.84m (19’ 2") 2.62m (8’ 7") 2.74m (9' 0") 75mm Gun M3 .50-cal M2 Browning MG 2x .30-cal Browning MG 30-76mm 35 km/h (22 mph) Continental R975 300kW (400 hp)

GRANT Te M3 Medium ank, which the British named the Grant, was a strange design with its large main gun mounted in the hull, and a smaller secondary gun mounted in a turret. Its crews were very pleased to receive it prior to the Gazala battles of May and June 1942. Despite its ungainly appearance, it was considered superior to any German tank then in service.

Crew (6):

Weight:  Length: Width: Height: Weapons:

Armour: Speed: Engine:

Commander, turret gunner, driver, turret loader, hull gunner, hull loader 27 tonnes 5.64m (18’ 6") 2.72m (8' 11") 3.12m (10' 3") 75mm Gun M2 37mm Gun M5 Browning .30-cal MG 38-51mm 42 km/h (26 mph) Continental R975 EC2 300kW (400 hp)

HONEY Te speedy M3 Light ank began the British practice of naming Americansupplied tanks after Civil War generals—in this case JEB Stuart. Tese names  were eventually adopted by the US Army as well, but not until after the war. Te Stuart was so reliable and offered such a smooth ride that its crews almost exclusively knew it as the ‘Honey’ instead.

Crew (4): Weight:  Length: Width: Height: Weapons: Armour: Speed: Engine:

Commander, gunner, driver, assistant driver 15.2 tonnes 4.84m (15’ 10") 2.23m (7 6") 2.56m (8' 5") 37mm Gun M6 3x .30-cal Browning MG 25-51mm 58 km/h (36 mph) Continental R670 164 kW (220 hp)

17

Te slow and heavily-armoured infantry tanks were designed to advance under heavy fire, cooperating closely with infantry to attack enemy trench lines. Te small Valentine tank fought in every major battle in the Western Desert and the pursuit to ripoli. In unisia, it was the heavier Churchill tank that dominated every battle in which it fought.

CHURCHILL III Te Churchill III infantry tank is the most heavily-armoured British tank.  Although its suspension looks antiquated, it does a remarkable job of spreading the vehicle's weight and maintaining traction on any surface, allowing it to go almost anywhere. Te Churchill III mounts a long-barrelled 6 pdr anti-tank gun firing high-explosive shells as well as armour piercing rounds.

Crew (5): Weight:  Length: Width: Height: Weapons: Armour: Speed: Engine:

Commander, gunner, loader, driver, hull MG gunner 38.5 tonnes 7.44m (24’ 5") 3.25m (10' 8") 2.49m (8' 2") QF 6 pdr (57mm) gun 2 x 7.92mm Besa MG 89mm 24 km/h (15 mph) Bedford opposed twin six 260 kW (350 hp)

CHURCHILL CS Te first model of the Churchill tank mounted a 2 pdr anti-tank gun in a small turret and a 3-inch howitzer in the hull to fire high-explosive and smoke ammunition. Tese CS (Close Support) tanks sit back and fire as artillery.

DAIMLER ARMOURED CAR Te Daimler armoured car combined the punch of a cruiser tank with excellent speed and cross-country performance. It became the standard British armoured car, replacing almost every other type.

18

Crew (5):

Commander, gunner, loader, driver, hull MG gunner Weight: 38.5 tonnes  Length: 7.44m (24’ 5") Width: 3.25m (10' 8") Height: 2.49m (8' 2") Weapons: QF 2 pdr (40mm) gun QF 3-inch (76mm) howitzer  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: 89mm Speed: 24 km/h (15 mph) Engine: Bedford opposed twin six 260 kW (350 hp)

Crew (3):

Commander/loader, gunner, driver Weight: 7.6 tonnes  Length: 4.00m (13’ 1") Width: 2.46m (8' 1") Height: 2.26m (7' 5") Weapons: QF 2 pdr (40mm) gun  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: 16mm Speed: 80 km/h (50 mph) Engine: Daimler 6-cyl 4.1 litre  70 kW (95 hp)

VALENTINE II Te Valentine was designed as a cheaper replacement for the Matilda. Its a little faster and its armour is slightly thinner, but it is armed with the same 2 pdr anti-tank gun.

Crew (3):

Commander/loader, gunner, driver Weight: 17.3 tonnes  Length: 5.42m (17’ 9") Width: 2.63m (8' 8") Height: 2.27m (7' 6") Weapons: QF 2 pdr (40mm) gun  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: Front 65mm Side 60mm Speed: 26 km/h (15 mph) Engine: AEC 6-cyl diesel 98 kW (131 hp)

VALENTINE III Te Valentine III fixed the one big downside of the Valentine II by fitting a bigger turret allowing the addition of a loader to the crew. Tis required a reduction in side armour to keep the weight down, but made the tank much more effective.

Crew (4):

Commander, gunner, loader, driver Weight: 17.3 tonnes  Length: 5.42m (17’ 9") Width: 2.63m (8' 8") Height: 2.27m (7' 6") Weapons: QF 2 pdr (40mm) gun  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: Front 65mm Side 50mm Speed: 24 km/h (15 mph) Engine: AEC 6-cyl diesel 98 kW (131 hp)

VALENTINE VIII Fitting a 6 pdr gun to the small Valentine tank required some clever thinking. Te turret crew was reduced back to just the commander and gunner, the co-axial machine-gun was dropped, and a bulbous new mantlet solved the problem.

Crew (3): Weight:  Length: Width: Height: Weapons: Armour: Speed: Engine:

HUMBER ARMOURED CAR Te Humber armoured car was a speedy and reliable wheeled vehicle for the light cavalry regiments, who conducted long-range reconnaissance and raided enemy supply columns.

Commander/loader, gunner, driver 17.5 tonnes 5.92m (19’ 5") 2.63m (8' 8") 2.16m (7' 1") QF 6 pdr (57mm) gun Front 65mm Side 50mm 24 km/h (15 mph) GMC 6-cyl diesel 98 kW (131 hp)

Crew (4):

Commander, gunner,  radio operator, driver Weight: 5 tonnes  Length: 4.60m (15’ 1") Width: 2.21m (7' 3") Height: 2.39m (7' 10") Weapons: 15mm Besa MG  7.92mm Besa MG Armour: 15mm Speed: 80 km/h (50 mph) Engine: Rootes 6-cyl 4.1 litre 67 kW (90 hp)

19

Rommel's army has been defeated. It has been routed. It has been very largely destroyed as a fighting force. Now, this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning. —British Prime Minister Winston Churchill 

ARMOURED FIST FORCE Your Force must contain at least one Formation, and may contain as many Formations as you like.

HEAVY TANK FORMATIONS

CRUISER TANK FORMATIONS

INFANTRY TANK FORMATIONS

INFANTRY FORMATIONS

SHERMAN ARMOURED SQUADRON

DEATH OR GLORY SQUADRON

CHURCHILL ARMOURED SQUADRON

RIFLE COMPANY

GRANT ARMOURED SQUADRON

CRUSADER ARMOURED SQUADRON

VALENTINE ARMOURED SQUADRON

MOTOR COMPANY

MB131

MB101

MB120 OR MB122

MB103

MB128

MB125

MB133

MB108

HONEY ARMOURED SQUADRON MB106

BRITISH SUPPORT UNITS You may eld one Support Unit from each box.

ARTILLERY

ARTILLERY

RECONNAISSANCE

RECONNAISSANCE

25 PDR FIELD TROOP

25 PDR FIELD TROOP

DAIMLER ARMOURED CAR TROOP

DAIMLER ARMOURED CAR TROOP

MB116

MB116

MB136

MB136

PRIEST FIELD TROOP

PRIEST FIELD TROOP

HUMBER ARMOURED CAR TROOP

HUMBER ARMOURED CAR TROOP

MB137

MB137

ARTILLERY

OBSERVER

25 PDR FIELD TROOP

HONEY OP OBSERVATION POST

MB116

MB117

PRIEST FIELD TROOP MB137

20

MB115

MB115

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

MB113

MB113

Te British fielded two main types of division: armoured divisions and infantry divisions. Te armoured divisions  were expected to race around fighting enemy armoured divisions and exploit breakthroughs to pursue and destroy the enemy. For this role they were equipped with lots of fast cruiser tanks and big-gunned heavy tanks. Initially their infantry consisted of a few 'motor' battalions, small mobile formations that combined a few infantry with lots of guns. Tese were expected to hold the ground taken by the tanks and provide them with a safe place to rearm and refuel at the end of the day. Te infantry divisions were expected to hold ground, and to take it as well. Teir core was the rifle battalion, a large formation with four companies of infantry (the extra company allowed them to keep up the pressure when a normal battalion would have exhausted itself), backed by plenty of anti-tank guns, machine-guns, and mortars, along with a dozen lightly-armoured Universal Carriers for scouting and flank protection. Oddly enough, an infantry division launching an attack usually had just as many tanks as an armoured division, in the form of a brigade of well-armoured infantry support tanks.

Combined with plentiful artillery and a preference for going in with the bayonet, the combination of riflemen and infantry tanks can be well-nigh unstoppable.  As the British gained experience, the armoured and infantry divisions started looking more and more alike. For the Second Battle of El Alamein, the number of tank regiments (a battalion-strength formation in British parlance) in an armoured division  was halved and a brigade from an infantry division was added. Regardless of which type of division you prefer, both are hard-hitting forces  well supported by artillery and air power.

ANTI-TANK

ANTI-TANK

ANTI-AIRCRAFT

AIRCRAFT

6 PDR ANTI-TANK PLATOON

17/25 PDR ANTI-TANK TROOP

BOFORS LIGHT AA TROOP

HURRICANE TANK-BUSTING FLIGHT

MB110

MB114

MB118

MB119

KITTYHAWK FIGHTER-BOMBER FLIGHT MB138

FORMATION SUPPORT

ALLIED SUPPORT

You may eld compulsory Combat Units (with a black box) from the above Formations as Support Units.

You may eld one compulsory Unit from a US Formation as Support and one US Formation as an Allied Formation.

 

WILDCARD

? 21

o us is given the honour of striking a blow for freedom which will live in history, and in the better days that lie ahead men will speak with pride of our doings. —Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (‘Monty’) Te 7th Armoured Division, which would become one of the most famous formations in the Second World War, was formed in 1938 as the Mobile Division in response to mounting Italian aggression in  Africa. It began with three Hussar regiments fielding light tanks. Te division's first commander, MajorGeneral Percy Hobart, nicknamed them the ‘Desert Rats’ after the jerboa  which is also their insignia. In February 1940, the Mobile Division became 7th Armoured Division. It was at the forefront of Operation Compass, which drove the Italian enth Army out of Egypt.  When Rommel's  Afrika Korps   attacked in April 1941, the Desert Rats were busy refitting, but were quickly back in the fight, taking part in Operations Brevity and Battleaxe, attempting to lift the Siege of obruk. 7th  Armoured Division was then reinforced in preparation for Operation Crusader. 22 Armoured Brigade was added, comprising three Yeomanry regiments armed with Crusader tanks, bringing the Division up to a strength of three brigades. Operation Crusader saw some of the most deadly fighting of the desert campaign. 7 th Armoured Division was badly battered by the  Afrika Korps   in the fighting around Sidi Rezegh, but was still able to fight on until the successful though costly conclusion of the offensive.

22

 When Rommel counterattacked once more, 7th Armoured was again refitting, and didn't get back into action until Gazala, where they similarly fought hard and well. Unfortunately, poor co-ordination between the Army as a whole allowed the Axis forces to knock it out piecemeal. Te  Afrika Korps advanced so rapidly that 7 th Armoured Division HQ was overrun. General Messervy was captured, but managed to escape the next day. Te division was forced to join the headlong retreat, dubbed the ‘Gazala Gallop’, as British forces struggled to maintain cohesion while falling back to the lines at El Alamein. As the whole Eighth Army began refitting and training for Monty's carefully planned counteroffensive, the division played a major role in defeating Rommel's lastditch attempt to break the Allied lines at Alam el Halfa. Once the Second Battle of El Alamein kicked off in October 1942, the 7th  Armoured Division participated in the breakout codenamed Operation Supercharge. With the Axis forces thrown into full retreat, the division joined the long pursuit back across Egypt and Libya and into unisia. In early 1943, the Desert Rats took part in the last push to kick the Axis out of North Africa. On 7 May they entered unis, and by 12 May the war in North Africa was over.

Gentlemen, I know you are all tired, and understandably so, but we still have a job to do. Rommel’s furious that we stopped him at Alam el Halfa, but he’s not given up quite yet! Tonight we are going to turn that around. The Italians are dug in here and here, and they are known to have heavy anti-tank guns located somewhere behind the ridge. As usual, the infantry will lead the assault, the sappers will clear lanes through the Eyetie mineelds. Our tanks will need to be right behind them to help capture the ridge. Traversing the mineeld’s going to be tough, we’re going to have to go through in single le. Hopefully, our gunners can keep the Eyeties honest and get us clear. Once we’re on the ridge, it is essential to keep Jerry’s 21st  Panzer Division busy, as they will try to head up north and engage our main attack. If we take the ridge and hold the panzers o, Jerry will be in full retreat and we’ll chase him all the way back to Tobruk! Any questions? No? Brief your men, dismissed.

7  ARMOURED DIVISION TH

30 CORPS, EIGHTH ARMY, EL ALAMEIN, OCTOBER 1942 Major-General John Harding

4 ARMOURED BRIGADE

22 ARMOURED BRIGADE

131 (QUEEN’S)

(Grant and Crusader anks)

INFANTRY BRIGADE

DIVISIONAL SUPPORT

(Grant and Honey anks)

1ST ROYAL TANK REGIMENT

1/5TH BATTALION, QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT

11TH HUSSARS

5TH ROYAL TANK REGIMENT

1/6TH BATTALION, QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT

15TH LIGHT AA REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

2ND DERBYSHIRE YEOMANRY

4TH COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY

1/7TH BATTALION, QUEEN'S ROYAL REGIMENT

65TH ANTI-TANK REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

1ST BATTALION, KING’S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS

1ST BATTALION, THE RIFLE BRIGADE

53RD FIELD REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

3RD ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY

4TH & 97TH FIELD REGIMENTS, ROYAL ARTILLERY

ROYAL SCOTS GREYS (p. 28)

4TH /8THHUSSARS (p. 36)

(p. 32)

(p. 62)

(p. 56)

23

I must mention the magnificent fight put up by 9 th  Armoured Brigade — 3 rd  Hussars, Wiltshire Yeomanry, Warwickshire Yeomanry… If the British armour owed any debt to the infantry of 8 th  Army, the debt was paid on November 2 nd  by  9 th  Armoured Brigade in heroism and blood… —Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery (‘Monty’) Te Wiltshire Yeomanry was formed in 1797 during the Napoleonic Wars to keep order in the county while much of the army was overseas. It gained the 'Royal' honour in 1831 for restoring the established order against agricultural and industrial protesters, and the title 'Prince of Wales's Own' for escorting the future King of England through the Savernake Forest deer park.  When the Boer War broke out, the regular army found itself in need of more troops, so the yeomanry were asked to send troops to fight. During the First World War, the regiment fought on horseback during the advance to the Hindenburg Line in 1917, before converting to infantry for the remainder of the war.

 With the arrival of the Second World War, the Royal Wiltshire  Yeomanry joined 4 Cavalry Brigade in Palestine, taking par t in operations in Iraq, Syria, and Iran during 1941. owards the end of the year, the regiment finally said farewell to their horses and began the process of converting to tanks. Due to a shortage of tanks, this process took nearly a year, and it wasn't until just before the Second Battle of El Alamein that the brigade (now renamed 9 Armoured Brigade) started to receive its complement of tanks (10 Shermans for A Squadron, 13 Crusaders for B Squadron, and 14 Grants for C Squadron) and train with the New Zealand Division with  which they would fight.

ROYAL WILTSHIRE YEOMANRY, EL ALAMEIN 9 ARMOURED BRIGADE, 2ND NZ DIVISION, NOVEMBER 1942 Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Sykes

REGIMENTAL HQ 1 Grant & 5 Crusader tanks

SQUADRON HQ

1 TROOP

2 TROOP

SQUADRON HQ

3TROOP

A SQUADRON 1, 2, & 3 roop with 8 Sherman & 3 Grant tanks

24

5 TROOP

6 TROOP

7TROOP

8 TROOP

B SQUADRON 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9 roop with  18 Crusader tanks

9 TROOP

SHERMAN ARMOURED SQUADRON HEAVY TANK FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box. HEADQUARTERS

SHERMAN ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ MB131

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

SHERMAN ARMOURED TROOP

SHERMAN ARMOURED TROOP

SHERMAN ARMOURED TROOP

SHERMAN ARMOURED TROOP

MB132

MB132

MB132

MB132

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP

MB102

MB102

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP MB104

 MB105

OR

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP MB107

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED TROOP MB130

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

Te New Zealand infantry attacked as part of Operation Lightfoot on the night of 23 October 1942, pushing through the enemy minefields and capturing their front-line positions. Te regiment went into battle defending the infantry from counterattacks on the morning of 24 October, having spent much of the night negotiating gaps in the minefields. Te two heavy squadrons fought hard, but soon began to take casualties. By midday, they were reduced to one Sherman and three Grants, with the Crusaders still held in reserve. Tat evening, the regiment was ordered to hand all of their surviving tanks over to the Warwickshire Yeomanry and retire to re-equip.

SQUADRON HQ

10 TROOP

11 TROOP

12 TROOP

C SQUADRON

 A week later, the regiment was ready for action again, equipped with a variety of Shermans, Grants, and Crusaders collected from the battlefield and repaired. On 2 November, the regiment reprised its role for Operation Supercharge. Once again the infantry attacked at night, opening the  way for the tanks. Dawn found the Crusader-equipped B Squadron exiting the minefields in the face of intense German anti-tank fire. Without hesitation, the Squadron charged, overrunning the German positions, to make space for the rest of the regiment to deploy. Once again, the Wiltshires and the rest of 9 Armoured Brigade spent the day fighting off enemy counterattacks and praying for the armoured divisions to come forward and relieve the pressure. When they finally withdrew late in the day, the Wiltshire Yeomanry once again took just four tanks with them, giving truth to Montgomery's answer to Brigadier John Currie when he pointed out that he expected heavy casualties from the assignment, that if the brigade did its job, he would accept one hundred percent casualties.  After the action, Brigadier Gentry of 6 (NZ) Brigade approached Currie saying, ‘Sorry to wake you John, but I’d like to know where your tanks are?’. Currie waved his hand at the tanks around him, replying ‘Tere they are.’ Gentry  was puzzled. ‘I don’t mean your headquarters tanks, I mean your armoured regiments.’ Currie waved his arm and again replied, ‘Tere are my armoured regiments, Bill.’

10, 11, & 12 roop with  12 Grant tanks

25

SHERMAN ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ  • TANK

MOTIVATION

FORMATION •

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Fight Another Green Day 

36 POINTS 27 POINTS

SKILL

  TRAINED

4+

ARMOUR 

6 4 1

FRONT

4+

SIDE & REAR

18 POINTS

 When the first convoy of new Sherman tanks was sunk en route to Egypt, the American President, Roosevelt, stripped new tanks from divisions in training to load a new convoy. When these powerful tanks arrived just before the Second Battle of El Alamein, they gave British tankers a decided advantage over the Germans for the rest of the desert war.

CAREFUL

5+

Last Stand 

4x Sherman (75mm) 3x Sherman (75mm) 2x Sherman (75mm)

 

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

12”/30CM

18”/45CM

20”/50CM

3+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Sherman (75mm)

28”/70CM

2

1

10

3+

Smoke

Sherman (.50 cal MG)

20”/50CM

3

2

4

5+

Self-defence AA

Sherman (MGs)

16”/40CM

2

2

2

6

SHERMAN FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

BIG GUN:  Te Sherman's long-barrelled 75mm main

SELF-DEFENCE AA:  Te big American-made .50cal MG mounted on the commander's cupola gives the Sherman some protection from enemy air attacks. SMOKE:  Te Sherman can operate as its own 'close support', firing effective smoke shells to blind enemy anti-tank guns.

gun can penetrate 73mm of face-hardened armour, making it deadly to the German panzers. It can also fire high-explosive shells to engage the deadly '88'. HEAVY ARMOUR: Of the tanks in widespread service, the Sherman tank is one of the most heavily armoured. Its armour is resistant against almost any German panzer.

26

SHERMAN ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Fight Another Day  Last Stand 

3x Sherman (75mm)

27 POINTS

1x Grant (37mm & 75mm) (MB102) 24 POINTS 2x Sherman (75mm) Te new Sherman tank was the next evolutionary step from the powerful Grant tank. Its large turret allowed it to mount an even more powerful 75mm gun in the turret rather than the hull front, and with thicker armour.  Although the British initially managed to equip  whole regiments with the new Sherman tank, battle casualties and long supply lines soon meant that older Grant tanks were mixed in to make up numbers.

 

5+ 4+

6 4 1

SIDE & REAR TOP

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

12”/30CM

18”/45CM

20”/50CM

3+

WEAPON

4+

ARMOUR 

FRONT

SKILL

  TRAINED

CAREFUL

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Sherman (75mm)

28”/70CM

2

1

10

3+

Smoke

Sherman (.50 cal MG)

20”/50CM

3

2

4

5+

Self-defence AA

Sherman (MGs)

16”/40CM

2

2

2

6

‘They want us to do WHAT?’. Lieutenant Steele dropped into the turret of his lovely new American Sherman tank, ‘Bulldog’, before replying. ‘Orders straight from Monty. We’re to bust through the anti-tank guns and stop the counterattack. We’re the only ones he thinks are up to the task, so let’s show him how we do things!’. Muttering curses under his breath, the driver started up Bulldog and they rolled o. Moving up to the ridge, Steele started calling targets to his gunner. Bulldog rocked back as high explosive rounds  ew downrange. With a terrible clang, a round ricocheted o the side of the tank. ‘Davis, blast that bugger!’, he instructed his gunner, and was rewarded by a brilliant ash as a round impacted the oending anti-tank gun. Another round impacted the tank, this time nding its mark, bringing the tank to a sudden halt. ‘Transmission’s out!’, Fraser, the tank’s driver shouted, pain obvious in his voice. ‘Alright then, time to get lucky’, the young Lieutenant thought as the breech slammed shut on the next round. Again, Davis found his mark, leaving a pile of mangled metal where the dreaded gun once stood.

SHERMANS AND GRANTS: ON THE TABLE Te British armoured divisions used two types of American-built heavy tanks, the Sherman and the Grant. Here are the key differences to help you choose between them.

SHERMAN    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Cross: Other:

6 28"/70cm 10 3+ 3+ Smoke Self-defence AA

GRANT    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Cross: Other:

5 24"/60cm 9 3+ 4+ Forward Firing Protected Ammo Secondary Weapon Smoke

27

Te Royal Scots Greys is one of the oldest cavalry regiments in the British Army, dating back to shortly after the English Civil War. Te regiment is most famous for a devastating charge in the Battle of Waterloo, where they crushed the French 45th  Regiment, capturing the Eagle which would from then on adorn their regimental badge. Although the regiment unfortunately got caught up in the heat of battle and was counterattacked by French cavalry, suffering heavy losses, what history remembers is the glorious power of what Napoleon later called ‘those terrible grey horses’. Te Greys began the Second World War as a horse-mounted cavalry unit stationed in Palestine, helping to police a fragile peace between the Jewish and Arab populations. In February 1940, the regiment conducted its last mounted charge, putting down a civilian riot. It was converted to an armoured regiment in September 1941, receiving intensive tank training in Honeys, before being redeployed to Egypt,  where they began learning how to fight in the desert. In April 1942, the Greys received their first Grant tanks and looked forward to putting them to use. However, after three months of training in the powerful new tanks, the Greys' Grants were instead given to other units urgently needing replacements after the Gazala battles. By August, the regiment finally had new tanks and were ready for their first taste of armoured warfare as Rommel made a last-ditch attempt to smash the British line at Alam el Halfa. Most of the Eighth Army units that still had functional tanks were concentrated together in one strong brigade, so the Scots Greys found themselves temporarily attached

to 22 Brigade. Teir Grants were the newest and most mechanically reliable, so were kept back as a mobile reserve. Te defence began according to plan, with the 75mm guns of the Grant tanks inflicting a heavy toll on the attackers. However, the Germans had a new weapon of their own—a new model of Panzer IV up-gunned with a high-velocity long 75mm gun. Tis proved deadly to the stationary defending Grants, allowing the panzers to punch a hole through the British line. General ‘Pip’ Roberts, commanding 22 Brigade, desperately sent the Scots Greys to plug the gap before the panzers could push through, urging them to ‘get out their whips.’ Just in time, the Greys' Grants crested the ridge and charged down the slope in cavalry fashion, straight into the face of the German attack, which was stopped in its tracks. In Operation Lightfoot, the opening attack of the Second Battle of El Alamein, the Scots Greys attacked through the minefields in the south, helping to pin 21 st Panzer Division and the Italian Ariete Division in place, while the main attack took place in the north. Te regiment then joined the break-through in Operation Supercharge, and pursued the retreating Axis across the desert.

REGIMENTS, SQUADRONS AND TROOPS In the British Army a cavalry regiment (such as the Royal Scots Greys) is a battalion-sized formation.  Each regiment is made up of three company-sized squadrons, of three to five platoon-sized troops.

ROYAL SCOTS GREYS, ALAM EL HALFA 22 ARMOURED BRIGADE, 7  ARMOURED DIVISION, AUGUST 1942 TH

REGIMENTAL HQ

Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Ranulph Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes

4 Honey tanks

SQUADRON HQ

1 TROOP

SQUADRON HQ

2 TROOP

3 TROOP

10 TROOP

11 TROOP

12 TROOP

A SQUADRON

C SQUADRON

1, 2, & 3 roop with  12 Grant tanks

9, 10, 11, & 12 roop with  16 Honey tanks

B SQUADRON 5, 6, & 7 roop with  12 Grant tanks

28

9 TROOP

GRANT ARMOURED SQUADRON HEAVY TANK FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

GRANT ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ MB101

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP

MB102

MB102

MB102

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP MB104

 MB105

OR

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP MB107

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

29

GRANT ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ  • TANK FORMATION •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Fight Another Day 

5+

Protected Ammo

3+

Last Stand 

3x Grant (37mm & 75mm) 2x Grant (37mm & 75mm)

18 POINTS

Remount 

12 POINTS

CAREFUL

5 4 1

SIDE & REAR

4+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

12”/30CM

18”/45CM

20”/50CM

4+

RANGE

WEAPON

4+

ARMOUR 

FRONT

SKILL

  TRAINED

British armoured regiments were delighted to receive the new American-made M3 Grant tank,  which gave them a tank with a gun as good as those on the German panzers, with armour to match. Rushed into service to meet the urgent need for a 75mm-armed tank, its clumsy design  was a compromise. Te main gun was mounted in a hull sponson because no American tank plants could cast a turret big enough for it.

 

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Grant Hull (75mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

9

3+

Forward Firing, Smoke

Grant Turret (37mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Secondary Weapon

Grant (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

GRANT

30

FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

BIG GUN:  Te Grant's 75mm main gun can penetrate

PROTECTED AMMO: British tank crews have learned

64mm of face-hardened armour, making it deadly to the German panzers. It can also fire high-explosive shells, making up for the main deficiency of the light tanks' smaller guns. HEAVY ARMOUR:  When the British assessed the prototype of the M3, one of the changes they insisted on  was the addition of even thicker armour. In comparison to the German panzers, the Grant is as well-protected from the front and even better protected from the sides.

from bitter experience how common it is for tanks to explode when hit, due to ammunition fires. One of the modifications they immediately made to their Grants when they received them from the US was to install armoured bins for the ammunition, making them less likely to ‘brew up’ from an ammunition explosion. FORWARD FIRING: Te sponson for the hull-mounted 75mm gun has limited horizontal traverse, and can only engage targets to the tank's front. SECONDARY WEAPON:  Although each gun has its own gunner and loader, the tank's commander is too busy directing the fire of the main hull-mounted 75mm gun to assist the turret gunner to locate targets for his 37mm gun.

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Fight Another Day 

5+

Protected Ammo

3+

Last Stand 

3x Grant (37mm & 75mm)

18 POINTS

Te arrival of the Grant in the Battle of Gazala took the Germans by surprise. Its thick armour and powerful 75mm gun are superior to most of the German panzers. Its only real downside is its height, which makes it a conspicuous target in the desert. Te placement of the 75mm gun makes it difficult to conceal the tank in a hulldown position behind terrain. At Alam el Halfa,  with time to prepare a static defence, the British  were able to partly overcome these difficulties by carefully choosing the placement of each Grant.

Remount 

 

5 4 1

SIDE & REAR

4+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

12”/30CM

18”/45CM

20”/50CM

4+

WEAPON

4+

ARMOUR 

FRONT

SKILL

  TRAINED

CAREFUL

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Grant Hull (75mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

9

3+

Forward Firing, Smoke

Grant Turret (37mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Secondary Weapon

Grant (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

Second Lieutenant Perry had been in command of his troop for only six weeks, and was happy to be in this Grant. Its powerful 75mm gun would knock Jerry for six! With the sun sinking below the horizon, Perry had turned his tanks around as they crested a low ridge, barely two yards high in the dying orange light. It was as good a place as any to make a stand. The Grant was a tall beast—over nine feet—and not easy to hide. Its low gun mount never let the tank go fully ‘hull down ’, exposing only its turret. This spot, though, gave some protection. It was the longest night of his life, waiting for the dawn. Squinting through his binoculars as the night faded and the sky lightened, he scanned the ridge line three thousand yards away to the southwest, where he expected the enemy to appear. Suddenly, he saw them. Four panzers—the big Mark IVs. They could take a shot any second, but the range was extreme. It was better to wait. At two thousand yards, the tension weighed heavier on them than the thirty tons of armoured machine in which he and his crew sat. At fteen hundred yards the panzers slowed. The German commander in the lead tank, peering through his binoculars, was having trouble seeing with the sun now rising into his eyes. The last thing he saw was the clouds of smoke rising twelve hundred yards in front of him as Second Lieutenant George Perry's troop got their vengeance.

31

Te 4 th County of London Yeomanry (abbreviated 4 th CLY)  was formed during the build-up of tensions immediately prior to the outbreak of war, around a nucleus of troops split off from its sister regiment, 3 rd  County of London  Yeomanry. Te regiment joined 7th  Armoured Division as part of 22 Armoured Brigade before the start of Operation Crusader. Te operation, the Eighth Army's push to drive the Axis back and liberate obruk, was named after the new Crusader tanks which the brigade proudly rode into battle. Te first action of the 4th County of London Yeomanry was against the Italian Ariete Division at Bir El Gubi. One story has it that the regiment's officers went into battle waving riding crops and shouting ‘ally Ho’ as they charged the Italian guns. Such valour led to heavy losses, putting the brigade out of the battle for several days.  When the Gazala battles started in May 1942, 4th CLY and the rest of 22 Armoured Brigade were back in the desert under the command of the 1 st Armoured Division. It helped defend the Knightsbridge Box and was badly battered in the deadly, swirling battles for the ‘Cauldron’. On the first day of the First Battle of El Alamein, the  Yeomanry were supporting 18 Indian Brigade against an  Afrika Korps   armoured attack when Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Arkwright was killed by a direct hit from an armourpiercing round. Command of the regiment passed to Major HB Scott.

For the Battle of Alam el Halfa, the depleted regiment temporarily rejoined with 3 rd County of London Yeomanry to form 3rd/4th  CLY, a composite regiment, as part of 22 Armoured Brigade. Te tanks of this combined unit occupied carefully prepared defensive positions in the rocky foothills. Rather than manoeuvring to meet the advancing enemy, they fought a purely defensive battle. Teir Grant tanks were hidden as well as their high profile would allow, holding their fire until the enemy were within close range, then inflicting heavy casualties within minutes. However, the Germans had a new weapon, a new model of Panzer IV mounting a deadly long 75mm gun. Tis took a heavy toll on the defending Grants. Most of the Grants of  A Squadron were ‘brewed up’, leaving a hole in the British line. Te timely arrival of the Scots Greys halted the German attack in the nick of time. Te Yeomanry's remaining Crusader tanks were sent to the left of 22 Brigade's position to block a dangerous flanking move by surviving panzers.  After the surrender of the Axis in unisia, 4 th CLY returned to the United Kingdom with 22 Brigade to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. Te regiment's tanks landed on Gold Beach on the night of D-Day, 6 June 1944 and fought in the battles at Villers-Bocage. Having suffered heavy losses of both men and tanks, the regiment was eventually re-amalgamated with its sister regiment in August 1944 as 3rd/4th County of London Yeomanry, serving the rest of the  war as part of 4 Armoured Brigade.

4  COUNTY OF LONDON YEOMANRY TH

22 ARMOURED BRIGADE, 7  ARMOURED DIVISION, AUGUST 1942 TH

Lieutenant-Colonel FGB Arkwright, later Major HB Scott

REGIMENTAL HQ 4 Crusader tanks

HQ

HQ

HQ

HQ

HQ

SQUADRON HQ

2

1

2

1 TROOP

5

2

6

5

2 TROOP

5

6

5 TROOP

3

3

HQ

SQUADRON HQ

1

1

HQ

6

6 TROOP

8

7

3

3 TROOP

7

8

7

7 TROOP

8

8 TROOP

A SQUADRON

B SQUADRON

1, 2, & 3 roop with  12 Grant tanks

5, 6, 7, & 8 roop with  16 Crusader tanks

C SQUADRON 9, 10, 11, & 12 roop with  16 Crusader tanks

Geometric symbols painted on the turret sides identify the tank's squadron. Te colour of the symbol corresponds to the regiment's position in the brigade (red for the senior regiment, yellow for the second, and blue for the junior regiment)  while the shape gives the squadron. Some cavalry regiments also paint troop numbers inside the symbol.

32

CRUSADER ARMOURED SQUADRON CRUISER TANK FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box. HEADQUARTERS

CRUSADER ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ MB103

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP

MB104

 MB105

OR

MB104

 MB105

OR

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP MB102

MB104

 MB105

MB104

OR

 MB105

OR

ARMOUR

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP MB104

 MB105

OR

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

British tank crews raced to load fresh ammunition down through the turret hatches of their Crusaders. When warning cries indicated that the enemy had been sighted, the supply trucks sped o along the powdery track, raising a thick cloud of dust behind them. The blunt shapes of German panzers were advancing in a broad sweep, and the Crusader crews hastily buttoned up, engines roaring as they prepared to engage the veteran Afrika Korps  tanks. The recently-arrived Crusader cruisers had proved to be fast at covering ground and quick to get their 2-pounder guns laid on target. The Crusaders accelerated over the stony plain, their gunners beginning to re. The Mk III panzers responded in kind and ery columns of black smoke began to mark losses for both sides. The British tanks attempted to close the range, heading straight at the panzers. Trading re at long range did no favours for the lighter armour of the British tanks, as they instead sought to engage the Germans in a mobile duel, using their superior speed to keep the enemy o balance, pumping out a steady tempo of rounds as they raced through the German formation. The British tanks pressed forward to get in a few more ank shots as the Panzers withdrew, brewing up one more enemy tank before being recalled. Hard experience had tutored the cruiser tank crews not to pursue the panzers into the inevitable anti-tank gun ambush.

33

CRUSADER ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ  • TANK FORMATION •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Fight Another Day 

2x Crusader II (2 pdr) 2x Crusader CS (3 inch) 1x Crusader II (2 pdr) 2x Crusader CS (3 inch)

Last Stand 

7 POINTS

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

5+

ARMOUR 

Tally Ho Tactics

4+

SIDE & REAR

5+

TOP

5 POINTS

Te light squadrons of the armoured regiments embody the dash and daring of the British cavalry. Fast and manoeuvrable but not as heavily armoured as the enemy panzers, they use speed and cover to protect themselves. Tey are often relegated to scouting or protecting the flanks of the regiment while their heavy cousins, the Grants, engage the enemy head on.

3 2 1

FRONT

SKILL

  TRAINED

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

20”/50CM

24”/60CM

3+

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVING

RANGE

Crusader II (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

Crusader CS (3-inch)

32”/80CM

or Direct Fire

16”/40CM

2

16”/40CM

3

Crusader II & CS (MG)

2

1

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

7

4+

No HE 

2

4+

Smoke Bombardment 

1

5

3+

Smoke

3

2

6

ARTILLERY

CRUSADERS CRUSADER II FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

HIGH SPEED:  Cruiser tanks are the sports cars of the

NO HE:  Te 2 pdr and 6 pdr guns mounted by the

tank world. Te Crusader's excellent power-to-weight ratio and smooth Christie suspension give it excellent cross-country performance.

Crusader only have armour-piercing shells. Tis severely limits its use against infantry and unarmoured targets, as the uncapped solid steel shot will only inflict serious damage with a direct hit to a vital area.

TACTICAL SPEED: Te Crusader is designed especially for the fast-moving and aggressive fighting style which the British tankers are trained for. Te gunner can aim quickly  while the tank is moving. He raises and lowers the gun  with his shoulder, while using the turret's fast hydraulic traverse system to track the target. Its large turret gives the crew room to operate effectively.

SMOKE: Te Crusader CS is designed to act as dedicated

CRUSADER II CS FEATURES

OVERWORKED:  Te larger 6 pdr gun of the

ARTILLERY:   Each squadron has a few Crusader CS

Crusader III restricts turret space, so the commander must also act as the loader, when he should be using every spare moment to observe the tank's surroundings and make crucial tactical decisions. Tis makes it harder for the crew to fight at top efficiency while on the move.

(Close Support) tanks, which have their main gun replaced with a 3-inch howitzer, giving the squadron its own integrated artillery support, useful for blinding or knocking out anti-tank guns.

artillery support, which includes the ability to fire smoke rounds to blind the enemy.

SMOKE BOMBARDMENT:  Laying down a heavy smoke screen can shield the squadron from enemy antitank guns while it manoeuvres to attack.

CRUSADER III FEATURES UP-GUNNED: Te 6 pdr gun carried by the Crusader III is a major improvement. At last the British tankers have a  weapon with a good chance of defeating the face-hardened armour of the German panzers, even at long range.

IMPROVED PROTECTION: As well as slightly thicker front armour, the Crusader III has improved protection around the turret mounting and the ammunition racks,  which were identified as a common cause of fires in the earlier model.

34

CRUSADER II    

Front Armour: 3 Weapon Range: 24"/60cm Anti-tank: 7 Firepower: 4+

CRUSADER ARMOURED TROOP OPTIONS  You can field either a Crusader II Armoured roop with only 2 pdr-armed Crusader II tanks, or a mixed roop with both Crusader II tanks and 6 pdr-armed Crusader III tanks.

CRUSADER II ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Fight Another Day 

3x Crusader II (2 pdr)

5 POINTS

Last Stand 

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

5+

ARMOUR 

Te Crusader entered service in November 1941, in time for Operation Crusader, the offensive in late 1941 that was named after the new tank.  Although the Crusader is vulnerable to enemy fire and prone to certain mechanical difficulties, its speed and cross-country manoeuvrability are admired both by its own crews and their German and Italian foes.

Tally Ho Tactics

3 2 1

FRONT

SKILL

  TRAINED

4+

SIDE & REAR

5+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

20”/50CM

24”/60CM

3+

WEAPON

RANGE

Crusader II (2 pdr) Crusader II (MG)

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE 

CRUSADER II & III ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Fight Another Day 

1x Crusader II (2 pdr) 2x Crusader III (6 pdr) 2x Crusader II (2 pdr) 1x Crusader III (6 pdr)

Last Stand 

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

5+

ARMOUR 

CRUSADER II

7 POINTS

  TRAINED Tally Ho Tactics

4+

CRUSADER III

5+

SIDE

FRONT

6 POINTS

 When the up-gunned Crusader III entered service  just prior to the Second Battle of El Alamein, it  was eagerly welcomed by the crews. Te new tanks are shared out among the squadrons, giving each troop much-needed extra firepower.

3 4 2 1

FRONT

SKILL

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

20”/50CM

24”/60CM

3+

WEAPON

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Crusader II (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

No HE 

Crusader III (6 pdr)

28”/70CM

2

1

9

4+

No HE, Overworked 

Crusader II & III (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

CRUSADERS: ON THE TABLE Tere are three different models of Crusader tank. Te key differences are highlighted below to help you pick the right tank for the job.

CRUSADER II CS    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Other:

3 16"/40cm 5 3+ Artillery Bombardment

CRUSADER III    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Other:

4 28"/70cm 9 4+ Overworked

(+1 o Hit for Moving ROF)

35

Te 8 th King's Royal Irish Hussars were one of the original regiments of the Mobile Force (Egypt) which would go on to form the 7th Armoured Division. Te regiment has a long, proud history dating back to the late 17 th Century. In the Crimean War, it was one of the regiments which took part in the famous Charge of the Light Brigade, a glorious but costly action which had unfortunate echoes in some of the regiment's Second World War engagements. Tey began the  war in light tanks, fighting through 1940 and 1941 as part of 4 Armoured Brigade, against the Italians and then Rommel's  Afrika Korps . Honeys of the 8th Hussars were the first M3 Light anks to see combat, against the 5th Panzer Regiment of the 21st Panzer Division near Gabr Saleh, at the start of Oper ation Crusader on 19 November 1941. It was a harsh baptism of fire, in  which the limitations of the lightly armoured tanks quickly became apparent, as the 8 th Hussars lost 20 tanks. But worse was to follow a few days later during the fighting for the Sidi Rezegh airfield. Because tanks are difficult to co-ordinate in the dark, armoured night attacks are rare, and tank units normally consider themselves safe in their night encampments. However, on 22 November, 15 th Panzer Division stumbled upon 8 th  Hussars just as night fell, and  were able to surround and overwhelm the regiment. Te commander and most of the tanks, along with 4 Armoured Brigade HQ, were captured or destroyed. Only seven of the 8th Hussars' Honey tanks escaped. Te regiment was reformed with new Honey tanks, and was quickly back in action on December 1, again at Sidi Rezegh. Perhaps the legacy of the Charge of the Light Brigade lived on in the Hussars' memory. Again, they were almost annihilated when they charged ‘cavalry style’ in support of New Zealand troops. Te attack succeeded, but t he regiment suffered many casualties, including their new commander.

36

Tey were again issued new tanks—this time including two squadrons of Grant tanks. In the defence of Gazala, 4 Armoured Brigade were sent south to meet the Afrika Korps'  surprise encircling move, and unexpectedly ran straight into the full 15 th Panzer Division. Tey fought bravely, surprising the Germans with their powerful new Grants. However, facing a whole panzer division they took heavy losses and retreated towards El Adem to regroup.  After the retreat from Gazala, the regiment's surviving tanks  were temporarily amalgamated with another under-strength light cavalry regiment as the 4th/8th Hussars. Tis composite regiment fought in the defence of Alam El Halfa at the start of September 1942. Tey then helped breach the minefields in the Second Battle of El Alamein in October, before  joining the pursuit of the retreating Axis forces for the next three weeks. Te 8th Hussars remained with the 7 th Armoured Division for the rest of the war, serving as the division's reconnaissance regiment in its long, difficult fight through Normandy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and into Germany itself.

BRIGADES  A brigade consists of three or four regiments or battalions  grouped together under a single command. Brigades can operate independently, or two or three brigades can be  grouped together into a division. Brigades are often swapped between divisions as the situation dictates, and battalions are likewise sometimes moved between brigades. Sometimes two or more battalions which had suffered heavy casualties could be temporarily grouped together into composite units.

HONEY ARMOURED SQUADRON CRUISER TANK FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box.

HEADQUARTERS

HONEY ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ MB106

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP

MB107

MB107

MB107

MB107

GRANT ARMOURED TROOP MB102

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

Engines idling, the Honeys of C Squadron waited patiently for their slower cousins to catch up. The Grant tanks were rumbling forward at a steady pace, their high prole making them appear slightly top-heavy. As they nally drew level, Major Tom Rutherford, C Squadron commander, gestured and the lighter tanks accelerated away obliquely to the right, the sound of their radial engines  fading as the Grants shook out into a line abreast. The rst enemy tanks appeared in the hazy distance and the Grants began ring. Surprised that they could be hit at this range, the panzers split up, some staying to return re while others moved o towards the ank, executing the tactic that had worked so well for them in the past. This time, though, the Honeys were waiting, and a Mark III panzer, struck in its thinner side armour by a well-placed 37mm shot, began to burn. The Honeys were loath to sit still and trade shots. They moved at high speed, turrets rotating to follow their targets. In Rutherford's tank, the loader hurriedly fed shells as the gunner poured shot after shot at the enemy tanks. In the rear of the turret, with his head and shoulders protruding through the hexagonal hatch, Rutherford was dangerously exposed, but he knew the unrestricted view of the battleeld was worth it.

37

HONEY ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ  • TANK FORMATION •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

4x Honey  3x Honey 

Fight Another Day 

7 POINTS 5 POINTS

Last Stand 

5+

ARMOUR 

  TRAINED Tactics

3 2 1

FRONT

SKILL

Tally Ho

Te M3 Stuart Light ank is the first Americanmade tank supplied to the British Army under the lend-lease programme. Compared with earlier British-designed tanks, it is much less prone to breaking down—so reliable that its drivers call it a ‘Honey’. One of its intended roles was infantry support. But to the British, infantry tanks are slow and heavily armoured, so the Honey is employed in the same way as the British-built cruisers.

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

4+

SIDE & REAR

5+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

12”/30CM

16”/40CM

24”/60CM

28”/70CM

3+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Honey (37mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Honey (MGs)

16”/40CM

5

5

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE  Self-defence AA

HONEY FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

HIGH TOP SPEED:  Te Honey is the fastest tank in

NO HE: British Honeys don't carry high-explosive shells

the British arsenal, outpacing even the Crusaders flat-out.  Although British tank doctrine recommended firing on the move, Honey crews found they got their best result through speedily closing with the enemy, quickly halting and then firing their 37mm gun into the side armour of the panzers.

for their 37mm guns. Tey will need space for as many armour-piercing shells as possible to fight the betterprotected German panzers.

TACTICAL SPEED: Despite its high speed, the M3 Stuart  was originally intended for infantry suppor t, so unlike the Crusader, it was not designed with fast-pace d moving tank duels in mind. Nevertheless, a few minor modifications have made the Honey a quick and nimble fighter, capable of running circles around its slower adversaries.

38

SELF-DEFENCE AA: Te Honey is equipped with three Browning .30-cal machine-guns: one co-axial with the main gun, one in the bow at the assistant driver 's position, and one in an anti-aircraft mount on the turret roof, giving some protection from the Stuka dive bombers.

HONEY ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

3x Honey 

Fight Another Day 

5 POINTS

Last Stand 

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

5+

ARMOUR 

Te Honey's armour is not bad for a light tank, but unlike its big brother the Grant, it can't go toe-to-toe with the German panzers—not if its crew want to live for long. With eight forward gears and two reverse, the Honey can get itself out of trouble quickly if it has to.  When they received the M3 Stuart, the British found many things about its internal layout to be awkward. Tey quickly made adaptations to improve the tank's usability, including moving the turret traverse controls to the left-hand side, giving control of the turret to the gunner. With space in the turret limited, the tank was designed for the commander to also act as the gunner.

  TRAINED Tally Ho

Tactics

3 2 1

FRONT

SKILL

4+

SIDE & REAR

5+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

12”/30CM

16”/40CM

24”/60CM

28”/70CM

3+

WEAPON

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Honey (37mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Honey (MGs)

16”/40CM

5

5

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE  Self-defence AA

Tis was far from ideal, because the commander is the tank's eyes and ears, and when operating the gun his vision is too limited to command effectively. Te British overcame this by shifting crew functions. In combat, the commander would move to the rear of the turret while the assistant driver would climb up and man the gun.

The German gunners crouched behind their 5cm PaK 38 anti-tank guns, waiting for the British tanks to appear, pursuing the withdrawing panzers into the carefully laid trap. They were caught completely o guard by the sudden appearance of several troops of Honeys on their ank. The light tanks sped diagonally through the gun line, machine-guns blazing from hull and turret. Gun crews ed in terror from the torrents of bullets, bright with tracer rounds. The assault was over in moments, the would-be ambushers scattered just as the Grant tanks began to appear. Sweeping forward, the Honeys raced to cut o the retreating column of German tanks. One of the Honeys exploded as a 50mm shell hit, penetrated and detonated its fuel tanks. The other small tanks kept moving, using their speed to deny the Afrika Korps  tankers an easy target. One German machine, then another, blossomed into bright reballs as concentrated re from the Grants' guns began to strike home. The path of the other panzers' retreat had taken them out of sight in the shelter of a steep-sided wadi. Realising they were too late to prevent the rest of their quarry from escaping back to the safety of their main force, the Honey commander reluctantly signalled his troops to break o the pursuit and regroup. Today's hunt was over, but there would be more battles to come.

39

 At the other side of Africa, a thousand miles or more to the westward, the tremendous joint undertaking of the United States and Britain, which was fraught with so many hazards, has also been crowned with astonishing success… —British Prime Minister Winston Churchill  Te 6th ‘Mailed Fist’ Armoured Division was formed in September 1940 during the dark days after the evacuation from Dunkirk. Britain desperately needed more tanks to face the threat of German invasion as the Battle of Britain raged overhead. With the 1st  Armoured Division destroyed in France and the 2nd  Armoured Division desperately short of men and equipment, it would clearly take a while for six new armoured divisions (6th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, and 42nd) to become combat ready. Nevertheless, in late 1942, after two years of training, the 6th Armoured Division was ready for action and ordered to prepare for deployment to unisia. A battlegroup named ‘Blade Force’ (made up of the 17th/21st Lancers, a company each of infantry, armoured cars, and artillery, and later a battalion of American M3 Stuart light tanks from their 1 st Armoured Division) was to be first into combat, supporting the 78th ‘Battleaxe’ Division.

Leaving 38 (Irish) Brigade to hold their old positions, the 6th Armoured Division headed south to stop the German offensive.  With the American forces falling back in disarray, the divisional commander, General Keightley, with a scratch force of 1 Guards Brigade, two regiments of American infantry (one each from the 1st  and 34th  Infantry Divisions), and the tanks of the 16th/5th  Lancers, defeated the German 21st  Panzer Division’s attack on Sbiba to the north of Kasserine Pass. Meanwhile, 26 Armoured Brigade (less the 16th/5th Lancers) headed for Tala behind the Kasserine Pass. Having broken through Kasserine Pass, the German 15 th  Panzer Division and the Italian Centauro  Division attacked westward, while the 10th Panzer Division turned northwards towards Tala. After a hard fight, the British halted the attack, and the Germans retreated back through Kasserine Pass.

Blade Force advanced to within 15km (9 miles) of unis at the end of November, but with the ‘Battleaxe’ Division advancing on three different axes, and the unusual order to ‘create a tank-infested area’ rather than to advance on unis, combined with rapid German counterattacks, that was as close as they got before being pushed back to Medjez el Bab.

Having lost most of its Valentine and Crusader tanks, the division re-equipped with Sherman tanks in March. Keeping 1 Guards Brigade (made up of 3 rd  Bn Grenadier Guards, 2nd Bn Coldstream Guards, 3 rd Bn Welsh Guards) in exchange for 38 (Irish) Brigade, the rebuilt division went back into action on 9 April to force the Fondouk Pass in an attempt to cut off the retreating German and Italian armies. Te Welsh Guards and a regiment of American infantry were unable to take the heights overlooking the pass, so 26 Armoured Brigade under its new commander, Brigadier ‘Pip’ Roberts, took the pass by storm. Advancing to Kairouan, they fought the Axis rearguard, knocking out dozens of tanks. Te division now returned to Medjez el Bab for the final attack to capture unis. After hard fighting, the German defences were broken and the division was among the first to enter the capital as the unisian Campaign ended.

Despite the arrival of the rest of the division, inconclusive fighting around Medjez el Bab and Bou Arada continued until the end of January as both sides traded offensives attempting to improve their position. Tis all changed with the spectacular German success against the green American 1st  Armoured Division at Sidi Bou Zid on 14 February 1943 and their subsequent advance towards Kasserine Pass.

40

Corporal James was tired, hungry, and hot. The Germans had been relentlessly pounding his company for two days straight, and he knew it wasn’t going to stop. The Germans had assaulted the previous day, and James was  forced to use his bayonet to defend his position. However, he also knew it was his life or the enemy’s, and he was determined to make it home. The ‘Skins’ had already taken heavy casualties, and he knew those numbers would increase even more. ‘BOOM!’. Direct re from an 88 slammed into a nearby entrenchment, making James drop his mug of tea, spilling it all over himself. ‘Arse!’, he swore. They were coming again. James grabbed his rie and carefully sighted on a German soldier scrambling around a rock lower on the slope. As he red, James heard someone screaming nearby — a glance showed it to be Sergeant Cottrell in the next foxhole. ‘Stretcher!’, he yelled as he scrambled across to the Sergeant, seeing blood streaming through the ngers laced across his stomach. German soldiers were advancing on the section’s position, threatening the battalion’s ank. ‘Stretcher!’, he shouted again, bringing his rie up and loosing o another shot. As the Jerry fell, James jumped as machine-guns opened up behind him. ‘What the feck!’. He turned his head to see three Valentine tanks grinding over the crest of the hill. Looking back, the Germans were on the run, machine gun re kicking up dust in their wake. ‘About fecking time’, James muttered as he red on the retreating Germans.

6  ‘MAILED FIST’ ARMOURED DIVISION TH

5 CORPS, FIRST ARMY, BOU ARADA, JANUARY 1943 Major-General Charles Keightley

26 ARMOURED BRIGADE

38 (IRISH)

(Valentine and Crus ader anks)

INFANTRY BRIGADE

DIVISIONAL SUPPORT

16TH /5TH LANCERS

2ND BATTALION, LONDON IRISH RIFLES

12TH (HONOURABLE ARTILLERY COMPANY) ROYAL HORSE ARTILLERY

17TH /21ST LANCERS

1ST BATTALION, ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS

152ND (AYRSHIRE YEOMANRY) FIELD REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

2ND LOTHIANS AND BORDER HORSE YEOMANRY

6TH BATTALION, ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS

51ST LIGHT A A REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

(p. 56)

(p. 42)

10TH BATTALION, THE RIFLE BRIGADE (p. 62)

72ND ANTI-TANK REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

1ST DERBYSHIRE YEOMANRY

41

Te 17th/21st Lancers was an old regiment with an illustrious history. Te 17th Lancers were formed as Light Dragoons by Colonel John Hale, who having fought alongside General  Wolfe at the Battle of Quebec, chose the motto ‘Death or Glory’ in his memory. Te 17 th Lancer’s first battles were in  America, fighting in the War of Independence. Tey fought in the Caribbean and South America during the Napoleonic  Wars and then in India, before leading the famed ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’ against the Russians in the Crimea (having meanwhile been re-designated as lancers). After another half-century of colonial warfare in India and South  Africa, the regiment fought as cavalry on the Western Front during the First World War. In 1922, as part of the post-war downsizing of the army, the 17th Lancers were amalgamated with the 21st Lancers to form the 17th/21st Lancers. Te 21 st Lancers had been raised to fight the Indian Mutiny in 1858. After wining their only battle honour at Omdurman in the Sudan in 1898, they became the 21st (Empress of India’s) Lancers, fighting on the North-West Frontier of India in the First World War. Having returned to Britain, the ‘Death or Glory Boys’ converted to tanks when they joined the 6 th  ‘Mailed Fist’  Armoured Division in November 1940. Equipped with Valentine tanks, they trained hard in their new role, and by late 1942 were eager for battle, having received some up-gunned Crusader tanks for anti-tank support. Te 6th Armoured Division began landing in North Africa in early November 1942. While the rest of the division arrived, Blade Force, based around 17 th/21st  Lancers, raced ahead to seize unis. Teir first battle in tanks took place on 25 November 1942, when the armoured cars of the

Derbyshire Yeomanry reported fire from two farms. Te attached company from the Rifle Brigade were ordered to assault, covered by fire from the Royal Horse Artillery, while a squadron of the Lancers swept around the flanks to provide support, just as they had done in training exercises. It  worked as planned, with a haul of 100 Italians, 40 Germans, and four Italian SP guns. Te tanks pursued the fleeing survivors, and attacked two more farms. One was captured, but the other held out as there were no infantry to assault it. Te next day, Blade Force’s American light tanks faced a counterattack by long-barrelled Panzer IV tanks, so called for assistance to take the second farm. Te Lancers found themselves outgunned and losing tanks. Once again, they lacked the infantry support they needed to take the farm, although they succeeded in stopping the German advance. On 1 December, the Germans launched a much stronger attack with a battalion of tanks backed by a large force of infantry. Against this, the bravery of the Lancers was irrelevant and after a gallant, but fruitless charge , they were forced to give ground, with just five Crusaders and eleven Valentines still fighting outside ebourba by the end of t he day. Despite the enemy superiority in tanks, Blade Force bought enough time for the ebourba defences to be reinforced and the German offensive petered out for the moment. Te regiment went on to thwart German offensives at Bou  Arada and then at Kasserine Pass in January and February 1943, gallantly pitting their Valentines and Crusaders against Panzer IV and iger tanks. Ten, in March 1943, they re-equipped with American-built Shermans before leading the final drive on unis.

17TH /21ST LANCERS, TEBOURBA

26 ARMOURED BRIGADE, 6  ARMOURED DIVISION, NOVEMBER 1942 TH

REGIMENTAL HQ

Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Hull

4 Valentine tanks

SQUADRON HQ

SQUADRON HQ

9 TROOP

10 TROOP

9 TROOP

10 TROOP

11 TROOP

12 TROOP

11 TROOP

12 TROOP

A SQUADRON

C SQUADRON

1, 2, 3, & 4 roop with 8 Valentine & 8 Crusader tanks

9, 10, 11, & 12 roop with 6 Valentine, 6 Crusader & 3 Lee tanks

B SQUADRON 5, 6, 7, & 8 roop with  8 Valentine & 8 Crusader tanks

42

DEATH OR GLORY SQUADRON CRUISER TANK FORMATION

You must eld one Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box. HEADQUARTERS

VALENTINE III DEATH OR GLORY SQUADRON HQ MB120

LEE DEATH OR GLORY SQUADRON HQ MB122

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

VALENTINE III DEATH OR GLORY TROOP

CRUSADER III DEATH OR GLORY TROOP

VALENTINE III DEATH OR GLORY TROOP

CRUSADER III DEATH OR GLORY TROOP

MB123

MB124

MB123

MB124

VALENTINE III DEATH OR GLORY TROOP MB123

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

Trucks, jeeps, and half-tracks had been scampering through the positions of the 17 th  /21st  Lancers throughout the day, eeing from the Germans coming through Kasserine Pass. Corporal Lorrigan Lorrigan icked away a cigarette butt, then climbed aboard his Valentine tank. No more transports appeared as he settled into the turret, nudging the gunner, ‘Wakey, wakey lad. Rommel’s on his way.’  The at crack of heavy cannon rounds passing nearby announced the arrival of the panzers on the next ridge. ‘Gunner, traverse left…steady…on! 1000, Tank…FIRE!’. The two-pounder slammed back, venting cordite into the cramped turret. The tracer arced into the panzer, then bounced, soaring into the evening sky, the range too long for their shot to have any eect against the bigger German tanks. ‘Advance and engage’, crackled through the radio. Lorrigan started forward, advancing with the rest of the troop, ring on the move. Twice he saw German tanks brewed up, smoke curling from their hatches. Pausing in the cover of a dry stream bed, Lorrigan peered about. Time owed strangely in combat—somehow the sun was almost down and there were no friends nearby. Looking around and seeing several wrecked Valentines, he muttered. ‘Death or bleedin' Glory alright. Too much of both around here.’ 

43

VALENTINE III DEATH OR GLORY SQUADRON HQ VALENTINE III 2x Valentine III (2 pdr) 2x Crusader CS (3-inch) (MB121) 1x Valentine III (2 pdr) 2x Crusader CS (3-inch) (MB121)

 • TANK FORMATION •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

  CONFIDENT 4+

13 POINTS 13  POINTS

SKILL

  TRAINED Tally Ho Tactics

ARMOUR 

4+ 5+

SIDE & REAR

10 POINTS 10  POINTS

Despite being cavalry, the Death or Glory Boys  were equipped with Valentine infantry support tanks. Tey found that while they weren't fast, they were well protected and reliable. However, there wasn't a close support artillery version of the Valentine, so they were issued the Crusader CS (Close Support) tank instead.  While the Crusader wasn't as well we ll armoured as the Valentine, that didn’t matter too much as it  wasn't supposed to be up front getting shot at. Rather, it was supposed to be sitting back firing smoke to mask enemy anti-tank guns, followed by HE to knock them out.

6 5 1

FRONT

TOP TO P TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

16”/40CM

3+

WEAPON

RANGE

ROF   ANTIFIREHALTED MOVIN MOVING G TANK POWER 

Valentine III (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+ 4+

Valentine III (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE 

CRUSADER CS  • TANK •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

  CONFIDENT 4+ SKILL

  TRAINED Tally Ho

Tactics

ARMOUR 

4+

3 2 1

FRONT

5+

SIDE & REAR TOP TO P

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

20”/50CM

24”/60CM

3+

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVIN MOVING G

Crusader CS (3-inch)

32”/80CM

ARTILLERY

or Direct Fire

16”/40CM

2

16”/40CM

3

WEAPON

Crusader CS (MG)

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

2

4+

Smoke Bombardment 

1

5

3+ 3+

Smoke

3

2

6

LEE DEATH OR GLORY SQUADRON HQ  • TANK FORMATION •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

  CONFIDENT 4+ SKILL

3x Lee (37mm & 75mm)

18 POINTS 18  POINTS

  TRAINED Tally Ho Tactics

 When the US troops retreated from ebourba, they left several tanks mired in the winter mud. Te 6th Armoured Division recovered several of the big M3 Lee tanks and Major ffrench-Blake’s C Squadron used them in their HQ. Describing them as like a wedding cake, with their 75mm gun on the bottom layer, the 37mm next, then the machine-gun on top, ffrench-Blake appreciated them for their good-sized HE round and the punch of their armour piercing shot.

44

ARMOUR 

4+

5 4 1

FRONT

5+

SIDE & REAR TOP TO P

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

12”/30CM

12”/30CM

18”/45CM

20”/50CM

4+

WEAPON

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVIN MOVING G

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Lee Hull (75mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

9

3+ 3+

Forward Firing, Smoke

Lee Turret (37mm)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+ 4+

Secondary Weapon

Lee (MGs)

16”/40CM

4

4

2

6

VALENTINE III DEATH OR GLORY TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

  CONFIDENT 4+ SKILL

3x Valentine III (2pdr)

10 POINTS 10  POINTS

  TRAINED Tally Ho

Tactics

Te Valentine tank made up the bulk of the Death or Glory Boys' equipment. It was well armoured and reliable, two features missing from many British tanks. Te new Valentine III had a bigger turret allowing the commander to focus on his job, without the distraction of having to load the gun as well, although it still had the same small 2 pdr gun as most Cruiser tanks.

ARMOUR 

4+

6 5 1

FRONT

5+

SIDE & REAR TOP TO P

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

16”/40CM

3+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVIN MOVING G

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Valentine III (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+ 4+

Valentine III (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE 

DEATH OR GLORY FEATURES DASHING:  Te Death or Glory Boys

SPEED AND ARMOUR:  Although the

know that they’re outgunned, so they don’t  waste time sneaking about. When they advance, it’s an all-out charge to close the range to finish the enemy off.

Valentine isn’t renowned for its speed,  with a dashing crew it still makes a good cruiser tank. Te gunner raises and lowers the gun with his shoulder, while tracking the target, allowing the tank to fight on the move. Combined with the Valentine’s Valentine’s thick armour, they are a tough foe.

FIREPOWER: Te Crusader III’s 6 pdr gun gives the Death or Glory Boys the punch they need to back up the Valentine. It’s quite capable of tackling a panzer at range.

CRUSADER III DEATH OR GLORY TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  AGGRESSIVE 3+

  CONFIDENT 4+ SKILL

3x Crusader III (6 pdr)

9 POINTS

  TRAINED Tally Ho Tactics

 When offered the Crusader III with its power ful 6 pdr gun to replace all of its Valentines, the 6th Armoured Division declined due to the light er armour of the Crusader and its reputation for unreliability. Instead they equipped just one or two troops in each squadron (depending on the regiment) with the Crusader as a gun tank to support their trusty old Valentines.

ARMOUR 

4+

4 2 1

FRONT

5+

SIDE & REAR TOP TO P

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

20”/50CM

24”/60CM

3+

WEAPON

Crusader III (6 pdr) Crusader III (MG)

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVIN MOVING G

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

28”/70CM

2

1

9

4+ 4+

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE, Overworked 

45

We have come into North Africa shoulder to shoulder with our American friends and Allies for one purpose, and one  purpose only — namely, … to cleanse the shores of Africa from the stain of Nazi and Fascist Fascist tyranny, … —British Prime Minister Winston Churchill  78th  ‘Battleaxe’ Division Division was formed in Scotland in May 1942 specifically for Operation orch, the British-American landings in western North Africa. Te division’s three brigades (1 Guards, 11, and 36 Infantry Brigades) were all experienced formations, having fought in France and taken part in the Dunkirk evacuation. Since then they’d been training for an amphibious landing against Germanheld territory.  While the Americans landed in Morocco and Oran, 11 Infantry Brigade (temporarily under command of the US 34th Infantry Division) assaulted Algiers on the north coast of Algeria on 8 November. 36 Infantry Brigade landed shortly afterwards, and once the city was secure, moved east into unisia to seize Bizerte and unis  with the support of Blade Force from the 6th ‘Mailed Fist’  Armoured Division. Tis force advanced on three widely-separated routes. 36 Infantry Brigade’s  was along the northern route through Mateur to Bizerte, while 11 Infantry Brigade took the southern route through Medjez el Bab and ebourba to unis. Blade Force with all of the tanks travelled cross-country between the two. 36 Brigade ran into a German blocking force at Djebel Aboid on 17 November, but lacking tanks and with little artillery, they were unable to break through. 11 Brigade and Blade Force (along with some American M3 Lee tanks assigned as infantry support to both brigades) took longer to reach unisia unisia and concentrated concentr ated around Beja on 24 November.

46

 All three forces began their advance again the next day reaching Djefna and ebourba largely unopposed on 26 November. Te next day the Germans counterattacked  with iger tanks, halting the Allied advance, then pushing it back in bloody fighting. By 10 December, 11 Brigade had been pushed back to Medjez el Bab having suffered heavy casualties. Fortunately at this point 1 (Guards) Brigade (with 3rd  Bn, Grenadier Guards, 2nd  Bn, Coldstream Guards, and 2nd  Bn, Hampshire Regiment) reached the front and, along with the US th 18   Infantry Regiment, relieved the battered 11 Brigade at Medjez Tese fresh units attacked on 22 December, with the Guards taking Longstop Hill before handing the position over to the Americans. Te Germans counterattacked the green  American troops, retaking the hill, so the Guards attacked again the next night taking it back once more. Another German counterattack on Christmas Day then threw the Guards off the hill, and a stalemate settled in for the rest of the year and January 1943. In February 1943, 1 (Guards) Brigade was exchanged for 38 (Irish) Brigade from the 6th  Armoured Division when the 78th Division took over their sector of the front, freeing the 6th  Armoured Division to stop the German attacks at Kasserine Pass. Te division fought several battles to stop German attacks over the month of March, then recaptured Longstop Hill in an epic battle in April, opening the way to unis and the end e nd of the campaign.  With the end of hostilities in North North Africa, the 78th Division participated in the Victory Parade in unis before joining the Eighth Army for the Invasion of Sicily and Italy, where they fought for the rest of the war.

78  ‘BATTLEAXE’ DIVISION TH

5 CORPS, FIRST ARMY, LONGSTOP HILL, APRIL 1943 Major-General Vyvyan Evelegh

11 INFANTRY BRIGADE

36 INFANTRY BRIGADE

38 (IRISH) BRIGADE

2ND BN, LANCASHIRE FUSILIERS

5TH BN, THE BUFFS

2ND BN, LONDON IRISH RIFLES

1ST BN, EAST SURREY REGIMENT

6TH BN, QUEEN’S OWN ROYAL WEST KENT REGIMENT

1ST BN, ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS

5TH BN, NORTHAMPTONSHIRE REGIMENT

8TH BN, ARGYLL AND SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS

6TH BN, ROYAL INNISKILLING FUSILIERS

(p. 56)

DIVISIONAL SUPPORT

NORTH IRISH HORSE (p. 48)

17TH FIELD REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

56TH REGIMENT, RECONNAISSANCE CORPS

1ST BN (MG) KENSINGTON REGIMENT

49TH LIGHT AA REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

132ND (WELSH) FIELD REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

138TH (CITY OF LONDON) FIELD REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

64TH ANTI-TANK REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY

Sergeant O’Hare was thrown hard against the turret bulkhead as the Churchill tank plunged into another hidden depression, crawling along the scraggy blu. His curse rang as loud in the tight connes of the tank as the machine-gun re that fell on them from above. The German defensive position, a fortied strongpoint built into the crest of the slope, was on full alert. Machine-gun and mortar re rained down, the explosions of mortars causing minor rock slides that clattered down around them. To the right, a second Churchill ground to a halt. Tilted at a near impossible angle, its revving spewing dark plumes of smoke from the rear deck as the driver fought against the controls and gravity itself to right the tank and bring it back into the ght. Turning the periscope, O’Hare watched as a section of British infantry ran past the stricken Churchill, diving into cover as more mortar rounds exploded around them. Instantly they began  ring back and keeping the Germans busy. ‘Target the crest’, O’Hare commanded. ‘Keep their heads down! We’re nearly there!’. The tank’s BESA machine-guns rattled, ripping lines along the crest as the Churchill made its last dash to the top. ‘6 pdr, HE – FIRE!’. The bark of the 6 pdr gun was echoed by the explosion that tore apart the machine-gun nest. Debris rained down, this time on the German defenders. The Germans were stunned to see a tank on the blu, the steep, rocky slope should have been more than enough to stop their approach. Shock quickly turned to panic when the rest of the platoon crested the rise, anked by dozens of British infantry. Suddenly, the battle was over as the Germans broke and ran.

47

Te North Irish Horse was formed as a militia regiment in 1903 after the Boer War in South Africa. As an active reserve unit, individual squadrons served as divisional cavalry for the first two years of the First World War, before being grouped together again as corps cavalry, and then converted to a cyclist battalion. Te regiment won eighteen battle honours, including fighting against the major German offensives of 1918. Te North Irish Horse was 'disembodied' after the First World War, being reduced to a handful of officers (by 1934, it was down to a single Major!). In 1939, with the outbreak of the Second World War, the North Irish Horse  was reformed as an armoured car regiment, equipped with old First World War armoured cars. In 1941, the regiment received tanks, and joined 25 Army ank Brigade in 1942. After Christmas leave, the regiment embarked for unisia, arriving in February 1943. Te Churchill tanks of A and B squadrons were rushed to the front to fight in support of the 46 th Division at Hunt's Gap, then when it became available, C Squadron supported another brigade of the 46 th Division at Sedjenane. In both locations, they were instrumental in stopping the German advance and regaining lost ground in a series of attacks over the rest of March and, in conjunction with 38 (Irish) Brigade of the 78th 'Battleaxe' Division, the first half of April. On 23 April, the North Irish Horse supported the 8th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (of the 78th Division's

36 Brigade) in their assault on the western peak of Longstop Hill, a well-fortified position that had been in German hands since December. Having secured that position, they consolidated their hold over the next few days, and assisted 38 (Irish) Brigade to take the higher peaks of the ridge above Longstop Hill. Ten, on 26 April, the North Irish Horse attacked in support of the 5 th  Buffs to take the remaining peak of Longstop Hill. Te unstoppable Churchill tanks advanced along the ridge as well as the lower slopes, destroying machine-gun nests and an 88mm gun. Te terrain was so broken that one Churchill surprised an anti-tank gun at a range of just 10 metres, engaging the gun with its machine-gun before the Germans could open fire. Having opened the way to ebourba, C Squadron of the North Irish Horse joined the 4 th  (Indian) Division for the final offensive, capturing six 88mm guns. Its operations opened a passage for the 7 th 'Desert Rats' Armoured Division,  which pursued the defeated enemy until their surrender. Switching to 1st Division, they assisted their advance through ebourba to capture Djedeida. A Squadron's advance took it even further, reaching the coast at Carthage as German resistance collapsed. Having defeated the Axis forces in unisia, the regiment replaced its worn out tanks, and prepared for its role in the defeat of the Axis on the Italian mainland.

NORTH IRISH HORSE, LONGSTOP HILL 25 ARMY TANK BRIGADE, 22 APRIL1943

REGIMENTAL HQ

Lieutenant-Colonel David Dawnay

4 Churchill tanks

TROOP HQ

SQUADRON HQ

RECCE PATROL 1 TROOP

2 TROOP

3 TROOP

RECCE PATROL

4 TROOP

A SQUADRON 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 roop with  18 Churchill tanks

B SQUADRON 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10 roop with  18 Churchill tanks

C SQUADRON 11, 12, 13, 14, & 15 roop with  18 Churchill tanks

48

5 TROOP RECCE PATROL

RECCE TROOP 10 Carriers

CHURCHILL ARMOURED SQUADRON INFANTRY TANK FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box. HEADQUARTERS

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ MB128

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

INFANTRY

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED TROOP

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED TROOP

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED TROOP

RIFLE PLATOON

MB130

MB130

MB130

MB134

SHERMAN ARMOURED TROOP

SHERMAN ARMOURED TROOP

MB132

MB132

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED TROOP

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED TROOP

MB130

MB130

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

49

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ CHURCHILL III 1x Churchill III (6 pdr) 2x Churchill CS (2 pdr & 3-inch) (MB129)

 • TANK

MOTIVATION

Infantry Tank 

33 POINTS

3x Churchill III (6 pdr) 2x Churchill III (6 pdr) 1x Churchill III (6 pdr)

IS HIT ON

 

CAREFUL

3+

Counterattack 

Protected Ammo

8 7 2

FRONT SIDE &

SKILL

  TRAINED

REAR

4+

22 POINTS

TOP

33 POINTS

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

22 POINTS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

2+

11 POINTS

Te Churchill had been rushed into production in the dark days after the evacuation from Dunkirk. Te early versions were so mechanically unreliable that they were barely usable. Te unisian campaign was supposed to be the Churchill's swan song, both its first and last battle. Instead, by doing everything asked of it and more, the Churchill proved that it had overcome its initial teething troubles and had matured into an outstanding tank. Designed for a refight of the First World War, the tracks of the Churchill I ran along the top of the hull, and it had a 3-inch howitzer in the hull for tackling bunkers as well as a 2 pdr (40mm) anti-tank gun in the turret. Te Churchill III that made up the bulk of the tanks in unisia  was armed more conventionally with a 6 pdr (57mm) gun in the turret and a hull machinegun. Only a few of the original Churchill I tanks  were retained as CS (Close Support) tanks in the company HQ for artillery support.

4+

ARMOUR 

3+

Remount 

1x Churchill III (6 pdr) 1x Churchill CS (2 pdr & 3-inch) (MB129)

FORMATION •

  CONFIDENT 4+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Churchill III (6 pdr)

28”/70CM

2

1

10

4+

Churchill III (MGs)

16”/40CM

4

4

2

6

 

NOTES

CHURCHILL CS  • TANK •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Infantry Tank 

 

CAREFUL

3+

Counterattack 

Protected Ammo

ARMOUR 

3+

Remount 

8 7 2

FRONT SIDE & REAR

SKILL

  TRAINED

4+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

2+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVING

Churchill CS (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

Churchill CS (3-inch)

32”/80CM

or Direct Fire

16”/40CM

1

16”/40CM

3

Churchill CS (MG)

4+

2

1

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

7

4+

2

4+



5

3+

3

2

6

ARTILLERY

 

NOTES

Forward Firing, Smoke Bombardment  Forward Firing, Secondary Weapon, Smoke

CHURCHILL CHURCHILL III FEATURES

CHURCHILL CS FEATURES

GO ANYWHERE:  Te Churchill tank looks rather old

TWO GUNS: Te Churchill CS mounts a 2 pdr anti-tank

fashioned with the tracks running right over the top of the hull. However, its design allows it to go almost anywhere, crossing difficult terrain with ease.

gun in its turret and a 3-inch howitzer in the hull front, giving it a weapon for every occasion.

THICK ARMOUR: Te Churchill is almost invulnerable

howitzer to give the company its own integrated artillery support, useful for blinding or knocking out anti-tank guns.

to most anti-tank guns. Only the massive German '88' and its Italian 90mm equivalent could effectively penetrate it at long range. Its unique construction also makes it hard for artillery or infantry anti-tank grenades to damage it.

INFANTRY TANK: Te crews of the Churchill infantry tank have confidence in their vehicles' survivability, so have few worries about rolling through infantry positions. WELL ARMED:  Te Churchill III mounts the latest long-barrelled 6 pdr, a weapon capable of penetrating any tank in existence, even the dreaded German iger. HE:  Te Churchill tanks have been given priority for supply of the new HE (High Explosive) ammunition for their 6 pdr guns. Tis enables them to engage enemy machine-guns and anti-tank guns more effectively.

50

ARTILLERY:   Te Churchill CS tanks use their 3-inch

SPECIAL RULES SECONDARY WEAPON:  Although each gun has its own gunner, the commander is too busy directing the fire of the 2 pdr gun to assist the hull gunner to locate targets for his 3-inch howitzer. Firing bombardments is even more complex, so the 2 pdr has to cease fire when doing so.

SMOKE: Te Churchill CS is designed to act as dedic ated artillery support, which includes the ability to fire smoke rounds to blind the enemy.

SMOKE BOMBARDMENT:  Laying down a heavy smoke screen can shield the squadron from enemy antitank guns while it manoeuvres to attack.

CHURCHILL III ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Infantry Tank 

33 POINTS

Protected Ammo

Designed to be protected against any anti-tank gun in existence, the Churchill proved nigh on unstoppable in battle, shrugging off hits from German anti-tank guns and climbing terrain the Germans thought impassable to tanks.

8 7 2

FRONT SIDE & REAR

SKILL

  TRAINED

4+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

14”/35CM

2+

WEAPON

4+

ARMOUR 

3+

Remount 

22 POINTS

CAREFUL

3+

Counterattack 

3x Churchill III (6 pdr) 2x Churchill III (6 pdr)

 

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Churchill III (6 pdr)

28”/70CM

2

1

10

4+

Churchill III (MGs)

16”/40CM

4

4

2

6

 

NOTES

KINGFORCE Te Churchill tank first went into action as part of the raid on Dieppe on the French coast in August 1942. Teir performance there was less than spectacular as most of them got stuck on the loose shingle of the beach when leaving their landing craft. wo months later, the Churchill was given an opportunity to redeem itself in the form of Kingforce. Six Churchill tanks were shipped to Egypt at the beginning of October, where they came under the command of Major Norris King. Within three weeks they were prepared for desert service, camouflaged, and ready for action. Attached to the 2nd  Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), an armoured regiment supporting 7 Motor Brigade of the 1 st  Armoured Division, they fought in the Second Battle of El Alamein. On the opening day of the battle, 23 October, when the rest of the force were unable to advance, having lost numerous tanks, Kingforce was brought forward. Under heavy German

fire, the Churchill tanks were unable to restart the advance, losing one tank destroyed (having taken 58 hits, only three of which penetrated!) and another out of action, but claimed several German tanks in return. Rested and repaired, the tanks of Kingforce went back into action several days later. Once again they acquitted themselves well. Tree out of five were put out of action, but quickly repaired, one having taken 30 hits with just a broken track as a result. By the end of the Battle of El Alamein, Kingforce had destroyed five panzers and three anti-tank guns for the loss of one tank. Te Churchill tank had shown that it was ready for battle. It was capable of taking punishment and handing it out in spades. However, with the German and Italian forces in retreat, there was no further role for slow, heavy infantry tanks, and Kingforce was disbanded.

51

In July 1942, the Eighth Army was hanging on by the skin of its teeth, its divisions battered and its armour almost gone. Fortunately, the 8th  Armoured Division had been shipped round the Cape from Britain, arriving in Egypt in  July. Te situation was so desperate that the first arrivals, 23 Armoured Brigade, were sent into battle as soon as they arrived, not  waiting for the rest of the division. Te Axis forces held the vital Ruweisat Ridge, driving a wedge deep into the British position. If Egypt was to be held, the ridge must be recaptured. A previous attack had failed with heavy losses  when the 1st  Armoured Division failed to protect the infantry from marauding German tanks. Another attack was planned, and this time the 23 Armoured Brigade would be in support. It was hoped that these fresh troops  would be more aggressive than the overly cautious veterans of 1st Armoured Division. 23 Armoured Brigade's armoured regiments were all territorial units from Liverpool, and all three took part in the attack. 40th  (Te King's) Battalion, of the Royal ank Regiment (40th (Te King's) RR for short) and 46 th (Liverpool Welsh) RR would support the New Zealanders, while 50 th  RR supported the 9th  Australian Division attacking the other end of the ridge.  At dawn, the New Zealand infantry were on their objectives. Rommel counterattacked and things were looking grim. Te sappers hadn’t cleared gaps in the anti-tank minefields between the tanks and the infantry, and 23 Armoured Brigade, having finally seen the ground they were supposed to cross, were questioning the wisdom of the attack.

Te orders came through; the attack would take place as planned. Te Valentine tanks of 40 th  and 46th  RR would charge to the rescue at top speed! Kicking up clouds of dust, 40th  RR and 46 th  RR charged towards the New Zealand positions a mile and a half away. Within minutes they ran onto the minefields, losing two dozen tanks. Still they charged on, C Squadron, 40th RR in the lead. Soon they came under fire. Seeing only the guns ahead, the green crews valiantly sought to close the range and engage. Lacking high explosive ammunition for their 2 pounder guns, the tankers had no choice but to drive right amongst the German guns and machine-gun them.  Within 2 hours, both battalions had ceased to exist as fighting forces. Normally, after such a bloody start, the brigade would have been disbanded and used as replacements for othe r units. Instead, 23 Armoured Brigade quickly repaired its damaged tanks and retrained in infantry-support tactics. Within two  weeks, they were again ready for battle, now sporting a new 'Liverbird' as their logo. Revitalised, and much wiser, 23 Armoured Brigade won glory in the Second Battle of El Alamein, where 40 th  RR supported the 9th  Australian Division in their epic fighting around el El Eisa, taking every objective assigned the division and defeating intense counterattacks on their positions. 40th RR led the pursuit of the beaten Axis forces, earning the nickname 'Monty’s Foxhounds' by being at the forefront of the chase right across North Africa, before attacking the Mareth Line and Wadi Akarit in support of the 51st (Highland) Division, and then fighting at Enfidaville.

INFANTRY TANKS: ON THE TABLE Te British fielded three different models of Valentine tank, as well as the Churchill infantry tank. Te key differences are highlighted below to help you pick the right tank for the job.

VALENTINE II    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Other:

6 24"/60cm 7 4+ No HE Overworked

(+1 o Hit for Moving ROF)

52

VALENTINE VIII    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Other:

6 28"/70cm 10 4+ No HE, No MG Overworked

(+1 o Hit for Moving ROF)

VALENTINE ARMOURED SQUADRON INFANTRY TANK FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box. HEADQUARTERS

VALENTINE II ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ MB125

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

ARMOUR

VALENTINE ARMOURED TROOP

VALENTINE ARMOURED TROOP

VALENTINE ARMOURED TROOP

VALENTINE ARMOURED TROOP

MB126 OR MB127

MB126 OR MB127

MB126 OR MB127

MB126 OR MB127

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

Helmets and slouch hats poked out of slit trenches on the rim of the depression. One of the Australians turned, and with a laconic wave of his arm, indicated where the enemy were advancing. Lieutenant Burgoyne guided his driver forward into a hull-down position, while the rest of his troop came up into line abreast. Shots began to be exchanged as the shimmering images of the German tanks started to resolve into menacing dark shapes. Burgoyne's gunner immobilized a Panzer III, then with Burgoyne loading as fast as he could, pounded it until it burst into ame and thick, black smoke s pewed into the bright blue sky. As smoke, haze, and dust obscured the battleeld, Burgoyne led his tanks to the ank, looking for a better angle on the well-armoured panzers, bringing the combatants into a deadly close-range ght. Turrets traversed right, they exchanged re, AP rounds skipping o the stony desert oor. A big Mark IV crested a small rise, its turret pointed away but beginning to rotate towards him. Burgoyne's gunner red, the shot ashing on the enemy turret, just as the gun aligned. Burgoyne tensed—expecting the killing shot from the Mark IV — when the panzer exploded, showering the desert with scrap, leaving a burning hulk behind.

VALENTINE III    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Other:

6 24"/60cm 7 4+ No HE, Tally Ho Death or Glory

CHURCHILL III    

Front Armour: Weapon Range: Anti-tank: Firepower: Other:

8 28"/70cm 10 4+ HE, Protected Ammo Infantry Tank

53

VALENTINE II ARMOURED SQUADRON HQ  • TANK FORMATION •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

 

  CONFIDENT 4+

CAREFUL

SKILL

3x Valentine II (2 pdr)

11 POINTS

Te 'Liverbird' brigade was trained as a dashing armoured brigade, charging the enemy, heedless of danger. Tey quickly learned that the enemy was less forgiving than the umpires during training back in England. Tey rebuilt themselves as an infantry-support formation, gaining a reputation for skill and determination in their new role.

  TRAINED

4+

ARMOUR 

4+

6 6 1

FRONT SIDE & REAR TOP

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

16”/40CM

3+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF   ANTIFIREHALTED MOVING TANK POWER 

Valentine II (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Valentine II (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE, Overworked 

VALENTINES VALENTINE II FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

2 PDR GUN: Te light 2 pdr gun enables the Valentine to

OVERWORKED:  Te small turret of the Valentine II

be keep it's size down, allowing it to mount thick armour.

and the big 6 pdr gun of the Valentine VIII forces the commander to also act as the loader, when he should be using every spare moment to observe the tank's surroundings and make crucial tactical decisions. Tis makes it harder for the crew to fight at top efficiency while on the move. NO HE:  Te 2 pdr and 6 pdr guns mounted by the Valentine only have armour-piercing shells. Tis severely limits its use against infantry and unarmoured targets, as the solid steel shot will only inflict serious damage with a direct hit to a vital area.

THICK ARMOUR: For a small 17-ton tank, the Valentine is well armoured, being better protected than the 23-ton Panzer III and the 30-ton Sherman.

VALENTINE VIII FEATURES 6 PDR GUN: Te new long-barrelled 6 pdr gun was first mounted on the Valentine, giving it a dangerous punch. Te gun can knock out any tank in existence, but comes at the cost of the tank's machine-gun. THINNER ARMOUR:  o keep weight down, the side armour was reduced when the turret was increased in size.

54

VALENTINE ARMOURED TROOP OPTIONS  You can field either a Valentine II Armoured roop with only 2 pdr-armed Valentine II tanks, or a mixed roop with both Valentine II tanks and 6 pdr-armed Valentine VIII tanks.

VALENTINE II ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

 

  CONFIDENT 4+

CAREFUL

SKILL

3x Valentine II (2 pdr)

11 POINTS

Te Valentine was designed as a cheaper alternative to the old Matilda infantry tank. Weighing in at just 17 tonnes, it was faster and almost as heavily armoured, though it retained the same light 2 pdr gun. Its biggest improvement was its mechanical reliability. Te Valentines of 23 Armoured Brigade crossed North Africa on their own tracks, fighting all the way.

  TRAINED

4+

ARMOUR 

4+

6 6 1

FRONT SIDE & REAR TOP

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

16”/40CM

3+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Valentine II (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Valentine II (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE, Overworked 

VALENTINE II & VIII ARMOURED TROOP  • TANK UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

 

  CONFIDENT 4+

2x Valentine II (2 pdr) 1x Valentine VIII (6 pdr)

CAREFUL ARMOUR 

SKILL

13 POINTS

  TRAINED

4+

6 5 6 1

FRONT 6 PDR

SIDE & REAR

Te early models of the Valentine had a small, two-man turret that required the overworked commander to act as the loader as well as doing their own job. Te Valentine VIII had a larger turret, but crammed a big long-barrelled 6 pdr gun into it, requiring the removal of the co-axial machine-gun despite the larger size. Tese were shared out as they arrived to give each troop greater anti-tank capability.

4+

2 PDR

SIDE & REAR

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

16”/40CM

3+

WEAPON

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Valentine II (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Valentine II (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

Valentine VIII (6 pdr)

28”/70CM

2

1

10

4+

 

NOTES

No HE, Overworked 

No HE, Overworked 

55

Te Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise's) regiment was created in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 91st  (Argyllshire Highlanders) and 93 rd  (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiments of Foot. Both regiments had been raised to fight in the Napoleonic Wars, and had served across the globe, fighting in Europe, Africa, India, and the  Americas. Te 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment won fame as the 'Tin Red Line' at Sevastopol in the Crimea,  where they faced down a Russian cavalry charge. Eleven battalions of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders fought in the First World War, winning 68 battle honours in France, Italy, Greece, and urkey. Te Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders sent six battalions into battle in the Second World War, with four of these fighting in France in 1940, one in Crete and North Africa, and one fighting in as the rearguard in the retreat through Malaya in 1942. Te 7th  and 8th  Battalions fought with the 51 st  (Highland) Division and were mauled defending the line of the Somme River with the French Army in 1940, before being withdrawn to Britain and then sent to North Africa in 1942. Te 7th  Battalion remained with the Highland Division and fought with the Eight Army at El Alamein, while the 8th Battalion joined the 78 th 'Battleaxe' Division in the First  Army in unisia.

Te 8th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders forme d the reserve for the landings at Algiers in Operation orch on 8 November 1942, then sailed for Bougie, 225km (140 miles) to the east. From there they set out on 11 November for unis 575km (360 miles) further east, reaching Djebel  Aboid a week later on 18 November. Tere the advance was halted by German paratroopers supported by tanks.  When they set out again on 26 November, now supported by  American tanks, they found that the Germans had retired. Tree days later, they were ambushed as they moved forward along the road through the hills near Sedjenane. Unable to advance further, their wrecked Universal Carriers in No Man's Land became a grim symbol of the ensuing stalemate.  After a wet and muddy winter spent patrolling, the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders spent the first half of April 1943 pushing the Germans back from Beja to Medjez el Bab. Ten, on 22 April, they launched an attack on Longstop Hill, the main defensive position blocking the route to ebourba and unis. Supported by the Churchill tanks of the North Irish Horse, they attacked with considerable gallantry, and despite heavy casualties from mortar and machine-gun fire, took the peak, earning a Victoria Cross in the process. Having opened the way to unis and victory in North  Africa, the Highlanders went on to fight their way up the Italian Peninsula, ending the war in Austria.

8TH BATTALION, ARGYLL & SUTHERLAND HIGHLANDERS LONGSTOP HILL, 36 INFANTRY BRIGADE, 78  'BATTLEAXE' DIVISION, 22 APRIL 1943 TH

REGIMENT HQ

RIFLE COMPANY HQ

3x Bren Guns 1x Boys anti-tank Rifle 1x 2" Mortar  7. RIFLE PLATOON

COMPANY HQ

3x Bren Guns 1x Boys anti-tank Rifle 1x 2" Mortar  8. RIFLE PLATOON

6x 3-inch mortars

4x 6-pdr anti-tank guns

3. MORTAR PLATOON

5. ANTI-TANK PLATOON

13x Universal carriers 13x Bren Guns & Boys Anti-tank Rifles

3x Bren Guns 1x Boys anti-tank Rifle 1x 2" Mortar 

4. CARRIER PL ATOON

9. RIFLE PL ATOON

S COMPANY

A COMPANY �7, 8, & 9 platoon) B COMPANY �10, 11, & 12 platoon) C COMPANY �13, 14, & 15 platoon)

Te battalion headquarters and support company also contained 1. Signals, 2. Admin, and 6. Pioneer platoons.

D COMPANY �16, 17, & 18 platoon)

Princess Louise's Kensington Regiment provided machine-gun support as needed.

56

 Additional anti-tank guns could also be attached from 64 th  Anti-tank Regiment if required.

4x Vickers MMG'S

4x Vickers MMG'S

4x 6-pdr anti-tank guns

MACHINE-GUN PLATOON

MACHINE-GUN PLATOON

ANTI-TANK PLATOON

RIFLE COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box. HEADQUARTERS

RIFLE COMPANY HQ MB133

INFANTRY

INFANTRY

INFANTRY

RIFLE PLATOON

RIFLE PLATOON

RIFLE PLATOON

MB134

MB134

MB134

ARTILLERY

ANTI-TANK

ANTI-TANK

3-INCH MORTAR PLATOON

6 PDR ANTI-TANK PLATOON

6 PDR ANTI-TANK PLATOON

MB135

MB110

MB110

INFANTRY

INFANTRY

VICKERS MMG PLATOON

VICKERS MMG PLATOON

MB112

MB112

RECON

RECON

RECON

RECON

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

MB113

MB113

MB113

MB113

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

57

RIFLE COMPANY HQ  • INFANTRY FORMATION • NIGHT ATTACK •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

2x SMLE rifle team

Bulldog

Counterattack 

2 POINTS

 

3+

CAREFUL SAVE

SKILL

Te rifle companies are the heart and soul of a rifle battalion. Tey are the ones who must clamber out of their fox holes, fix bayonets, and assault the enemy defences. Tey are the ones  who must endure artillery bombardments, then be ready to repulse enemy attacks.

  TRAINED Deadly 

 Assault 

4+

4+

Infantry 

3+

3+

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

8”/20CM

12”/30CM

12”/30CM

AUTO

RANGE

WEAPON

SMLE rifle team

16”/40CM

ROF HALTED MOVING

1

1

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

2

6

 

NOTES

Slow Firing

NIGHT ATTACKS PREPARED ATTACK:  Attacking across open desert in

CONSOLIDATE AT DAWN: One problem with attack-

broad daylight is a risky proposition. Attacking at night allows the riflemen to cross the open ground before coming under effective fire. If the enemy defensive position is protected by minefields, your rifle companies can choose to attack at night. Shooting at night is less deadly (see page 113 of the rulebook), so they suffer fewer casualties as they close with the enemy and assault.

ing at night is that tanks and other supporting troops aren't trained to operate at night, so must wait until dawn before they can advance and assist the riflemen. If the objective has been taken, they will help the riflemen fight off counterattacks and consolidate their position. If not, an attack by armour can help get the advance moving again, using combined arms to finish the job.

Artillery re rained down all along the ridge of Longstop Hill. ‘Keep going lads!', Colonel McNabb encouraged his Highlanders, swishing aside stalks of corn as they pushed through a eld near the base of the rise. ‘Nearly there!’. The Argylls slogged on under the umbrella of artillery re throwing up explosion after explosion in a deadly wall ahead of them. As the artillery lifted ahead of the Highlanders, machine-gun re began to pour down from the ridge once again, cutting into the corneld. Mortar shells exploded, throwing men and dirt in a ll directions. Some rose to ght on. Some, like McNabb, fell never to move again. Seeing their commanding ocer fall, the Highlanders took cover and started shooting back. Wave after wave of heavy re criss-crossed between the two lines with neither side gaining an advantage. The attack had stalled. Explosions and machine-gun re created a great wall of smoke and dust that drifted down the slope, obscuring the combatants. Screams lled the air, cut o by the staccato bursts of machine-guns. ‘We can’t stay here forever', Major Anderson shouted to his sergeant. ‘We’ll be cut to pieces!’. Climbing to his feet amidst the storm of bullets, he led the way forward. The Argylls followed, pushing into the wall of re. Bren teams emptied magazine after magazine covering the advance, keeping the defender's heads down while the riemen advanced. Dashing forward from cover to cover, the Highlanders rushed up towards the enemy machine gun nests. The Germans strafed the onrushing men, but as men fell to the deadly re, more came on, tossing grenades amongst the German positions. The attack was back on, and the Highlanders had regained the momentum.

58

RIFLE PLATOON  • INFANTRY UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

7x Bren Gun & SMLE rifle team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle   11 POINTS 1x 2-inch mortar

Bulldog

Counterattack 

 

3+

CAREFUL SAVE

SKILL

  TRAINED Deadly 

4+

Infantry 

3+

3+

5x Bren Gun & SMLE rifle team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle 8 POINTS 1x 2-inch mortar

 Assault 

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

Te Unit Leader is one of the Bren Gun & SMLE rifle teams, and is mounted on a small base (see page 76).

8”/20CM

8”/20CM

12”/30CM

12”/30CM

AUTO

Te riflemen of the British Army have a reputation for making deadly use of their bayonets to take the fight to the enemy, then refusing to give up their gains when counterattacked. Teir long exposure to the rigours of desert  warfare has toughened them, and taught them

4+

RANGE

WEAPON

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Bren Gun & SMLE rifle team

16”/40CM

2

1

2

6

Boys anti-tank rifle

20”/50CM

1

1

4

5+

 Assault 4+, Slow Firing

2-inch mortar

16”/40CM

1

1

2

4+

 Assault 4+, Overhead Fire, Slow Firing, Smoke

how to fight and win. Teir tactics aren't subtle, they prefer to attack behind a heavy artillery barrage supported by infantry tanks, but they are effective.

RIFLE COMPANY WEAPONS SMLE RIFLE:  Most riflemen are armed with the .303-calibre Short Magazine Lee–Enfield (SMLE, aka. ‘Smelly’), a reliable and accurate weapon, although relatively slow firing.

BREN GUN:  Te rifle platoon's main firepower comes from its three accurate and reliable .303-calibre Bren light machine-guns. Each rifleman carries four spare magazines for his section's Bren in two chest pouches on his webbing gear. Using the Bren Gun as a base of fire, t hey manoeuvre closer to the enemy, then use their rifle fire to cover the Bren Gun as it advances.

BOYS ANTI-TANK RIFLE: Te slow-firing .55-calibre bolt-action Boys anti-tank rifle is too cumbersome to use easily on the move. It is best fired prone, using its bipod.

2-INCH MORTAR:  Te SBML (smooth-bore muzzleloading) 2-inch mortar conducts overhead fire, throwing a 1kg (2lb) high-explosive bomb in an arcing trajectory, down onto the heads of the enemy, making it excellent at knocking out dug-in enemy troops. It can also fire rounds that use white phosphorous or titanium tetrachloride to produce dense, white smoke to block the enemy's vision. It must be fired from a firm position on the ground, so is slow firing.

ASSAULT 4+:  Te crews of the 2-inch mortar and the Boys anti-tank rifle are not as well equipped as the riflemen for hand-to-hand combat, so they hit on a score of 4+ rather than 3+ in assaults.

3-INCH MORTAR PLATOON  • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

 

  CONFIDENT 4+

6x 3-inch mortar 4x 3-inch mortar 2x 3-inch mortar

9 POINTS 6 POINTS

SKILL

  TRAINED Heavy Weapon  Assault 

CAREFUL

4+

SAVE

4+ 5+

Infantry 

3+

3 POINTS

Te 3-inch mortars of the battalion's mortar platoon give them immediate artillery support. Te mortars are excellent for softening up the enemy before an assault and for knocking out enemy machine-gun nests.

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

4”/10CM

4”/10CM

6”/15CM

8”/20CM

3+

WEAPON

3-inch mortar

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

32”/80CM

ARTILLERY

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

1

4+

 

NOTES

Smoke Bombardment 

3-INCH MORTAR FEATURES ARTILLERY:  Mortar bombs fly in a high-arcing tr ajectory,

SMOKE BOMBARDMENT:  When the enemy cannot

soaring over friendly troops and intervening terrain, to drop down onto the target from above. Unlike most other infantry weapons, they cannot conduct direct fire.

see you, they cannot hurt you. Where there is no terrain features to conceal your movements, laying down a dense, blinding smokescreen is the next best thing.

59

6 PDR ANTI-TANK PLATOON  • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD •

MOTIVATION

  FEARLESS

4x 6 pdr gun 3x 6 pdr gun 2x 6 pdr gun

12 POINTS 9 POINTS

IS HIT ON

 

3+

SKILL

4+

SAVE

VETERAN

3+

Gun

4+

 Assault 

CAREFUL

3+

Gun

6 POINTS

Te Quick-Firing 6-pounder is a 57mm antitank gun which made its combat debut in the Gazala battles in May and June 1942. Dug-in and firing at point blank range, these guns are deadly to enemy tanks.

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

2”/5CM

2”/5CM

4”/10CM

4”/10CM

5+

RANGE

WEAPON

6 pdr gun

28”/70CM

ROF HALTED MOVING

2

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

1

9

4+

 

NOTES

Forward Firing, No HE 

6 POUNDER FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

ARMOUR PENETRATION:  Te 6 pdr's high-velocity

FORWARD FIRING: Te trail does not allow the 6 pdr

solid armour-piercing rounds can punch through the armour of all but the heaviest German panzers. GUN SHIELD: Te best defence is to wait in concealment until the perfect time to fire, the bulletproof gun shield gives the gun crew some  welcome protection though.

gun to traverse quickly to track targets moving to its sides, so it can only fire at targets to its front.

NO HE:  Although a high-explosive shell has been designed for the 6 pdr, Britain's limited production resources are being concentrated on crucial armourpiercing rounds, and the limited supply of HE is reserved for the Churchill tanks.

VICKERS MMG PLATOON  • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Bulldog

4x Vickers MMG team 2x Vickers MMG team

4 POINTS 2 POINTS

Counterattack 

3+

CAREFUL

 Assault 

4+

SAVE

SKILL

  TRAINED Heavy Weapon

Te divisional machine-gun battalion provided specialist support to the rifle companies as needed. Te Vickers medium machine-guns pin the enemy down while the rifle platoons manoeuvre for the knock-out blow. On the defensive, no enemy infantry can approach the Vickers without weathering a storm of lead.

 

Infantry 

4+

3+

5+

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

8”/20CM

12”/30CM

12”/30CM

AUTO

WEAPON

RANGE

Vickers MMG team Firing Bombardment

24”/60CM 48”/120CM

ROF HALTED MOVING

6

2

ARTILLERY

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

2

6

1

6

 

NOTES

VICKERS MMG FEATURES

60

HIGH RATE OF FIRE:   Te belt-fed, water-cooled

ARTILLERY:   When the Vickers was first used in the

Vickers gun is an extremely reliable weapon, able to fire continuously for hours without jamming. Firing up to 500 rounds per minute, the hail of lead it throws out makes frontal assaults a deadly proposition for any unarmoured enemy.

First World War, machine-gunners devised a technique of firing high-angle barrages of long-range indirect fire against enemy positions up to several miles away. Te bullets strike the area without warning, a silent killer for any infantry unprotected in the open.

UNIVERSAL CARRIER Crew (3): Weight:  Length: Width: Height: Weapons: Armour: Speed: Engine:

Tis versatile little vehicle could be found anywhere the rifle battalions went, scouting ahead of the infantry or delivering highly mobile machine-gun support wherever it was needed.

Commander, gunner, driver 3.2 tonnes 3.65m (12’ 0") 2.06m (6' 9") 1.57m (5' 2") .303 Bren light MG 4-10mm 48 km/h (30 mph) Ford V8 60 kW (80 hp)

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL  • TANK UNIT • SCOUT • SPEARHEAD •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

3x Universal Carriers

Scout 

2 POINTS

Counterattack 

Scout  Last Stand 

OPTIONS

 

6

Te versatile Universal Carrier is commonly called a Bren Gun Carrier, which was the first variant developed, even though it has since evolved into a more general-purpose vehicle. Its usual jobs are scouting No Man's Land to reconnoitre enemy positions and protecting the company's flanks as a mobile reserve.

  TRAINED Scout 

 Assault 

4+

ARMOUR 

5+

1 0 0

FRONT SIDE & REAR

SKILL

• Arm any or all Universal Carriers with a Boys A rifle for +1 point for the Unit.

CAREFUL

4+

TOP

5+

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

20”/50CM

24”/60CM

4+

WEAPON

RANGE

ROF HALTED

MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Carrier (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

Optional Carrier (Boys AT rifle)

20”/50CM

1

1

4

5+

 

NOTES

Forward Firing Forward Firing, Slow Firing

UNIVERSAL CARRIER FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

ARMOURED CARRIER:  Te scout platoon's carriers

SCOUT: Small and quick, with a low profile, the Universal

give them the mobility they need to roam far out into No-Man's-Land, and their humble armour protection is hopefully enough to let them survive contact with the enemy and report back.

Carrier is well suited to the task of reconnaissance, sneaking forward to observe the enemy, then speeding away if spotted.

OPEN SCOUT:  Te Universal Carrier is meant for

date reports on enemy movements, the scout platoon lets the combat elements know exactly how far they can advance before meeting the first line of enemy defences.

reconnaissance and transport, not to be used as an assault vehicle. It is not built for up-close engagements. Its unprotected top makes a tempting target for a hand grenade or spray of submachine-gun fire.

SPEARHEAD: By scouting ahead and providing up-to-

61

Te Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own) is descended from the famous 95th  Rifles of the Napoleonic Wars, who wore dark green jackets in place of the traditional red coat, and  were armed with the accurate Baker rifle instead of smoothbore muskets. Tis tradition of marksmanship and lightinfantry tactics continued into the 20 th Century. Te 1st Battalion of the Rifle Brigade (abbreviated 1RB) was one of several battalions of the Rifle Brigade that served with distinction in the North African Campaign. Te 1st Battalion began the war as part of the BEF, the British Expeditionary Force, in the defence of France, where it was hastily thrown into action in the defence of Calais. Te battalion was eventually overwhelmed and captured, but only after a brave stand which held up the German ar moured attack for four days, delaying the advance on Dunkirk and helping to save the British Expeditionary Force. Te 1 st Battalion was reformed in the United Kingdom and sailed to North Africa as part of 2 Armoured Brigade of the 1st Armoured Division. Tere it took part in the defence of the Gazala line before joining the retreat to the defe nsive line at El Alamein.  At the end of June 1942, as the Eighth Army was reorganised to defend the El Alamein line, 1 st Battalion was transferred to the 7th  Armoured Division, as 22 Armoured Brigade's motor battalion. Tey would remain with the 'Desert Rats' for the rest of the war.

In the Battle of Alam El Halfa, 22 Armoured Brigade were placed in a defensive line along the southern and eastern slopes of the Alam El Halfa ridge. A major part of the line  was flat, unbroken ground—unsuitable for the Grants,  with their high profile and hull-mounted gun, but perfect for dug-in and concealed 6-pounder guns. In the first day of fighting, the 1st  Battalion's anti-tank platoon claimed 19 enemy tanks destroyed. One gun acc ounted for five tanks on its own. After night fell, the motor platoons sent out patrols to destroy immobilised tanks to prevent the enemy from recovering them. Te 1st Battalion stayed with 22 Armoured Brigade for the Second Battle of El Alamein and the unisia Campaign until May 1943, when the Axis was finally defeated in Africa. Te 1st  Battalion was not the only battalion of the Rifle Brigade to fight in North Africa. 2 nd  and 7th  Battalions  were with 7 Motor Brigade during the ‘crumbling’ phase of Operation Lightfoot. 2 nd  Battalion seized an objective codenamed ‘Outpost Snipe’ and held it for two days, despite intense bombardment and determined Axis armoured attacks. Tey destroyed over 50 armoured vehicles with their anti-tank guns and halted a major Axis counterattack. 2nd  Battalion's Colonel, Victor urner, was awarded the Victoria Cross for the action after he fought on despite a head wound, manning a solitary 6 pdr with two other men and destroying several tanks at point-blank range.

1 22 BATTALION, THE RIFLE BRIGADE ARMOURED BRIGADE, 7  ARMOURED DIVISION, OCTOBER 1942 ST

TH

REGIMENT HQ

2x 3" Mortars MOTOR2xCOMPANY 3" MortarsHQ MOTOR2xCOMPANY 3" MortarsHQ

COMPANY HQ

MOTOR COMPANY HQ 3x Bren Guns 1x Boys anti-tank Rifle 3x Bren Guns 1x 2" Mortar  1x Boys anti-tank Rifle 3x Bren Guns MOTOR PLATOON 1x 2" Mortar  1x Boys anti-tank Rifle MOTOR PLATOON 1x 2" Mortar 

3x Bren Guns 1x Boys anti-tank Rifle 3x Bren Guns 1x 2" Mortar  1x Boys anti-tank Rifle 3x Bren Guns MOTOR PLATOON 1x 2" Mortar  1x Boys anti-tank Rifle MOTOR PLATOON 1x 2" Mortar 

MOTOR PLATOON

MOTOR PLATOON

4x Vickers MMG'S

11x Universal carriers 11x Bren Guns MACHINE-GUN PLATOON 4x Vickers MMG'S 11x Universal carriers 11x Boys Anti-tank Rifles 11x Bren Guns MACHINE-GUN PLATOON 4x Vickers MMG'S 11x Universal carriers SCOUT 11x Boys PLATOON Anti-tank Rifles 11x Bren Guns MACHINE-GUN PLATOON SCOUT PLATOON A COMPANY 11x Boys Anti-tank Rifles

C COMPANY

4x 6-pdr anti-tank guns

4x 6-pdr anti-tank guns

ANTI-TANK PLATOON

ANTI-TANK PLATOON

4x 6-pdr anti-tank guns

4x 6-pdr anti-tank guns

ANTI-TANK PLATOON

ANTI-TANK PLATOON

S COMPANY

SCOUT PLATOON

I COMPANY

Unlike the other battalions of the Rifle Brigade which used the usual A, B C and S (Support) company designations, 1RB consisted of A, C, I and S (Support) Companies. One platoon of four anti-tank guns was usually attached to each motor company, with the fourth assigned where it was most needed. Further anti-tank guns could also be attached from the divisional Support Group if required.

62

MOTOR COMPANY INFANTRY FORMATION

You must eld the Formation HQ and one Combat Unit from each black box. You may also eld one Combat Unit from each grey box. HEADQUARTERS

MOTOR COMPANY HQ MB108

INFANTRY

INFANTRY

ARTILLERY

MOTOR PLATOON

VICKERS MMG PLATOON

3-INCH MORTAR SECTION

MB109

MB112

MB111

ANTI-TANK

ANTI-TANK

6 PDR ANTI-TANK PLATOON

6 PDR ANTI-TANK PLATOON

MB110

MB110

MOTOR PLATOON MB109

RECON

RECON

RECON

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

UNIVERSAL CARRIER PATROL

MB113

MB113

MB113

You may eld a Combat Unit from a black box as a Support Unit for another Formation.

63

MOTOR COMPANY HQ  • INFANTRY FORMATION •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

2x SMLE rifle team

Bulldog

2 POINTS

Counterattack 

 

3+

CAREFUL SAVE

SKILL

In the fast-moving environment of the desert  war, it is the tanks that usually get all the glory. But the hard work still belongs to the PBI, the ‘Poor Bloody Infantry’. For such a small unit, a motor company has plenty of firepower at its disposal. Teir machine-guns, anti-tank guns, and mortars can deal with almost any opposition.

  TRAINED Deadly 

 Assault 

4+

4+

Infantry 

3+

3+

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

8”/20CM

12”/30CM

12”/30CM

AUTO

RANGE

WEAPON

SMLE rifle team

16”/40CM

ROF HALTED MOVING

1

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

1

2

6

 

NOTES

Slow Firing

MOTOR PLATOON  • INFANTRY UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

4x Bren Gun team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle 1x 2-inch mortar 3x Bren Gun team 1x Boys anti-tank rifle 1x 2-inch mortar

Bulldog Counterattack 

 

3+

CAREFUL SAVE

SKILL

8 POINTS

  TRAINED Deadly   Assault 

7 POINTS

Te Unit Leader is one of the Bren Gun teams, and is mounted on a small base (see page 76).

Motor platoons spend most of their time forming a safe base for the armour to operate from. On the attack, though, it will be the job of the riflemen to carve a path for the tanks through the enemy defences.

4+

4+

Infantry 

3+

3+

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

8”/20CM

12”/30CM

12”/30CM

AUTO

WEAPON

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

 

NOTES

Bren Gun team

16”/40CM

3

2

2

6

Boys anti-tank rifle

20”/50CM

1

1

4

5+

 Assault 4+, Slow Firing

2-inch mortar

16”/40CM

1

1

2

4+

 Assault 4+, Overhead Fire, Slow Firing, Smoke

3-INCH MORTAR SECTION  • INFANTRY UNIT • HEAVY WEAPON •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

 

  CONFIDENT 4+

2x 3-inch mortar

3 POINTS

SKILL

  TRAINED Heavy Weapon

Each motor company has a section of two 3-inch mortars for close support. Tey fire a 5kg (10lb) high-explosive bomb which can knock out enemy gun positions or break up attacking infantry units. While not as deadly as its big-barrelled Royal Artillery counterparts, the 3-inch mortar is a more portable alternative.

64

 Assault 

CAREFUL SAVE

4+ 5+

Infantry 

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

4”/10CM

4”/10CM

6”/15CM

8”/20CM

3+

WEAPON

3-inch mortar

4+

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

32”/80CM

ARTILLERY

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

1

4+

 

NOTES

Smoke Bombardment 

3+

The roar of aircraft droning overhead to bomb the enemy was drowned out by the thunder of hundreds of guns opening re at once. The gun ashes on the horizon ickered like lightning as their salvoes rumbled overhead before plunging into the enemy positions, raising great plumes of smoke and sand, burying the enemy in an endless stream of explosions. 'Right lads, up and at 'em', the lieutenant shouted, barely heard above the tumult. A long line of riemen rose from the sand, bayonets glinting in the hot sun as the tracks of the advancing tanks kicked up clouds of dust ahead of them. The new chaps looked around nervously as they walked, encouraged by the jokes and jibes of the old hands. Surely nothing could withstand repower of this magnitude — they hoped.

HURRICANE TANK-BUSTING FLIGHT  • AIRCRAFT UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  AIRCRAFT

  CONFIDENT 4+

2x Hurricane

9 POINTS

SKILL

  TRAINED

SAVE

4+  Aircraft 

Based on the Royal Air Force's most numerous single-seat fighter, the Hawker Hurricane IID tank buster is nicknamed the ‘Flying Can Opener’. A Vickers S gun beneath each wing fires 40mm armour-piercing ammunition, with machine-guns firing tracer rounds to aid with sighting, making them accurate and deadly.

5+

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

UNLIMITED RANGE

WEAPON

Hurricane (Vickers S gun)

8”/20CM

AUTO

ROF HALTED MOVING



3+

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

2

7

 

NOTES

4+

KITTYHAWK FIGHTER-BOMBER FLIGHT  • AIRCRAFT UNIT •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  AIRCRAFT

  CONFIDENT 4+

2x Kittyhawk 

7 POINTS

SKILL

  TRAINED

SAVE

4+  Aircraft 

In British service, the lend-lease American P-40 fighter was known as the 'Kittyhawk'. Te Desert Air Force used their Kittyhawks as effective fighter-bombers, diving on their targets, dropping 500 lb bombs with deadly precision. Should the opportunity present itself, their six .50 cal machine-guns were deadly when strafing troops caught in the open.

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

AUTO

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

500 lb bombs

6”/15CM

ARTILLERY

.50 cal MGs

8”/20CM



3+

CROSS

UNLIMITED WEAPON

5+

3

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

3

2+

5

5+

 

NOTES

Bombs

65

PRIEST FIELD TROOP  • TANK UNIT • MIKE TARGET •

MOTIVATION

  FEARLESS SP Gun

20 POINTS 10 POINTS

CAREFUL

3 1 0

FRONT

3+

SP Gun

SIDE & REAR

5+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

12”/30CM

18”/45CM

20”/50CM

3+

RANGE

WEAPON

or Direct Fire Priest (.50 cal MG)

ROF   ANTIFIREHALTED MOVING TANK POWER 

 

NOTES

24”/60CM

1

1

9

2+

Forward Firing, Smoke Bombardment  Brutal, Forward Firing, Slow Firing, Smoke

20”/50CM

3

2

4

5+

Self-defence AA

72”/180CM

Priest (105mm)

4+

ARMOUR 

SKILL

  VETERAN  Assault 

Te American M7 self-propelled 105mm howitzer gained the nickname 'Priest' in British service from the pulpit-like machine-gun mounting. Built on the chassis of the Grant tank, the Priest gave the armoured divisions a mobile artillery piece able to keep up with its tanks during cross-country moves.

 

5+

Counterattack 

4x Priest (105mm) 2x Priest (105mm)

IS HIT ON

3+

ARTILLERY

3

3+

PRIEST FEATURES

SPECIAL RULES

ARMOURED PROTECTION: Te armoured super-

BRUTAL:  A single direct hit from one of the 105mm

structure of the Priest protects the crew from shrapnel and small-arms fire, but with its open top, they would be wise to avoid close assaults. MOBILITY: Based on the Grant chassis, the Priest is fully tracked, enabling it to go wherever the tanks go.

high-explosive shells is generally enough to annihilate an unprotected target. Infantry and guns hit in Direct Fire must re-roll their saves.

SELF-DEFENCE AA:  Te pulpit-like appearance of mounting ring for the anti-aircraft .50-cal machine-gun is  what inspired the nickname ‘Priest’.

FORWARD FIRING: Te gun is not designed to rotate quickly to follow fast-moving targets, and can only fire at targets to the vehicle's front.

SLOW FIRING: Te 105mm howitzer fires large, heavy shells, making it cumbersome to fire on the move.

B Troop's Gun Position Ocer bent over a portable table, marking targets and calculating ranges. Signaller Little knelt beside him, engaged in a steady monotone conversation with other radio operators on the net. As soon as the rst re mission was ready, bearing and elevation were passed to the guns. The din of war commenced as the guns red, crashing back in their cradles, breeches ying open to eject spent propellant cartridges. The gunners worked in a steady rhythm, ramming home shells and cartridges. Far down range, explosions began to fountain on the desert oor. German infantry of the 90 th  Light Africa Division were engulfed in shrapnel and rock splinters as high-explosive rounds detonated all around them, taking a terrible toll on the exposed soldiers. Further to the west, 7 Motor Brigade spotted a patrol of eight-wheeled German armoured cars trying to sweep around their ank, prompting a new re mission. Back at the battery, the gun layers heaved up the tail end of the carriages, smoothly rotating the guns on the ring platforms. The new ring solution came in and within moments the guns resumed. Soon the armoured cars were retreating, leaving several of their vehicles behind as smoking wreckage.

66

25 PDR FIELD TROOP  • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • • LARGE GUN • MIKE TARGET •

MOTIVATION

FEARLESS

4x 25 pdr gun 2x 25 pdr gun

3+

IS HIT ON

 

CAREFUL

SKILL

14 POINTS

  VETERAN

7 POINTS

Gun  Assault 

Te versatile Quick-Firing 25-pounder entered service just before the war began, and remains the main British field gun and howitzer throughout the desert war. Its main ammunition is an 11.5kg (25lb) 87.6mm high-explosive shell, with solid armourpiercing rounds also available.

4+

SAVE

3+ 4+

4+

Gun

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS



2”/5CM

4”/10CM

4”/10CM

6

WEAPON

25 pdr gun or Direct Fire

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

80”/200CM

ARTILLERY

24”/60CM

2

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

1

 

NOTES

3

4+

Smoke Bombardment 

9

3+

Smoke

25 PDR FEATURES DUAL PURPOSE:  Te open, mobile nature of desert  warfare sometimes sees tanks and guns coming into close contact, with the 25 pdrs direct-firing at enemy tanks over open sights. Each gun is supplied with solid steel armourpiercing rounds for this eventuality.

FEARLESS: Te Royal Artillery gunners are staunch in the face of danger, and will only ever abandon their guns  with extreme reluctance, even after taking heavy casualties.

LONG-RANGE ARTILLERY:  While the 25 pdr is of some use in anti-tank work, it excels in its primary role as a field gun. It can fire to a range of over 12km (7.5 miles), threatening distant enemy infantry, guns, and even tanks.

TURNTABLE:   A circular firing platform attached underneath the trail is lowered to the ground and the gun is pulled onto it. Tis provides a stable surface on which the gun can quickly be rotated in any direction.

HONEY OP OBSERVATION POST MOTIVATION

  CONFIDENT 4+ Scout 

1x Honey OP

2 POINTS

You must field a Priest Field roop (MB137)  or a 25 pdr Field roop (MB116) before you can field a Honey OP.

Te 25 pdrs can accurately send shells 12km (7.5 miles) but they are blind without a forward observation post to direct the bombardment. o keep up with the armoured units, the FOO (Forward Observation Officer) and his team have their own tank.

Counterattack 

IS HIT ON

 

3 2 1

FRONT SIDE & REAR

3+

TOP TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

10”/25CM

16”/40CM

24”/60CM

28”/70CM

3+

WEAPON

4+

ARMOUR 

5+

SKILL

  VETERAN

CAREFUL

6

Last Stand 

Observer 

 • TANK UNIT • INDEPENDENT • • OBSERVER • • SCOUT  •

RANGE

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Honey OP (37mm)

24”/60CM

1

1

7

4+

Honey OP (MGs)

16”/40CM

5

5

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE  Self-defence AA

67

17 / 25 PDR ANTI-TANK TROOP  • GUN UNIT • GUN SHIELD • LARGE GUN •

MOTIVATION

FEARLESS

4x 17/25 pdr gun 3x 17/25 pdr gun 2x 17/25 pdr gun

16 POINTS

IS HIT ON

 

3+

CAREFUL

SKILL

SAVE

  VETERAN

12 POINTS

3+

Gun

4+

 Assault 

8 POINTS

In the ongoing race between tank armour and anti-tank guns, even the 6 pdr would not be powerful enough for long. Te answer was the huge 17-pounder. Te barrel was ready by May 1942, but the carriage still needed work, so in an effort to rush the gun into service to deal with the arrival of heavy German panzers like the iger, a temporary hybrid solution was created by mounting the gun on a 25 pdr carriage.

4+

4+

Gun

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS



2”/5CM

4”/10CM

4”/10CM

6

WEAPON

RANGE

36”/90CM

17/25 pdr gun

ROF HALTED MOVING

2

1

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

12

3+

 

NOTES

Forward Firing, No HE 

Te resulting 17/25-pounder, codenamed the ‘Pheasant’, first saw action at the Battle of Medenine in March 1943.

17 PDR FEATURES LONG RANGE:  Te 17/25-pounder is a large and

UNRIVALLED PENETRATION: Even at long range,

imposing gun. Its barrel is almost 4.2m (13' 9") long, giving it a high muzzle velocity and good long-range accuracy. Its size makes it harder to conceal than smaller anti-tank guns.

the solid armour-piercing round fired by the 17/25 pdr is more than a match for the armour of the German panzers. Even the mighty iger will be lucky to survive a direct hit.

HUMBER ARMOURED CAR TROOP  • TANK UNIT • SCOUT • SPEARHEAD •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+ Scout 

3x Humber (15mm)

3 POINTS

CAREFUL

6

Counterattack 

Scout 

SIDE & REAR

3+

Scout 

TOP

4+

 Assault 

1 1 0

FRONT

SKILL

  VETERAN

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

32”/80CM

4+

RANGE

WEAPON

4+

ARMOUR 

5+

Last Stand 

Te Humber was one of the most successful British armoured car designs. Te latest Humber III model had a big, three-man turret, making it an excellent reconnaissance vehicle as the loader relieves the commander of the radio operation as well as feeding the main gun. Tis allowed its big 15mm BESA heavy machine-gun to operate at full effect, ripping apart enemy armoured cars. Te Humber was fielded in North Africa by several cavalry units, including the 11 th Hussars,

 

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Humber (15mm)

20”/50CM

3

2

5

5+

Humber (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

ARMOURED CAR SPECIAL RULES

68

NO HE: Te 2 pdr gun only has armour-piercing shells.

SCOUT: Te job of reconnaissance units is not to stand

Tis severely limits its use against infantry and unarmoured targets, as the uncapped solid steel shot will only inflict serious damage with a direct hit to a vital area. OVERWORKED:  Te small turret of the Daimler armoured car forces the commander to also act as the loader, when he should be using every spare moment to observe the car's surroundings and make crucial tactical decisions. Tis makes it harder for the crew to fight at top efficiency while on the move.

and fight, but to provide information about enemy movements. Tey are adept at avoiding detection and getting away quickly if spotted. Light wheeled vehicles aren't tanks—they don't have the weight to simply crush infantry positions, making direct assaults a much more dicey proposition. SPEARHEAD: Once the recce units have ascertained the strength and dispersal of the enemy, the information they pass back to the combat elements lets them know exactly  where they can safely push forward without undue risk.

BOFORS LIGHT AA TROOP  • GUN UNIT • LARGE  GUN •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

 

CONFIDENT 4+

CAREFUL

SKILL

6x Bofors 40mm AA gun 3x Bofors 40mm AA gun

8 POINTS 4 POINTS

Te open desert offers precious little cover from the Stuka dive-bombers of the Luftwaffe. Te quick-firing Bofors guns can be relied on to drive away the harassing Axis aircraft before they have a chance to do too much harm.

  VETERAN Gun  Assault 

4+

SAVE

3+ 4+

4+

Gun

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS



2”/5CM

4”/10CM

4”/10CM

6

WEAPON

RANGE

Bofors 40mm AA gun

24”/60CM

ROF HALTED MOVING

3

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

2

7

4+

 

NOTES

Dedicated AA

DAIMLER ARMOURED CAR TROOP • TANK UNIT • SCOUT • SPEARHEAD •

MOTIVATION

IS HIT ON

  CONFIDENT 4+

2x Daimler (2 pdr) 1x Dingo

Scout 

Counterattack 

3 POINTS

Scout  Last Stand 

 

6

Te Daimler armoured car was the latest model to be fielded by the British in the desert. Armed  with the same 2 pdr anti-tank gun as the cruiser and infantry tanks, the Daimler was more than capable of dealing with enemy armoured cars. Te little Dingo scout cars that operate with them led the advance, poking their noses into potential trouble spots and ambushes, covered by the guns of the bigger armoured cars concealed and waiting behind. If the enemy took the bait, shooting at the Dingo, it would race back while the armoured cars tackled whatever it stirred up.

  VETERAN Scout 

 Assault 

5+

1 1 0

FRONT SIDE & REAR

3+

TOP

4+

TACTICAL

TERRAIN DASH

CROSS COUNTRY DASH

ROAD DASH

CROSS

8”/20CM

10”/25CM

14”/35CM

36”/90CM

4+

RANGE

WEAPON

4+

ARMOUR 

SKILL

 Armoured cars played a similar role to the light cavalry regiments of old, roaming far ahead of the tanks, observing enemy dispositions and reporting their movements. In pursuits, they led the chase, harassing the retreating enemy and ambushing fleeing convoys. In retreats, they were the rearguard, slowing the enemy advance and covering the withdrawal of the fighting forces.

CAREFUL

ROF HALTED MOVING

ANTIFIRETANK POWER 

Daimler (2 pdr)

24”/60CM

2

1

7

4+

Daimler & Dingo (MG)

16”/40CM

3

3

2

6

 

NOTES

No HE, Overworked 

ARMOURED CAR FEATURES DAIMLER FEATURES FAST: Te Daimler armoured car and Dingo scout car have powerful engines and independent suspension giving them mobility. WELL ARMED:  Te Daimler armoured car's 2 pdr anti-tank gun gives it a huge punch for such a small armoured car.

HUMBER FEATURES RAPID FIRE:  Te Humber armoured car mounts a rapid-firing 15mm BESA machine-gun. While not as powerful as the Daimler's 2 pdr gun, it is more effective against a wide range of targets.

69

DESERT A RMOUR  GRANT

CRUSADER  DESERT P INK  & D ARK  OLIVE GREEN

FOUR-COLOUR  P ATTERN

HONEY  LIGHT S TONE NO. 61

 A number of camouflage concepts were trialled by the British army for the desert. From late 1941, through most of 1942, an all-over basic colour of Light Stone No. 61 (Crusader Sand), a pale dull yellow, was used on all vehicles and artillery. In October 1942, prior to the Second Battle of El Alamein, new orders were issued changing the basic colour to Desert Pink  (DAK Sand), with a disruptive pattern of Dark Olive Green (Firefly Green)

Te instructions applied to new and repaired vehicles, so many tanks at El Alamein were still in plain Light Stone. Grant tanks arrived from the US in their original Olive Drab colour, which was usually painted over with Light Stone, sometimes leaving Olive Drab areas as a disruptive pattern.  A few regiments outlined the edges of the camouflage pattern  with black and white lines.

DESERT S AND V EHICLES CRUSADER S AND

COLOUR  P ALETTE

ROMMEL SHADE

Large Brush

Large Brush

CRUSADER S AND (363)

ROMMEL SHADE (494)

DRY DUST (364)

 your tank with Crusader Sand. wo thin coats are better than one thick coat. B ASECOAT 

Pale colours like Crusader Sand, the most common colour for British desert tanks, can be challenging to paint over a dark base  without getting ugly brush strokes. Consider using a white or pale grey primer to make it easier to get a bright, even finish. Crusader Sand is also available as a spray can, the quickest and easiest  way to basecoat your tanks.

70

 the tank with Rommel Shade. ry to achieve an even coverage over the whole tank, letting the wash pool in the recesses without building up too much on flat surfaces.  ASH W 

CRUSADER S AND

DRY  DUST

Small Drybrush

Medium Brush

 the wash with Crusader Sand using a combination of drybrushing and layering. T IDY UP

 the tank with Dry Dust, concentrating on edges, raised details, and upper surfaces to add highlights. DRYBRUSH

DESERT S AND C AMOUFLAGE DAK S AND

COLOUR  P ALETTE

FIREFLY  GREEN

Large Brush

Large Brush

DAK S AND (366)

FIREFLY GREEN (348)

ROMMEL SHADE (494)

B ASECOAT  your tank with DAK Sand. wo thin coats are  preferable to one thick coat, and you may find it easier if  you use a DAK Sand spray undercoat.

 Cloud-shaped patches of Firefly Green. Camouflage was applied from a standard template (see our website for more details). P AINT 

DAK S AND

ROMMEL SHADE

Large Brush

DRY DUST

Medium Brush

(364)

Te tanks that fought in the Second Battle of El  Alamein typically had a two-colour disruptive camouflage pattern. Desert Pink was chosen as the basic colour. It  was thought that its light earthy tone would blend  well into the terrain of most parts of the Western Desert.

 the tank with Rommel Shade to add shading. You can substitute Bradley Shade if you have it, to emphasise the warmer tone of the Desert Pink base colour. W   ASH

 the wash with DAK Sand using a combination of drybrushing and layering, leaving darker shading in recessed areas. T IDY UP

FIREFLY  GREEN

Te disruptive pattern was intended to make it harder for the enemy to identify specific vehicle types, rather than to truly hide the vehicle from sight.

DRY  DUST

Small Drybrush

Medium Brush

Sometimes, when Dark Olive Green was not available, black or dark brown was substituted.

 the disruptive camouflage areas in a similar way using Firefly Green. T IDY UP

 the tank with Dry Dust, concentrating on edges, raised details, and upper surfaces to add highlights and give the tank a weathered, dusty finish. DRYBRUSH

T ANK  TRACKS COLOUR  P ALETTE

MOTHERLAND  E ARTH

ROMMEL  SHADE

D ARK  GUNMETAL

Small Drybrush

Medium Brush

Medium Brush

MOTHERLAND  E ARTH (383)

ROMMEL SHADE (494)

D ARK  GUNMETAL (480)

 the tracks Motherland Earth or Battlefield Brown. B ASECOAT 

 with Rommel Shade to enhance shading. You can substitute  Manstein Shade for a darker result.  ASH W 

 with Dark gunmetal. Note: Honey, Grant, and Sherman tracks have solid rubber pads. DRYBRUSH

71

BRITISH SERVICE COLOUR 

CHURCHILL III

CHURCHILL III

K INGFORCE

S.C.C.2 SERVICE COLOUR

Te Churchill tanks of Kingforce were sent to the desert for Operation Supercharge. Tese Churchills were painted in standard desert colours.

More Churchills fought in unisia sporting Service Colour and Dark Brown camouflage. Crews often mixed up a mud paste and applied it to their tanks as additional camouflage.

COMRADE  K HAKI

COLOUR  P ALETTE

BOOT B ROWN

Large Brush

Large Brush

COMRADE K HAKI (326)

BOOT BROWN (323)

BRADLEY S HADE (490)

 your tank with Comrade Khaki. wo thin coats P AINT  Camouflage patches with Boot Brown, concentrating are preferable to one thick coat, and you may find it easier mainly on the lower parts of the tank. Road wheels should if you use a white or light grey undercoat. be all be one solid colour. B ASECOAT 

COMRADE  K HAKI

BRADLEY  SHADE

Large Brush

DRY D UST

Medium Brush

(364)

From March 1943, British vehicles started arriving in unisia in the SCC 2 Service Colour (Comrade Khaki). Often units  would paint dark brown (Boot Brown) disruptive camouflage patterns over the Service Colour, like the Death or Glory boys Valentine tank shown in the step-by-step.

 the tank with Bradley Shade to add shading and depth to the model.  ASH W 

Te colours are similar tones, so often black and  white photos make it look like the tanks are a single colour, when in reality they had camouflage.

BOOT BROWN

DRY  DUST

Small Drybrush

Medium Brush

 the disruptive camouflage areas in a similar way using Boot Brown. T IDY UP

72

 the wash with Comrade Khaki using a combination of drybrushing and layering, leaving darker shading in recessed areas. T IDY UP

 the tank with Dry Dust, concentrating on edges, raised details, and upper surfaces to add highlights and give the tank a weathered, dusty finish. DRYBRUSH

 A RMOURED SQUADRON T ANK  M ARKINGS actical markings are an excellent way of adding visual and historical interest to your models. British tanks had a divisional symbol on the left-hand mudguards, and a regimental number on the right.  A geometric symbol on th e sides of the turret identifie d the squadron. You can find more information on British markings in Colours Of War  and on the Flames Of War   website.

  r   e    b   m   u    N   t   n   e   m    i   g   e    R

   l   o    b   m   y    S    l   a   n   o    i   s    i   v    i    D

Squadron  Marking  Divisional Symbol  1ST ARMOURED DIVISION

Tis decal sheet also provides options for the 1st  Armoured Division that fought in Africa 1942-1943.

Tis Grant has markings from B Squadron, Senior Regiment, 7 th Armoured Division

Regiment Number 

Senior Regiment

2nd  Regiment  

 A Squadron B Squadron C Squadron

A Squadron B Squadron C Squadron

Junior Regiment  

A Squadron B Squadron C Squadron

SQUADRON MARKINGS

Each tank in a squadron will have the same turret marking. Te shape and colour shows the squadron and regiment.

Te Crusader below has markings from  3  platoon, B Squadron, 2 nd  Regiment, 6 th Armoured Division

Headquarters 

Some units added platoon numbers (or HQ for Headquarters) to the centre of the squadron markings.

rd 

1st  Platoon  2 nd  Platoon  3 rd  Platoon 4 th  Platoon

  r   e    b   m   u    N   t   n   e   m    i   g   e    R

   l   o    b   m   y    S    l   a   n   o    i   s    i   v    i    D    d   e   r   u   o   m   r    A    h   t    6

Squadron  Marking 

23 ARMOURED BRIGADE

Regiment and divisional markings can go on either the mudguards or hull.

 Most unit boxes come with one of the decal sheet shown here.  More decal optio ns can be found on BR940 British Desert Rats Decal Sheet.

73

CHURCHILL T ANK  M ARKINGS Churchills follow the same organisation as tanks from the Armoured Squadrons shown on the previous page. Te North Irish Horse have slightly usual squadron markings as they marked their platoon number in white, and used an F for their HQ tanks.

  r   e    b   m   u    N   t   n   e   m    i   g   e    R

   l   o    b   m   y    S    l   a   n   o    i   s    i   v    i    D

  g   n   n    i   o    k   r   r    d   a   a   u    M   q    S

Te Churchill decal sheet provides options for marking your tanks North Irish Horse  as either the North Irish Horse in unisia, or as the 21 st ank Brigade in Italy.  21st  ank Brigade 

Churchill tanks arrived in unisia wit h Mudguards, by the end of the unisian c ampaign most had either lost them or had them removed by the crew.

ank recognition flash

BRITISH INFANTRY  British troops in North Africa  wore a uniform consisting of khaki drill shorts or slacks with long-sleeved Aertex shirts. Te light khaki drill fabric was good in the hot desert sun, but  was usually insufficient for the cold desert nights.  Webbing equipment was simple raw canvas, not treated with Blanco (the coloured cleaning paste which uniform regulations required for troops in other theatres). Metal items such as brass buckles  were left unpolished to reduce potential glare.

Helmets & Painted Metal  CRUSADER S AND (363)

Uniform DRY DUST (364)

Flesh  EUROPEAN SKIN (385)

Webbing & Pouches  WORN C ANVAS (306)

 Metal Parts of Weapons  D ARK  GUNMETAL (480)

Socks  MILITARY K HAKI (327)

Wooden Stocks  B ATTLEFIELD BROWN (324)

Boots  BLACK  (300)

74

UNIFORMS AND WEBBING DRY  D UST

COLOUR  P ALETTE

WORN C ANVAS

Medium Brush

M ILITARY  K HAKI

Medium Brush

Small Brush

DRY DUST (364)

WORN  C ANVAS (306)

MILITARY K HAKI (327)

 the uniform with Dry Dust, using multiple thin coats if necessary to get an even coverage. B ASECOAT 

ROMMEL SHADE

 the webbing gear and rifle slings with Worn Canvas. B ASECOAT 

ROMMEL  SHADE

(494)

 the socks with Military

B ASECOAT 

Khaki.

DRY  D UST

Medium Brush

Small Brush

Te paler shade of the khaki drill tropical uniform was better suited to desert regions than the heavy brown serge of standard Battledress.

 A CTUAL SIZE

 the figure liberally with Rommel Shade to add realistic shading. W   ASH

 the uniform with Dry Dust, concentrating on folds and raised details. HIGHLIGHT 

FLESH SKIN S HADE

E UROPEAN  SKIN

Medium Brush

EUROPEAN SKIN

Medium Brush

Small Brush

EUROPEAN SKIN (385)

 A CTUAL SIZE

SKIN  SHADE (491)

 You can find more advanced methods for painting flesh on page 23 of Colours Of War .

 the face and other exposed skin areas with European Skin, in two thin coats. B ASECOAT 

 liberally with Skin Shade to create shading and definition. W   ASH

 prominent details such as fingers, cheeks and nose with European Skin. HIGHLIGHT 

WEAPONS D ARK  G UNMETAL

B ATTLEFIELD B ROWN

Medium Brush

SKIN SHADE

Medium Brush

Medium Brush

D ARK  GUNMETAL (480)

B ATTLEFIELD  BROWN (324)

 A CTUAL SIZE

SKIN  SHADE (491)

 barrels and other metal parts sparingly with Dark Gunmetal. P AINT 

 stocks and other wooden areas with Battlefield Brown. B ASECOAT 

 with Skin Shade to add shading and deepen the wood colour. W   ASH

75

 A IRCRAFT

Fuselage  DAK S AND (366)

HURRICANE

Camouflage  MOTHERLAND E ARTH (383)

B ASING GUIDE  All Flames Of War   infantry and guns are supplied with appropriate bases. Assemble your infantry teams by gluing the figures into the holes on a base of the right size. Super glue works well for this. Tere are usually several figures with each type of weapon, so you can create variety in your teams. It doesn’t matter which mix of figures you put in each team, as long as the mix of weapons is right. Visit the product spotlight on the Flames Of War   website: www.FlamesOfWar.com for a more detailed guide.

Vickers MMG

Commanders and Unit Leaders  Base the Rifle or Motor Company HQ teams and the Rifle or Motor Platoon Unit Leader on a small base with an NCO and a rifleman. he team faces the long edge.

3-inch mortar  

Base these heavy weapons on medium base facing the long edge. hese teams have the gunner and his weapon along with two assistant gunners or loaders.

6 pdr gun Base the 6 pdr gun on a medium base  facing the short edge. Each gun has a  gunner along with an NCO and two ammunition loaders.

76

 17/25 pdr gun

Bren Gun team Bren Gun teams and Bren Gun and SMLE teams have four figures on a medium base facing the long edge. Each Bren Gun team from a  Motor Platoon has a Bren machine-gunner. Bren Gun & SMLE rifle teams from a Rifle Platoon have a machine-gunner on every second base. he remaining figures are NCOs or riflemen.

Boys anti-tank rifle

2-inch mortar 

Base Boys anti-tank rifles and 2-inch mortars on a small base with a rifleman loader. he team faces the long edge.

 25 pdr gun

Bofors 40mm AA gun

Base these guns on a large base facing the short edge. Each 25 pdr and 17/25 pdr gun has a gunner along with an NCO and three ammunition loaders. he Bofors has two gunners, an NCO and an ammunition loader.

Te Churchill's Kingforce and Monty's Desert Rats army deals are the best starting points for any British Desert army. Expand your force by adding other units from the British range. Each Flames Of War unit box contains a complete unit and their Unit Cards. BRAB11

Churchill's Kingforce (x3 Churchill, x3 Sherman, x6 Carriers) (Plastic)

BRAB09

Monty's Desert Rats (x5 Grant, x3 Crusader, x2 17pdr) (Plastic)

BBX32 BBX33 BBX35 BBX36 BBX37 BBX38 BBX39 BBX40 BBX41

LL ES FU D U L INC

K BOO RULE

 

BBX42

 

BBX43

 

BBX44

 

BBX45

 

BBX47

BBX46

BR733 BR734 BR753 BR754

Honey Armoured Troop (x5) (Plastic) 25pdr Field Troop (x4) (Plastic) Universal Carrier Patrol (x9) (Plastic) Bofors Light AA Troop (x3) Grant Armoured Troop (x5) (Plastic) 6pdr Anti-tank Platoon (x4) (Plastic) Crusader Armoured Troop (x5) (Plastic) Hurricane Tank-Busting Flight (x2) 17/25pdr Anti-Tank Troop (x2) (Plastic) Sherman Armoured Troop (x5) (Plastic) Valentine Armoured Troop (x5) (Plastic) Churchill Armoured Troop (x3) (Plastic) Priest Field Troop (x4) (Plastic) Kittyhawk Fighter-Bomber Flight (x2) (Plastic) Daimler Armoured Car Troop (x3) Rifle Platoon (x39 figures) (Plastic) 3-inch Mortar Platoon (x18 figures) (Plastic) Motor Platoon (x26 figures) (Plastic) MMG Platoon & Mortar Section (x4 HMG, x2 3" Mortars) (Plastic)

BBX34 BR900 BR901 BR902 BR903 CWP131 CWP231

For more information visit our website: 

Humber Armoured Car Troop (x3) Desert Rats Dice (x20) Desert Rats Tokens (x20) Armoured Fist Dice (x20) Armoured Fist Tokens (x20) Desert Rats Paint Set (x5 paints) Desert Rats Spray (Crusader Sand)

www.flamesofwar.com

FINLAND

NORWAY

SWEDEN

 North Sea 

Baltic Sea 

DENMARK

IRELAND

GREAT BRITAIN

THE NETHERLANDS Te Hague 

Warsaw 

Berlin O    d     e  r  

London

Dieppe 

BELGIUM Brussels 

  l a  s t u   V i

GERMANY

R      h      i      n    e   

 Atlantic Ocean

POL

Prague 

SLOVAKIA

Paris 

H

S       e     i      n    e    

Vienna 

Budapest 

L o ir  e   

FRANCE

SWITZERLAND

Belgr 

Po

YUGOSLAVIA

ITALY CORSICA

Rome 

ALB

SPAIN SARDINIA

SICILY GIBRALTAR

unis 

 Algiers  Oman

MALTA MOROCCO Kasserine Pass 

ALGERIA FRENCH MOROCCO

TUNISIA

0 Miles 0 KM

38

500 500

1000 1000

1500

ripoli 

LIBYA

 Medit 

Leningrad 

KEY Germany and Occupied Territories

 Moscow 

SOVIET UNION Countries in association  with Germany 

Rzhev 

 Allied Countries V       o    l         g     a    

Kursk 

Smolensk 

 Minsk 

Neutral Countries

D    o  n  

Voronezh 

Stalingrad 

D     n    i      e       p    e    r   

ND

Kiev  Caspian Sea 

Rostov 

CAUCASUS OIL FIELDS

Odessa 

NGARY

Black Sea 

ROMANIA Bucharest  e Danub

de 

IRAN

BULGARIA

TURKEY NIA

GREECE

SYRIA

 

IRAQ

 Athens 

CYPRUS

CRETE

rranean sea 

PALESTINE

TRANS-

JORDAN SAUDI ARABIA

Gazala   Alexandria 

obruk  Halfaya Pass 

 El Alamein

EGYPT

 Alam el Halfa   El Agheila 

39