DaW - Dec 1940, North Africa
DAK-a-Week playthrough page which lists the house rules in play and has other resources.
Download directory of all the VASSAL .vsavs and .vlogs from DAK-a-Week playthrough. There's one vlog and two vsavs per game turn. The saves were taken at the end of each side's turn. First side indicated with 'a', second with 'b'.
December 1940
VASSAL December vlog (rt-click and save as)
Axis Intent: Survive, just survive.
Allied Intent: Defeat Italians by Christmas.
1st: Rain in the east [event Malta Invasion!!! but too early].
Repair of coastal highway between Sollum and Sidi el Barrani is completed. LRDG and Bersaglieri dance around each other. Supply and troops moved up to Tobruk by both sides. CR42 and G50's fresh off production lines reinforce Tobruk.
Bardia holds.
5th: Still raining. Around Benghazi and Alexandria [maps A,D] Decima Flottiglia MAS strikes Alexandria with manned torpedoes. [event, no reif into or supply out of Alexandria].
With any threat to Egypt removed, the 4th Indian Division is released to besiege Tobruk. Half the cross-med shipping is sunk by allies [1SP lost to Malta table].
In Reaction to axis unloading supplies at Tobruk, allies barrage its docks to little effect. At great cost [both planes flipped] Italians win the battle for air supremacy over Tobruk. In part by shelling El Adem field [causing plane losses, was allied mistake to base planes there]. Balbo orders tons precious Tobruk stockpile to be expended in spoiling barrages against commonwealth forces in contact with Tobruk fortifications. [44pt barrage DGs only allied stack adjacent to Tobruk garrison].
8th: Rain clears, finally.
LRDG liberates Jalo Oasis. Capturing its less-than-enthusiastic garrison. Allies get serious about surrounding Tobruk.
[Missing axis turn-b. Might have forgot to do it?]
12th: Back to raining across middle of theater [Maps B,C]. Stores are salvaged from a partially sunk steamer at Bardia quay [2T dump Event].
Allies continue to shell Tobruk's docks and start shelling El Gubbi airfield. Destroying the last of the new G50s. Learning a lesson, allies position their Hurricanes at Gambut. Which is out of artillery range but close enough to cover Tobruk [10 hex Patrol Zone]. Again allies find and sink over half of Italian supply going to Tripoli [1SP Malta roll loss]. Bersaglieri gun down Senussi tribesmen at Msus. The British, so enthusiastically encouraging them to revolt, are now nowhere to be found. [Allied mistake to go activate them so early.]
Bardia Holds [1 attrition step loss]. Tobruk remains impenetrable.
15th: Sky clears of rain and allied torpedo bombers. Full cross-med shipping.
The minor damage to Tobruk is repaired. But allies knock it right back down and then some with surprise barrages [Port barrage during reaction and on their turn]. Allied assault on Tobruk is again forestalled by shelling. Or, ... were the feared attacks just feints to allow 4Ind to move up all around Tobruk perimeter?
19th: Clear. Sudan is apparently in desperate need of some Armored Cars. As long as no infantry is siphoned off, capture of Tobruk is a sure thing [allied withdraw roll].
Continued and accurate Italian shelling renders 7RTR combat ineffective [6,6,6 Reactive Barrage roll] Cross med shipping remains difficult with only half that expected is unloaded in Tripoli [1SP Malta roll]. Multiple Italian motorized surround Senusi blockading coastal highway. The outcome was certain. St. Maria MG Bn restores Italian authority in Derna. Allied 25pdrs have thourougly wrecked Port of Tobruk [at 2T minimum capacity]. Bardia holds.
22nd: Clear. Sudan demands Inf Bde, they will have to wait [4 Turns to get one to port].
Done with watching Italians boiling pasta, Bardia is suppressed with artillery and 11th Hussars race their armored cars through its streets. Inflicting as much damage as they take [2:1 close +3 -> Ao1,Do1. Attacker option taken as loss]. This folly was not repeated.
Nothing arrives at Tripoli [all cross-med shipping lost to Malta roll; we should really do something about that island...]
Bardia holds, only just.
After heavy, preparatory barrage, the 5th, 7th, and 11th Indian Bdes all assault and are able to make progress into but not fully breach outer line of Tobruk defense [3:1 open+1 -> Ao1, DLo1 attack option as loss] Seizing this opportunity, O'Conner leading 2nd Rifle and 7RTR reinforces the attack at critical juncture. Culminating in last elements of the Pavia Div being driven from their trenches. O'Conner is posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross [exploit 9:1 open +3 -> Ao1, DL1o2 w/ leader loss].
Some supplies reach Tripoli [2T 1SP Malta roll and -2T December adjustment]
AAR
VASSAL end of December save file (rt-click and save as)
5-6SP (a third) of Tobruk's supply has been spent DGing allied stacks. Was it worth it? Seems allies are able to take HOG'd up defenses anyway.
RAF has won the air war. Two Bdes and 4th Indians armored cars have all been shipped off to Greece and Sudan. Hopefully that is last of the Wavell/Churchhil demands. We are too close to capturing Tobruk. It would be madness to take any more WDF assets away. The loss of two leaders, one dead, one wounded is gonna hurt. Their ability to React and Exploit is very, very good and needed to exploit allied quality over superior Italian numbers.
[I may have missed some Attrition rolls for Bardia. Otoh, allies seem to have had both 7RTRs (instead of one replacing other...). Mistakes happen, nothing to get hung about.]
The toll for December. Allied units off to right started "dead". They're buildable replacements / upgrades for starting units.
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