| REVIEW OVERVIEW | |
| Scenario Rating | |
| SUMMARY A DTO classic that harkens back to the days of West of Alamein. While it has some interesting moments, the heavy wind and dust conditions tend to suck some of the fun out of this one, relegating it to a dice duel of lucky to hit shots, overruns, and close combat. AAR by: Neal Ulen & Scott Rowland | 2.5 OVERALL SCORE |
SITREP
The British Eighth Army, under the command of General Neil Ritchie, was engaged in a fierce struggle with the German Afrika Korps led by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. The objective for both sides was the strategic high ground of Rigel Ridge, which offered a commanding view of the surrounding desert and crucial control over the supply routes.
The khamsin, characterized by scorching temperatures and blinding sand, played a significant role in the battle’s dynamics. Visibility was drastically reduced, often to mere meters, making coordinated maneuvers and effective communication extremely difficult for both armies. The relentless sandstorm clogged weapons, machinery, and vehicles, causing frequent malfunctions and breakdowns. Soldiers struggled against the abrasive sand, which penetrated every crevice of their equipment and clothing, exacerbating the already harsh desert conditions.
Despite the adverse weather, Rommel’s forces demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability. Utilizing the cover provided by the sandstorm, they launched a series of surprise attacks on the British positions. The reduced visibility worked to their advantage, allowing them to close in on the enemy with relative stealth. German tanks and infantry units, moving under the cover of the khamsin, managed to flank the British defenses and create significant disarray within their ranks.
The British troops, disoriented and struggling to maintain their lines, found it nearly impossible to mount a coordinated defense. The khamsin rendered air support ineffective, grounding the RAF (Royal Air Force) and depriving the British of crucial aerial reconnaissance and bombardment capabilities. Communication lines were severely disrupted, leading to confusion and delays in receiving orders and reinforcements.
By the end of the day, the combination of Rommel’s tactical prowess and the unforgiving conditions of the khamsin led to a decisive Axis victory. The British were forced to retreat, leaving behind valuable equipment and positions. The fall of Rigel Ridge significantly bolstered the German hold on the region and paved the way for further advances towards Tobruk, a critical Allied stronghold.
ASL AAR: Khamsin (37)
Module: Hollow Legions
Scenario Publisher: AH/MMP
Scenario Designer: Eugene Murrell
Date: June 13, 1942
Location: Near Tobruk, Libya
Download the VASL .vsav setup file.
Download the VASL .vlog playthrough.
Scott’s Perspective
Defender: British (Elements of 2nd Battalion, Scots Guard)
I’m not sure what to do with my setup, it’s fairly restricted and limited. All units must set up in a sangar, none of which can be adjacent, and they will all be concealed at the beginning due to the range to the approaching Germans and the heavy dust conditions. I can set up my AT Gun hidden, but each sangar can only hold one squad, and all units must be in a sangar … so what’s the point of being able to HIP in scrub? Neal will know which sangar has the gun once he approaches, then he’ll just overrun it and eliminate it. My mortars are all but useless due to heavy dust hindrances. ATRs are mostly useless for the same reason, though I might get a couple luck shots against half-tracks.
Anywhooooo … I’m not sure how he’ll approach but my plan is to last stand the northern most hillock summit and try to hold it until the end. I’ve sort of accepted I’ll lose the southern two summits, so I won’t spend a lot of units defending them. My plan is to keep my AFVs hull down behind the hillock and protect the sangars as Neal’s armor approaches. I do plan on making a desperate run with on of my Stuarts to try and take out his Marder if I have the opportunity.
I’m sure that will work out like gangbusters!
Neal’s Perspective
Attacker: Germans (Elements of Panzer-Division 21)
North, middle, south … where do I set up my German convoy that’s trundling through the dust storm?
Seeing how an approach from the north would probably cause me to be firing into the heavy wind (+1 DRM) most of the time, I’m going to take the southern approach, then sweep up to the north hillock. My AFVs will be upfront to draw fire and maybe soften up (or overrun) sangars. Then my infantry in half-tracks will follow up. I don’t want to put the half-tracks in too much jeopardy, especially when loaded, as those victory points will add up. If Scott can do enough damage to me it won’t matter if I capture all three hillock summits.
I need to remember the DRMs in this game are going to be crazy. Anything other than a point-blank IFT attack probably won’t amount to much. So I need to charge with the AFVs, then sweep in with the half-tracks, dismount as close to infantry-occupied sangars as possible, and jump into close combat. Going will be slow, and I get the +2 TEM if the squads are CE, so why dismount early and run through the dust. Charge in … dismount! Anything else will probably be nothing more than wasted effort due to the heavy dust DRM.
The spice must flow!!!!!!!!!
GET TO THE CHOPPA…!!! 
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