Historical Background: 5th of February 1941 - Beda Fomm. After the fall of Tobruk, British general O'Connor divided in two his troops : while 6th Australian Infantry Division advanced along Via Balbia towards Benghasi, 7th Armored Division crossed the desert (via El Mechili and Msus) to cut off Italians' line of retreat. As a vanguard , the Combe Force, composed of 11th Hussars, 2nd Rifle Brigade and a battery of RHA (Royal Horse Artillery) reached the seaside at Beda Fomm on the 5th of February. The British soldiers had just time to prepare an ambush on Via Balbia that the first Italian column arrived from Benghasi. They were not combat units so there was no Italian reaction immediately when the Combe Force opened fire on them. In the afternoon, some units of the 4th Armored Brigade arrived on the battlefield to reinforce Combe Force. and 2nd RTR (Royal Tank Regiment) seized a hill called "The Pimple". Italian armored brigade of general Babini arrived during the night with his M13/40 tanks and battalions of "Bersaglieri" (Italian motorized infantry) and attacked in the morning of the 6th of February to break through towards Agedabia. On the evening, 2nd RTR was driven away from "The Pimple" but 1st RTR arrived on the battlefield on his turn. During the next night, some Italian infiltrations succeeded along the seaside towards south. In the morning of 7th of February, the last Italian attack failed in front of a Combe Force nearly overwhelmed. The battle was over, the Italian army in Libya was entirely destroyed, general O'Connor could sent the famous telegraph message to general Wawell : "Fox killed in the open". The stage is set, the battle lines are drawn, and you are in command. The rest is history.
Briefing: Allied Player [United Kingdom] : 6 command cards. Axis Player [Italy] : 6 command cards, you move first.
Conditions of Victory: 7 medals. For the Axis Player, use "Exit" token rules at all the edge of the board, Allied side.
Special Rules: - Use "North African Desert" rules (Action 9). - Use "BCF Command" rules (Nation 5). - Use "Royal Italian Army" rules (Nation 6). Badges are not required. - Coastal dunes are impassable. - Use "Specialized Units" rules (Troop 2) for the Bersaglieri, Italian infantry with badge. - 1st RTR don't move before the 5th turn, to symbolize its late entry in the battlefield. - Use "Antitank Weapons" rules (SWA 1 & 2) to the British infantry with badge. - The Allied player lays out the minefields (Terrain 29).
Scenario Bibliography: - Military Magazine hors-série n°3 - Tobrouk. - "Campagnes d'Afrique 1940-1943" - Ed. Flammarion. - Magazine Images de guerre n°4 - Egypte-Libye. - Magazine Troupes d'élite n°1 - Victoire pour les rats du désert.
Official scenario of FFM44. Played during the tournament at Ravenel on the 26th of February 2011.
Warning: Please note that this scenario was not approved by Richard Borg or Days of Wonder, so you have to check yourself about playability, potential gaming issues, etc.
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Set-up Order |
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8 |
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7 |
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3 |
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1 |
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9 |
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7 |
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3 |
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2 |
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4 |
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