Campaigns and Commanders
Vol. 2: The King’s Officers
Developer’s Preview, Part Two:
The Desert War: 1941-42
By Doug McNair
June 2009

After what feels like a full 69 years spent focused on the scenarios of 1940: The Fall of France, I can finally get back to previewing our next release, Dave Murray’s Campaigns and Commanders Volume II: The King’s Officers. As promised, here is a sneak peek at the second campaign that comes in the book:

The Desert War: 1941-42 Campaign

This campaign uses the maps and counters from Panzer Grenadier: Desert Rats. It starts shortly after the end of the 1940-41 campaign, and consists of eight scenarios covering the Allied Operation Crusader offensive, followed by Rommel’s second offensive in January 1942, Montgomery’s taking charge of the British 8th Army, Rommel’s failure at Alam Halfa in August, the second battle of El Alamein, and finally the success of the Allied Operation Supercharge in November. Each scenario of the campaign game is fictitious but based on actions that were typical of fighting at each location.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario One
Operation Crusader
German Defender, Commonwealth Attacker

Both the Allies and the Axis planned a winter offensive, but superior intelligence operations allowed the Allies to grab the initiative and attack first. Rommel initially dismissed the attacks as insignificant, but as more reports reached him he realised it was not just a diversion.

Conclusion

An interesting opening scenario for both sides. The British go in with big advantages in numbers and firepower, but their tanks are thin skinned and will be blown to pieces by long-range German AT gunfire if they move too aggressively. So they will need to let their infantry lead the way, which will slow the overall British advance and make it easier for the Germans to hold at least one road hex until the end of play and score 10 VPs. Leader Characters on both sides with Rifle Combat, Rural Assault and other more advanced skills purchased during the 1940-41 campaign will play key roles.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario Two
Rock and Dust
German Defender, Commonwealth Attacker

With Operation Crusader breaking through enemy lines forcing an Axis retreat, Allied infantry were required to push through any enemy resistance whilst the tank forces attempted to flank the enemy positions.

Conclusion

An interesting challenge for the Germans, in which their understrength force must try to hold a long ridgeline against the British and prevent them from opening a hole in their line that tanks could exploit. Keeping control of the road will be vital to the Germans’ ability to move units quickly where they are needed, and Leader Characters with the Advanced Driver and Increased Endurance skills will be very useful as well.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario Three
Another Tunisian Town
German Defender, Commonwealth Attacker

As the Allied offensive rumbled through the desert, the defenders of small desert villages and towns that littered the coastal region found themselves on the front lines. At one such town, the German forces decided to make a stand. The last of them had just finished digging-in when the first Allied planes appeared to herald the upcoming battle. The Germans braced themselves for the onslaught and awaited reinforcements.

Conclusion

A rare opportunity for the Urban Assault Specialist skill to be of use in the desert. The Brits have superior numbers and overall firepower, and their initial airstrike has a good shot at wiping out the only anti-tank gun the town defenders have. But once the German tanks arrive they’ll be able to kill British tanks from outside British AT fire range, so the Brits need to move against the town fast before they start losing their armor support.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario Four
Gazala Opening
German Attacker, Commonwealth Defender

With Operation Crusader having advancing over 500 miles in five weeks, the Allies found their supply lines overstretched and paused to gather their forces. Rommel took the opportunity to seize the initiative and launch a counteroffensive. As the news reached Allied HQ, forces were dispatched to meet them.

Conclusion

Here the Brits have their work cut out for them, with their Grant tanks running into Panzer IVs for the first time. The Grants will be lucky to come out of the battle alive, but they and the 6-pdr anti-tank guns have a better shot at the earlier-model German tanks. Leader Characters with the AT Specialist skill will be a big help on both sides.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario Five
Darkness and Desert
German Attacker, Commonwealth Defender

The German offensive met the Commonwealth forces and a series of mobile battles took place. In the often confused fighting, German forces often became separated from their comrades. Here under cover of darkness, a German force attempts to break through the surrounding Commonwealth forces and make it back to Axis lines.

Conclusion

Here’s a night battle where the Germans have superior mobility but the Brits can use the road to move forces quickly and block German escape attempts. The Germans need to send out a strike force to cut the road so the rest of their forces can make a dash for the south edge before the Brits can catch them. British leaders with the Advanced Driver and Night Assault Specialist skill will be in the best position to catch German forces and bog them down in assaults so they can’t escape in time.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario Six
Ruwesisat Ridge
German Attacker, Commonwealth Defender

Rommel’s offensive began to lose momentum as they faced the considerable Allied defensive position of Ruwesisat Ridge. It was vital that the ridge was captured.

Conclusion

A tough fight for both sides with a large piece of real estate as the objective. The Brits need to be careful to set up their minefields so as to channel the Germans into fire corridors, and keep them off the 40-meter hill hexes as long as possible so their reinforcements can get there and dig in. British Leader Characters with the AT Specialist, Mortarman/Artillerist and Forward Observer skills will be crucial to this effort.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario Seven
Alam Halfa
German Attacker, Commonwealth Defender

The Allied defenses around El Alemein appeared formidable to Rommel and his forces, but Rommel believed there was a weak point in the southern sector and planned an attack there. But the Allies received intelligence of where the attack was to be directed and heavily reinforced the sector. In one area, the Axis forces were ordered to capture a prominent hill.

Conclusion

A bloody assault up a hill that will become even bloodier when the sun rises due to air support from both sides. Leader Characters with the Rural Assault Specialist skill will have their normal prominence, but so will British leader characters with the AT Specialist skill once the sun is high enough for them to see enemy tanks.

1941-42 Campaign Scenario Eight
Operation Supercharge
German Defender, Commonwealth Attacker

Operation Supercharge was the decisive Allied offensive that broke the Axis resistance in North Africa. Facing the Commonwealth soldiers were thousands of mines and entrenched enemy machine gun pits. In one sector of the battlefield, the Allied infantry moved forward supported by armor.

Conclusion

One last hurrah in the desert where the Germans have plenty of AT firepower, causing the Brits to lead with their infantry in an effort to silence the anti-tank guns before their tanks arrive. That will be a tough job due to the German minefields and entrenchments, so the British player would do well to have purchased as many advanced combat skills for his Leader Characters as possible by now.

That covers it for the second desert campaign. Next time, an overview of the third campaign in The King’s Officers, which lets players fight out all of Operation Epsom from Beyond Normandy using the same battlefield-specific campaign system as in our brand new game Cassino ’44!

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