A Grim situation faces the Commonwealth at the advent of August.
Pressure builds on all sides at Mersa ! This time the Axis do not hipshoot to give away their intent, the commonwealth kows the score and during the reaction phase moves to cover as best they can.
Rommel moves to Bir Taleb, noting the Commonwealth build up of SP and building of forces nearby.
Rommel attacks 0th Infantry in overrun wiping it out. 15th Panzer moves thru in exploit phase.
By the 15th husbanding resources the 15th Pzr finally goes for it. Crashing thru units to take Maaten Baggush. Failing to capture the SP is a blow, but the 7 commonwealth trucks is not!
3AUFK rolls to do a KG activation and joins the fun!
Further units of the axis forces reinforce the press. Allies battle back taking heavy losses but inflict steps on the Germans and cut them off.
Axis airdrops from crete keep the Panzers moving. The Allies near Mingh Qaim(MQ) in the dunes bring 5 Indian, 2/!SA and others to bear on Rommel.
Rommels forces are DG’d. Seeing the danger Marcks activates his reserve formation of 5th LE and they attack into the dunes. Getting a +4 Surprise shift on a 2:1 attack of 5th Indian. This spoils the Allied planned attack.
The C’wealth forces press on despite having Dg’d units in a desperate effort to dislodge Rommel and choke the break thru. The barrage fails, the attack is a preposterous 2:1 + DRMS. The allies get lucky and roll a 9. Securing a Ao1/DL1
Rommel takes the step losses, and stands his ground!
In the German turn Rommel and his forces grind away. Some feint towards MQ area, others such as It Sabrt Division actually breach the line with 39th PJ from LE div.
In Bir el hubuma forces flip to combat mode and bring in the arty. The Axis are poised to attack at three locations attempting ot overwhelm Allied Reserves and choices.
Marcks and his 15th Pzr over run 19th Hvy Arty, then over un 104th Egytpian Arty.
Gott FAILs his reaction roll! Jock fails!
Marcks ends up adjacent ot 1st RTR, eliminating in combat. This surrounds the 6RE stack of Brits poised to counter attack….
The noose tightens and supply is pressed forward, and trace routes secured.
This aspect of the battle is well summed up in the final 3 videos of the play list 34-37.
INSERT Sept Vid links
Start of September:
C’wealth Losses.
Close up situation
Axis losses:
Miles of Sand.
We do the breakout… recant and undo it… all to no avail.
Instead a slow death:
Mersa starts to run low on SP, as shipping cannot keep up with unit needs. Meanwhile the Axis stall and re build SP for the final push.
It is at this point, shy of October ’41 that we end play.
Monty is captured and brought before Rommel at the head of the Sphinx. A gentleman’s war to the end and likely the last honourable war fought, he allows Monty to hand in his pistol and return to England.
The Aussies, Brits, South Africans and Indians are interred in Cairo.
What are Rommels plans now with Alexandia about to be taken? Drive North through Turkey? Attack Stalingrad from the Rear?
History took a twist in this part of our chronological play.
Perhaps in Case Blue we should allow Rommel to arrive in Dece 1941 at the gates of Stalingrad with 15th Pzr and 5th LE in tow? 😉