Bob Mackenzie's web Page - Wargames & Scenarios

After routing the Americans at Kasserine Pass Rommel suddenly got cold feet. Presented with two routes of advance he uncharacteristically paused, fearing an Allied counter attack. After some deliberation he chose to attack up both roads to see where the Allies were weakest. To the north west was the road to Tebessa. Rommel sent the 33 Panzer Aufklarungs Abt to probe up the road. It bumped into the recce company of the 13th Tank Regiment in the dark. The 33 Aufklarungs Abt was not impressed with the resistance offered and reported the road lightly defended. Rommel seeing an opportunity for a break trough order the Kampfgruppe DAK to attack up the road and take the passes at Djebel el Hamra. This attack was somewhat tardy in getting organised and did not start in earnest until mid afternoon on the 21st, by which time the forces of Combat Command B of the US 1st Armored Division were in place to defend the passes.

The scenario depicts the attempts of Kampfgruppe DAK to take the passes. I have taken the liberty to "telescoping" time to make the scenario more dynamic and to cut out the 12hr wait between the 33 Pz Aufklarungs hitting the US recon and the arrival of the main Axis force.

The Recon Company 13th Armoured Regiment is deployed in the zone delineated by the pink hashed lines

A Coy 39th Infantry is deployed within 9" of point B. It has 12" or barbed wire and is dug in in foxholes

B Coy 39th Infantry is deployed within 12" of point X and is dug in in foxholes

HQ and 2nd Battalion 16th AR are reinforcements entering down road C in convoy. In a given turn each stand after the first loses 3" move for every stand that went before

894^th Tank Destroyer Battalion and C Coy 26^th Infantry Regiment are reinforcements entering down road B in convoy. In a given turn each stand after the first loses 3" move for every stand that went before

Off table US artillery may start firing on the turn indicated. Special observation rules are given below.

All Axis forces arrive down road A in convoy. In a given turn each stand after the first loses 3" move for every stand that went before

Unit	Turn	Enters
33 Aufklärungs Abteilung	1	A
27^th Field Artillery Battalion	3	Special
I Btl Panzer Grenadier Regiment Afrika	4	A
2^nd Battalion 13^th Armoured Regiment	4	C
HQ 13^th Armoured Regiment	4	C
Panzer Abt Stotten	5	A
Centauro Armoured Battalion	6	A
Stab Kampfgruppe DAK	6	A
I Coy 13th AR	7	C
894^th Tank Destroyer Battalion	7	B
68th Field Artillery Battalion	7	Special
C Coy 2^nd Battalion 26^th Infantry Regiment	8	B

Open ground is scrubby, semi-arid desert, with areas of cultivation around the hamlets

Blue lines are steams. The thicker line PQ is a river and is un-crossable. Except where flanked by brown dotted lines the other streams take a BMA to cross by most stands, 2 BMA for wheeled vehicles and man handled guns. Foot stands (not towed guns) in the streams get +2 cover. Movement along the streams is at half speed.

Blues lines flanked by dotted brown lines represent gullies. Only foot stands can enter the gully, it takes a BMA to enter and a BMA to leave. Movement along the gully is at half speed. Units in the gully can only shoot at stands in or on the edge of the gully and visa versa. Stands in the gully can not be targeted by the US artillery.

Brown dashed lines are ridgelines. They break LOS. AFVs touching the lines get hull down bonus against all fire crossing the line.

The brown areas are mountainous. For the purposes of the game they are impassable to al stands and break LOS.

Grey squares are small hamlets. They may be occupies by a single foot or towed gun stand and give +1 cover to the stand within.

The game is 12 turns long with a 50% chance of a 13th turn, roll at the end of turn 12

Turns 1 & 2 are night. max visibility is 4". Spotting distances are halved or 4" whichever is smaller. The following night rules are in effect (pg 93): 39.1.2 (2nd paragraph only); 39.1.4 and 39.1.7

The US artillery observers are on Djebel el Hamra. They can see anywhere on table, except in the gullies. To represent this the US player can call his guns where he wishes, spotting is measured from any point on the ridgeline running through Djebel el Hamra. He has an observer for each gun battery. Stands in the gullies can be targeted by H&I fire.

The US Forces win if they still have a stands in good morale within 9" of points B and X (both)

They Axis may win if they have stands in good morale within 9" of point X and the US have none. If this criteria is not satisfied they will not score any points

The Axis get a point for each tank within 9" of point X. They lose a point for each KO'd tank.

For a minor victory they need 3 points, for a major victory they require 6 points