Flames of War

Road to Cairo

Gearing up for an event on May 10. Here are the details - This sounds like fun!

You can find a proposed list, and an after action report here.

Cairo or Bust!

Each side needs to field four separate 800 point forces. Must be legal companies (HQ, 2 combat platoons, plus allowable additions) from the Afrika book. Only take those units that were historically available for the time period (from Gazala but before El Alamein) so no Shermans, no Tigers, no PZIV F2s, limited PZIII J lates, etc. Only minimum sized platoons to represent the attrition that has taken place from the Gazala, Tobruk battles. Do not include any air support as that will be built into the scenario.

Taking minimum sized platoons may lead to a shortage of platoon command bases. I do have some German HQ bases as well as plenty of Italians or Soviets that we can proxy as British HQs.

There will be random events, variable missions unknown to the other side, and other "interesting" occurrences.

Each side will be assigned four missions.

Game will be played on three 4X6 tables joined on the long sides for a 12X6 table (plus the width of the table edges abutting the middle table).

Remember that, even though there are only three players per side currently, each side needs to field FOUR 800 point forces.

Axis:

Leading from the Front - Rommel liked to be at the forward edge of the battle. This helped the forward elements but didn't' always help in overall coordination of reinforcements, reserves, support, and logistics (not that the Wehrmacht ever really cared about logistics anyway). Since these forces represent the forward elements of PanzerArmee Afrika, the Axis start with an organized command structure. One Axis player should be appointed as overall force commander. (Tom, Jeff, Mike - you choose someone). Do this now. The Axis may coordinate and cooperate on choice of their 800 point forces. The force commander will be able to issue orders to the other commanders, he will coordinate the use of random event cards, issue fuel to axis forces (and reallocate fuel as well!!), assign any air support, off board artillery, or reinforcements, determine mission priority, etc.

By this time the Axis have one frakin loooooong supply line. Everything is in short supply - water, ammo, food, fuel, parts, etc. Luckily the Brits left a lot behind in their "haste". Fuel will be a potential issue for the Axis motorized units. There will be a system for arrival of Axis fuel trucks, British air attacks on them, etc. Expending fuel points will be necessary in order to move Axis motorized units. The overall Axis force commander will allocate fuel and also reallocate fuel among his commanders. However, since hoarding fuel (and any other supply) while claiming a complete lack of the same to higher command is second nature to any commander, each Axis commander may keep his current stockpile of fuel points completely private, even to his force commander. Nor does the overall force commander need to tell any of his fellow players how many fuel points he is hoarding for himself.

BRITISH:

This is a time of chaos and confusion for the 8th army. Consequently, the British start the game with no overall force commander. Someone will be randomly appointed to that command sometime during the game. In the meantime, each of the four forces will be assigned a mission. No prioritization of those missions can be made until the overall commander is appointed. Each British player will hold his own random event cards and no pooling will be allowed until there is a force commander. Reinforcements, air, offboard artillery, etc. will be randomly allocated to a force.

The British players are not to coordinate their choice of forces. (REALITY CHECK - Since we currently have a problem cobbling together 3200 points of British forces and are depending upon Chuck - with Temis throwing in whatever he currently has - for most or all of the Brits esp. if Conrad is not available or interested - then I guess there will be some coordination of force development. We may have use of Wayne Cameron's Aussies and we may have to proxy some US or Russian stuff as British)

OVERALL FORCE COMMANDER - May be represented on the table by a HQ rifle team and a jeep (or Kubelwagon). No further upgrades are allowed. He is rated Confident Veteran for both sides. He may appoint new platoon leaders in any force and may also appoint new company commanders in the same way a CiC can appoint new platoon leaders in his company. He is a warrior team. No other special abilities, so no rerolls of motivation tests. If he dies, then no player may continue to function as an overall force commander and the things he would control become assigned randomly.