Dug in at Sidi Omar

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1941, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Mediterranean Theater, Memoir 44, Scenario

Dug in at Sidi Omar

The Battle of Sidi Omar (November 1941) occurred during the broader Operation Crusader in the North African Campaign of World War II. Sidi Omar, located on the Libyan-Egyptian border, was a heavily fortified Axis stronghold defended by Italian and German forces.

On November 25, 1941, British and Commonwealth forces, particularly the 4th Royal Tank Regiment and elements of the 2nd New Zealand Division, launched an assault to capture the position. The defenders, dug in with anti-tank guns and artillery, inflicted significant casualties on the attacking tanks.

At Sidi Omar the enemy fought hard, but it wasn’t enough. Our boys hammered their defenses, smashed the garrison, and bagged hundreds of Italians as prisoners. That victory didn’t just clear the ground—it locked down the left flank for the advance, gave us breathing room, and drove Operation Crusader forward. With Tobruk relieved and the Axis grip on North Africa broken a little more, Sidi Omar proved again: when the Allies hit with weight and will, the enemy breaks.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

5 – 5

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Libyan – Egyptian border

Year:

1941

Theater:

Mediterranean Theater

Campaign:

North African Campaign

Codename:

Operation Crusader

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s and Exit hexes for the Axis

Battlefield:

The dominant elements of this scenarios are the hilly dunes controlled by the Allied infantry, and the wide open battlefield for the armor units of both sides to meet in the middle section and one flank.

Troops:

Allies – 6 Infantry, 4 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 5 Infantry 7 Armor, 1 Artillery

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Your infantry on the dunes can hold off the enemy for a long time. This should give you enough time to get your armor, which is stuck in the corner on your right flank, into the field of play.

2. Because your armor can only move two hexes at a time, it may take a couple of turns before you pose enough of a threat for them to stop attacking your infantry on the dunes.

3. Quickly get to the center section with your forces, in order to prevent any of the enemy from thinking about escaping out of the Exit hexes.

4. With your artillery in the center section on the dune, you are able to attack any enemy in the center section. Use it to good effect.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. The principle advantage which the Axis have in this desert scenario, is that the Axis armor can move three hexes vs. the Allies who can only move two. This give you the opportunity to move in quickly on the Allies and take out some armor before they can respond.

2. The enemy have full control of the sand dunes in the middle of the center section and its adjoining flank. But you can keep your armor at a three-hex distance, and just keep attacking them until one or two hexes are eliminated.

3. Remember that there are some Exit hexes in the back of the battlefield for the Axis. If you are able to overwhelm the forces on the dunes, and close in on them, some of your troops may be able to make their way off the field (and make a few attacks on their way).

Battle Reports
(percentage of Allied victories):

47%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Bug River

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1941, Armor, Artillery, Countryside, Eastern Front, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario

Bug River

The Battle of the Bug River was the opening crack of thunder in the great storm called Operation Barbarossa, June 1941. When the Germans hurled their legions eastward, the Bug River stood before them—not just a line of water, but the first Soviet shield guarding their vast frontier. That river marked the edge of two empires, a tense, steel-cold border between Nazi-occupied Poland and the Red giant beyond.

But rivers don’t stop armies with purpose. At dawn, the German assault troops slammed across the Bug with the kind of ruthless precision that defines a well-oiled war machine. Pioneers threw down bridges under fire, infantry surged across in rubber boats, and armored columns rumbled forward the moment the crossings held. The Soviets, caught between disbelief and the sheer violence of the assault, fought hard in pockets, but they were hit before they could fully wake to the scale of the invasion.

What happened on the Bug wasn’t just a crossing—it was the first thrust of a colossal campaign, a declaration that the Germans intended to carve their way deep into the Soviet heartland. The river was supposed to be a barrier. Instead, it became the starting line for one of the most brutal struggles in human history.

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 3
Axis – 6

Allies are seriously impaired on their card management options in this scenario.

Complexity:

4

Conditions:

Countryside

Location:

Russia

Year:

1941

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Operation Barbarossa

Codename

Summary:

The Axis are making an attack against a fairly well-defended Russian army. It is a countrside terrain with forests and bunkers. There is also a supply train which can drop off additional defenders if it gets to its depot safely. This adds an interesting element to the battlefield game.

Objectives:
There are five VP’s in this scenario. There is also a bridge medal objective for the Axis to attain. Proper hits on the train will also gain VP’s for the Axis.

Battlefield:
The Russians begin with solid control of two sections. In fact their armor are poised in field bunkers only two hexes from Axis infantry which have no retreat available to them. The train tracks cut across the field also impairing movement. The Bug River weaves across the backline in Axis territory, hampering movement and preventing retreats.

Troops:
The Axis possess 6 infantry, 4 armor, and 2 artillery.
The Russians have 5 infantry, 3 armor, no artillery. Plus possibly two more infantry if the train reaches its destination.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. As the Russian Allied commander, you need to seek your VP’s. You need 5 and there are six enemy Infantry, which you can target initially. Then as the battle develops, see if any armor or artillery become candidates for attack.

2. Note that the artillery is pressed up against the backwall with no retreat, so you can seek the chance to hit it with a three-dice armor attack. Your odds will be 33% per dice roll, vs. 16%. Take the chance to hit no-retreat artillery whenever you can. A Barrage card early in the game comes in very handy.

3. Recognize that your armor in the field bunkers are going to get quickly overwhelmed by the larger Axis forces coming your way. The question is how much you can make them pay for it, before they do so.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. You have four infantry hexes which have no retreat and are a mere two hexes away from enemy armor in bunkers. You should attack them immediately and quickly move in on them to maximize your attack. You may be able to neutralize one of the armor units before they do a lot of damage. With a card like Move Out! you will be able to advance four infantry immediately and nearly surround both field bunkers for a series of two-dice attacks. In just a couple of turns the enemy should be eliminated.

2. Do not let the Allied Transport Train get to the train station. Because once they do, they will unload additional forces to fight.

3. Use your two Artillery as much as possible to attack the enemy Armor in the field bunkers.

Author:

Days of Wonder

URL

Breakout at Klin

by GeneralHowitzer | Nov 1, 2024 | 1941, Armor, Artillery, Eastern Front, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Strategic, Winter

Breakout at Klin

When & Where:
December 1941, near the town of Klin, northwest of Moscow, during the Soviet counteroffensive in the Battle of Moscow.
Context:
After months of German advances toward Moscow, Soviet forces launched a major counterattack. German troops, particularly from Army Group Center, found themselves overextended and at risk of encirclement near Klin.
The Battle:
Soviet forces attacked from multiple directions, threatening to trap German units in the Klin salient. The Germans, under pressure and facing severe winter conditions, conducted a fighting withdrawal, breaking out of the encirclement and retreating westward.
Outcome:
The Soviet Red Army recaptured Klin, dealing a blow to German morale and momentum. The breakout marked a turning point in the Moscow campaign, with German forces now on the defensive for the first time in the war.

Lessons from General Howitzer:

“The Breakout at Klin wasn’t just a German retreat—it was the moment the Red Army showed the world it could counterpunch. And it was the first time the German war machine started to cough and stall. Learn from it, gentlemen: never overreach, never underprepare, and never, ever give your enemy a second chance to swing.”

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 3

Axis – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Winter

Location:

Russia

Year:

1941

Theater:

Eastern Front

Campaign:

Battle of Moscow

Codename

Summary:
At the start, the Axis are line up mostly against the lower border, while the Russians have control of much of the board. The objective for the Axis is to either destroy the forces, or as the name implies breakout past them to the exit hexes at the top of the battlefield. If the Axis can effect rapid movement (and Blitz rules are in effect to help with this ) they can make it past the Russian troops blocking their path in excellent defensive positions, and achieve victory.

Objectives:
It is a long 6 VP game, fought at, often, close quarters, while they Axis seek two objectives, to destroy the enemy and to escape the enemy.

Battlefield:
This is a winter war with a mix of urban and countryside, making for an intersting battlefield deployment and field of play.

Troops:
The Axis – 7 infantry, 4 armor, 2 artillery.
The Russians – 9 infantry, 2 armor, 1 artillery.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. You are positioned very closely to the enemy on your left flank, and in the center at the trenches. Attack as much as you can before the enemy breaks out from their center section congestion.

2. You also have a well-placed center section artillery which you can use to decimate the enemy forces. Use it!

3. Your best opportunity for some significant kills is on your left flank. You will need to get your armor up there to assist your forward infantry. But you need to do it quickly before they are wiped out by the nearby enemy. And because of winter conditions, you can only move your armor two hex per turn, so don’t waste any time and get them moving!

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Axis, note that on your right flank the Russians are nearly on top of you, with a sandbagged infantry only two hexes away from your backwall, and another one three hexes away. Since you have two infantry hexes pressed against your back border, with no retreats, an early attack against you is going to result in several hits. If you can move on your right flank right away with a decisive attack, you can begin the breakout successfully.

2. The next immediate objective for the Axis forces is to get some mobility for your armored forces. Get them out from behind the town and factory hexes with which they begin the battle.

3. Note that you have two artillery units at your disposal in the center section. At the start of the battle, there are four enemy hexes within your full power two-hex attack. Use those artillery at every chance.

Class Battle Reports:

(percentage of Allied victories)

19%

Author

URL