Sbeitla Tunisia

by GeneralHowitzer | May 16, 2025 | 1943, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Mediterranean

Sbeitla Tunisia

Operation Frühlingswind—February 1943. The Krauts thought they had us dead to rights in central Tunisia. They were wrong.

Rommel’s boys hit us hard at Sidi Bou Zid, busted through, and kept pushing west toward Sbeitla. On February 17, they grabbed the town—but that’s where the party stopped.

Because in rolled the 1st U.S. Armored Division—Combat Command B—and they didn’t come to retreat. They dug in, fought smart, and hit the Germans with a counterattack they didn’t see coming. It wasn’t perfect, but it was bold—and it threw a wrench into the Nazi gears. They didn’t push any farther.

Sure, we took our lumps. Our tactics were green, our command still learning the ropes. But what matters is we learned. Fast. That fight at Sbeitla was a baptism by fire—and it forged better soldiers, better leadership, and a better army.

The message was clear: the Americans might get hit, but by God, we hit back—and next time, we’d be coming out swinging.

~~ General Howitzer

6 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Tunisia

Year:

1943

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Tunisia Campaign

Codename:

Operation Frühlingswind (Spring Wind)

Summary:

Objectives:

6 VP’s, including territorial objectives, and exit hexes.

Battlefield:

Desert terrain with a branching roads running through it, and dunes everywhere.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 4 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 8 Infantry, 5 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

St. Joseph’s Farm

by GeneralHowitzer | May 16, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Combat Cards, Desert, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Memoir 44, Scenario, Tactical, Theater: Mediterranean

St. Joseph's Farm

Chouigui Pass—November 1942. One hell of a day for the U.S. Army, and the first time our boys showed the Krauts what American steel could do.

We were green, no doubt about it. The 1st Battalion, 1st Armored Regiment—part of my beloved 1st Armored Division—rolled into action near a place called Chouigui Pass, northwest of Tebourba. The brass might call it St. Joseph’s Farm, but I’ll tell you—there was nothing holy about what went down there.

Our men, riding those M3 Stuarts and M4 Shermans, spotted a German convoy and didn’t hesitate. They tore into it with everything they had. And wouldn’t you know it? A short time later, they ran into the 10th Panzer Division—real hardened bastards—but our boys didn’t back down.

We hit ’em hard. Burned up their vehicles, shattered their lines, and let ’em know the Americans were here and we weren’t playing. It wasn’t some grand campaign-ending victory, but it mattered. It was the first time U.S. armor took the fight to the Wehrmacht and came out standing.

That fight at Chouigui Pass proved something: our tanks could run, our boys could fight, and American grit was just getting started. North Africa wasn’t going to be easy—but after that day, the Germans knew we were in the game.

And from there, we only got meaner, faster, and a whole lot more dangerous.

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Axis – 5 + 2 Combat Cards

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

Tunisia

Year:

1942

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Tunisia Campaign

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

5 VP’s, including St. Joseph’s Farm as a Temporary Objective for the Axis.

Battlefield:

Desert terrain with a branching road running through it, and ridges on each flank, which provide the defensive surprise that historically occurred.

Troops:

Allies – 3 Infantry, 8 Armor, 1 Artillery

Axis – 5 Infantry, 5 Armor

Allied Strategy:

1. Historically, the Allies surprised the Germans by hiding their Armor reserves behind the ridges. In this scenario, the enemy obviously knows you are there, but you can still use the ridges as defensive protection until the Axis Armor gets close enough for you to launch your Armor assault, and maybe recreate history with an Allied victory.

Axis Strategy

1. Historically, the Axis were surprised by the Allied forces hiding behind the ridges. You know they are there, and they outnumber your forces, so you will need to score some quick hits against the forces in the center, to take them out of the action before their support shows up on the flanks.

Battle Reports

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

The Capture of Tobruk

by GeneralHowitzer | Apr 29, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Medal Objectives, Overlord Game, Scenario, Special Weapons, Strategic, Theater: Mediterranean

The Capture of Tobruk (Overlord Map)

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June 21, 1942—Tobruk falls, and Rommel gets his moment in the sun.

The Desert Fox came tearing across North Africa like a bat outta hell, and when he set his sights on Tobruk, he didn’t waste time. That place had held out before—but not this time. Rommel hit it hard, fast, and surgical. In no time flat, he smashed through the lines, bagged 30,000 Allied troops, and scooped up a mountain of supplies.

It was a gut punch to the British—morale wrecked, command shaken, and the enemy thumping their chests from Berlin to Rome. Tobruk was supposed to be a fortress. Instead, it became a prize.

But here’s the truth: Rommel’s victory was real—but it was short-lived. You don’t win a war with flash and headlines. You win it by bleeding the enemy dry, taking ground, and never letting up. And that’s what we did.

By the time we met him again at El Alamein, the tables had turned. Rommel’s advance stalled, and the Allies came back with a vengeance.

You want to take a city? Fine. But you’d better be ready to hold it when the real fight starts.

~~ General Howitzer

15 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 7

Axis – 11

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

North Africa

Year:

1942

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Codename:

Summary:

Objectives:

15 VP’s with many territorial Medal Objectives, some Temporary and some Permanent.

Battlefield:

A desert with a couple of roads crossing the area in both directions

Troops:

Allies – 17 Infantry some with Special Weapons, 5 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 17 Infanty, 16 Armor including some Half-Tracks, 6 Artillery

Allied Strategy:

1.

Axis Strategy

1.

Classic Battle Reports

45% Allied Wins

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link:

Battle of Alam el Halfa

by GeneralHowitzer | Apr 29, 2025 | 1942, Armor, Artillery, Desert, Infantry, Scenario, Strategic, Theater: Mediterranean

Battle of Alam el Halfa

Aug 29 – Sep 6, 1942

Alam el Halfa was Rommel’s last real chance to win the desert war and grab Egypt, and he knew it. His numbers were thinning, his supplies were running dry, and time was about to turn against him. So he did what gamblers always do when the clock is running out—he rolled the dice one more time and tried the same wide flanking punch he’d used at Gazala.

But this time, the British weren’t blind. ULTRA told them exactly what was coming, and Montgomery finally did something smart: he stopped chasing glory and prepared to fight on ground of his choosing. He planted his forces on the Alam el Halfa and Ruweisat ridges, dug tanks into the sand like steel bunkers, and told Rommel, “Come get it.”

This wasn’t a battle of fancy maneuvers—it was a battle of discipline. Rommel charged in from the south and smashed straight into prepared defenses, air power, and fuel shortages he couldn’t overcome. His attack burned itself out, and with it went his last hope of victory in North Africa.

The lines are drawn, the enemy is committed, and now it’s your fight. Hold the ground, let the enemy break himself, and remember this: when the enemy makes his last move, you make sure it’s his last mistake.

~~ General Howitzer

VP’s

8

Card Balance:

Allies – 6

Axis – 6

Complexity:

3

Conditions:

Desert

Context:

Historical

Location:

North Africa

Year:

1944

Summary:

8 Victory Points:

8 Medals, including three Permanent Medal Objectives for Axis control of three town hexes.

Terrain:

Desert with some ridges and a railroad track.

Troops:

Allies – 7 Infantry, 8 Armor, 2 Artillery

Axis – 10 Infantry, 8 Armor, 2 Artillery

Allies:

Axis:

Author: Days of Wonder

URL

Dug in at Sidi Omar – Armor Cat & Mouse Play

by GeneralHowitzer | Dec 2, 2024 | Desert, Memoir 44, Smackdown, Tactical

Sidi Omar - Cat & Mouse Games

So here is the situation. Allies have a superior armor advantage on the right flank – as soon as the two units from the center move over there. But they don’t want to move in too quickly. The reason is that in desert tank scenarios, it is usually the one that strikes first wins. So even though the Allies have four-figure Armor units, they want to proceed carefully.

So even though the selected armor could move up one more hex and fire at the Axis armor, it may not be wise. A good card for the Axis would allow all three on the right to reply, plus there is another Panzer unit lurking in the center section.

So the question is, do the Allied armor wait until they are all grouped together on the right to attack? Or do we go for a quick hit, and maybe take out the lone enemy armor unit?

Sidi Rezegh Airfield

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

Sidi Rezegh Airfield

“Listen up, boys! Back in November ‘41, the battle for Sidi Rezegh Airfield was one hell of a dust-up in the North African sands. The South Africans and the British 7th Armoured Division—those Desert Rats—were gunning to knock the Axis on their heels and bust open that siege at Tobruk.

The Germans and their Italian pals weren’t about to give up that airfield without a fight. Our boys slammed into those anti-tank guns and Panzers like a battering ram, and at first, they made some headway. But Rommel, that desert fox, came roaring back with his own counterattack, and it turned into a slugfest—blood, sweat, and tanks grinding it out in the sand.

In the end, the Brits had to pull back from the airfield, but they gave Rommel a bloody nose and knocked his supply lines out of whack. And don’t forget—Operation Crusader didn’t end there. That airfield scrap was part of the bigger plan that finally lifted the siege of Tobruk and turned the tables in North Africa.

So remember this, men: sometimes you take a few lumps, but you keep punching, and that’s how you win the war!”

~~ General Howitzer

5 VP’s

Card Balance:

Allies – 4

Axis – 5

Complexity:

2

Conditions:

Desert

Location:

North Africa

Year:

1941

Theater:

Mediterranean

Campaign:

Operation Crusader

Summary:
This desert scenario has a roadway passing through two sections cutting at an angle, blocked by escarpments. This is a tank battle ‘mano-a-mano’ and in many cases the attacker with the early momentum can gain the upper-hand and win.

Objectives:
This is a 5 VP game, and since it is a tank battle will go very quickly. The Axis begins with one point already, thanks to their control of the airfiled. 2.

Battlefield:
The field of play is all desert, with an escarpment and road running at any angle through much of the right flank. The small opening between escarpments is where the Axis will have to attack. The British can attempt to use the road for rapid progress towards the top of the map where the airfield lies.

Troops:
The Axis begin with an armor and mobility advantage to their side. The British also have no infantry, so some of infantry command cards will be converted to sigle armor unit commands.

🔥 Winning as Allies

1. Allies need to remember that because of North African Desert rules, your armor can only move two hexes, while Axis can move three. Watch your armor placement carefully to avoid a series of close assault attacks.

2. The Allied armor begins in a congested formation with several units having no retreat options. This places the Allies in a position, since they move first of attacking the Axis armor immediately, before they are attacked – while they are still pinned against the back border – by the three-hex moving Axis units. So even if the card do not allow you to move a lot of units, you simply must attack and get your forces forward.

3. The British will need to attack an overwhelming tank force which has greater mobility than them (3 hex moves vs. 2 hex moves). In order to do this, it may help to threaten an attack on the airfield, thus diverting some Axis armor resources towards defense of said airfield.

🔥 Winning as Axis

1. Axis begins with one victory medal for the airfield. As long as they hold the airfield, they keep the medal. So part of Axis’ considerations and planning must not only include the outright attack on the Allies in the sand, but also thought must be given to defending the airfield. Do not allow the Allies to distract you, while they prepare for an assault against it.

Battle Reports

(percentage of Allied victories):

28%

Author:

Days of Wonder

Link: