Hello all, after a nice break from our slog through the Bagration firestorm its time to leave the rivers and fields of Belorussia behind for the arid wastes of Libya!
While my group enjoyed our Bagration campaign (even if it lingered a but too long) we were tired of fighting over rivers and decided to play somewhere that it wouldn’t be an issue. Welcome to North Africa!
Gazala Campaign Background:
The Gazala campaign was the Western Desert war at its most tense, mobile, and unforgiving. In May 1942, Rommel did not simply smash into the British Gazala Line. Instead, he swung south around it, hoping to outflank the Eighth Army and break its armored reserves.
However, the move nearly backfired when Axis forces became trapped in the “Cauldron,” short on supplies and under heavy pressure. The British had real chances to crush him there, but poor coordination and cautious command let the moment slip away. Then Rommel recovered, reopened his supply route, and hammered the Allied positions apart.
The retreat that followed cost the British dearly, and Tobruk fell soon after in a shocking collapse. Overall, Gazala was a campaign of nerve, maneuver, and missed chances. It gave Rommel one of his greatest victories, but it also pushed both sides toward El Alamein.
Campaign Set Up
Our group would be playing the game out of the box with no huge changes from the excellent rule set written by the GOAT himself Gísli Jökull Gíslason. the only thing we missed was the restrictions on units and opened it up to any mid-war force. This was partially due to a number of Soviet-only players.
The map itself is quite busy but it shows a how the Germans have to operate. They either need to capture a territory in Tobruk and win instantly, or capture enough territories to have a higher points total. As long as Rommell is alive, the Germans get an initiative bonus and are more likely to get to attack. Additionally, they can make their game easier if they employ him on the front lines. However, they need to be careful, one misstep and the famous general can be killed or captured!
The only other big change in our group is that we are switching to 4th ed Flames of War after some thought. The Flames of War landscape has shifted considerably with fee old units being brought back into rotation and more support via the new Italy book. I will discuss the rationale more in the future but our group has been pretty happy with the change.
