When compared to the enormous campaigns waged on the Eastern Front and in Western Europe during World War II, the struggle in North Africa between the British Commonwealth and the Axis might seem an unimportant sideshow. However, its influence and impact were far-reaching and dictated many strategic decisions that influenced the course of the war.
This Bolt Action campaign book will focus on the conflict in the area most commonly referred to as the Western Desert - a campaign theatre reaching from the Libyan city of Tripoli to Cairo, and the Egyptian Nile valley, a distance of some 1300 miles, a featuring some of the most hostile terrains on Earth.
It covers a period of time from September 1940 when Mussolini's Italian Army invaded British-held Egypt to the final retreat of Rommel's Afrika Korps from Egypt during October 1942. During that period the conflict witnessed much hard fighting resulting in spectacular victories and the capture of territory, equipment and prisoners for both sides whilst also subjecting them to a series of demoralising retreats where final and irrevocable defeat seemed assured.
This book has 167 pages full of content, ranging from new rules and units, full-colour images, history and backgrounds and more!
This book contains:
What is This Book?
Campaign Background
Operation Compass: The Fighting Begins
Scenario 1: Frontier Battle
The Italians Invade!
Scenario 2: Fort Nibeiwa, 9 December 1940
Scenario 3: The Battle for Bardia, 4 January 1941
On To Tobruk and the Race to Beda Fomm
Scenario 4: Tank Clash at Mechili, 24 January 1941
Scenario 5: Fox killed in the Open, 5 February 1941
Operation Sonnenblume
Scenario 6: Mersa Brega, 31 March 1941
The Siege of Tobruk
Scenario 7: Ras El Madauur, 13 April 1941
Operation Brevity and Battleaxe
Scenario 8: Hellfire Pass, 15 June 1941
Operation Crusader
Scenario 9: Bir El Gubi, 19 November 1941
Scenario 10: Gabr Saleh, 19 November 1941
Scenario 11: Point 175, 29 November 1941
Crusader Finale
Gazala: Rommel's Greatest Victory
Scenario 12: The Cauldron, 1 June 1942
Scenario 13: Bir Hakeim, 27 May 1942
The Jewish Brigade at Bir-El Harmat
Scenario 14: Bir-El Harmat 2 June 1942
El Alamein: The End of the Beginning
First Alamein
Last Chance for Rommel: Alam Halfa
Scenario 15: Alam Halfa, 31 August 1942
El Alamein
Operation Lightfoot
The Battle continues
Scenario 16: Outpost Snipe, 27 October 1942
Operation Supercharge
Scenario 17: The Charge of the 9th Armoured, Tel El Aqqaqir, 2 November 1942
Raid Scenarios
Scenario 18: Dawn Raid
Scenario 19: The Via Balbia Raid, 27 May 1942
British and Commonwealth New Units
Infantry Squads and Teams
Vehicles
Italian New Units
Infantry Squads and Teams
Artillery
Vehicles
German New Units
Infantry Squads and Teams
Vehicles
Artillery
Theatre Selectors
British and Commonwealth
Commonwealth Armies in Bolt Action
Italian Theatre Selectors
The Afrika Korps in Bolt Action
Free French Forces in the Western Desert
Free French Units
Special Forces in the Western Desert Campaign
Special Forces in Bolt Action
British Special Forces in the Western Desert
Italian Special Forces and Desert Raiders
German Special Forces
Heroes of the Western Desert
British and Commonwealth
German
Special Rules for Fighting Bolt Action Games in the Western Desert
Typical Terrain types for the Western Desert
Roads and Tracks
Desert Climate Effects
Environmental Effects
Weather Effects
Desert Combat Special Rules
Dug-In: Foxholes, Trenches and Gun Pits
Minefields