2

Introduction
The Desire of Benito Mussolini to restore the glory of Rome, by once again restoring
the Mediterranean Sea to “an Italian lake” saw the Balkans and both north and east
Africa turned into a battle-ground for five long years. The armies of the Allies,
Axis, as well as Vichy France and even Iraq and Trans-Jordan were caught up in a
struggle that would ultimately decide who controlled the vital oil fields of the
Middle East.

For the Italians the war was a succession of disasters, from their abject failure to
defeat the Greeks, to their defeat by British forces in 1940. The sweeping
successes enjoyed by British Empire troops who were, according to the Fuhrer and
Il Duce, on the back foot, led to an escalation of hostilities that at times seemed
out of control, with even Barbarossa postponed to allow the campaign in the
Balkans and Crete to go ahead in order to protect Romania’s oil region. Indeed,
Hitler sent some of his finest troops – not to mention one of his finest Generals – to
Africa when his abilities could have tipped the scales in the East.

On the Allied side, Britain inflicted such a telling blow against the Italians during
Operation Compass and the campaign in East Africa, that they never lost their
moral superiority against this foe for the whole of the three years in this theatre.
In Greece and Crete, however, the situation was to be different

Greece was a small nation, with limited resources. But, unlike many of their
Balkan neighbours, their population was homogenous and their sense of nationality
strong. Despite lack of resources the Greeks were able to use their ability to
operate in rugged terrain to their advantage, and after an initial withdrawal they
struck back, sending the Italians reeling back into Albania. Here, thirty miles into
Italian territory, the line stabilised

With the start date for Barbarossa only weeks away Adolf Hitler, whilst livid that
his partner in the Axis of Steel had acted independently, recognised the
importance of removing any potential threat to this southern flank. British troops
and aircraft now arriving in Greece would be dangerously close to the Romanian oil
wells, Hitler’s main source of oil. As such he ordered the attack on Greece, and in
order to facilitate that more effectively, the destruction of Yugoslavia.

On April the 6th German air forces attacked Belgrade, destroying the
communications centre of the Yugoslav army. Simultaneously German columns
struck across the borders from the Reich, Hungary, Rumania and Bulgaria. The
Yugoslav Army fell apart, its various ethic components ensuring that no coherent
strategy emerged, and with the Croats and Bosnians even assisting the advancing
Germans against their Serb masters.

In Greece, small numbers of British and Empire troops were rushed from North
Africa to try to present a solid front against the German attacks that were clearly
about to fall upon Greece, but lack of rail transport and a poor road infrastructure
saw much of this force out of position and downgraded through mechanical
problems. The Metaxas Line held briefly, before German mountain troops
outflanked it, and in Albania an order to withdraw to Greek soil saw the Greek
forces, without the necessary transport to conduct an effective withdrawal,
dissolve.
 3

What British plans there had been were now abandoned, as the German columns
advanced steadily down through Greece. Commonwealth forces fought delaying
actions, but overwhelmed by numbers this could only result in a temporary relief
for the forces to the rear. Pulling back with a view to saving their troops, the
British, now the only coherent Allied force in Greece, were obliged to change their
plans after German paratroopers, in a precursor of what was to come, seized the
Corinth canal, cutting access to the southern ports. Disorder reigned, and despite
the best efforts of the Royal Navy many men and much equipment fell into German
hands. By the 30th of April the Battle for Greece was over.

On Crete the British garrison, a mix of New Zealanders, Australians and British,
along with some demoralised Greek troops, mostly withdrawn from Greece, now
awaited an invasion. On the 20th of May this came. For two days the battle hung in
the balance, until the Germans finally secured the airfield at Maleme. From that
point on the fighting continued just as fiercely, but now German reinforcements
were fed unceasingly into the battle. By inches British control of the island was
lost, until finally, exhausted, these soldiers of the Empire turned again to the Royal
Navy to rescue them from the jaws of defeat.

Now confined to Egypt, the British stood alone with potential enemies on all sides.
It was only her loyal Empire that maintained her place as the bastion of freedom
that she now represented. In Iraq the government, control of which had been
usurped by the pro-Axis Rashid Ali, struck out against treaty agreements and British
presence, isolating British forces and civilians at the RAF base at Habbaniya to the
west of Baghdad. A scratch force was assembled from India, Palestine and Trans-
Jordan which crossed the most inhospitable of deserts in an eight day journey to
relieve the British outpost. In fact the RAF personnel and their local levies had
done much during the siege to inflict severe damage on the Iraqis, and the arrival
of the ‘Habforce’ relief column signalled a collapse of the Iraqis, and a very quick
entry into Baghdad prior to the installation of a more appropriate government and
the securing of the oil wells.

One unusual side effect of the campaign in Iraq had been the opening up of Vichy
French airfields in Syria to the Luftwaffe, who had used them to support the Iraqis.
Clearly such actions by a nominally neutral state could not be acceptable to the
British, who now envisaged German air-power being able to strike at their source
of oil at will. Rather as Germany had entered Greece in order to deny the Royal
Air Force bases that could bomb Romanian oil wells, the British now felt obliged to
do the same in Syria.

General de Gaulle assembled a force of Free French which were to take part in
what all assumed would be an orderly disarming of the Vichy forces and seizure of
power in Syria and the Lebanon. They were sadly mistaken. In one of the wars
most unnecessary campaigns a mixed force of Australians, British, Free French and
Trans-Jordanians attempted to advance on Beirut and Damascus. The Vichy forces
resisted this invasion and it took a hard fought five week campaign, one which saw
the French Foreign Legion, serving on both sides, fight against itself at one point
before Vichy forces were brought to the table.

In North Africa the arrival of Rommel and the Afrika Korps swung the pendulum
back the other way, as a succession of British defeats saw the security of Egypt
once again threatened. Only the arrival of Montgommery broke the spell that ‘The
Desert Fox’ seemed to have cast over his opponents.
 4

Under Montgommery the British husbanded their resources to ensure that when
they attacked they did so with the superiority in materiel that they needed to
ensure victory. The Royal Navy played a massive part in ensuring that not only did
British supplies get through, but German and Italian ones did not. After El
Alamein, that massive blow inflicted on the Axis that things were never the same
again. Sapping losses and increasing British aerial superiority meant that never
again would Rommel be able to pose a threat to Alexandria and Egypt. The war,
nevertheless, continued, providing an opportunity for American troops to cut their
teeth, against depleted but as yet unvanquished German units.

The war in the Mediterranean and Africa is one of contrasts, and offers the gamer
many attractive and unusual options. American, British Empire, French (Free and
Vichy), Iraqi, and Italian forces all fought over this land where previously the
Legions of Rome had carved out their great Empire.

In compiling the suggested forces we have taken the infantry Company as our
model and recreated that within the structure of the rules. Whilst the rules are
designed for 1:1 man to figure ratio the reader will note that not every single
member of the company is necessarily present in the lists. It should be
remembered that in IABSM not all officers and NCOs are represented, but only
those ones that stand out as the “big men” of the battlefield. This system allows
us to effectively reflect the command and control strengths and weaknesses of the
various forces involved.

Numbers of these “Big Men” available to each force are expressed as a figure per
Platoon, however the player is not obliged to restrict these to specific Platoons,
indeed he will find that if one particular force has a key role involving movement
then he should ensure that his Big Men are over represented with that force.

For each force a core element is presented, with support available at higher levels
– Battalion, Regiment, Brigade and so on. For higher levels this is expressed by
giving battery or tank squadron sizes to allow the gamer to provide realistic
support for his force rather than the entire order of battle at that level. At the
heart of our game is an infantry Company, whilst some Divisional assets may come
their way all of them won’t! It should, of course, be noted that space restricts the
author to giving the reader a taste of the forces he can field, gamers will find that
they can use the structure here to produce specific historically accurate units of
their choosing, but it is worth remembering that in war structure becomes very
flexible, and troops allocated to tasks are often those available rather than those
of choice
 5

CONTENTS

Rule Additions Page 6

The British Empire Page 9

France Page 14

Germany Page 17

Greece Page 21

Iraq Page 23

Italy Page 25

United States Page 29

Yugoslavia Page 32
 6

Theatre Specific Rule Additions

M1 Parachute Drops
Simulating drops by parachute or glider presents a problem due to the small area
fought over. In most games it is undoubtedly best to represent the drop in two
ways. Firstly, as being off-table, with the troops, having hastily assembled, now
advancing on to the table to take an objective. Secondly, as having already
happened, and have the parachutists on the table at the start of the game.

In both cases is will be unlikely that all of a player’s troops are where he would like
them to be. In order to recreate some of the chaos we recommend the following
system.

1. The airborne player will allocate units to specific blinds as normal, but with
a maximum of one platoon per blind. It is worth marking the blinds with a
number so that each force can be identified by the owning player.
2. Empty, or blank, blinds are diced for as usual on the Blinds Allocation table.
These are also numbered as above.
3. The airborne player may then deploy the unit accompanied by his most
senior Big Man on the table as desired. This unit will immediately roll
against the following table to see which, if any, of its component elements
have made it safely to the table.

Dice roll Infantry Section Crewed Weapon Soft-skin Armour

1 Missing Missing Missing Missing
2 2 men missing Missing Missing Missing
3 1 man missing Damaged Missing Missing
1 wound (6 to mend)
4 1 man missing 1 crew member Immobile Immobile
missing (6 to mend) (6 to mend)
5 All Present All Present All Present All Present
6 All Present All Present All Present All Present

4. At the start of turn one the player opposing the airborne forces will select
three blinds at random from the airborne player’s force. These forces are
deemed to have arrived on the table immediately, although where they
enter the table must be diced for.
5. Each 18” of the table edge will be allocated a number. A suitable dice is
then rolled to see where these blinds have arrived. The airborne player
may place the blind wherever he wished within 6” of that section of table
edge.
6. Once spotted, and not before, the airborne player will dice on the table
above to find out just what part of that force has made it to the table.
7. On each subsequent turn of the “Reinforcements” card each of the blinds
that remain “off table” is diced for. On a roll of 4, 5 or 6 that blind will
arrive, dicing to see what its arrival point is as in step 5 above. Once this
unit is spotted the player will dice to see what elements have arrived safely
as in step 3.
 7

It is possible to allow more than just the senior Big Man’s own Platoon to be on the
table on turn one. In this case the process in stage 5 may be used, but with each
18” square on the table being allocated a number, rather than table edge.

By subtracting one from the dice roll on the table it is possible to allow for poor
weather or a hotly contested landing. By adding one, an uncontested landing or
especially good weather conditions may be replicated.

Clearly the above rule is a guideline, the player should feel free to amend this to
suit any scenario he devises, but it is a method that has been proven to work in
practice.

M2 Dust
The Mediterranean and Africa as a whole was notable for its lack of metalled roads,
and for the dust that was thrown up by vehicle movement. A blind made up of
vehicles moving through terrain where dust could be thrown up should be noted by
all players. This may be done with a suitably coloured piece of cotton wool or
kapok.

Vehicles moving in column may not spot if the vehicles in front of them are
throwing up dust. Equally, spotting or identifying anything other than the lead unit
in a column should be harder.

M3 Local Knowledge
In some areas, such as North Africa, the local population, especially nomadic
tribes, were allowed to continue their existence without any interference from the
modern armies. The trade-off here was that these were often used as a source of
information, something they often had a lot of due to their wandering lifestyle.

If, in the scenario, nomads have been encountered then one attempt to gain local
knowledge may be made. This attempt will be made at the start of the game,
before the first card is turned. The player rolls one dice.

On a result of 1 or 2 the player has learnt nothing of interest.

On a result of 3 or 4 the nomads tell him a little of interest.
On a result of 5 or 6 the nomads tell him much of interest.

If the attacker is told a little of interest then he may specify an area of 12” square
on the table. Any of the defender’s blinds in that area will be placed on the table,
with the false, or empty, ones being immediately removed. If he is told much of
interest he may do the same, but for an area 18” square.

M4 Antique Armour
Due to the privations of the Armistice commission in 1940, the Vichy French found
themselves increasingly obliged to field armoured vehicles that were more suitable
as museum pieces. These have been rated as “Slow Wheeled”, moving as normal
wheeled vehicles, but subtracting one from each dice roll. If these vehicles roll
two or more 1s then they have broken down, and will only be restarted on a roll of
6. They test to do so when their initiative card is drawn.
 8

M5 Cavalry
Horse mounted troops saw very limited use during some of the campaigns covered
here. These should generally be expected to fight on foot, and will be covered as
follows.

M5.1 Cavalry Movement

Mounted cavalry moving at the walk will move as infantry, but will add one dice to
their movement. Mounted cavalry charging, which will only be in the turn in which
they expect to contact their enemy, will double their dice rolled.

Cavalry mounting and dismounting will use one dice to do so. Cavalry with support
weapons on pack animals will require one turn completely stationary to set up
these weapons.

M5.2 Close Combat with Cavalry

To enter close combat a mounted cavalry unit must make physical contact with its
intended foe. It must declare before any dice are rolled which enemy unit/units
this is.

Once in contact the cavalry will calculate their number of close combat dice as
usual, but will gain no benefits for automatic weapons.

M5.3 Reconnaissance Duties

In this theatre mounted units were trained largely for reconnaissance duties rather
than the use of the l’arme blanche, as such they should get a bonus when spotting.
 9

THE BRITISH EMPIRE

After her “defeat” in France it was widely assumed in central Europe that Britain
would be unable to maintain her influence in the Mediterranean if put under
pressure. Indeed Mussolini attempted to force such a change. But Britain was not
beaten. In the Mediterranean the Axis was faced by the whole panoply of Britain,
her Dominions and Colonies, joined by troops from mandatory territories such as
Trans-Jordan and Palestine. What was more, the British troops who had fought in
France were convinced that they had been obliged to withdraw from the continent
due only to the collapse of an ally. They were not about to lie down and play
dead.

Indeed, her success, with limited resources, against the Italians provided Britain
with a much-needed source of labour in prisoners of war for the next five years.
Hundreds of thousands of Italians marched into captivity, defeated by an
aggressive, opportunistic enemy who seemed in late 1940, to be undertaking his
own form of blitzkrieg in North Africa.

Greece and Crete were unmitigated disasters, the former largely due to lack of
equipment and vacillation by the Greek government, but the latter did serve to
prove that the Germans could be given a bloody nose by troops who were well
motivated and led, despite the fall of the island.

As German troops under Erwin Rommel were committed to North Africa in order to
bolster up Hitler’s failing ally, more and more British and Empire troops were also
committed to the theatre, where they gained reputations that last to this day.
Amongst the best troops were the Australians and New Zealanders who fought with
great tenacity in defence and aggression in attack. As volunteers these men,
generally older than their British equivalents, displayed a stoicism and
independence that set them apart.

The war in Africa was coloured at all times by the troops opinion of their
opponents. Against the Italians the British had supreme belief in their ability to
win, and win every time. The same could not be said when they faced the
Germans. Indeed one of Rommel’s chief successes was to impose a moral
superiority over his enemy. It took a commander of significant ability and sense of
purpose, in Montgomery, to break the spell that brought the enemy to with striking
distance of the Suez canal, and from this point onwards the war in North Africa
would be a hard fight, but never one that would be lost. This victory came largely
as a result of the professionalism of the private soldiers of the British Empire.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3 4
Elite Infantry 1,2 3 4 5,6,7 8
Regular Infantry 1,2,3 4 5 6,7,8 -
Line Infantry 1,2,3 4,5 6 7,8 -
Local Levy 1,2,3,4 5 6,7 8 -
N.B. Elite infantry covers high quality regular British and Indian Regiments along
with Australian and New Zealand troops. Regular infantry deals with other better
quality units such as the Arab Legion. Line is all other regular, territorial and
Empire Regiments, some of these may deserve a + designation. Commandos,
Australians, Maoris and the Arab Legion will count as elite troops in close combat.
 10

British Armour
Vehicle Armour Class Weapon Strike Speed
Mark VI B Light Tank 2 MGs Fast
A9 Cruiser Mk I 2 5 or 3.7” mortar Average
A10 Cruiser Mk II 4 5 or 3.7” mortar Average
A13 Cruiser Mk III 3 5 Fast
A12 Infantry Mk II 9 5 Slow
Universal Carrier 2 Vehicle specific Fast
Morris CS9 Armoured Car 2 Vehicle specific Wheeled
Marmon Herrington Mk II 2 Vehicle Specific Wheeled
AEC Armoured Car 5 5 Wheeled
Daimler Armoured Car 2 5 Wheeled
Rolls Royce Armoured Car 2 Vehicle Specific Wheeled
A15 Crusader Mk I 3 5 Average
A15 Crusader Mk II 4 5 Average
A15 Crusader Mk III 5 8 (9 from late 1942 on) Average
Valentine Mk II/III 7 5 Slow
M3 Grant I 7 Hull 7/Turret 5 Average
M3 Stuart/Honey 5 5 Fast
Churchill Mk III 9 5 Slow
Churchill Mk IV 9 9 Slow
Sherman 8 9 Average
All scout vehicles, light armoured cars and armoured personnel carriers are
considered to have an armour class of 2 unless listed as otherwise.

Anti-Tank weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
2 Pdr, 40mm L/50 or L/52 5
L37 Bofors 37mm 4
6 Pdr 8 (9 from late 1942)
25 Pdr 9
18 Pounder 4
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
Boys .55" AT Rifle 3 2 2 1 -
Infantry section 2 - - - -
Untrained Infantry Section* 1
MMG/HMG 3 3 2 2 1
*Some units encountering armoured vehicles for the first time, such as those from
the Indian Princely States early in the war, or native levies such as the Assyrians
guarding RAF airfields in Iraqi would have a lower figure to reflect their lack of
familiarity with modern technology.
 11

Force Composition – East Africa

Empire Regular Company Indian Company
Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
Two Boys AT rifle (2 crew)
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 4
Four rifle Sections each (8 men each) Four Rifle Sections (8 men each)
One 2” mortar (2 crew) One 2” mortar (2 crew)
One Boys AT rifle (2 crew)
Battalion Support Battalion Support
Four 3” mortars (3 crew each) Six 3” mortars (3 crew each)
Four Boys AT rifles (2 crew each)
Brigade Support Corps Support
Recce Squadron HQ of three Marmon- AT Troops of four 2 Pdrs
Herrington A/Cars
3-4 Troops of three armoured cars
Divisional Support Armoured Regiment
Armoured Car Squadron, organised as Squadron HQ of 3 tanks - Mk VIb or Matilda IIs
above, with Rolls Royce, Humber or 3 Troops each of 3 tanks
Marmon-Herrington cars. Divisional Support
AT Troops of four 37mm Bofors on 60 Pdr Batteries of 4 guns
portees 3.7” mountain gun batteries of 4 guns

Force Composition – North Africa

Australian Regular Company 1941 British Motorised Company
Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
One truck One 2” mortar (2 crew)
Boys AT rifle** (2 crew)
Two trucks
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 4 (3 from 1942 onwards)
Four rifle Sections each (8 men each) Four Rifle Sections (8 men each)
One 2” mortar (2 crew) 1 Boys AT rifle** (2 crew)
One Boys AT rifle(2 crew) One 2” mortar (2 crew)
4 trucks
Battalion Support Carrier Platoon
Four 3” mortars (3 crew each) Platoon HQ of 1 Carrier and 1 Daimler Scout
Three Boys AT rifles (2 crew each) Car.
Carrier Platoon as right four sections, each with 1 Boys AT rifle**,
Four 2 Pdr Anti Tank guns Vickers MMG and one 2” mortar with rifle
section mounted in three universal carriers.
Divisional Support Battalion Support
25 pdr troop of 4 guns (5 crew each) Two 3” mortars
AT Troop of four 2 pdr* guns (5 crew) Two Vickers MMGs (3 crew each)
MMG Platoon of 4 Vickers (3 crew) Four trucks
* These would have been upgraded to Armoured Regiment
6 Pdrs from 1942 Regimental HQ of 4 tanks
** PIATs from 1943 3 Squadrons, each of
SHQ of 4 tanks
4 Troops of 3 tanks each
Divisional Support
25 pdr Batteries of 4 guns
AT Battery of four 37mm Bofors* on portees
 12

Empire Regular Company 1942 On Arab Legion Company (Habforce Support)

Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
One truck Two Chevrolet trucks with Lewis Guns
Two Boys AT rifle (2 crew)
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 3
Three rifle Sections each (8 men Three Rifle Sections (8 men each) mounted in
each) Six Chevrolet trucks with Lewis Gun
One 2” mortar (2 crew)
One Boys AT rifle** (2 crew)
Battalion Support Column Support
Four 3” mortars (3 crew each) Two 2 Pdr Anti Tank guns (5 crew)
Carrier Platoon as above Three RAF Rolls Royce Armoured Cars
Four 2 Pdr Anti Tank guns (5 crew Two 25 Pdr Field Guns (5 crew)
each)
Divisional Support This force represents part of the Habforce
25 pdr troop of 4 guns (5 crew each) column that invaded Iraq and the eastern
AT Troop of four 6 pdr guns (5 crew) Syria to fight the Vichy French. The Arab
MMG Platoon of 4 Vickers (3 crew) Legion, dubbed Glubb’s Girls by the British,
** PIATs from 1943 with their knowledge of the desert, formed
the spear-point of their advances under Sir
John Baggot Glubb, or Glubb Pasha.

Commando Troop 1941 Yeomanry Squadron (horse mounted)

Troop Headquarters Squadron Headquarters
One rifle section (8 men)
Sections 1 – 2 Troops 1 – 3
Two rifle Sections each (8 men each) Four Rifle Sections (8 men each)
Two Bren teams (2 crew each) One Boys AT rifle (2 crew)
The Bren teams may combine to Fighting mounted for the last time in Syria, a
form a fire section. If so this fires Yeomanry Squadron would operate in
with 4D6 if stationary, but will lose attachment with an infantry force, protecting
one D6 for each casualty. flanks and offering reconnaissance abilities in
mountainous terrain.

Long Range Desert Group Patrol Special Air Service Patrol 1942 onwards
Sections 1-2 Jeep Patrol
Two rifle/SMG sections (8 men each) Five man squad in two jeeps mounting twin
Four Chevrolet trucks with mounted Vickers K Machine Guns or (later) Brownings.
weapons
Patrol Suppport SAS Patrols would operate in a particularly
One 37mm Bofors AT gun portee flexible fashion, with missions being
Two 3” mortars truck mounted undertaken from as little as two jeeps to
Four truck mounted MMGs larger operations, such as the sixteen jeep
This force operated on an ad hoc attack on Sidi Haneish.
basis, forming up units for specific
missions, as such the structure may Treat the teams as vehicles for game
be changed at will. Truck mounted purposes, but with any men dismounting
weapons can include Lewis guns, counting as Elite infantry with SMGs.
Boys AT rifle, Vickers K guns, 20mm
cannon or an array of captured
weapons.
 13

Card Allocation
Clearly one card will be included in the pack for each Platoon present, as well as
any support weapons or off table support the force may have. Anti-tank weapons
are represented by one card per weapon, with the player choosing the order in
which the guns or anti-tank rifles fire. As a generality tanks will operate on one
card per troop of three tanks reflecting the use of an efficient radio net. They may
use their initiative dice to act in any way desired.

Artillery support may have a dedicated observer or, alternatively, may be co-
ordinated by any “Big Man” present. For a British or Indian company sized infantry
force “Big Men” should be available at a ratio of one per Platoon with a further one
for the Company Commander. For Elite forces this can be increased to 1.5 per
Platoon. Other cards that may present are as follows.

Sniper. The British Army had a fine tradition of rifle shooting, and in numerous
situations snipers were a considerable annoyance to their enemy.

Air Support. May always be present.

Armoured Bonus Move. Always available for any Cruiser, Light armoured force or
fast moving units such as the LRDG or Special Air Service.

Rapid Deployment. Will always be available when facing Italians, or for

independent forces such as Jock columns, SAS or LRDG units.

Reconnaissance Force. Used for a dedicated recce unit such as light tanks,
armoured scout cars or motorcycles. This will be especially true for LRDG forces or
Arab Legion.

Skirl of the Pipes. Always available for units of the relevant cultural background.

Hesitant Troops. May be included, especially prior to El Alamein.

Petrol Shortage. This should often be included.

Vehicle Breakdown. Should always be present due to the harsh terrain.

Anti-Tank Gun Bonus. Always present for troops so armed.

Ammunition Shortage. May be present.

Rally. Always included for a British force facing Italians. May be present for a high
quality force facing Germans. This will allow troops to rally themselves without an
officer present.

Dynamic Commander. This should be used sparingly.

Heroic Leader. May be present, but sparingly.

Force Restrictions
British 2pdr tank and anti-tank guns fire solid shot only, and have no anti personnel
capability.
 14

FRANCE
The forces of France were divided at this time, between those loyal to the Vichy
government of Marshal Petain, and those who followed General de Gaulle’s Free
French movement. It is easy for us, with hindsight, to misunderstand these two
forces. Indeed, it was Petain that headed the legitimate government of France,
whereas de Gaulle was viewed as something of a renegade even among the Allied
powers. As such we should not downgrade the French forces fighting for the Vichy
government who were more than capable of resilience and bravery even against
former allies, as was seen in Madagascar, the Lebanon and Syria.

Both Vichy and Free French forces went to great lengths to maintain the traditions
of the French Army, and to forget the crushing defeat inflicted on their homeland
in 1940. Both forces were now obliged to operate in a restricted fashion. De
Gaulle’s men within the framework of an overall Allied strategy driven initially by
the British and then Anglo-American planners. Vichy forces were at first restricted
in their size by the agreement of the 1940 Armistice, but after their initial good
performance in West Africa and the Levant their numbers were allowed to be
increased, with 120,000 men under arms in North Africa alone.

Increasingly Free French troops would become equipped and armed with British
equipment, whilst Vichy French forces found their kit becoming more and more
obsolete. By the time of Operation Torch the outmoded nature of their equipment
was to serve as an insurmountable hurdle in their ability to defend themselves.
This was not to say that they did not try. Sometimes honour alone is sufficient.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3 4
Elite Troops 1,2,3 4,5 6,7 8,9 10
Good Troops 1,2,3,4 5,6 7,8 9,10
Poor Troops 1,2,3,4,5 6,7 8,9 10
Elite troops reflect the professional soldiers of the Legion, Free French Marines and
some better classes of colonial troops, such as the Senegalese Sharpshooters. Good
troops will be the bulk of French troops, whereas Poor troops will reflect the lower
quality militias such as those raised in the Levant. Legion troops may be given a +
designation.

Armour
Tank or vehicle Armour Class Weapon Strike Speed
Hotchkiss H-39 5 3 Average
Renault R-35 5 3 Slow
Renault FT-17 3 MGs Slow
Renault FT-18 3 3 Slow
Panhard AMD 178 3 3 Wheeled
Somua S-35 6 6 Average
Renault Char D1 4 6 Slow
Panhard-Zudel AM 2 3 or MG Slow Wheeled*
Chenard et Walker 2 MGs Slow Wheeled*
AM de Cavalerie White 2 3 Slow Wheeled*
AM White Dodge 2 3 Slow Wheeled*
All scout vehicles, light armoured cars and armoured personnel carriers are
considered to have an armour class of 2 unless listed as otherwise. *See the
theatre specific rule on Antique Armour for these vehicles.
 15

Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
25mm L72 Hotchkiss 4
75mm 1897 Field Gun 8
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
Infantry section 2 - - - -
MMG/HMG 3 3 2 2 1

Vichy Force Composition

Infantry Company Chasseur d’Afrique Mixed Group
Platoons 1 – 4 Tank Squadron Headquarters
Four rifle squads (10 men) One R-35 tank
Support Platoon Platoons 1 – 2
Two 60mm mortars (2 crew) Five R-35 tanks
OR two 37mm Infantry guns
Battalion Support Armoured Car Squadron Headquarters
Four Platoons of 4 MMGs each (3 crew One Armoured Car
each) Platoons 1 - 2
Two Hotchkiss 25mm AT guns (5 crew
each), horses Five Armoured Cars (these are very likely to
Four 81mm mortars (3 crew each) be “Antique Armour”)
Divisional Support Divisional Support
Batteries of four 75mm M1897 field Auxiliaires Autochtones Libanaise
guns or 155mm howitzers. Four rifle Squads (10 men)
AT Platoon of three 25mm AT guns. Truck mounted
Spahis Squadron Autocanon Section
Two troops of four rifle sections each Two 75mm Field guns mounted portee on
(10 men per section) White 5 ton trucks.

Free French Force Composition

Naval Infantry Company Free French Infantry Company
Platoons 1 – 4 Company Headquarters
Four rifle squads (10 men) One Boys AT rifle (2 crew)
Four trucks
Support Platoon Platoons 1 – 3
Three 60mm mortars (2 crew) Four rifle squads (10 men)
One truck
Battalion Support Support Platoon
Four MMGs each (3 crew each) Two 81mm mortars (3 crew)
Two Hotchkiss 25mm AT guns (5 crew Two Hotchkiss or Vickers MMGs (3 crew)
each) with Renault UE carriers
Four 81mm mortars (3 crew each)
Divisional Support Divisional Support
Batteries of four 75mm M1897 field Batteries of four 75mm M1897 field guns
guns or four British 25pdrs. AT Platoon of two 25mm AT guns, later 6
Tank Company pounders.
HQ of two H-39 tanks French tank formations would follow the
Three platoons of three H-39 each British model
 16

Card Allocation
One card will present for each infantry Platoon the force has. Anti-tank guns will
be represented with one card per weapon, with the player selecting in which order
they fire. Tanks and armoured vehicles will have one card each, their lack of radio
net restricting their ability to act in concert. Artillery support will be co-ordinated
by a dedicated observer. For a Company sized unit an elite French force would
have “Big Men” at a ratio of one per Platoon with an additional one for the
Company command. Good troops will reduce this by one, whilst poor troops will
reduce this by two, or even three.

In certain scenario driven situations the umpire may decide that some, or all,
French units will only move if accompanied by a “Big Man”. Other cards may be
present as follows.

Sniper. May be present for units of high quality.

Air Support. May be present at any time for the Free French, or for the Vichy
French in Syria.

Armoured Bonus Move. This may be present, certainly in Syria and the Lebanon.

Reconnaissance Force. May be present for any mounted force, or armoured car
formation.

Hesitant Troops. Will always be present for any Free French fighting against Vichy
forces.

Petrol Shortage. May be present.

Vehicle Breakdown. Will always be present due to the terrain.

Ammunition Shortage. May be present.

Poor Fire Discipline. French line troops may be considered to have poor fire
discipline.

Rally. May be available for high quality forces.

Dynamic Commander. Should always be present for any French force.

Heroic Leader. As above, may be available for any force.

Force Restrictions
Support weapons, such as anti-tank guns or mortars, may only move when ordered
to do so by a “Big Man” who is physically with them.

Indigenous French armour may not fire if it has already moved in its turn. This
reflects the fact that the tank commander is also responsible for loading, aiming
and firing the turret armament as well as commanding the tank’s movement.
 17

GERMANY
By 1941 the Wehrmacht was a fighting machine at its peak. With eighteen months
campaigning behind it, and relatively low losses, this was a truly veteran force,
with a high proportion of experienced officers and NCOs. Indeed an examination of
the forces that parachuted into Crete shows that these were the same men that
had conquered Eban Emael and seized the Dutch bridges.

What can one say about Rommel and the Afrika Korps that has not already been
said. By comparison with the British and Italian already fighting on the Western
Desert, the Afrika Korps is an impressive animal, not least because it was a
compact force specifically selected for its role.

In 1940 Rommel made a name for himself leading 7 Panzer Division. Now
commanding a Corps initially, and an Army later, he continued to build upon this
good name, to the point where he became a legend in his own right. Respected by
his opponents, he was, in that sense, an embodiment of the German forces in
Africa as a whole. Experienced, professional, and above all else confident, the
forces that served benefited from superior equipment and an officer corps that was
imbued with a sense of daring, and self-belief. This latter was exploited by the
German system of using mission orders, allowing flexibility and lateral thought
within their junior officers, and the capture of Belgrade by advanced elements of
the SS and Heer is a classic example of the inherent drive that set them apart from
their opponents

As a whole the Germans encountered in the Mediterranean from 1941 to 1943 will
be a force at its peak, it is represented thus within this supplement.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3 4
Elite German Infantry 1,2 3 4 5,6 7,8
First Rate Troops 1,2,3 4 5 6,7 8
Line Troops 1,2,3 4,5 6 7,8 -
Falschirmjager 1,2,3 4 5 6,7 8,9,10
Elite troops would be the nucleus of the Afrika Korps, falling to first rate as this
was expanded. Line troops may be involved in the Balkans campaign

Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
20mm FlaK 38 3
37mm PaK35 AT gun 3
50mm PaK38 AT gun 10
75mm PaK40 AT gun 12
88mm FlaK18 L56 16
105mm leFH L28 Field Gun 6
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
PzB38-39 4 3 2 2 1
Infantry section 2 - - - -
MMG 2 2 2 1 1
Infantry Flamethrower 5 2 - - -
 18

Armoured Vehicles
Vehicle Armour Class Weapon Strike Speed
SdKfz 221 2 MG Wheeled
SdKfz 222 2 3 Wheeled
SdKfz 231 & 232 (8 rad) 4 2 Wheeled
SdKfz 233 4 7 Wheeled
SdKfz234/3 4 - Wheeled
Panzer I A 2 Twin MGs Average
Panzer I B 2 Twin MGs Average
Panzer I Befehlswagen 2 Single MG Average
Panzer I C 2 Twin MGs Fast
Panzerjager I 2 7 Average
Panzer II C 2 3 Average
Panzer II F 4 3 Average
Marder II 4 12 Average
Marder III 2 12 Average
15cm sIG33 on Panzer II 2 12 Average
Panzer III F or G 3 5 Average
Panzer III H 5 5 Average
Panzer III J-L (or ‘Special’) 5 5 (L42) or 7 (L60) Average
StuG III D 6 7 Slow
Panzer IV C & D 4 7 Average
Panzer IV E 5 7 Average
Panzer IV F 6 7 Average
Panzer IV G (or Special) 6 12
Tiger I E 14 14 Slow
All scout vehicles, light armoured cars and armoured personnel carriers are
considered to have an armour class of 2 unless listed as otherwise.

Force Composition
Motorised Infantry Company Wehrmacht Line Company
Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
One rifle squad (8 men) One rifle squad (8 men)
4 MMGs (3 crew each) Four MMGs (3 crew each)
1 PzB 39 AT rifle (2 crew) One PzB 39 AT rifle (2 crew)
One kubelwagen, three trucks
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 3
Four rifle squads (8 men) Four rifle squads (8 men)
One 50mm mortar (2 crew) One 50mm mortar (2 crew)
Regimental Support Regimental Support
Six 80mm mortars (3 crew each) Three sections of two horse drawn 75mm
Two 75mm infantry guns (5 crew each). infantry guns (5 crew each).
Two SiG33 150mm Infantry Guns (5 crew) Two SiG33 150mm Infantry Guns (5 crew)
AT Platoon of three 37mm PaK35 AT guns AT Platoon of three 37mm PaK35 AT guns
(4 crew each) and one MMG. Lorry and (4 crew each) and one MMG. Horse drawn
half-track transport
Divisional Support Divisional Support
Batteries of four 105mm leFH18 or 150mm Batteries of four 105mm leFH18 or 150mm
sFH18 Field Guns sFH18 Field Guns
FlaK Platoon of three 88mm FlaK18 L56
with prime movers
 19

Falschirmjager Company Gebirgsjäger Company

Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
One Assault squad (10 men) One rifle squads (8 men)
Three 50mm mortars (2 crew each) Four MMGs (3 crew each)
Two PzB39 AT rifle (1 crew each)
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 3
Three Assault squads* (10 men) Four rifle squads (8 men)
One 50mm mortar (2 crew)
One PzB39 AT rifle (2 crew)
Regimental Support Regimental Support
Four MMGs (3 crew each) Six 81mm mortars (3 crew each)
Four 81mm mortars (3 crew) Three 37mm PaK35 AT guns (4 crew each)
Four 75mm Geb36 guns (4 crew each) and horse drawn.
one MMG (3 crew) Reconnaissance Platoon on cycles
Three 37mm PaK35 (4 crew each) Two 150mm SiG33 Infantry Guns (5 crew)
horse drawn.
Two 75mm IG18 Infantry guns, horse
drawn
*These assault squads would have a high Divisional Support
number of automatic weapons, giving Four 75mm GebK15 or GebG36 mountain
them a benefit at close range (see main guns with pack mules.
rules). Four 105mm FH18 Field guns, lorry drawn.

Panzer Company Engineer Platoon

Company Headquarters Three rifle squads (8 men)
Two tanks Three MMGs (3 crew each)
Platoons 1 – 3 Two flamenwerfer (1 crew)
Four to six tanks each. These would often One PzB39 (2 crew)
be with different tank models in each
Platoon, reflecting its light or medium
nature. (Pz III, 38t, in Light Coy; Pz IV and
Pz II (Recon) in Med Coy)
As the war progressed the Germans found themselves obliged to amend the
structure of the rifle company, both to reflect the disuse of obsolete weapons, and
the fall in available manpower.

The PzB 39 anti-tank rifle was discarded by the end of 1942, as was the 50mm
mortar. Infantry Platoons tended to fall to three squads, but these would often
field two LMGs each, especially in motorised units. In fact Rommel had
experimented with this option in France in 1940, and there is no reason why it
could not be used throughout the African campaign.

Forces of all nationalities were obliged to use motor transport for their troops due
to the harsh terrain and climate. Captured vehicles were used en masse, so your
Afrika Korps force could well be enhanced with some British, French or American
transport.

Four weapons reflected the Africa Korps besides its tanks. These were the towed
Pak 38 anti-tank guns and the 88mm Flak 36 used as an anti-tank gun. Added to
these in 42 were Russian built 76.2mm Pak 36(r) re-bored for the German 75mm
anti-tank gun ammunition. These guns were also found on the 66 Marder III issued
to the Africa Korps. The Pak 36(r) was as effective as the Pak 40 when the latter
 20

entered service and its effects were often thought to be caused by 88’s by the
British. Combined with the British tendency to penny packet its armour and charge
the anti-tank gun lines set up by the Germans, these towed anti-tank guns would
dominate.

Card Allocation
Clearly one card will be included in the pack for each Platoon present, as well as
any support weapons or off table support the force may have. Anti-tank guns are
represented by one card per weapon plus one additional AT bonus card (see
below), with the player choosing the order in which the guns or anti-tank rifles
fire. Tanks will always operate on one card per Platoon of tanks reflecting the use
of an efficient radio net. Artillery support will always operate with a dedicated
artillery spotter. For a Company sized infantry force “Big Men” should be available
at a ratio of 1.5 per Platoon with a further one for the Company Commander,
giving six “Big Men” for the model force stated. Other cards that may present are
as follows.

Sniper. May be present.

Air Support. May should be present in the Balkans, and may be present in North
Africa, but is more likely prior to El Alamein, and only during German offensives.

Artillery Support. May be present, will always be controlled by a Forward

Observer.

Blitzkrieg. Always present for any motorised force, tank or infantry.

Rapid Deployment. Always present for any German force of this period.

Reconnaissance Force. Present for the relevant troops type.

Petrol Shortage. May be present.

Vehicle Breakdown. Will always be present.

AT Bonus Fire. One bonus card for each Platoon of AT guns.

Machine Gun Bonus Fire. Always present for any German force of this period.

Mortar Bonus Fire. Always present for any infantry force of Company level or
above.

Rally. May be present throughout the campaign.

Dynamic Commander. May be present if desired.

Heroic Leader. May be present.

Force Limitations
German 50mm mortars do not fire smoke shells, only HE.
 21

GREECE
Like most Balkan armies, the Greeks' were essentially a First World War force,
lacking any real transport corps other than mules and horses. Budgetary
constraints played a large part in restricting the equipment available, and a
programme of purchasing tanks from France was cut short in June of 1940 before
any had been delivered. As such the Greeks were largely dependent upon charity
from their allies, and friendly powers such as the United States.

Despite their material shortfalls the Greeks were hardy fighters, proud of their
martial and cultural heritage, and ideally suited for warfare in the rough
mountainous terrain which maximised their advantages. Initially falling back
before the Italian advance, the Greeks quickly turned the tables, and steady
advances saw them push their opponent back into southern Albania, capturing
several key towns, one major port, and many thousand Italian prisoners.

Indeed as the campaign went on the Greeks found themselves better equipped,
turning captured weapons on their former owners, and, with British help from
stocks captured at Tobruk, equipping two tank battalions with Italian models.

Greece's downfall was finally bought about by the defeat of Yugoslavia in such a
short period of time, which allowed the Germans to pin Greek forces on the
Metaxas line, whilst simultaneously striking into the heart of the country almost
unopposed. A forced withdrawal from Albania to react to this fresh threat, saw an
army lacking in transport unable to shift its centre of gravity, and subsequently
collapse.

As a whole the Greek army performed well against the Italians, being stoic, good
quality troops, if somewhat lacking in flexibility. Their Evzones, elite troops, were
the equal of anything the Italians could field.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3
Evzones 1,2 3,4 5 6,7,8
Line troops 1,2,3 4,5 6 7,8

Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
47mm L39/40 AT gun 6
37mm Rheinmetal AT gun 3
75mm Field gun in AT role 6
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
Boys .55" AT Rifle 3 2 2 1 -
Solothurn 20mm AT rifle 5 4 4 3 3
Infantry section 1 - - - -
HMG with AT ammunition 3 3 2 2 1

Greek Armour
Tank Armour Weapon Strike Speed
M13/40 4 5 Average
L3/35 2 MGs or AT rifle Average
 22

Force Composition
Infantry Company Tank Battalion
Company Headquarters Headquarters
AT rifle (2 crew) - 1941 only One M13/40 tank or L3/35 tankette
One Bren carrier
Platoons 1 – 3 Companies 1 – 3
Four rifle squads (8 men) Three tanks each
One 45mm mortar (2 crew) - 1941 only
Regimental Support Units serving on the Metaxas line may be
Four MMGs with mules (3 crew each) supported by up to five 37mm Rheinmetal
Two 65mm St Ettienne mountain gun (5 AT guns.
crew each)
Four 81mm mortars (3 crew each) Units serving against the German tanks
may deploy 75mm De Bange system shells
as minefields.
Divisional Support
Three 75mm Field Guns The numbers of captured mortars used
Two 47mm M32 AT guns or two 75mm has been reduced to reflect their
Field Guns with AT ammunition (4 crew ineffectiveness.
each)

Card Allocation
One card will be included in the pack for each Platoon present, as well as any
support weapons or off table support the force may have. Artillery fire will be
controlled by a forward observer. For a Company sized infantry force “Big Men”
should be available at one per platoon. Other cards that may present are as
follows.

Artillery Support. This may be present, and will always be so with pre-registered
targets on the Metaxas line and on the stabilised Albanian front.

Hesitant Troops. Always present for Greek troops on Crete.

Vehicle Breakdown. Will always be present in the extremely unlikely event that
the Greeks have tanks or motor vehicles.

Ammunition Shortage. May be present towards the end of the campaign.

Poor Fire Discipline. Some Greek troops may be considered to have Poor fire
discipline while on the mainland. On Crete all should be considered as having
Dreadful fire discipline.

Rally. May be present for line troops, and will always be so for Evzones.

Hesitant Commander. May be present.

Heroic Leader. May be present.

Force Restrictions.
Some motor transport was provided for the Greeks, but a more realistic reflection
would be to never allow them this luxury. The Greeks may benefit from RAF
support when fighting against the Italians, but not against the Germans.
 23

Iraq
Created as a nation at the end of the Great War by combining the former Ottoman
provinces of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul, Iraq was initially a British Mandate but, in
line with colonial policy, was given its independence in 1932. A twenty-five year
treaty agreement was undertaken linking Britain and Iraq in terms of mutual
support and assistance. As part of this arrangement Britain maintained a small
presence in the shape of RAF bases in order to protect the fledgling nation and her
own oil interests.

Suffice to say that early Axis victories saw Iraq waver in her support for Britain,
and the pro-Axis Rashid Ali seized power in 1941. His perception that the Axis
were in a position to provide him with real material support against the British led
to his over-reaching decision to come into direct conflict with the British.

On the 30th of April 1941 the Iraqi Army took positions on a plateau overlooking
Habbaniya RAF base, and demanded that all movement on the ground or in the air
cease. This grave error of judgement saw Iraq face the wrath of the RAF in the
form of their outdated training aircraft strafing Iraqi positions before the base
defence garrison, made up largely of Christian Iraqis, advanced to clear them off
the high ground, thereby relieving pressure on the base.

A British relief column, Habforce, had been despatched from Palestine entering
Iraq on the 9th of May having been lead across the desert by the Bedouin troops of
the Arab Legion. Some Luftwaffe assistance was now appearing, flying from bases
at Mosul and in Vichy French Syria, but this was too little too late. Despite vastly
outnumbering the British the Iraqis were powerless to stop them advancing on
Baghdad and restoring the legitimate, pro-British government.

The Iraqis were undoubtedly completely out-soldiered in this brief campaign, but
their performance was not as lack-lustre as the results suggest. Their troops were
always prepared to make a dogged defence of positions, such as that against the
Arab Legion at Rutbah, or brave counter-attacks as occurred on the road to
Baghdad.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3
Iraqi Infantry 1,2,3,4 5 6,7 8

Iraqi Armour
Tank Armour Weapon Strike Speed
Fiat CV33 2 MGs Average
Crossley Armoured Car 2 MG Wheeled

Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
2 Pdr, 40mm L/50 or L/52 5
18 Pounder 4
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
Boys .55" AT Rifle 3 2 2 1 -
Infantry section 1 - - - -
MMG/HMG 2 2 1 1 1
 24

Iraqi Regular Company An Iraqi force should be short on support

Company Headquarters weapons unless the operations are around
One Boys Anti-Tank rifle Habbaniya. To represent to inefficiency of
Platoons 1 – 3 their weapon crews it should be noted that
Four rifle Sections each (8 men each) they crew number have been reduced.
Battalion Support
Two 3” mortars (3 crew each)
Two Vickers MMGs (2 crew each)
Divisional Support
Four armoured cars or tankettes.
Four 3.7” howitzers
Four 4.5” howitzers
Four 18 pdr Field Guns (4 crew)
Two 2 pdr Anti Tank guns (3 crew)

Card Allocation
One card will be included in the pack for each Platoon present, as well as any
support weapons or off table support the force may have. Artillery fire will be
unobserved and uncorrected. For a Company sized infantry force one “Big Man”
should be available in total. Other cards that may present are as follows.

Air Support. This may be present in the form of the Luftwaffe.

Artillery Support. This may be present but without a Forward Observer. Ideally a
direct fire role will be undertaken.

Hesitant Troops. This will always be present for an Iraqi force.

Vehicle Breakdown. Will always be present.

Poor Fire Discipline. Iraqi fire discipline may be considered dreadful or abysmal.

Hesitant Commander. Will always be present.

Heroic Leader. This may be present.

 25

ITALY

Since 1912 the Italians had had an empire in North Africa, and this had been added
to with the invasion of Abyssinia in 1936. The Italian Army paid the price for the
Duce’s early investment in technology, fine for fighting a colonial war, such as that
in Abyssinia; by 1940 its equipment was largely out of date. Indeed the British
were amazed at the poor quality of virtually all Italian weapons when they made
their initial captures during Operation Compass.

The Italian soldier was generally poorly led at senior level, where political
dedication was considered primary, above military ability. Nevertheless Rommel
himself identified certain divisional formations, such as the Ariete armoured
division, that could be relied upon to perform well. Generally the Italian troops
were capable of performing well when led by enthusiastic junior officers. It was
within the specialist corps, such as the Bersaglieri and artillery where these tended
to be found, and these forces were able to display an élan and esprit de corps that
does them lasting credit.

Italian armour and aircraft were both plentiful, but again lacking in quality. The
tanks were generally weakly armoured and their weaponry was under-gunned. This
was less of a problem in the early stages of the war in Africa, but increasingly
became an issue as better Allied tanks were introduced.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3
Bersaglieri 1,2 3,4 5 6,7,8
Good troops 1,2,3 4,5 6,7 8
Poor troops 1,2,3,4 5,6 7,8
Within their individual divisions the Italians achieved a degree of homogeneity, so
good troops would tend to be all those in the better formations, whilst others were
entirely made up of poor troops. As a rules blackshirt formations tended to be
poorer troops than their regular army comrades.

Italian Armour
Tank Armour Weapon Strike Speed
L3/35 2 MGs or AT rifle Average
L6/40 4 3 Average
Semovente L40 da 47/32 4 4 Average
M11/39 4 4 Average
M13/40 4 5 Average
Semovente M40 da 75/18 5 4 Average
Carro Commando M41 4 MG Average
M15/42 5 6 Average
Semovente M42 da 75/34 5 8 Average
Autoblinda 40 2 MGs Wheeled
Autoblinda 41 2 3 Wheeled
Fiat 611 2 3 Wheeled
Ansaldo M6/40 5 3 Average
 26

Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
20 mm L.65 Breda AA/AT-Gun 3
47 mm L.36 Fiat 47/32 M35 5
47mm L39/40 AT gun 6
65mm M13 Mountain Guns 3
75mm M15 Skoda Field gun 8
90mm L58 AAA gun 14
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
Solothurn 20mm AT rifle 5 4 4 3 3
Infantry section 1 - - - -
MMG/HMG 2 2 2 1 1

Force Composition – East Africa

Grenadier Company Colonial Infantry Company (Line or Black
Shirt)
Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
2 rifle squads (8 men) 2 Rifle squad (8men)
One 45mm mortar (2 crew)
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 3
4 rifle squads (8 men) 4 rifles squads (8 men)
Support Platoon Battalion Support
Three Breda MMGs with mules (3 crew Four Breda MMGs (2 or 3 crew each)
each) Black Shirt recce Platoon of four sections
One 45mm mortar (2 crew) with no LMGs.
Three Solothurn 20mm AT rifles (2 crew
each)
Regimental Support Brigade Support
Three 81mm mortars Two to four 81mm mortars (3 crew each)
Four 65mm M13/15 mountain guns (6 crew
each)
Divisional Support N.B. The Italian 45mm mortar was
Four 105mm M13, or 65mm mountain notoriously useless; as such I have
guns, or 75mm Skoda M15 artillery drastically reduced the numbers
batteries represented by a ratio of one to three.
Corps Support
Tank Battalion as follows. Italian rifle platoons were often split into
Three tankette companies, each with two sections. These would have two sub-
three platoons of four CV33 or CV35 each. squads, one with all rifles, and the other
One tank company with threeplatoons of with two LMGs. Should you wish to
five M11/39 each. replicate this, then add one fire dice to
Seven armoured car companies, with the LMG squad, and remove one dice from
three platoons of five Lancia IZ or Fiat the rifle section. The Black Shirt recce
611 each. sections should have one dice removed,
likewise.
 27

Force Composition – North Africa

Infantry Company Bersaglieri Company Option (1942)
Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
Two rifle squads (8 men) Two Rifle squads(8men)
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 2
Four rifle squads (8 men) Four rifle squads (8 men)
Battalion Support Platoon 3
Three Breda MMGs with mules (3 crew Three Breda MMGs (3 crew each)
each) Platoon 4
One 45mm mortar (2 crew) Three 47mm M32 AT guns (5 crew each)
Three Solothurn 20mm AT rifles (2 crew One rifle squad (8 men)
each)

Regimental Support Tank Company (1942)

Three 81mm mortars Headquarters of two M13/40 or M14/41
Four 47mm M32 AT guns (4 crew each) Three platoons, each of four tanks.
These may be on portees.
Divisional Support N.B. The Italian 45mm mortar is reduced,
Six 81mm mortars. as above, by a ratio of one to three.
Four 100mm M17 artillery batteries
Corps Support
Tank Battalion as follows.
Three tankette companies, each with
three platoons of four CV33 or CV35 each.
One tank company with threeplatoons of
five M11/39 each.
Seven armoured car companies, with
three platoons of five Lancia IZ or Fiat
611 each.

Sahariana Company Garrison Company

Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
One rifle squad (8 men) One LMG (2 man crew)
One truck with mounted weapons
Platoons 1 – 2 Platoons 1 - 3
Four rifle squads (8 men) Four rifle squads (8 men)
Four trucks with mounted MMGs One 45mm mortar
Platoon 3 MMG Platoon
Two trucks mounting 47mm AT guns Four MMGs
Platoon 4 Three rifle squads (8 men)
Four trucks mounting 20mm Breda cannon

Card Allocation
One card will be included in the pack for each Platoon present, as well as any
support weapons or off table support the force may have. For a Company sized
infantry force of top quality troops, such as Bersaglieri, one “Big Men” should be
available per platoon and one more for the Company commander. For good quality
units up to one per Platoon may be present, although this could be reduced by one
if desired. For poor units one or no Big Men should be present, units moving under
their own steam. Other cards that may present are as follows.
 28

Air Support. Either German or Italian air support may be present.

Artillery Support. This may always be present, but will only benefit from a
Forward Observer if the force is of good quality troops. Otherwise no fire
adjustment will be possible.

Armoured Bonus. May be present if desired.

Reconnaissance Force. May be present if such a force is present.

Hesitant Troops. Sadly will always be present for any Italian force.

Vehicle Breakdown. Will always be present.

Mortar Bonus Fire. This will always be available for any Italian light
(45mm) mortars, due to their rapid fire capability.

Ammunition Shortage. May be present due to supply problems.

Poor Fire Discipline. This should always be present. Italian troops may
have poor, dreadful or even abysmal fire discipline.

Hesitant Commander. Will always be present for poor troops, and may be
present for good troops.

Dynamic Commander. May be present for elites, such as Bersaglieri.

Heroic Leader. Very, very occasionally!

 29

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The United States entered the war following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour
with a grim determination to do the job rather than any sense of euphoria. In the
fight against Germany & Italy, her first involvement came with the commitment of
ground forces to North Africa with Operation Torch, the Anglo-American landings in
Morocco. Here, and in subsequent fighting in this region the inexperienced
Americans were to cut their teeth.

At Kasserine Pass the US Army was to learn just how effective their German
opponents could be, but learn they did. Their experiences were an effective first
blooding, and this baptism of fire taught lessons that they were to well remember
during their subsequent campaigns in Europe.

What the US forces lacked in experience they made up for with the quality and
quantity of materiel. With secure bases established on the western coastline of
Africa they were able to commit resources that the Germans could only dream of.
The double pronged attacks from US, British and French forces in the west and the
8th Army in the east resulted in the German and Italians being forced back into
Tunisia at first, and then out of Africa all together.

In North Africa the Americans utilised slightly different formation structures to

those that they subsequently assumed for Overlord. These are reflected below.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3 4
Experienced Infantry 1,2,3 4 5,6 7,8,9,10
Inexperienced Infantry 1,2,3,4,5 6 7 8,9,10
The two classifications should be used before and after Kasserine Pass.

Armoured Vehicles
Vehicle Armour Class Weapon Strike Speed
M3 Stuart 5 5 Fast
M3 Lee 7 Turret 5,Hull 7 Average
M4 Sherman 8 9 Average
T19 HMC Half-track 105mm 2 5 Average
M2 & M3 Half-track, personnel 2 MG or MGs Average
M2A1 3 3 Average
M3 75mm Motor Gun Carriage 2 7 Fast
M6 37mm Motor Gun Carriage 2 5 Wheeled
White Scout Car 2 Vehicle Specific Wheeled
All scout vehicles, light armoured cars and armoured personnel carriers as
considered to have an armour class of 2 unless listed as otherwise.

Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
37mm M3 Anti Tank gun 5
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
Bazooka 11 11 11 11 -
Infantry section 1 - - - -
MMG 3 2 2 1 1
0.5" HMG 3 3 3 2 1
 30

Force Composition
Infantry Company Armoured Rifle Company
Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
One rifle squad (10 men) 1 Rifle squad (10 men)
One 37mm M3/A1 AT guns (5 crew each)
One M2 halftrack
Platoons 1 – 3 Platoons 1 – 3
Three rifle squads (10 men) Two rifles squads (10 men)
One 60mm mortar (2 crew)
One 37mm M3/A1 AT gun (5 crew)
Two 0.30 Browning MMGs (3 crew each)
Five M2 halftracks
Weapons Platoon Armoured Inf Battalion Support
Three 0.30 Browning MMGs(3 crew each) Three T19 or M7 105mm HMC
Three 60mm mortars (2 crew each) Four 81mm mortars half-track mounted
Three Bazooka teams (2 crew each)
Battalion Support Tank Battalion Support
Four 37mm M3/A1 AT guns (5 crew each) Three T19 105mm howitzer Motor Gun
Four 0.30 Browning MMGs (3 crew each) Carriages.
Four 81mm mortars (3 crew each) Three 81mm mortars half track mounted.
Recce Platoon of one halftrack and five
Jeeps mounting 0.30 Brownings
Regimental Support N.B. The M3/A1 anti tank gun had AP and
Six T30 75mm howitzer Motor Gun cannister ammunition only. This is
Carriages represented by allowing it to fire HE at a
Divisional Support range of under 9”
Four gun battery of 155mm M1 Field Guns
Four gun battery of 105mm M2A1 Field
Guns.
Two M3 37mm Motor Gun Carriages

Card Allocation
One card will be present for each Platoon. Any vehicles will have one card per
platoon to reflect their good radio net. Anti-tank guns, and SP tank destroyers if
the player wishes, are represented by one card per weapon, with the player
choosing the order in which the guns fire. Artillery support will have a dedicated
observer present. For a Company sized force “Big Men” should be present at a
ratio of one per Platoon with an extra one for the Company commander. Other
cards may be present as follows.

Sniper. This card may be present for any experienced force.

Air Support. This card may be present presuming airfields are available. In
Tunisia the Allied air fields were turned to mud by the rains, while the Germans
were operating off concrete runways near Tunis, so the Germans had air support
for most of this period, but the Allies didn’t.

Artillery Support. This may always be available.

Armoured Bonus Card. This should always be available.

Rapid Deployment. This will be available for any motorised force.

 31

Hesitant Troops. This will be present for any inexperienced force.

Petrol Shortage. This may be included.

Vehicle Breakdown. This will always be present.

Reconnaissance Force. This should be used for a dedicated recce unit.

Machine Gun Fire Bonus. This may be included.

Poor Fire Discipline. This should be present early in the North African campaign
up to just after Kasserine. After Kasserine it is used only for Green US units.

Dynamic Commander. This may be used with any force.

Force Limitations
The US 60mm mortar fires as a light mortar, but on a roll of a 6 it will case one
actual hit in addition to the automatic wound.
 32

YUGOSLAVIA

The history of Yugoslavia is a sorry one generally, and the chapter during the
Second World War is no exception. A nation created at the end of the Great War,
Yugoslavia was dominated by its Serbian community, largely to the exclusion of
Croat and Bosnian minorities. This created problems generally, but in the face of
German aggression saw the complete collapse of her armed forces.

As with Greece, the Yugoslavian army was essentially a force still in the past.
Indeed her uniforms were largely that of the Serbian Army that had played such an
heroic role in that terrible conflict.

The political events that frame the events of April 1941 are a catalogue of disasters
for the Yugoslav people. Neutral, but inclined towards the Allies, the Yugoslav
government did all it could to avoid being dragged into a war where it would have
no friends and many enemies. Obliged to sign up to the Tri-partite pact, Prince
Paul, the Regent, saw his ruling council overthrown by a military coup in a wave of
popular support for Britain, the old ally. Hitler reacted with venom, launching
"Operation Punishment" to knock the Yugoslavs out of the war, and then free a
route to Greece.

The bombing of Belgrade on the morning of the 6th of April saw the centralised
communications network used by the Yugoslav military and government knocked
out. Almost immediately the Army began to fall apart with the Croats in the north
deserting en masse, and in some cases actively assisting the invaders.

Key bridges that should have been blown delaying the German advance were left
intact, and within a week Belgrade had fallen to the Germans. Limited counter
attacks by the army were repulsed easily, and achieved nothing. The campaign was
an unmitigated disaster.

As a whole the Yugoslav army was disjointed and riven with ethic strife. The policy
of troops from certain areas serving together saw many non-Serb units lay down
their arms en masse. The troops represented below are Serbian elements of the
army, but reflects the fall in morale due to their hopeless situation.

Infantry
Troops/Dice 0 1 2 3
Line troops 1,2,3,4 5 6,7 8

Anti-Tank Weapons
Weapon Weapon Strike
47mm Skoda vz 36 6
25mm L72 Hotchkiss 4
37mm Skoda vz 37 4
Infantry Anti-Tank 0-4" 4-8" 8-12" 12-16" 16-24”
Infantry section 1 - - - -
MMG 2 2 2 1 1
 33

Yugoslav Armour
Tank Armour Weapon Strike Speed
Renault FT-17 3 3 or MGs Slow
Renault R-35 5 3 Slow
T 32 Skoda S-I-d Assault Gun 3 4 (37mm gun) Average

Force Composition
Infantry Company Tank Company
Company Headquarters Company Headquarters
Four tanks
Platoons 1 – 4 Platoons 1-3
Two rifle squads with LMGs (8 men) Four tanks
Two rifle only squads
Battalion Platoon Battalion Support
Four Breda MMGs (3 crew each) Four S-I-d Self propelled guns
Two 81mm mortars (3 crew each)
Divisional Support
Four 75mm Field Guns
Four 100mm Field Guns

Card Allocation
One card will be included in the pack for each Platoon present, as well as any off
table support the force may have. Tanks will operate on one card per vehicle to
reflect lack of radio net. Artillery fire will be unobserved and uncorrected. For a
Company sized infantry force two “Big Men” should be available in total. Other
cards that may present are as follows.

Artillery Support. This may always be present, but will only benefit from a
Forward Observer if troops are defending a set position.

Reconnaissance Force. May be present if such a force is present.

Hesitant Troops. Will often be present.

Vehicle Breakdown. Will always be present.

Ammunition Shortage. This may be present.

Poor Fire Discipline. Some Yugoslav units may be considered to have Poor fire
discipline.

Hesitant Commander. This may be present.

Force Restrictions.
In certain scenario specific situations, any artillery support called for may not
arrive at all due to pro-German elements at battery.