Djedeida 29 November 1942 Tunisia - Preliminary

The excellent Hexes and Squares site has recently added a Rommel scenario for the battle of Djedeida (which I think is pronounced Jay-day-da) which can be found here.

I converted the square map to hexes.  Djedeida is E9 and Tebourba is at D2.

While assembling the forces and bits of terrain, I thought I would look up the battle and see what extra information was available.

From North West Africa - Seizing the Initiative:

The Allied drive toward Tunis reached its climax on 29 November. The 11th Infantry Brigade Group renewed its assault on Djedeida after a half-hour's artillery preparation of high explosive and smoke shells at dawn, followed by an attack of the 5th Battalion, Northamptonshire Regiment, and a dozen American tanks of the 2d Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment. The enemy leaped to his guns when the barrage lightened and hit the tanks with antitank and heavy machine gun fire as they came over a ridge and rolled down the forward slope. Enemy airplanes were extremely effective. Tanks which pulled back to defilade found no cover from repeated dive-bombing in the open, rolling countryside. Enemy air attacks, more intense than those of any previous day, also harried the infantry as it broke off the assault. These attacks continued as one portion of the infantry organized a defensive line at the ridge while the remainder withdrew to Tebourba.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tunisian_campaign:

By late 26 November 11th Brigade had taken positions in and around Tebourba, which had  been evacuated by the Germans, preparatory to advancing on Djedeida. However, on 27 November the Germans attacked in strength. 11th Brigade tried to regain the initiative in the early hours of 28 November, attacking toward Djedeida airfield with the help of US armour. On 29 November, Combat Command B of US 1st Armored Division had concentrated forward for an attack in conjunction with Blade Force planned for 2 December. They were forestalled by an Axis counter-attack, led by Major-General Wolfgang Fischer, whose 10th Panzer Division had just arrived in Tunisia. By the evening of 2 December, Blade Force had been withdrawn, leaving 11th Brigade and Combat Command B to deal with the Axis attack. The attack threatened to cut off 11th Brigade and break through into the Allied rear, but desperate fighting over four days delayed the Axis advance and permitted a controlled withdrawal to the high ground on each side of the river west of Terbourba.

And from Osprey Campaign 312 Operation Torch

The following morning, November 29, the reinforced 11th Brigade Group attacked again. Forced to advance through open ground, 11th Brigade Group was savaged by Stukas. Enduring the relentless dive-bombing, a British Army captain conceded, “Like all things German, it is very efficient and goes
on much too long.” Unknown to either side, Torch had reached its high water mark; Tunis’ minarets were faintly visible from Djedëida, “to remain a haunting memory through many tough days ahead,” recollected a US tank commander. The Allies would not again come so close to Tunis until May 1943.

 The assembled Axis forces, just missing a towed 75mm gun.

 And the Allies - just missing three M5s.

The joy of retail shopping.  

Found what I needed in Tactics.  

Yeah!

With the terrain, just need to make some bridges for my new river segments, perhaps some small rocks/shrubbery to hide/secure the joins, palm trees (although I think the areas are more olive groves) and two suitable buildings for the urban areas.  Simon has signed up for the palm trees and could have and still might, supply the M5s.  Then it's just a matter of finding the time...

Operation Ochsenkopf Take Three

This time I took the British and Stephen went German.  It was a vicious game, unlike previous playthroughs of this excellent scenario from https://www.hexesandminiatures.com/.

The game took between four to five hours to complete the sixteen turns, which included time for lunch.

 With the exception of this photo, all the others are from the British side.

The Germans have Kampfgruppe Lang on the right and 

two regiments of the 334th Division covering the centre and left.

Beja is on the left and if I have my locations correct, 

that is Sidi Nsir on the far right with Hunt's Gap in the middle.

German armour makes an immediate probe towards Beja.

Sidi Nsir is isolated and attacked.

Sidi Nsir is surrounded and attacked again.

The Axis try an outflanking attack towards Beja.

End of the first turn.

The British 11th Brigade attempts to breakthrough to Sidi Nsir.

At the same time the Irish Horse launch a counterattack.

End of the second turn.

Again the Axis attack Sidi Nsir 

as well as attacking the British force that was trying to breakthrough to relieve the town.

The Germans start attacks against Hunt's Gap.

The German armour gets serious about taking Beja.

End of the third turn.

Another British attack to relieve Sidi Nsir.

Followed by further German attacks

to take Sidi Nsir and stop the British relief attempts.

The attack continues on Hunt's Gap.

And just to complete the picture,

Beja comes under further attack.

The situation at Sidi Nsir is desperate, its defenders are down to their last man.

Will the British counterattack to reestablish contact and reinforce Sidi Nsir succeed?

The clash of heavy armour on the approaches to Beja,

has seen the Churchills triumph over the Tigers.

Big picture around the end of turn eight, midday.

The 11th Brigade has established contact with the defenders of Sidi Nsir. 

There has been a minor retreat by the British on the right of Hunt's Gap,

but the situation facing Beja has stabilised.

The situation at Sidi Nsir has reached critical.

The Axis maintain their attack on Hunt's Gap and the approaches to Beja.

Sidi Nsir is again surrounded,

but the British have been able to dig in around Hunt's Gap.

The valiant defenders of Sidi Nsir are about to be wiped out.

Attacks towards Beja continue.

The Germans tentatively try to work their way around Hunt's Gap.

The final attack to capture Sidi Nsir.

The Germans used up all their replacements to finally take this objective.

Desperate German attack to outflank Hunt's Gap.

And further desperate attacks to break through to Beja.

While the Germans have been buoyed by their success in capturing Sidi Nsir,

the Irish Horse have been able to swing round the German right flank.

The final Axis attack on the flank of Hunt's Gap.

The Germans attempt to maintain their right flank.

The British 128th Brigade goes on the offensive,

striking out from Hunt's Gap.

And the 138th Brigade supported by the Irish Horse strike at the German right.

The attack by the 128th is within a whisker of capturing an objective.

The Germans launch a final attack to secure their right flank.

It comes at heavy cost as the British maintain their attacks.

And so ended a game of almost constant attack (Stephen at his most aggressive) and cautious counterattack (me trying to get a victory in the face of Stephen's lucky dice - sometimes).  This was very much a game/battle of attrition.  It was a draw as both sides won one and lost one objective.

Supplementary close up photos from Stephen's phone:

Operation Ochsenkopf in 6 inches

After playing this scenario with Simon on Saturday, I was able to play it again with Richard on Thursday.  However I had made a big effort and drew up a 6 inch hex mat.  The previous game had been on my commercial 4 inch hex mat which had proved a tad squishy.

The first of many German attacks on one of the urban areas (C10)

and objective points.

The panzer grenadiers of Kampfgruppe Lang make an attack hoping to clear a way to Beja.

Another attack is made toward Beja, but the British have dug in.

The Germans are having a tough time fighting for the urban area (C10).

It really has become a battle of attrition.

However it is captured and the German infantry press on.

Back towards Beja and the Germans are trying to outflank the British defences.

British counterattacks go in against the urban area (C10).

The Churchills come out to play.

The last desperate counterattack to try and retake the urban area and the critical objective (C10).

The game plays much better on the 6 inch hexes, I just need to redo some of the terrain pieces.

The tactics needed for this scenario still aren't clear to me; a few more plays are required. 

This was Richard's first game of Rommel and he picked it up quickly and seemed to enjoy it.