From Tobruk To Tunis

This book focuses on the extent to which the physical terrain features across Egypt, Libya and Tunisia affected British operations throughout the campaign in North Africa during the Second World War. One main theme of the work analyses the terrain from the operational and tactical perspective and argues that the landscape features heavily influenced British operations and should now be considered alongside other standard military factors. The work differs from previous studies in that it considers these additional factors for the entire campaign until the Axis surrender in May 1943. Until now it has been widely assumed that much of the Western Desert coastal plateau was a broadly level, open region in which mobile armored operations were paramount. However this work concentrates on the British operations to show they were driven by the need to capture and hold key features across each successive battlefield. At the operational level planning was led by the need to hold key ground across Libya and especially the province of Cyrenaica during the crucial middle period of the campaign. A secondary theme of the work argues that British forces began to improvise certain tactical doctrines, which altered the early practice of combined arms assaults into one of the Infantry and Armored formations fighting largely separated battles until the autumn of 1942. Other developments in doctrine which were affected by the terrain included the practice of unit dispersal to hold key ground and the use of temporary units such as Jock columns to harass and engage the enemy. The two themes are inter-linked and contribute fresh insights to the debate on British methods of warfare. The author has consulted key primary documents, reports, war diaries and published memoirs, from major UK archives and compared these with the campaign historiography to develop the main themes of the work. These include the National Archives, the Churchill Archives Center, the Liddell-Hart Center for Military History, the National Army Museum, John Rylands Center, Imperial War Museum at London and Duxford and London and the Tank Museum Archives at Bovington. The sources include unit war diaries, after action reports, along with many of the key published and some unpublished memoirs. His text is supported by 24 pages of specially commissioned color maps.

Fighting Rommel examines how and why some armies innovate under pressure while others do not. Focusing on the learning culture of the British Imperial Forces, it looks at the Allied campaign during the Second World War against the Afrika Korps of Rommel. The volume highlights the hitherto unexplored yet key role of the British Indian Army, the largest volunteer force in the world. It also introduces ‘learning culture’ as a heuristic device. Further, it goes on to analyze military innovation on the battlefield, in victory and defeat. A major intervention in the study of the Second World War, this book will be indispensable to scholars and researchers of military history, especially British and German, battlefield history, and defence and strategic studies.

Robert Forczyk covers the development of armoured warfare in North Africa from Rommel's Gazala offensive in 1942 through to the end of war in the desert in Tunisia in 1943. The war in the North African desert was pure mechanized warfare, and in many respects the most technologically advanced theatre of World War II. It was also the only theatre where for three years British and Commonwealth, and later US, troops were in constant contact with Axis forces. World War II best-selling author Robert Forczyk explores the second half of the history of the campaign, from the Gazala offensive in May 1942 that drove the British forces all the way back to the Egyptian frontier and led to the fall of Tobruk, through the pivotal battles of El Alamein, and the final Allied victory in Tunisia. He examines the armoured forces, equipment, doctrine, training, logistics and operations employed by both Allied and Axis forces throughout the period, focusing especially on the brigade and regimental level of operations. Fully illustrated throughout with photographs, profile artwork and maps, and featuring tactical-level vignettes and appendices analysing tank data, tank deliveries in-theatre and orders of battle, this book goes back to the sources to provide a new study of armoured warfare in the desert.

The publisher of The Boardgamer magazine created five special issues devoted entirely to one game within the Avalon Hill catalog. They were known as Unofficial Player guides, but were considered the best collection of new information, variants, scenarios, rules variations, errata, inserts, and new articles written for these games. Fans loved the materials, because it delivered new life into a game that was forgotten by Avalon Hill, but still cherished by the players. This item is the collection of all five guides for 1776, PanzerBlitz, Panzer Leader, War at Sea, and B-17 Queen of the Skies. Below is a description of each guide: A. This player's guide, the first in a series of five, is dedicated to the naval wargame War At Sea The articles include: Victory In The Atlantic - Strategic Considerations and a Variety of British Opening Moves Admirals Raedar and Doenitz Would’ve Been Proud - Axis Play In War At Sea Mediterranean Strategies - The Exciting Approach To War At Sea Why I’m A “Barents On One” Believer - Allied Opening Strategy For War At Sea Underwater Strategy - Use of U-Boats In War At Sea Ten Hints Everyone Ought To Know By Now - Quick Tips For War At Sea War At Sea – Beginner’s Tip Sheet - Prepared For Avaloncon ‘97 Rules Clarifications For War At Sea - As Of July 1, 1999 Improving Yahtzee At Sea - A War At Sea Variant References From The General - War At Sea Articles Through The Years War At Sea Series Replay #1 - Barents On 1 Challenged War At Sea Series Replay #2 - The North Sea Gambit War At Sea Series Replay #3 - The Rubber Match War At Sea Series Replay #4 - The Mediterranean StrategyAvaloncon/WBC Statistics - From the 1991 – 1998 Tournaments B. In this player's guide, the second in a series of five, is dedicated to the revolutionary-war game 1776. The articles include: The American Revolution - And The Boardgaming Hobby Command Pressures Revisited - Leader For 1776 Partisan Leaders - For 1776 1776 Elite Units, Artillery and Naval Rules - and General Rule Observations Wilmington - The Forgotten City In 1776 1776 Clarifications - and PBeM Play Conventions Trouble Areas - Realistic Supply Movement In 1776 The 1776 Thesis - Strategy In 1776 A New 1776 Thesis - The 1776 Thesis Analyzed Contrasting Games On The Revolution - American Revolution, 13: The Colonies In Revolt, and 1776 The Invasion Of Canada Scenario Revisited - Modifying 1776’s Scenario #1 The British Southern Campaign - A 1776 Short Campaign Game Lincoln’s Southern Campaign – 1779 - Revised The British Dilemma – 1778 - A 1776 Scenario Montcalm And Wolfe - A 1776 Variant For The French & Indian War – 1759 The Tory and Indian War – 1778 - Revised 1776 Revisited - A 1776 Scenario At Avaloncon The British Receding - A New 1776 Scenario In The South – 1781 The Carolinas – 1776 - A New Short Scenario The British Receding - A 1776 Series Replay Insert: Countersheet - Additional Counters for 1776 C. In this player's guide, the third in a series of five, is dedicated to the classic, Eastern Front armor wargame Panzerblitz. The articles include: More New Expressions For A Familiar Face - Do Your Own Panzerblitz Prokhorovka - New Scenarios For Panzerblitz Historical Addendum To Prokhorovka - Historical Orders Of Battle For Each Scenario Panzerblitz Clarifications - and Question Box Variations On A Theme - For Panzerblitz Tournament Situations - For Panzerblitz Panzerblitz Tournament Situations – Part II - And An Analysis Of The Situations The Pieces Of Panzerblitz - Part 2 References From The General New Expressions For A Familiar Face II - Still More Situations For Panzerblitz Operation Wintergale - The Relief Of Stalingrad Beyond Situation 25 - Yet More New Scenarios For Panzerblitz More Historical Corrections - To Panzerblitz Situations References From The Boardgamer Other Products From The Boardgamer Insert: Countersheet - Additional Panzerblitz Counters - Required To Play Scenarios In This Issue D. In this player's guide, the fourth in a series of five, is dedicated to the classic, Western Front armor wargame Panzer Leader The articles include: More New Expressions For Another Familiar Face - Do Your Own Panzer Leader The Battle For The Remagen Bridge - New Scenarios For Panzer Leader New British Scenarios For Panzer Leader - British And Commonwealth 1944 & 1945 Situations Panzer Leader Situations - A Collection Of Panzer Leader Scenarios Panzer Leader 1940 Situations - Variant Situations Updated Panzer Leader Clarifications - And Question Box Other Products From The Boardgamer The Pieces Of Panzer Leader - Part 2 The Pieces Of Panzer Leader - Part 3 - Panzer Leader 1940 References From The General More Historical Corrections - To Panzer Leader Situations References From The Boardgamer The Panzer Leader In Normandy - Situations From The Normandy Campaign Insert: Countersheet - Additional Panzerblitz Counters - Required To Play Scenarios In This Issue E. In this player's guide, the fifth in a series of five, is dedicated to the classic, aerial bomber wargame B-17: Queen of the Skies. The articles include: Bombing The Med - Adding the 9th and 12th USAAF and the RAF No. 160 & No. 178 Squadrons Command Decisions - In B-17: Queen of the Skies In Search of Geographical Accuracy - Or, “Hey Navigator Where Are We?!” The Winged Soldiers of ‘44 - A B-17: Queen of the Skies Variant This collection is a must have for fans of these classic, Avalon Hill wargames.

As the Afrika Korps withdrew after a bruising defeat at El Alamein, it became apparent that Axis forces would not be able to maintain their hold over Libya. Rommel pulled his troops back to Tunisia, digging in along the Mareth Line, and turned westwards t

First Published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.