3rd Indian Motor Brigade

Part B: Battle of Mechili:
April 7, 1941

by Greg Novak

ALLIED TROOPS
Troop Quality: Regular, (AT Battery Veteran)
Morale 8, (AT Battery, 9)

2nd ARMORED DIVISION:

    DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS, with:
      1 Command Stand
      1 Car
      1 4OL56 AA Gun
      1 Gun Crew
      1 Light Truck

    3rd INDIAN MOTOR BRIGADE, with:

      BRIGADE HEADQUARTERS, with:
        1 Command Stand
        1 Car

      2 CAVALRY(LORRIED)REGIMENTS, each with:

      HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON, with:

        1 Command Stand
        1 Car

      3 SQUADRONS, each with:

        1 Command Infantry Stand
        2 Infantry Stands
        3 Light Trucks

      1 SQUADRON, with:

        1 Command Infantry Stand
        2 Infantry Stands
        3 Light Trucks

      ANTITANK BATTERY: (Attached)

        3 Gun Crew Stands
        3 Light Trucks
        3 2 lb AT Guns

    NOTES
    1. Squadrons are designated as A, B, and C, in each regiment.
    2. Only Command Infantry stands have integral Boys antitank rifles.

DEPLOYMENT

The Allies deploy first in the area shown on the map. The 2 pound AT guns can start the game in weapons pits.

AXIS TROOPS


Troop Quality: Germans Veteran, Italians Regular
Morale: Germans 9, Italians 7

GRUPPE SCHWERIN (Elements of the 3rd Recon Battalion):

HEADQUARTERS COMPANY, with:

    1 Command SdKfz 231 8 rad
    1 Recon SdKfz 222

MACHINE GUN COMPANY, with:

    1 Command MMG Motorcycle Stand
    2 MMG Motorcycle Stand

AUTOPORTO BATTALION (Italian)

    BATTALION HEADQUARTERS, with:
      1 Command Stand
      1 Car
      1 Recon Motorcycle Stand

    2 INFANTRY COMPANIES, each with:

      2 Infantry Stands
      2 Light Trucks

    1 GUN COMPANY, with:

      2 65LI7 guns
      2 gun crew stands
      2 light trucks

GRUPPE OLBRICH (Elements of the lst Bn, 5th Panzer Regt.):

    HEADQUARTERS COMPANY, with:
      1 Command Pz IIIG
      1 Recon Pz IIF

    1 COMPANY, with:

      1 Command Pz MG
      1 Pz IIIG
      1 Pz IIIF

    1 COMPANY, with:

      1 Command Pz IVE
      1 Pz IVE

GRUPPE SCHWERIN (elements of the 2nd MG Batt.):

    HEADQUARTERS COMPANY, with:
      1 Command Motorcycle Stand
      1 Recon Motorcycle Stand

    MACHINE GUN COMPANY, with:

      1 Command MMG Motorcycle Stand
      2 MMG Motorcycle Stands

    HEAVY COMPANY, with:

      1 37L45 AT Gun
      1 Gun Crew Stand
      1 Light Truck

NOTES
1. All German command and MMG stands have integral AT Rifles

DEPLOYMENT

Gruppe Schwerin starts the scenario in the area shown on the, map on page 19. The remaining two groups appear as follows:

Each command phase of an hour turn, i.e. 0700, 0800, etc, the Axis player rolls one die for each group. If the number rolled is a 3 or less, then Gruppe Olbrich may be placed anywhere along die southern edge of the map. If the number rolled is a 1 or less, then the 2nd MG Gruppe may be placed anywhere along the western board edge. (Note that two separate die dolls are made, one for each unit.) The die roll is modified by a -1 for each hour of play, so that the roll for Gruppe Olbrich during the 0900 turn will be modified by -2, as two complete hours have gone by. Thus a roll of 5 or less at 0900 would bring Gruppe Olbrich into play.

REFEREES NOTES AND INFORMATION

1. The scenario starts with the 0700 turn, Visibility is excellent.

2. The fort is considered to be a stone/cement building capable of holding two personnel stands.

3. The tracks are shown mainly for information. They have no effect on movement, save that a vehicle may only cross the wadi slopes on the track. Vehicles may move along the wadi, and are considered in cover, but they are not allowed to fire out of the wadi.

4.There is no attempt to assign Victory Points. Players should attempt to judge their success or failure in terms of why the action was fought. In many ways this scenario is very appropriate for solitaire play. The Allies were holding Mectuh to prevent the Axis from breaking through to Tobnik, which lies to the north of the map. If the Motor Brigade could get out as well, it would be a nice bonus. The Axis wanted to push on to Tobruk, but could not afford to allow the 3rd Indian Motor Brigade to rear in their rear. Thus, the goal was to overcome all opposition at Mechili, though without committing all of the Battle Groups to action that were moving toward that point (Both the fuel and ammunition so used would be hard to replace.) The actual battle lasted till 1100, when some 30% of the Allied force managed to escape to the north, with all three Axis battle groups in action.

WHAT IFs AND OPTIONS

Both the Allies and the Axis would have preferred to have fought the battle of Mechili with additional forces present. The following rules can be used add balance and provide for some what if situations.

ALLIED OPTIONS

The performance of the 2nd Armored Division at this time, ranged from abysmal to disgraceful. Apart from the remarkable incompetence shown by the divisional commander, some of armored units showed marked timidity. Mind you, with the commanders and equipment available, there was reason for excessive caution. One troop of tanks was supposed to have been in Mechili, but some idiot thought this meant ONE tank, which in any case broke down. A battered tank battalion was supposed to reach Mechili in the morning, but managed to ignore the order. Had some things gone right however, the Allied OB can be modified in the following two ways:

1. BETTER STAFF ORGANIZATION

Add a A10 Cruiser Mk II and a Staff Radio Truck to the Divisional Headquarters.

2. ARRIVAL OF REINFORCEMENTS: The following force is rolled for in a similar manner as for the Axis reinforcements. A 2 or less allows the unit to arrive on the northern board edge. If the staff radio truck is still functional when when the (he roll is made, subtract an additional one from the die roll:

    TANK REGIMENT: (Regular, Morale 8)
      HEADQUARTERS SQUADRON, with: 1 Command A13 Cruiser Mk III

      1 TANK SQUADRON, with: 1 Command Mark VIB and 1 Mark VIB

      1 TANK SQUADRON, with: 1 Command M13/40 and 1 M13/40

AXIS OPTIONS

During this period Rommel was flying around the battlefield in a Fieseler Storch, being shot at by Italians and nearly getting captured by Indians. He was in a perfect frenzy of frustration, attempting to shove all of his units into Mechili as soon as possible. In spite of it, other elements of the 3rd Recon Battalion managed to get themselves lost. To reflect all this, adopt the following,

1. 3rd RECON BATTALION FINDS THE WAY: If a 2 or less is rolled, then the following elements of the 3rd Recon Battalion arrives on the east edge of the map.

    3rd RECON BATTALION: with:
      HEADQUARTERS COMPANY, with: 1 Command SdKfz 231 8 rad and 1 Recon SdKfz 222

      HEAVY COMPANY, with: 1 37LA5 AT Gun and 1 Gun Crew Stand and 1 Light Truck

2. ROMMEL: Rommel can be represented by the addition of a command stand and a command car, and can be used in a game in one of two ways. The choice of how Rommel will be used will be made in each hourly turn, and will not be changed until the next hourly turn of play. Thus, if Rommel is used to add morale morale at 0900, the next decision point for him will not be until the 0900 turn.

a. MORALE: Place the command stand and car on the board adjacent to any command stand already present. For the next hour, the morale of any Axis unit within the line of sight of the command group has it's morale raised by one.

b. ARRIVAL TIMES: State that Rommel is attached to any one of the three off board groups. In this case, the die roll for the entry of that group ONLY is considered to be reduced by two. Thus, if assigned to assist the 2nd Machine Gun Battalion at 0900, that unit would need a 5 or less to enter (base chance 1, plus 2 for two hour, plus 2 for Rommel.)

If successful, Rommel enters with the group, and remains with them until 1000, when the Axis player gets to use him anew. Remember that if he is used to bring a unit on to the board, he does not give a morale bonus.

More 3rd Indian Motor Brigade

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© Copyright 1992 by Greg Novak.

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