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COPYRIGHT © 1999 EASY EIGHT ENTERPRISES, INC.10036 CAENEN LENEXA, KANSAS 66215

www. battlegroundwwii.com1•800•335•2977

Created byBrad Sanders Devin Cooley

Jim Bland Kurt Coyle

Welcome to Crusade For Empire, the North AfricanCampaign Pack designed for use with Easy Eight’sBattleground WWII. Inside you will find in-depth historicaldetail and hard-hitting desert combat for your gaming plea-sure. For those familiar with Easy Eight products, CrusadeFor Empire is the second of our Campaign Pack line. Like itspredecessor, Islands of Glory (the Pacific Theatre), CrusadeFor Empire gives the gamer everything needed to begin gam-ing the battles of North Africa. Special rules, tank charts, his-torical information, and 12 scenarios help to bring the desertalive on your gaming table. Also, this Campaign Pack is thestarting point for future Easy Eight Scenario Packs involvingNorth Africa.

So why a North African pack? Well, simplyBattleground fans around the world requested it. And we lis-tened. Also, many have been waiting for rules and tank chartson the British. Because these were our two biggest requests,we decided to combine the two! This Campaign Pack looks atthe desert war from more of a British perspective. We feltthis was a fresh approach as opposed to the more commonGerman/Afrika Korps view present in most historical gamesand books about the desert war. Crusade For Empire alsofocuses in detail on tanks and the battles they fought in thedesert. Inside you will find a new Battleground range chartfor 1/285th scale “micro-armor.” Because the war in thedesert was won and lost by tanks and because Battleground isso suited for large tank battles, we naturally had to view thispack through the “gunner’s sight.” Though Crusade forEmpire specifically highlights the desert, the standard BritishAFVs used throughout the war are also included as areBritish small arms. Look for more British packs in the futuregoing further into the British involvement in the war; thoughif you love gaming the British, you no doubt love the desertwar! And, no desert pack would be whole if the Afrika Korpsand the Italians weren’t thrown in as well!

Special Thanks go out to the following:

- Jim Morrison (Pathfinder One) - All Pathfinders (Easy Eight Playtesters) who participated inthe creation of this Campaign Pack - Harold Coyle- The Coyle Family- Combined Arms Research Library in Ft. Leavenworth, KS. - Kyle Jamison, creator of “Meeting With Stefan,” “FortressCairo,” and “The Lion’s Teeth” scenarios; plus playtestingand graphics assistance.- Jim Bland for his weeping story about “Pipes” MacLeod.

And most of all - the Battleground fans throughout the world!

Overall, we hope you enjoy this desert CampaignPack and have fun gaming. Though ownership of EasyEight’s Battleground WWII is required for play, we encour-age you the gamer to use Crusade For Glory with other sys-tems. So, wipe the dust off your goggles, load AP, and getready for some heavy combat! May your crusade on the gam-ing table be a successful one!Happy Gaming!

This work is dedicated to the valiant men andwomen of the British Commonwealth and of all colors whofought and died in the African desert for democracy and free-dom.

introduction

Crusade for Empireª

“England will be beaten. Inexorably beaten. That is the sure truth.”

- Benito Mussolini

When war broke out between the Italians and theallied French and British in 1940, the Italian presence inAfrica was hard to miss. Four years earlier, il Duceand Italydefied the world and conquered impoverished Ethiopia witha force of nearly one million men. This territory, added toItalian Somaliland, gave Italy control over the northeastern“horn” of Africa and threatened the British influence in Egyptand in the Red Sea - both vital to keeping the supply lines ofthe British Empire open. Ironically, the British only hadthemselves to blame for this predicament. In 1876 the Britishinvited the Italians to occupy and administer the Somali portof Assara and thus the Italian colonial empire in Africa wasborn. Seeing a great opportunity, the Italians expanded andmoved inland forming the colony of Italian Somililand. For several decades the Italians were content with their mod-est piece of the African colonial pie, but like Ethiopia in 1936,another great opportunity presented itself to the ambitiousItalians. The territory this time was Libya, part of the declin-ing Ottoman Empire, and it was conveniently located directacross the Mediterranean from the Italian mainland. In 1911Italy declared war on the Ottomans and quickly snatchedLibya from the helpless empire. The Italians divided Libyainto two colonies: Tripolitania in the east and Cyrainica in thewest. An influx of Italian money and colonists were quicklypoured into the new colonies and vast modernization effortsbegun. Roads were established along the coasts, water purifi-cation systems set-up, and ports developed. Without a doubt,

the two Libyan colonies together were the most importantAfrican possessions in Italy’s new colonial empire and itwould be mostly here where the great desert war would befought. Libya’s close proximity to mainland Italy enabled theItalian government to effectively rule the area with a muchtighter control than other African colonies. Strategically,Libya’s location opposite the Italian “boot” gave Italy and itsgrowing navy to put a strangle on the central Mediterranean.More importantly Libya’s location, wedged between theFrench in Tunisia to the west and the British in Egypt to theeast, guaranteed Italy would remain a big player in colonialAfrica. Colonizing the desert had its problems however.Many from the native Libyan and mostly Islamic populationresented their new Italian masters and revolted, namely theSenassi tribe of desert nomads. The Italians somewhatprophetically brought some WWI vintage Fiat tanks to thedesert in 1926 to help deal with the “revolt.”Again in the mid1930’s when the Senassi took up arms, the Italians respondedin kind constructing (with British help) a triple barbed-wiredboundary along the border with Egypt designed to separatethe nomadic desert tribe and to limit their movement. “TheWire,” as the obstacle was called, helped to finally defeat theuprising after a couple of years and would soon play an evenbigger role in the desert war to come.

As the winds of war began to stir in 1939, Italy half-heartedly started to prepare her forces in Libya for war. Thecommander of Italian forces in Libya, Marshal Italo Balbo,was forced by the Italian Comando Supremoto developstrategic plans for attacking the British in Egypt. This inva-sion, Mussolini later assured after pledging Italian support toHitler, would be leveled at the British simultaneously with aGerman invasion of the British Isles. Victory would be sureand swift....

The man responsible for an Italian victory in Egyptwas himself an anglophile and like many of his fellow coun-trymen, did not feel anger towards the British. Despite hispersonal feelings, Balbo’s review and analysis of both theItalian strategic situation and the composition of his forcesresulted in a less than positive outlook for Italian success.Nine divisions divided into three corps were in Cyrenaicadefending that colony from any French threats to the west.This left five divisions in two corps in the east and these werenot ready for action. Reorganization of the standard Italianinfantry division in 1938 had reduced the force from three(tertiary) infantry regiments to two (binary) - thus weakeningthe division. Balbo’s corps lacked motorized vehicles, ade-quate water supply, AT and AA Guns, and decent armor. TheL3 tankette was the only “tank” available and this at best was

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the plan

italy

a tin can armed with only a dual-mounted machinegun.Meanwhile, the Regia Aeronautica(Italian Air Force) couldonly effective put into the air some 60 various aircraft. Balbocomplained to Rome where many in the Comando Supremoviewed any coming war in Africa as a colonial conflict andthus not requiring “modern” weapons, though poison gas wasassumed to be used as it had in Ethiopia and in Spain duringthat country’s civil war. Balbo was much disliked for his atti-tude and aggressiveness in trying acquire the proper equip-ment and weapons, but he did win enough support and waspromised the items he requested including some 70 mediumtanks.

Balbo’s plan for the invasion of Egypt was accept-able only in that it was realistic for what resources he had andfor what he was asked to do. Not only did the Italians lackproper war material they also lacked strategic military goalsand aims. Balbo’s plan must be viewed in this light. Afterweaning forces facing the French in Tunisia, the Italianswould move along the coast and seize Sollum. The HalfayaPass, just east of Sollum and strategically placed along theescarpment running parallel to the sea, would also be cap-tured and would thus block any British attack into Libya fromthe coastal area. From these staging areas, Balbo would thenstrike for the Egyptian Delta and the Suez Canal. The planwas simple, arguably achievable, but abstract. This last char-acteristic of Balbo’s plan would ultimately cause the Italiansthe most grief in the confusing first days after war eruptedbetween the Italians and the British. Only Balbo had reallyknown the specific details of his plan and these died with himwhen his observation plane was shot down by friendly forcesat Tobruk on June 28, 1940: eighteen days after the war inNorth Africa had begun.

More than anything, the Italians believed that theBritish were very strong in Egypt. This psychological effectleft most Italians feeling surrounded by the allied French andBritish, despite having 250,000 Italian troops in Ethiopia andnearly another 200,000 in Cyrenaica and Tripolitania! TheItalians were not ready mentally or physically for war withthe British and this would ultimately be seen in the firstmonths of combat in the Western Desert.

When Italy declared war on Great Britain in thesummer of 1940, the British Empire was still formidable inAfrica and the Middle East. The center of British power in theregion radiated from Egypt where the British still exercised amilitary presence. Though the country itself was by treatyindependent of British rule, Egypt was still the largest Britishmilitary base outside of the U.K. This was simply becauseEgypt was the key to the survival of the empire; Egypt pos-sessed the vital Suez Canal linking British possessions inIndia to those in Europe. Supplies and personnel to and fromIndia not only came through the Suez, but also so did pre-cious oil from Iran and Iraq. Control over Egypt and the SuezCanal was of prime importance to the British. They exercisedthis control several times in the years leading up to WWII bybrutally putting down numerous uprisings both in Egypt andin the Sudan. Despite the success in squashing revolt in Egyptand granting the country independence in 1922, sentiment forousting the British from the country all together still lingeredwith the majority of the native population. This was probablymanifested the most (though secretively) in the EgyptianArmy, where many officers including the future Egyptianpresidents Nasser and Sadat plotted to lead Egypt to “full”independence. However, the Egyptian Army was closelymonitored by the British and was generally relegated to apolicemen role in the country and served in WWII as mostlya rear-guard force. Despite harboring some pro-Axis feelings,the Egyptian Army and the Egyptian people did not demandthat the British leave during the war; the Egyptians in factplayed an important role in helping defeat the Germans inNorth Africa.

Two other areas of British concern in the regionwere Palestine and Iraq. For numerous years the British hadpoliced the region and attempted to keep the peace betweenmilitant Jewish and Arab settlers. This responsibility hadgrown to Britain maintaining some 27,000 troops inPalestine, namely cavalry and artillery units. Iraq, once amajor part of the old Ottoman Empire, maintained its impor-tance to the British Empire for its large oil reserves. Care andpolitical savvy was required to ensure that this vital resource

the plan

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2

great britain

could still be drawn upon in the event of war. Overall, what cannot be overlooked is that regard-

less of the war in Europe, the war in Africa was truly a warbetween colonial empires: the British, strong in tradition andpowerful and the Italians relatively new and weak. Thoughthe Italians possessed more numbers of troops on the Africancontinent, the British had experience in not only winningwars here but in the “lay of the land” as well. These two ele-ments would have to be the rock upon which British fortunesin Africa would have to rely, especially after France’s fall in1940.

Assigned to coordinate the British military power inthe region was General Sir Archibald Wavell, Commander inChief, Middle East. Forces under his command includedapproximately 40,000 troops in Egypt (figures in sourcesvary) and 27,000 in Palestine. Allied French forces in theregion numbered 45,000 but these troops were spread outbetween Tunisia, Syria, and French Somililand and could notbe counted on. Wavell realized obviously that Egypt was thekey to the British strategical presence in Africa and thereforeconcentrated his efforts there. The commander of Britishforces in Egypt fell upon Lt. Gen. Maitland Wilson, nick-named “Jumbo” for his large size as well as his demeanor.Wilson took to organizing Egypt as a military base forexpanded troop size and operations - no small task in light ofthe primitive conditions of the country and a reduced, if notrelaxed, British presence since Egypt’s independence in1922. The task also fell to Wilson to devise a plan to attackthe Italians and this plan was as a simple as his Italian adver-sary’s (Italian Marshal Balbo) plan to attack the British.Wilson’s plan was simply to capture Bardia and Jarabub(some 200 miles to the south of Bardia) and to organize landand air forces towards this end. Like the Italian Balbo, no fur-ther detailed plans really existed much in detail - the planessentially boiled to down to reacting to the Italians oncethese objectives were seized. This lack of foresight was nodoubt a result of the British view of their own situation inEgypt, basically one of being outnumbered and surroundedby the Italians. Wilson’s work and planning would not go towaste however, as would be seen in the last month ofDecember, 1940 in what would later be remembered asOperation Compass - the destruction of the Italian X Armyand the capture of most of Libya.

Perhaps, the greatest pre-war planning for theBritish came from Maj. Gen. Percy Hobart, who was givencommand of armored forces in Egypt. “Hobo,” as he wasaffectionately known by his troops, took the task of creatingan armored division out of the scant number of Britisharmored cars and tanks currently in Egypt. This force, origi-nally known as the Heavy Armoured Brigade, would laterwin international fame and recognition as the core unit of the

7th Armoured Division - “The Desert Rats.” Hobart drilledhis tankers incessantly and forced them to know the desertterrain of North Africa firsthand. His inspired leadership,reorganization of his armor units, and training of tacticswould instill this unit with incredible skill and morale in themonths leading up to war with Italy. Unfortunately, Hobartdid not get along with Lt. Gen. Wilson, his superior, and“Hobo” was later relieved of command before the opening ofhostilities. Yet, Hobart’s valuable leadership in such a crucialtime would positively effect the modernization of Britisharmored forces and its wartime conduct in the desert. Hobart(whose sister was interestingly married to General BernardMontgomery until her death before the war) would later gaingreat fame in Normandy for his specially equipped tanksknown as “Hobart’s Funnies.”

In retrospect, the British situation in North Africalooked bleak when war was declared in June, 1940. Theywere simply outnumbered, outgunned, and surrounded. Theprofessionalism and quality of the British military wouldquickly turn the odds much in British favor.

Hitler, after the fall of France, had gained much of Europe.But he hadn’t yet seized his nemesis, the Soviet Union. Hitlerdespised the Soviet Union, whom he had lashed out againstsince his earliest days. In Mein Kampf, Hitler clearly statedhis wish for the Soviet Union - the bastion of bolshevism - tobe destroyed. To Hitler, the British were more of a nuisancethan anything else within the confines of his own desire tocrush the Soviets. It is therefore no surprise that Germanstrategy focused little on the British Empire, namely theBritish in the Middle East.

In gaining much of Europe, Hitler and Germany hadalso gained Mussolini and Italy as an ally. DespiteMussolini’s earlier insistence to Hitler that Italy was notready for war and would not be until 1943, the Italian dicta-tor could not pass up a piece of the French “pie” in June of

crusade for empireª

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germany

1940. This impulse not only thrust Italy into war with Francebut also with Great Britain. Hitler was not much concernedwith Italy’s desire to forge her own empire in theMediterranean, but nonetheless promised German support inany Italian invasion of Egypt. Air assets and a German panz-er division (the 3rd Panzer Division) were to be made readyto assist if needed. Mussolini essentially gave lip service toHitler, claiming that the Italians did not need much help - per-haps a German panzer division in the last “stage” of an inva-sion of Egypt but nothing else. Yet, early Italian failures inNorth Africa combined with a failed and disastrous invasionof Greece soon threatened German plans to invade the SovietUnion. This forced Hitler and Germany to play a much larg-er role in the war in the Mediterranean; certainly more thanexpected or desired.

Admiral Raeder and the German Kriegsmarinepressed for a more strategic fight against the British once warbegan between the countries. Raeder advocated a Germanattempt to knock Britain out of the war once and for all. Hebelieved that if Egypt was seized and the Suez Canal cap-tured, the British Empire would be severed and would fallonto its knees. Hitler, obsessed with the Soviet Union, lackedthe foresight to see what this strategy really could do in hurt-ing the British Empire. Therefore, Operation Barbarossa (theinvasion of the Soviet Union) was pushed to the forefront andthe British position in the Mediterranean dismissed. It wasonly when Germany’s Italian allies began to threatenBarbarossa that Hitler paid North Africa any attention.

Generalleutnant Ritter von Thoma was sent to NorthAfrica in October 1940 to observe Germany’s new ally at warand to make suggestions as to what German forces wereneeded and could be realistically supported in the desert.Thoma’s observations were many but the most notable werethat the Italians were horribly at odds in leadership, equip-ment/weapons, and terrain; and that at most only fourGerman divisions would be able to be supported in the desert.

Italy’s collapse in December, 1940 in front of asmall British invasion of Libya, formally brought Germanymilitarily into the North African theatre of war. As in Greecethe Germans were forced to bail-out their lesser Italian ally.The German answer to the North African problem was toimmediately stabilize the front in North Africa, regain asmuch of the lost Italian ground as possible, and maybe pushthe British back into Egypt. Much to Hitler’s and the world’ssurprise, a collection of specialized German units dubbed theAfrika Korps and led by a man named Erwin Rommel woulddo just that and a whole lot more.

the plan

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4

On June 10th, Mussolini declared war on GreatBritain and France bringing Italy fully into the war as an Axispower. The next day, the British made the first moves inNorth Africa, thus starting the war in this theatre. Along theLibyan/Egyptian border, the famous boundary between theItalian and British Empires known as “The Wire” was crossedby Rolls Royce Armoured Cars from the 11th Hussars (PrinceAlbert’s Own). In a process known as “gapping,” this Britishreconnaissance unit from the 4th Armoured Brigade (the onlyBritish armored formation in Egypt at the time) literallydrove over the stakes holding the barbed wire and draggeddown gaps in the wire. From here, the 11th Hussars fanned outand scouted Italian forces around Forts Capuzzio andMagdalena and the seaside town of Bardia. They alsoencountered a few small Italian units and opened fire onthem, taking several prisoners in the process. It was then thatthe Hussars realized that the Italian units in North Africa hadnot yet been notified about war being declared! Over the nextfew days, the 11th Hussars with supporting elements of the 4th

Armoured Brigade, caused havoc behind the Italian lines.The unprepared and unorganized Italians were driven fromForts Capuzzio and Magdalena, while many Italian troopsand equipment were captured. One interesting tactic utilizedby the British in these first confusing days of war in the desertwas a trick learned in Palestine. The British, while behindenemy lines at night, would find a main trail or road and drag

a pole (or some other obstacle) across it. Italian truckcolumns would naturally be forced to stop to clear the obsta-cle and the British ambush would then be sprung, normallynetting the entire Italian column!

While the British continued to raid and harass thedisorganized Italians in the first few weeks of the war, theItalians became further disadvantaged when Marshal ItaloBalbo was shot down and killed by his own troops whenreturning to Tobruk from an air reconnaissance flight. Thisimmediately suspended plans for an invasion of Egypt(though the necessary equipment and weapons requested byBalbo had still not arrived) and called for Mussolini to chooseBalbo's replacement. Mussolini chose Marshal Graziani whowas familiar with Libya; Graziani was responsible for sup-pressing the local Libyan tribal revolts of the 1930’s.Naturally, Graziani appeared to be the wise choice for the job.He was not only a senior officer qualified for the job he alsohad experience. He did not, however, have the experience offighting the British who were nothing like the lightly armedguerrilla- styled adversaries of his past in Libya. Moreover,Graziani did not possess an aggressive personality, definitelyneeded for any invasion of Egypt.

But, the invasion of Egypt is what Mussolini want-ed more than anything. He wanted to prove not only to Italy’snew allies, Hitler and Germany, but to the world that Italy toowas a formidable military power. As a bonus the Germanswere very soon to invade the British Isles and this would pre-sumably make matters easier against the isolated British inEgypt. Thus at Mussolini’s prodding, Graziani prepared forhis invasion. Morale amongst the Italian troops was alreadylow due to the British having a free hand - mostly at theexpense of poor Italian leadership. Water, supplies, equip-ment were all still lacking. The Italians simply were not readyfor any kind of offensive, either physically or in spirit.

The Italian invasion into Egypt began on Sept. 13,1940. The British met the Italian advance along the coastwest of Sollum and at the soon to be famous Halfaya Pass.Despite large Italian artillery bombardments, the Italiansclogged the mine-ridden coastal highways and the pass andthe whole affair turned into a “shooting gallery” for theBritish guns. Yet, this small British force could not fightagainst an entire army and soon retired back toward defensivepositions in the Egyptian interior. Four days and 65 mileslater, the Italians entered the primitive village of Sidi Barraniand there the invasion stopped. The Italians dug-in here andestablished a loose ring of partially defended “camps.” Theyalso began work connecting the paved Via Balba roadwayalong the coast to Sidi Barrani.

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the battle

The Opening Moves

“It was only in the desert that real tank battles were fought by large-scale formations.”

- Erwin Rommel

2

While Graziani and the Italian forces wallowed ininaction, the British were quickly expanding their forces andplans. Wavell had returned to London in August and pleadedfor more tanks and anti-tank guns. These arrived by convoyin mid-September and were quickly organized for combat. ByNovember plans codenamed “Compass” had been laid todrive the idle Italians back into Libya.

Operation Compass was planned to be nothing morethan just a 5-day raid with the option of expanding operationsif the situation warranted it. The operation itself began onDec. 8 and saw immediate British success. After five days ofhard fighting and maneuvering in conditions including sand-storms and even rain, British units (the core of which was the7th Armoured Div. and the 4th Indian Div.) had more thanbloodied the nose of the unsuspecting Italians. Four Italiandivisions were eliminated in the field and 38,000 captured. Inaddition many tanks and guns were also captured, left behindby the Italian troops streaming into retreat back intoCyrenaica.

By January 5, 1941, the once Italian towns ofSollum, Sidi Omar, and Bardia were all in British hands whileBritish armored forces raced towards Tobruk. Italian forceswere in shambles and now defeat instead of victory lookedcertain. Eight Italian divisions had been wiped out in aboutfour weeks. Tobruk would now have to be held if the Italianswere to have any hope. On Jan.21, the British attackedTobruk which was defended by 32,000 Italian troops butthese offered only mild resistance and Tobruk fell in one day.Tobruk was a huge score for the British for not only did theBritish capture more Italian weapons, they also seized a greatamount of food as well.

The Italians were in horrible shape. Their only hopewas to retreat along the coast towards the large coastal city ofBenghazi. But the British, in hot pursuit, split into two forces.One force continued to roll up the retreating Italians along thecoastal Via Balba road, while a more mobile force cut acrossthe desert to entrap the Italians south of Benghazi.Surrounded, the Italians attempted to breakout but this large-ly failed. At Beda Fomm south east of Benghazi, the last seri-ous Italian attempt to break free and possibly reach Tripolifailed. Benghazi itself capitulated within the next 48 hours, asdid the vast majority of the Italian armed forces in NorthAfrica. Operation Compass, the five-day raid that hoped to beso much more, turned out to be one of the most lopsided vic-tories in modern warfare. Ten Italian divisions weredestroyed, some 130,000 captured, and countless numbers oftanks and guns captured. All this by approximately 30,000British troops who had covered roughly 500 miles in twomonths. The British could not have asked for better results!

With Italy at her knees from the disaster in NorthAfrica in Spring of 1941, Germany came to the rescue. Help

the Battle

crusade for empireª

Mediterranean Sea

Gulf of Sidra

Qattara Depression

NORTH AFRICA

El Agheila

Mersa Brega

Agedabia

Benghazi

Jebe

l el A

khda

GazalaEl Tmimi

Derna

Tobruk

Msus

Mechili

Bir Hakeim

Dir el Gobio

SollumFort Capuzzo

Sidi Omar

El Adem

Bardia

Halfaya Pass El Daba

El Alamein

Alexandria

the british strike back

The afrika korps

arrived in Tripoli in the form of the Afrika Korps, a small yetskilled collection of German armor and infantry units. Itsleader was Erwin Rommel who in a very short time wouldbecome a Field Marshal, hero, and legend.His mission was to push the British back, into Egypt if possi-ble, and this he would do at all costs.

Upon arriving in North Africa, Rommel quickly sur-veyed his new battlefield and took stock of the Italian mili-tary. With elements of his 5th Leicht(Light) Division arrivingdaily and with the Italian Ariete Armored Division on thescene, Rommel pressed to be aggressive and to attack imme-diately. This posture was not in agreement with either theItalians or Hitler. Both envisioned a gradual build-up and thena mass attack could take place once more Axis troops, sup-plies, and weapons arrived in North Africa.

Rommel believed the time to attack was now.Britain had pledged military support for Greece and hadsiphoned off units in North Africa. The British were at theirweakest and Rommel knew it. Therefore he ignored hisorders and pushed his combined German-Italian force for-ward towards Cyrenaica in March of 1941. By early AprilRommel had proven right. The British were too thinly scat-tered to put up much of a fight and found themselves inretreat. Like the British, Rommel divided his forces south ofBenghazi. One column would continue down the Via Balbacoastal road while two other more mobile columns wouldtake a more easterly approach through the desert. All threecolumns would meet at Gazala, just west of Tobruk. There,Rommel could invest Tobruk and seize the key port for hissupply line.

Tobruk proved to be too tough a nut to crack how-ever. Attacking the port’s labyrinthed defenses bluntedRommel's inertia and resulted in many casualties for theAfrika Korps and the Italians. The force was also sufferingfrom supply problems and the lack of replacements/newunits. Leaving a mostly Italian holding force to keep theTobruk defenses besieged and holed up, Rommel continuedthe advance and entered Egypt. After taking the Halfaya Pass,the Afrika Korps bogged down.

It was now the British turn to bounce back andattack. Reinforcements, namely Crusader tanks arrived inEgypt in mid-May and these were to be put to good use in anew offensive designed to hit the Afrika Korps. This plan,called Operation Battleaxe, simply planned to use a sweep ofarmored units from the south to engage and destroy the Axisarmor force; from there troops breaking out of Tobruk couldbe linked up with. However, the Germans also received rein-forcements as well. Elements of the 15th Panzer Division hadjoined the Afrika Korps no doubt adding a morale boost toRommel and his troops. Battleaxe was launched on June 15th,1941 and two days later it was over. After fierce and bloody

fighting highlighted by deadly accurate German anti-tankguns, the British attack had failed and miserably. Half of theentire British tank force in North Africa sat smoking in ruinon the desert and the majority of German tanks were not evenengaged. Because of this failure, Wavell was relieved of com-mand and replaced by the Commander-in-Chief, India, Gen.Auchinleck.

While Rommel beefed up his forces in the late sum-mer into fall, the British under Auchinleck planning yetanother attack. Auchinleck’s command now called the EighthArmy, numbered nearly 100,000 men and some 600 tanks.Operation Crusader basically had the same general ideas forBattleaxe (i.e. bring the German armor out, destroy it andrelieve Tobruk) but without the mistakes. Unfortunate for theAllies, Rommel departed for Rome on Nov. 15 to celebratehis birthday. Fortunate for the Axis, the commando squadsent to kill Rommel at his HQ on Nov. 17 failed becauseRommel was in Rome. Yet, the next day Rommel returned ñOperation Crusader began.

British armored forces met early success by reach-ing Sidi Rezegh on Nov. 19 where large and bloody tank bat-tles lasted into the next day. German armor counterattackspushed the Tommies back however and the Germans recap-tured Sidi Rezegh on the 22nd. Rommel responded by his ownquick armored counterthrust, better known as “Rommel’sDash to the Wire.” While the 15th and the 21st (formerly the5th Light) Panzer Divisions were giving the British problemsalong “The Wire,” the New Zealand Division was close tolinking up with Tobruk. However, the DAK doubled back tocut-off the New Zealanders with British armored units in fullpursuit. Yet, the Germans were quicker and chewed the NewZealanders into bits. A further week's battles along the SidiRezegh line combined with the previous weeks actions essen-tially had taken its toll and bled the Germans white. In dan-

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Crusader

ger of losing everything, Rommel pulled his forces back tothe Gazala Line, though abandoning German garrisons atBardia, Sollum and one at the Halfaya Pass (all would capit-ulate in Jan.,1942). When even this withdrawal seemeduntenable from the pressure 8th Army was placing on him,Rommel retreated even further to El Agheila where he pausedon Dec. 28th, 1941. The British - burnt out, lacking fuel, andslowed even further by rough weather - could not repeatanother Beda Fomm and wipe up the Axis forces. The Britishhad won Crusader and had finally beat Rommel. But, thoughthe British won the battle they also lost an opportunity to winthe war. Consequently, Rommel had escaped and once againhe would return.

Rommel received three great gifts in Jan, 1942 at atime when his force was understrength and licking itswounds. The first was a medal: the Oakleaves and Swords tothe Knight's Cross. The second gift was promotion to ColonelGeneral. But the third was the best: reinforcements. A bigconvoy had recently arrived bringing with more men andtanks. Determined to quickly take the fight back to theBritish, Rommel gathered his forces and on January 21, 1942restarted an offensive towards Gazala. By February, Rommeland his men had reached their destination, driving the Britishback once again. After stabilization at the front line (nowcalled the Gazala line), Rommel planned to strike further.

The plan was to swing around the southern n flankof the British and to hit them hard and fast. Tobruk this timewould have to be taken so that supplies could be brought clos-er to the front and to prevent the tactical problems Britishpossession of the port had caused during operation Crusader.Codenamed “Case Venezia,” the offensive began May 26 andquickly evolved into some of the fiercest fighting of the entirecampaign. Places before unheard of now became battlefieldlegends: “The Cauldron,” Bir Hacheim, and Knightsbridge.

The British, understrength and as yet not recovered fromCrusader, fought hard but soon had their numbers of tankssignificantly reduced. Helpless, the beleaguered British garri-son at Tobruk surrendered to the larger combined German-Italian forces on June 21, 1942. The next day Rommel waselevated hold the baton of a Feldmarschall- Field Marshal.

Living and fighting in the desert was more thanhard. It took every single soldier’s total effort to stay alivefrom not only the bullets of the enemy but from the elementsas well. The desert was scorching hot by day and oddly freez-ing cold at night. Swarms of insects including flies and mos-quitoes made breathing and eating difficult at best.Sandstorms literally swept vehicles on their sides and blind-ed all that dared stand in their paths.

But the elements were just part of the anguish of thedesert. Water was precious and Axis and Allies alike dug intothe earth for it. And if troops were not digging for water, theywere digging foxholes for cover or pits in an attempt to keepcool. Dust, sand, and at times mud made the armies of thedesert filthy dirty. Food too was often scarce, in particularfresh foods. And glory to the troops that captured a supplyconvoy of the enemy. When the British captured Tobruk thefirst time, they were greeted by tons of spaghetti and Italianbeer. But, these presents were rare. Most men ate tinned beefand hardtack, hardly fancy fare, and sipped their water neverreally knowing if they would have water the next day.

Identification in the desert was also difficult and thismade engaging the enemy difficult as well. Vast lengths ofdistance would often have to be closed in order to even tell ifunits were friend or foe. Thus, most desert fighters were asprepared to get out of a fray as they were to get into a fight!Therefore, the eyes were the most important of all the toolsand equipment possessed by those who fought in the desert.Quick identification often meant the difference between sur-vival and death!

Because of the desert’s relatively open terrain, mili-tary operations there were regarded as a “tactician’s par-adise.” Success in the desert militarily meant commander hadto thrive at not only having good eyes and intelligence, butalso tactics. Rommel thrived at both as did some of theBritish commanders and winning on the battlefield came tobe synonymous with which commanders had the best strate-gies, tactics, and craftiness. It was from this type of successand skill on the open field of battle that Rommel would earnhis nickname the “Desert Fox.”

Living and fighting in the desert was also aboutbeing mobile. Tanks ruled the desert battlefield and tankswon the battles. Armored cars and halftracks provided the

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Desert Fighting

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eyes of the armies, speeding across the desert in reconnais-sance. Planes and artillery provided a second punch sometimeproviding the firepower to turn the tide of combat on a givenday.

More than anything else, the desert was a logisti-cian's hell. Supplies won or lost the battles in the desert andevery commander on both sides knew it. Key ports likeBenghazi and Tobruk changed hands many times because ofthe importance they had as supply hubs. The soldiers of thedesert knew that losing such a supply source would result inno food, water, gas, and ammo. And in conditions as harsh asthe desert’s, the loss of just a small percentage of such sup-plies could spell victory or defeat. The law of the desert wasnot necessarily about what was ultimately gained, but wasultimately lost. Soldiers quickly learned that miles of desertterrain mean nothing to armies if they do not have the vitalsupplies needed just to live in such harsh conditions.

By July 2 the continued Axis offensive orchestratedby Rommel finally was brought to a halt at El Alamein. TheBritish recovered enough to finally stall the Germans - them-selves exhausted after nearly a month of brutal combat.Playing for time, Rommel dug-in building an elaborate net-work of minefields and defenses known as “Devil’sGardens.” Yet, the British were building up and poised toonce again strike back at the “Desert Fox.”

On Aug. 13, 1942 the British Eighth Army gained anew commander. His name: General Bernard Montgomery.Montgomery went to work fast organizing his new command.Fortunately, for the British Montgomery's arrival did notcome too late. On Aug. 30 Rommel attacked again sweeping

again to the south of the British positions. His objective wasthe Alam El Halfa ridgeline behind the British lines. Rommelbelieved this would open up the way to inner Egypt and tovictory. Yet, Montgomery's men and his remaining Granttanks (known as “Egypt’s Last Hope”) held the line andforced Rommel to retire to his original starting point by thefirst of September. Later that month Rommel left for medicaltreatment in Germany. Meanwhile, Montgomery planned hisstrike.

In what has been called as one of the turning pointsof the entire war, Montgomery and his Eighth Army finallymassed enough resources and attacked. In the 2nd Battle of ElAlamein the Germans were decisively beaten. After unleash-ing a brutal 5 hour barrage from 25-Pounder guns, the Britishattacked with the addition of 300 Sherman tanks. Twoarmored division sallied forth with four infantry divisionsbehind them, driving a wedge deep into the German infantry-held defenses. The German tanks were forced to commit andengage this threat and in the process lost almost everything.Rommel, along with his Afrika Korps and his tired Italianallies, retreated on Nov. 4 for what would be the last time. Itwould only be a matter of time before the famed Afrika Korpswould be bottled up in Tunisia by the newly arrivedAmericans from the west and the victorious British EighthArmy from the east. Rommel would escape to commandagain in Normandy while his adversary Montgomery wouldalso rise to the rank of Field Marshal and see duty inNormandy as well. The battles in North Africa will always bethe stuff of legend and great heroes. Yet, in the end it will alsobe remembered as a struggle of enduring hardship and finaltriumph over some of the toughest terrain in the world.

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Of all the nationalities that fought in the harsh cli-mate of North Africa, Britain and her Commonwealth allieswere perhaps the best prepared. British troops had beendeployed in Egypt since the late 1800’s and were accustomedto warfare in the desert. As war loomed with Germany, Italyalso posed a threat with its increasingly expanding empire inAfrica. To counter this immense threat, British General P.C.SHobart was sent to Egypt to organize the scant armor forcesthere. Throughout the rest of 1938 and 1939, Hobart orga-nized and trained what would later gain fame as the 7thArmoured Division (the Desert Rats). His extensive trainingprograms and desert exercises helped to prepare the Britisharmor assets in Egypt for the inevitable conflict ahead.Most of the British troops in North Africa were generally fair-ly well equipped and highly trained. This gave them a highermorale than their Italian enemies and this would prove to bea major factor during the desert campaign. The Britisharmored formations enjoyed a superiority in both quality andnumbers when when compared to their Italian adversaries. Itwasn’t until the Germans entered North Africa that the Britishtasted their first defeat. The Germans taught the British a hardlesson about the employment of tanks and tactics in thedesert. British commanders would often distribute their tanksamong the infantry. This tactic worked fine before theGerman involvement because the Italians had very fewweapons that could penetrate the heavy British tanks (like theMatilda). All the Italians could do was run from the impene-trable monsters. When the Germans arrived in North Africathey massed their armor and attacked one point of the Britishline. When the British finally took this and many otherlessons to heart they were able to push the Axis out of NorthAfrica.

Tactics were not the only thing that plagued the British inNorth Africa. When war was declared, the British did nothave enough trucks to keep their forces properly supplied.Because of this many British soldiers only received one gal-lon of water a day and sometimes it was almost undrinkable.The harsh desert also conjured up brutal sandstorms. Thiswind blowing from the south would create horrific sand-storms that made life practically unbearable for the Britishand Axis soldiers alike. Medical problems also haunted eventhe toughest veteran. A simple cut could result in infectioussores. Sandfly fever and jaundice were routine. Yet, despitethe inhospitable conditions faced by the British they stillmaintained their high morale and fighting spirit.

Morale and TrainingWhen the World War II broke out, the British were

considered one of the best armies in the world. Their army, inparticular their infantry, was very well equipped and trainedand each soldier had high morale. In addition to these attrib-utes the British troops were often well led. British NCOswere always professional soldiers and often veterans of sev-eral conflicts. This gave the English a reliable corps of expe-rienced men to call upon. The forces in North Africa were nodifferent; all the British troops deployed in Egypt were famil-iar with the region. This allowed them to deal much betterwith the unpredictable and harsh desert climate. In addition tothe experience already gained, training programs were initiat-ed that allowed British troops to hone their survival and com-bat skills for war in the desert.

Interestingly, British morale was strong as long assupply of tea was ample. Tea formed the core existence of theaverage British soldier in the field and often dictated a unit’sability in battle. Strangely, the British would stop in the mid-dle of a fight simply to have a "brew up" of some hot tea.Many British commanders had standing orders that mencaught having tea when not ordered to would be court-mar-tialled!

Yet overall, the bottom line was that the British inNorth Africa knew that the fight there was helping matters onthe homefront. Winning the war in Africa kept the empireintact. Possession of Egypt and the Suez Canal kept the life-line open between India and the British Isles. The Fight inNorth Africa meant a united Britain and all ranks knew it.Rare was the British soldier who shirked from even the mostmenial of tasks.

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armorOf all the countries that deployed forces to North

Africa, England employed the greatest variety of armor.Throughout the war in the desert, the British enjoyed anumerical advantage in armor. When war broke out in 1939,British tanks were divided into three separate classes andeach had it’s own role in England’s armed forces. Light tankswere used for reconnaissance and mechanized cavalry.Infantry tanks ("I" tanks) were slower and more heavilyarmored tanks which were designed to provide direct supportfor the infantry. The armor on these tanks was designed to beable to withstand enemy anti-tank fire. The last class com-prised the infamous Cruiser tanks which were the Britishmedium tanks. These were lightly armored and generally car-ried a 2-Pounder gun and machine guns. Yet, speed was to bethe Cruisers’ best defense. The British also began to utilizeAmerican armor (more out of necessity than want) acquiredthrough the Lend-Lease program.

The most common British light tank to see action inNorth Africa was the Vickers Mk. VI. The Vickers Mk. VIand its variants were armed with one Vickers .303-inchmachine gun and one .5-inch machine gun. By the outbreakof war, over 1200 of these vehicles were in service with theBritish army worldwide. The armor was barely thick enoughto stop a .303-inch machine gun firing an AP round. The Mk.VI’s limited armament and armor, along with poor cross-country performance, gave the tank a bad reputation. The Mk.VI’s cross-country ability was so low that one British officerstated the vehicle was suited only to reconnaissance work andeven at that a wheeled vehicle was preferred!

Early in the desert campaign the British Infantrytanks (like the Matilda) were very successful. They werearmed with a 2-Pounder and a .303-inch machine gun. Latermodels were upgraded with a 7.92mm machinegun. The dis-tinguishing features of this tank was its incredibly thickarmor and its slow speed. Yet Axis forces possessed very fewanti-tank guns which could penetrate the Matilda’s thick hide.Since the Italians could not stop these behemoths they wereforced to run from them. This resulted in several early Britishvictories early in the North Africa campaign. Although theMatilda was very successful early in the war, slow speed andmechanical unreliability compared to the faster and moreheavily armed German tanks quickly made them obsolete.

The Cruiser tank series was Britain’s answer to themedium tank. It was faster and more reliable than the Infantrytank (Matilda) and cheaper to produce. It mounted a 2-Pounder and a machine gun for close defense. Cruiser tankswere not heavily armored and could be easily penetrated by20mm AP rounds. In addition it was easy for a Cruiser tankto throw a track. In Greece for example, the 3rd Royal TankRegiment began the campaign with over sixty Cruiser tanks.Of these less then a dozen were lost to enemy fire, the rest

were abandoned with thrown or broken tracks. Despite theseproblems and others, the tanks were popular with their crewsand were more than a match for Italian armor. Early in the war England also acquired a number of Americantanks that were also used in North Africa. The Americans soldthe British large numbers of the M3 Stuart light tank (namedM3 Honey by the British), the M3 Grant medium tank and theM4 Sherman medium tank. These proved very successful inthe desert and were generally popular with their crews.

ArtilleryThe bulk of the British and Commonwealth artillery

support was provided by 25-Pounders and the 2-Pounders ofthe Royal Horse Artillery Regiments (RHA) in motorizedbatteries. It was important that the artillery be equipped withtransports so they could keep pace with the rapidly movingarmored formations in the desert. A British armored divisionin North Africa had two RHA regiments for support and ofcourse this changed throughout the war. A RHA regiment wasdivided into three batteries of eight guns. These batteriescould either be equipped the 25-Pounder field gun or the 2-Pounder (later the 6-Pounder) anti-tank gun.

25-Pounders fired a 87.6mm round and were verywell constructed and reliable pieces of artillery. It was oftenmounted on a circular firing table that allowed the gun toswitch targets rapidly. This helped greatly when engagingenemy armor which it often had to do because the 2-Pounderscould not penetrate the heavier Axis armor. Unfortunately, thegun had no AP round and had to use its HE rounds whenengaging armor (even that was better then the 2-Pounder).

By the time World War II broke out, the 2-Pounder(firing a 40mm round) was almost obsolete. It was an over-complicated anti-tank weapon capable of penetrating onlylightly armored vehicles. The 2-Pounder was twice as heavyas any other gun in its class due to the carriage it was mount-

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ed on. The high gun shield gave the crew excellent protectionagainst small arms but the shield was unable to stop AProunds fired from German tank mounted machine guns. Thisleft the crew at a distinct disadvantage since they were sup-posed to fight German tanks. By the end of 1941, the 2-Pounder was being replaced with the bigger 6-Pounder whichfired a 57mm round.

InfantryBritish and Commonwealth infantry in the desert

were seriously handicapped: there was very little cover andthey had few anti-tank devices. However, if the infantry hadtime to erect some defenses then they could level the playingfield like the Australians at Tobruk. This was usually not anoption in the open desert and the infantry generally were hardpressed to stop the Axis armored formations with 2-Poundersand Boys Anti-Tank Rifles. In North Africa the role of theinfantry was mostly defensive, often holding the groundgained by an armor attack or protecting key defensive pointsin the battle line.

There was a great collage of infantry fighting for theBritish in North Africa. Australians, New Zealanders,Indians, South Africans and even some Free French all foughtunder the British. These different nationalities provided thebulk of the infantry for the British. While mostCommonwealth formations lacked armor of their own, theystill fought very well considering the terrain they were fight-ing in. During Rommel’s siege of Tobruk, the Australian 9thInfantry Division held out for almost eight months untilrelieved. All Commonwealth forces were well trained butusually not as well equipped as units from the British Isles.Nevertheless, this mix of troops had high moral throughoutthe North African campaign.

When World War II started in 1939, the standardBritish squad was ten men. The squad consisted of one squadleader who was equipped with a .45 cal. Thompson SMGwhile eight men were equipped with the .303 cal. No.4, Mk.1Enfield rifle. One soldier carried the squad’s 7.7mm BrenLMG and was assisted by two of the riflemen carrying extra7.7mm ammo. This organization lasted through 1941. Withthe advent of the 9mm Sten SMG, the British changed the

structure of their squad in 1942. The squad leader and threeof the riflemen were equipped with the new Sten SMG,everything else stayed the same. Yet, the Sten SMG was rarein the desert and not nearly as prevalent as the Thompson.Each British platoon had one headquarters section and threesquads. The headquarters section was led by one platoonleader generally equipped with a pistol and either aThompson SMG or a Sten SMG depending on the year. Eachheadquarters section had one 2" mortar with a gunner and twoassistants armed with rifles and either a Boys anti-tank rifleor a PIAT with a gunner and two assistants also armed withrifles.

Most of the Commonwealth forces were organizedalong these lines except for one notable exception. As of 1942the Australians had big platoons. Each platoon consisted ofone headquarters section and three squads. Each squad hadsixteen riflemen, two NCOs and was lead by one officer. Theentire squad was equipped with the .303 cal. No.4, Mk.1Enfield rifle and had no light machineguns. The platoonheadquarters section had eight enlisted men led by the pla-toon leader. One man was armed with a 7.7mm Bren LMG,one was equipped with a 2" mortar and the other six and theplatoon leader had the .303 cal. No.4, Mk.1 Enfield rifle. Thetotal strength of a 1942 Australian rifle platoon was 62 enlist-ed men and 4 officers!

Uniforms and EquipmentBefore war broke out the tropical service uniform

issued to British and Commonwealth troops in North Africaand the Middle East were quite formal and required lots ofstarch and ironing. However when war broke out the uniformbecame less formal and more practical. It consisted of eithera pullover sweater or a khaki tunic worn over a khaki drillshirt. This was worn with either the same colored trousers orshirts and a pair of rubber soled suede boots known as ‘chuk-ka’ boots. All ranks wore either the Mk.1 steel helmet, thefield service cap or the peaked cap. Each infantryman wasalso issued the 1937-pattern web gear and a service respira-tor, which was supposed to be worn on the chest, but neverreally was. Tankers usually wore a black beret (later madefamous by Gen. Montgomery) and the 1937-pattern web beltwith a special tanker pistol holster. Many British tankersoften wore this low with the holster strapped to their thigh.All troops were also issued a greatcoat for the chilly desertnight.

While all Commonwealth forces were issued theBritish tropical uniform each nationality added its own iden-tity. The Indians would often wear their native head-dressknown as a Puggree. An educated observer could tell thewearer’s caste and religion by the way he wore his Puggree.In addition many Indian troops preferred to wear the khaki

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pullover sweater instead of the tunic. Australian troop liked towere their famous slouch hat, but otherwise their uniform didnot differ from the British kit. Many Africans also foughtwith the English during the campaign in North Africa. Theywere generally equipped the same as their British allies butdid not hesitate to use captured Axis equipment!

The Italian Army is generally regarded as the poor-est army of any country to take the field in World War II.Italian debacles in both North Africa and in Europe witnessedmilitary failure after failure. Hundreds of thousands of Italiantroops were captured early in the war and this fact has ledmost historians to an overall perception that the Italian soldierwas ill trained and cowardly. This generalization is at bestunfair as many Italian units fought hard and well in varioustheatres of war. Yet, the Italian Army did suffer from manyproblems that undoubtedly contributed to an overall lack ofmilitary success throughout the war.

The Regio Esercito(Italian Army) attempted a massmodernization in the years after World War I. However, Italylacked numerous vital resources and a modern philosophytowards warfare. The result was an Italian Army that wasunderstrength, undersupplied, and underdeveloped. The coredoctrine of the post-WWI Italian army emphasized a war ofrapid movement (Guerra di Rapido Corso) and thus mecha-nization throughout the army was initiated. Yet, by the begin-ning of Italy’s involvement in WWII in 1940, most units wereeither unmechanized or lacking sufficient motorized trans-port. Some units labeled as motorized did not even possesstrucks! Italian doctrine stressing rapid movement also effected Italy’sarmored units. Because the emphasis was on speed, theItalians focused armor production around light and fast tan-kettes (the L-3) instead of tanks sporting more armor and big-ger guns. This decision hurt the Italian efforts early in NorthAfrica where the Italians could not field a bigger AFV to

counter the better British tanks such as the Matilda. Despitethese early problems, the Italian Army did place into produc-tion larger tanks such as the M-13/14 medium tank. But thesewere already outdated as they reached the North African bat-tlefields and did not give the Italians much firepower.

Proper supply and weapons quality also plagued theItalian war effort. Food and clothing supplies were erratic atthe front and Italian small arms were horrible. These prob-lems instantly gave Italian combat troops a disadvantage andled to morale problems on the front lines.

Yet despite good doctrine, supplies, and weapons,the Italian Army continued to fight on even in the harshest ofclimates. The efforts of the Italian Army and the Italian sol-dier must be viewed with attention to these problems. Whenone takes into account the complete picture of the Italian wareffort, it is easier to see why the Italians struggled militarily.It is also much easier to see the Italian soldier as one whomade the best out of a horrible situation than as one whoacted as a coward.

Morale and TrainingTraining and morale varied throughout the Italian

Army, yet both were naturally linked to each other.Professional officers (ufficiali) attended the Royal MilitaryAcademy for two years and then spent another two yearslearning their branch of service. Their education was goodmorale among most officers in the field was generally high.Reserve officers did some schooling but did not attend theRoyal Military Academy and thus were not as educated. Yet,many officers lacked initiative in combat and most were pro-fessionally distant from the men they commanded. The resultwas usually a spirited Italian commander who by defaultoften did not infuse the same spirit into his men. NCOs orSottufficiali were professional enlisted men who also werewell schooled. The Italian NCO was the backbone of thearmy and often led better in the field than Italian officers. Thecommon Italian soldier, usually a conscript, lacked as good oftraining as what officers and NCOs received. Many con-scripts were simple peasants who did not know how to reador write or even know left from right. Training and tacticsrevolved around the platoon and usually did not involve train-ing in conjunction with larger formations. This hindered largeoperations but made the platoon adequate when fighting atthe platoon level. Most Italian conscripts were from the sameregion of Italy and this helped in a platoon’s spirit and abili-ty to gel. Yet, morale amongst conscripts seemed to vary fromunit to unit. Many units had good morale and were goodfighters while others were simply bad in both areas. Rommel,who believed that the Italian soldier was a disciplined work-er but lacked a martial spirit to conduct war, best expressesthe best summation of the Italian soldier.

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italy

Morale and leadership varied in the type of unit aswell. Elite troops such as the Bersaglieri, Alpini, andCarabinieri generally were better in these regards and in com-bat than regular army troops. Fascist Blackshirt divisionswere at times both good and bad in both morale and fighting,though politically reliable and motivated. Italian armor unitswere brave (one had to be given Italian tanks) and artilleryunits effective in their role.

Valor in the Italian Army was awarded through var-ious medals purchased by the recipient from various manu-facturers. The highest award for military valor was theMilitary Valor Medal. This came in three variants (gold, sil-ver, and bronze) and could be awarded more than once to thesame recipient. Native troops, however, received a differentversion.

Though the Italian Army was not as trained or spir-ited as their German allies were, its psyche was different. TheItalians were reluctant enemies of the British while beingreluctant allies of the Germans. The typical Italian did nothate the British perhaps like the Germans. Of prime impor-tance to the Italian soldier were survival, patriotism, God, andil Duce (not necessarily in that order). As the Italian war sit-uation worsened and supplies decreased, many Italian sol-diers lost faith in both fascism and in Mussolini.

ArmorItalian armor in WWII was basically outdated and

ineffective. The vast majority of the tanks in service at thestart of the war were of the L-3 design, a thinly armored tan-kette usually armed with dual 8mm Breda machine guns.Hardly a tank, the L-3 was so lightly armored that Italiancrews nicknamed it the Cassa de Morto- Death Box. Thistankette was the only tank in North Africa when war eruptedbut was soon reinforced with the M-11/39 that mounted a37mm gun. This too was lightly armored and all 70 sent toNorth Africa were destroyed or captured during OperationCompass, where many were used by Australian troops in thesubsequent defense of Tobruk. The main Italian battle tankwas the M-13/40 medium tank which first saw action in1941.This tank and its slightly upgraded companion, the M-14/41, were improvements for the Italians but grossly unableto stand up to the more heavily armored British Matilda andGrant tanks. On a side note, Italian tank designation/nameswere derived from a tank’s weight in tons and the year intro-duced. Thus, an M-13/40 denotes the 13-ton medium tankintroduced in 1940.

Organization for most units was formed around abase platoon of five tanks. Most Italian tanks did not haveradios until later in the war and this significantly hinderedItalian armor movement and attack in the desert. Italian tankcrews were brave and at times distinguished themselves in

combat despite having inferior tanks. Italian armor divisions (divisione corazzata) and theirarmored regiments (reggimento) or units sent to North Africaincluded the following:131st Centauro(Centaur) Divisione Corazzata:

31st Reggimento CarristiGruppo Autoblindo Polizia Africa Italiana(Police Autoblinda armored cars)Raggruppamento Esplorante Corazzato Poldi(Armored Exploration Group Poldi)Battles: 1943 Tunisia

132nd Ariete (Battering Ram) Divisione Corazzata:32nd Reggimento Carristi 132nd Reggimento Carristi Battles: 1941 First German Offensive

TobrukDefense during Battleaxe and Crusader

1942 Second German Offensive1st El AlameinAlam el Halfa2nd El Alamein (destroyed)

133rd Littorio (Fasces Bundle) Divisione Corazzata:133rd Reggimento CarristiIII Gruppo Carristi Lancieri di Novera

(Tank Group)Battles: 1942 Tobruk

1st El AlameinAlam el Halfa

2nd El Alamein (destroyed)

ArtilleryLike the rest of the Italian Army, the artillery

(artiglieria) was cursed as well - Italy still employed WWIvintage guns mostly of Austrian design or manufacture.Despite Italy’s lack of technical development in most areas,the 90mm Breda 51 was an excellent weapon that could bemounted on a truck. This gun was very similar in perfor-mance and reliability to the German "88" (which was also uti-

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lized by the Italians). Artillery units assigned to armored or motorized

divisions (and corps designated artillery as well) were usual-ly motorized through the use of trucks (some mounted ontrucks, others in tow) or were on self-propelled carriages likethe Semovente. Infantry artillery units were generally horse-drawn or by whatever means available.

Italian artillery was also often grouped into fast andmobile groups whereby they could be rushed around the bat-tlefield at quick notice. Italian artillery gunners were praisedat times by Rommel for their accuracy and efficiency and per-formed well in battle. Despite the overall lack of modernguns, the Italian artillery in North Africa served its functionadmirably.

InfantryItalian infantry (fanteria) units can be distinguished

by being either "Metropolitan" or colonial units."Metropolitan" units were those comprising Italian troopsnative to Italy while colonial troops (mostly Libyan in theNorth African theatre) comprised regional conscripts and vol-unteers led by white, Italian officers. The Metropolitan unitswere more successful overall and many of these divisionssaw service in North Africa. Regular infantry divisions weretermed as being "binary," having two infantry regiments asopposed to the pre-war three. This significantly reduced thesize and effectiveness of the Italian infantry division duringthe war. In addition to the two infantry regiments, the infantrydivision was rounded out with the addition of an artillery reg-iment and numerous support units. Interestingly, one suchsupport unit was a Blackshirt legion comprised of loyal fas-cists. This helped to keep the entire unit politically in line.Motorized divisions were also employed. These were createdto assist armored divisions in the field or aid in reconnais-sance type missions. Motorized divisions had similar organi-zation to the normal infantry division (same number ofinfantry and artillery regiments), with the exception of havinga Bersaglieri regiment and an engineering battalion (plusother support units) in place of the Blackshirt legion. The twomotorized divisions employed in North Africa were theTrento and Trieste Divisions; both saw extensive combat andwere good units, the former being destroyed at 2nd ElAlamein and the latter surrendering in Tunisia.

The core unit of Italian infantry organization andoperations was the platoon (platone) normally commandedby a 2nd Lieutenant (Sotto Tenente). The Italian infantry pla-toon consisted of the Platoon leader plus 38 other ranks. Theplatoon was further broken down into two sections of approx-imately 19 men (Truppe) with a Squad Leader who is a NCO(Sottufficiale). This NCO was usually a Sergeant (Brigadieri)or Corporal-Major (Corporale Maggiore) with regular

"Corporals" (Corporale) equating as a Private First Class inthe U.S. Army. A LMG gunner and loader formed the fire-power for the Italian section. For ease of game play, sub-sec-tions of 9 men will be utilized with one LMG being assignedto one of the sub-sections. Breakdown for Italian section forEasy Eight’s World War II as follows:

Section 1 Section Leader/Brigadieri (Squad Leader)Sub-section A - 1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiore

1 LMG Gunner1 LMG Loader6 Riflemen

Sub-Section B - 1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiore8 Riflemen

Uniforms and EquipmentStandard Italian uniform for tropical desert climates

called for a lighter version of the European field tunic madefrom khaki linen. However, another shirt called a saharianawas more popular in the field. This was essentially a light-weight field jacket in style with numerous pockets and inshades varying from tan to olive green. The saharianawasinitially issued to officers but others including the Germanssoon wore the comfortable shirt in the field. Trousers consist-ed of linen trousers also varying in shades from tan/khaki toolive green; shorts of tan to khaki were also worn. Woolengreatcoats, mostly of European make and gray-green colorwere worn during the cold desert nights. Footwear consistedof brown leather boots often worn with woolen puttees.Amazingly, the quality of Italian footwear during the war wasshabby with some boots having cardboard soles! Combatheadgear was usually the M33 steel helmet, normally paintedtan. Pith helmets were also sometimes worn, though thesegave little protection in the field. Behind the lines the mostcommon headgear was the comfortable bustinasidecap wornin gray-green or in desert colors ranging from brown to tan.

Armor units normally wore a heavy black leathertank jacket and a black leather crash helmet in combat. Theseproved to be too hot inside of a tank in the desert and most ofthese items were put aside in battle for practical comfort.

Standard infantry kit comprised an aluminum 6.5liter canteen (or two in the desert), gas mask in brown canvasbag, camouflaged tent quarter (doubling as a poncho),entrenching tool, knife or bayonet, and ammo pouch/belt. TheItalian soldier overall was lightly equipped and comfortablein battle. However, the Italians lacked in supplies and ammu-nition often and did without some necessities (like blankets)at times when they were most needed.

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When someone thinks of North Africa in World WarII, Rommel is usually the name that comes to mind. FromFebruary 1941 to March 1943 Rommel did what was thoughtto be the impossible. The Afrika Korps managed to fight anumerically superior opponent both in men and equipmentfor almost two years. The discipline and fighting skill of theindividual German soldier combined with outstanding leader-ship allowed them to fight against impossible odds for longerthen anyone thought they could. In the end though, even greatsoldiers cannot fight without supplies in logistical nightmarepresented by the desert.

The German soldier initially was not prepared forwar in Africa. The Deutsches Afrikakorps(DAK) was throwntogether on February 19, 1941 by the German OKW at thelast minute to help their badly mauled Italian allies. The 5thLeichte Division (later redesignated as the 21st PanzerDivision), and the 15th Panzer Division were slotted to makeup the DAK. These formations dramatically improved theAxis performance in the North African theater. Rommelnever thought highly of most of the Italian troops under hiscommand and would often give the critical assignments to theDeutsches Afrikakorps. The DAK would prove to the bane ofthe British throughout the North African campaign. As thecampaign wore on, the woefully inadequate supply systemused by the Axis could barely equip the DAK with the vitalequipment it needed at the front. These same supply problemsoften plagued the units of the DAK and usually forced themto operate at less than full effectiveness.

Moral and TrainingWhen Germany sent the DAK to North Africa they

were initially not as prepared for the hardships of the desertthen their British counterparts. Prior to German entry into

North Africa, studies and observing with the Italians had beeninitiated to figure out the most effective employment ofGerman units in the desert. In addition the Germans haddeveloped a uniform for use in tropical theaters . Thesepreparations helped ready the troops in North Africa for com-bat and survival in the desert. In addition the outstandingquality of leadership made the DAK one of the best Germanunits in World War II. Despite the preparations of the GermanArmy, North Africa showed that Germans had a lot to learnabout desert warfare.

The 5th Panzer Regiment of the 5th Leichte(light)Division was the unit that was initially earmarked to go toNorth Africa in support of the Italian forces there. As a resultthe 5th Panzer Regiment had received training and equipmentfor desert warfare. These two factors helped to boost theoverall moral of the division and made them far more effec-tive in combat then some of the other DAK units engaged.Their initial offensive against the British showed the superi-ority of preparations done by the 5th LeichteDivision andespecially the 5th Panzer Regiment for desert combat.

The 15th Panzer Division was formed from the 33rdInfanterie Division by adding the 8th Panzer Regiment in late1940 and was considered a better then average unit. This divi-sion along with the 5th LeichteDivision formed the core ele-ments of the DAK. Most of the troops in the 15th PanzerDivision had already experienced combat in the blitzkriegthrough France and were very well equipped and trained.Until their surrender in 1943, the 15th Panzer Division wouldremain one of the best units in North Africa.

ArmorIn the open desert, armored vehicles reigned

supreme. German equipment did not have a clear advantageover vehicles fielded by the British; it was the employment ofthe Panzer divisions that gave them a decided advantage overthe British. The German tactics employed throughout the

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the Men

7

the dak

North African campaign was to mass all their armor andattack one point, or sweep around the flank of the defendingBritish forces. This allowed them to level the playing fieldagainst the British who had more armored vehicles, but werenever massed together until late in the war. Also contributingto the success of the panzer regiments was their higher moralwhich can be argued was greater than most British units.

ArtilleryThe German artillery in the desert can be summed

up in one weapon, the FlaK 18 88mm anti-aircraft gun.Initially intended for use against high flying aircraft, the FlaK88 proved to be brutally effective against enemy armor. Itcould consistently penetrate the thick armor of the BritishMatilida at long range early in the war. It was used very effec-tively against the British armor formations at Halfaya passand during the battle of Gazala at "The Cauldron." A batteryof FlaK 88mm guns could devastate entire armor formationsin only a few minutes gaining a fearsome reputation in thedesert. A captured British officer commented that he thoughtit was unfair to use the Flak 18 as an anti-tank gun becausethe armor on a British tank could not stop the round!

InfantryThe composition of German infantry in North Africa

varied little from those in Europe. Infantry squads generallyhad one squad leader known as the gruppenfuhrer, an assis-tant squad leader known as a truppfuhrer, a MG-34 LMGteam and six riflemen known as gewehrschutzen. The squadleader and his assistant were equipped with a MP-40 SMGwhile the riflemen carried the Kar 98k bolt-action rifle. Thewhole squad was centered around a MG-34 light machine-gun team. This finely crafted weapon gave each squad lethalfirepower. Unfortunately, in the desert the infantry lost someof their effectiveness due to the lack of cover. Therefore thebulk of the fighting fell on the steel "behemoths" of thePanzer regiments.

Uniforms and EquipmentGerman troops going to Africa were first issued the

tropical service uniform. Each soldier received an olive drabfield tunic, shirt and tie, plus brown breeches and knee highboots with canvas tops. Initially the M1940 tropical pith hel-met was standard issue for German troops, but steel helmetsand the German tropical peaked field cap were more practicaland comfortable respectively. The tropical peaked field capsoon became the unofficial symbol of the Afrikakorps andwas by far the most popular headgear in North Africa. By1943 almost every German soldier wore one instead of thepith helmet or the steel helmet. Veterans could easily bepicked out because their once green tropical peaked field cap

was bleached white by the sun. In addition to these items,German troops were also issued the M1940 tropical greatcoatfor the cold desert nights.

Several items of the German tropical uniform weredesigned specifically for the desert. One such unique itemissued were the boots. These were mostly made out of canvasand went almost up to the knees. Only the sole, heel and toewere made out of leather, where the rest of the boot was can-vas. This is do to the fact that sweat and extreme temperaturewill cause a boot made entirely out of leather to deteriorate.The tropical pith helmet was also unique to the North Africacampaign. These however proved to be unpopular and werequickly exchanged for the tropical peaked field cap. Shortsalso were preferred during the day because these were natu-rally much cooler than the heavy, cotton tropical trousers.Another common item issued to troops in North Africa was apair of heavy work goggles. These protected the eyes fromthe sand and dust which was kicked up in the desert.Interestingly, another item of clothing which set the DAKapart from other units was the Afrikakorps cuff title. Onlytroops who had served in the DAK for more than two monthswere allowed to wear the cuff title. This certainly added a dis-tinctive flare to the uniform and to the esprit de corps of theunit.

Most of the other gear and weapons varied littlefrom the standard German infantry fighting in Europe. Thebelt used by the troops in North Africa was the only basic dif-ference in the German web gear. It was made from heavyolive-green canvas and had an aluminum belt buckle paintedolive-green, although many officers chose to keep theirleather continental belt. Overall, the tropical uniform was awell thought out item that greatly improved the performanceof the German troops fighting in North Africa.

the MEn

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8

monty

Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery

General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery is known to history as Britain’s greatest and perhapsmost controversial military leader of WWII. "Monty," as he was called by all, was orderedto Egypt to command the Eighth Army at the pivotal moment of the desert war. In a twist offate, Monty was not Britain’s first choice in this role. The commander selected died suddenlyleaving a void in command. Monty was thus thrust into the command of the Eighth Armyand tasked with defeating Germany’s greatest military mind: Rommel, the "Desert Fox."Monty immediately gained popularity with the British troops in the field. He would visit thefront lines, drink tea with the lowest of privates, and even adopted a tanker's beret to whichhe pinned various unit insignias. Yet, Monty benefited from commanding the Eighth Armyat a time when it was its largest in assets and size. Never did the British possess more men,tanks and artillery then when Monty was at the helm. Yet, Monty took the fight to Rommel and the depleted Afrika Korps. In one of the greatestbattles of WWII, Monty brilliantly forced Rommel to employ his tanks when and where hedid not want to do so. The result was a stunning victory and defeat for Rommel that elevat-ed Monty to the rank of Field Marshal and to hero status.Monty experienced his greatest shining moment in his defeat of Rommel. Later experiencesin other campaigns such as Sicily, Normandy, and Operation Market Garden showed Montyto be stubborn, inflexible, and difficult to deal with. Yet,Monty always retained the respect gained from hisdays in the desert! Monty was later knighted andgiven the title, "Viscount of Alamein."Special Rules Monty’s special rule is his luck.When Monty is in a scenario he may re-roll anytype of roll at anytime during game play of thatturn. This is limited to one re-roll per turn and lastseach turn of the scenario or each turn Monty isalive and well (whichever is applicable).

Morale: 18-2Weapon of Choice: Walking Stick

Lt. Gape

Lt. Gape was one of the first British soldiers to fight the Italians in North Africa. Dashingand daring, Gape commanded a troop of Rolls Royce armoured cars belonging to the 11thHussars. Gape and his men would cross "The Wire" and cause havoc deep behind enemylines. At the Battle of Nezuet Ghirba, Gape himself was responsible for knocking out sever-al Italian L3 tankettes. His leadership and knowledge of both his armoured cars and thedesert made Gape one of the great heroes early in the North African campaigns. Sadly, Gapewas later killed in Halfaya Pass when his armoured car was destroyed by a German Sdkfz.231 8-rad armored car. Lt. Gape will always try and lead by example. He will not hesitate to charge the enemy inhis armoured car. It is this style of leadership that makes Gape an asset in any reconnais-sance role. He never backs down from a fight and is always willing to get job done right. Itis men like Lt. Gape that enabled the British to drive the Italians out of most of Libya in theearly stages of the battles in North Africa. Gape and his armoured cars may be found in thescenario "Swanning About."Special Rules As long as Lt. Gape is not Broken or KIA, the armoured cars under his com-mand will never be Broken for any reason. All Morale rules are immediately in effect for allarmoured cars if Gape becomes Broken or KIA.

Morale: 15-1Weapon of Choice: Rolls RoyceArmoured Car

Lt. Gape

Major Crisp

Major Crisp is the essential British officer – he loves his tea and does not blink when asked tokill the enemy. In his mind war is a gentlemen’s duty. War is also somewhat of a sport – withrules and codes of conduct. Valor and bravery are of the utmost importance. Crisp served as an officer in the 3rd Royal Tank Regiment where he commanded "Honey"tanks in the desert. These American built tanks were so admired by Crisp and his men thatCrisp’s tank driver exclaimed that they were "Honeys!" Major Crisp is a consummate warriorin the most professional manner and who excels in armor tactics. Crisp always manages to seethe entire picture of an engagement. As a tank commander he also knows how to manipulatehis tank in order to get the most out of it. In battle Crisp is fierce and uncowardly – sheer proofof his courage is the fact that several tanks were shot from underneath him throughout thedesert campaigns!Special Rules Major Crisp gets all the benefits due a tank commander. In addition, his pla-toon never has to take a Platoon Integrity Check as long as he is alive.

Morale: 17-2Weapon of Choice: Stuart I "Honey"

Major Crisp

ÒPipesÓ

"Pipes" MacLeod

This Seaforth Highlander of the 51st Highland Division is the heart and soul of his unit. Heis the piper – the one who inspires his fellow Scotsmen in battle. "Pipes" has played his bag-pipes since being a wee lad in the northern climes of Scotland. He loves his pipes and takesthem wherever he goes. In battle, "Pipes" knows nothing but the inspirational music heplays. Absolutely nothing will prevent him from playing his native songs! German shellsand guns can try to squelch his tune but this laddy plays on and on. Once "Pipes" and some

men were in a hopeless battle. The Germans were pouring in fire and thingslooked bleak. "Pipes" filled his bagpipes with air and blew out a martialScottish song that rallied his comrades. These brave Scottish soldiers

charged to their deaths, leaving their piper behind……….When you hear the pipes and "Scotland the Brave," take heartbecause "Pipes" is nearby – helping you on to victory! Or...

Special Rules "Pipes" MacLeod is an instant moralelift in combat. He will try to be near an officer on thefield of battle if possible. All units within hearing range

of "Pipes" (24 inches) will get to rally on the nearestleader’s morale. If there is no leader, units may roll to rallyas Elite troops with Morale of 14.

Morale: 16Weapon of Choice: Scottish Bagpipes

Tommy Gunners

The Tommy "Gunners"

These salty Tommies named Nigel, Vyvian, and Ricky are grand with an anti-tank gun (whichthey refer to as a "sporting piece"). They first encountered success early in the desert war withtheir trusty 2-Pounder, knocking holes in Italian "tin cans." Later, they improved their successagainst Jerry by acquiring a "smashingly wonderful" 6-Pounder. These young and accurate ladsare at the pinnacle of their game, blowing Axis tanks to smithereens on a regular basis. Theycan be found virtually anywhere and at anytime in the desert, with their British helmets secure-ly strapped to their heads. The enemy fears this group and yet they know no fear. Beware ofthese salty dogs who prefer a smoking barrel to a smoking kettle of boiling tea anytime! Thisband of gunners may be used in any desert scenario!Special RulesThe Tommy "Gunners" may never be Broken at any time. Further, they alwayscollectively fire their anti-tank gun like a tank hero/leader, i.e. they may choose to use their –2modifier to either the To Hit roll or to the location, but not both. The Tommy "Gunners" willnever lose Rate of Fire if one or two of them is KIA; even if only one of them is still alive thereare no penalties when firing the gun and all special rules still apply.

Morale: 16-2Weapon of Choice: 6-Pounder

Cavallini

Corporale Maggiore Cavallini

This fictional character hails from the "boot" of Italy and has gained a fair reputation for beingan accurate tank gunner. Cavallini takes his job very seriously for he knows his and his crews’lives depend on his keen eye and straight aim. This brave soldier was conscripted into theItalian Army but he believes in Italy. He supports il Duce but he loves his native land more thanthe principles of fascism. Cavallini sees himself as a simple peasant who knows nothing but hard work. Yet, he under-stands that his speed and accuracy in firing his M-13/40’s 47mm gun is the difference betweenlife and death. He knows that the only way to defeat the British is to fire fast and true becausehis tank lacks formidable armor. Corporale Maggiore Cavallini and his talent of war shouldnever be underestimated in the thick of a firefight!Special RulesCavallini excels in pure tank gunnery skills. He receives a –3 To Hit when fir-ing his M-13/40’s 47mm main gun.

Morale: 14Weapon of Choice: M-13/40 Medium Tank

fritz

Leutnant Fritz

The fictional Leutnant Fritz has been in the forefront of the Deutches Afrika Korps since thevery beginning. He is a total tanker and has embraced the desert. Fritz loves the desert and feelsat ease in this particular landscape which he believes is conducive to proper tank warfare.While others curse the harsh conditions, Fritz revels in them feeling as if he is in a "tanker’sparadise!" Because Fritz loves the desert, he has especially taken the time to learn it inside and out. Hehas taught himself to accurately gauge the landscape and his crew how to traverse it. Becausehis knowledge of the desert floor is so extreme, Fritz and his crew almost always takes the pointand leads the rest of his unit through the sometimes perilous terrain. Fritz has always braggedthat the British may one day get him, but the desert never will!Special Rules Fritz knows the desert better than anyone. Therefore, all Sighting andRecognition rolls he makes for his unit receive a positive modifier of a two-column shift to theright. In addition all Bog Checks forced on Fritz’s tank receive a –2 on the die roll.

Morale: 15-1Weapon of Choice: Pz.Kfw. IV ausf. F2

Wolz

Colonel Wolz

Colonel Alwin Wolz commanded the 135th Flak Regiment of the 15th Panzer Division at theBattle of Gazala. During the fighting around the Knightsbridge Box, the 15th Panzer Divisionwas hit in the rear by a strong force of British tanks. The forty Grant tanks supported byMatildas almost routed the whole division. Only Panzer IVF2s could penetrate the thicklyarmored Grants and there were only nineteen of these in the whole Division! Under ordersdirect from Rommel, Wolz deployed his regiment of sixteen 88mm FlaK guns in line stretchingfor almost two miles. Wolz moved along his gun line making sure that it would not break. Onlywhen the British started to shell the gun line did it start to crack. Just when Wolz thought allwas lost, a sandstorm blew in and the British had to call off the attack. Colonel Wolz is featuredin the scenario, "Into The Storm."Special Rules When Wolz takes command of a gun, that crew (and that crew only) will neverbe Broken and will receive Wolz’s –2 leadership modifier for him directing the fire of that par-ticular "88."

Morale: 16-2Weapon of choice: 88mm FlaK 18

ÒPapaÓ

Capt. "Papa" Krupfganz

Capt. Krupfganz is a battle-toughened veteran of the desert. As a battalion commander of the382nd Panzer Grenadier Regt., he has led his men successfully through Rommel’s latest cam-paign. Now, Krupfganz and his men have prepared positions along the El Alamein line and awaittheir fate. Krupfganz is dedicated to his men and will do anything to see to their well being. Thishas made him popular with the troops who have affectionately nicknamed him "Papa." They willfollow him to Hell if he asked them to!Krupfganz not only shares in the plight of his men; he also shares their burdens. He is a qualityfighter who will fight to the bitter end. He is also frequently seen digging foxholes and fillingsandbags. He has even trained them on how to spot mines in the desert soil. Overall, this Germanleader is one of the best combat commanders in the desert!Beware of "Papa" Krupfganz and his men - they will never quit!Special Rules "Papa" Krupfganz receives an additional –2 modifier in all Hand To HandCombat rolls. In addition Krupfganz and his men have trained eyes when it comes to spottingmines. All rolls on the Anti-Personnel Mines Chance to HitChart by Krupfganz and the men directly under his com-mand will receive a +3 modifier on all die rolls on thechart previously mentioned.

Morale: 16-2Weapon of Choice: MP-40 SMG

The Desert Fox

Feldmarschall Erwin Rommel

Feldmarschall Erwin Rommel is without doubt the most famous leader to fight in NorthAfrica, and perhaps the most famous German general of WWII. Rommel began his militarycareer in WWI where he won Germany’s highest award for valor, the Pour ‘l Merite.Ironically, Rommel won the medal fighting the Italians – whom he would later lead in thedesert during WWII. Rommel was an intellect in war and tactics. He wrote a field manual oninfantry tactics after WWI and later put his own theories on armor into practice duringWWII. Rommel is credited with being the first to order the FlaK 18 "88" into action as ananti-tank weapon, as well as numerous inventions to thwart enemy attacks. Some of theseinventions include "Devil’s Gardens," anti-ship landing obstacles, and "Rommelspargel"(stakes with mines attached designed to destroy enemy gliders in open fields). Rommel’s greatest asset besides his genius of tactics was his charisma. He was loved by his

troops and admired by the British who nicknamed him the"Desert Fox." Rommel’s charm also affected the

German people who revered him as the country’sgreatest hero of WWII. Rommel was even paidhomage for his greatness by Winston Churchill,who in a speech to the British Parliamentpraised the German leader’s great abilities andachievements – against his own countrymen!Rommel will always be remembered as one ofthe great military minds of all time and hisname will forever be linked to the NorthAfrican desert where he won his fame.

Special RulesRommel will force all MoraleChecks for all troops under his command (all unitson the game table) to be rolled using his Moralerating; further Rommel and the vehicle he is in

may move at anytime during a game turn. Thismovement allowance is automatic and may

be enacted at player’s discretion.

Morale: 19-3Weapon of Choice: Leica Camera

Rifle No.4, Mk. 1Caliber: .303 in. (7.7mm)Cartridge: .303 Mk VII ball typeLength: 44.43 in.Weight: 9.125 lbs.Muzzle Velocity: 2,465 ft. per secondEffective Range: 547 yardsRate of Fire: up to 20 rounds per minuteMagazine: 10-round box

The Rifle No.4, Mk. I is the standard bolt-action infantry rifleemployed by the British Armed Forces in 1944. Developedfrom the Lee-Enfield No.1, Mark III of World War I fame, theNo.4 was specifically designed for mass production unlike itspredecessor. It features a heavier barrel and aiming sightsplaced back behind the receiver as opposed to the mid-fore-stock. These improvements created a relatively inexpensiverifle that was significantly more accurate. Another feature isthe “spike” bayonet that replaced the traditional “sword” bay-onet seen during World War I. The new “spike” was dislikedby the men in the field because it had no practical use as afield tool like the “sword” bayonet.

Sten Mk.VCaliber: .351 in. (9mm)Cartridge: 9mm x 19 ParabellumLength: 29.98 in.Weight: 8.59 lbs. Muzzle Velocity: 1200 ft. per secondEffective Range: 218 yds.(firing range)

43 yds. (combat reported) Rate of Fire: (cyclic) 550 rounds per minuteMagazine: 32-round box

The Sten (a combination of the designers’ names, Shepherdand Turpin, and Enfield, the manufacturer) SMG is a crude,

simple, but effective close-range weapon. Designed to meetthe British demands for a cheap and simple SMG that couldfire German 9mm rounds, the Sten delivered. Operating as astraight blowback weapon with a large return spring, the Stenhas few pieces and is easy to strip apart. All of these factorscontributed to approximately two million Stens being pro-duced during World War II. The Sten Mk.V is a later versionof the original and features a trademark wooden stock andpistol grip, in addition to an attachable “spike” bayonet. TheSten was generally disliked by many British troops, due to itslack of range and its ability to misfire when dropped on hardsurfaces! However, the Sten Mk.V met the needs for manyBritish troops, especially airborne troops. Many Stens werealso parachuted into occupied Europe due to its small sizeand its ability to fire captured German ammunition. Special RulesThe Sten Mk.V suffers in its range, having apenalty -1” on each range band (except point blank range)making its effective range only 5”. The Sten Mk.V will jamon a die roll of 19 or higher.

Webley Mk.4 Revolver Caliber: .380 in.Cartridge: .380 SAA BallLength: 10.5 in.Weight: 1.7 lbs.Muzzle Velocity: 600 ft. per secondEffective Range: 32 yds.Rate of Fire: single shotFeed: 6-round integral cylinder

The Webley Mk.4 Revolver is almost identical to the weaponthat replaced it, the Enfield No.2 Mk.I Revolver, with theexceptions that the Enfield is nearly 2 lbs. lighter. TheWebley Mk.4 Revolver is essentially the same as the Webleyused in WWI though smaller in caliber than its predecessorThe Webley Mk.4 Revolver was usually carried with thecharacteristic British lanyard and the Pattern 37 holster.

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the weapons

1

british weapons

2

Bren LMG Caliber: .303 in.Cartridge: .303 Mk.VII ball Length: 45 in.Weight: 22.25 lbs.Muzzle Velocity: 2400 ft. per secondEffective Range: 880 yds.Rate of Fire: (cyclic) 500 rounds per minuteMagazine: 30-round clip

The Bren is actually a copy of the Czech ZB26, the nameBren being derived from the Czech factory Brno and theBritish manufacturer Enfield. Light in weight and accurate,the Bren is also rugged in the field. Its light weight enablessoldiers to fire this weapon from the hip and its design makesit easy to change overheated barrels with ease. Despite thesegood qualities, the Bren cannot keep up a good sustained firedue to its inability to fire belts of ammunition. Also, the Brencan only fire bursts, making it almost impossible for the aver-age soldier to fire “single” shots. The Bren was found in alltheatres of the war.Special RulesThe Bren gun is a LMG with ROF of three, asopposed to the normal LMG ROF of four, due to its being clip

fed.

Ordnance Muzzle Loading 2-inch MortarCaliber: 2 in.Length: 26.2 in. (barrel), 19.94 in. (bore)Weight: 9 lbs.

Muzzle Velocity: 2400 ft. per secondMaximum Range: 500 yds.Bomb Wt.: HE 2.25 lbs.

The British 2-inch Mortar is a modified version of theSpanish ECIA mortar. Though produced in fourteen differentvariants, there are simply two models: the infantry carriedmodel and the vehicle mounted model. The infantry modelhas a tube attached to a small baseplate where a trigger firingmechanism is located. Because of its design the 2-inchMortar can be fired virtually horizontally, which makes iteffective in assaulting enemy positions and fighting house-to-house. The 2-inch Mortar fires HE “bombs” (grenades beinga more accurate description) as well as a smoke and a flareversion. The bombs are stored in three-tubed cardboard cases,each tube holding three bombs. An airborne version of the 2-inch Mortar differs in that it has a shorter barrel.Special RulesThe 2-inch Mortar can use Direct Fire like arifle grenade out to 12” range.

PIATLength: 39 in.Weight: 32 lbs.Maximum Range: 100 yds. (anti-tank)300 yds. (mortar)Muzzle Velocity: 350 ft. per secondBomb Wt.: 5.5 lbs.Maximum Armor Penetration: 3 in.

The PIAT (Projectile Infantry Anti Tank) is a most unusualweapon. Basically, it is a giant spring that rams a firing pininto a shell, hurling it towards its target. The PIAT is dread-fully hard to initially cock and requires a soldier to literallyforce the spring back in a manner resembling riding a pogostick! Once fired the PIAT is supposed to recock itself, butthis was not always the case. A positive note to firing thePIAT however, is a lack of a backblast and noise making ithard to spot by enemy soldiers. The PIAT fires HEAT, shapedcharge projectiles that are transported in three-tubed card-board cases, each tube able to carry one projectile. The PIATalso can use an elevating device placed in the barrel to enableit to fire 2-inch Mortar bombs. Special RulesBecause of the recoil of a PIAT the firer mustbe prone when firing. Alternately, the PIAT may be rested ona window sill or ledge. When firing, there is very little visible

the weapons

crusade for empireª

backblast or noise, therefore any figure firing a PIAT will notcount as “Firing” on the Sighting Chart; they will be“Concealed” or “Open” as normal for the terrain type that fig-ure occupies. The PIAT jams on a roll of 15 or more To Hit;the round is still fired, however the PIAT must be recocked inorder to fire again; this will take four actions to complete andwill still demand that the PIAT spend an action to load.

Vickers Mk. 1 HMG

Caliber: .303 in. (9mm)Cartridge: .303 in. (9mm)Length: 45.5 in. (1156 mm)Muzzle Velocity: 2,440 ft. (744 m) per sec.Rate of Fire: 500 rounds/min. (cyclic)Feed: 250 round belt

The Vickers water-cooled HMG was usually crewed by threemen and first entered service in the British army in 1912. Adescendant of the famed Maxim, the Vickers gained its ownnotoriety for being a reliable and never tiring killer in thetrenches of WWI. It was distinctive in appearance, sporting alarge jacket around the gun’s barrel designed to hold 7.5 litersof water for cooling purposes (which blew gusts of whitesteam when depleted - not advantageous when firing con-cealed). It’s firing mechanism was crude as seen in theexposed hammer on the right side of the breech that ham-mered up and down as the gun fired off each round in suc-cession. But, the gun was reliable and was brutally effectiveas a killing machine. Perhaps its greatest downfall was itsweight - 40 lbs. for the gun and another 40 for the tripod. Yet,

this was overlooked by its users who did not mind trading theheavy weight of the Vickers for the killing power and protec-tion it provided. The Vickers was used on all fronts of WWIIand even saw service in the British army until 1961. It easilywas one of the longest used and most loved of all the modernweapons in the British army of the twentieth century.

Boys Anti Tank Rifle

Caliber: .055 in 13.97mmLength: 64 in. 1614mmWeight: 36 lbs 16.56kgMuzzle Velocity: 3250 ft/sec 990 m/secEffective Range: 300mMagazine: 5 round vertical magazine

The Boys AT Rifle was an attempt t arm early war Britishinfantry platoons with a lightweight but effective AT weapon.Unfortunately, it met neither of these two aims. The Boys washeavy and bulky to the point of being cumbersome. It reliedon a 5 round clip vertically mounted on the top of the weaponand fired a large steel "slug". The Boys was reloaded throughthe use of a bolt action which gave the weapon a violent kickand made it hard to physically rechamber the next round.Though unpopular with infantry, the Boys was fairly effectiveagainst Italian armor in the desert at close ranges. Standardissue was one Boys per infantry early war British platoon.Special RulesViolent Recoil The Boys AT Gun is –2 To Hit due to itsviolent recoil.Anti-Tank The Boys and its penetration value is listedas below; all Penetration Effects rolls caused by a Boys roundreceives an additional +2 on the Penetration Effects Chart. Anti-Personnel When firing at personnel, the Boys uses therange of a rifle but hits on the Effects Chart like a LCMG.

crusade for empireª

the weapons

3

Weapon 3" 6" 9"

PIAT to hit Chart

PIAT 15 10 5

Penetration

30

Boys 5" 10" 15"

BOYS ATR Chart

To Hit 16 14 12

20"

10

25"

8

30"

6

Penetration 9 8 7 6 5 4

1. No. 36M ÒMillsÓ Grenade

Length: 3.75 in.Weight: 1 lb., 11.25 oz.Filling: 2.5 oz. BaratolFusing: 4 or 7 second delay

The No. 36M, nicknamed “Mills” after its inventor, wasdeveloped in WWI where it first saw service in Mesopotamialate in that war. The Mills is a “defensive” grenade designedfor heavy and irregular fragmentation, able to throw shrapnelout to approximately 100 yards.Special Rules The Mills grenade is a specific type of thestandard grenade in Easy Eight’s Battleground World War II.

2. No. 69 Grenade

Length: 4.5 in.Weight: 13.5 oz.Filling: 3.25 oz. Baratol, Lyddite or AmatolFusing: Impact

The No. 69 grenade is an “offensive” grenade often called a“flash-bang.” Its main purpose is to stun and blind enemytroops and is thus perfect when assaulting enemy fortificationor when engaged in house-to-house fighting. It will automat-ically explode on contact and can severely wound or kill anenemy soldier that happens to be near it when it explodes.Special Rules The “C” ring counts as the “E” ring; friend-ly troops in the “E” ring ignore any effects. With this grenadefriendly troops may enter a building the same action the No.69 grenade is thrown (otherwise not allowed).

3. No. 80 WP Grenade

Length: 5.5 in.Weight: 1 lb., 3.5 oz.Filling: 11.25 oz. White PhosphorusFusing: 2.5 - 4 second delay

The No. 80 is a white phosphorus grenade that producedsmoke, but could also prove to be deadly to nearby enemysoldiers in woods or wooden structures. The grenade is acti-vated by pulling a safety pin which releases a lever, which inturn causes a striker to hit a percussion cap. The struck capreleases a small flame that ignites a detonator, which causesthe grenade to explode. The phosphorus is then shot out in a10 yard radius and ignites automatically when it touches air.Though potentially dangerous, this grenade was used at thediscretion and caution of its user. Special Rules Explodes exactly like a standard grenade,leaving a smoke cloud the size of a small HE template. Startsfires on a die roll of 7 or less in Woods or Wood Buildings.

2-Pounder

Caliber: 1.575 in. (40mm)Barrel Length: 81.95 in. (2081.5mm)Weight: 1840 lbs. (831.6 kg)Traverse: 360 degreesElevation: +15 degreesMuzzle Velocity: 2616 ft. (792m) per secondMaximum Range: approx. 600 yds. (548m)Shell Weight: 2.3 lbs. (1.08 kg)

Named after the weight of its shell like most British artillerypieces, the British 2-Pounder was an outdated weapon whenWWII began. The idea for this gun was to provide the RoyalArtillery with a towable, light anti-tank weapon that could bereadily moved onto the battlefield, emplaced and concealed.

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British Grenades

British Guns

1 2 3

When it entered active service in 1938, the 2-Pounder sport-ed a 360º tripod carriage and could be towed by a truck.However, its combat success in France in 1940 was less thanadequate. The gun was ineffective at long ranges, lacked amodern AP shell (firing solid shot only) and the ability to fireHE. Also its 360º carriage, though perhaps ideal for a fixedgun, proved to be realistically too heavy to quickly maneuverin the anti-tank mode. Unfortunately, the British lacked areplacement and thus reluctantly continued to manufacturethe 2-Pounder. The gun was used in great numbers in NorthAfrica but was even more ineffective on a desert battlefieldthat demanded mobile weapons and offered little conceal-ment. Sometimes the gun was mounted in the rear of a truckportee style, but even this could not improve the 2-Pounder’spoor performance at long ranges. The 2-Pounder was pulledfrom Royal Artillery anti-tank units in Summer, 1942 andtransferred to some infantry units where it was used to somenotable success against the Japanese in Burma. German-cap-tured 2-Pounders were given the nomenclature 4cm PaK192(e) and were used mostly against their former owners inNormandy. Two odd features of the 2-Pounder were anammo stowage space just to the right of the breech (handy buthighly dangerous when used) and rarely employed side gun-shields. Special RulesPenetration Value The 2-pounder suffers fromPenetration value reduction when firing at targets at longerranges; see diagram.Penetration Effect The 2-Pounder and its penetrationvalue is listed on the British Gun Statistics Chart; allPenetration Effects rolls caused by a 2-Pounder roundreceives a +2 on the Penetration Effects Chart. Side Gunshields Though rare in the field, SideGunshields will add +5 cover to a 2-Pounder’s crew.

6-Pounder

Caliber: 2.244 in. (57mm)Barrel Length: 80.9 in. (2.56 m)Weight: 2,471 lbs. (1112 kg.)

Traverse: 90 degreesElevation: +15 degrees / -5 degreesMuzzle Velocity: 2,700 ft. (900 m) per secondMaximum Range: Shell Weight: 6.2 lbs. (2.85 kg.)

Upon the introduction of the 2-pounder to the British Army,work on a larger AT Gun began. The result was the 6-Pounderwhich entered service in the Fall of 1941. Firing a six poundshell, the 6-Pounder was a vast improvement over its smallerpredecessor in the range and penetration categories. The 6-Pounder, like the 2-Pounder, was heavy for its size and couldsport side armor (though rare) in the field. However, its57mm size would soon be ineffective by mid-war through theintroduction of heavier armored German tanks such as theTiger and Panther. Two versions of the gun were utilized byinfantry and artillery units, the Mk. II (shorter barrel) and the Mk. IV; these versions were used in the North African andEuropean Theatres. A lighter airborne version was also creat-ed, being delivered to the battlefield via glider. The basicdesign of the 6-Pounder was copied by the Americans andinfluenced the creation of the 57mm M-1 AT Gun

25-Pounder

Caliber: 3.45 in. (87.6mm)Length: 94.5 in (2.4 m)Weight: 3,968 lbs. (1800 kg.)Traverse: 8 degrees (on carriage)Elevation: +40 degrees / - 5 degreesMuzzle Velocity: 1,745 ft. (532m) per secondMaximum Range: Shell Weight: 25 lbs. (11.34 kg)

The 25-Pounder is regarded as one of the best piecesof British artillery to see service during World War II. It

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incorporated aspects of both a gun and a howitzer and wasused to devastating effect as both a field gun and in the antitank role. The use of the 25-pounder was first utilized at theBattle of El Alamein in North Africa where some 830 bom-barded the Germans in the opening salvoes of the battle. Itwas also used in the anti-tank role where it proved to be moresuccessful than the smaller British anti-tank guns. However,early on the 25-pounder did not have an AP shell and had torely on its HE shell to damage enemy tanks. An AP shell waslater developed but the charge of this shell demanded a muz-

zle break to be fitted to the gun barrel. The 25-Pounder uti-lized a circular carriage that allowed its crews to engage var-ious targets with little difficulty. The 25-pounder went on tosee service on the European continent and in the jungles ofthe Pacific. Both a jungle and a airborne version were devel-oped with these versions being much lighter in overallweight. The 25-Pounder was simply an excellent gun for bothits tremendous firepower and its durability in the field.

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British Small Arms List

TypeWeapon ROF Crew Range Effect Jam Set Notes

Enfield No. 2, Mk. I Revolver

Colt Automatic M1911A1

P 1 1 P P 20 NA

P 2 1 P P-1 20 NA

Sten Mk. 5

Rifle No. 4, Mk. I Enfield

SMG 3 1 SMG -1" SMG 19 NA No Range Penalty for Point Blank

R 1 R R 20 NA

Bren LMG

Vickers HMG

LMG 3 2 LMG LMG 20 0

HMG 4 4 HMG HMG 20 2

Webley Mk. 4 Revolver P 1 1 P P 20 NA

AP APDSPenetration

HEAT HEHE

SizeTypeName Gun Load Crew Set-Up Min MaxRange

Notes:

- - -M 51 1/2 2 0 22 120 10 Sm Crew may operate mortar from prone position. Smoke OML 2" Mortar

- - -M 51 1/2 2 1 15 100 10 Sm Crew may operate mortar from prone position. Smoke OML 2" Mortar (Para)

- - -M 76s 1/2 3 1 30 UN 14 Med SmokeOML 3" Mortar

- - -M 107s 1 6 2 45 UN 21 Lrg Smoke OSB 4.2" Mortar

13 - -ATG 25XL 1/2 3 2 - - 6 SmOQF 25mm Hotchkiss

18 - -ATG 40L 1/2 3 2 - - - - No HEOQF 2-Pounder

29 - -ATG 57L 1/2 4 2 - - 9 MedOQF 6-Pounder

40 44 -ATG 76XL 1/2 4 3 - - 12 MedOQF 17/25-Pounder

40 44 -ATG 76XL 1/2 4 2 - - 12 MedOQF 17-Pounder

18 - -G 75s 1/2 4 2 45 UN - Med WP avaliability is a 16OQF M1A1 75mm Pack How

25 - -G 75 1/2 4 2 45 UN 13 Med SmokeCanon de 75 mle 1897

BRITISH GUN STATISTICS

21 - -G 84s 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med WP avaliability is a 14. SmokeOQF 18-Pounder

20 - -G 88s 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med SmokeOQF 25-Pounder short

23 - -G 88 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med SmokeOQF 25-Pounder

- - 20G 94s 1 6 3 45 UN 14 Lrg WP avaliability is a 14. SmokeOQF 3.7" Howitzer

- - -G 114s 1 8 4 60 UN 18 Lrg WP avaliability is a 14. SmokeOQF 4.5" Howitzer

- - -G 114 1 8 4 60 UN 18 LrgOBL 4.5" Gun

- - -G 140 2 8 4 60 UN 21 LrgOBL 5.5" Howitzer

30 - -G 152s 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgOBL 6" Howitzer

- - -G 183s 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgOBL 7.2" Howitzer Mk. I

- - -G 183 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgOBL 7.2" Howitzer Mk. VI

11 - -AC 20L - 4 2 - - - - When used vs infantry roll To Hit as a HMG, Effect as a LCMG -7OQF 20 AA Gun

18 - -AC 40L - 5 2 - - - - When used vs infantry roll To Hit as a HMG, Effect as a LCMG -7OQF 40mm AA Gun

16 - -G 76s 1/2 4 4 45 UN 12 SmOQF 3" AA Gun

- - -G 94s 1/2 4 4 45 UN 14 SmOQF 3.7" AA Gun

Model 34 Beretta Pistol

Caliber: 9mmCartridge: 9mm short (.380 cal)Length: 6 in.Weight: 1.5 lbsMuzzle Velocity: 825 ft. per sec.Effective Range: 30 yds.Magazine: 7 round clip

The Model 34 design began in WWI and by 1934, improve-ments had resulted in quite an effective handgun. The mostdefining characteristic of the Model 34 was its very smallsize - it was small enough to almost conceal with the hand. Itfeatured automatic fire fed by a 7 round clip loaded into thepistol’s grip and had a snub-nose design. Unique to its sizewas the fact that the Model 34 fired a fairly large 9mm (.380)round, though effective range was still only limited to rough-ly 30 yards. Another version was created to fire the smaller7.65mm (.32 cal) round. This weapon was the standardsidearm for Italian officers of all branches of service and forarmored tank crews; it was also a favorite of partisans andsouvenir-seeking GIs for its size and concealability. Its designwould later influence Beretta’s post-war handguns, namelytheir famous .25 pistole.Special RulesRange PenaltyThe Model 34 is P-1" at all Pistol (P) ranges.

Model 38A Moschetto Automatico BerettaSMG

Caliber: 9mmCartridge: 9mm short/9mm parabellumLength: 37.2 in. (945mm)Weight: 11 lbs. (4.97 kg)Muzzle Velocity: 1,350 ft. per sec.Rate of Fire: 600 rounds/min.Magazine: 10, 20, 30, or 40 round box

The Model 38A Moschetto Automatico Beretta SMG is gen-erally regarded as one of the finest submachine guns to seeservice in WWII. The Italian approach to the design of theModel 38A was to create a reliable and well built weapon thatwas versatile in the field. The Beretta Model 38A deliveredin all three categories. Its simple one-piece wooden stockgave the weapon the feel of a rifle and a heavier weight thusmaking it durable in most any condition. Also, its metal com-ponents were of the highest quality steel parts machined withalmost craftsman precision. Uniquely, the Beretta possessedtwo triggers for two different types of fire. The front triggerenabled the weapon to be fired semi-automatically, one roundat a time, while the back trigger provided full automaticspraying fire. Rifle-type sights and (later in the war) a high-velocity 9mm round gave the Model 38A a much longerrange than most standard SMGs. Ammo clips were providedfor 10, 20, 30, or 40 rounds. Perhaps the only knock on theModel 38A was that production time per individual weaponwas very time consuming. The only attempt to speed the pro-duction process of the gun was the adding of a stamped metalsleeve to the barrel. This weapon could be fitted with a fold-ing bayonet and was a favorite of Italy’s elite troops includ-ing the Alpini, Carabinieri, and the Bersaglieri. In 1942 acheaper and shorter version entered production and wasknown as the Model 38A/42. After Fascist Italy surrenderedto the Allies, large stocks of the Model 38A (particularly the

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Italian weapons

Model 38A/42) were captured by the Germans and subse-quently used against the Allies by them and the Romanians.Without a doubt, the Beretta Model 38 was the finest weaponof war manufactured by the Italians during the war.Special RulesHigh Velocity Rounds Mid to Late-war Berettas use highvelocity rounds. This will give the Beretta a range bonus likea German MP-40: SMG + 2", except for Point Blank.Folding Bayonet When in use, this will give -1 inHand-to-Hand on Strikes and Blocks only.

Model 1891 Mannlicher-Carcano Rifle and Carbine

Caliber: 6.5mm / 7.35mmCartridge: 6.5mm short Length: variedWeight: 7.6 lbs.Muzzle Velocity: 2,300 ft. per sec.Magazine: 6 round clip

The Mannlicher-Carcano rifle was a horrible rifle and isregarded as the war’s worst rifle. When Italy entered WWII,this standard Italian infantry rifle was a 19th Century designoutdated when the Italians used it in WWI! The original sin-gle-action bolt design dated back to 1891 and was basically aMauser copy. Unfortunately, it combined the worst featuresone could have in a rifle: low caliber and low velocity. TheMannlicher-Carcano fired a small, round tipped 6.5mm bul-let from a 6-round box clip that discarded the spent shell cas-ings through an open trap underneath the clip feed. This nat-urally caused problems for its user as this trap collected dust,mud, and sand quite easily. Though producing decent initialmuzzle velocity with little recoil, the Mannlicher-Carcano’sperformance over long ranges was terrible and resulted in badaccuracy and little stopping power. These results gave therifle the less than glowing nickname of "the HumanitarianRifle." A lighter carbine version with folding bayonet wasalso manufactured but suffered even more with range andstopping power due to its shortened barrel length. In 1937 theItalians made efforts to improve the rifle’s caliber to 7.35mmand from a rounded bullet to a tipped one. Unfortunately, this

did not improve the rifle’s performance though the heavierround caused it to "tumble" in flight and thus smack into atarget with greater damage. Part way through the re-calibra-tion of the Mannlicher-Carcano, the Italians deemed theeffort to be too expensive and manufacture of the 6.5mm ver-sions resumed. This left the Italian armed forces with the sup-ply problem of having two standard rifles in the field withtwo different sizes of ammunition (like the Japanese withtheir Arisaka rifles). The 6.5mm Mannlicher-Carcano(notably the carbine version) gained its greatest fame notfrom being one of the war’s worst rifles, but by being the gunsupposedly used to assassinate American President John F.Kennedy in 1963.Special RulesJamming All Mannlicher-Carcano rifles Jam on a 19or higher because it collected dust and grit easily.6.5mm rounds The smaller Mannlicher-Carcano rifleround suffers a +2 on the Effects Chart due to its small sizeand hitting power. The larger 7.35mm round is treated as nor-mal on the Effects Chart.

Model 30 Breda LMG

Caliber: 6.5mmCartridge: 6.5mm short Weight: 22.5 lbsMuzzle Velocity: 2,000 ft. per sec.Rate of Fire: 475 rounds/minMagazine: 20 round clip

The Model 30 was the standard Italian LMG of the war and,like most other Italian small arms, suffered from numerousflaws. The primary flaw was in the gun’s overall design.Breda, the locomotive turned weapons manufacturer, had pre-vious to the Model 30 only sub-contracted arms production;the Model 30 was Breda’s first independent design and itshowed. The air-cooled, gas-operated weapon was awkwardin working design and in appearance and it looked as if anengineer rather than a gunsmith designed it. It fired the6.5mm round used by the majority of the rifles in service withthe Italians and was thus interchangeable making ammunition

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supply a minor concern. However, the 6.5mm round wassmall and inadequate for the firepower support role neededby a LMG. Ammo was fed into a side ammunition port on theModel 30 through the use of 20 round "stripper" clips oflinked 6.5mm rounds. Yet, the complicated firing mechanismdemanded that the rounds be oiled (both before and duringfiring) causing all kinds of problems. Rounds not sufficientlyoiled jammed in the gun’s breach. Dust, sand, and mud easi-ly collected on the gun’s rounds and in the firing mechanismalso making the gun susceptible to misfires. Because only 20round clips could be used with the Model 30 (and not belts ofammunition) and because the gun’s barrel had to be changedafter only 250 rounds fired, the gun could not sustain a highrate of fire over time. Further, the gun lacked a carrying han-dle and had a fixed bipod. This made the gun awkward tocarry and fire, especially when hot! Overall, the Breda Model30 was a great disservice to the Italian war effort, in particu-lar to the Italian squad. This weapon’s poor performance gavevery little punch to the basic Italian squad who would replacethis wretched weapon with a captured enemy LMG at anygiven chance!Special RulesJamming Due to its poor design, the Breda Model 30will Jam on a d20 roll of 18 or higher.Special Fire Modes Because it cannot fire belts ofammo, the Model 37 may not declare any Special Fire Modesother than Op-Fire or Ambush; all others are disallowed.

Model 37 Breda MMG

Caliber: 8mmCartridge: 8mm Weight: 43 lbsMuzzle Velocity: 2,600 ft. per sec.Effective Range: Rate of Fire: 450 rounds/minMagazine: 20 round clip

The Model 37 marked Breda’s second attempt at machinegun design. Though slightly better than the earlier Model 30LMG, the Model 37 MMG also had its fair share of problems.The Model 37 was gas-operated and air-cooled like its prede-cessor the Model 30, but was an improvement in that it fireda much larger round 8mm round. However, the Model 37sadly needed its rounds to also be oiled in order to maintainsteady fire and thus suffered from the same jamming prob-lems of the Model 30. Another problem was a unique firingsystem that fired a round, collected the spent cartridge andneatly placed it in a tray before firing the next round. Thoughcredit can be given to the Model 37 not being wasteful (theidea was for the collected spent cases to be used for loadingother rounds), the tray of spent cases had to be removedbefore a another clip of ammo could be loaded into theweapon. The Model 37 was mounted on a tripod and was themost common Italian MMG. Because it used 20-round clipsand because of its firing system, the Model 37 could not sus-tain a high rate of fire over a long period of time - somethingmuch desired by a heavier machine gun. Despite all of theseflaws and factors, the Model 37 gets the nod as the best andmost reliable of al the Italian machine guns - which isn’t say-ing too terribly much!Special RulesJamming Due to its poor design, the Breda Model 37will Jam on a d20 roll of 18 or higher.Special Fire Modes Because it cannot fire belts ofammo, the Model 37 may not declare any Special Fire Modesother than Op-Fire or Ambush; all others are disallowed.

Model 35 Fiat-Revelli MMG

Caliber: 6.5mm & 8mmCartridge: 6.5mm & 8mm Muzzle Velocity: approx. 2,100 ft. per sec.Rate of Fire: 225 to 450 rounds/minMagazine: 50 round box or ammo belt

The Fiat-Revelli Model 35 was an attempt to "modernize" thewater-cooled, 6.5mm Fiat-Revelli Model 1914 of WWI vin-

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tage. A fair amount of these weapons were converted to firethe larger 8mm round, but poor design often resulted in over-heating the gun’s firing mechanism and "cooking" the roundsbefore firing (very unpleasant to the firer). The Model 35 wasfired from a tripod and was often fitted with special anti-air-craft sights. Ammo could be fired from a 50 round box mag-azine or from a belt, the latter of which helped give theweapon a decent rate of fire as long as the gun did not over-heat! The barrel could be fitted with a special declarator thathelped to almost double the gun’s firepower. The Italiansmade the worst machine guns to see service throughoutWWII and this weapon was far from adequate. It was unpop-ular in the field with the troops as were most Italian machineguns.Special RulesJamming Due to its poor design, the Fiat-RevelliModel 35 will Jam on a d20 roll of 18 or higher.

Hand GrenadesOTO Model 35, Breda M35, SRCM M35

These three grenades were the standard handgrenades employed by the Italian armed forces in WWII. Allwere similar in construction and appearance, namely beingpainted red. Activation of these grenades was caused by theuser pulling a rubber tab from the top of the grenade and thenhurling it –exploding upon striking a hard object (like theground). This fuzing was not very effective and a "dud" couldbe simply a good grenade with a bad fuze that could possiblyexplode if picked up again. Because of their poor and unpre-dictable time fuzes and their red color, these grenades werecollectively nicknamed by the British "Red Devils." TheOTO Model 35 and the Breda M35 were concussion, knock-down type grenades while the SRCM M35 was fragmentary.These grenades were used universally by both Axis andAllied forces throughout the North African desert campaign.Special RulesOTO Model 35, Breda M35 These offensive type grenades

rely on the damaging concussion from their blasts but aregenerally less effective than fragmentary grenades. Whenresolving damage, the "C" ring counts as the "E" ring. Allrules for Duds below also apply.SRCM M35 This grenade is the specific type of the standardgrenade in Easy Eight’s Battleground WWII. All rules forDuds below also apply.Duds When thrown or activated, Italian grenades will be aDud and not explode on a To Hit roll of 18 or higher. Anyunexploded grenades of this type may be picked up andrethrown – roll a d20. A roll of 10 or less treat per the normalhand grenade rules. A result of 11 or higher will result in thegrenade exploding in the hand of the thrower; place thegrenade template on the thrower and resolve for damage asnormal.

Model 35 Brixia Light Mortar-GrenadeLauncher

Caliber: 1.77 in. (45mm) Length of barrel: 10.2 in. (260mm)Weight: 34 lbs. (15.5 kg)Elevation: +10 to +90 degreesMaximum Range: 580 yds. (532m)Bomb Wt.: 1 lb. (453 grammes)

Named after its inventor, the Brixia (also known as theMortaio da 45) was essentially a grenade launcher rather thanbeing a mortar. It also is one of the most interesting weaponsto come out of WWII. The lightweight Brixia was carried intocombat folded onto the back like a backpack and was unfold-ed on the ground for use. The weapon was fired by the gun-ner assuming a "rowing" or prone position whereby he couldutilize a lever mechanism that allowed the Brixia to be loadedfrom the breech. Activating the lever would also load a pro-pellant charge from a 10- round clip. A loader would theninsert a small finned bomblet/grenade and the gunner wouldfire the Brixia through the use of a trigger mechanism. Rangewas controlled through manual elevation and/or through a

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gradual-type closing of the propellent’s gas vent. The Brixiacould reach a maximum range of 500 yds and had a high rateof fire. However, it was a very complicated design that fireda very small and rather ineffective round. A Brixia mortar squad was comprised of three of theweapons; one such squad was usually assigned to each riflecompany in an Italian infantry battalion. The Brixia wasintroduced in 1935 and first saw action in Ethiopia , but waspulled from front-line service in Africa in 1942. Partisans inItaly and the Balkans and Allied Italian troops continued touse this unusual weapon until the end of the war; a weaponthat is a precursor of the modern day automatic grenadelauncher.

Special RulesThe Brixia follows all standard mortar rules and is listed onthe Italian Gun Statistics Chart. The only variation is that thegrenade template is used to determine damage from its shellsinstead of a HE template. Breakdown The Brixia takes two man actions to set upor breakdown.

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AP HVAPPenetration

HEAT HEHE

SizeTypeName Gun Load Crew Set-Up Min MaxRange

Notes:

- - -M 45 1/2 2 1 18 UN 9 Sm Smoke Mortario da 45 "Brixia"

- - -M 81 1/2 3 1 24 UN 14 Med Smoke Mortario da 81/14

14 - -ATG 37L 1/2 3 2 - - 7 Sm No Smoke. Cannone da 37/45

17 - -ATG 47 1/2 3 2 - - 9 Sm No Smoke. Cannone da 47/32

16 - -G 65s 1/2 4 2 36 UN 10 MedCannone da 65/17

14 - -G 70s 1/2 4 2 40 UN 12 MedCannone da 70/15

17 - -G 75s 1/2 4 1 45 UN 12 MedObice da 75/13

15 - -G 75s 1/2 4 2 45 UN 10 Med SmokeCannone da 75/27

17 - -G 75s 1/2 4 2 45 UN 12 Med SmokeObice da 75/18

24 - -G 75 1/2 4 2 45 UN 12 Med SmokeCannone da 75/32

- - -G 100s 1 8 3 45 UN 18 Lrg SmokeObice da 100/17

ITALIAN GUN STATISTICS

Smoke

25 - -G 105 2 8 3 45 UN 18 Lrg SmokeCannone da 105/28

- - -G 150s 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgObice da 149/13

36 - 36G 150 2 8 4 60 UN 28 Lrg SmokeCannone da 149/35

48 - -G 150L 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgCannone da 149/40

10 - -AC 20L - 4 2 - - - - When used vs infantry roll To Hit as a HMG, Effect as a LCMG -2Cannone-mitr da 20/65

28 30 -G 75L 1/2 4 2 45 UN 33 Med HVAP availability is a 8, d6 rounds if available. Cannone-aa da 75/39

28 30 -G 75L 1/2 4 2 45 UN 33 Med HVAP availability is a 8, d6 rounds if available. Cannone-aa da 75/46

35 48 -G 90L 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med HVAP availability is a 8, d6 rounds if available. Cannone-aa da 90/53

Italian Small Arms List

TypeWeapon ROF Crew Range Effect Jam Set Notes

Model 34 Beretta

Model 38A Moschetto Automatico

P 1 1 P-1" P 20 NA

SMG 3 1 SMG +2" SMG 20 NA

Model 1891 Rifle / Carbine

Model 38 Carbine

R 1 1 R R +2 19 NA

Limited Special Fire Modes

No Range Advantage for Point Blank

R 1 1 R -3" R 19 NA

Model 30 Breda

Model 37 Breda

LMG 3 2 LMG LMG 18 0

MMG 4 4 MMG MMG 18 2 Limited Special Fire Modes

Model 35 Fiat-Revelli MMG 4 4 MMG MMG 18 2

Italian weapons Guns & Armor

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Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT HEHE

SizeWt.Name Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

7 - - T - 2xLMG - - - - - -3.5 VS 2 1 1 0 0 0 - -L3/35

7 1 S T - - LMG - 20L - - -7 S 6 7 2 2 1 1 5 Sm.L6/40

ITALIAN VEHICLE STATISTICS

6 1 S T - - 2xLMG - 37 14 - -11 S 6 5 2 2 1 1 7 Sm.M11/39

6 1 S T - 2xLMG LMG LMG-10 47 17 - -14 M 6 6 6 6 3 3 9 Sm.M14/41

7 1 S T - 2xLMG LMG LMG-10 47L 19 - -15 M 6 7 6 6 3 3 9 Sm.M15/42

6 1 - AG 16 - - LMG-10 75s -14 S 6 7 6 6 3 3 12 MedSemovente M40 da 75/18

6 1 - AG 16 - - LMG-10 75s 17

17

17

- -14.5 S 6 7 6 6 3 3 12 MedSemovente M41 da 75/18

7 1 - AG 16 - - LMG 75s -15 S 6 7 6 6 3 3 12 MedSemovente M42 da 75/18

7 1 - AG 16 - - LMG 75 24 - -15 S 6 7 6 6 3 3 12 MedSemovente M42 da 75/32

7 1 - AG 16 - - LMG 105 - - 2615.5 S 14 14 6 7 3 4 18 LrgSemovente M43 da 105/25

18 - - AC - LMG - LMG-10 - - - -3 VS 7 6 2 2 1 1 - -Lince

10 - S AC - MMG(r) 2xMMG - - - - -4 M 1 1 1 1 0 0 - -1 AB Lancia 1ZM

15 - S AC - LMG(r) 2xLMG - - - - -7 M 11 2 2 2 1 1 - -Autoblinda 40

15 - S AC - LMG(r) - - 20L 10 - -7.5 M 11 2 3 2 1 1 9 -Autoblinda 41

6 1 S T - 2xLMG LMG LMG-10 47 17 - -14 M 6 6 6 6 3 3 9 Sm.M-13/40

-

AP HVAPPenetration

HEAT HEHE

SizeTypeName Gun Load Crew Set-Up Min MaxRange

Notes:

- - -M 45 1/2 2 1 18 UN 9 Sm Smoke Mortario da 45 "Brixia"

- - -M 81 1/2 3 1 24 UN 14 Med Smoke Mortario da 81/14

14 - -ATG 37L 1/2 3 2 - - 7 Sm No Smoke. Cannone da 37/45

17 - -ATG 47 1/2 3 2 - - 9 Sm No Smoke. Cannone da 47/32

16 - -G 65s 1/2 4 2 36 UN 10 MedCannone da 65/17

14 - -G 70s 1/2 4 2 40 UN 12 MedCannone da 70/15

17 - -G 75s 1/2 4 1 45 UN 12 MedObice da 75/13

15 - -G 75s 1/2 4 2 45 UN 10 Med SmokeCannone da 75/27

17 - -G 75s 1/2 4 2 45 UN 12 Med SmokeObice da 75/18

24 - -G 75 1/2 4 2 45 UN 12 Med SmokeCannone da 75/32

- - -G 100s 1 8 3 45 UN 18 Lrg SmokeObice da 100/17

ITALIAN GUN STATISTICS

Smoke

25 - -G 105 2 8 3 45 UN 18 Lrg SmokeCannone da 105/28

- - -G 150s 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgObice da 149/13

36 - 36G 150 2 8 4 60 UN 28 Lrg SmokeCannone da 149/35

48 - -G 150L 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgCannone da 149/40

10 - -AC 20L - 4 2 - - - - When used vs infantry roll To Hit as a HMG, Effect as a LCMG -2Cannone-mitr da 20/65

28 30 -G 75L 1/2 4 2 45 UN 33 Med HVAP availability is a 8, d6 rounds if available. Cannone-aa da 75/39

28 30 -G 75L 1/2 4 2 45 UN 33 Med HVAP availability is a 8, d6 rounds if available. Cannone-aa da 75/46

35 48 -G 90L 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med HVAP availability is a 8, d6 rounds if available. Cannone-aa da 90/53

crusade for empireª

British armour

13

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT HEHE

SizeWt.Name Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

9 - N T 10 - HMG/MMG - - - - -5.5 S 2 2 2 1 1 1 - -Mk VIB

9 - N T 10 - LCMG/MMG - - - - -5.5 S 2 2 2 1 1 1 - -Mk VIC

BRITISH VEHICLE STATISTICS

9 1 S T 10 - LMG LMG-15 37XL 19 - -12.5 S 7 7 5 7 2 2 7 Sm.Stuart I/III Honey

9 1 S T 10 LMG LMG LMG-15 37XL 19 - -14.5 S 10 7 5 7 2 2 7 Sm.Stuart V

7 1 N T 10 LMGX2 LMG LMG-15 40L 18 - -13 M 2 2 2 1 1 1 - -Cruiser Tank MkI (A9)

7 1 N T 10 LMGx2 LMG LMG-15 94S Smoke Only -13 M 2 2 2 1 1 1 - LrgCruiser Tank MkI CS (A9)

5 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LMG-15 40L 18 - -14.5 M 5 5 5 5 1 1 - -Cruiser Tank MkIIA (A10)

5 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LMG-15 94S -14.5 M 5 5 5 5 1 1 - LrgCruiser Tank MkIIA CS (A10)

8 1 N T 10 - LMG LMG-15 40L 18 - -14 M 2 2 2 2 1 1 - -Cruiser Tank MkIII (A13)

8 1 N T 10 - LMG LMG-15 40L 18 - -15 M 5 5 4 5 1 1 - -Cruiser Tank MkIVA (A13 MkII)

8 1 N T 10 - LMG LMG-15 94S Smoke Only -15 M 5 5 4 5 1 1 - LrgCruiser Tank MkIVA CS

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LMG-15 40L 18 - -19.5 M 7 7 5 6 1 1 - -Crusader I

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LMG-15 94S Smoke Only -19.5 M 7 7 5 6 1 1 - LrgCrusader ICS

8 1 N T 10 - LMG LMG-15 40L 18 - -19.5 M 7 8 5 6 1 1 - -Crusader II

8 1 N T 10 - LMG LMG-10 94S Smoke Only- -19.5 M 7 8 5 6 1 1 - LrgCrusader IICS

8 1 S T 10 - LMG - 57L 26 - -20 M 7 8 5 6 1 1 9 MedCrusader III

7 1/1 N/- T - - LMG LMG-10 37XL/75 19/25 - -/2328 VL 14 14 7 9 5 5 7/13 Sm/MedGrant

7 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LCMG-10 75 25 - 2330.5 L 14 14 7 9 5 5 13 MedSherman I (M4)

9 1 N T 15 LMG LMG LCMG-10 76L 30 35 2330.5 L 19 14 7 9 5 5 13 SmSherman II (M4A1)

9 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LCMG-10 75 25 - 2332 L 19 14 7 9 5 5 13 MedSherman II (M4A1(76)W)

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LCMG-10 75 25 - 2332 L 14 14 7 9 5 5 13 MedSherman III (M4A2)

7 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LCMG-10 75 25 - 2332 L 14 14 7 9 5 5 13 MedSherman V (M4A4)

7 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LCMG-10 76XL 40 44 -33 L 19 14 7 9 5 5 12 MedSherman IIC (M4 Firefiy)

7 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LCMG-10 76XL 40 44 -33 L 14 14 7 9 5 5 12 MedSherman VC (M4A4 Firefiy)

9 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 75 25 - 2328 M 13 11 7 8 4 4 13 MedCromwell IV

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 75 25 - 2328.5 M 16 15 7 9 4 4 13 MedCromwell VII

9 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 95S - - 2828 M 13 11 7 9 4 4 14 LrgCromwell VI

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 95S - - 2828.5 M 16 15 7 9 4 4 14 LrgCromwell VIII

8 1 N T 10 - LMG - 76XL 40 44 -33 L 11 12 5 6 3 3 13 MedChallenger

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 77L 33 - -36 M 15 14 7 9 3 3 13 MedComet

3 1 S T 10 - MMG - - - - -11 S 11 11 11 11 4 4 - -Matilda I

5 1 N T 10 - LMG - 40L 18 - -27 M 19 18 14 14 4 4 - -Matilda II

5 1 S T 10 - LMG - 40L 18 - -16.5 M 10 12 10 10 4 4 - -Valentine II

5 1 N T 10 - LMG - 40L 18 - -17 M 10 12 10 10 4 4 - -Valentine III

5 1 S T 10 - - - 57L 26 - -17.5 M 10 12 7 7 4 3 9 MedValentine VIII

5 1 S T 10 - LMG - 75 25 - -17.5 M 10 12 7 7 4 3 13 MedValentine XI

5 1 N T 10 - LMG - 40L/76S 18/16 - -39 L 19 19 14 14 4 4 -/13 MedChurchill I

5 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 57L 26 - -40 L 19 14 7 9 5 5 9 MedChurchill IV

5 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 95S - - 2840 L 19 14 7 9 5 5 14 LrgChurchill V

5 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 75 25 - 2340 L 19 14 7 9 5 5 14 MedChurchill VI

4 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 75 - - 2841 L 25 25 19 19 6 6 14 MedChurchill VII

4 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 95S 25 - 2341 L 25 25 19 19 6 6 13 MedChurchill VIII

9 1 N TD - - - LCMG-10 76L 30 35 -29.5 M 14 14 5 5 3 3 13 SmWolverine

9 1 N TD - - - LCMG-10 76XL 40 46 -29.5 M 14 14 5 5 3 3 13 MedAchilles

Smoke Only

British Armoured Cars & Guns

crusade for empireª

14

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT HEHE

SizeWt.Name Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

15 - - AC 10 LMG - - - - - -3 VS 7 5 2 2 1 1 - -Daimier Scout Car

13 - - AC 10 LMG - - - - - -4.5 S 7 5 2 2 1 1 - -Lynx Scout Car

BRITISH ARMOURED CAR STATISTICS

14 - S AC 8 - LMG - LCMG - - -7 M 4 3 2 2 1 1 - -Humber II

14 - N AC 6 - LMG - LCMG - - -7 M 4 3 2 2 1 1 - -Humber III

14 1 N AC 8 - LMG - 37XL 19 - -7 M 4 3 2 2 1 1 7 Sm.Humber IV

12 - S AC 10 - LMG LMG ATR -4.5 M 1 1 1 1 0 0 - -Morris CS9

12 - S AC 10 - - - HMG -

-

-

- -4 S 1 1 1 1 0 0 - -Rolls Royce

13 - S AC - - LMG LMG ATR -6 M 1 2 1 2 0 1 - -Marmon-Herrington II ME

13 - S AC - - LMG LMG LMG 18 - -5 M 2 2 1 2 0 1 - -Marmon-Herrington III ME

13 - S AC - - LMG LMG ATR 18 - -5 M 2 2 1 2 0 1 - -Marmon-Herrington III MFF

19 1 S AC 12 - LMG LMG-10 40L 18 - -7.5 S 4 4 2 3 1 2 - -Daimler Armoured Car

10 1 S AC 16 - LMG - 40L 18 - -11 M 11 13 6 8 3 4 - -AEC I

12 1 N AC 16 - LMG - 57L 26 - -13 M 11 9 6 6 3 3 9 MedAEC II

12 1 N AC 16 - LMG - 75 25 - -13 M 11 9 6 6 3 3 9 MedAEC III

19 1 N AC 16 LMG LMG LMG-10 37XL 19 - -14 L 7 9 4 5 2 3 7 SmStaghound I

19 1 N AC 12 - LMG LMG-10 76 30 13 -14 L 7 9 4 5 2 3 13 MedStaghound II

-

AP APDSPenetration

HEAT HEHE

SizeTypeName Gun Load Crew Set-Up Min MaxRange

Notes:

- - -M 51 1/2 2 0 22 120 10 Sm Crew may operate mortar from prone position. Smoke OML 2" Mortar

- - -M 51 1/2 2 1 15 100 10 Sm Crew may operate mortar from prone position. Smoke OML 2" Mortar (Para)

- - -M 76s 1/2 3 1 30 UN 14 Med SmokeOML 3" Mortar

- - -M 107s 1 6 2 45 UN 21 Lrg Smoke OSB 4.2" Mortar

13 - -ATG 25XL 1/2 3 2 - - 6 SmOQF 25mm Hotchkiss

18 - -ATG 40L 1/2 3 2 - - - - No HEOQF 2-Pounder

29 - -ATG 57L 1/2 4 2 - - 9 MedOQF 6-Pounder

40 44 -ATG 76XL 1/2 4 3 - - 12 MedOQF 17/25-Pounder

40 44 -ATG 76XL 1/2 4 2 - - 12 MedOQF 17-Pounder

18 - -G 75s 1/2 4 2 45 UN - Med WP avaliability is a 16OQF M1A1 75mm Pack How

25 - -G 75 1/2 4 2 45 UN 13 Med SmokeCanon de 75 mle 1897

BRITISH GUN STATISTICS

21 - -G 84s 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med WP avaliability is a 14. SmokeOQF 18-Pounder

20 - -G 88s 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med SmokeOQF 25-Pounder short

23 - -G 88 1 5 3 45 UN 14 Med SmokeOQF 25-Pounder

- - 20G 94s 1 6 3 45 UN 14 Lrg WP avaliability is a 14. SmokeOQF 3.7" Howitzer

- - -G 114s 1 8 4 60 UN 18 Lrg WP avaliability is a 14. SmokeOQF 4.5" Howitzer

- - -G 114 1 8 4 60 UN 18 LrgOBL 4.5" Gun

- - -G 140 2 8 4 60 UN 21 LrgOBL 5.5" Howitzer

30 - -G 152s 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgOBL 6" Howitzer

- - -G 183s 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgOBL 7.2" Howitzer Mk. I

- - -G 183 2 8 4 60 UN 28 LrgOBL 7.2" Howitzer Mk. VI

11 - -AC 20L - 4 2 - - - - When used vs infantry roll To Hit as a HMG, Effect as a LCMG -7OQF 20 AA Gun

18 - -AC 40L - 5 2 - - - - When used vs infantry roll To Hit as a HMG, Effect as a LCMG -7OQF 40mm AA Gun

16 - -G 76s 1/2 4 4 45 UN 12 SmOQF 3" AA Gun

- - -G 94s 1/2 4 4 45 UN 14 SmOQF 3.7" AA Gun

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Normal Damage15. DrivervKIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

LIght tank Mk.vi

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted Construction The use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of a non-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indicatingrivets will force a crew member in that location to take a roll on theD Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressions will becounted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetrating round.Variants The Mark VI Light Tank was cheap and easy to produceand provided the bulk of the British tank strength early in the war.In 1940-1941 its faults were soon apparent and they proved ineffec-tive in combat.Mark VIB Light TankLike the earlier A version, the Mk. VIB wasequipped with a turret mounted Vickers .50 Cal LCMG and a .303Vickers HMG. A few Mk VIBs were equipped with larger sprocketwheels and seperate idlers at the rear. When the war broke out thiswas the most numerous Mk VI variant.Mark VIC Light TankIn an attempt to improve the firepower of theMk VIB, the British equipped the C version with a 15mm Besa anda Besa 7.92mm LMG. Despite this change the tank was still combatobsolete by 1940 and production ceased. By 1942 most of thesetanks were used only for training.Poor Cross-Country Performance One major deficiency of theMk VI series was its poor cross-country performance. Many Britishtankers felt that the Mk. VI would only be useful in a reconnaissancerole and even then a wheeled vehicle would be preferred. Therefore,the Mk IV Light Tank is treated as a wheeled vehicle when movingcross-country.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver

Engine

Gunner

Commander

9 - N T 10 - LMG - LCMG - - -5.5 S 2 2 2 1 1 1

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Mk VIB

9 - N T 10 - HMG - LCMG - - -5.5 S 2 2 2 1 1 1 - -Mk VIC

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Mk. VI Light Tank was the most common early war Britishlight tank. Lightly armored and armed with only machineguns, theMk. VI would be obsolete by 1940.

Introduced: 1936 Crew: 3 Weight: 10,804 lbs. Length: 12’11.25” Width: 6’8.5”Height: 7’3.5”Ground Clearance: 13”Track Width: 1’2”Main Gun: 0.5”Vickers M.G.Max Elevation: +37Ammunition: 200 .50 Cal MG rounds/2500 .303 MG roundsSpeed: 34.78 mphRange: 124.2 milesTrench Crossing: 5’Fording Depth: 3’

1

2 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. Tank Immobilized/ MC8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. No Effect17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9R. Immobilized Smoke / MC9L. Normal Damage10R. Immobilized Smoke / MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Normal Damage17L. Normal Damage17R. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Half Move / Smoke8. Half Move / Smoke9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Immobilized Smoke / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

1112 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

LIght tank Mk. vi

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Driver -1 Action10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Driver KIA / MC10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Infantry tank Mk.iiA matilda II

crusade for empire©

Special Rules2-Pdr HE The 2-Pounder was never supplied with a HighExplosive round. The round did exist but the British never felt itwas neccessary to issue the round. This greatly handicappedBritish tank efforts in France and in the desert, especially whenengaging emplacments and infantry. Fuel Hit Several British tanks had a provision for an extra fueltank mounted on the hull rear. These were often left on during bat-tle but were sometimes removed. If the British player wants toremove these tanks during the battle then it will take the crew 8man actions. If a British tank goes into combat with its extra fueltank, then any rear hit to location 14 will cause the diesel fuel toburn. Roll on the Molotov Effects Chart in addition to any resultson the Penetration Effects Chart. The presence or absence of thefuel tanks should be determined as part of the scenario design.Unarmored Ammo Racks Early British tanks were equippedwith unarmored ammo racks. This slight oversight resulted in sev-eral catastrophic kills that could have been avoided by armoredammo racks. Later British tanks would be equipped with thesevaluable armored ammo racks resulting in fewer casualties when around penetrated the armor of the tank. As a result of the ammorack being unarmored, the tank receives a -1 on the PenetrationEffects Chart.Variants The Matilda was developed to support attackinginfantry. Slow and heavily armored, the tank was not suited to therapid moving engagements of World War II. Its initial successagainst the Italians in the North African campaign was short liveddue to faster and better armed (and armored) German tanks andthe 88mm Flak gun.Matilda I This was the first version of the Matilda. Only 140 weremade by 1940 and was armed with a .50 Cal LCMG and a .303Vickers HMG.Matilda II CSThis version had a short 76mm gun which could fireboth HE and smoke. It was the only Matilda “I” tank which couldfire HE. Initially deployed only in Asia, it was quickly issued tounits operating in the desert by 1941.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver Loader

GunnerCommander

5 1 N T 10 - LMG - 40L 18 - -27 M 19 18 14 14 4 4

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Matilda II

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsHeavily armored yet slow, the Matilda was an “I” tank designed tosupport attacking infantry. It was very successful early in the war

in both France and North Africa.

Introduced: 1938 Crew: 4 Weight: 26.5 tons Length: 18’5” Width: 8’6”Height: 8’3”Ground Clearance: 1’4”Track Width: 1’2”Main Gun: 2-PdrMax Elevation: +20Ammunition: 93 2-Pdr rounds/2925 belted 7.92 MG roundsSpeed: 14.9 mphRange: 158 milesTrench Crossing: 1’2”Fording Depth: 3’

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. No Effect2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. No Effect13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Infantry tank Mk.iiA matilda II

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. Driver -1 Action15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Driver KIA / MC15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Cruiser tank Mk iva

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted Construction The use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of a non-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indicatingrivets will force a crew member in that location to take a roll on theD Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressions will becounted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetrating round.2-Pdr HE The 2-Pounder was never supplied with a HighExplosive round. The round did exist but the British never felt it wasneccessary to issue the round. This greatly handicapped British tankefforts in France and in the desert, especially when engagingemplacments and infantry.Unarmored Ammo Racks Early British tanks were equipped withunarmored ammo racks. This slight oversight resulted in several cat-astrophic kills that could have been avoided by armored ammoracks. Later British tanks would be equipped with these valuablearmored ammo racks resulting in fewer casualties when a roundpenetrated the armor of the tank. As a result of the ammo rack beingunarmored, the tank receives a -1 on the Penetration Effects Chart.Variants Cruiser tanks were designed to be fast. Generally havinglight armor and a 2-Pounder gun, Cruisers were the main strikingforce of the early war British Army.Crusier Tank Mk 1This had sub-turrets on locations 8 and 10 eachmounting a .303 Vickers (treated as LMGs).Crusier Tank Mk 1 CSThis version had a 3.7” Howitzer whichcould only fire Smoke.Cruiser Tank Mk IIAThis variant deleted the turrets and had thick-er armor.Cruiser Tank Mk IIA CS This variant had a 3.7” Howitzer whichcould only fire Smoke.Cruiser Tank Mk IIIThis traded armor for speed but was otherwisethe same as the Cruiser Mk. IIA.Cruiser Tank Mk IVA CS This version had a 3.7” Howitzer whichcould only fire Smoke.

Tank Crew Positions

DriverLoader

GunnerCommander

8 1 N T 10 - LMG LMG-15 40L 18 - -15 M 5 5 4 5 1 1

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Crusier Tank MkIVA

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Cruiser Mk. IVA was the most common British tank early inthe war. Problems plagued the vehicle while bearing the brunt of

the fighting in North Africa and France.

Introduced: 1940 Crew: 5 Weight: 19 tons Length: 19’8’Width: 9’1”Height: 7’4”Ground Clearance: 1’4”Track Width: 10’7”Main Gun: 2-PdrMax Elevation: +25Ammunition: 110 2-Pdr rounds/4,500 7.92mm MG roundsSpeed: 26.5 mphRange: 93 milesTrench Crossing: 7’6”Fording Depth: 3’3”

12 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilized / MC9. Driver -1 Action10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Driver KIA / MC10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. No Effect13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Cruiser tank Mk iva

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. Driver -1 Action15. Hull Gunner -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Driver KIA / MC15. Hull Gunner KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Valentine IIi

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted Construction The use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of a non-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indicatingrivets will force a crew member in that location to take a roll on theD Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressions will becounted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetrating round.2-Pdr HE The 2-Pounder was never supplied with a HighExplosive round. The round did exist but the British never felt it wasneccessary to issue the round. This greatly handicapped British tankefforts in France and in the desert, especially when engagingemplacments and infantry. Varients In 1938 plans were drawn up and submitted just prior toSt. Valentines day for the new Infantry “I” tank. The new vehiclewas named the Valentine because of this and it became one of themost important British tanks of 1943. Valentine II This version had a small turret which could only holdtwo men and therefore suffers from the Commander/Gunner rule.Commander/GunnerThe gunner in the Valentine III also served asthe commander. This individual was very overworked and at notime could be Commander Exposed when firing the main gun as heis acting as a gunner, not a commander. Therefore all main gun shotswill suffer No Commander penalty as well as the Button-Up penal-ty. Valentine VThis version was identical to the Valentine III except itsturret could turn faster and was slightly heavier. It also is not affect-ed by the Commander/Gunner rule because it had a loader.Valentine VIII This tank was the first to mount the 6-Pdr which inturn replaced the loader. Because the this gun replaces the loader,this vehicle suffers from the Commander/Gunner rule. ValentineXI This version mounted a 75mm gun in a three man tur-ret and does not suffer from Commander/Gunner. rule. It also useda diesel engine which gives the tank a +1 on all on the PenetrationEffects Chart.

Tank Crew PositionsDriver Loader

GunnerCommander

5 1 S T 10 - LMG - 40L 18 - -17 M 10 12 10 10 4 3

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Valentine III

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Valentine was mechanically reliable and popular with itscrews. By 1943 the Valentine was combat obsolete and most were

converted to SP Guns like the Archer and Bishop.

Introduced: 1940 Crew: 3 Weight: 39,028 lbs. Length: 17’9” Width: 8’7.5”Height: 7’5.5”Ground Clearance: 1’4”Track Width: 1’2”Main Gun: 2-PdrMax Elevation: +20Ammunition: 60 2-Pdr rounds/3,150 .303 Cal MGroundsSpeed: 15 mphRange: 183 milesTrench Crossing: 7’9”Fording Depth: 3’

1 2 3 4 5 6 78

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. No Effect13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. No Effect13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Valentine IIi

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Driver -1 Action14. No Effect15. MG Destroyed / Radio Man -1 Action16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Driver KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Hull Gunner KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

churchill IV

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Unarmored Ammo Racks Early British tanks were equipped withunarmored ammo racks. This slight oversight resulted in several cat-astrophic kills that could have been avoided by armored ammoracks. Later British tanks would be equipped with these valuablearmored ammo racks resulting in fewer casualties when a roundpenetrated the armor of the tank. As a result of the ammo rack beingunarmored, the tank receives a -1 on the Penetration Effects Chart.Variants The Churchill was designed to support infantry attackingover broken ground and cross wide trenches like those seen inWorld War I. This vehicle changed dramatically throughout the warto meet different requirements.Churchill I This was the first type in the churchill series. It had one2-Pdr in it’s turret and a 3” howitzer in the hull and unarmoredammo racks.Multiple Guns The Churchill I carries two guns and two gun crews:a 2-Pdr. in the turret and a 3” howitzer in the hull. Each gun oper-ates independently and may fire seperately, load seperately, engagedifferent targets, or even set Op-Fire seperately. The Commandermay only direct fire for one gun or the other. The Commander’scupola also rotates seperately from the 2-Pdr. turret and thus he maydirect the 3” howitzer gun even as the 2-Pdr. gun engages targets tothe side or rear.Churchill V This version was the CS and mounted 95mm howitzerwhich could fire HE and HEAT. This vehicle also suffer from unar-mored ammo racks.Churchill VIThis varient was the first to mount the 75mm main gunand was equipped with armored ammo racks.Churchill VII This Churchill still mounted a 75mm main gun inaddition to more heavily armored. It too had armored ammo racks. Churchill VIII This version was a Churchill VII with a 95mm how-itzer in stead of the 75mm gun. It had the same speed and armor asthe Churchill VII and it had armored ammo racks.

Tank Crew PositionsDriver

Radio OperatorHull Gunner

LoaderGunner

Commander

5 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 57L 29 - -40 L 19 14 7 9 5 5

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

9

HE

Med

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Churchill IV

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Churchill was built to operate on terrain similar to the westernfront of World War I. It was produced in many different variantsand saw service in both Europe and North Africa.

Introduced: 1941 Crew: 5 Weight: 87,450 lbs. Length: 24’5”Width: 10’8”Height: 8’2”Ground Clearance: 2’Track Width: 1’2”Main Gun: 6-Pdr. gunMax Elevation: 20Ammunition: 58 6-Pdr rounds/9,450 .303 Cal MG roundsSpeed: 15 mphRange: 120 milesTrench Crossing: 10’Fording Depth: 3’4”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Tank Immobilized/ MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Gunner-1 action 17L. Loader -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9R. Driver KIA / MC 9L. Hull Gunner KIA / MC10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Normal Damage17L. Loader KIA / MC17R. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Hull Gunner -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Hull Gunner KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 1213

14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exhaust Hit /Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Immobilized / MC12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Infantry tank mk.iv churchill

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Driver -1 Action14. No Effect15. Hull Gunner -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Driver KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Hull Gunner KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

cromwell VII

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Variants When the Cromwell was introduced in 1943, it was themost common Cruiser tank built by the British in World War II.During 1944 through 1945, the Cromwell became the mainstay ofthe British armoured divsions. Initial models mounted the 6-Pdr andlater models were upgraded with a 75mm main gun. Even with the75mm gun, the Cromwell still was at a disadvantage when facingmost German armor.Cromwell IV This was the first version of the Cromwell to mountthe 75mm gun and the Meteor engine, making it the fastest and bestarmed Cruiser tank to that date.Cromwell VI This version mounted a short 95mm howitzer insteadof the 75mm main gun. It was used to support infantry and couldfire both HE and HEAT. Cromwell VII This Version had several important upgrades whichallowed it to be more successful against German armor. The VII hadthicker armor and wider tracks which greatly improved perfor-mance. A governer was also added which slowed the tank’s maxi-mum speed down to 32 mph. It also mounted the 75mm main gun. Cromwell VIII Like the Cromwell VII, this version had thickerarmor and wider tracks but mounted a short 95mm howitzer whichcould fire both HE and HEAT.Cromwell “Prong” This was a standard Cromwell tank equippedwith the U.S. Culin hedgerow-cutting device. This allowed the tankto break through the Bocage country found in Normandy.Tank Crew Positions

Hull Gunner

DriverLoader

GunnerCommander

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 75 25 - 2328.5 M 16 15 7 9 4 4

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

13

HE

Med

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Cromwell VII

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Cromwell was one of the best armed British tanks of WorldWar II. However, it lacked sloped armor and was box-like inshape, giving it poor protection and a high profile.

Introduced: 1943 Crew: 5 Weight: 61,673 lbs. Length: 20’10”Width: 9’6”Height: 8’2”Ground Clearance: 1’4”Track Width: 1’2”Main Gun: 75mm gunMax Elevation: +20Ammunition: 64 75mm rounds/6,950 7.92mm MG roundsSpeed: 32 mphRange: 173 milesTrench Crossing: 7’6”Fording Depth: 3’

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. Driver -1 Action10L. Hull Gunner -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Driver KIA / MC10L. Hull Gunner KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Hull Gunner -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Hull Gunner KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 1213 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

cromwell VII

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Driver -1 Action14. No Effect15. Main Weapon Destroyed / MC16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. Gunner -1 Action20. No Effect

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Driver KIA /MC14. Normal Damage15. Main Weapon Destroyed / MC16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Normal Damage19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

2017 18 19

1

Front hit location

Universal carrier

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Open TopThe open top of the Universal Carrier had several disad-vantages. It exposed the crew to grenade and rifle fire, and to over-head artillery bursts. Any figure who is elevated high enough abovea Universal Carrier to make a top attack, may fire small arms at thecrew who recieve partial tank cover. Grenades may be thrown inusing normal grenade rules. If the Universal Carrier is underneathan artillery burst in Woods, the crew is effected just as in any otheropen topped vehicles. The open top allows the vehicle to use indi-rect fire following all normal rules.Crew ExposedThe crew and passengers are always Crew Exposed.AAMG If the Universal Carrier has a Bren Gun mounted as themain armament, then the gunner may spend three actions to removethe Bren Gun and move it to the AAMG mount in the passengercompartment as long as there is no crew served weapon already pre-sent.Crew Served Weapons The Universal Carrier may mount aVickers HMG, a 2” or 3” Mortar, or a Piat (1943 and later). Anycrew served weapon will take the place of two passengers.

Tank Crew PositionsDriver

Gunner

Engine

Crew Location

8 - - T - - - - - - - -20 M 1 1 1 1 1 1

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Universal Carrier

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe British Universal Carrier was a versatile AFV which couldperform a wide range of functions for the infantry it supported.LMGs, mortars, and flamethowers were just some of the weaponsable to be mounted on it.

Introduced: 1930s Crew: 2 Weight: 9,922 lbs. Passengers: 4 (2 with weapon)Length: 11’10” Width: 6’7”Height: 5’2”Ground Clearance: 1’2”Track Width: 1’2”Main Gun: Bren Gun or Boys ATRMax Elevation: +15Ammunition: VariableSpeed: 29 mphRange: 93 milesTrench Crossing: 2’Fording Depth: 3’

12 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Tank Immobilized / MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Weapon Hit/ MC17R. Driver -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. No Effect

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10 Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Main Weapon Hit / MC17R. Driver KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Normal Damage

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. No Effect2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver KIA / MC8. Normal Damage 9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Main Weapon Destroyed / MC12. Gunner KIA / MC13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. No Effect

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Normal Damage9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Main Weapon Destroyed / MC12. Gunner KIA / MC13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1 2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. No Effect

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Normal Damage

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

2017 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Universal carrier

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Main Gun Destroyed / MC14. Driver -1 Action15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Main Gun Destroyed / MC14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed 19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Medium tank m3 Grant

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted Construction The use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of a non-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indicatingrivets will force a crew member in that location to take a roll on theD Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressions will becounted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetrating round.Hull Gun Because American industry was not yet able to cast a tur-ret large enough to house a 75mm gun, the gun was mounted in thehull of the M3. This limits the gun to firing only in the front arc. Thegun may only traverse side to side 15 degrees. In order to fire at tar-gets outside of this limited arc, the M3 must move. The M3 can shiftposition in place using 90 or 180 degree turn manuevers. Any use ofa turn will count the vehicle as firing on the move if it fires the sameaction as the turn, or as moved in the previous action if it fires theaction after the move.Multiple Guns The M3 carries two guns and two gun crews: a37mm in the turret and a 75mm in the hull. Each gun operates inde-pendently and may fire seperately, load seperately, engage differenttargets, or even set Op-Fire seperately. The Commander may onlydirect fire for one gun or the other. The Commander’s cupola alsorotates seperately from the 37mm turret and thus he may direct the75mm gun even as the 37mm gun engages targets to the side or rear.Unarmored Ammo Racks Early British tanks were equipped withunarmored ammo racks. This slight oversight resulted in several cat-astrophic kills that could have been avoided by armored ammoracks. Later British tanks would be equipped with these valuablearmored ammo racks resulting in fewer casualties when a roundpenetrated the armor of the tank. As a result of the ammo rack beingunarmored, the tank receives a -1 on the Penetration Effects Chart.High Ground Pressure M3 gets +1 on all Bog Checks.Top Armor Because of the steep slope of the front glacis, any tophits to locations 6 or 11 will use the front armor value of 14

Tank Crew Positions

Driver

LoaderLoader

Gunner

Gunner

Commander

7 1/1 N/- T - - LMG LCMG-10 37/75 19/25 - -/2328 VL 14 14 7 9 5 5

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

7/13

HE

S/M

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Grant

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Grant was a variant of the first medium tank built by the U.S.It was supplied in vast numbers to the British who used the tank inthe desert and referred to it as a “Grant.”

Introduced: 1941 Crew: 6 Weight: 60,064 lbs.Length: 18’6” Width: 8’11”Height: 10’3”Ground Clearance: 1’5”Track Width: 1’4.5”Main Gun: 37mm gun/75mm gunMax Elevation: +60/+20Ammunition: 178 37mm rounds/46 75mm rounds/

9200 .30 Cal MG roundsSpeed: 26 mphRange: 120 milesTrench Crossing: 6’Fording Depth: 3’4”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. Gunner -1 Action10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Gunner KIA /MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. Gunner -1 Action / MC4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Main Gun Destroyed / MC8. Driver -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. No Effect13. Loader -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. Gunner -1 Action18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Gunner KIA / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Main Gun Destroyed / MC8. Driver KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Loader KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

23

4 5

6

7

8

9 10

11 12

13

14 15

16

17

18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

23 4 5

6

78 9 10 11

1213 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Medium tank m3 Grant

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

m3 honey

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted Construction The use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of a non-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indicatingrivets will force a crew member in that location to take a roll on theD column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressions will becounted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetrating round.High Ground Pressure The Honey receives a +1 on all BogChecks.Unarmored Ammo Racks Early British tanks were equipped withunarmored ammo racks. This slight oversight resulted in several cat-astrophic kills that could have been avoided by armored ammoracks. Later British tanks would be equipped with these valuablearmored ammo racks resulting in fewer casualties when a roundpenetrated the armor of the tank. As a result of the ammo rack beingunarmored, the tank receives a -1 on the Penetration Effects Chart.AAMG The .30 Cal LMG that the Honey used as an AAMG wasmounted on the right side of the turret. The commander can only usethe AAMG to the right of the tank - from directly ahead to directlybehind. The AAMG follows all normal restrictions through this arc.No Hull Machine Gun The British rearranged the crew making thehull machine gunner the loader for the main gun. Tank Crew Positions

Driver

Loader

Gunner

Commander

9 1 S T 10 - LMG MMG-15 37XL 19 - -12.5 S 7 7 5 7 2 2

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

7

HE

Sm.

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Stuart Honey

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Honey was an American light tank used by the British forcesin North Africa. It was very reliable and had thicker armor thanmost early war British tanks.

Introduced: 1941 Crew: 4 Weight: 28,499 lbs. Length: 14’10” Width: 7’4”Height: 8’3”Ground Clearance: 1’4”Track Width: 11.5”Main Gun: 37mm gunMax Elevation: +20Ammunition: 103 37mm rounds/8,720 .30 Cal MG roundsSpeed: 35Range: 70 milesTrench Crossing: 6’Fording Depth: 3’

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Tank Immobilized/ MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action 17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9R. Normal Damage 9L. Driver KIA / MC10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader Damage17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. No Effect8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. No Effect8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exhaust Hit /Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Immobilized / MC12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

m3 honey

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Driver -1 Action14. Hull Gunner -1 Action15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Driver KIA / MC14. Hull Gunner KIA / MC15. No Effect16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 1516

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Comet

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

77mm gunThis gun was developed specifically for the Comet. Itwas a smaller version of the 17-Pdr. Its performance was onlyslightly reduced and could fire the same ammunition as the 17-Pdr.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver Loader

Hull GunnerGunner Commander

8 1 N T 10 LMG LMG - 77L 33 - -36 M 15 14 7 9 3 3

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

13

HE

Med

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Comet

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Comet was equipped with a 77mm gun which was only slight-ly smaller then the 17-Pdr. The tank was reliable and its gunallowed it to even take on the dreaded Tiger tank.

Introduced: 1944 Crew: 5 Weight: 78,883 lbs. Length: 20’10”Width: 10’Height: 8’9”Ground Clearance: 1’5.5”Track Width: 1’6”Main Gun: 77mm gunMax Elevation: +20Ammunition: 61 77mm rounds/5,175 7.92mm MG roundsSpeed: 29 mphRange: 123 milesTrench Crossing: 8’Fording Depth: 3’

12 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Tank Immobilized / MC9. No Effect10R Driver -1 Action10L Hull Gunner -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 Action17L. Gunner -1 Action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Driver KIA / MC10L. Hull Gunner KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Hull Gunner -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Hull Gunner KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Comet

Front hit location

1.Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. Imobilization / MC8. No Effect9. 1/2 Move /Smoke10. No Effect11. Imobilization / MC12. No Effect13. Driver -1 Action14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Spare Tire Destroyed17. No Effect18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Immobilized /MC12. Normal Damage13. Driver KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Rolls Royce armoured car

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted Construction The use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of a non-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indicatingrivets will force a crew member in that location to take a roll on theD column of the Effects Chart. MCs and suppressions will be count-ed as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetrating round.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver Gunner

Commander

12 - S AC - - - - HMG - - -4 S 0 1 0 0 0 0

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Rolls Royce Armoured Car

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Rolls Royce Armoured Car was very common during theearly battles of World War II. It would often be employed inreconnaissance or security roles.

Introduced: 1941 Crew: 3 Weight: 25,248 lbs. Length: 17’8” Width: 8’10”Height: 7’8.5”Ground Clearance:1’2”Track Width: N/AMain Gun: Boys ATR or Vickers HMGMax Elevation: VariableAmmunition: VariableSpeed: 45 mphRange: 180 milesTrench Crossing: N/AFording Depth: 2’

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Tank Immobilized / MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12R Driver -1 Action12 L No Effect13. Spare Destryoed14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Main Gun Hit / MC18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Immobilized / MC / Smoke10 Immobilized / MC / Smoke11. Immobilized / MC / Smoke12. Normal Damage13R. Driver KIA / MC13L. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Main Gun Hit / MC18. Gunner KIA / MC19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Half Move / Smoke7. Half Move / Smoke8. Driver -1 Action9. No Effect10. No Effect11. Half Move / Smoke12. Half Move / Smoke13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Normal Damage4. Normal Damage5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / Smoke / MC7. Immobilized / Smoke / MC8. Driver KIA / MC9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Immobilized / Smoke / MC12. Immobilized / Smoke / MC13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Immobilized / MC17. Normal Damage18. Normal Damage19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Normal Damage4. Normal Damage5. Normal Damage6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Immobilized / MC12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Gunner KIA / MC19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Rolls Royce armoured car

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Hull Gunner -1 Action14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Hull Gunner KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. DrivervKIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

armored car t17e1 staghound

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Turret speed Compared to its German rivals, who generally had aslow turret, the Staghound’s turret speed gave a substantial advan-tage. The Staghound’s turret is treated as a Fast Turret.

Tank Crew Positions

Hull Gunner

Gunner

CommanderDriver

Loader

16 1 N AC 10 LMG LMG - 37XL 19 - -12 L 7 8 4 5 1 1

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

7

HE

Sm.

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Staghound I

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThis American armored car was only used by the British. It waswell armored for an armored car and very dependable. Easy tomaintain and operate, this vehicle was popular with its crews.

Introduced: 1942 Crew: 5 Weight: 28,260 lbs. Length: 18’Width: 8’10”Height: 7’9”Ground Clearance: 1’2”Track Width: N/AMain Gun: 37mm gunMax Elevation: +20Ammunition: 109 37mm rounds/ 8,000 7.62mm MG roundsSpeed: 50 mphRange: 450 milesTrench Crossing: N/AFording Depth: 2’8”

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. No Effect2. Immobilized/ MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilized / MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 Action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Hull Gunner KIA / MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Hull Gunner -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Normal Damage4. Normal Damage5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Hull Gunner KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Normal Damage18. Normal Damage19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

armored car t17e1 staghound

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

M4 sherman firefly

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

No Bow MG The Firefly lacked a Bow MG because extra spacewas needed to stow the larger 17-Pounder ammo. No WP The Firefly may not fire White Phosphorus as the Britishdid not develop this type of round for the 17-Pounder.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver

Loader

Gunner

Commander

7 1 N T 10 LMG LMG LCMG-10 76XL 40 44 -33 L 14 14 7 9 5 5

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

12

HE

Med

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Sherman VC Firefly

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Firefly Sherman was one of the most powerful tanksemployed by the British during World War II. It was capable ofdestroying some of the larger German tanks and one was assignedto each British late-war Sherman platoon.

Introduced: 1943 Crew: 4 Weight: 72,000 lbs. Length: 24’3” Width: 8’9.5”Height: 9’9”Ground Clearance: 1’5”Track Width: 1’4.5”Main Gun: 17-Pdr. gunMax Elevation: 25Ammunition: 73 17-Pdr. roundsSpeed: 29 mphRange: 100 milesTrench Crossing: 7’6”Fording Depth: 3’

12 3 4 5 6 7

8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. No Effect10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Normal Damage10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. No Effect8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Normal Damage8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 1213 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

M4 sherman firefly

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Driver -1 Action14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Normal Damage15. DrivervKIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

23 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Crusader IIi

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted Construction The use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of a non-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indicatingrivets will force a crew member in that location to take a roll on theD Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressions will becounted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetrating round.Unarmored Ammo Racks Early British tanks were equipped withunarmored ammo racks. This slight oversight resulted in several cat-astrophic kills that could have been avoided by armored ammoracks. Later British tanks would be equipped with these valuablearmored ammo racks resulting in fewer casualties when a roundpenetrated the armor of the tank. As a result of the ammo rack beingunarmored, the tank receives a -1 on the Penetration Effects Chart.Commander/GunnerThe gunner in the Crusader III also served asthe commander. This individual was very overworked and at notime could be Commander Exposed when firing the main gun as heis acting as a gunner, not a commander. Therefore all main gun shotswill suffer No Commander penalty as well as the Button-Up penal-ty. Variants Despite being lightly armored and outgunned the Crusaderseries saw extensive service in North Africa. By 1943 the Crusaderwere obsolete and were only used in special purpose roles such asanti-aircraft tanks and artillery tractors.Crusader I This version was the first in the Crusader series. Itmounted a 2-Pdr. and had unarmored ammo racks. It was alreadyobsolete when it saw combat for the first time in 1941.2-Pdr HE The 2-Pounder was never supplied with a HighExplosive round. The round did exist but the British never felt it wasneccessary to issue the round. This greatly handicapped British tankefforts in France and in the desert, especially when engagingemplacments and infantry.Crusader I CSThis was identical to the Crusader I except it mount-ed a 94mm howitzer which could only fire smoke rounds.Crusader IIThis variant was also identical to the Crusader I and suf-fers from all the rules that affect the Crusader I, the only differenceis that this version was more heavily armored.Crusader IICSThis was a Crusader II with a 94mm Howitzer whichcould only fire smoke.

Tank Crew PositionsDriver Gunner

Commander

8 1 S T 10 - LMG - 57L 26 - -20 M 7 8 5 6 1 1

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

9

HE

Med

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Crusader III

VEHICLE STATISTICS

Specifications

Introduced: 1939 Crew: 4 Weight: 33,040 Length: 19’9” Width: 8’4”Height: 8’6”Ground Clearance: 1’2”Track Width: 10”Main Gun: 6-Pdr.Max Elevation: +20˚Ammunition: 50 6-Pdr. rounds/3,750 .303 cal. roundsSpeed: 30 mphRange: 90 milesTrench Crossing: 7’6”Fording Depth: 3’

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Tank Immobilized / MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. No Effect17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Normal Damage10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Normal Damage17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Gunner -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. No Effect13. No Effect14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Gunne KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Crusader IIi

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Driver -1 Action10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Driver KIA / MC10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

sdkfz 232 8-rad

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Reverse Drive The 8-Rad is capable of full reverse speed. Itincludes a rear driver position as well as rear transmission andsteering. The rear driver may take over the vehicle at the beginningof any subsequent action. If one driver is killed or disabled, the otherdriver may only move at half speed in the disabled driver’s direc-tion. It is never possible for both drivers to control the vehicle in thesame action, or to ever move both forward and reverse in the sameaction.Cross Country PerformanceBecause of the 8-Rad’s eight wheelsuspension, it has much better cross country performance than otherarmored cars. 8-Rads are not penalized with half movement onRough Ground, Fields, Shell Holes, Foxholes, Mud or Deep Snowbut instead move at full speed. The 8-Rad can move through anyother terrain types just as any other armored car.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver Gunner

Commander

Rear Driver

15 - N AC 12 - LMG - 20L AC 11 - -9 M 4 3 2 2 2 2

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

SdKfz 232 (8 Rad)

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe unique design of the 8-Rad gave it a high road speed andsuperb cross-country mobility. It was very reliable and was one ofthe most common German armored cars in World War II.

Introduced: 1937 Crew: 4 Weight: 16,700 lbs. Length: 19’1” Width: 7’3”Height: 7’10”Ground Clearance: 1’Track Width: N/AMain Gun: 20mm cannonMax Elevation: +26˚Ammunition: 180 20mm rounds/2,100 7.92mm MG roundsSpeed: 53 mphRange: 170 milesTrench Crossing: 5’Fording Depth: 2’

1

2 3 4 5 6 78

910 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Tank Immobilized / MC9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. No Effect17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Rear Driver KIA / MC14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Normal Damage17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. No Effect9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Rear Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Normal Dammage9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Rear Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

67

8 9 10

1112

13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. Rear Driver -1 Action15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Rear Driver KIA / MC15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

sdkfz 232 8-rad

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Hull Gunner -1 Action14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Hull Gunner KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Pz. kpfw Ivf2

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Panzer Kpfw IVF2 The Panzer IVF2 was one of the best tanks tobe deployed in the desert. It was the first German tank to mount thelong 75mm gun which was capable of knocking out the most heav-ily armored British tanks at long range. It was fast and could easilyout manuever the inferior British tanks in battle. In addition to itslarge gun it also had thick armor making it almost impervious to theBritish 2-Pdr. The only draw back to this tank was that there wasnever enough of them.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver

Hull Gunner Loader

Gunner

Commander

9 1 N T 15 LMG LMG - 75L 30 35 -23 M 11 11 5 7 2 2

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

13

HE

Med

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

PzKpfw IVF2

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Panzer IVF2 was the first in its series to mount a long 75mmgun. This greatly increased the range and the killing power of theMk. IV.

Introduced: 1940 Crew: 5 Weight: 69,560 lbs. Length: 18’8.5” Width: 9’4”Height: 8’7”Ground Clearance: 1’3.5”Track Width: 1’3.5”Main Gun: 75mm gunMax Elevation: +20˚Ammunition: 87 75mm rounds/2700 7.92 MG roundsSpeed: 23 mphRange: 93 milesTrench Crossing: 7’6”Fording Depth: 2’9”

12 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. Hull Gunner -1 Action10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Hull Gunner KIA / MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Hull Gunner -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Hull Gunner KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 78 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

23 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Pz. kpfw Ivf2

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Panzerjager iB

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Open Top The open top of the Panzerjager Ib had several disad-vantages. It exposed the crew to grenade and rifle fire, and to over-head artillery bursts. Any figure who is elevated high enough abovea Panzerjager Ib to make a top attack, may fire small arms at thetank’s crew who receive partial tank cover. Grenades may be thrownin using normal grenade rules. If the Panzerjager Ib is underneath anartillery burst in Woods, the crew is effected just as in any otheropen-topped vehicles. The open top allows the vehicle to useIndirect Fire following all normal rules.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver

Loader

Gunner / Commander

10 1 - SP - - - - 47L 19 23 -7 S 2 2 2 2/auto 1 auto

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

7

HE

Sm.

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

PzJg 1B

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsBy 1940 the Panzer I was obsolete. Yet, the Germans decided toreplace the turret of the Mk. I with a 47mm gun mounted in anarmored superstructure to make the tank more powerful.

Introduced: 1940 Crew: 3 Weight: 13,228 lbs. Length: 13’7” Width: 6’7.25”Height: 6’10.7”Ground Clearance: 11.5”Track Width: 11”Main Gun: 47mm gunMax Elevation: +10˚Ammunition: 74 47mm roundsSpeed: 24 mphRange: 87 milesTrench Crossing: 4’7”Fording Depth: 2’

12 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. No Effect10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Normal Damage10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Hull Gunner -1 Action8. Loader KIA / MC9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander KIA / MC

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Hull Gunner KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 78 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Main Gun Hit / MC19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIa / MC

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Main Gun Hit / MC19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Panzerjager iB

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Hull Gunner -1 Action14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Hull Gunner KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

pz. kpfw iii h

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Panzer Kpfw IIIH The Panzer IIIH was one of the most powerfultanks to fight in the desert. It’s 50mm gun could easily penetrate thethinly armored cruiser tanks of the British army. It had 30mm ofextra armor bolted onto its chassis which gave 60mm of armor insome places. In addition to this, its powerful engine allowed it tomove faster then the British Cruiser tank. This deadly combinationof armor, speed and armament formed the backbone of the Germanpanzer divisions in the desert.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver

Hull Gunner Loader

Gunner

Commander

9 1 N T 15 LMG LMG - 50 20 25 -22 M 11 7 5 6 2 2

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

10

HE

Sm.

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

PzKpfw IIIH

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Panzer IIIH was the first model to be equipped with a5cm main gun. Also its thicker armor and reliability wouldmake the Panzer IIIH one of the best German mediumtanks.

Introduced: 1942 Crew: 5 Weight: 44000 lbs. Length: 17’6.5” Width: 9’6.7”Height: 8’2”Ground Clearance: 1’2.6”Track Width: 1’2”Main Gun: 5 cm gunMax Elevation: +20˚Ammunition: 99 5cm rounds/3750 7.92mm MG roundsSpeed: 23 mphRange: 84 milesTrench Crossing: 8’7”

12 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. Hull Gunner -1 Action10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 action17L. Gunner -1 action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Hull Gunner KIA / MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Hull Gunner -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Hull Gunner KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

11 1213 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

23 4 5

6

78 9 10

11

1213 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

pz. kpfw iii h

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Loader -1 Action14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Loader KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Semovente m40 da 75/18

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted ConstructionThe use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of anon-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indi-cating rivets will force a crew member in that location to take aroll on the D Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressionswill be counted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetratinground.Commander/Gunner The commander in the Semovente alsoserved as the Gunner. This individual was very overworked and atno time could be Commander Exposed; when firing the main gun heis acting as a gunner, not a commander. Therefore all main gun shotswill suffer the No Commander penalty as well as the Button-Uppenalty. Hit location effects that indicate a hit on the Gunner orCommander only apply if the Commander is in that position.SandbagsMany Italian crews would use sandbags on their vehiclesto give them additional protection from HE and HEAT rounds.Front Hull sand bags cover locations 8-10 & 12-16 Avaliability-15Side Hull/Turret sandbags cover locations 9-10Avaliability-15Variants When war broke out the Italians soon found their tanksobsolete and unable to stand up to superior British armor. TheSemovente M40da 75/18 was originally designed as a self-propelledgun, but served well as an assault gun. Later versions were used bythe Germans after Italy’s surrender in 1943.Semovente M41 da 75/18This version had a larger engine whichslightly increased it’s speed.Semovente M42 da 75/18This version again had its engine upgrad-ed giving it a higher speed.Semovente M42 da 75/32This version mounted a longer 75mm gunbut was otherwise similar to the Semovente M42 da 75/18.Semovente M43 da 105/25This was the last version to be producedby the Italians before they surrendered in 1943. It mounted a105mm main gun and its armor was drastically increased. A largerengine was also installed.Italian MG Jamming The Semovente’s AAMG will Jam on on ad20 roll of 18 or higher.

Tank Crew PositionsLoader

Driver Gunner Position

Commander

6 1 - AG 16 - - LMG-10 75s 17 - -14 S 6 7 6 6 3 3

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

12

HE

Med

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Semovente M40 da 75/18

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Semovente was one of the best Italian armored vehicles madeduring World War II. This assault gun had thicker armor then mostItalian armored vehicles and mounted a 75mm main gun.

Introduced: 1941 Crew: 3 Weight: 25,780 lbs. Length: 16’2” Width: 7’3”Height: 6’Ground Clearance: 1’4”Track Width: 1’Main Gun: 75mm gunMax Elevation: +22˚Ammunition: 44 75mm rounds/1,104 8mm MG roundsSpeed: 20 mphRange: 124 milesTrench Crossing: 6’6.75”Fording Depth: 3’3.5”

12 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. Hull Gunner-1 Action10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 Action17L. Gunner -1 Action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Hull Gunner KIA / MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. No Effect8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Normal Damage8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

1112

13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Loader KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Semovente m40 da 75/18

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. Driver -1 Action15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action 18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Driver KIA / MC15. Normal Damage16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Autoblinda 41

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted ConstructionThe use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of anon-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indi-cating rivets will force a crew member in that location to take aroll on the D Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressionswill be counted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetratinground.Reverse Drive The Autoblinda is capable of full reverse speed. Itincludes a rear driver position as well as rear transmission and steer-ing. The rear driver may take over the vehicle at the beginning ofany action after the vehicle has stopped. If one driver is killed or dis-abled, the other driver may move at half speed in the disabled dri-ver’s direction (reverse of the drivers direction). It is never possiblefor both drivers to control the vehicle in the same action, or to evermove both forward and reverse at the same time.Rear MG The Autoblinda had a LMG mounted in the rear of thehull. The rear LMG follows all rules and arcs of fire for a Co-axMG. In addition the rear LMG may be used against any figure inbase contact with the engine deck, unless the figure is prone.Note: The rear driver compartment and the rear LMG are next toone another but are independent. The rear driver may take 1 actionto switch positions but may not be in control of the rear driver loca-tion and fire the rear LMG in the same action.Italian MG Jamming The Autoblinda’s LMG(s) will Jam on on ad20 roll of 18 or higher.Variants The Autoblinda was one of the most advanced armoredcars early in the war. It had a driver in the rear in addition to the onein the front. This allowed the vehicle to get out of trouble just as fastas it got into it.Autoblinda 40This was identical to the Autoblinda 41 except it hadtwo Breda 8-mm LMGs mounted in the turret. These MGs fire usingthe same mechanism, but each gun (barrel) fires like a normal LMGmaking a total ROF of 8 each action. Any Jam result on either gunwill Jam the entire weapons mount as per normal Jamming rules.

Tank Crew Positions

Driver Loader Rear Driver / Gunner

Commander / Gunner

15 - S AC - LMG(r) LMG - 20LAC 10 - -7.5 M 11 2 3 2 1 1

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

-

HE

-

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

Autoblinda 41

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe Autoblinda armored car had an advanced design for the peri-od. It had problems with its steering but otherwise had excellentperformance.

Introduced: 1940 Crew: 4 Weight: 15,000 lbs.Length: 17’2” Width: 6’4”Height: 8’Ground Clearance: 1’3”Track Width: N/AMain Gun: 20mm CannonMax Elevation: +22˚Ammunition: 1000 20mm roundsSpeed: 49 mphRange: 248 milesTrench Crossing: N/AFording Depth: 2’4”

12 3 4 5 6

78

9 10 11 1213 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilized/ MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. Immobilized / MC8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 Action17L. Gunner -1 Action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader -1 KIA / MC17L. Gunner -1 KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. Rear Driver -1 Action5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Driver -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. No Effect13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Rear Hull Gunner -1 Action 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Rear Driver KIA / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Driver KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Rear Hull Gunner KIA / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3

4

5

6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15

16 17

18

19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. Driver -1 Action18. No Effect19. Hull Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Driver KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Hull Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Autoblinda 41

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Hull Gunner -1 Action14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. Loader -1 Action18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner -1 Action20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Hull Gunner KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Loader KIA / MC18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Gunner KIA / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Carro armato m13/40

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted ConstructionThe use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of anon-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indi-cating rivets will force a crew member in that location to take aroll on the D Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressionswill be counted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetratinground.SandbagsMany Italian crews would use sandbags on their vehiclesto give them additional protection from HE and HEAT rounds.Front Hull sand bags cover locations 8-10 & 12-16 Avaliability-15Side Hull/Turret sandbags cover locations 9-10Avaliability-15Hull MGs The M-13 series had two Breda 8-mm LMGs mountedin the hull. These MGs fire using the same mechanism, but each gun(barrel) fires like a normal LMG making a total ROF of 8 eachaction. Any Jam result on either gun will Jam the entire weaponsmount as per normal Jamming rules. Italian MG Jamming All LMGs on the M-13 series of tanks willJam on on a d20 roll of 18 or higher.Variants The M13/40 and its variants were some of the best tanksproduced by the Italians during World War II. It was built using thelessons learned from the M11/39. It mounted the 47mm cannonwhich could penetrate most of the early British vehicles and a morereliable engine. M14/41This was a vast improvement over the M13/40. It was slow-er but had thicker armor.M15/42 This version was the best medium tank produced by theItalians during World War II. It had more armor and was faster thanit’s predecessors.

Tank Crew PositionsHull Gunner

Loader

Driver Gunner Position

Commander

6 1 S T - LMG LMG LMG-10 47L 19 - -14 M 6 6 6 6 3 3

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

9

HE

Sm.

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

M13/40

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe M-13/40 was one of the most common tanks used by theItalians during World War II. It proved to be unreliable and wasprone to catch fire when hit.

Introduced: 1940 Crew: 4 Weight: 30,865 lbs. Length: 16’2” Width: 7’3”Height: 7’10”Ground Clearance: 2’8”Track Width: 1’Main Gun: 47mm gunMax Elevation: +20˚Ammunition: 104 47mm rounds/3,084 8mm MG roundsSpeed: 20 mphRange: 125 milesTrench Crossing:6’11”Fording Depth: 3’3”

12 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 1213 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. No Effect10R. Hull Gunner-1 Action10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Main Gun Hit/ MC17R. Loader -1 Action17L. Gunner -1 Action18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Normal Damage10R. Hull Gunner KIA / MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Main Gun Hit / MC17R. Loader KIA / MC17L. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Hull Gunner -1 Action8. Loader -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gunner -1 Action14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Hull Gunner KIA / MC8. Loader KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6 7 8 9 10

1112

13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Gunner KIA / MC18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Carro armato m14/41

Front hit location

1. Automatic Penetration 2.Imobilization / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Imobilization / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. No Effect10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. Gunner -1 Action14. No Effect15. Driver -1 Action16. No Effect17. No Effect18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Normal Damage9. Normal Damage10. Normal Damage11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Gunner KIA / MC14. Normal Damage15. Driver KIA / MC16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Main Gun Destroyed / MC19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

No Penetration PenetrationFront

2

3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

11

12

13 14 15

16

20

17 18 19

1

Front hit location

Carro armato m11/39

crusade for empire©

Special Rules

Riveted ConstructionThe use of rivets in a tank has several sub-stantial drawbacks, one of which is that the rivets will sometimesbreak off and ricochet within the tank because of the force of anon-penetrating round. Any non-penetrating hit to a location indi-cating rivets will force a crew member in that location to take aroll on the D Column of the Effects Chart. MCs and Suppressionswill be counted as -1 action, just as for any other non-penetratinground.SandbagsMany Italian crews would use sandbags on their vehiclesto give them additional protection from HE and HEAT rounds.Front Hull sand bags cover locations 8-10 & 12-16 Avaliability-15Side Hull/Turret sandbags cover locations 9-10Avaliability-15Hull Gun The M11/39 featured a hull gun that was operated by asingle man that operated as a gunner and a loader. It takes 2 actionsto load because of this arrangement. The Gunner may never gain anAcquired target because he always has to leave the gun sight to loadthe gun.Driver as Loader If the tank has not moved for at least 2 actions thedriver may act as the loader for the hull gun. All normal rules apply.It will take 1 action for the driver to drive again after acting as theloader.Turret MGs The M-11/39 had two Breda 8-mm LMGs mounted inthe turret. These MGs fire using the same mechanism, but each gun(barrel) fires like a normal LMG making a total ROF of 8 eachaction. Any Jam result on either gun will Jam the entire weaponsmount as per normal Jamming rules. Italian MG Jamming All LMGs on the M-11/39 will Jam on on ad20 roll of 18 or higher.

Tank Crew PositionsGunner

DriverCommander

6 1 S T - - 2xLMG - 37 14 - -11 S 6 5 2 2 1 1

Speed Load TR Type Smoke HMG CMG AAMG Gun AP APCRPenetration

HEAT

7

HE

Sm.

HESizeWt. Size HF TF HS/R TS/R HT TT

M11/39

VEHICLE STATISTICS

SpecificationsThe M-11/39 was the first medium tank produced by the Italians. Itwas mechanically unreliable and by 1940 it’s 37mm gun was almostobsolete.

Introduced: 1940 Crew: 3 Weight: 22,000 lbs.Length: 15’6”Width: 7’2”Height: 7’7”Ground Clearance: 1’2”Track Width: 6’7”Main Gun: 37mm gunMax Elevation: +12˚Ammunition: 84 37mm rounds/2808 8mm MG roundsSpeed: 20 mphRange: 125 milesTrench Crossing: 6’7”Fording Depth: 3’3”

12 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 1213 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Side hit locationSide hit location

No Penetration Penetrationside1. Immobilization / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect7. No Effect8. Immobilization / MC9. Main Gun Hit / MC10R.Gunner-1 Action10L. Driver -1 Action11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. Gun Hit/ MC17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Immobilized / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Immobilized / MC7. Immobilized / MC8. Immobilized / MC9. Main Gun Hit / MC10R.Gunner KIA / MC10L. Driver KIA / MC11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Normal Damage14. Immobilized / MC / Smoke15. Immobilized / MC / Smoke16. Gun Hit / MC17. Normal Damage18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

top hit location Side hit location

No Penetration Penetration

top1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. No Effect3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. No Effect 7. Hull Gunner -1 Action8. Gunner -1 Action9. Half Move / Smoke10. Half Move / Smoke11. No Effect 12. Driver -1 Action13. Gun Destroyed / MC14. Half Move / Smoke15. Half Move / Smoke16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect 19. No Effect20. Commander -1 action

1. Main Gun Destroyed / MC2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized / MC4. Immobilized / MC5. Immobilized / MC6. Normal Damage7. Hull Gunner KIA / MC8. Gunner KIA / MC9. Immobilized / Smoke / MC10. Immobilized / Smoke / MC11. Normal Damage12. Driver KIA / MC13. Gun Destroyed / MC14. Immobilized Smoke / MC15. Immobilized Smoke / MC16. Immobilized / MC17. Immobilized / MC18. Immobilized / MC19. Immobilized / MC20. Commander KIA / MC

R

L

1

2 3 4 5

6

7

8 9 10

1112

13 14 15

16 17 18 19

20

Rear hit location

No Penetration PenetrationRear

1. Automatic Penetration 2. Immobilized / MC3. No Effect4. No Effect5. No Effect6. Immobilized / MC7. No Effect8. No Effect9. Exaust Hit / Smoke10. No Effect11. No Effect12. No Effect13. No Effect14. No Effect15. No Effect16. No Effect17. No Effect18. No Effect19. No Effect20. Commander -1 Action

1. Normal Damage2. Immobilized / MC3. Immobilized /MC /Smoke4. Immobilized /MC /Smoke5. Immobilized /MC /Smoke6. Immobilized / MC7. Normal Damage8. Immobilized /MC /Smoke9. Immobilized /MC /Smoke10. Immobilized /MC /Smoke11. Normal Damage12. Normal Damage13. Immobilized /MC /Smoke14. Immobilized /MC /Smoke15. Immobilized /MC /Smoke16. Normal Damage17. Normal Damage18. Normal Damage19. Normal Damage20. Commander KIA / MC

Rear hit location

2 3 4 56

7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16

20

17 18 19

1

Crusade for Empire©

Carro armato m11/39

The North African desert is much more than justsand. Throw in the hot sun, mirages, rocky soil, sand dunesand you’ve got yourself one miserable place to fight a war!The terrain covered in this section reflects the terrain of NorthAfrica stretching from Tripoli in the west to Egypt in the east. The overall terrain in this particular part of North Africa isbest described as an upside-down saucer. The base of thesaucer is the coast with flat coastal plain. This leads sharplyup to a rocky escarpment, which is then topped off, by desertthat essentially is situated on a plateau. The desert terrainchallenged not only those involved in combat but also thosewho simply just wanted to live. We hope you find the terrainbelow as difficult as that actually encountered by the British,Germans, and Italians during WWII!

Coastal Plain/Open GroundThis particular type of terrain represents the barren,

flatlands along the North African coastline that is generallydevoid of sand and rocks. These arid coastal plains are knownto kick up Dust quite easily and can also become Mud (all

types) during seasonal rains. On scenario maps, Open Groundis the default terrain; that is, when a specific terrain type isnot denoted on the map, that area is Open Ground. Special Rules Open Ground in North Africa is exactlythe same as Open Ground in Easy Eight’s Battleground WorldWar II and follows the same rules. Modeling We suggest using felt or other material of adark brown color to represent the coastal plain area on thegame table

HammadiThis terrain type stretches from the coasts of North

Africa into the interior where the Hammadi meets theSaharan Desert. Hammadi is best described as Open Grounddensely strewn with small to medium sized rocks. This roughterrain type is a nightmare for wheeled vehicles and tough oneven fully-tracked AFVs. The presence of the rocks alsomakes things more deadly for infantry or exposed vehiclescrews when High Explosive and Fragmentation roundsexplode, sending not only metal but razor-sharp rock shardsinto the air. Sighting No effect; models and figures on Hammadiare Open.Movement All infantry figures receive no penalty inHammadi. Fully wheeled vehicles move at 1/4 their move-ment allowance and must roll for Bog at the end of eachaction that any movement is taken. Tracked vehicles are sub-ject to the same rules for wheeled vehicles, but only suffer 1/2of their movement allowance per action spent moving inHammadi.Cover No effect; models and figures on Hammadireceive no special cover.Modeling Hammadi can be represented by simplyplacing a large number of pebbles or stones in a random orderaround the area on the game table declared as Hammadi.

crusade for empireª

the terrain

1

the terrain

North africa

2

Sandstorms (Ghibli, Khamseen)The Saharan Desert of North Africa is home to

fierce sandstorms known locally as “ghibli” in Libya or“khamseen” in Egypt. These massive storms, with windscapable of 100 mph and sweltering heat, whip across thedesert sweeping stinging sand and dust in all directions.Sandstorms reach their greatest intensity in the Springmonths but are fairly common year round. Such sandstormsare of course dangerous to humans and vehicles alike, blow-ing sand into exposed body and vehicle parts. Sandstorms canbe so intense that humans can be blinded (making navigationimpossible) and vehicles be completely buried by the blow-ing sands. These sandstorms are unpredictable and can sud-denly appear in a very short period of time, making it a harshenemy for all in the North African desert.Sighting Sandstorm sighting rules are like the Nightrules found in Red Devils In The Nightin that all sightingranges are tripled (determining range as normal) withButtoned Up penalty applied if applicable (see Buttoned Upbelow). All sighting rules remain the same, just as in normalconditions. Sandstorms will make sighting natural obstaclesvery difficult, particularly wadis, depressions, and higher ele-vations such as Sand Dunes and Hills. The Gamemastershould take these natural obstacles into effect when deter-mining what a particular unit can actually see in a sandstorm.For example, it is possible for a unit to not see and subse-quently fall into a depression until it is too late!Movement Movement is per whatever terrain type ispresent for the unit in question, i.e. if a unit caught in aSandstorm is currently in Hammadi, then Hammadi move-ment rules are in effect. No other special rules apply.Cover Sandstorms provide no cover and onlyeffect sighting as explained above.Jamming Because of the enormous amount of sandblown about during a Sandstorm, there is a possibility thatweapons can malfunction or get jammed by sand accumulat-ing in a weapon’s firing mechanism. All firing weapons,including small arms, have their Jam Rate decreased by twonumbers any action that weapon is fired during a Sandstorm.Example:A 2-Pounder with a normal Jam Rate of 20 will

now Jam on a 18 or higher. In addition, a Jammed weaponwill take two actions to clear during a Sandstorm instead ofthe one action it normally takes. Buttoned Up The sheer brute force of Sandstorms forcedthose who had cover to seek it quickly. Armor crews had anadvantage over the poor infantry in the desert when sand-storms occurred and therefore will be inclined to Button Up.All armor crew must Button Up during a Sandstorm but mayUnbutton if a normal Skill Check is passed. All Buttoned Upand Unbuttoned rules are in effect during a Sandstorm.

SangarsSangars are basically walls created by piling rocks

together. In terrain devoid of cover, Sangars give some coverto defending troops. However, Sangars can also be deadly totroops when fired upon by large caliber weapons. Largerounds such as LCMG, AT Rifles, and HE tend to splinter therock walls of a Sangar into flying razor sharp shards poten-tially deadly to Soft Targets. Sangars are mostly used byinfantry but vehicles located in defensive positions for longperiods of time can also be protected in this fashion by a largeSangar where the tracks and underbelly are protected (vehiclelocations 1, 2, & 6). A one-man sangar requires 4 man actionsto build; a vehicle sangar will take twenty man actions (orper GM’s discretion). Sangars can easily be found in rockyterrain types such as Hammadi, Wadis and particular DesertHills. Sighting Units behind Sangars are consideredConcealed.Movement Infantry move through Sangars at normalrate. Vehicles may also move at normal rate through a Sangar,though the Sangar is considered destroyed. Note that move-ment by both infantry and vehicles are still subject to what-ever terrain rules the Sangar is situated on.Cover Sangars generally provide +4 cover to anyeffects on the Effects Chart. The exceptions are LCMG, ATRifle, and HE rounds which lose the cover bonus and insteadgive a -2 on the Effects Chart (for HE this is applicable for

the terrain

crusade for empireª

any unit that is within a Beaten Zone that also includes aSangar).Modeling Sangars can easily be made by using a hotglue gun to glue small rocks together. When put on a metalbase, the Sangar can be made to the size desired whereby afigure or vehicle can easily stand behind it.

Desert RiseThis terrain type represents a landmark with a slight-

ly higher elevation than the desert floor. This can includesmall rises of only a few feet in elevation (known to theBritish as “pimples”) or larger terrain not quite the size ofhills. A Desert Rise does not have a crest but can offer pro-tection and the Hull Down bonus for vehicles. Sighting A Desert Rise may block LOS but notalways. If the sighting figure or unit is above the rise or at itstop, it may sight and be sighted per the normal Sighting rules.Because a Desert Rise does not have a crest, a figure or unitcannot be on the “backside” of the Desert Rise like a Hill(because a crest does not exist).Movement Movement is per whatever terrain type ispresent for the unit in question, i.e. if a unit is currently inHammadi, then Hammadi movement rules are in effect. Noother special rules apply.Cover All figures (infantry) partially behind aDesert Rise (shooting and thus can be shot at by the enemy)receive a +4 on the Small Arms Effects Chart. All HE or frag-mentation effects are as normal with no modifiers.Hull Down A Hull Down bonus may be given to adefender where applicable to both the Desert Rise on thegametable and the vehicle.Vehicle Protection If a location on an vehicle is covered bya Desert Rise, that vehicle is undamaged by the round andinstead strikes the earth of the Desert Rise.

SandFurther inland from the coast and past the rocky

hammadi plains, stretches seemingly infinite desert sands.These deep sands (made famous by Hollywood) have madetravel difficult for eons, even for modern vehicles. Sand cancause vehicles to get stuck. Sand also can get into anythingand can ruin a working engine. Only the most resolute anddaring will try their luck in crossing the desert sands. Sighting No effect; models and figures on Sand areOpen.Movement All infantry figures suffer -1” to theirmovement allowance in Sand. Fully wheeled vehicles moveat 1/4 their movement allowance and must roll for Bog at theend of each action that any movement is taken. An exceptionto this rule are vehicles with tires with low ground pressure,like the Italian Sahariana wheeled truck; vehicles such asthese ignore all Sand rules and may move as normal .Trackedvehicles are subject to the same rules for wheeled vehicles,but only suffer 1/2 of their movement allowance per actionspent moving in Sand.Cover No effect; models and figures on Sandreceive no special cover.Modeling We suggest using felt or other material ofdark to medium tan to represent sand on the game table. Ofcourse real sand works great too, if you don’t mind the mess.Some use kitty litter but if you have a cat this may not be theright option for you - the downside is too harsh to deal with.

crusade for empireª

the terrain

3

Sand DunesThroughout the desert, sand has been whipped by

the wind to form Sand Dunes. These Sand Dunes vary inheight with some being very tall and actually resemblinghills. Sand Dunes make travel not only difficult, they can alsoblock Line of Sight. Care should always be taken when cross-ing a Sand Dune. Guns of 57mm size or larger cannot beplaced on a Sand Dune due to the unstable and soft surfacesof Sand Dunes.Sighting Sand Dunes block Line of sight like Hills.Sand Dunes are considered to have a crest and therefore alsofollow the rules for Hills when determining Line of Sight. Movement All Sand rules are in effect. Cover Sand Dunes provide no additional cover.Figures may go prone as normal. Any cover provided byother terrain types apply as normal. Sand Dunes may be usedby vehicles to gain Hull Down advantage, see Vehicle HitLocations in Easy Eight’s Battleground World War II.

WadisWadis are essentially gullies carved out of rough

ground by sudden flood waters. These Wadis can impedemovement but can also provide good defensive cover. Wadisare mostly found in non-sand (total desert) areas and are com-mon along the coastal plains and in Hammadi. Sighting Infantry or vehicles in a Wadi are

Concealed.Movement All units must spend one action to enterand to leave a Wadi. All infantry and vehicle actions thatbegin in a Wadi are treated per the movement rules forHammadi; this represents restricted movement in the Wadiwhere medium to large size rocks are normally present.Cover Like the cover rules for Gully, infantry receive +3cover while in a Wadi. Infantry prone within a Wadi are outof Line Of Sight to enemy outside of the Wadi just as beingprone in a foxhole. Wadis may be used by vehicles to gain Hull Down advantagewhere and if applicable, see Vehicle Hit Locations in EasyEight’s Battleground World War II.

Mirage/HazeNaturally, the desert is home to incredible heat ñ

temperatures of 120 degrees or higher are common in thesummer months. This made life unbearable in the desert butalso caused other problems as well. The heat at times canthrow off a haze or a mirage effect that distorts a person’svision. This made seeing and identifying objects at longerranges very difficult. Also, the heat was miserable for armorcrews. Most crews rarely "buttoned"-up" and if they did so, itwas only due to an extremely dangerous combat situation.Heat was surely the most common and one of the most dead-ly of the elements encountered in the North African desert.Heat effects game play in Crusade For Empire by causing amirage or haze effect. The desert’s extremely hot temperatures and open expansescombine to cause what is most commonly known as a"mirage", though the term haze can also apply. In these con-ditions, individuals in the desert have a difficult time gaugingdistances and identifying objects in the distance. In addition,the presence of allusions can distort one’s vision, and whencombined with the heat, can cause the mind to actually "see"things that don’t really exist. Seeing things clearly and know-ing what really and what really doesn’t exist in the desert canmake the difference between life and death. Sighting When in play this rule will cause a negative

the terrain

crusade for empireª

4

two column shift to the left on the Recognition Chart and onall Spotting checks; all other sighting rules are in effect. Inaddition, the Gamemaster is encouraged to engage in a little"license" by possibly placing "images" on the game table forthe effected sighting units. In such a case a Gamemaster mayput out more or less of the enemy, bigger or smaller vehicles,a camel, etc. The possibilities of actual desert realism can beadded with the Mirage/Haze rule.Movement No effect; Mirage/Haze does not effectmovement. Infantry cannot however ride on tanks whenMirage/Haze is in play due to the hot metal of tanks in theseconditions. Cover No effect; models and figures inMirage/Haze receive no special cover.

Sun GlareThe bright desert sun played havoc on sighting due

to the sun’s intense glare. Sun Glare literally blinds a personand makes sighting much more difficult and time consuming.Tinted goggles and lenses often helped to reduce Sun Glareand were thus popular and sometimes necessary items foundin the field. Special Rules Sun Glare will cause a negative one col-umn shift on both the Sighting and Recognition Charts; allother Sighting and Recognition rules remain in effect.

DustThe dry and arid conditions of North Africa present-

ed a unique problem for vehicles in the desert: Dust. Tanksand other vehicles easily kicked up the fine sediment along

the desert floor which in turn spewed large plumes of dustclouds high in the air. Dust kicked up by large armored for-mations could be seen for miles in the open stretches of theNorth African desert and did not help conceal the location ofunits from the enemy. The problem of Dust was so extremethat some commanders in the desert (namely Rommel) wouldmount giant fans in the back of trucks to blow dust and con-fuse the enemy into believing a large formation of vehicleswas present when in fact it was a decoy. Dust certainly wasan enemy of both the Axis and the Allies in the desert warfareof North Africa.Sighting When Dust is in play, all sighting checks atvehicles receive a positive shift to the right of two columnson the Sighting Chart. This represents the dust plumes vehi-cles kicked up in the desert which were easily seen by oppos-ing forces. Once a vehicle has been spotted or placed on thegame table, Dust should be placed behind the vehicles(s). Movement No effect; Dust does not effect movement.Cover No effect; Dust does not effect cover.Modeling Dust can be represented by spraying cottonballs with tan or brown spray paint. We suggest placing onepuffî of dust behind a vehicle for every full game turn spentmoving in Dust or while the Dust rule is in play.

OasisNo discussion of desert terrain can be complete

without mentioning the infamous oasis. Hollywood portray-als show the typical oasis as having lush vegetation and abun-dant water: a virtual “Garden of Eden.” In the reality of theNorth African desert, an oasis was really nothing more thanan ancient watering hole with sparse vegetation. The impor-tance of these vital water sources were marked on maps andoccupation of them played a key part in the logistics of desertwarfare. Battles raged for these sites and the water they con-tained; the most famous being the water hole defended byHumphrey Bogart and friends in the 1940s desert war classic,

crusade for empireª

the terrain

5

“Sahara.”Special Rules An Oasis in North Africa is exactly thesame as Open Ground in Easy Eight’s Battleground WorldWar II and follows the same rules.

One of the great problems in combat is recognizingone’s target. In the heat of battle, troops must make split sec-ond decisions that can mean the difference between life anddeath. Knowing if a target is friend or foe is crucial for suc-cess on the battlefield. Perhaps no where else during WWIIwas this more of an issue than in the desert. Fratricide, theaccidental elimination of one’s own friendly units, was fre-quent in the desert and this can further be illustrated by simi-lar problems encountered by Coalition forces during DesertStorm. Even modern technology can be ineffective in deter-mining friend from foe. Heat and varying terrain rule on thedesert battlefield and these can play havoc with one’s eyes. The Recognition Chart found in Crusade For Empire can beused to create more of a “Fog of War” and to simulate thisunique problem on the battlefield. The Recognition Chartlooks exactly like the Sighting Chart and works in the samefashion. The difference between the two is that a Sightingdetermines if a unit has been spotted; the Recognition Charthelps a player determine if the unit successfully sighting candetermine or not whether the unit sighted is friend or foe.

Recognition Chart How ToTo use the Recognition Chart simply roll to spot as

normal. If a unit has been sighted, roll again on theRecognition Chart applying any applicable modifiers. If theRecognition is successful, then the unit spotted in question isknown to the original unit conducting the sighting/recogni-tion. This knowledge is inherent to only the unit conductingthe spotting/recognition; other friendly units will not knowthis information ñ those units must conduct their own sight-ing and recognition rolls to know this information. The onlyexception is units in radio contact or in physical closeness;these units may share this information freely.

Recognition Chart and the GMThe GM should use the Recognition Chart as a tool

in creating the “Fog of War.” Final arbitration or interpreta-tion should be up to the GM. The GM should be fair yet cre-ative in distributing any new recognition information to theplayers. For example, one player may know if a target is anenemy but the others may not. In this case the GM can sim-ply tell the player the unit in question is an enemy withoutputting an enemy unit on the board and thus tipping off theother players. Another option is to distort perception. A GMmay wish to place a Tiger, for example, instead of a Mk. IV.This can cause pandemonium and fun but the GM must befair and careful in executing such a tactic - some passionategamers may get upset! Remember fun and realism is what isgaming is all about.

GMs may also elect to force units to take a GutCheck (or a 1/2 Gut Check) in order to fire on a sighted unitthat has not yet been recognized. GMs can also use theRecognition Chart to not reveal or tell damage on a unit untilrecognition is made. Essentially, the Recognition Chartshould be used as a tool and an aid to play. Try not to abusethe overall concept of the Recognition Chart: that is to createthe “Fog of War,” not to tip the scales to one side or another!Have fun and good luck - or should we say good eyes!

Many gamers love to throw a battle together or tovary a battlefield for that favorite scenario. We at Easy Eightlove to fight old battles on new terrain. We also love havinga situation where the terrain is a big question mark! Thus, wecreated the Desert Battlefield Builder. This unique design toolallows players and GMs to randomly create a battlefield in avery simple and fun manner. Give it a try - we think you’lllike it.

the terrain

crusade for empireª

6

Recognition Chart

crusade for empireª

Recognition Chart

7

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

14 16

12 14

10 12

8 10

6 8

- 6

- -

-

6875

8390

105

120

135

150

165

180

195

210

48

1523

3045

5360 -

4 6

- 4

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

AR

AR

Con

ceal

ed

Con

ceal

ed M

ovin

g

Con

ceal

ed F

iring

Con

ceal

ed M

ovin

g/F

iring

18 AR

16 18

14 16

12 14

10 12

8 10

6 8

10 12

8 10

6 8

4 6

- 4

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

18 AR

16 18

14 16

12 14

12 14

10 12

8 10

6 8

4 6

- 4

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

AR

AR

Ope

n

Ope

n M

ovin

g

Ope

n F

iring

Ope

n M

ovin

g/F

iring

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

AR

18 AR

16 18

14 16

VEH

ICLE

SIN

CH

ES

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

- -

10 12

8 10

6 8

4 6

- 4

- -

- -

-

4553

6068

7583

9010

512

013

515

016

53

510

1520

2530

38 -

- -

- -

- -

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Included in Crusade For Empire are sheets containing“blocks” of terrain. These may be photocopied with our per-mission and then cut out. Once the terrain blocks (cut-outs)are cut out, players or a GM may randomly draw terrainpieces and assign that terrain type on a table or map grid. Wedo this by placing the cut-outs into a hat and then randomlydrawing them out for one square on the map grid at a time.The terrain type selected is the dominant terrain type for thatentire grid. The cut-out terrain block is then either placed onthe map or on the game table to “label” that particular sectionas having a specific terrain type. It is up to the players’/GM’simagination to determine whether the grid is wholly coveredby the terrain type selected or not, and to what degree. Forexample, if Sand Dune is selected that particular grid on themap may contain one Sand Dune or several Sand Dunes - thisis up to those in charge of setting up the game table and thescenario.Players or a GM may select any, some, or all of the terraintypes (cut-outs) to be randomly selected. Also, scenarios mayspecifically state which terrain types are eligible to be ran-domly drawn. For example, a scenario may state that the fol-lowing should be randomly selected from: 4 X Sand (fourSand terrain blocks), 3 X Hammadi (three Hammadi terrainblocks), etc. These should then be randomly drawn and one

type assigned to each square on a grid. Players/GM may alsowish to assign more than one terrain type if desired.

Crusade For Empire scenariosThe scenarios in CFE all contain a map. Many scenarios alsocontain recommended terrain types for the Desert BattlefieldBuilder. The maps included are designed for each scenarioand may be played as normal. Please note that the maps pre-sented are not to a particular size or scale. The maps aregeneric and it is up to the GM or players to make the map“match up’ with the scale and table size specifically in use bythe GM or players. Also note that players or a GM may electto use the Desert Battlefield Builder at their discretion. Thiswill allow fun and variety and enable many scenarios to beplayed time and time again with different challenges andresults. We hope you have a lot of fun with the DesertBattlefield Builder!

the terrain

crusade for empireª

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Hammadi

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Wadis

Desert Battlefield Builder

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crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

swanning about

OrdersDate: June 16, 1940Time: 1230 hrs.Location: Nezuet Ghirba, LibyaBackground: At the onset of war with Italy, the 11th Hus-sars made many forays deep behind the Italian lines. Thispractice, called by these dashing armoured car troops“swanning about,” caused havoc and confusion for theunprepared Italians. One such foray found a Hussar troopencounter an advancing Italian column in the distance.Determined to give the approaching Italians a fight, theHussars under Lt. Gape’s command readied for action. Orders: Destroy 50% of the Italian column.Game Length: 14 Turns

Desert Rats of C Squadron, 11th Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own), 4th Armoured Brigade

Lt. Gape with Webley Mk 4 Pistol and binoculars ML 15-1

3 Rolls Royce Armoured Cars with .303 Vickers HMG and Veteran crews of three ML 13

1 Rolls Royce Armoured Cars with Boys AT Rifle and Veteran crew of three ML 13

Enter Turn 3 - Desert Rats of 7th Queen’s Own Hussars, Reserve Squadron, 4th Armoured Brigade

1 Morris Car with Regular crew of four ML 11

2 Mk VI Light Tanks with Regular crews of three ML 11

1 Cruiser Mk I (A9) with Regular crew of six ML 11

forces available

special rules1. The 11th Hussars must begin as indicated on the map.2. Second Lt. Gape may begin in any Rolls Royce of hischoosing.3. Dust and Sun Glare terrain rules are in effect.

British Start

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

swanning about

OrdersDate: June 16, 1940Time: 1230 hrs.Location: Nezuet Ghirba, LibyaBackground: In the first days of war in the desert betweenitaly and Great Britian, the British certainly held the upperhand. British armoured cars roamed at will behind the Ital-ian lines, destroying fortifications and capturing men andequipment. Unfortunate for the Italians, many units werenot informed of war with Britain and thus had no idea ofthe British attacks. As the British began to make their pres-ence known, the Italians were determined to show their newenemy they could fight.Orders: Destroy 50% of British forces encountered.Game Length: 14 Turns

forces available

special rules1. Colonello D’Avanso enters the scenario riding in the AB41 which he uses as a command vehicle.2. The two Cannone da 75/32 field guns are each towed byits own Fiat truck carrying only each gun’s crew. Both gunsmust be unlimbered in order to fire.3. Sandstorm rules are in effect.

Truppeof 1st Libyan Divisione, X Army

Colonello D’Avanso with Beretta Model 34 Pistol ML 15-1

6 L3 Tankettes with Regular crews of two ML 111 AB 41 Armored Car with Regular crew of four ML 11

One Green Platone(Platoon) with the following,1 2nd Lieutenant /Sotto Tenente(Platoon Leader) with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 11-1Two Sections each with,

1 Section Leader/Brigadieri (Squad Leader) with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 10-1Sub-section A1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiore with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 9-01 Gunner with Model 30 Breda LMG ML 81 Asst. Gunner with Model 1891 Rifle ML 86 Riflemen with Model 1891 Rifle ML 8Sub-Section B 1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiore with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 9-08 Riflemen with Model 1891 Rifle ML 8All Italian infantry carry two SRCM M35 hand grenades

Eight Fiat 38R 4x2 TrucksTwo Cannone da 75/32 modello 37 field guns (towed) each with Regular crews of four ML 10

Italian Start

GamemasterÕs Special RulesBritish1. The 11th Hussars must begin as indicated on the map. Lt.Gape and the Rolls Royce armoured cars under his commandspotted the Italians in the distance and essentially waited inambush for the approaching Italian column.2. Second Lt. Gape may begin in any Rolls Royce of hischoosing. All rules for Gape are also in effect (see Heroes -The Men).3. Dust and Sun Glare terrain rules are in effect. The BritishHussars will more than likely see the Italian approach due tothe dust the column kicks up in the dry desert.Italian1. Colonello D’Avanso enters the scenario riding in the AB41 which he uses as a command vehicle. D’Avanso is underdirect and explicit orders to engage the enemy; he will doanthing in his power to see that the British are defeated.2. The two Cannone da 75/32 field guns are each towed by itsown Fiat truck carrying only each gun’s crew. Both guns mustbe unlimbered in order to fire. Historically, the Italians usedthese guns as their “ace card.” GMs may want to encouragethe Italian players to hold off a bit before whipping the gunsout and opening fire. The desert lacks cover and the guns canbe easy prey for fast armored cars. Otherwise, the scenariocould be over pretty darn soon.....3. Dust and Sun Glare terrain rules are in effect.

Gamemaster1. Map / Double Blind play recommended. Because of thenature of the scenario, we recommend that the British use amap and keep their forces off of the board. Ideally, the dou-ble blind method would work best if space and quantity ofvehicles is available.

Historical OutcomeThe British under Lt. Gape knew pretty quickly that the Ital-ian column encountered was large - perhaps too large forGape and his small number of armoured cars. Gape neverthe-less radioed in the location of the column and in true Britishhussar fashion charged into the Italians. Gape himselfknocked out two L-3s when another group of armoured carscommanded by a Lt. Dier arrived to help out. By now the Ital-ians revealed the presence of one field gun which opened upand caused the outmatched Hussars to fall back. Meanwhile, a mixed force of light and cruiser tanks showedup to assist the armoured cars. By this time the Italians (muchto the amazement of the British) formed a Napoleonic-style“square” with a field gun on each corner (though the Britishdid not know this until much later). Even more surprisingwere many L-3 tankettes on the outsidedriving about in somesort of a crazy defense mode.

Licking their chops, the mixed British force attacked the Ital-ian “square.” The L-3s bravely scurried about in a vainattempt to defend the square but were quickly put out ofaction. As the British tanks “circled the wagons” the Italianfield guns gave up their concealment and opened fire. Thesewere also knocked despite the bravery of the Italian gunners.With virtually nothing left to defend themselves, the Italiansquare folded. Some 200 Italian soldiers were killed, 12 L-3sdestroyed, and numerous trucks captured or destroyed. Evenworse for the Italians, Colonello D’Avanso was killed and hisorders captured. These orders, in a weird twist of fate, read tothe effect that “the British must be shown that the Italians aredetermined to fight back.” Sadly, this would not be the dayfor this.......

Game OptionsThis fun scenario can (like most scenarios) be tweaked infavor of either the attacker or the defender. A fun but not quitehistorical way to fight this particular battle is to give the Ital-ians a “real” tank. At this time all the Italians had were the L-3 tankettes, but it could be fun to play with a M-11/39 or a M-13/40 added to the mix. Again, we stress this is not historicalbut can make this scenario interesting! also, feel free to addin some specific terrain rules other than those presented. Asandstorm can also make things interesting!

DesignerÕs NotesThis scenario really captures the first days of war in NorthAfrica. It is important to stress that this stage of the conflictwas entirely different to the desert battle fought a year hence.Armored (or armoured in the best British terminology) carsare great fun to play with and can be the basis for many funscenarios. “Tally-Ho” for you Hussars and a sincere “Good Luck!” foryou Italians. Where is a good anti-tank gun when you needone the most?!

Desert Battlefield Builder

Random Terrain Blocks Available:5x Open Ground / Coastal Plain4x Sand3x Hammadi2x Sand Dune

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

swanning about

British Start

Italian Start

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Closing the Trap

ordersDate: February 5, 1941Time: 1228 hrs.Location: South of Beda Fomm, LibyaBackground: The British offensive against the Italians,known as Operation Compass, has been an outstanding suc-cess. British forces, outnumbered and undersupplied, havecaptured most of Italian-held Libya. The British have liter-ally driven the Italian X Army into a mass retreat down thecoastal highway. Now is the chance for the British to “closethe trap” by cutting the Italian retreat off near a localeknown as Beda Fomm.Orders: Maintain control of the road and prevent the Ital-ians from breaking through to freedom.Game Length: 15 Turns

Desert Rats of 11th Hussars, 4th Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division, Combe ForceOne Regular Platoon Command Section with,

1 Platoon Leader with Thompson SMG and Webley Mk 4 Pistol ML 13-11 Asst. Platoon Leader with Thompson SMG ML 12-01 Radio Operator with No. 4 Mk 1 Enfield ML 102 Runners with No. 4 Mk 1 Enfield ML 10

Three Regular Squads each with,1 Squad Leader with Thompson SMG ML 12-11 Asst. Squad Leader with Thompson SMG ML 11-01 Gunner with Bren LMG ML 101 Asst. Gunner with No. 4 Mk 1 Enfield ML 106 Riflemen with No. 4 Mk 1 Enfield ML 10

Two Regular Boys Anti-Tank Rifle teams each with,1 Gunner with Boys ATR ML 101 Loader with No. 4 Mk 1 Enfield ML 10

One Regular HMG Section with,1 Gunner with .303 Vickers HMG ML 101 Loader with No. 4 Mk 1 Enfield ML 101 Spotter with Thompson SMG and binoculars ML 10All British infantry have two No. 36M “Mills” hand grenades

1 Rolls Royce Armoured Car with Regular Crew and .303 Vickers HMG ML 10

special rules1. British may receive artillery support. Contact: 15 Avala-bility: 5

2. British may start Dug-In.

British Start

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Closing the Trap

ordersDate: February 5, 1941Time: 1228 hrs.Location: South of Beda Fomm, LibyaBackground: The Italians are beaten. The only hope to sal-vage some pride from this mess is for the Italians to retreatand escape the pursuing enemy. The British have been hoton the Italian heels for sometime, but as yet have not founda way to cut-off the main Italian mass retreating down thecoastal highway. The ragged and tired Italians are desperateto escape the British and reach the safety of Tripoli far inthe distance.Orders: Seize control of the road and breakthrough to free-dom.Game Length: 15 Turns

special rules

Truppeof the Italian X Army

One Green Platone(Platoon) with the following,1 2nd Lieutenant/Sotto Tenente(Platoon Leader) with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 11-1 Two Sections each with,

1 Section Leader/Brigadieri (Squad Leader) with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 10-1Sub-section A1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiore with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 9-01 Gunner with Model 30 Breda LMG ML 81 Asst. Gunner with Model 1891 Rifle ML 86 Riflemen with Model 1891 Rifle ML 8Sub-Section B 1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiore with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 9-08 Riflemen with Model 1891 Rifle ML 8

One Regular MMG Section with,1 Gunner with Breda M1937 and Model 34 Beretta Pistol ML 101 Loader with Model 38 Carbine ML 101 Spotter with Model 38 Carbine ML 10

One Regular Mortar Section1 Gunner with 45/5 M35 Brixia and Model 34 Beretta Pistol ML 101 Loader with Model 38 Carbine ML 101 Spotter with Model 38 Carbine ML 10All Italian infantry carry two SRCM M35 hand grenades and are in trucks

2 L3 Tankettes with Regular crews of two ML 111 AB 40 Armored Car with Regular crew of four ML 11

Italian Start

GamemasterÕs special rulesBritish1. British may receive artillery support. Contact: 15 Avala-bility: 5. The blocking force under the command of ColonelCombe was well equipped for its task but still had to be con-servative with the use of their artillery which had limitedammunition.2. British may start Dug-In.

historical outcomeIn a brilliant attack, which lasted from December 9,

1940 to February 7, 1941, the British captured all of Libyaand destroyed the Italian X Army. General O’Connordesigned his attack around the Matilda infantry tank as itsheavy armor made it invincible to most (if not all) of the Ital-ian anti-tank equipment of the day. O’Conner’s plan wasstraight forward. He would simply give the Matildas infantrysupport and let the tanks crush any resistance they found.Since the Italians could not stop the Matildas, they wereforced to retreat and this soon turned into a rout. To compli-cate matters the Italian chain of command fell apart and theentire Italian army soon was in a headlong flight back toTripoli. Most of the Italian X Army was retreating along theVia Balbia which was the only major highway in NorthAfrica. Beda Fomm was one of the many towns which theroad ran through. It was at Beda Fomm that O’Conner decid-ed to cut off the Italian escape route.

O’Conner selected Colonel Combe of the 11th Hus-sars, 7th Armoured Division to put the “cork in the bottle”and to close the trap. While the rest of the 7th Armoured Divi-sion (along with the Australian 6th Infantry Division) contin-ued to advance along the Via Balbia,Colonel Combe was tolead his force across the desert and seize Beda Fomm. Thisdaring maneuver would thus effectively cut off the Italianescape route. Combe Force consisted of many lightlyarmored vehicles, motorized infantry and a battery of 28-Pounders from the 4th Royal Horse Artillery. This small forcewas tasked with stopping an entire army!

Using back roads and trails, Combe Force cut acrossthe desert and arrived at their blocking positions south ofBeda Fomm shortly before the Italians arrived. The Italiansinstantly attacked the minute they knew that they were cut offfrom escape. Throughout February 5th the Italians mountedseveral uncoordinated attacks which were repulsed by thewell trained and equipped British. As night fell the Italiansbecame increasingly demoralized as a result of their inabilityto escape.

The morning of February 6 brought more futile andincreasingly desperate attempts to breakthrough CombeForce. Again the Italian attacks were poorly planed and unco-ordinated. The British threw their assailants back each time

causing heavy casualties. Despite the failure of the Italianattacks, the British began showing signs of wear. The repeat-ed attacks and the sheer desperation of them caused everincreasing casualties among the British, but they continued tohold.

On February 7th the Italians tried once more. Thistime they were being lead by General Tellera who was oneItaly’s more notable generals. The Italian attack was betterorganized then the ones before and it resulted in some suc-cess. During the morning four tanks and about thirty truckscarrying a handful of men broke through Combe Force andescaped to Tripoli. Despite this rather minute victory, thespirit of the Italians was broken and the entire X Army sur-rendered to British forces. The battle was over by 0900 Feb-ruary 7, 1941. The British offensive resulted in the capture ordestruction of over 100,000 Italian prisoners, almost 400 lightand medium tanks and nearly 1200 artillery pieces.

game optionsItalians1. Give the Italians an L3 flamethrower tankette.2. Replace the Green platoon with a Regular platoon.3. Add one or two M13/40.4. Add another Brixia mortar section.British1. Give the British a few 4”x4” hasty minefields.2. Add another Vickers HMG section.3. Another Boys ATR section wouldn’t hurt!4. Add A Rolls Royce Armoured Car with a Boys ATR andRegular crew.5. Make the British Veterans.

designerÕs notesDon’t you just feel sorry for the Italians? Poor lead-

ership and bad equipment can make things tough on them-selves. And in this particular battle, the British won’t cut thema break. Though the forces are about equal, the Italians haveto attack a better armed British blocking force. Sad for theItalians but then again life sometimes just isn’t fair!

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Closing the Trap

Italian Start

British Start

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Once more unto the breach

ordersDate: April 1, 1941Time: 0500 hrs.Location: Marsa El Brega, LibyaBackground: The new German commander, Rommel,struck early at the British by attacking their positionsaround the town of Marsa El Brega. The British were forcedto either hold the town or buy time to retreat back to themain defensive line at Benghazi and Mechili. Not to beupstaged by the newly arrived Germans, the British weredetermined to hold the town for as long as possible. Orders: Maintain control of three buildings at the end ofTurn 15. Game Length: 15 Turns

Tommies of 3rd Batt., Kings Own Royal Hussars, 3rd Armoured Brig., 2nd Armoured Div.One Regular Platoon Command Section with,

1 Platoon Leader with Thompson SMG and Webley Mk. IV ML 13-11 Asst. Platoon leader with Tompson ML 12-01 Radio Operator with No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 102 Runners with No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 101 Medic with Webley Mk. IV ML 10

Two Regular Squads each with,1 Squad Leader with Thompson SMG ML 12-11 Asst. Squad Leader with Thompson SMG ML 11-01 Gunner with Bren LMG ML 101 Asst. Gunner with No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 106 Riflemen with No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 10

Two Regular HMG Sections each with,1 Gunner with Vickers HMG and Webley Mk. IV ML 101 Loader with No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 101 Spotter with Thompson SMG ML 10All British infantry have two No. 36M “Mills” hand grenades

2-Pounder Anti-Tank Gun with Regular crew of three:1 Gunner with Webley Mk. IV ML 101 Loader with No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 101 Spotter with Thompson SMG and binoculars ML 10

forces available

special rules1. British may be Dug-In.2. Night rules are in effect.

British Deployment Zone

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Once more unto the breach

ordersDate: April 1, 1941Time: 0500 hrs.Location: Marsa El Brega, LibyaBackground: One of Rommel first forays against theBritish was at Mersa El Brega where the British held thetown. German possession of town was necessary to ensurecontrol of the vital supply lines to Tripoli and its port. Also,a German victory against the British would turn the tablesin the desert. The Italians would be encouraged by theirnew Allies and the British would be taught how to properlywage war.Orders: Gain control of Mersa El Brega by the end of Turn15. Game Length: 15 Turns

forces available

special rules1. Night rules are in effect.

Afrika Soldatenof 6th Kompanie, 5th PanzerRegiment, 5th LeichteDivision

Regular Platoon Command Section with,1 Platoon Leader with MP-40 and binoculars ML 13-11 Asst. Platoon Leader with MP-40 ML 12-01 Radio Operator with Kar 98k ML 101 Asst. Radio Operator with Kar 98k ML 102 Runners with Kar 98k ML 102 Kubelwagons

Four Regular Squads each with,1 Squad Leader with MP-40 ML 12-11 Asst. Squad Leader with MP-40 ML 11-01 Gunner with MG-34 LMG ML 101 Loader with Kar 98k ML 106 Riflemen with Kar 98k ML 10All German infantry carry 2 stick grenades

Two MMG sections each with,1 Gunner with MG-34 MMG and P-08 Pistol ML 101 Loader with Kar 98k ML 101 Spotter with MP-40 SMG ML 10

5 Sd.Kfz.251 Halftracks 2 Panzerjager I with Regular crews of three ML 11

German Start

GamemasterÕs Special RulesBritish1. British may be Dug-In. The British knew the geographical valueof this area and despite the desicion to make the main defensive linefarther east they were not going to give up Marsa El Brega withouta fight.2. Night rules are in effect.German1. Night rules are in effect.Gamemaster1. Most of the buildings in the small villages that dotted the NorthAfrican terrain were and still are made of adobe. While adobe waswell suited for the desert it did not provide much protection fortroops trying to take cover in such buildings. Special Rules Adobe buildings give troops inside a +3 covermodifier. This modifier does not apply to HE. Troops hit by an HEround or grenade receive no cover modifiers. Adobe just did notstand up to that kind of punishment. Troops may spend two actionsto dig a hole through the wall so they may shoot out of the building.

Historical OutcomeAs a result of the devestating defeats inflicted on the Ital-

ians by the British, the German High Command decided to send arelief force to help their beleaguered allies. Initially the Germansonly planned to deploy a single company of 30 panzers to the regionbut on February 5, 1941 the force was expanded to two divisions.The 5th Leichte (Light) Division and the 15th Panzer Divisionformed the Deutsches Afrikakorps. On February 19 the Korpshead-quarters was established and General Erwin Rommel was selected tobe its commander. By March 10, 1941 the 5th LeichteDivision wasfully deployed in Tripoli. The 15th Panzer Division would notbecome operational in North Africa until May.

Meanwhile on March 12, the 5th LeichteDivision beganits advance. The division occupied El Agheila on March 24. Theassault on the important town of Marsa El Brega was scheduled totake place on March 31. This town was a natural choke point alongthe only paved highway in North Africa the Via Balbia. To the southof Marsa El Brega was a salt marsh known as Sebcha es Seghirawhich was impassible to vehicles. Only a strip of land a few kilo-meters wide ran between the coast and Sebcha es Seghira. Whoevercontrolled Marsa El Brega controlled this narrow but vital pass.

At 0600 the 6th Kompaniealong with the elements fromthe 8th Kompanieand the Panzer-Jager-Abteilungleft their assem-bly areas near El Aghelia and began the advance toward Marsa ElBrega. The column was under the command of a Major Rau. As theGermans advanced, they were attacked twice by small Britisharmored formations. It was not known whether these British attackswere intentional attacks or just reconnaissance probes. Regardless,the Germans were able to repulse both attacks easily. The Germansran into the main British line about two kilometers east of Marsa ElBrega. While the bulk of the German force attacked the British for-tifications, M.G. Battalion 8 (supported by armor) assaulted Marsa

El Brega. At 1700 hours German artillery shelled the small townprior to the assault. The attack failed to get into the town althoughthe Germans closed to within one and half kilometers of Marsa ElBrega. On April 1 the 6th Kompanie was ordered to assault the town.The attack started off at 0500 and met little resistance. The bulk ofthe British had already withdrawn to better defensive positions far-ther to the east. Only rearguard British forces occupied the town. By0700 hrs. the Germans had completely overrun Marsa El Brega. Ele-ments of the 5th LeichteDivision, particularly M.G. Batallion 8 andPanzer-Jager-Abteilung39, would maintain contact with the Britishwhile strong reconnaissance elements probed the defenses of ElGtafia and Agedabia throughout April 2.

Game OptionsGerman1. Add another squad of Regular infantry.2. Throw in a MMG.3. Add a 5cm mortar.4. Replace the Panzerjager I’s with a Panzer IB or a Panzer IIF5. To add a challenge remove either the Pzjg. I’s or a squad ofinfantry.British1. Add a squad of engineers with demo packs and satchel charges.2. Give them a Vickers HMG.3. Add a Boys Anti-Tank Rifle or a 40mm Bofors AA gun.4. Simply add another squad of Regular infantry.5. Add a Cruiser Mk.1 or a Valentine Mk. III.

How ToAdobe buildings were a common sight throughout North

Africa. These were mostly built by the local population where adobewas well suited for the desert. During the day the house wouldremain remarkably cool even if the temperature would becomeunbearable. Adobe homes were commonly very simple in only hav-ing two or three rooms and no upper level or basement. There werefew windows and an open doorway.

DesignerÕs NotesMost of the battle was fought in the sand dunes around

Marsa El Brega. We though it would be interesting to do a city fightin the desert. It should provide you with a vicious little fight!

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Once more unto the breach

British Deployment Zone

German Start

Crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

meeting of stefan

forces available

orders

Date: November 18, 1941Time: 1500 hrs.Location: 1 km. south of Gabr Saleh Background: The British 4th Armored Brigade foundthemselves having trouble forcing the Recce units of theD.A.K back from thier initial assaults. Once the 3rd RoyalTank Regiment arrived, the attack would begin once again. Orders: Engage any and all German units and destroy orimmobilize at least 70% of those forces. Game Length: 16 Turns

Desert Rats of the 4th Armoured Brigade and 3rd R.T.R., 7th Armoured Division

1st/4th Armoured Brigade

A Squadron:HQ Troop with,

2 Crusader I (A9) with Regular crews of five ML 112 Crusader I (A9) Close Support (CS) with Regular crews of five ML 11

12 Stuart I Honey with Regular crews of four ML 11

B SquadronHQ Troop with,

2 Crusader I (A9) with Regular crews of five ML 112 Crusader I (A9) Close Support (CS) with Regular crews of five ML 11

12 Stuart I Honey with Regular crews of four ML 11

C SquadronHQ Troop with,

2 Crusader I (A9) with Regular crews of five ML 112 Crusader I (A9) Close Support (CS) with Regular crews of five ML 11

12 Stuart I Honey with Regular crews of four ML 11

3rd Royal Tank Regiment

A Squadron:HQ Troop with,

2 Crusader I (A9) with Regular crews of five ML 112 Crusader I (A9) Close Support (CS) with Regular crews of five ML 11

12 Stuart I Honey with Regular crews of four ML 11

B SquadronHQ Troop with,

2 Crusader I (A9) with Regular crews of five ML 112 Crusader I (A9) Close Support (CS) with Regular crews of five ML 11

12 Stuart I Honey with Regular crews of four ML 11

C SquadronHQ Troop with,

2 Crusader I (A9) with Regular crews of five ML 112 Crusader I (A9) Close Support (CS) with Regular crews of five ML 11

12 Stuart I Honey with Regular crews of four ML 11

British Start

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

meeting of stefan

forces available

ordersDate: November 18, 1941Time: 1500 hrs.Location: 4 km. north of Gabr Saleh Background: By 1430 hrs., Rommel found himself facingthe 4th Armoured Brigade with support of the newly arrived3rd Royal Tank Regiment. Not wanting to release the 15thand 21st Panzer Divisions early, Rommel formedKampfgruppe Stefan from both divisions and ordered themto strike out toward Gabr Saleh and engage the British. Orders: Engage the British armor and destroy orimmoblize 70% of the force.Game Length: 16 Turns

Afrika Soldatenof Kampfgruppe Stefan, Afrika Korps

GeneralleutnantErwin Rommel with Leica camera ML 19-31 Captured British Mammoth w/ General Rommel and Support Staff3 PzKpfw III ausf. H with Veteran crews of five ML 13

1st Panzer Kompanie of the 15th Panzer Division with,HQ unit of 2 PzKpfw III ausf. H with Veteran crews of five ML 133 Platoons each with 5 PzKpfw III ausf. G and Veteran crews of five ML 13

3rd Panzer Kompanie of the 15th Panzer Division with,HQ unit of 2 PzKpfw III ausf. H with Veteran crews of five ML 133 Platoons each with 5 PzKpfw III ausf. G and Veteran crews of five ML 13

2nd Panzer Kompanie of the 21st Panzer Division with,HQ unit of 2 PzKpfw III ausf. H with Veteran crews of five ML 131 Platoons of 5 PzKpfw III ausf. G with Veteran crews of five ML 132 Platoons each with 5 PzKpfw IV ausf. D and Veteran crews of five ML 13

German Start

Historical outcomeThe 4th Armored Brigade with support of the 3rd

R.T.R attempted to push past the Recce forces of the15thPanzer Division. When Rommel decided to form theKampfgruppe comprising the 15th and 21st Panzers andstrike south to engage the oncoming British armor, heattempted to blunt this paticular attack. General ErwinRommel accompanied the Kampfgruppe and directed the bat-tle from either his captured British Mammoth or one of hisother vehicles.

In the ensuing action the British lost at least thirty“Honeys” of the 4th Armored Brigade; the 3rd R.T.R. lostalmost all of its tanks. The Germans only reported a loss ofthree tanks and four more damaged. The battle itself wouldlast just over two hours.

designerÕs notesThis scenario is not only an excellent example of a

large armor battle that took place during the opening roundsof Operation Crusader, it is also a great 1/285th battle. Thescenario itself is well balanced with the British “Honeys”having a high rate of speed and and excellent range with their37XL guns. On the other hand, the Germans have the advan-tage of having General Erwin Rommel on the battlefield andbeing able to change orders in an instant!

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crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

meeting of Stefan

British Start

German Start

Italian Deployment Zone

British Start

GamemasterÕs special rulesBritish1. British advance onto the east edge of the board on Turn 1.2. The British may use column movement on the first turn only. TheBritish actually advanced in a semi-circle. This special rule is hereto ease play. On Turn 1 the British may move any of its units in anyorder the British player chooses when a British card/chit is pulled.3. On Turn 6 another Crusader Mk.II squadron will show up. Thissquadron has the same make up as A Squadron and the same moral.However, this squadron was engaged on another part of the front andhas already suffered casualties. Roll a moral check for each tankbefore it comes on. If it fails then it was knocked out earlier in thefight and will not come onto the board. The British began to drawforces from the flanks of the 22nd Armoured Brigade to reinforce thefaltering center. As a result of this sudden movement, the Britishtanks had to pass right in front of the Italian strongpoints andreceived heavy fire.Italian1. Italians are Dug-In.The Italians had just made it to this positionbefore the British attacked. They only had time to dig some foxholesand lay some hasty minefields which were poorly concealed.Gamemaster1. The British win if they can exit eight tanks off of the west edgeof the board. One of those eight must be from the command section.

historical outcomeOn November 18, 1941, the British began the opening

phases of Operation Crusader. Developed by General Sir ClaudeAuchinleck, the plan had two main objectives. The first was therelief of the Commonwealth forces holding Tobruk with the secondbeing the destruction of the Axis armies in Africa. The British XIIICorps was charged with the destruction of the Axis outposts alongthe Egyptian-Libyan border. Meanwhile, XXX Corps was to drawRommel’s Afrika Korps into battle. Here the British hoped todestroy the Germans with superior numbers and equipment. AfterThe Germans were destroyed, the XXX Corps would link up withthe Tobruk defenders and XIII Corps. This combined force wouldthen turn on the Italian XXI Corps and destroy it. Of course it did-n’t work that way.......

One of the keys to the British plan involved the seizure ofthe Axis’ southern positions. These were held by the Italian “Ariete”(Ram) Armored Division. This unit had never seen combat and wasnot considered a major threat. The British 7th Armored Division(The Desert Rats) under General Gott was ordered to seize this Axissouthern flank from the Italians. The 7th Armored Division, espe-cially the 22nd Armored Brigade, would find out that this was easi-er said then done.

The Italian defenses were centered around three strongpoints. The main British attack fell on the southern and centerstrongpoints which were held by units of the 5thBersaglieriBattaglione. The Italian northern strongpoint was able to provideartillery support to their comrades throughout the fight.

As a company of Italian armor sallied out to meet theBritish onslaught, the 5th Bersaglieri Battaglione and supportingartillery took up their respective positions in the strongpoints. TheBritish forced the company of Italian armor back to the strongpoints.After the Italian commander rallied his remaining tanks, his compa-ny took up positions north of the three strongpoints and was sup-

ported by truck mounted 102mm naval guns of the Italian Milmart(costal defense). The Italian center strongpoint rained death anddestruction down upon the British who were caught in the open withno place to go. The Bersaglieri in the southern strongpoint had bare-ly taken up positions before the British hit them. Artillery and anti-tank guns helped the Bersaglieri hold onto their positions, yet even-tually despite the best efforts of the defenders, the British managedto seize the southern strongpoint. In the center the British were notso lucky. The attack on the central strongpoint began to flounder, sothe British commander began pulling units from his flanks to rein-force the center. This gave the British though another problem. Asthe British tanks moved to aid the center, they had to pass in front ofthe Italian positions. The Italian anti-tank guns were able to hit theBritish at close range in the sides. The British reinforcements to thecenter thus had little effect on the battle. An Italian counterattackwith tanks supported by the truck mounted 102mm guns threw theBritish out of the southern strongpoint. This final blow convincedthe British to give up and try an easier way to flank the Axis forces.The Italian “Ariete” had not only held - they gained respect fromtheir British enemy!

game optionsItalians1. Give the Italians a MMG section. This may not do much to theBritish, but they are only Crusaders and just maybe the MMG canpenetrate the rear. 2. Make the Morale of the Italians Regular. 3. Give them a few rounds of Off-Board Artillery.4. Give them additional grenades5. To give the Italians a real challenge, remove half of their tanks.British1. Replace one troop of tanks with a platoon of infantry.2. Add one troop of Crusaders to the order of battle.3. Increase the length of the game to 15 turns.

designerÕs notesThis should give a face paced game for either 15mm or

20mm. The Italians may have poor morale but they are dug in andhave plenty of anti-tank equipment. The British have the short endof the stick in this scenario. They have to breakthrough a welldefended position without infantry or artillery support and they haveto keep half their tanks alive. Historically, they not only lost thisfight but they lost it bad! If you can change history give us a calland tell me how you did it!

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Stop the Crusade

Italian Deployment Zone

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Stop the Crusade

ordersDate: November 19, 1941Time: 0800 hrs.Location: Bir El Gobi, south of Tobruk, LibyaBackground: At the onset of the British offensive knownas “Crusader,” the Italian “Ariete” Armored Division waspositioned on the southern flank of Panzergruppe Afrika. Astrong enemy tank force approaching from the east wassighted by Italian reconnaissance and orders dictated that itbe stopped. Though Rommel believed this was only aprobe, this Italian divison new to the desert was determinedto stop the British forces entering their sector. Orders: Prevent the British from exiting the West edge ofthe board.Game Length: 12 Turns

forces available

special rules1. Italians are Dug-In.

Bersaglieri of 5th Bersaglieri Battaglione, 8th Bersaglieri Reggimento, 132nd Divisione Corazatta “Ariete”

One Regular Platone(Platoon) Bersaglieri with the following,1 2nd Lieutenant /Sotto Tenente(Platoon Leader) with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 13-1Two Sections each with,

1 Section Leader/Brigadieri (Squad Leader) with Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 12-1Sub-section A1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiorewith Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 11-01 Gunner with Model 30 Breda LMG ML 101 Asst. Gunner with Model 1891 Rifle ML 106 Riflemen with Model 1891 Rifle ML 10Sub-Section B 1 Sub-section Leader/ Corporale Maggiorewith Model 38A Beretta SMG ML 11-08 Riflemen with Model 1891 Rifle ML 10All Italian infantry carry two SRCM M35 hand grenades

2 Cannone da 47/32 AT-Guns each with Green crews of three,1 Gunner with Beretta M1934 Pistol ML 81 Loader with Model1938 Carbine ML 81 Spotter with Model1938 Carbine and binoculars ML 8

3 “Solothurn” Green Anti-Tank Rifle teams each with, 1 Gunner with Solothurn ATR ML 81 Loader with Model1938 Carbine ML 8

6 M13/40 with Green Crews of four ML 9

British Start

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Stop the Crusade

ordersDate: November 19, 1941Time: 0800 hrs.Location: Bir El Gobi, south of Tobruk, LibyaBackground: This is it: Operation Crusader, the offensive thatwill destroy the Axis forces in North Africa. The mission of theBritish 22nd Armoured Brigade is to simply crush the Italiansholding the Axis’ southern flank around Bir El Gobi. Intelligencereports indicate that a new Italian armored division is holding thecurrent position. Determined to test the metal of this new Italianunit, the 22nd Armoured Brigade set off into the sunrise. Orders: Exit eight tanks off of the West end of the board by Turn12; one of those tanks must be from the command section.Game Length: 12 Turns

Desert Rats of A Squadron, 22nd Armoured Brigade, 8th Army

One Regular Squadron Command Section with,1 Squadron Commander (ML 13-1) in Crusader Mk. II with total Veteran crew of five ML 131 Asst. Squadron (ML 12-0) Command in Crusader Mk. II with total Veteran crew of five ML 13

Four Regular Troops of Crusader Mk. II’s each with,3 Crusader Mk. II with Regular crews of five ML 112 Close Support (CS) Crusader Mk.II with Regular crews of five ML 11

forces available

special rules1. British advance onto the east edge of the board on Turn 1.2. The British may use column movement on the first turn only.3. On Turn 6 another Crusader Mk.II squadron will show up.This squadron has the same make up as A Squadron and the samemoral. However, this squadron was engaged on another part of the

front and has already suffered casualties. Roll a moral check foreach tank before it comes on. If it fails then it was knocked outearlier in the fight and will not come onto the board.

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

the lions teeth

forces available

orders

Date: November 19, 1941Time: 1330 hrs.Location: Somewhere southeast of Bir el Gubi. Background: The British 22nd Armored Brigade had thehonor of attacking the Italian “Ariete” Division. Believingthat they were facing an understrength company, the Britishfelt highly confident of breaking their defenses and continu-ing the advance toward Tobruk. They were wrong. Orders: Get off the Western edge with at least 66% of theArmored force. Game Length: 15 Turns.

Tommies of the 22nd Armored Brigade

3rd County of London Yeomanry Regiment with,HQ Troop with,

4 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 134 Crusader I (A15) Close Support (CS) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

A Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

B Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

C Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

4th County of London Yeomanry Regiment with,HQ Troop with,

4 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 134 Crusader I (A15) Close Support (CS) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

A Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

B Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

C Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

2nd Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Regiment with,HQ Troop with,

4 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 134 Crusader I (A15) Close Support (CS) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

A Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

B Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

C Squadron with,16 Crusader I (A15) with Veteran crews of five ML 13

Brit

ish

Sta

rt

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

the lions teeth

forces available

ordersDate: November 19,1941Time: 1330 hrs.Location: Somewhere southeast of Bir el Gubi. Background: Elements of the Italian Ariete Division havesetup blocking positions in front of Bir el Gubi. With theBritish units of XXX Army Corps driving hard towardTobruk, the Italians must stop this threat into their lines ofcommunication or face capitulation of the entire ItalianArmy. Orders: Force the British advance to stop or retreat. Game Length: 15 Turns.

Truppeof the 132nd Divisione Corazatta “Ariete”

Captain Priore (ML 15-2) with,6 Cannone-AA da 90/53 w/ Veteran Crews M 12

Major Pasquali (ML 15-1) with,6 105/28 (105mm) guns w/ Veteran Crews M 12

12 47/32 Contra Carro Cannone (Anti-Tank Guns) w/ Veteran Crews M 12

Off-Board Artillery SupportFour HE Fire Missions of 6 tubes 75/27 (75mm) Field Guns

12 Contact 10 AvailabilityThree HE Fire Missions of 4 tubes 105/28 (105mm) Field Guns

12 Contact 12 Availability

Italian Deploym

ent Zone

GamemasterÕs special rulesItalians1. All AT and AA guns may setup hidden and behind Sangars.2. The Cannone-AA da 90/53 have D6 rounds of AP.3. Cpatain Priore may direct fire one of the 90/53’s until thatgun is ineffective or the crew is dead. If this happens then hemay move to another 90/53 if still alive.4. Major Pasquali may direct fire one of the 105/28’s or maycall in Artillery Support but not both in the same turn.5. The 75/27 Field Guns have an Availibilty rating of a 12 andcontact rating of a 10. Four Fire missions of HE.6. The 105/28 Field Guns have an availibilty rating of a 12and contact rating of a 12. Three Fire missions of HE.British1. The British Armor Regiments begin offboard. TheRegiments come on one at a time for the first two turns in anyorder.

Historical outcomeThe 22nd Armored Brigade attacked the positions in andaround Bir el Gubi. They found three heavily defended pos-tions of the Ariete Division dug in with AT, AA guns andinfantry of the 8th Bersaglieri Regiment. The 22nd wouldfind themselves hit hard and begin to suffer tank losses thatthey did not expect. Eventually the tide would turn for the22nd and they would finally begin to push past the dug-inItalians.

The Italians after surprising the British with their ATgun postions and the artillery would begin to surrender enmasse to the oncoming armor. Yet the Italians would realizethat the 22nd had no supporting infantry and they wouldreturn to their guns and begin once again to shoot into thesides of the British Crusaders.

designerÕs notesThis scenario was concieved for Crusade for Empire afterreceiving many requests for 1/285th scenarios. The problemwith scenarios of this scale is to find actual battles wherethere were large amounts of armor and little amounts ofinfantry involved. Luckily this one was found after countlesshours of searching. Good luck in playing this scenario. TheBritish will have it tough since they will only be able toengage the Italians with MG fire from their vehicles and usethe Close Support (CS) vehicles to drop Smoke on the gunpositions.

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3x Sand1x Hammadi4x Sand Dune8x Open Ground / Coastal Plain

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the lions teeth

Italian Deploym

ent Zone

Brit

ish

Sta

rt

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Into the Storm

OrdersDate: May 27, 1942Time: 1700 hrs.Location: South of “Knightsbridge,” LibyaBackground: We’ve got the Jerries running scared, mates! Onlya thin line stands between us and routing the 15th Panzer Division.However the thin line blocking our advance has teeth. Several ofthose bloody “88” guns are holding this line. I don’t need to tellyou what these monsters can do to our tanks. I’ll try to arrangesome artillery support for you. Take out that line and continue theadvance and do be careful out there lads! Orders: Crush the German line by destroying all the “88” gunsand exiting at least ten tanks off of the East edge of the Board.One of those must be from the command section.Game Length: 15 Turns

Desert Rats of the A Squadron, 8th Hussars, 4th Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division

One Regular Squadron Command Section with,1 Squadron Commander (ML 13-1) in M3 Grant with total Regular crew of six ML 111 Asst. Squadron Command in M3 Grant (ML 12-0) with total Regular crew of six ML 11

Four Regular Troops each with,3 M3 Grant with Regular crew of six ML 11

One Regular Troop with,3 M3 Honey ML 10

One Regular Troop with,3 Mk. II Matilda ML 10

forces available

special rules1. Sandstorm rules are in effect starting Turn 10. See Ter-rain Section.2. The British may have a battery of 25-Pounder guns foroff-board artillery support. Contact:10 Avalibility:10

3. The British lose the artillery when the Sandstorm strikes.

British Start

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Into the storm

OrdersDate: May 27, 1942Time: 1700 hrs.Location: South of “Knightsbridge,” LibyaBackground: Komraden, our drive towards the British strong-point known as Knightsbridge has taken a turn for the worse. Amixed force of over forty British tanks including Matildas, Hon-eys, and the new M3 Grant has hit our rear! This attack has thrownour forces into chaos. Because the 5cm guns on the Mk. IIIs aretoo weak to penetrate the thick armor of the British tanks. It is upto the 88’s. If the line is not held we will be hard pressed to stopthe British; iIf this happens then we may lose the Battle of Gazala!Orders: Destroy a significant amount of British tanks so thatthey are no longer a fighting force.Game Length: 15 Turns

forces available

special rules1. Sandstorm rules are in effect starting Turn 10. See Ter-rain Section.2. The Gamemaster must deploy the immobilized PanzerMk. III J anywhere in the German deployment zone.3. Wolz may be with any gun of player’s choice.

Afrika Soldatenof the 135th Flak Regiment, 15th Panzer Division

German Command SectionColonel Alwin Wolz with P-08 Luger and binoculars ML 16-2

FlaK 18 “88” Battery4 FlaK 18 8.8cm guns each with Veteran crews:

1 Gun Commander with Walther P-38 Pistol ML 13-01 Gunner with Walther P-38 Pistol ML 123 Loaders with Kar 98k Rifles ML 121 Primemover manned by gun crew

One Immobilized Panzer Mk. III J “Special” with Veteran crew of five ML 12

German Deployment Zone

GamemasterÕs special rulesBritish1. Sandstorm rules are in effect starting Turn 10. See TerrainSection.2. The British may have a battery of 25-Pounder guns for off-board artillery support. Contact:10 Avalibility:10Artillerymay not always be available to the British because it mayhave to provide support to other parts of the Gazala Line.

3. The British lose the artillery when the Sandstorm strikes.German1. Sandstorm rules are in effect starting Turn 10. See TerrainSection. The sandstorms in Libya were fearsome acts ofnature that could strike without warning. These couldobscure all vision and cause weapons and machines to mal-function. 2. The Gamemaster must deploy the immobilized Panzer Mk.III J anywhere in the German deployment zone.3. Wolz may be with any gun of player’s choice.GamemasterThe Gamemaster must deploy the immobilized Panzer Mk.IIIJ anywhere in the German deployment zone. This tank wasimmobilized as it was retreating from the onslaught of Britisharmor.

Historical OutcomeAs the 15th Panzer Division approached the British

strongpoint called Knightsbridge, they were attacked by apowerful British armored force from the 4th ArmouredBrigade. In this tank force was over forty M3 Grant tankswhich England had just acquired from the Americans. Theseproved to be very successful early in the war. Mixed in withthe potent new M3 Grants were some Mk II Matildas andsome of the lighter M3 Honeys which were also acquiredfrom the United States. Almost 180 M3 Grant tanks took partin the fighting that day but it was against the 15th PanzerDivision that they achieved their greatest success.

The 15th Panzer Division was in a state of extremeconfusion after the initial British thrust into their rear. Theshort 5cm barrel on the early Mark IIIs’ proved to be tooweak to penetrate the thick hide of the new M3 Grant. Rom-mel only had two weapons at his disposal that could penetratethe thick skin of the Matilida and the Grant. The first of thesewas the Mk. IIIJ with the new long 5cm gun - the only ver-sion of the Mk. III that could penetrate the monstrous M3Grants at long range. Rommel had a very limited number ofthese tanks. Only19 Mk. IIIJs were deployed with the AfrikaKorps in North Africa. The second weapon in Rommels arse-nal was the FlaK 18 8.8cm cannon. This brutal weapon hadalready proven itself at Halfiya Pass and at The Cauldron. Inboth engagements the “88” hammered the British forces withdeadly effectiveness. It would take both these weapons tostop the British 4th Armoured Brigade’s attack.

As the British tanks continued to push aside anyresistances offered by the outgunned Germans, ColonelAlwin Wolz, who commanded FlaK Regiment 135,managedto set up a gun line with his FlaK 88’s. These were sufficientto stop the initial British thrust. Wolz quickly began to rallyhis regiment and managed to extend his thinly stretched line,eventually ralling sixteen 88’s to cover a two mile front.When the British resumed their attack they came under a hailof deadly fire from the Wolz’s gun line. British artillery beganto rain down on top of the beleaguered Germans desperatelytrying to save their division. Some of the British tanks man-aged to get into point blank range and take out a few of the88’s. This confused engagement carried on for most of theday.

Despite their best efforts, Wolz’s gun line began tocrumble under the immense weight of the British armor andartillery. Just when it looked like the German line was goingto cave in, a miraculous sandstorm blew in and obscuredWolz’s line from view. The British tanks, too badly mauled tocontinue on and without the support of the now blindedartillery, retired from the field.

Game OptionsGerman 1. Give the Germans a Mk. IIIJ Special that can move inaddition the one they already have.2. Make the Mk. IIIJ mobile.3. Remove one of the FlaK 18 8.8cm guns.4. Take away the Mk. IIIJ and leave the 88’s to fend for them-selves. British1. Take away the troop of M3 Honeys. 2. Increase the chance of receiving Off-Board Artillery byincreasing the Avalibility to 15.3. Take out the Matildas.4. Add another troop of M3 Grant tanks.

DesignerÕs NotesThis engagement was very close and extremely bru-

tal. Both sides took horrible losses but it hurt the British morethan the Germans who did most of the fighting with their 88s.At the end of the fight the 8th Hussars, 4th Armored Brigadeonly had five M3 Grants and eight light tanks left!

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Into the Storm

German Deployment Zone

British Start

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Crossing the line

forces available

special rules1. Dust rules are in effect.

ordersDate: May 27, 1942Time: 1600 hrs.Location: 8km west of Bir Beuid, LibyaBackground: Early in the morning of May 26th, recon-naissance from the 4th South African Armoured Car Regt.,reported large German columns moving south aroundRetna. Believing this was a German feint to draw Britishunits from the vital Trigh Capuzzo roadway to the north, theBritish 4th Armored Brigade immediately began to deployfor battle. On the 27th the British moved forward towardsthe southwest only to run smack into a German armoredformation a few miles in the distance.Orders: Destroy 2/3 of the German tank force.Game Length: 16 Turns

Desert Rats of “B” and “C” Squadrons, 3rd Royal Tank Regt., 4th Armoured Brig.

3 Grant I Medium Tanks with Veteran crews of six ML 13

3 Grant I Medium Tanks with American Elite crews of six ML 15

Desert Rats of “Recce” Squadron, 3rd Royal Tank Regt., 4th Armoured Brig.

3 Stuart I “Honey” Light Tanks with Veteran crews of four ML 13

British Start

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crossing the line

special rules1. Dust rules are in effect.

ordersDate: May 26, 1942Time: 1600 hrs.Location: 8km west of Bir Beuid, LibyaBackground: Rommel’s plan to crack the British defendedGazala Line, codenamed “Case Venezia,” focused on a widesweep of his crack armored units south of Bir Hacheim.Spearheading this assault was the now veteran 15th PanzerDivision, which quickly penetrated deep into the Britishrear. Miles of territory were quickly gobbled up unopposeduntil hastily deployed units of British tanks appeared in thedistance.Orders: Destroy 2/3 of the British tank force.Game Length: 16 Turns

Afrika Soldatenof Panzer Abteilung I, 8th Panzer Regt., 15th Panzer Division

10 Pz.Kfw. IV ausf. E with Elite crews of five ML 15

6 Pz.Kfw. III ausf. G with Elite crews of four ML 15

5 Pz.Kfw. II ausf. F with Elite crews of four ML 15

German Start

GamemasterÕs Special RulesBritish1. Dust rules are in effect.German1. Dust rules are in effect.

Historical OutcomeRecently arrived in Africa just in time for the Gaza-

la battles, the Grants finally gave the British the edge in thetank department. However, theses tanks were spread through-out the entire 8th Army with the hopes of raising morale andwere not massed into larger units. The Germans still held thebetter hand in tactics and morale amongst its tank crews andthis was the key factor in this particular battle.

Unknowingly, the 3rd RTR charged headlong intothe tanks of the 8th Panzer Regt., 15th Panzer Division.Though the Grant posessed a better gun and had better armorthan the tanks used against them by the Germans, the Britishwere helpless by the tactics and sheer numbers of the Ger-mans. Swarms of German IIs and IIIs raced into combat withthe Grants, giving the outclassed German IVs the opportuni-ty to close the range. The British essentially pulled into linewith their Honeys and Grants and began banging away at theGermans but they soon either were destroyed or ran out ofammo. Though giving the 8th Panzer Regt. a bloody nose, theBritish ultimately fled the field and lost the engagement. Outof nineteen Grants engaged in the battle only seven survived.An interesting sidenote is that the Grants were accompaniedfrom America with three tank crews led by Major HenryCabot Lodge. This group not only trained the British on theirnew tanks, they also participated in the Gazala Line battles. Itwas this group of Americans that was the inspiration for themovie "Sahara" - the original balck-and-white starringHumphrey Bogart and the modern version with JamesBelushi. Maj. Lodge's group was with the 4th ArmouredBrigade at this time so we thought it would be fun to throwthem into the mix a la "Sahara".....water, WATER!

Game Options

1. If desired the three American Elite tank crews may bereplaced by Regular British tank crews. 2.This scenario is designed (obviously) for 15mm. However,it can be played using micro tanks in 1/285th with the fol-lowing suggested forces:

British16 Grant I Medium Tanks withRegular crews of six ML 113 Grant I Medium Tanks with American Elite crews of six ML 15

12 Stuart I Light Tanks with Regular crews of four ML 11

GermanDouble the forces.

3. Give the British and/or German player a tank hero as foundin the Heroes section.

DesignerÕs NotesThis scenario highlights the classic tank battles

fought in the desert in WWII. It also has fun with the notionof Americans in the desert! An interesting sidenote to thisscenario is that the first Grants to arrive in the desert fromAmerica were accompanied with three tank crews led byMajor Henry Cabot Lodge. This group not only trained theBritish on their new tanks, they also participated in the Gaza-la Line battles. It was this group of Americans that was theinspiration for the movie "Sahara" - the original black-and-white starring Humphrey Bogart and the modern version withJames Belushi. Maj. Lodge's group was with the 4thArmoured Brigade at this time so we thought it would be funto throw them into the mix a la "Sahara".....water, WATER!This scenario is a fun one that can be played again and again.Try this one with the Random desert Battlefield Builder!

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crossing the line

British Start

German Start

Crusade For Empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Ladies From Hell

ordersDate: Oct. 24, 1942Time: 0100 hrs.Location: 5 km., NW of Bir el AtashBackground: The British offensive known as the famous 2ndBattle of El Alamein, began with a terrific 5 hour British bombard-ment on dug-in German positions. General Montgomery’s planhinged on the massive bombardment of the known German mine-fields and defensive positions; if his men and tanks could quicklyget through and defeat the Germans this far north, the AfrikaKorps’ main body of tanks would be forced to come to the rescueand fall right into Monty’s trap. The famed Scots of the 51stHighland Division, nicknamed by the Germans the “Ladies FromHell” because of their kilts, were ordered to lead the path toBritish victory. Orders: See GMGame Length: 16 Turns

Scots of the 151st Infantry Brigade, 51st Highland Division

“Pipes” MacLeod with Scottish Bagpipes ML 16

Three Squads Veteran infantry, each with:1 Squad Leader with Thompson SMG ML 14-11 Asst. Squad Leader with Thompson SMG ML 13-01 Gunner with Bren LMG ML 121 Asst. Gunner with Rifle No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 126 Riflemen with Rifle No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 12

Two Squads Veteran engineers, each with:1 Squad Leader with Thompson SMG ML 14-11 Asst. Squad Leader with Thompson SMG and Demo Pack ML 13-01 Gunner with Bren LMG ML 121 Asst. Gunner with Rifle No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 121 Mine Detector Engineer with Webley Mk 4 Pistol ML 125 Engineers with Rifle No. 4 Mk I Enfield ML 12All British infantry carry 2 No. 36M “Mills” hand grenades

Six Universal Carriers

Tommies of the 50th Royal Tanks, 23rd Armoured Brigade

4 Valentines each with Veteran crews of three ML 15

forces available

Special Rules1. British infantry and engineers may not ride on tanks atany time during the scenario.2. Squad Bren LMGs may be mounted on UniversalCarriers at player’s discretion.3. Night rules are in effect.4. See Heroes for rules on “Pipes” Mac Leod.

British Start

Crusade For Empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Ladies From Hell

ordersDate: Oct. 24, 1942Time: 0100 hrs.Location: 5 km., NW of Bir el AtashBackground: In the north and central sectors of the El Alameinline, Rommel ordered dense minefields and emplacements dug tostop any British advance. Called “Devil’s Gardens” these nastydefenses were full of anti-tank and anti-personnel mines, as well asbooby traps. Behind “Devil’s Gardens J and L” waited the dug-inmen of the 382nd Panzer Regiment. A massive bombardmentmarked the start of the Battle of 2nd Alamein and the end of theDevil’s Gardens. British tanks and infantry poured through thechewed up minefields and assaulted the German line.Orders: Prevent the British from penetrating the Germanline.Game Length: 16 Turns

forces available

Special Rules1. The German Hasty Minefield is a belt extending thewidth of the game table and 10” in depth. See map and GMfor more details.2. The Germans may begin Dug-in foxholes anywhere with-in the German area, or in trenches indicated on the map.3. Night rules are in effect.

4. The PaK 38 does not have APCR.5. See Heroes for rules on Capt. Krupfganz.

Afrika Soldaten of the 382nd Pz. Gren. Regt., 164th Leicht (Light) Div.

Capt. Krupfganz with MP-40, binoculars, flare pistol and 2 stick grenades ML 16-2

Two Veteran Squads each with,1 Squad Leader with MP-40 ML 14-11 Asst. Squad Leader with MP-40 and Demo Pack ML 13-01 Gunner with MG-34 LMG ML 121 Asst. Gunner with Kar 98k and extra ammo ML 126 Rifleman with Kar 98k ML 12All German infantry carry two stick grenades

One 5cm PaK 38 AT-Gun with Veteran crew of four,1 Gunner with Kar 98k ML 122 Loaders with Kar 98k ML 121 Spotter with P-08 Luger and Binoculars ML 12

One Hasty Minefield (see Special Rules below)

Hasty Minefield

GermanDeployment Zone

GamemasterÕs Special RulesBritish1. British infantry and engineers may not ride on tanks at anytime during the scenario. The British were not very keen onriding tanks into battle like their Russian allies - hitching aride behind the lines however was a totally different matter!2. Squad Bren LMGs may be mounted on Universal Carriersat playerÕs discretion.3. Night rules are in effect. Attacking at night can be both acurse and a blessing!4. See Heroes for rules on ÒPipesÓ Mac Leod.German1. The German Hasty Minefield is a belt extending the widthof the game table and 10Ó in depth. See map and GM formore details. This minefield represents the remnants of theÒDevilÕs GardensÓ that were blasted away during the Britishbombardment the opening night of 2nd El Alamein. Becausethe minefields were churned up / blown up, the DevilÕsGardens were not nearly as effective as anticipated. Some ofits deadliness was still intact however and is thus represent-ed by the Hasty Minefield in this scenario. 2. The Germans may begin Dug-in foxholes anywhere with-in the German area, or in trenches indicated on the map.TheGerman player may elect to utilize trenches and/or foxholesat his discretion; the Germans spent a good amount of timein this location and built up a good defensive line. 3. Night rules are in effect. This is certainly to the Germansbenefit!4. The PaK 38 does not have APCR.5. See Heroes for rules on Capt. Krupfganz.Gamemaster1. The German minefield contains both anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. This corresponds with which ever unit ismaking a Chance To Hit roll while moving in the minefield.In other words, if a tank rolls unsuccessfully on the chart, thetank hits an anti-tank mine. Infantry will thus only trip anti-personnel mines. The only exception is when an engineerattempts to remove a mine. If a mine (either type) is success-fully removed, there is a 50% chance that there is anotheranti-personnel mine directly beneath it. Roll a d20. If theresult is 10 or less, this second mine will detonate. This wasa particularly nasty trick of the Germans in the desert. All other rules for Mines are as found in Easy EightÕsBattleground WWII.2. The British win by sufficiently causing a breach in theGerman line or by wiping out the German force. In this sce-nario it should be easy to determine who is the winner andwho is the loser!

Historical OutcomeThe British hit the German sector defended by the

German 382nd Pz. Gren. Regt. with two divisions, the 51stHighland Division and the 9th Australian Division. Goodforesight, planning, and reconaissance paid off for the Britishand Montgomery. The pre-attack bombardment really didwonders to the GermansÕ ÒDevilÕs Gardens.Ó Though theBritish artillery did not completely destroy the German mine-fields and booby traps, it did make the British attack go muchmore smoother and faster. The 51st Highland Division quick-ly made its way through the minefields and assaulted theGerman line.Hand-to-hand fighting broke out between Germans andScots. The fighting was bloody and fierce but the German382nd Panzer Gren. Regt. could not stand up to an entire divi-sion supported by tanks. The German line soon crumpled andthe Scottish troops poured through the gap. This engagementcaused serious problems for Rommel and his forces and basi-cally spelled the beginning of the end for the Axis forcesalong the El Alamein line.

DesignerÕs NotesMany old-time Battleground gamers might think

this particular scenario seems familiar. And in a way itshould. This scenario is very similar to the scenario, ÒRing ofDesperation,Ó found in the original rule set. In ÒRingÓ a groupof Germans were dug-in and holding out against Soviet T-34swith one AT-Gun and some hand-held AT devices. The plightin this scenario is fairly similar in that the Germans must holdthe line with very little. A big plus for the Germans in thisscenario, however, is the presence of the minefield. It is bru-tal and well, historically, it really was (sorry). A big key forthe German defense is to be patient and to let the minefieldtake its toll. Firing early will only give the German positionsaway and make life miserable if not short. The key for theBritish, ironically, is also patience. One does not want to rushthrough a deadly minefield and at the same time, one does notwant to be a sitting duck. The most important aspect theBritish players must come to grips with is that some of yourmen WILL die, and probably horribly. Players who squirmwhen losing one guy will probably agonize during this sce-nario. But, hey folks, this is El Alamein for crying out loud!As the old saying goes, ÒNo effort, no result.Ó Just watch outfor those mines!

Crusade For Empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

Ladies From Hell

Hasty Minefield

GermanDeployment Zone

British Start

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

fortress cairo

forces available

orders

Date: July 21, 1942Time: 0900 hrs.Location: 20 km. west of Cairo, Egypt Background: Feldmarshall Rommel has won at El Alameinand has just taken Alexandria; now he and the vauntedAfrika Korps is now driving hard for Cairo. The GermanArmy must be stopped at all cost!Orders: Destroy 50% of German forces.Game Length: 15 Turns.

Tommies of XXX Corps

22nd Armoured Brigade with,Two Platoons each with 4 Stuart I Honey and Veteran crews of four ML 13One Platoon with 4 Grant and Veteran crews of six ML 13

4th Armored Brigade with, Three Platoons each with 4 Crusader III and Elite crews of three ML 15

5th Royal Tank RegimentHQ Unit with,

2 Mk. IVA CS with Elite crews of four ML 152 Crusader III with Elite crews of three ML 15

One Squadron with 12 Crusader III and Elite crews of three ML 15

148th Anti-Tank Battalion with,4 6-Pounders (57mmL) each with Veteran crews ML 123 2-Pounders (40mmL) each with Veteran crews ML 12

Off-Board Artillery SupportFour HE Fire Missions of 6 tubes 25-Pounder (87.6mm) Field Guns

8 Contact 10 Availability

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crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

fortress cairo

forces available

ordersDate: July 21, 1942Time: 0900 hrs.Location: 20 km. west of Cairo, Egypt Background: The British island of Malta has fallen; theDAK has won at El Alamein and are now driving towardCairo. FeldmarshallErwin Rommel has now receivedorders from Hitler to take Cairo at all costs. It is imperativeto take the last stronghold of the British Empire before theAmericans can intervene.Orders: Destroy 50% of the British forces.Game Length: 15 Turns

Afrika Soldatenof the 15th and 21st Panzer Divisons, Panzerarmee Afrika

23rd Panzer Kompanie with,HQ Unit with,

2 PzKpfw IVF2 with Elite crews of five ML 152 PzKpfw IV ausf. D with Elite crews of five ML 15

Three Platoons each with 5 PzKpfw IVF2 and Elite crews of five ML 15

25th Panzer Kompanie with,HQ Unit with,

2 PzKpfw IVF2 with Elite crews of five ML 152 PzKpfw IV ausf. D with Elite crews of five ML 15

Three Platoons each with 5 PzKpfw IVF2 and Elite crews of five ML 15

14th Panzer Kompanie with,HQ Unit with,

2 PzKpfw III ausf. L with Veteran crews of five ML 132 PzKpfw IV ausf. D with Veteran crews of five ML 13

Three Platoons each with 5 PzKpfw III ausf. J and Veteran crews of five ML 13

118th Flak Battalion with,4 FlaK 18 “88s” with SdKfz. 7 and Veteran crews ML 12

Off-Board Artillery SupportFour HE Fire Missions of 6 tubes 10cm K 18 (105mmL) Field Guns

12 Contact 14 AvailabilityThree HE Fire Missions of 4 tubes 15cm sFH 18 (150 mm) Field Guns

12 Contact 14 AvailabilityFour Smoke Fire Missions of 4 tubes 15cm sFH 18 (150 mm) Field Guns

12 Contact 14 Availability

Germ

ans Enter

GamemasterÕs special rules

Germans1. The FlaK 18s will take four actions to bring into action. British1. If their are any Sand Dunes (due to Random BattlefieldBuilder) in the British deployment zone, armor may set upHull Down.2. If any British units start in a Hamadi section they mayautomaticly build Sangars. AT guns may setup behind theSangars as well.

designerÕs notesThis is the third scenario for 1/285th scale in

Crusade For Empire. This particular scenario is totally fic-tional. It was devised as an idea that the Germans had cap-tured the island of Malta, had won at El Alamein and hadshortened their lines of communication and supply. TheBritish will have it tough since they are the last of any oper-ational forces in the theatre. The Germans on the other handare ready and well rested for the assault. Enjoy this hypothet-ical tank battle for Cairo!

Notes and Record Keeping For 1/285th

crusade for empire©Easy Eight Enterprises, 1999

fortress cairo

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crusade for empireª

Bibliography

1

Bishop, Chris The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II.(ISBN 0-7607-1022-8)A noteworthy compendium of the majority of the weapons (including planes) used in World War II. For old-timers out there, this work is a collection of all the old War Machine WWII articles! A treasure indeed!

Carell, Paul. Foxes of the Desert.(ISBN 0-8740-659-9)Translated from its original German, this interesting work tells the history of the DAK through the stories of the men who fought in it. Recommended reading.

Chamberlain, Peter British and American Tanks of World War II.And Ellis, Chris (ISBN 0-668-04304-0)

Perhaps the best source for overall history and technical detail on all British and American tanks used during the war.

Ellis, Chris. Tanks of World War II.(ISBN 0-7064-12885)A fairly good source, though broad, on the most popular tanks of WWII; we particularlyliked the color pictures!

Green, Jack Great Campaigns – Rommel’s North African Campaign.And Massignanio, Alessandro (ISBN 0-938289-34-9)

A very good look at the war in the desert from a German, and an even more interesting, Italian perspective.

Jentz, Thomas Tank Combat In North Africa – The Opening Rounds,Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe, February 1941-June 1941.(ISBN 0-7643-0226-4)In an unending source of material about the Afrika Korps, this first in a series takes the cake. Interesting detail and depth on the DAK, including an enormous amount of technical detail. It even chronicles the first tank lost by the DAK – including the serial number!

Pitt, Barrie The Crucible of War – Western Desert 1941.(ISBN 1-55778-232-6)The best source on early desert war, both in detail and description. Includes great info on British, Italians, and the first DAK units in N. Africa.

Trye, Rex Mussolini’s Soldiers.(ISBN 1-85310-401-9)A very in depth look at the Italian armed forces. Color and never before published photographs make this a must for anyone interested in the Italians during WWII.

Verney, G.L. The Desert Rats.(ISBN 1-85367-063-4)A good read for information pertaining to the British 7th Armoured Division; recom-mended reading for Anglophiles.