From: Raymond Woloszyn
Sent: Saturday, April 02, 2005 6:09 PM
Subject: [Aslml] AAR J91 "The Sooner the Better"

      The usual Saturday game against Dave Stephens.     We have not played 
desert for months and it showed with mistakes all over the place.    Rules 
were played well as this is a simple desert scenario with respect to rules 
but complex with  its strategic/tactical considerations.     Lot's of replay 
value (like you're going to play it again soon!).

      I had the Desert Rats and realized when I watched the 1953 film "The 
Desert Rats" DVD with Richard Burton the night before that this is the 
action depicted at the beginning of this film.     It gave me a good feel 
for what was to come the next day.    Dave put all is Germans in Sangars 
next to each other so as to get HMG/MMG fire groups to take out the Rat's 
right flank fort.    He broke half the infantry there but I dropped an SR 
right into the middle of his position.     His tanks moved on and stayed in 
motion in order to outrun the advancing Mathilda's coming on in my turn one.

     My first turn saw an FFE hit most of the Germans in Sangars and it 
broke a lot of people.    His HMG group remained in good order and all game 
they kept maintaining ROF and low die rolls to restrict my Infantry 
movement.     I should have dropped smoke but the Rats need DVP's.      My 
advancing tanks came on with most stopping to acquire the Germans through 
rear covered arcs but also through dust.   I got three the tanks on his 
movement phase of turn but he managed to improbably kill one of my A13 smoke 
tanks whose only smoke of the day would be from its interior.     His 
infantry got to the abandoned guns on turn two and got off an AT shot off with 
an unqualified crew to kill one of my 2lbr Portees, the most dangerous (and 
vulnerable) weapon on the board.

     The game turned into a total melee with no lines, broken units 
everywhere, tanks immobilized, knocked out or stunned.    We did not finish 
the game but I conceded that I could not out DVP him by the 40 points 
needed.     My artillery stopped shelling after the first mission which 
hurt.     My main problem was that I needed to move all my infantry forward 
behind tanks but they were too occupied with long range shots on German 
vehicles heading for the exit area.    His infantry had recovered from the 
initial shelling and with their long range MG's were stopping all my men cold.

     Great scenario but see the movie to really get into it.

"Zadra"