Western Desert Book

When compared to the enormous campaigns waged on the Eastern Front and in Western Europe during World War II, the struggle in North Africa between the British Commonwealth and the Axis might seem an unimportant sideshow. However, its influence and impact were far-reaching and dictated many strategic decisions that influenced the course of the war.

This Bolt Action campaign book will focus on the conflict in the area most commonly referred to as the Western Desert - a campaign theatre reaching from the Libyan city of Tripoli to Cairo, and the Egyptian Nile valley, a distance of some 1300 miles, a featuring some of the most hostile terrains on Earth.

It covers a period of time from September 1940 when Mussolini's Italian Army invaded British-held Egypt to the final retreat of Rommel's Afrika Korps from Egypt during October 1942. During that period the conflict witnessed much hard fighting resulting in spectacular victories and the capture of territory, equipment and prisoners for both sides whilst also subjecting them to a series of demoralising retreats where final and irrevocable defeat seemed assured.

This book has 167 pages full of content, ranging from new rules and units, full-colour images, history and backgrounds and more!

This book contains:

• What is This Book?
• Campaign Background
• Operation Compass: The Fighting Begins
• Scenario 1: Frontier Battle
• The Italians Invade!
• Scenario 2: Fort Nibeiwa, 9 December 1940
• Scenario 3: The Battle for Bardia, 4 January 1941
• On To Tobruk and the Race to Beda Fomm
• Scenario 4: Tank Clash at Mechili, 24 January 1941
• Scenario 5: Fox killed in the Open, 5 February 1941

Operation Sonnenblume

• Scenario 6: Mersa Brega, 31 March 1941
• The Siege of Tobruk
• Scenario 7: Ras El Madauur, 13 April 1941

Operation Brevity and Battleaxe

• Scenario 8: Hellfire Pass, 15 June 1941

Operation Crusader

• Scenario 9: Bir El Gubi, 19 November 1941
• Scenario 10: Gabr Saleh, 19 November 1941
• Scenario 11: Point 175, 29 November 1941
• Crusader Finale

Gazala: Rommel's Greatest Victory

• Scenario 12: The Cauldron, 1 June 1942
• Scenario 13: Bir Hakeim, 27 May 1942
• The Jewish Brigade at Bir-El Harmat
• Scenario 14: Bir-El Harmat 2 June 1942

El Alamein: The End of the Beginning

• First Alamein
• Last Chance for Rommel: Alam Halfa
• Scenario 15: Alam Halfa, 31 August 1942
• El Alamein
• Operation Lightfoot
• The Battle continues
• Scenario 16: Outpost Snipe, 27 October 1942
• Operation Supercharge
• Scenario 17: The Charge of the 9th Armoured, Tel El Aqqaqir, 2 November 1942

Raid Scenarios

• Scenario 18: Dawn Raid
• Scenario 19: The Via Balbia Raid, 27 May 1942

British and Commonwealth New Units

Infantry Squads and Teams
Vehicles

Italian New Units

• Infantry Squads and Teams
• Artillery
• Vehicles

German New Units

• Infantry Squads and Teams
• Vehicles
• Artillery

Theatre Selectors

• British and Commonwealth
• Commonwealth Armies in Bolt Action
• Italian Theatre Selectors
• The Afrika Korps in Bolt Action

Free French Forces in the Western Desert

• Free French Units

Special Forces in the Western Desert Campaign

• Special Forces in Bolt Action
• British Special Forces in the Western Desert
• Italian Special Forces and Desert Raiders
• German Special Forces

Heroes of the Western Desert

• British and Commonwealth
• German

Special Rules for Fighting Bolt Action Games in the Western Desert

• Typical Terrain types for the Western Desert
• Roads and Tracks
• Desert Climate Effects
• Environmental Effects
• Weather Effects
• Desert Combat Special Rules
• Dug-In: Foxholes, Trenches and Gun Pits
• Minefields