Main Catalogue |  HISTORICAL WAR GAMES |  LEGION WARGAMES |  Defiance, The Battle for Cufra 1931

Defiance, The Battle for Cufra 1931 Price: £13.99 Ziplocked Wargame by Khyber Pass Games Tactical Combat during the Conquest of Libya, 1931 In July of 1930, the Vice Governor of Cirenaica, Generale Rudolfo Graziani, was directed by the Governor of Tripolitania/Cirenaica, Generale Pietro Badoglio, who was under pressure himself from il Duce Benito Mussolini, to eliminate the last Senussi \'Stronghold\' at the Cufra oasis, and to humiliate the Senussi leadership by occupying the sacred site of El Taj. The fledgling Fascist movement badly needed to end Italy\'s twenty year humiliation in Libya, an to pronounce its first subjugated addition to the \'New Roman Empire\'. While the offensive began with air raids, and preparations for a three column advance; it took nearly four months for the Italians to develop the logistics to move across the desert. The three columns; Colonna Maletti, Colonna Rolle, and Colonna Lorenzini, finally began their advance in December, 1930. The lumbering columns included eight Eritrean battalions, three armored car squadrons, two battalions of camel troops, four Sawari cavalry battalions, two batteries of artillery, two \'Blackshirt\' battalions, and four squadrons of aircraft. This constituted over one half of the available manpower at Graziani\'s disposal. At Cufra the 600 Libyan \'freedom fighters\' waited. They consisted mostly of survivors of the Sirtica conquest of 1929 and the resident Al-Zuwaya tribe. They hoped that the desert would protect them, and they were partially correct. Most of the Italian army did not reach Cufra until after the battle was over. At 8:30 AM, January 19, 1931, Tenente Colonnello Pietro Maletti began his advance with his elite Raggruppamento Sahariano. This column consisted of 867 men, 6 machineguns and two cannons, all mounted on camels. The Libyan \'freedom fighters\' attacked the column, which formed a 19th Century \'square formation\'. The Senussi were attempting a flanking movement when, at 10:30 AM, the belated elements of Lorenzini\'s column reached the battlefield. By 12:30 PM, the Libyans were routed, the oasis captured. The field to the south, and the \'Senussi Mecca\' of EL Taj oasis, was open to Italian conquest. Defiance is the first Grand Tactical battle simulation offered by KPG. Based on a traditional Igo-Ugo movement and combat system, the game system and mechanics are simple to learn, but the game itself is not simplistic. Both sides have an equal chance at victory and, as usual in a Dennis Bishop design, the victor will often not be declared until the last die roll on the final game turn. This is another \'nail-biter\'. * 8 ½\' x 11\' maps * 39 unit counters * 9 page rules book * various game play aids More ...

Main Catalogue |  HISTORICAL WAR GAMES |  LEGION WARGAMES |  Defiance, The Battle for Cufra 1931