The Desert Platypus

Afrika Korps

So Peetza da Hutt was off gallivanting around Vermont this week, Herr Feldmarshal Horak aka the Desert Platypus took on Brigadier Wood in the Western Desert.  The standard spring 1941 set up started out with an impressive run across Cyrinacea by the Afrika Korps.  The Brits and their allies set up a thin defense stretching from Tmimi inland past Mechilli.  The Germans quickly pushed the British back to Tobruk with a few casualties to both sides.  After bypassing the fortress, the heavy German armor overran the Egyptian border garrison and went on to capture an unescorted supply unit halfway to Alexandria.  The arrival of July reinforcements caused the Germans to fall back to a l ine at the border fence, while the British evacuated Tobruk.  The fortress soon fell and it looked like we were in for a long static period waiting for November reinforcements before there could be a resolution. 

Game Notes

Automatic victory played an important part in the German blitz.  After the game, it was noted that a supply unit is required for automatic victory, although there are some interesting bits in the rules about zones of control and the subsequent movement of supply units involved. 

In researching some online sources, I came across VASSAL, an open-source gaming engine.  Conveniently, it has a well done Afrika Korps module that allows either server-moderated games or play by e-mail.