Tobruk (game)
Encyclopedia
Tobruk is a board wargame
set in the North Africa
n Desert circa 1942 and was published by Avalon Hill
in 1975. The game is largely focused on the armored forces available to the British
, Italian
, and German
forces of , with infantry
, artillery
, and air aspects of combat present in secondary, reduced or abstract form. The game scale is platoon level, with each counter representing a platoon of infantry or individual vehicle or artillery piece.
and Battle of Bir Hakeim
, all occurring near the city of Tobruk
. German and Italian forces under Erwin Rommel
succeeded in driving the British forces back. This is not to be confused with the Siege of Tobruk
, during an earlier phase of the highly mobile desert war. The game's scenarios condense or selectively reproduce portions of key engagements that occurred during these battles.
The game designers made efforts to determine to penetrating power of the various weapons systems: from the lowly Boys "anti-tank" rifle
to the feared German 88mm anti-tank gun
. This was then compared to the actual steel thickness/angle of armor plate and also the profile/design of the various tanks. Specific weaknesses of the various tanks are also taken into account, such as the poor armor surrounding the hull machine gun on the Italian 13/40
. When confronting infantry and light targets, certain weapons lack a good high-explosive shell, while others (howitzers & mortars) can wipe out infantry, but cannot confront tanks at long range.
Various historical scenarios are presented, often with one side "dug in" on one side of the map board and the other side entering from the opposite edge. Some of the more advanced scenarios allow a limited number of air strikes, but air power is not a strength of the game system.
s, wire entanglements and tank revetment
s. Advanced rules allow units to seek cover by simulating attempts to find random local terrain variations.
Unit counters represent single vehicles or guns, or platoons of infantry. The map scale is sixty-nine yards to the hex. Turns represent thirty seconds of real time.
Game play is simple compared to some later tactical games but, as with many games in the wargame genre, quite complex compared to typical mass-market board games. As an example, an infantry platoon would have a sheet upon which each individual casualty would be checked off. The rule book is thirty-six pages long. The rules are introduced gradually, and the first scenario can be played using only a small part of the rule set. By the final, ninth scenario, the entire rule set has been introduced.
In the game, each different tank type has a basic movement printed on the counter. Each weapon has a maximum range, and tables show the dice roll (two six-sided die
) required to hit the target vehicle at a given range. Once a hit is determined, the attacking weapon is cross-referenced against the target vehicle to determine what damage, if any, is done to the target. Typically an additional roll of the dice is needed to determine the specific damage done. In many cases, the attacking weapon simply lacks the power to punch through the spot on the enemy vehicle it has hit. Otherwise, minor damage (track destroyed or machine gun disable) or more catastrophic (causing casualties amongst the crew and/or killing the tank) damage results.
A later game, Advanced Tobruk, was a new system closer in feel to Advanced Squad Leader
.
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
set in the North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
n Desert circa 1942 and was published by Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill
Avalon Hill was a game company that specialized in wargames and strategic board games. Its logo contained its initials "AH", and it was often referred to by this abbreviation. It also published the occasional miniature wargaming rules, role-playing game, and had a popular line of sports simulations...
in 1975. The game is largely focused on the armored forces available to the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
forces of , with infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
, artillery
Artillery
Originally applied to any group of infantry primarily armed with projectile weapons, artillery has over time become limited in meaning to refer only to those engines of war that operate by projection of munitions far beyond the range of effect of personal weapons...
, and air aspects of combat present in secondary, reduced or abstract form. The game scale is platoon level, with each counter representing a platoon of infantry or individual vehicle or artillery piece.
Historical basis
The historical basis for the scenarios are the 1942 actions collectively known as the, Battle of GazalaBattle of Gazala
The Battle of Gazala was an important battle of the Second World War Western Desert Campaign, fought around the port of Tobruk in Libya from 26 May-21 June 1942...
and Battle of Bir Hakeim
Battle of Bir Hakeim
Bir Hakeim is a remote oasis in the Libyan desert, and the former site of a Turkish fort. During the Battle of Gazala, the 1st Free French Division of General Marie Pierre Kœnig defended the site from 26 May-11 June 1942 against attacking German and Italian forces directed by Lieutenant-General ...
, all occurring near the city of Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. German and Italian forces under Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel , popularly known as the Desert Fox , was a German Field Marshal of World War II. He won the respect of both his own troops and the enemies he fought....
succeeded in driving the British forces back. This is not to be confused with the Siege of Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
, during an earlier phase of the highly mobile desert war. The game's scenarios condense or selectively reproduce portions of key engagements that occurred during these battles.
The game designers made efforts to determine to penetrating power of the various weapons systems: from the lowly Boys "anti-tank" rifle
Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55 in, Boys
The Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55in, Boys commonly known as the "Boys Anti-tank Rifle" , was a British anti-tank rifle in use during World War II....
to the feared German 88mm anti-tank gun
88 mm gun
The 88 mm gun was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun from World War II. It was widely used by Germany throughout the war, and was one of the most recognizable German weapons of the war...
. This was then compared to the actual steel thickness/angle of armor plate and also the profile/design of the various tanks. Specific weaknesses of the various tanks are also taken into account, such as the poor armor surrounding the hull machine gun on the Italian 13/40
Fiat M13/40
The Fiat-Ansaldo M13/40 was an Italian medium tank , designed to replace the Fiat L3, the Fiat L6/40 and the Fiat M11/39 in the Italian Army at the start of World War II...
. When confronting infantry and light targets, certain weapons lack a good high-explosive shell, while others (howitzers & mortars) can wipe out infantry, but cannot confront tanks at long range.
Various historical scenarios are presented, often with one side "dug in" on one side of the map board and the other side entering from the opposite edge. Some of the more advanced scenarios allow a limited number of air strikes, but air power is not a strength of the game system.
Gameplay
The game board itself is a featureless hex grid, to simulate the flat desert terrain. The only defenses are man-made, such as slit trenches, bunkerBunker
A military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s, wire entanglements and tank revetment
Revetment
Revetments, or revêtements , have a variety of meanings in architecture, engineering and art history. In stream restoration, river engineering or coastal management, they are sloping structures placed on banks or cliffs in such a way as to absorb the energy of incoming water...
s. Advanced rules allow units to seek cover by simulating attempts to find random local terrain variations.
Unit counters represent single vehicles or guns, or platoons of infantry. The map scale is sixty-nine yards to the hex. Turns represent thirty seconds of real time.
Game play is simple compared to some later tactical games but, as with many games in the wargame genre, quite complex compared to typical mass-market board games. As an example, an infantry platoon would have a sheet upon which each individual casualty would be checked off. The rule book is thirty-six pages long. The rules are introduced gradually, and the first scenario can be played using only a small part of the rule set. By the final, ninth scenario, the entire rule set has been introduced.
In the game, each different tank type has a basic movement printed on the counter. Each weapon has a maximum range, and tables show the dice roll (two six-sided die
Dice
A die is a small throwable object with multiple resting positions, used for generating random numbers...
) required to hit the target vehicle at a given range. Once a hit is determined, the attacking weapon is cross-referenced against the target vehicle to determine what damage, if any, is done to the target. Typically an additional roll of the dice is needed to determine the specific damage done. In many cases, the attacking weapon simply lacks the power to punch through the spot on the enemy vehicle it has hit. Otherwise, minor damage (track destroyed or machine gun disable) or more catastrophic (causing casualties amongst the crew and/or killing the tank) damage results.
A later game, Advanced Tobruk, was a new system closer in feel to Advanced Squad Leader
Advanced Squad Leader
Advanced Squad Leader is a tactical-level board wargame, originally marketed by Avalon Hill Games, that simulates actions of approximately company or battalion size in World War II. It is a detailed game system for two or more players . Components include the ASL Rulebook and various games called...
.
External links
- Overview and summary of the game, contents, credits, and awards.
- Box contents, including rules page count.