Since 1941, both sides had identified El Alamein as the only point where it was possible to set up a static defense that could be bypassed from the south.

For this reason, the British had begun to prepare three defensive strongholds from the coast to the Qattara Depression and the Germans had begun to acquire information on the territory.

Here we note one of the first topographic maps in 1:100,000 scale made by them in 1941:

When on the night between June 30 and July 1, 1942, Rommel's spareheads reached Tel Aqqaqir and staged for the attack on the line, they expected to find a motley group of forces that would disperse at the first attack of the panzers.

However, the Commonwelath - thanks to having broken the Enigma code - could count on an efficient information system and on air forces capable of guaranteeing control of the skies and imposing control of ground operations.

Although the Axis could deploy better aircraft - such as the Bf 109 and the Macchi 202 - and employ aviation aces such as Marseille who by 1942 had already over 150 victories, the British could rely on a more efficient command and control system, impeccable logistics and the availability of aircraft, fuel, lubricants and spare parts that the Axis were denied through a fierce control of the Mediterranean lines of communication exercised by the Royal Navy in combination with the RAF.

The small island of Malta, a few kilometers south of Sicily, managed to play a fundamental supporting role for these operations that in the long run risked nullifying the efforts of the Panzer Army Afrika.

Although in July 1942 the RAF could not yet compete with the 2nd Flieger Korps and the 5th Air Squadron that outnumbered the aircraft of the Western Desert Force, the situation was destined to change.

First of all because the entry of the United States into the war would soon make its weight felt by sending to Africa, across the South Atlantic Ferry Route, hundreds of new generation Kittyhawks and Tomahawks capable of competing with the 109 and 202. 

Secondly because neither the production chain nor the training sector nor the lines of communication of the Axis would have been able to replace the losses.

It was a question of time, and Montgomery, who took over from Auchinleck on August 13, knew this well.

Thus, from the situation of substantial parity in July 1942, we arrived at an unchallenged English superiority in October of the same year that would have ended up immobilizing the Axis forces depriving them of their notorious supremacy of maneuver and movement.

In our game therefore both players will have to try to obtain and maintain air superiority.

While as anticipated the Commonwealth will be able to count on the help provided by the Allied air forces of South Africa, Australia, India and especially the United States, the Axis will be able to resort to the use of the infamous 88mm multi-role guns.

The player with Air Superiority will be able to count on a series of tactical advantages, such as speed of movement and tactical support in battle, and strategic ones, such as increased availability of replacements and supplies.

In addition to designing a topographic map of high historical value [see detail of the area of the Miteriyia Ridge above - hex is 5cm, form lines at 5 metres, scale is 1:100:000, resolution is 2400dpi] and rearranging the orders of battle thanks to the new historical sources to which we have access, we have also designed a new game engine that integrates the four fundamental factors on which military art is based.

But the new game engine will be the subject of the next chapter!

Stay tuned... And more details will follow!

VentoNuovo Games