Axis 9: Dan rolls poorly for supply getting only a single shipping point and has to use it to ship an SP to Tobruk. He's gotten all of his German units so far to Tobruk and amassed quite a force in the fort. He came after my front line with Rommel with moderate success---definitely pushed me back although OConnor still held the southeast corner of the fort. Still no attempts to make a deep breakthrough---I think Dan's supply line is stretched very thin and will continue to be as long as his shipping is minimal.

Allied 9: Facing major stacks in Tobruk (and Dan is stacking to get at least 2 left shifts on each of his defensive hexes), I elect to not butt heads with the German force, but use history and start out flanking them. Since their supply line is thin, if I can get around on the other side, it will make him come after me (and pull units out of Tobruk) and threaten him not being able to keep up with supply. So I pull OConnor and his stack out of 36.22 to attack unitsin 37.21. My goal in my combats is to be on the 6:1 or better line whenever possible. I'm also trying to attack so that if/when the enemy has to retreat they have no choice but to retreat through EZOCs and take further losses. In combat I'm able to attack 35.20 and 36.20 and take out all of the enemy (the last one because they had to retreat through EZOCs. In exploitation OVR 33.20 opening up the roads to my faster units and LRDG to outflank the Germans in the west and hopefully block supply. I had moved and SP up to 36.19 to allow me to supply the 5 units I moved west of Tobruk. OConnor is sitting on a big stack in a box in Bir el Gubi (36.19) and Bardia is fairly heavily guarded. I think Dan has no choice in his turn 10 but to attack my units outflanking him---will weaken Tobruk and pull him further away from me. Now my supply lines are stretched---I still have plenty of supply back in Alexandria, but with 6 trucks takes all of them to move 2-3 supply needed each turn.

Axis 10: Dan finally gets major shipping and gets supply and units to Tobruk and Benghazi. He uses Rommel and some other stacks to mop up my units west of Tobruk. Initially he trades losses (which I think is in my favor) before clobbering a couple of them. At the end of the turn he loses 3 steps for not being able to supply Rommels stack. At the end of the turn he's got all the Tobruk hexes occupied, but not as heavily as i would think.

Allied 10. For the 4th time in 7 turns, I lose units on the Reinforcment DR---4 units this time (at least the last time for that)---out of the 19 units in my dead pool, 12 have come from the Reinforcement DR. And what really hurts is I barely have any armor left. At least OConnor is still hanging around. I start by OVRing a Pz unit in 36.23---to get my foot in the door and to prevent the other units around Tobruk from being able to use the fortification bonus. I move massive troups up to surround 36.22 and get 36:5 in the attack and 6 right shifts (netted 4 shifts, still only get 3 and maxed out on the 9:1 column). The D4r4 results allows me to advance units to the hexes I'd like them in. In exploitation the best i can do against Tobruk is a 1:1, but I do have 3 right shifts for a 4:1. I roll well being able to take out 4 steps, but Dan has 5 in Tobruk so I miss taking it by one pip again. I worry that my guys will have trouble holding up against the German attacks in the next turn, but I am still winning the war of attritition and seem to be dictating the battle so far (IOW, I'm trying to take Tobruk and Dan has mainly been on the defensive). I get substantial reinforcements next turn and hope my Reinforcement DR situation turns around, but unfortunately he'll be able reinforce Tobruk again

Turns 11 & 12 --These two turns pretty much blurr together as the "Rumble around Tobruk". Dan's Axis boys are doing their best to push me out of the Tobruk box, but both turns I kept a toe-hold in 36.22. I've kept a few units back on the roads to keep the Germans from having a clear shot to Mersa (or even Alexandria if they are bold). And with the undependabe ports of Mersa and Bardia, I can't count on being able to push supply far enough forward---right now it takes 5 of my 6 trucks to just get the 2SPs I need from Alexandria to the Tobruk area. We're like two heavy-weight fighters right now trading body blows trying to wear each other down, and I hope I have the edge there---I seem to have more units on board and less in the dead box. My strategy of picking on units on the fringe to wear down appears to be paying off. I gain a few units back on the reinforcement DRs, but then so does Dan. In Allied Turn 12, O'Connor decides to take a sick day/month, but at least we're using the fair play optional rule so I'll get him back in turn 13. Without O'Connor, I am greatly limited on OVRs since we're in such close quarters, so I setup for one big attack on Rommels stack in the box. He doesn't get double defensive value because I have one unit in the box. With 3 stacks attacking in Combat, I manage 7 right shifts (3xarty, 3xCA, D) with a net of 4 (only get to use 3) AND also manage to roll high and get an D3r3. With no where to retreat, the stack takes the 6 step losses and has 2 steps remaining. I also manage to get a (hopefully) significant number of units west of Tobruk to interdict the arrival of reinforcements and supply. If Dan's shipping is minimal next turn, he'll have to ship in supply and not units. The LRDG dies yet again as they try to block the road to Benghazi this time---worked to a degree, but those exploitable Germans usually have no trouble OVRing that meager force. Right now I like my chances in the game as I'm still taking the battle to him in Tobruk and should gain some strength on him in the 2nd half of the game. Also haven't seen any deep penetrations by the Germans and supply would be a major issue for them right now.

Turn 13: The struggle for Tobruk continues. I don't think Dan has the units to mount any kind of major counter-offensive and I need to take Tobruk to meet my VCs, so it will probably continue for a bit. Dan tries to get "off the ropes", gets some decent dice (including a boxcars) and pushes me out of the Tobruk box with little or no loss of his own. He's got formidable stacks in all but the NW corner, so of course that is where I need to attack. OConnor comes back from sick leave and a horde of US units is finally released from the box. OConnor OVRs the NW corner of Tobruk getting my foot back in the door and taking away the fort bonus for Rommels hex. I setup a major attack for Combat phase managing to end up on the 6:1 column, and manage to roll a 10 myself. Rommel takes 3 losses plus some more by routing through EZOCs (entire stack would have died if it stayed). In advance after combat I move in my best units to setup for Exploitation. In Exploitation I try to OVR Tobruk itself, but roll a 4---think it was still an A1D1, but can't quite crack that port. I'm hoping that I'll be able to take it next turn as the US units will be reaching the front . . .

Turn 14: Feeling hemmed in, Rommel tries to grab some breathing room by busting some holes in the Allied line around Tobruk. Initially succeeds and then starts trading units which they can ill afford to do. Had to use shipping to bring some new blood into Tobruk so supply had to be all by truck. At the end of the turn the Axis has my CW guys surrounded albeit with light guard. It's enough to cause me trouble moving and trucking supply though.

Allied Turn 14: So far all of my attacks on Tobruk have come up short, and while I plan on attacking again this turn, I also feel I've got enough advantage in units that I can take a gamble on a long-range attack of Benghazi. There is a single 3-step unit there, but even if I fail, I'll hinder Dan's ability to move units/supply from there. The US forces keep making thier way forward--they won't get into action this turn, but can start replacing my rear guards and let them get into the action. I bust a hole in the Axis line with OConnor and plan on taking out more with combat. But also send 3 units west to be able to OVR Benghazi in exploitation. I have enough supply stocked forward that I don't have to ship it from Alexandria (which by the way is becoming quite the depot with more than 10 SP sitting there--can't ship enough out!!). In combat I clean up some small units, but on my big attack on Rommel in Tobruk, I roll snake eyes for an A2D1 result---I fail to take the port for at least the 4th time. In exploitation the dice make it up to me---I have 7 attacking 14 in Benghazi. I get 3 right shifts for CA and 2 air points, and then roll BOXCARs for a D3r4. So I now have Benghazi---it's not totally safe but Dan will have to use anything on the west side of the board to attack there rather than reinforce and supply Tobruk (although he might be able to slip some supply in through the desert roads). If I hold Benghazi, I don't have any reinforcements coming this turn, but could ship some of the US infantry guarding Bardia that way. Looks like Turn 15 will be do or die for the Axis.

Axis 15: Rommel gets his final blows in as Dan uses all he's got to push me out of the Tobruk box. I lose quite a few steps and am forced to retreat but he also loses a couple of steps in the process and I've still got him outnumbered significantly. And Benghazi has held so will have more resources in my turn.

Allied 15: I begin by picking apart single units with OConnor during movement. I try to maximize his effect by splitting off units for OVRs before storching him to another stack. I win a head-to-head meeting with Rommel in Combat. During exploitation, I clear out the last defender in the Tobruk area and send Rommel packing. Benghazi gets two armoured car units to bolster their situation and I am also able to build a box. The Axis has only a couple of units on the board in the SW corner of the map.