Western Desert

The campaign in Egypt and Libya 1940-43

In September 1940, Marshal Graziani's Italian 10th Army crossed the frontier from Libya into Egypt with the strategic Nile Delta and the Suez Canal as its objective. The offensive soon faltered. In December, General O'Connor led the outnumbered Allies in a counter-attack that crushed the 10th Army and threw the remnants out of Cyrenaica. So began two years of fluid, seesaw operations waged by Axis and Allies at the edge of the desert on the rim of Africa.

Western Desert, Europa VI, simulates the campaigns in Egypt and Libya from December 1940 until January 1943, as well as the peripheral operations on Malta and Cyprus, and in Syria and Lebanon. Two 21" x 27" maps display the battlegrounds from Tripoli to the Levant, along with Cyprus, Crete, Malta, and part of Sicily. Over a dozen types of terrain are charted. More than 400 die cut cardboard counters represent the military units that took part in the campaign. The Italian 10th Army and 5th Army, Rommel's Afrika Korps, and the British 9th Army and 8th Army (containing troops of many na-tionalities) are deployed as individual battalions, regiments, brigades, and divisions — each with its historical strengths and capabilities. Aircraft units are groups of approximately 40-50 planes organized by type (such as fighter or dive-bomber) and model (from obsolete CR.42 biplanes to Me109's and Spitfires). The rules utilize basic Europa game mechanics as a framework, with specialized rules covering the historical situation in more detail.

Western Desert is designed to be played by itself as a separate game and also to mate readily with The Europa Series games.

Game Components:

two 21" x 27" maps
480 die cut counters
complete set of rules
chart set
two dices

Playing Time: 6+ hours Number of Players: 2 players Complexity: Master

Design: John M. Astell and Frank A. Chadwick Art Director: Paul R. Banner

(from the back of the box and user's description)