Ram vs. Stag - The First Battle of Bir el Gubi November 19, 1941

Ram vs. Stag is a low complexity war game simulation of the first battle fought near the village and oasis at Bir el Gubi in Libya. In response to General Erwin Rommel’s bold offensive the British-led Allied forces launched a counter offensive to defeat the Axis forces that were besieging Tobruk. Dubbed Operation Crusader, the Allied attack was launched on November 18th and caught by the Axis by surprise. However, Rommel reacted quickly by withdrawing his armored forces into an arc that stretched south and west of the crucial port. The British armored units groped their way forward attempting to identify and fix their enemy’s positions. Late on November 18th units of the Italian Ariete (Ram) Division were discovered near the village of Bir El Gubi. The 22nd armored Brigade (Stags), a recently deployed unit to the North Aftrica, was ordered to attack. In the past, British tanks had sent the Italians into head-long flight and repeat was expected. Instead the Italians had dug in a were prepared to fight.