Greg Smith (left) maneuvers his Allied troops against the Afrika Korps of Mark Gutfreund during the Pre-Con.	Over 40 years after its release, there are still a row of Afrika Korps games being played ... only at WBC.

Although attendance did not approach last year's record level for this most enduring of the Grognard classics, Afrika Korps still maintains its reputation as "the unforgiving game", in which a single mistake can end the game for either side if properly exploited. One such match during the early Swiss rounds occurred between 2002 champion Jonathan Lockwood as the Germans and two-time champion Bruno Sinagaglio as the British. Lockwood, employing the same opening that Bert Schoose had successfully employed against him and defending two-time 2006 WBC champion Vince Meconi two years earlier, exploited a weak point in Bruno's lines near Tobruch with an automatic victory using 21/5 Panzer (boosted by Rommel bonus), then exploiting the gap with Rommel and 21/3 Recce to take Tobruch on the May I 1941 turn! A stunned Bruno, exclaiming that this was the first time in the 42 years he had been playing the game that ANYONE had done that to him so early in the game, then bought drinks for all of the Grognards assembled in the room (nonalcoholic, of course). Sufficiently distracted, he then promptly returned the favor to Lockwood by retaking Tobruch on the British turn with a 1-1 surrounded counterattack. Lockwood countered by sealing off Tobruch and driving east against a weakened British force, eventually taking Alexandria in early October and staving off an attempted British breakout from Tobruch during the next two turns to seal the victory and earn another trip to the semi-finals. Joining Lockwood there would be last year's runner-up John Popiden and 4th place laurelist Bert Schoose. Making his first appearance at the WBC aemis would be Bill Morse.

The semifinal match between Popiden and Lockwood was in fact a rematch of their initial meeting earlier in the Swiss rounds, where Popiden's Germans had beaten Lockwood's British by successful use of a 1-2, 3-1 combination attack against Tobruch, then remorselessly grinding down Lockwood's forces to take Alexandria, despite abysmal supply luck. The semi-final match between the two followed the same pattern early on, with Popiden again sending 21/3 Recce down the coast road in Cyrenaica to prevent Lockwood from using his favored Paleveda Gambit defense, which sends a supplied blocking force of two 2-2-6s into Cyrenaica to hamper German movement. Lockwood shifted into a modified Standard defense, then began a successful delaying campaign to take full advantage of Popiden's once again horrendous supply rolls (he would lose nine supplies before the match was over). The game ended in November II 1941, but this time with a British victory, as Popiden's forces were unsuccessful in their last ditch assault against Tobruch on October II 1941 with an unorthodox 1-2, 5-1 combination using a 7-7-10 and an Italian 2-3-4 on the 1-2! Unfortunately the combination used the last remaining German supply on board, and Popiden was forced to surrender following sunk supplies during the next two turns, sending GM Lockwood to his third Final.

The other semi-final between Morse and Schoose was likewise a rematch of their earlier encounter during the Swiss rounds, as Schoose's Germans had easily handled Morse's British in that contest. Not wishing to repeat that experience, Morse opted for the Germans this time, and would be rewarded with above average supply luck during the match, losing only four supplies to the British navy. Unfortunately for Morse, Schoose's British forces were up to the challenge of harassing the Afrika Korps, starting with a successful 1-1 on May I 1941 that eliminated 21/2 Recce. Schoose then successfully delayed towards Alexandria, encouraging Morse to expend his supplies. Morse expended supplies heavily in his efforts to wear down the British, at one point expending two supplies on the Jun I 1941 turn to drive the British into Tobruch and force a British retreat towards Alexandria. Morse would pay for his heavy supply use when his Alexandria drive stalled, forcing him to chance a 1-1, 2-1 combination attack on Tobruch on the Nov I 1941 turn. Afrika Korps then demonstrated again why it is "the unforgiving game" when Morse executed his 2-1 attack first, rather than the 1-1. Morse got an A back 2 on the 2-1 attack, which would open up an escape corridor for British forces from Tobruch with their Nov I 1941 reinforcements. This made Morse's subsequent D Elim with the 1-1 of no consequence, since British forces came out and surrounded the Afrika Korps, compelling Morse's surrender and sending Schoose into the Finals against Lockwood. Executing the 1-1 first would have kept Morse in the game.

The Final was a fast moving affair, with Lockwood taking full advantage of perfect early supplies to drive the British into Tobruch with no casualties and begin a swift drive towards Alexandria. Opting to eliminate the delaying units opposing him, Lockwood's Germans had stormed up to the El Alamein line by June II 1941, where he established a 3-1 proof defensive line with the Afrika Korps facing a smaller British force and awaited the supplies to catch up before beginning the final push into Alexandria. Unfortunately, those supplies would not arrive for another six turns, as the British navy successfully hamstrung Lockwood's forces and left him open to low odds counterattack. Realizing that his only chance at this point was to kneecap the Afrika Korps by eliminating the 7-7-10 Panzer regiments, Schoose unleashed a series of 1-1 counterattacks to drive back the Germans. The first 1-1 counterattack was a D Back 2 on 21/5 Panzer. Lockwood fell back and reestablished the 3-1 proof line. Schoose was rewarded on the next 1-1 counterattack with an exchange on the 7-7-10. Trying to regain the initiative, Lockwood counterattacked with his last supply at 4-1 to eliminate several 1-1-6s, but this left Lockwood's Germans without supply and still vulnerable to counterattack. Schoose followed up on the August I 1941 turn with a 4-1, 1-2 combination attack which eliminated 21/3 Recce and compelled Lockwood to retreat to Tobruch. After receiving supplies in early September, Lockwood would later hurl the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch (1-1 assault on Tobruch) in a desperate attempt to regain the initiative. This attack failed, and Schoose denied Lockwood's bid to become the fourth two-time Afrika Korps champion, while taking his own first crown. He so enjoyed the experience, he added two more championship plaques before the week was over

2003 PBeM Tournament

The First Afrika Korps BPA Play by email Tournament has ended. Veteran wargamer, Ed Menzel, defeated a very tough opponent, Doug Burke, for the championship. The Single Elimination Tournament started with 26 entrants and lasted 20 months. Ed finished 5-0, while Doug went 4-1. There were no easy games for either of these gentlemen. Ed defeated Richard Van Vugt, Dan Tierney, Greg Smith, Jonathan Lockwood and finally, Doug. Smith and Lockwood have a total of three WBC Afrika Korps plaques. Doug defeated Bruno Sinigaglio, Mark Gutfreund, Vince Meconi and Randy Heller - dudes who collectively own four WBC Afrika Korps plaques.

The Championship - Ed Menzel (Axis) versus Doug Burke (Allies)

The Axis made the standard opening drive toward Tobruch. The arrival of the 15th Panzer Division forced the Allies off the escarpment blocking access to the Tobruch heights. On II May 41 the Axis attacked the Tobruch perimeter driving the Allies back. The two recce units were diverted to the south to block two Allied brigades attempting to reach the Axis rear supply lines. On I June, the Axis AV'ed the brigade occupying the last hex outside Tobruch plus another blocking brigade in the pass east of Salum.

The Axis drove toward Alexandria leaving Italians to guard the Tobruch garrison. Over the next two months, several Allied brigades that were harassing the German rear areas and blocking the coast road were eliminated through isolation. A 1-1-6 astride the coast road was isolated rather than attacked, because the Axis did not want to use a Supply unit to eliminate one factor. On the other hand, the Allies didn't want the Axis nailing two units with one supply. The 1-1-6 was positioned so that, while it blocked the road, it didn't prevent units from going around it.

While the Axis were busy isolating this unit, the Allies decided to get in a first strike before the Axis could hit their main line. Thus an Axis 3-3-10 was attacked at 3-1. The result of the attack was a DB2. Though at the time, it didn't appear to be that critical, in hindsight this attack pretty much dictated the crucial events of the next couple of turns. It turned out that it was essential for the Allies that the 3-3-10 be eliminated. Had it died in the attack, even via an exchange, subsequent moves would have been altered quite a bit. Four 1-1-6's that were eliminated on the next turn, might not have been attacked and coupled with the exchange of Ariete, it would have been impossible for the Axis to get a 3-1 versus Tobruch.

On I Aug, the Axis attacked the Allied defense line around Fuka. The Allies were aggressive and counterattacked Ariete getting an exchange. But in doing so, they weakened the Tobruch garrison so that the Axis could scoot west and get a 3-1 on the fortress.

The Axis had a choice of continuing the assault toward Alexandria or taking Tobruch. It is a difficult choice, as the Allies are weak enough that there were good prospects of taking Alexandria before the horde of Nov reinforcements arrived.

Rommel finally decides to go for Tobruch. But the Allies fight hard taking out 10 Axis factors in exchange before Tobruch falls. In addition, the Allies exchange out an Italian blocking the coast road. The Axis is now down to six units. They are able to muster one more attack on II Oct and then fall back to a north-south defensive line around Matruh to await their own November reinforcements.

On I Dec, the Axis again attack the Allied defensive position around El Alamein eliminating four brigades with AVs. Because the Axis can concentrate their forces better, they have excellent prospects of being able to grind down the Allies in a war of attrition even though the two armies are essentially even in strength. Realizing this, the Allies launch a desperate counter-attack including two 1-1s on the 7-7-10s. Both result in AE, and the Allies graciously surrender their now hopeless position.

It was a tough exciting game, well played by both sides. Lady luck was fairly even-handed. Supplies were not a problem for the Axis, although they attacked sparingly and used isolation to starve out a number of Allied units. The Allies had some poor luck, as they could not get any DEs with their attacks on Ariete and a couple other units. But the Axis got hurt rolling two exchanges on two 3-1 attacks on Tobruch. All in all, an exciting game befitting the end of an enjoyable tournament.