The Dieppe Disaster
The aim of Operation Jubilee was to prove that the Allies were capable of capturing and holding a deep-water port. The Allied troops, mainly Canadian, did not expect the operation to fail in just a few hours... A dense network of barbed wire barred the landing beach, framed by high cliffs. Despite this, the first barges landed with few casualties: the Essex Scottish Regiment landed on Red Beach, while the Hamilton Light Infantry Regiment found refuge behind a dyke on White Beach. Unfortunately, the tanks of the 14th Canadian Tank Battalion arrived late and, once ashore, struggled to move as their tracks slipped on the pebbles of the beach. The Royal Canadian Regiment, due to land on Blue Beach, was also delayed: pinned down by heavy fire, they were unable to seize the cliffs overlooking the beaches. German forces swept the beach with fire, inflicting heavy losses on the Canadians. The casino and surrounding fortified shelters changed hands several times, but to no avail. When the order to retreat was given, 60% of the men who had landed had been killed, wounded or captured by the enemy.
The capture of Tobruk
After crushing the British defences at Gazala, Rommel and his Afrika Korps advanced towards Tobruk. The town had withstood a nine-month siege the previous year and was now defended by the 2nd South African Division under General Klopper. The defensive perimeter consisted of barbed wire, minefields and reinforced infantry positions, supported by a few tanks and artillery.
On 20 June, under the cover of the morning mist, the German engineers opened up the defences. When the mist cleared, the British were caught under an intense artillery barrage followed by an aerial bombardment, and then German tanks and infantrymen rushed forward. However, their advance was halted by a courageous counter-attack by armoured vehicles supported by artillery. By midday, the Germans had reorganised and resumed their advance. Kings Cross finally fell, opening the way to Tobruk. Klopper, stunned, had no choice but to raise the white flag to signal the surrender of his troops.
Standard scenarios
In addition to these two Overlord scenarios, four standard scenarios are included: in **Rommel's Hook** and **Raid on Barqa**, off-road vehicles will be essential to victory, while in **The Panzers of the Atlas** and **The Mesnil-Adelée**, it will be crucial to use your half-tracks wisely. Detailed rules for these two new units are also provided in this expansion.
This product is an expansion for the Memoir ‘44 game and requires one copy of the game and the Operation Overlord expansion, or two copies of Memoir ’44. The four standard scenarios require the Terrain Pack and/or Mediterranean Theatre expansions. Purists wishing to use British miniatures for the Overlord scenarios will need two Mediterranean Theatre expansions.
