No Question of Surrender: The Battle for Bir Hacheim

About this board game

No Question of Surrender: The Battle for Bir Hacheim is a two-player company-level wargame with an approximately 720-minute playing time, covering the Free French defense of Bir Hacheim during the North African campaign.

Using the acclaimed Grand Tactical Series system from The Devil’s Cauldron, the game places players in the struggle between the Free French forces and Rommel’s Panzerarmee Afrika. Two Foreign Legion battalions form part of the defenders holding an abandoned Turkish fort at the southern tip of the Gazala line.

The Free French were asked to surrender three times and refused each time. General Koenig’s answer—“no question of surrender”—defines the central challenge as German and Italian forces build their strength in an attempt to break the major strong point.

Four scenarios explore different phases and possibilities of the battle:

• The historical attack by the Italian Ariete Division on the morning of May 27, 1942.
• An attack by the full Ariete Division, allowing players to explore whether the Italians could have captured Bir Hacheim.
• The struggle for Point 186, a pivotal observation point briefly captured by German forces before being retaken by the Free French.
• The full siege beginning on June 2, as increasingly powerful Italian and German forces press the defense.

The game introduces new terrain types and special rules for events from the battle while retaining the detailed approach of the Grand Tactical Series. Turns represent two hours, hexes cover 364 yards or 333 meters, and units represent companies.

No Question of Surrender includes a 22-by-34-inch map, 528 dual-sided counters, series and game rulebooks, player aids, division tracking cards, and four ten-sided dice. It was designed by Nick Richardson, developed by Adam Starkweather, and features graphics by Niko Eskubi.