Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1942

About this board game

Tobruk: Tank Battles in North Africa 1942 is a two-player tank combat simulation set in North Africa during May and June 1942, with games lasting about 90 minutes.

Re-create the furious armored battles of the Western Desert and the decisive Gazala battle, including actions involving the Afrika Korps, Desert Rats, and forces from Britain, Australia, South Africa, and Free France. The game presents combat at the level of individual weapons and squads.

Nineteen different game situations cover a wide range of battlefield actions. Scenarios include The Group Cruwell Feint, Action at Point 171, The Destruction of the 150th Brigade, Bir Hacheim: The Fall of Point 186, Convoy Raid, Night Assault, and Battery Overrun.

• Armor penetration and tank-to-tank combat
• Morale, overrun, close assaults, and grenades
• Smoke, artillery, forward observers, and Stuka aircraft
• Programmed Instruction modules for learning the game progressively

The Programmed Instruction system allows newcomers to begin with the first short rules module, then add more realistic rules as their skills develop. This modular approach lets players enter the action quickly while gradually expanding the simulation.

The game includes 504 counters, including six blanks, three 8-by-22-inch mapboards, charts, and a 36-page rulebook. Released in 1975, Tobruk has an Avalon Hill Complexity Rating of 7 for its detailed treatment of desert warfare.