WW1 Palestine Campaign Turn 3 Game 3 setup

I am setting up is the third game of the WW1 Palestine campaign turn 3 for this weekend. It follows on from the Egyptian Expeditionary Force's (EEF) failure to break the Gaza defensive line on two previous attempts. This game uses One-Hour Wargames scenario #14 Static Defence, it being the final remaining choice for this stage of the campaign (rules here) the other two options having already been fought.

Campaign map and timeline

The Turks are defending both the town and hilltop with the following forces:

• 4 infantry units
• 1 infantry unit with supporting machine gun
• 1 cavalry unit
• 1 mountain artillery unit

They also benefit from some trenches for this campaign stage and the mountain gun was their event chance.

The EEF will have to capture both the hill and town to be successful. Their attacking force:

• 3 infantry units
• 2 infantry units with supporting machine guns
• 1 artillery unit
• 1 mountain artillery unit

They have opted to use two months of their campaign timeline, rather than 1, to get two campaign events. One event was the mountain artillery and the other was air support.

Tabletop set up for scenario 14 - static defence. The objectives are the hill in the foreground and town.

The EEF plan is to take the centre rough ground of rocks and cactus while bombarding the town in phase 1. Then in phase 2 assault the town and hill from the rough ground.

EEF plan of attack

Next up the battle report...