Warfare in the Sinai Desert with MSH

Warfare in the Sinai Desert with Modern Spearhead

The following are a number of minor amendments for MSH games set in the Sinai Desert. Not all of them are my own ideas, far from it in fact. Some has been borrowed from postings from John Moher (MSH specific thoughts) and Alex Marcis via his Spearhead scenario book "Blaze Across the Sands". However, I trust my additions and alterations will be of value to some of you at least.

Casualty Rates & Tactical Factors

Our first games used the normal ground scale on tables measuring 1.8m by 1.2m and occasionally 2.4m by 1.8m. A common theme was Egyptian tanks being engaged at 21" from Israeli tanks hull down on higher ground.

There seemed liitle room for manouvre and advancing battalions of Egyptians were quickly destroyed. This was particularly noticeable because in our games the Israeli armoured units were equipped with 105mm guns and were firing at T-54/55 tanks. With a base factor of +2 and a D6 the result was Egyptian battalions being destroyed in a single turn and at long range in what was effectively frontal attacks.

The casualties of armoured warfare in the Sinai. Israeli and Egyptian during fighting in 1973

Initially I tried to address this by using a D10. However, the D10 either increased infantry casualties (when 9-10 resulted in a kill), or prolonged the game to long (10 = kill). With a D6 base factor casualties occur on a 1 in 6 chance. With a D10 base casualties occur either as 1 in 5 or 1 in 10, a considerable shift either way. I decided to stay with a D6.

My next thought was to borrrow the mechanics from World War II Spearhead. Specifically what I wanted to do was reduce the number of long range kills, something that was happening especially when Israeli tanks were engaged in fire attacks from high ground. This would, I hope, prevent entire battalions becoming first shot casualties and force both armies to close the range, to those that historically occurred. To represent the folds in the desert and the confusion of smoke and dust, without the complication of dust rules, I introduced an additional factor, that is:

All direct fire at ranges greater than 12" result in an additional -1.

This worked reasonably well, but with larger games I found it was tending to add a considerable level of complication and often was forgotten. I have now stopped using this modification.

After further reading and thought I realsied my issue was basically that of time. I therefore now consider each game turn represents a time period closer to 30 minutes rather than 15 minutes. This simple change in thinking has resolved my concerns relating to casualty rates without any modification of the base rules.

Table Size & Ground Scale

In many ways desert warfare is one of manouvre. Modern weapon systems however impact somewhat on the modelling of this manouvre on the normal wargames table most wargamers have access to.

After some experimentation I have found that using the alternate ground scale mentioned in the MSH my games have taken on more of a feel for combat in the Sinai. Reserves can be held back, positions can be outflanked, and time and distance becomes important. This alternate ground scale uses 1" = 125 metres rather than the more traditional 1" = 100metres.

I now exclusively use the alternate ground scale for games set in the Sinai. For large games I combine a large table and the alternate ground scale. An example of such a game is the fictional battle of Havraga and Zrakor which was played on a table measuring 2.4m by 1.8m table.

To this end the data cards and quick reference sheet available for download form this site are supplied in this format. MSH stand bases sizes, town sectors, smoke, artillery pre-programmed burst zones and MRL system burst zones remain unchanged. These have been defined more clearly in the official clarfications file which can be downloaded from the Modern Spearhead website.

Equipment

Infrared Equipment: No armoured vehicles had, or in the case of the Arab armies used, Infrared Night Fighting equipment during the 1967 War. By the 1973 Yom Kippur War however, Egyptian and Syrian armies were using this equipment operationally. Israeli vehicles did not however add IR equipment to their tanks until after the 1973 War.

Visibility & Movement

The following rules are based on the alternate ground scale.

Mirages: When Mirages occur needs to be set by the scenario designer. As a general rule its about 4 hours in the middle of the day depending on the time of year. Mirages reduce all spotting distances by half or to 4" which ever is the greater. The exception to this is infantry in cover who stay at 2". In MSH, due to the heat mirages will render IR equipment virtually useless so they suffer the same spotting range reductions.

Dazzle: If you are facing into the sun at sunrise/sunset for that hour you are dazzled. This means spotting and combat ability is impaired by the sunrise/sunset - when facing east or west, as appropriate. Apply a -1 on indirect fire requests (harder for spotter to see target) and direct fire resolution (harder to clearly identify targets).

Trails: Only add 2" to tracked vehicles - wheeled vehicles gain nothing. Genuine roads still exist and these are asphalt or the road/track that is well metalled or hardened. In many cases trails will not avoid the effect of surrounding terrain, such as soft sand, when passing through these areas. So vehicles on trails may still risk bogging/damage.

Terrain

The desert is not all like the Sahara, much of it is uneven rocky/rough ground often covered with parches of scrub and gently undulating. Therefore, areas of desert can be broken up into the following stylised terrain.

Stony/ Rocky/Scrubby Ground: Counts as Rough Ground for movement purposes. Stationary dismounted Infantry count as in cover for spotting purposes. Scenario designers should classify as light or heavy and consider "breakdown/bogging" type house rules for the latter for wheeled vehicles that move in this terrain (e.g. if you move greater than combat speed throw 3+ to avoid breaking axles, getting punctures, etc). Re roll each turn to determine recovery or further delay.

Egyptian T-55's advance through the Sinai Desert during a 1973 game - models by Navwar

Soft Sand: As Soft Ground but tracked vehicles risk bogging. Roll a D6 each turn and the vehicle is stuck on a 1 or 2. Re roll each turn.

Depressions: There are a number of these in the desert of varying sizes and depths. Some might use house rules to provide spotting cover for stationary infantry and Hull Down for AFVs at the edge looking out but no other effect (i.e. no restriction on seeing in, etc), while others might be larger and as detailed in the rules. Depressions are often in stony areas.

Hills/Ridges: Have lots of small one contour hills scattered around. Use hills just big enough for one or two stands to break up the good going, provide small vantage points for spotting and so on. They in addition provide hull down positions as normal.

Escarpments & Wadis: These are the real hallmarks of the desert. Escarpments in areas that were sea millennia ago, providing impassable cliff faces, positions to dominate lower ground, and tank runs where the terrain slopes down from one escarpment to another. The top levels of escarpments are generally pretty featureless, baring the odd very low hill (spot height). But everywhere they have wadi's running down from their top surface into the cliff face and providing routes for foot troops, and sometimes vehicles, to ascend and descend. Occasionally Wadi's can run across fairly open ground, impeding movement, but providing cover if you can get into them. Wadi's traditionally are easy to enter at the ends, but rarely have easy access along there sides, except where other smaller wadis may join them. Vehicles can't normally go hull down in a wadi, only turret down, except in special areas like the start where they are shallow and the sides aren't so deep.

[Return to the Modern Spearhead Page] This article is compiled by Keith McNelly.