A guide to logistics; or, how do you play this thing, anyway?

Campaign for North Africa is the most complex board game ever produced, at least as far as logistics (supplies) is concerned. This is going to be a guide on how to work out how to run a supply net for a single unit. Situation: Its early in the campaign (Sept 1940), and we are going to move a single Commonwealth reconnaissance unit from central Cairo to Tobruk. For the purposes of this guide, we will ignore coastal shipping and railways. We are going to drive across country (by road, we arent stupid) and set up our supply line as we go. The map is totally empty of all units (enemy and friendly) except for our recce unit in Central Cairo (E1830). We have unlimited supplies in Cairo, and an unlimited number of light trucks. Our objective is to drive all the way to Tobruk, and keep the unit supplied once there. The road distance is about 119 hexes, so we will need to spend several turns to get there. We will need to set up supply dumps on the way, so that we can keep up a continuous supply train. Light trucks have a CPA (move allowance) of 40, but it costs 2 CP to load or unload, so we should set up our dumps no more than 36 hexes apart. We will place one in Burg el Arab (33 hexes from Cairo), one in M ersa M atruh (33 hexes) and one in Bardia (36 hexes). Bardia is 17 hexes from Tobruk. Our combat unit is of type hh, which has a CPA of 45, a maximum strength of 8 steps (TO/E) and a fuel rate of 1. This means the unit has a fuel tank of 45/5*8*1 =72 fuel points. We will keep it fully fuelled, so we need at least 72 points of fuel to be carried by attached (1st line) trucks. Every 5 hexes or part thereof costs 1 fuel point per TO/E step. Light Trucks have a CPA of 40, fuel rate of 1 and can carry 50 fuel points each. The trucks themselves have a fuel capacity of 40/5 *1= 8 fuel points. If we attach 2 light trucks, we will have 100 points of fuel in the back of the trucks, plus 72 in the recce unit and 16 in the trucks tanks. If this group moves 33 hexes (such as el Arab to M ersa) will cost us 33/5 rounded up =7 fuel per step (10 steps= 8 recce plus 2 trucks) or a total of 70 fuel. A move of 36 hexes would cost 80. Note that if the recce unit moved its full 45 CPA, it would have to leave its trucks behind, as they could only move 40. Evaporation: each turn, we are going to lose fuel to evaporation. We will assume normal weather for the whole scenario, given the date that means we will have the rubbish early war fuel cans, giving a 9% loss of all fuel (wherever it is). For our combat group, that makes 9% of whatever is left after moving. If we dont move we will lose 16.9, rounded down to 16 points every turn from the 188 points available, so we might as well burn some off by moving.

Game turn 1: Move phase: The combat group moves to Burg el Arab for 70 fuel, -10 evaporation. Convoy phase: 14 trucks move 742 fuel to el Arab, leaving 2 more trucks in Cairo. After refuelling the combat group and the trucks, and after evaporation, 577 fuel remains. Game turn 2: Move phase: The combat group moves to M ersa M atruh at a cost of 70 fuel, -10 evaporation. Convoy phase: 10 trucks carry 510 fuel to M ersa. 2 trucks carry 102 spare fuel to el Arab 2 trucks return to Cairo from el Arab, empty. El Arab now holds 141 fuel, M ersa now holds 391. Game turn 3: Move phase: The combat group moves to Bardia at a cost of 80 fuel, -10 evaporation. Convoy phase: 6 trucks carry 300 fuel to Bardia. 2 trucks move empty from M ersa to el Arab, and the Cairo- el Arab convoys are repeated. El Arab now holds 128 M ersa now holds 163 Bardia now holds 191 (after all refuelling and evaporation). Game turn 4: Move phase: The combat group arrives in Tobruk, at a cost of 40 fuel. Convoy phase: 4 trucks Arrive in Tobruk with 216 fuel. El Arab has shrunk to 116 fuel. M ersa has shrunk to 152. Bardia now holds 54. The total present in Tobruk is 151, after refuelling and evaporation. Thereafter, the intermediate dumps will continue to shrink unless additional trucks are allocated. Tobruk will continue to expand (214 fuel next turn, 271 the next) while the combat unit remains in Tobruk. The best way is to make sure you are putting more into each dump than you are taking out. For example, have 4 trucks in each direction from Cairo to Burg el Arab, 3 from el Arab to M ersa, two from M ersa to Bardia and just 1 from Bardia to Tobruk.

Ammunition: The combat unit needs 3 ammo points per TO/E point, for a total of 24 points for the recce unit. That requires a further 12 light truck units to carry (in addition to the recce units internal supplies). As you can see, the fuel requirement just went up by more than double (10 +12). Water: While in Cairo, Tobruk or Bardia, the units have unlimited water supplies. The units starting in el Arab or M ersa must roll for water availability. Fortunately, the minimum amount is 100 points of water at these locations (up to a maximum of 500) and villages can store up to 1000 points. A high roll has a 1 in 6 chance of depleting that village until the next rains, however. Each truck and mechanised TO/E uses 1 water per turn, infantry 1 water per unit (any size). One truck can carry 40 water points, so the extra requirements are minimal, even when away from cities. In reality, the Commonwealth may use any rail hex connected to a friendly city as an unlimited water source, unless the pipeline running through that hex is destroyed. This is of course where the famous pasta rule comes in, with Italian infantry having to spend 1 extra water per battalion. Good job theres no tea rule S tores: Once every 3 turns (one game turn), every TO/E point needs 4 stores points. These dont need to be carried around once delivered, but our example unit will need 8*4=32 points every 4 turns. A light truck can carry 6 points. You would therefore need to get 6 truck loads to the frontline every 3 turns, otherwise they start to suffer attrition (2% loss every 2 turns). Units can go on half rations, but only if there are no stores present. Thats a quick look at how to supply a single combat unit. M ultiplying up by the size of all three armies will give you an idea of just how scary (or boring, depending on your point of view) this game is.