INTRODUCTION Copyright 1975, Conflict Game Company

Tobruk is a recreation of General Rommel’s attack on the heavily fortified Gazala-Bir Hachiem line in
May and June of 1942. Many of the rules will seem familiar to the veteran player, but attention should
be given to the Anti-tank Fire and the Sequence of Movement rules, as these were written to capture
the feel of the fluid warfare in the Lybian desert.

PLAYING PIECES
The playing pieces represent the actual units that took part in the battle.
Most of the pieces in the game represent battalion sized units as shown ...
Some units do not have a standard unit type
symbol, but rather show a silhouette of a tank or
gun. These counters represent companies rather
than battalions. All other information shown is the
same...
British/Free French units are Khaki, Commonwealth are lighter.
German are grey-green. Italian are lighter.

These game
markers are
also provided....

VICTORY CONDITIONS
Tobruk was the key to the defence of Egypt. The Germans were trying to sieze it as a jumping off
point to another offensive. The British were trying to hold it. Consequently, whoever holds Tobruk
at the end of the game wins. However, the ultimate goal of both combatants was the possession of
Egypt, so neither side can afford to throw away his entire army at Tobruk. If the Germans hold Tobruk
at the end of the game, but the British have exited at least 18 companies of tanks*, 9 battalions of
infantry, and 5 battalions of artillery off of the east edge of the board, the Germans receive only a
marginal, rather than a total victory.
*Allied Uncommitted Reserve Tanks count toward the required number of 18 Tank Companies.

SETTING UP THE GAME

Arrange the units in their correct boxes on the Axis or Allied Initial Order of Battle charts. Some Axis
units are battalion breakdowns for specific German or Italian units. Either they or the full strength
regiment counter will be on the board at any one time, never both.
Both sides place their units with specified locations on the board according to the initial positions shown
on the Order of Battle chart. The Allied player now places his “Anywhere” units followed by the place-
ment of the Axis “Anywhere” units. “Anywhere” units:
1. May not be placed in violation of the stacking rules.
2. May not be placed adjacent to an enemy unit.
3. Allied units may not be placed west of the western most minefield or the row of hexes that run due
south to Bir Hachiem.
4. Axis units may not be placed east of the western most minefield for the row of hexes that run due
south to Bir Hachiem.
5. Axis units may not be placed adjacent to a minefield.
SEQUENCE OF PLAY
Germans move first.
1. New Units are placed on the board.
2. Artillery fire. Invert all artillery units which have fired to show that they cannot move.
3. Tank repair and Movement
4A. Conduct Antitank Fire and 4B. Regular Combat. Invert units which have fired to show that they
have concluded their turn.
5. Remove Disruption Markers

NOTE: Units may fire in the Antitank segment as often as they are attacked. There may be as many
movement/antitank/combat sequences as a player wishes within the rules guidelines.

The Allied player follows the same sequence.

1. NEW UNITS
New Units arrive from Reinforcements, Refitted Units, and Tank Reserves. Allied units arrive
from the east edge of the board or at Tobruk (if so stated). Axis units arrive from
the west or northwest edge of the board at the Axis player’s option. Placement on
the board does not count against a unit’s movement factor. A new unit may be moved in the ensuing
movement segment.

Reinforcements arrive on specified days which are indicated on each player’s Order of Appearance
Chart.

Refitted Units: As units are eliminated, place them in the “Units to be Refitted” box on the chart.
At the beginning of each turn players may refit units by placing two units in the “Units Destroyed” box
and returning a third unit to play at the appropriate map edge. All Three units must be the same size,
nationality, and type (infantry, artillery, self propelled guns). Tanks are handled differently ~ See TANK
REPAIRS.

Tank Reserves: Each player has tanks which are held in reserve at the beginning of the game. The
type of tank and the number of each type is shown on the “Reserve Tanks” chart. Reserve tanks may
be brought in at the beginning of a player’s turn by removing a tank of the correct type from the “Units
Destroyed” box, placing it on the board as any other new unit, and reducing the number of Reserve
Tanks of that type by one on the “Reserve Tanks” chart. No more than two tanks may be brought in
from the reserve by each player per turn. No tanks may be brought in from the reserve if there are no
tanks of the desired type in the “Units Destroyed” box. Allied tank reserves may be increased—
See TANK REPAIRS. Axis tank reserves may not be increased.
NOTE: There are no initial reserves of Allied VALENTINE or MATILDA tanks.
2. ARTILLERY
Artillery may fire on enemy units several hexes away from it. The range of the
artillery (in the upper right corner) is the number of hexes it may fire.

To fire on an enemy unit, add up all of the artillery factors of the units firing on
the target and find that column on the Artillery Table. Roll the die and find the
result of the bombardment. When Artillery units fire on tanks, add 2 to the die roll.

Artillery units fire at everything in the target hex. This means that the die is rolled separately for each
unit in the target hex and the results are applied individually. Fewer than six factors may not fire, more
than eighteen factors are treated as eighteen.

Artillery units which fire in the artillery segment may not move for the rest of the turn. It may fire again
however, in the antitank segment.

If attacked, the artillery unit defends with its Combat factor. Artillery may not attack by means of Normal
Combat nor may it move adjacent to an enemy unit unless accompanied by a non artillery unit. For the
purpose of this rule, Artillery includes all units which have an artillery factor and range.

When firing at more than 1/2 range, cut the artillery factor in half.
See below:
Units with range of are halved when firing at a range of
2 -
3 2
4 3
5 3
3. TANK REPAIR and MOVEMENT
Tank Repair
Tanks are repaired prior to Movement. Tanks may not be repaired in the
same turn that they are hit by Antitank Fire or lost in Combat.

Tanks destroyed during Antitank Fire and

Normal Combat are kept in the game as
wrecks. To so designate them, place a wreck
counter in the hex occupied by the tank and
place the tank in the box on the “Wrecks”
Chart corresponding to the number on the
wreck counter. To avoid confusion, wrecks
should always be placed on the bottom of the stack and should be des-
ignated by a wreck counter of the opposite side’s color to make it easier
to identify. If you were to lose a tank in a hex which already has one of
your wreck counters in it, place the wrecked tank in that wreck marker’s box. One wreck counter in the
hex represents all tanks of one player wrecked in that hex.

The Axis may only recover tanks which have Axis units on or adjacent to them and which do not have
Allied units on them. The Axis player may automatically recover one such tank wreck a turn. He may
attempt to recover two additional such wrecks a turn by designating them and rolling a die for each.
On a roll of 1 to 4, the tank is recovered; on a roll of 5 or 6, it is unrecoverable, removed from play and
placed in the “Units Destroyed” box. Recovered Axis tanks are immediately available in that hex and
may move and fight in that turn.
The Allied Player may attempt to recover tanks which he has
Allied units on and which are not adjacent to Axis units. The Allied
Player may attempt to recover two such tanks a turn by rolling a die.
On a roll of 1 to 3, the tank is recovered: on a roll of 4 to 6, it is
unrecoverable. Recovered tanks are removed from play and placed
in the “Units Destroyed” box and the Allied Player adds one to the
number of reserve tanks of that type. It may then be used as any
other reserve tank. Unrecoverable tanks are removed from play and
placed in the “Units Destroyed” box.

The Allied Player may voluntarily remove any wreck counter anywhere on the board and place it in the
“Units Destroyed” box to enable the commitment of reserve tanks. This can be done in lieu of following
the above procedure for tank recovery/repair. This does not, however, increase the number of tanks in
reserve as the recovery/repair process does, it merely allows the Allied player to have access to tanks
currently in reserve. One wreck counter per turn may be handled in this manner.

Both sides may destroy enemy tanks

To accomplish this. the side attempting to destroy the enemy tank must be in the same hex as the
enemy wreck counter and outside the enemy’s zone of control. Then, during his movement segment,
the player may remove any one of the enemy’s tanks represented by the wreck counter and place it in
the “Units Destroyed” box. If this is done the player may not recover any of his own tanks that turn.

All the above procedures take place at the beginning of the MOVEMENT segment.
Movement
Movement is a function of a unit’s Movement Factor. This is the number of
Movement Points (MP’s) a unit has to spend to move. Different types of terrain
require different amounts of MP’s to be spent —
See TERRAIN EFFECTS CHART.

A player may move each unit its full Movement Factor each turn by moving
in any combination of directions subject to certain stated limitations ~ See ZONE OF CONTROL AND
MINEFIELDS.

A unit is not required to move its full movement factor, but if it does not, it may not accumulate unused
MP’s to use the next turn.

Movement may also take place after Normal Combat. If a unit is forced to retreat as a result of Normal
Combat the retreating unit will leave a “path of retreat” as it moves. The victorious unit, whether the at-
tacker or the defender, may advance along this “path of retreat” ignoring enemy Zones of Control. A unit
may never end its move in the same hex with an enemy unit. If a unit is eliminated, the victorious unit
may move into the vacated hex. These advances must take place immediately before proceeding with
the game.
4. COMBAT
4A. ANTITANK FIRE
After a unit has moved it may be able to fire at enemy tanks to which it has
moved adjacent to. Units which are Defending may fire at tanks which have moved next to them. Only
units which have an Antitank Factor may fire at tanks. Tanks defend with their Antitank Factor.
Because most units’ Antitank weapons are towed antitank guns and must be emplaced before using no
unit (except tanks, Recon units, and self—propelled guns), may move and fire Antitank fire in the same
turn.

Antitank Fire is divided into two parts:

1. Defensive First Fire Option- A defending unit which has a first fire option on an enemy attacking unit
may now exercise it. A defending unit has a first fire option if there is a minefield between it and the
attacking unit or it is a self—propelled gun or German “88” unit. Attacking units eliminated during the
First Fire Option may not fire in the Simultaneous Fire segment.

2. Simultaneous Fire— Any units that are adjacent to enemy tanks may fire at them, provided they did
not fire with a Defensive Fire Option. Under no circumstances may a unit fire twice in a single Antitank
segment. Simultaneous Fire means that even if your tank is destroyed by an adjacent enemy unit, it can
still fire at any adjacent enemy tanks before it is removed from play.

Antitank fire is resolved on the Antitank Fire Table. Compare the Antitank Factors of the firing units to the
Antitank Factors of the target tank or tanks and reduce the ratio to one of the odds shown on the Table,
rounding off fractions in favor of the Defending unit. If defending unit is behind a minefield the attacker
adds 2 to the die roll.

Firing units may fire individually or combined at one tank or several tanks in the same hex. The tank or
tanks being fired at defend with the Antitank Factor or Factors combined. All adjacent tanks do not have
to be fired on nor may any unit fire more than once in each Antitank segment.

Tanks destroyed are removed and placed on the “Wrecks” chart. A wreck counter takes the destroyed
tanks’ places on the board. See TANK REPAIR.

If the attacker survives the Antitank Fire with more tank companies than the defender has Antitank
Factors, the attacker has overrun the defender. See OVERRUNS.
Overruns: If, at the end of the Antitank segment, the attacker has more tank companies than the
defender has Antitank Factors, the defender has been overrun. Resolve the ensuing Normal Combat as
usual, but double the combat factor of the attacker. Also, whatever the result of the attack, the defender
is automatically Disrupted in addition to any other effect.

4B. NORMAL COMBAT

After Antitank Fire, Normal Combat takes place. All enemy units to which you are adjacent must be
attacked. All of your units which are adjacent to enemy units must attack. All enemy units in the same
hex must be attacked as if they were a single unit with their defense factors combined. A unit may not
divide its combat factor, but rather must use all of it to attack one enemy unit or units. Your units in one
hex do not have to attack the same enemy units, however.

Resolve Combat
Compare the total combat factors you have attacking to the total defending combat factors. Convert it
to one of the odds levels on the Combat Results Table (always rounding in favor of the defender), roll 2
dice, and implement the results shown on the table.

In the event of a retreat, the owning player retreats his units. Units may not retreat through enemy
units, but Defending units may retreat through enemy Zones of Control. See EFFECTS OF DISRUPTION.
Attacking units forced to retreat through enemy Zones of Control (see below) are eliminated. Units
forced to retreat off the board or into all sea hexes are also eliminated. Units which are victorious may
follow the retreating units by following the retreating units “path of retreat”. See MOVEMENT.

Reconnaissance Units: These units may retreat one hex before combat unless they are attacked solely
by other reconnaissance units. If reconnaissance units retreat before combat,
the attacking unit may not attack, but may occupy the hex formerly occupied by
the retreated unit. Reconnaissance units may not retreat into enemy Zones of Control to avoid combat.
ZONES OF CONTROL
The six hexes surrounding a unit are its Zone of Control (ZOC). A unit must end its movement when it
enters an enemy ZOC and must attack that unit in the Combat portion of the turn.

Units which begin the turn in an enemy ZOC must either attack or leave the ZOC. It can move directly
to an adjacent ZOC but then must attack.
Zones of Control:
1. Do not extend up escarpments.
2. Do extend down escarpments,
3. Do not extend into Boxes- SEE BOXES.
4. Do extend out of Boxes.
5. Disrupt defending enemy units which are forced to retreat through them.*
6. Eliminate attacking enemy units which are forced to retreat through them.

*Retreated units may end their move in enemy ZOC‘s. Recon units may not retreat before combat into
enemy ZOC‘s.
MINEFIELDS
Mines had a great effect on the battle. Minefields affect both movement and combat. When
a unit comes to a minefield, it must stop before crossing it. The next turn, it may cross the
minefield, but may not move any farther that turn. The next turn, it may move normally.

Units defending behind a minefield have an advantage. During Antitank fire, the attacker (the player
who has just moved) must add 2 to his die-roll if he is firing across a minefield. During Normal Combat,
units attacking across a minefield are halved in combat factors. In addition, if the attacker has tanks
attacking across a minefield, he must roll a die to determine if he loses any tanks in the minefield. On a
roll of 1 to 3, he does not; on a roll of 4 to 5 he loses one; on a roll of 6 he loses two.

Infantry attacks often stalled in the face of early friendly tank losses. Therefore, if any tank companies
are destroyed by the minefield, roll a die to see if the attack stalls. On a roll of 1 to 3 it does.
Treat a stalled attack as an automatic “A back 1”.

Gaps can be cleared through minefields by German and Italian Engineers.

Engineers may cross a minefield as a normal unit does. Once it crosses, there is a gap where it crossed
so long as the engineer remains adjacent to it. Supply lines may be traced through gaps at no penalty.
Additionally, engineers are not halved in combat factors when attacking across minefields.

Allied units may travel along roads and tracks through minefields at no penalty. Allied units may also
leave a Box at no penalty.

Units forced to retreat through minefields do so but are Disrupted. Tanks forced to retreat through
minefields are additionally forced to roll for losses as if they were attacking across it.
Units may advance after combat across a minefield, but tanks must roll for losses as if they were
attacking before any other units advance and, if any tanks are lost roll for a stalled attack. If a stalled
attack is rolled the units stop their advance in the hex immediately adjacent to the minefield before
crossing it. If not, continue the advance as normal.
BOXES
Boxes were specially fortified areas, usually defended by an Allied brigade. A Box in the game
is any one or two hexes completely surrounded by minefields.

Special rules apply to Boxes.

1. Units in a Box ignore all “D back” results on the Combat Results Table.
2. Units other than artillery in a Box are immune to artillery fire. That is, you may only fire artillery at
other artillery in a Box.
3.Units in a Box are not obligated to attack enemy units adjacent to them unless those units are also in
the same Box. Units outside the Box, adjacent to enemy units inside the Box must attack the units in
the Box.
5. REMOVE DISRUPTION MARKERS
Remove Disruption Markers from all units.

Units which become Disrupted have a Disrupted marker placed on them. Units become
Disrupted when:
1. A “D” result appears on the Arilllery Fire Table.
2. A defending unit is Overrun — See COMBAT.
3. A unit is forced to retreat through a minefield.
4. Units are in violation of the stacking rules.
5. A defending unit is forced to retreat through an enemy Zone of Control.

NOTE: A stack of units can be completely eliminated if forced to retreat through several enemy Zones of
Control - See EFFECTS OF DISRUPTION

Effects of Disruption
1. Loss of Zone of Control
2. Movement, Antitank, and Combat Factors are halved,
3. Artillery units may not fire or conduct Antitank action. It may defend.
4. Units already Disrupted remain so and lose one battalion (or its equivalent) from the Disrupted units.

STACKING
More than one unit may be placed in a hex.
The Allies and the Italians may stack up to:
A. two battalions of any type + one artillery battalion + one company or
B. one artillery battalion + one company + as many units of the same regiment or brigade as they wish.
Note: Three tank companies = one battalion for stacking.
The Germans may stack up to:
A. three battalions of any type + one artillery battalion + one company
B. or one artillery battalion + one company + as many units of the same regiment or brigade as they
wish.
Note: Four tank companies = one battalion for stacking.
Three “88” companies = one battalion for stacking.
If German and Italian units are in the same hex, they may stack as if they were all German units.
Artillery, for the purposes of stacking, includes all units with the artillery symbol, all self-propelled guns
and all German “88” units.

Stacking limits apply at the end of a unit’s movement and throughout combat. Units in violation of
stacking are Disrupted unless forced to violate stacking as a result of an “A back” result, in which case
they are eliminated.

SUPPLY
Allied units are always in supply. All Axis units are always in supply on defense. Axis units must be in
supply to move their full movement factor and attack at full strength. To be in supply, an Axis unit must
trace a line of hexes starting on the west or northwest edge of the map no more than 20 MP’s* in length
through hexes free of enemy units and their Zones of Control. This supply line may not go through a
minefield except at a gap and may not go within two hexes of a Box occupied by an enemy unit.

*Since it is 20 MP’s long, it may be longer than 20 hexes if part or all of it is along a road or track.

German and Italian units not in supply may only move 3 MP’s a turn and are halved in both Antitank
and Combat factors when attacking.

Supply is determined for a unit when it starts to move. Therefore, another unit could be used to blast a
path through to a surrounded unit and put it in supply for its move.

NOTE: As a special exception to the rule noted above, supply may be traced within 2 hexes of an enemy
Box if 1) it is through an Axis unit, and 2) it is to an Axis unit adjacent to the Box. This is to allow Axis
units adjacent to a Box to be in supply.

SPECIAL ALLIED RULES

Allied Withdrawal: Pursuant to the provisions of the victory conditions, the Allies may withdraw units off
the East edge of the board merely by moving then to the edge and removing them from play. These units
many not be reentered for the remainder of the game.
Axis units may not follow them off the edge of the board.

Allied Command Paralysis: The Allied command structure was such that invariably the first 24 hours of
an attack were spent “sizing up the situation” and “awaiting developments”. To reflect this, on the first
turn of the game the Allied player may only move those units of his that have been attacked* or which
enemy units have been moved adjacent to + any one brigade of his choice. Also on the first turn, the
Allied units do not have a Zone of Control.

On the second and all subsequent turns, the Allied player man move normally.

*NOTE: Attacked units include those which have been attacked by artillery as well as through
Normal and Antitank combat.

SPECIAL UNIT RULES

AXIS UNIT BREAKDOWN
Certain counters have been provided which represent entire regiments for the Germans and Italians.
These count, for stacking, as all the troops of a regiment and thus may only stack with an artillery bat-
talion and a company. Those regiments representing Panzergrenadiere and Bersagliere have also been
provided with battalion counters.
Regiments may break down into its component battalions or recombine at any time during the Move-
ment segment. All battalions of a regiment must be in the same hex to recombine. A regiment and its
battalions may never be on the board at the same time.

If a regiment which can break down to battalions is forced to lose part of its strength, but not all, due to
combat, it may break down to battalions and remove sufficient battalions to meet the required loss.

MATILDA TANKS
In the North African Theater at the time of the
attack on the Gazala — Bir Hachiem Line, the
attack and defense ability of almost any given
tank would be about the same. That is, the
larger a gun the tank carried, the thicker and
stronger the armor that protected it. A notable
exception to this was the Matilda heavy tank.
Armed with the same inadequate 2 pounder as
other Allied tanks it had massive armor
protection. To reflect this, double the Antitank
factor of the Matilda when it is defending against Antitank fire. When it is firing, the Antitank factor
remains normal.