The Curtain Goes Up DTO (id:#62086)
Designer: Unknown
Starter kit scenario?:    Deluxe scenario?:
 
Balance:
GermanBritish
0%

Overview:

None.
Attacker: German (Elements of 15th Panzer Division)
Defender: British (18th Indian Brigade, 10th Indian Division)  
9.5 turns
    Players: 2     OBA: Both     Night: No
Unit Counts:
Squads: A:17.0 D:13.0
AFVs: A:22
PzKpfw IVF1
PzKpfw IVF2
PzKpfw IVE x 2
PzKpfw IIIJ x 3
PzKpfw IIIN x 6
Marder II
SPW 250/1 x 4
Lancia 1ZM x 4
SdKfz 7 x 2

AFVs: D:8
Guns: A:2
7.62cm PaK 36r x 2
D:2

Victory Conditions:

Exit VP: Building Control VC: Area Control VC:
Unit Based VC: LOS Style VC: CVP Cap:
Misc Rules: Heat Shimmer and Vehicle Dust. A: Air Support
Overlays: NONE
Errata (source)
British set up instructions change to: set up in level 1 or higher hexesDavid Lamb via Gamesquad post
Players wanting to play this game/Request a match:

Scenario info

Last Played:
DateReporterOpponentBal.ResultTimeComments
2026-05-07(A) Paolo Cariolato vs Federico Corso British winRuweisat Ridge #1 – The Curtain Goes Up

Fred and I decided to head for the desert, and we chose to try this scenario from a “historical” module. The comparison between the first version and the second version in my possession was merciless. Not only had the map been substantially changed, but the position of Ruweisat Ridge in relation to the entry areas of the opposing forces had been heavily altered, while scenario length and forces remained unchanged.

On top of that, the SSRs in the version we played had also been massively revised. The level-2 hill which is the focus of the victory conditions, originally completely bare, had become a six-hex trench complex; and what had once been British air support had somehow turned into German air support. In short, the usual CH mess, with changes that completely distort what may well have been the intent of the original designer.

In very broad terms, the scenario revolves around the Allied infantry, heavily entrenched around the crest of the Ridge, trying to hold their position. The Axis forces, on the other hand, must drive them off and, above all, exit 30 CVP from the board edge through which the British reinforcements enter. Both sides have OBA.

My plan was to use OBA to smash the fortified position, bring the infantry forward to a safe distance, and unload them from their vehicles — meaning far enough away that the vehicles could not easily be knocked out by the Allies’ light anti-tank weapons. I had organized a group of four halftracks carrying enough infantry to satisfy the exit conditions, plus a six-AFV armored group built around the 75L guns of the Marder and the Pz IV F2. Their job was to keep the British tanks under control, while my smoke-capable tanks and the other Pz IIIs and PzIV supported the infantry assault. I also intended to use the two 75L guns mainly to smoke the hill in support of the infantry.

Unfortunately, things did not go quite as planned.

For the entire scenario I never managed to establish radio contact for my OBA. Even so, a coordinated AFV and infantry attack succeeded in taking the trench complex, and at a cost that was, all things considered, acceptable — more tanks than infantry. Unfortunately, the Allied 57L then went on an absurd run, maintaining ROF seven or eight times and managing to tear apart my AFV battle group over the course of just two turns, despite range, SMOKE and Vehicle Dust.

That left the halftracks facing two Crusaders with only air support to help them. For three turns they performed a sort of death dance across the desert, and at times they even gave the impression that they might somehow pull it off. But on Turn 6 a lucky shot from one of the Crusaders destroyed a halftrack. At that point, not only would I have had to save the remaining three, but I would also have needed to exit a Pz III by running it in front of the guns of the Grants and Crusaders. That was close to impossible. Since I had no desire to keep playing merely in the hope of catching such a thin chance, I conceded.

The desert is a peculiar ASL environment. It was Fred’s first time with it, while I was coming back to it after a fairly long break. We had fun, but certainly not thanks to CH, nor particularly thanks to the scenario itself, which proved far too static in the way it was designed. In practice, rather than really fighting for control of Ruweisat Ridge, the Allied player’s only real concern is blocking the Axis exit. The result is a scenario that is not especially enjoyable.

Not recommended.
2015-04-30(D) Fred Schwarz vs Guy Flummerfet British win
View all or balance report
ActionDate
cosarara Added a playing2026-05-08 08:01:16
hoxson1 Modified the unit counts2022-04-15 21:03:09
hoxson1 Modified the Attacker's AFVs2022-04-15 21:02:51
hoxson1 Modified the unit counts2022-04-15 21:02:50
hoxson1 Modified the Attacker's AFVs2022-04-15 21:02:15
FileDescriptionUserViews
(germbrit.png)Imagehoxson11603
DescriptionUploaded by
TitleAuthorDate

Quick Map View

No Map available yet! Please create one, or upload a map image file...

Location

Not Logged in

Images

 
Statistics:
Avg Rating: 6.33Votes: 3
Views: 4688
To-Play list count: 0
Estimated Play time: 19.8 hours
Recorded Games: 2
Archive recorded plays:
German0
British2
Drawn:0

ROAR Data: (as of today)
The Curtain Goes Up
[Log in to Confirm or Edit]
[A] German 0
[D] British 2
All Rights Reserved. (c)2022 Dave Ramsey.