The Witch's Cauldron

Case Study The Witch's Cauldron: Nature of War Simulation Exercise (Tobruk, April, 1941)
Type of Activity Simulation of the April 1941 battle for Tobruk. Students role-play British and German commanders, making decisions that determine when and how their forces engage. The outcome of the simulated battle depends on their decisions.
Skills Developed

This game has the following educational objectives:

  • To give players a sense of what it is like to make decisions concerning the complex combinations of factors that affect real military operations.
  • To introduce players to important concepts of military strategy, operations and tactics  e.g. initiative, command, economy of force).
  • To give players a sense of how these concepts translate into tangible results on the battlefield.
  • To introduce players to an important episode in military history.
Context Module The Nature of War
Level 4
Number of Students 30

 

Preparation

Players receive information on the game in Week 4. This information includes maps of the battlefield, lists of the forces under their command, and details of what those forces can do. At the Week 4 lecture, players form teams representing the command staffs of the British and German forces. Players then have three days to plan their operations. After three days, each team must provide the instructor with written orders for its units.

This simulation does not use the kind of complex rules found in most wargames. Players also don't need to worry too much about the details of military tactics and equipment. Instead, players simply come up with general plans about the strategies they want to follow. They then write these plans down and show them to the instructor, who will compare them to the other side's plans and explain what would have been likely to happen if the armies in question had followed those strategies in real life.

 

Teaching Sessions

At the lecture Week 5, the instructor informs the students of where their units have encountered each other. When units on opposing sides come within range of each other's weapons, the troops will open fire unless they have specific orders to do something else. The instructor tells students how many casualties each side suffers in the initial exchange.

Although the instructor will use a map to help everyone keep track of the battle, this map will only show units that have encountered the enemy. If students can keep some of their units out of contact, they will not appear on the map and opposing players will not know where they are.

After the instructor describes the initial situation, students have the opportunity to issue new orders. When the new orders bring opposing units into contact or continue ongoing engagements, the instructor will calculate additional casualties for both sides. This process will continue a variable number of times, ending when both sides have accomplished all that they could realistically accomplish in 48 hours.

 

Benefits

To introduce students to key concepts of military strategy, whilst engaging them into the situation. The active participation in the process makes the students more aware of the factors at stake on this particular historical event.

 

Support Material

Maps of the battlefield.

Detailed explanations of the simulation procedure.

Rosters of the military units available to both sides.


Contact Dr Tom Kane
Lecturer in International Politics
University of Hull
Email T.M.Kane@hull.ac.uk