'Out of [Italian East] Africa': A Review of Lion of Judah-The War for Ethiopia 1935-1941 (Part I)

Compass Games #1054 (2017)

One of my Christmas gifts this year is a game that has intrigued me since its release in 2017.  Designed by Javier Romero, Lion of Judah is actually a Tale of Two Campaigns: the Italian conquest of Ethiopia in 1935-36, and Italy's loss of all of Italian East Africa through Allied invasion in 1940-41.

These campaigns marked Italy's second go-around in Ethiopia.  In 1895-96, Italy had invaded from Italian Eritrea, striking south into the Tigre region before being contained, then decisively defeated by the Ethiopian army at the Battle of Adwa.  Although part of Tigre was annexed to Eritrea by the Treaty of Addis Ababa, it was a humiliating defeat for the Italians and led to the formation of a new Socialist government that would stand until after World War I.

After Italy's brutal experience during the Great War, the Fascists under Benito Mussolini came to power in the 1920s.  Among other things, the Fascists were hungry for creating a "new Roman Empire," and Mussolini believed Ethiopia would be a good start: it would erase the stain of Italy's prior defeat, connect and consolidate Italy's other East African territories, and provide a springboard for possible expansion.

In 1930, Italy built a fort at Ual-Ual in the Ogaden region---well within the boundaries of Ethiopia as defined by the Treaty.  They then garrisoned it with about 60 Dubats, tribal irregulars hired by the Royal Corps of Colonial Troops in Italian Somaliland.  In 1934, a force of Ethiopian militia were dispatched to deal with it when diplomacy failed, resulting in the "Ual-Ual Incident," with casualties on both sides.  Although not leading to war, Ual-Ual remained a bone of contention until outright war broke out.

On October 3, 1935, Italian forces invaded Ethiopia without a declaration of war, engaging on two fronts: southwestwards from Italian Eritrea and northwestwards from Italian Somalia.  By the time of the final battle in February of 1937, Ethiopia as an independent kingdom would cease to exist.

The first thing I noticed about this game is the outstanding artwork by artist and designer Knut Grunitz, in particular the map, which is both brilliantly colored and detailed.

The game uses hexes for movement and distance, with each hex representing approximately 75km/46 miles, working well for a game at the division/brigade level.  The 5/8"counters are well-done, with regular ground units being NATO standard and all others being marked in ways to make ID easy.  For instance, Italian Colonial irregular units like the Dubat in Somalia are depicted as a shield with a crossed spear and rifle over a brown background, and Armor and Truck units have side views of the vehicles in question.  The blend of NATO and custom counters should satisfy casual gamers as well as grognards. 

Initial setup is made relatively easy by the inclusion of Scenario Cards for each of the two scenarios.  The cards have spaces for all of the units involved to facilitate easy sorting and setup, and also to hold Reinforcements for upcoming turns.  Player Aid Cards display all of the tables needed for reference when Moving, providing Air Support, or when resolving Combat.  A Unit Key provides helpful information for recognizing both NATO Standard and traditional units, their allegiance, and mechanics like Movement, Attack, and Defense Factors.  It also provides historical unit identifications for those who, like me, want to know the historical details of a conflict.

Two books are included with the game---the Standard Rules and the Play Book.  The Standard Rules are self-explanatory, and they are set up clearly and logically, in my opinion.  The Play Book features specialized rules for the two Scenarios, including an Example of Play which walks you through a standard game.  The Sequence of Play is laid out in chart version on the back cover of the Standard Rules.

After doing some historical homework, I chose to play the 1935-'36 Invasion Scenario.  After punching out, Setup was simple.  The Ethiopian forces are placed according to the Scenario Card, with very little flexibility (usually limited to placement within "one or two hexes" of the target hex to allow for Stacking limitations) and clustered mostly on or near the Central Plateau.  The placement limitations are historical, in that the bulk of the Ethiopian forces are tribal levies under the command of local barons; Ethiopia had very little standing, Regular army before and during WWII.  Like many Irregular armies, Ethiopia would focus on using Terrain, Speed, and Maneuverability to make up for deficiencies in equipment, training, and doctrine.

Initial Ethiopian Setup

For the Italians, the goal was simple: crush the Ethiopian forces and merge the conquered Kingdom with Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, thus creating "Italian East Africa."  Unlike the Ethiopians, the Italians fielded a modern, partially-mechanized army which included aircraft which could perform in the Close Air Support (CAS) role.  Although their line of supply stretched back to Italy, itself, they had engaged in a substantial buildup of forces and support in their African territories for a number of years, and thus were well-prepared for their first "war of conquest."  This included stockpiles of chemical weapons, which were to see deployment in the coming war. 

As mentioned previously, the Grand Plan was to engage the Ethiopians on two fronts: A Northern Theater of Operations (TOO) staged from Eritrea and commanded by Gen. Emilio De Bono and, later, by Marshal Pietro Badoglio; and a Southern TOO staged from Italian Somaliland and led by the able and experienced desert fighter, Gen. Rodolfo Graziani.  Although the war was fought on two fronts, the Northern TOO was the main thrust; the Southern TOO was primarily intended to be a defensive campaign to ensure the security of the supply bases of Italian Somaliland, and to strike into Ogaden to seize the natural-well water sources for the Italians (and denying them to the Ethiopians).  Graziani, however, was having none of it; in spite of his limited resources compared with the Northern Front, he mounted a wily assault that not only achieved his primary objectives, but also put pressure on the Ethiopian forces in Sidamo-Galla and the southwestern highlands and tied them down to prevent them from reinforcing the Central Plateau.

The eve of battle: 10 October, 1935

My interpretation of the Northern campaign involves three Corps, and is based upon the historical Order of Battle (OOB): I Corps (mostly Italian Regulars) will strike almost due south from Asmara and on to the Central Plateau in an attack on the Tigra region, while the Eritrean Native Corps (Eritrean native infantry and cavalry) will head southwest to secure the left flank and seize the Gojjat, then swing southeast around Lake Tana and sweep towards Addis Ababa.  Finally, II Corps (Regulars, Militia, Dubats and Light Armor) will strike southwest from the coast, skirting the northern edge of the Dancalia Desert in a bid to take Macalle and simultaneously protect the right flank.

To fight the Southern Campaign as Graziani fought it, I split the available forces.  Graziani and his motorized HQ will lead Regulars, Colonials, Dubats, and a Light Armor battalion north to take Dolo.  The force will then split, with the slower, heavy Regulars heading east into Neghelli while the lighter, more mobile elements cross the river and follow the Kenyan border to Mega, then north.  Both forces will then converge on the forces of Ras Desta at Yabello.  To the northeast, a smaller force of Arabo-Somalian regiments and Dubats will cross the border at Belet Uen and follow the road, merging with the Dubat garrison from Uel-Uel and capturing Sassaneh, then engaging and pinning down the forces of the Dejaz's Merid and Nassibu. 

In Part II, I will report on the play-through and how the game mechanics flow.