The recovery discussion reminded me of something from one of my very first wargames books almost 50 years ago, you could probably set this up as a scenario:
Donald Featherstone - Battles with Model Tanks:
CHAPTER 16: TANK RECOVERY, WESTERN DESERT, 1942
The table-top terrain consists of a topographically featureless but undulating area of sand-coloured plastic or cloth draped over polystyrene or wood slabs, or even books laid in such a manner as to provide some hull-down positions for the tanks of both sides, plus the shallow bowl in which the stranded Grants lie.
Scraped together from whatever is immediately to hand, the small recovery force that moves forward consists of a very mixed bag - 2 Crusaders (cruiser tanks Mark VI); 3 M3A1 Stuart Mark IV light tanks; 1 25 pdr gun howitzer and towing vehicle; B Company, Northumberland Fusiliers, with jeep-towed 6 pdr anti-tank gun, 2 mortars and 3 Bren guns; and two Scammell tank-transporters plus crews and a detachment of Royal Engineers.
Guided by the crews who have abandoned the Grants on the previous day (travelling in two 15 cwt trucks) the party moves forward until they find the immobile tanks. The 25 pdr and the anti-tank guns are unlimbering prior to being set up in suitable positions and the infantry moving forward to act as a screen when, from literally out of the blue, a German heavy armoured car SdKfz 231 surges over the top of the ridge to their front, its eight wheels sending up showers of sand as it skids to a standstill on sighting the British party.
The wargamer may take the action on from there. Does the German heavy armoured car get away and bring back reinforcements, or is there a German force in the vicinity who will hasten over to the sound of firing? In any event there is nothing that can reach the area for at least three game-moves, and then it may only be a force strong enough to delay rather than overcome the recovery party. In all, the Germans probably cannot mass in the area more than a couple of PzKw IV tanks, a 50 mm anti-tank gun and towing half-track, plus three SdKfz 11 type HK16 half-tracks 3T and half a dozen trucks, part of a convoy bringing up reinforcements capable of carrying two companies of infantry.
This action can be embellished by progressive attempts to start the engines of the two stranded Grants - first attempt, the two dice for each Grant and a total of 11 or 12 must be scored. If successful, the Grant then becomes operational and can take part in the action, probably with decisive effect. On the other hand if one Grant can be made to move, then it can be utilised to tow its stricken comrade from the field, thus achieving the objective of the wargame which is the recovery of two stranded tanks not the destruction of a small German force!
Featherstone, Donald; Robinson, Keith. Donald Featherstone’s and Keith Robinson's Battles with Model Tanks: Wargaming 1914-1975 (pp. 116-117). History of Wargaming Project. Kindle Edition.
Apologies for any copyright issues, I bought the kindle version of this book in the last couple of years for practical reasons, plus a physical copy for nostalgia.