Europa Games and Military History

Month: April 2016

Aug II 41 Axis Turn

Axis EOT Dispositions

Mainland Europe off-map holding box [end of turn]:

1.5 Italian inf Replacement Points (RPs) at the beginning of the Axis turn, but 1 It inf RP was transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase, per WW Rule 37C2a-Mainland Europe, and then air transported from there to Tripoli, in Libya, in the M. Phase, by the SM 79-1 B type air unit beginning the turn at Licata. At the end of the turn there was .5 It inf RP in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

2 German inf RPs at the beginning of the Axis turn, but 1 Ger inf RP was transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase, and then air transported from there to Tripoli, in Libya, in the M. Phase, by the SM 79-1 B type air unit beginning the turn at Licata. At the end of the turn there was 1 Ger inf RP in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

1 Ger ARP at the end of the I. Phase and the Axis turn:  3 Ger ARPs at the start of the Axis turn, -2 to rebuild the Me 110D 5HF5 4-2/12 (Ger LW) air unit in the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool; it was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 18A:3617, in Libya, at step 14 of the Axis I. Phase.

3 It ARPs at the start and end of the Axis turn; there are no Italian ARP expenditures this turn.

Aug II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Lybia

Aug II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Lybia

In Sicily [end of turn]:

Licata (18A:0102) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield
SM 79-1 2B3 1-5/22 [inop.; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew an air transport air mission, per WW Optional Rule 23E3, carrying 1 It inf RP and 1 Ger inf RP from Licata to Tripoli, in Libya; returned to base here]

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield

Coast hex 18A:0603:
3-cap permanent airfield
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 [inop.; Italian; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status tac bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Miss; returned to base here]

Syracusa (18A:0702) [reference city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Augusta (18A:0701) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Malta on the Aug II 41 Axis turn:
Malta Status: 11, at the start of the turn, + 0 for Malta Status bombing hits done prior to the naval movement step of the M. Phase, = 11 during this turn’s naval movement step and at the EOT.
Valetta hex (18A:0407) flack this turn:  5 (3 intrinsic + a total of 2 only for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs’ 2 flack factors each, as their unit flack factors were both halved because of being definitely Red U-2, due to the lack of gsp’s present at Malta at step 11 of the I. Phase)
On this turn Malta Status air missions to the Valletta hex would roll on the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table, Per WW Rule 37I2a.
There were no gsp’s present in the Valletta hex at the start of the Axis player turn.

Aug II 41 Axis EOT dispositions in the Western Desert

Aug II 41 Axis EOT dispositions in the Western Desert

Libya [{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:

Tripolitania Garrison Box:
0-1-6* Inf III 290 GaF
0-1-6* Inf III 340 GaF
0-1-6* Inf III 350 GaF
0-2-6* Inf III 330 GaF

Tripoli (18A:0121) [clear terrain dot city/major port hex transportation line junction coast hex]:
Axis Supply Terminal marker
fort marker
0 pos flk unit AA=3 [Italian]
3 steps of attack supply [all began turn here; never moved]
3 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]
3 It inf RPs [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]
1 It inf RP [began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; in the I. Phase this It inf RP transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily; in the M. Phase the It inf RP was air transported to here in the It SM 79-1 B type air unit, along with a Ger inf RP]
1 Ger inf RP [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]
1 Ger inf RP [began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; in the I. Phase this Ger inf RP transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily; in the M. Phase the Ger inf RP was air transported to here in the It SM 79-1 B type air unit, along with an It inf RP]

18A:0122 [Castel Benito; clear terrain secondary rail line hex, S of Tripoli]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Homs (18A:0522) [rough terrain point city/minor port road junction coast hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli; spent 4 SMPs in the E. Phase exploiting along the coast road to here]

Misurata (18A:1022) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap temporary airfield

18A:1023 [clear terrain road hex, S of Misurata]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at Misurata; spent 1 SMP in the E. Phase exploiting along the road to here]

Sirte (18A:1727) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
fort marker
3-cap permanent airfield
one step of attack supply [began turn at Buerat el Hsum (18A:2116); spent 5 SMPs in the E. Phase exploiting along the road to here]

18A:2730 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

El Agheila (18A:2930) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

Agedabia (18A:3327) [clear terrain point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

Bengasi (18A:3121) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line junction hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
12 port damage hit markers
4 pos flk AA=1 [Italian; began turn here; never moved]
{3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol [began turn here; early in the M. Phase it broke down into the unsupported component parts of the “A” Inf XX]}
1-6 Inf III A [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol, which began the turn at Bengasi, this breakdown component remained here]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Sirte (18A:1727); in the C. Phase it staged to 18A:3618 and flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Sirte; in the C. Phase it staged to 18A:3618 and flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Sirte; in the C. Phase it staged to 18A:3618 and flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22 [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase of the previous Aug II 41 Allied turn it did a non-phasing air transfer to here, from Derna (18A:4116); in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]

Soluch (18A:3222) [clear terrain point city secondary rail terminus hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
G 50 3F3 0/9 [inop.; began turn at 18A:0403, at Sicily; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

18A:3617 [rough terrain road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

18A:3618 [Maraua; rough terrain road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

18A:4119 [stony desert road hex, NE of El Mechili]:
{one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:3328; in the M. Phase it spent 13 SMPs moving along the road to here; expended in the C. Phase for the ground attack against Tobruch]}

18A:4218 [stony desert road hex]:
{one step of attack supply [began turn here; expended in the C. Phase for the ground attack against Tobruch]}

Derna (18A:4116) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
3 port damage hit markers
6 Inf XX HQ A [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol, which began the turn at Bengasi; this unsupported breakdown component admin moved 11 hexes along the road to here]
0-6 Lt AA II AA=1 38 [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42 3F3 0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
BR 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
Br 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop; began turn at Ain el Gazala; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
{CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 [began the Aug II 41 Axis turn based at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya; late in the E Phase of the previous Aug II 41 Allied turn it did a non-phasing air transfer to here, from Sicily; in the C. Phase of the Aug II 41 Axis turn it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; aborted by the Tobruch flack shot and placed in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Axis Med/NA Replacement Pool]}

18A:4216 [stony desert coast road hex, SE of Derna]:
1-6 Inf III A [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol, which began the turn at Bengasi; this unsupported breakdown component admin moved 12 hexes along the road to here]
{one resource point [began the turn here; expended at step 19 of the I. Phase to quick-construct a 1-turn fort at hex 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch, using the two Axis cons IIIs there]}

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
8* Inf XX HQ 9 LA (Ger) [began turn at Derna (18A:4116); moved to here]
2-8 Inf III 361 (Ger) [turn reinf; began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to Libya in a turn reinf NTP and disembarked at the clear terrain Ain el Gazala beach hex; became Disrupted by the beach landing]
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop.; began turn at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
CR 42 3F3 0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ca 311 2B2 1/L/14 [inop.; began turn at 18A:0403, at Sicily; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Ain el Gazala]:
8 Inf XX HQ 102 Trn [began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); regular moved to here]

18A:4620 [clear terrain hex]:
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn at 18A:5018; regular moved to here]

18A:4719 [clear terrain hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:4618; regular moved to here]
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:4819; moved one hex to here]

18A:4720 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf III 155 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4620; moved one hex to here]

18A:4819 [clear terrain hex; 2 hexes S of Tobruch]:
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 19A:0219; in the M. Phase it regular moved two hexes to 18A:4819, remained here]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn here; in the M. Phase it regular moved to 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited back to here]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
fort marker
3-cap temporary airfield
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [began turn here; never moved]
3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [began turn here; never moved; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack]
1-6 Hv AA II 29 [began turn here; never moved; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn here; never moved; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 (LW) [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
SM 79-2 2B3 3-4/V/20 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
1-cap temporary airfield [w/ 1 cons III MP done for the next cap increase]
7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar [began turn here; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; remained in the hex]
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn at 18A:4819; regular moved one hex to here, where it spent its remaining 5 MPs constructing a 1-cap temporary airfield, plus 1 MP for the next cap increase]
2-3-8 Art III 16C [began turn at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; spent 5 MPs regular moving to here; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn here; never moved; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack]
Me 110D 5HF5 4-2/12  (Ger LW) [inop.; ARP build; at step 14 of the I. Phase it was removed from the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Axis Med/NA Replacement Pool and placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 18A:3617, in Libya; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; rebased here]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
3-capacity temporary airfield [completed on the Aug I 41 Axis turn]
fort under construction marker [began this I. Phase; quick-construction used w/ the two 1 RE cons units; projected completion is the Sep I 41 Axis I. Phase]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn here; used for the quick-construction of the fort in the hex; never moved]
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [began turn here; used for the quick-construction of the fort in the hex; never moved]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn at 19A:0219; in the M. Phase it regular moved to here; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack]
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn here; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; remained in the hex]
Me 109F1 6F6 1/8 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it flew the Escort air mission along w/ the Axis air units involved in the big GS air mission to the Tobruch hex; participated in air combat over the Tobruch target hex w/ one of the intercepting Allied fighters; returned to base here]
Me 109E 7F5 1/7 [inop.; began turn at Derna (18A:4116); late in the E Phase of the previous Aug II 41 Allied turn it did a non-phasing air transfer to Derna, from Sicily; at step 22 of the I. Phase of the current Aug II 41 Axis turn it flew the CAP air mission over the Tobruch target hex; in the C. Phase it switched to the Escort air mission after the two Allied Hurri 1 F type air units based at Tobruch flew the Intercept air mission against the big Axis air op flying to the Tobruch target hex; participated in air combat over the Tobruch target hex w/ one of the intercepting Allied fighters; returned to base here]
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop; began turn here; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]

18A:5018 [clear terrain hex]:
2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32 [began turn at 18A:5119; in the M. Phase it regular moved eastwards along the coast road to Sidi Barriani (19A:0718), and then double-backed along the road to 19A:0519, where it ended the M. Phase; exploited to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn 18A:5119; in the M. Phase it regular moved to 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]

18A:5119 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 21 (Ger) [WW OB booklet Aug I 41 Axis turn reinf conversion unit; began this turn at 19A:0219 at step 14 of the I. Phase, when & where the Aug I conversion was finally done; in the M. Phase it regular moved to 18A:4918; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
2-3-8 Art III 16C [began turn at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; spent 5 MPs regular moving to here; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn at 19A:0219, in Libya; in the M. Phase it regular moved southeastwards to 19A:0822, capturing two Siwa road hexes (19A:0923 & 0823) w/ its ZOCs, and then double-backed to 19A:0420, ending the M. Phase here; exploited to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II AA=2 I/33 (Ger LW) [began turn at 19A:0219; breakdown component of the 2-10 Mot Hv AA III AA=4 135 (Ger LW); in the M. Phase the Ger LW 1-10 Mot Hv AA II I/33 regular moved to 18A:4818, S of Tobruch, where it assembled into the 2-10 Mot Hv III 135 (Ger LW) at the end of the Phase; in the C. Phase the Ger LW 2-10 Mot Hv AA III 135 unit participated in the Tobruch attack; at the beginning of the E. Phase the 2-10 hv mot AA III broke down into its two 1-10 hv mot AA II components and the Ger LW 1-10 Mot Hv AA II I/33 unit exploited to here]

19A:0219 [clear terrain hex]:
{8-7-10* Pz XX 5 Le (Ger) [began turn here; converted to the 9-10 Pz XX 21 at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
vacant at the end of the M. Phase

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
5 port damage hit markers
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn at Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); in the M. Phase it regular moved to 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA AA=2 I/18 (Ger LW) [began turn at Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); in the M. Phase the Ger LW 1-10 Mot Hv AA II I/18 unit regular moved to 18A:4818, S of Tobruch, where it assembled into the 2-10 Mot Hv III 135 AA=4 (Ger LW) at the end of the Phase; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; at the beginning of the E. Phase the Ger LW 2-10 hv mot AA III unit broke down into its two 1-10 hv mot AA II components and the I/18 Ger LW mot hv AA II unit exploited to here]
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); in the M. Phase regular moved to 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); in the M. Phase it regular moved to 18A:1918, SE of Tobruch; in the C. Phase it participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]

Crete [end of turn]:

Khania (18A:4403) [rough terrain reference city/standard port road terminus coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Erakleion (18A:4903) [rough terrain reference city/standard port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

Scarpanto (19A:0701) [rough port point city minor port hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

At Rodi [end of turn]:

Rodi (20A:2230) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

20A:2331 [rough terrain coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Med/NA Replacement Pool [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:
1 x 2-6 Inf XX 60 Sbr
1 x 2-10 Mot Inf III 10 B
1 x 2-1-8 Lt Tnk III 3
2 x 1-8 Lt Tnk X 1,2
5 x 1-6 Tnk II 1, 3, 5, 6, 21
1 x Para Inf III Tonini
3 x 0-1-6* Inf III 300 GaF, 310 GaF, 320 GaF
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 24 dM
3 x 2-3-6 Art III 10 C, 20 C, 21 C
1 x 1-6 Art III 23 C
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 8 A [Jun I 41 Axis turn reinf; sunk in sea transit to Libya that turn by Allied anti-shipping, per the Naval Table]
4 x 0 pos flk unit AA=1 [Italian]

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box:
CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 [began the Aug II 41 Axis turn based at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya; late in the E Phase of the previous Aug II 41 Allied turn it did a non-phasing air transfer to here, from Sicily; in the C. Phase of the Aug II 41 Axis turn it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; aborted by the Tobruch flack shot]

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:
{Me 110D 5HF5 4-2/12 (Ger LW) [in the Jul II 41 Allied M. Phase it performed the Escort air mission at the 19A:0717 target hex, escorting the Naval Patrol air mission at the hex; killed in air combat; this turn the Allied player spent 2 Ger ARPs in the I. Phase to rebuild the HF type air unit]}

Aug II 41 Axis EOT dispositions: Off-map display details

Aug II 41 Axis EOT dispositions: Off-map display details

Axis Near East Command

On the Jul II 41 Axis turn the Vichy French Levant surrendered to the invading Allies, per the Allied player’s Variable Levant Surrender Table dice roll, done at step 13 of the Axis I. Phase. By the end of the following Aug I 41 Allied turn, all cities in the Levant were Allied-owned save one, namely the point city of Idib (21A:3333), two hexes SW of Alep in the NW region of Syria.  Idib did not become Allied-controlled until the following Aug II 41 Allied turn.  So at the start of this Axis turn all cities in the Levant are now finally Allied-owned; and there are no remaining Axis forces in the Levant or in the Near East. In the EA reported Scenario and also in the WW ME and WD Scenarios, I think, all Syrian and Lebanese land hexes that are Axis-controlled at the time of the Vichy French Levant surrender continue to be Axis-owned until either captured by the subsequent movement of Allied units and/or all cities in the Levant are Allied-controlled in an I. Phase, at step 12, essentially via WW Optional Rule 5B5.  These conditions appear fulfilled at step 12 of the I. Phase of the current Axis turn, and so at that time all land hexes in Syria and Lebanon are declared Allied owned.

Non-Phasing Allied air unit activity near the end of the Exploitation Phase:
Late in the E. Phase the Allied player transfers the Hurri  5F5  1/8 (RAAF) air unit from Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq, to Alexandria, in Egypt.
Late in the E. Phase the Allied player transfers the Audax  1A1  1/8 air unit from Basra, in Iraq, to Rutbah (21A:5023), also in Iraq.

In pro-Allied neutral Iraq [end of turn]:

In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the pro-Axis Iraqi coup automatically occurs in the Apr I 41 Axis I. Phase.

The Iraqi coup collapsed at step 4 of the I. Phase of the May II 41 Axis turn, when the Allied player rolled the dice checking for an Iraqi Coup Collapse, using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table, per WW Rule 38J5.

This Axis turn, At step 2 of the I. Phase, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 4: “Fawzi does not change mode and moves randomly during the upcoming movement phase.”

21A:4621 [stony desert hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [guerrilla-capable inf II bandit unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn at 21A:4722; in the M. Phase the random die rolls moves this guerrilla unit to here]

21A:5020 [stony desert road hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [dummy guerrilla-capable unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn at 21A:5016; in the M. Phase the random die rolls moves this guerrilla unit to here]

Aug II 41 Axis EOT: Iraq and Iran

Aug II 41 Axis EOT: Iraq and Iran

Turn Activity

At step 2 of the I. Phase the Axis player does the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule  39E4, and comes up with a 4:  “Fawzi does not change mode and moves randomly during the upcoming movement phase”, Per WW Optional Rule 39E4.

At step 4 of the I. Phase the Allied player does the dice roll checking for Iranian surrender, per WW Rule 38I4, using the WW Iranian Surrender Table, found on Game Play Chart 8–Political Events.  There is a +1 modifier “for each Allied-owned city in Iran (except Tehran) south of the ‘D’ weather line.”  Iran surrenders if the dice roll is 10; and the Allies own 10 cities in Iran, excepting Tehran (which fetches the Allies a +6 modifier) and so per WW Rule 38I4, “Iran surrenders and its forces are removed from play.  The Allied player gains 5 VPs for Iranian surrender.”  Per the corollary WW Rule 38A5-[Neutral Nations] Surrender, Iran’s “formerly neutral territory does not change ownership upon surrender (this affects various mechanics such as administrative and rail movement, capture of rail capacity, and airfield and port usage).”  Possibly more later on this interesting side issue in regards to Iran.

Aug II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Gulf of Sidra

Aug II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Gulf of Sidra

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied forces at Tobruch are still isolated and most all the ground units there are all at U-4 supply status, except the recently arrived Br 3-8 Inf X 22 G, which now becomes black U-1.  The recently rebuilt Br Hurri 1 F type air unit also now becomes Black U-1.  But all forces in the Tobruch hex are in special general supply due to the gsp’s available there at the supply determination step of the I. Phase.

At step 12 of the I. Phase all hexes in Lebanon and Syria are deemed to be Allied-controlled, as all cities in the Levant are now definitely Allied-owned.  There are no Axis forces on the maps in the Axis Near East Command area.

Aug II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Levante

Aug II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Levante

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player spends 2 Ger ARPs to replace the Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) air unit in the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool.  At this time the Axis player transfers 1 It inf RP and 1 Ger Inf RP from the mainland Europe off-map holding box, where they were stored, to the Licata port/airfield hex at 18A:0102, in Sicily, per WW Rule 37C2a, in anticipation of air transporting them over the Cent Med sea zone to Tripoli, in Libya.  The Axis player also converts the 5th Leichte Pz XX unit, replacing the 8-7-10* Pz XX 5 Le with its 9-10 Pz XX 21 conversion unit.  I believe it is quite rules-legal in this case to simply switch the two pz XXs, which are themselves paired conversion units, and not have to break down the Pz XX 5 Leichte in the Axis turn prior to the conversion and then replace each particular converted component.  On the other hand, it appears to me that in order to accomplish the Sep I 41 Allied turn reinforcement conversion of the Br 6-4-6 Arm X 32 T unit, its 3-2-10 arm X conversion component must be broken down from a Br arm XX (in virtually all cases the 7th) it might be assembled with and the said 3-2-10 arm X specifically stacked together with the two Br 2-1-6 Tnk IIs 4 & 7 RT conversion components.  In other words, I don’t believe  that this conversion can be rules-legally done if the two 2-1-6 tnk IIs are instead stacked together with a Br arm XX containing the 3-2-10 arm X intended to be used in the conversion.  The reason is that this would in effect amount to necessarily breaking down the Br arm XX in the I. Phase, which appears to be against the rules, in order to both achieve the Br 6-4-6 arm X conversion and also retain the other component parts of the arm XX in the hex that are not involved in the conversion.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player converts the single step of attack supply at Tobruch into 12 new gsp’s, per WW Rule 12C4b.

Aug II 41 Axis end of step 22 of the Initial Phase dispositions, Western Desert

Aug II 41 Axis end of step 22 of the Initial Phase dispositions, Western Desert

At step 22 of the I. Phase the Ger LW Me 109E  7F5  1/7 air unit based at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya, flies the CAP air mission over the Tobruch target hex.  For the time being the Allied player declines to intercept the Axis CAP air mission over the improved fortress with either of the two Hurri 1 F type air units based there.  In this same I. Phase step the Allied player sends the two A-22  3A3  2-1/19 (one Br & one SAAF) air units based at El Alamein (19A:2119) on the Harassment air mission to the Egyptian target hex at 19A:0922.  At the end of step 22 the two A type air units rebase at El Alamein, having delivered their total of 4 tac factors to the 0922 target hex, good for two harassment marker hits.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the map the 12 old gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated there on the earlier Aug I 41 Axis phase from a step of attack supply then at the hex.

The first thing the Axis player does in his M. Phase is send the Italian Ju 87B  2D3  1/8 air unit based at 18A:0603, at Sicily, on the Malta Status tac bombing air mission to the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta.  The Axis air unit has the luxury of rolling on the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table, Per WW Rule 37I2a.  The It Ju 87B D type air units gets past the Valletta hex’s flack, but it rolls low on the Bombing Table, for a Miss.  It rebases at 18A:0603, in Sicily.

Next, the SM 79-1 B type air unit based at Licata (18A:0102), at Sicily flies a bomber on an air transport air mission, per WW Optional Rule 23E3, carrying 1 Ger inf Replacement Point (RP) and one It inf RP to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.  It returns to base at Licata.

Aug II 41 Axis end of the naval movement step of the Movement Phase dispositions, Gulf of Sidra

Aug II 41 Axis end of the naval movement step of the Movement Phase dispositions, Gulf of Sidra

After that the Axis player sea transports his turn reinf Ger 2-8 Inf III 361, the final unsupported component of the Ger 5-8* Inf XX 90 La, from the mainland Europe off-map holding box to the Libyan clear terrain point city coast beach hex at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518).  Rolling on the 11 column of the Naval Table, it seemingly easily avoids contact with Cent Med sea zone Allied anti-shipping forces.  However, the unsupported ground unit does suffer a Disruption die roll on the Disruption Table done for its beach disembarkation, certainly due to suffering the -3 modifier for not being amphibious-capable, as the Axis player has no available Mediterranean sea zone ANTPs.

In the M. Phase the Axis player moves the It 0-6 Cons III 10 A unit at 18A:4819 one hex N to 4818, at the overlooking ridge hex S of Tobruch, and spends the unit’s remaining 5 MPs constructing a 1-cap permanent airfield there, w/ the last MP spent beginning the next cap increase.  The original plan was for this unit to move to Porto Bardiya, but later there was a change in plans, in part due to the menacing advance forward of the Allied Egyptian desert shield done on the Aug II 41 Allied turn.  The two Axis cons IIIs at adjacent hex 18A;4918, SE of Tobruch, begin the quick-construction of a fort there.  At this point in the game the Axis is pondering what his subsequent short-term construction unit policy should be, eg., where will he move his three available Axis construction units and what will they do?  What do you think?

Aug II 41 Axis end of the naval movement step of the Movement Phase disopositions, Western Desert

Aug II 41 Axis end of the naval movement step of the Movement Phase disopositions, Western Desert

In the C. Phase the Axis player instigates another large ground attack against the Tobruch improved fortress hex.  This is the third big Tobruch attack in the game, the last one being on the Jul I 41 Axis turn and the first done on the May I 41 Axis turn, the final Axis turn that Tobruch was still an unimproved fortress in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario.  For the second time the Axis player executes a “specialist” attack, centering the improved fortress assault around the Italian 1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G, in order to get the +1 combat die roll modifier when attacking a fortification hex, per WW Rules 14A2&3.  In addition to the It aslt eng II, the Axis player utilizes all his available heavy AA and artillery units, both of whose attack strengths are not halved when attacking fortifications.  In order to hopefully attain the better straight up 2 to 1 odds on the combat die roll, he again throws into the Tobruch attack virtually all the available Axis air tac factors (halved against the improved fortress) in the zone, except for those of the two Ger LW Me 109 F type air units, which are necessarily used for escort of the big GS air op.  To be sure, if the Allied 3 flack factor shot at Tobruch proves unusually effective, then the Axis player will be forced to settle for the raunchy 3 to 2 odds, but even in that case he has the consolation of no AH result possibility.  The two Allied Hurri 1 F type air units based at Tobruch opt to intercept, but both sides’ involved F type air units survive the ensuing air combats.

Aug II 41 Axis Combat Phase action details: the attack on Tobruch

Aug II 41 Axis Combat Phase action details: the attack on Tobruch

The following Axis ground units attack from hex 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch:  the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 15, the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21, the 3-4-6 Art III 5 A, the 1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC, and the 1-8 Mot Art 3 AC.  From 18A:4818, S of Tobruch, these Axis ground units attack:  the 7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar, the Ger 3-10 Mot Inf III 115, the Ger LW Mot Hv AA III 135, the 2-3-8 Art III 16 C, and the Ger Art III 221.  From 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, the following Axis ground units participate in the combat:  the 1-8 Asslt Eng II 31 G, the 1-8 Hv AA II 29, the Ger Mot AT II 605, the 2-3-6 Art III 24 C, and the 1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC.  This constitutes a ground unit adjusted attack factor total of 32.5, with at least 1/10 of the REs of the attacking ground units (excluding the attacking artillery REs) being combat engineers, thereby enabling the +1 combat resolution die roll modifier, per WW Rules 14A2&3.  Added to this ground unit adjusted attack factor total of 32.5 are an additional 8.5 adjusted (eg., halved, due to the improved fortress) Axis air unit GS tac factors, which survived the Tobruch AA flack dice rolls, for an Axis attack factor grand total of 41.  The Allied player has a total of 19 defense factors at Tobruch, and so the attack equates to a straight up 2 to 1, with the -1 modifier for the Allies’ improved fortress being off-set by the Axis +1 combat/assault engineer capability modifier.  At the gameboard the attack procedure proceeds to the combat die roll, which stops rolling at a 3:  AS, just like the last time!  The certainly resolute but frankly bitter Axis player duly expends the two steps of attack supply used in the combat, admittedly slips for a moment into a blue funk in the privacy of his tent, and ponders what to do next in the world war, in the proven circumstance of being scorned by Victory for the present in the ancient sands of Libya.

Commentary

For the Axis player at the end of the turn, the name of the game might be what to do next in North Africa, in the midst of the third quarter of 1941, seeing that this turn’s big  attack against Tobruch has failed.  For those hard core Europa desert game fans, there is the near-term Axis construction unit policy in Libya to consider, along with the policy of the turn-by-turn movement of steps of attack supply.  A significant strategic consideration is the availability of the German 1941 Special Operations Forces (see WW Rule 33D), in our particular game beginning on the Sep II 41 Axis turn.  That turn also maybe the “best chance” turn for an Axis 1941 airborne assault on Malta in Europa, and this player serves notice now that he will not “proof” Malta from any chance at all of a successful Axis airborne assault by some convenient rules interpretation of the Europa rules as written.  Beginning on the Nov 1 41 Axis turn the possibility of Mud weather again rears its unwelcome head in the Western Desert campaign in the curious E weather zone notch in the Cyrenaica, containing the Libyan cities of Benghazi, Barce, and Derna, along with all the rough terrain territory there.  Also, in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, there might be the game board consideration of whether or not to open Bengasi as an Axis standard supply terminal in 1941.  But we will probably not attempt this admittedly home-brew rule variant in the EA reported Scenario, as its wargme implications extend well into 1942 and even the first quarter of ’43, longer than the reported Scenario will be played.

Insofar as the short term Axis strategy in the current reported wargame, right now it appears that it will spin around the preparation of yet another big assault on the Tobruch hex, done with the conviction that speed is of the essence so as to not be preempted by an Allied Crusader type Western Desert offensive, which is coming and will likely dash all pending Axis schemes.

Right now, I’m not sure how many more turns of game reports will be done for the present wargame.  Although I confess to having great fun so far with the Scenario project, there are other pressing issues at hand that could and perhaps eventually should require my fuller attention.  We might stop with the fall of Tobruch, if that should happen, which would seem to be a fitting end of a 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, or we may continue to the Jan I or Jan II 42 game turn, thereby including in the Scenario project the end of the Operation Crusader epoch and one of the WW Victory Point Jan II turn Schedule dates for determining control of territory for VPs.  Implied in the first part of the previous sentence is my growing conviction that the Operation Crusader epoch is more closely associated with the 1941 “Enter Rommel” period than it is with the latter 1942 Operation Cauldron/El Alamein historical period.  In any event, a deliberate aim of the WW 1941 Scenario project all along has been both a later beginning and an earlier ending to either of the standard WW WD or ME Scenarios, with their conventional Dec I 40 beginning and Jan II 43 end dates.  A Jan II 42 ending of the 1941 Scenario would also be better for an eventual incorporation of the WW East African Campaign into the project, which might closely coincide with the cessation of the world war campaign down there.  From the project’s very start, it has been envisioned here as a scaled-down mini-scenario of the larger WW “Wavell’s War” Scenario, from which many exquisite truncated variants could be conceived, and which in my opinion is a WWII board wargame classic and a quantum leap in 20th century wargame design conception.  Someday it should be reworked, revised, updated, and placed into a new game box, encompassing in many interlocking Scenarios the Balkans, the Mediterranean and North African campaigns, the Mid and Near East Campaigns, the West African and the obscure sub-Sahara campaigns of 1940, the East African campaign, and the Madagascar campaign of ’42.

The tooth of time…

…gnaweth at my posessions, just as it eats everything else. We had some water damage in the cellar, a broken pipe leaking directly into the box with my Europa-games carefully propped up on plastic boxes to protect it from water on the floor. When I came into the basement and noticed, the whole box was mouldy and most of my Europa-games are now a soggy slush of paper. And so it goes.

The insurance will cover the damage, thereby relieveing me from my new years resolution on selling them all on Ebay.

So, a little bit of Second Front may be salvageable, and so might be some maps and rules here and there, but most of my Europa is gone – making me realize again I didnt play those games actively in over a decade now.  And since there are a lot and more personal pages now hosting game reports – wordpress enabling mortals to throw up a reasonably well-looking page in some hours – I think the Generalstab slowly ceases to be relevant and useful. I wont take the site down just yet, but dont expect a lot of updates coming. I might publish some more of Eric Pierce OBs – if I get his permission – and clean up the archive (in which some game reports are still a mess), but I dont have any bigger plans anymore. Which is not a bad thing itself, I will concentrate (yet again) on the military database. Maybe one day I can show you :)

Aug II 41 Allied Turn

Aug II 41 Allied EOT Dispositions

Malta [end of turn]:

  • Malta Status: 11, end of turn [at turn’s start 12, – 1 repair this turn = 11]
  • Malta Repair Rate: beginning on the Jul I 41 turn, 2 repair points each I turn and 1 repair point each II turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.
  • At the start of the Allied turn there were no gsp’s present in the Valletta hex.  On the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn the Allied player was unable to successfully sea transport any gsp’s to Malta, as the usual W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s generated at Gibraltar was sunk that turn by Axis anti-shipping forces when it entered the Cent Med sea zone on map 18A . This is important for the two Br hv AA IIs’ flack factors, which are currently halved due to being U-2. Valletta’s intrinsic flack is not affected by supply, as in the EA game reports for the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario we are not using WW Optional Rule 12E4-Intrinsic AA and General Supply Effects.
  • The Br Hurri 2 5F5 1/9 air unit is in the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool.

Valletta (18A:0407) [rough terrain point city major port hex, w/ a strong natural harbor]:
3-cap permanent airfield; one hit of damage
Valletta hex flack factor: 5 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 2 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II units, AA = 2 each, but halved for being U-2)
3-6* Inf X 1 M [definitely Red U-2]
2-6* Inf X 2 M [definitely Red U-2]
3-6* Inf  X 3 M [per the WitD Allied OB booklet, at the Aug I 41 Allied turn heading, this is a Conversion unit of the original 1-8 MG II 2 Ch unit beginning the turn here; the conversion was done this turn at step 14 of the I. Phase, w/ the 2 Br inf RPs stored at the Valletta limited supply terminal duly expended at step 14 to enable the conversion; the newly converted unit is definitely Red U-2, as was the pre-conversion unit]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 10 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 4 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-4 Cons X MC [definitely Red U-2]

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Central Mediterranean

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Central Mediterranean

In Libya [{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:

Tobruch (18A:4817) [clear terrain fortress point city standard port road junction hex, w/ a strong natural harbor]:
Improved fortress; construction of the improved fortress was completed in the May II 41 Allied I. Phase.

  • Per the WW Airbase Summary, improved fortresses have a permanent airfield capacity of 1.

3-cap temporary airfield, two hits of airfield damage
{one port damage hit marker, repaired this turn by the 0-1-4 cons X}
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4; spent 4 MPs in the hex repairing the single port damage hit marker]
2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; never moved; technically Red U-4]
2-8* Inf X 26 (Aus) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; never moved; technically Red U-4]
7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 51 [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
3-8 Inf X 22 G [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to here; in general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase]
3-8 Art X 13 [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [operative; ARP build at step 14 of the I. Phase; killed in combat over the Tobruch hex on the Aug I 41 Axis M. Phase; this air unit was taken from the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Middle East Replacement Pool and placed at the certainly isolated & out-of-supply air base at Tobruch; apparently this is quite legal in WW-based games, per WW Rule 25C2; note that evidently “repaired” air units taken from an Aborted Air Units Box must be placed on-map “at any friendly-owned unisolated air base in the command that has a capacity of 1 or more and that is in ARP supply,” per WW Rule 25C3, but that “replaced” air units taken from the Eliminated Air Units Box do not wear this restriction chain-hobble; the air unit begins in general supply, as it was placed after step 11 of the I. Phase; never moved this turn]

12 gsp’s [generated at step 16 of the Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase from a step of attack supply present in the Tobruch hex; these provide special general supply this turn and in the following Aug I 41 Axis turn; they will be removed from the map at step 24 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase, after the step 11 supply determination step]

4 gsp’s [generated this turn at step 16 of the I. Phase at Suez; successfully sea transported in an E Med ANTP to the Tobruch beach hex and amphibiously disembarked there in the naval movement step of the M. Phase]

one step of attack supply [began turn at Alexandria; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to here]

Aug II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Western Desert

Aug II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Western Desert

In Egypt [{M. Phase}/end of turn]:

19A:0920 [clear terrain hex]
6-4-6 Arm X 1 T [began turn at 19A:1018; in the M. Phase regular moved two hexes to 19A:0920; remained in the hex]
3-2-10 Arm X 7 [component part of the 7-10* Arm XX 7, which began the turn at 19A:1020; the arm XX broke down in the M. Phase at hex 1020 and the component 3-2-10 Arm X 7 unit then moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
1-10* Mot SG X AA=1 2 [began turn at 19A:1020; in the M. Phase regular moved west along the Egyptian coast road to Halfaya Pass (19A:0419) and then back to coast road hex 19A:0618, ending the M. Phase there; exploited to here]
3-8 Art X 10 [began turn at 19A:1018; regular moved two hexes to 19A:0920]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:1018; regular moved two hexes to 19A:0920]

19A:1020 [clear terrain road to Siwa hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn at 19A;1019; moved one hex to here]

19A:0919 [clear terrain hex]:
3-2-10 Arm X 3 [component part of the 7-10* Arm XX 7, which began turn at 19A:1020; the arm XX broke down in the M. Phase at hex 1020 and the component 3-2-10 Arm X 3 unit regular moved two hexes to here; remained in the hex]
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119); moved to 19A:1118; exploited to here]
2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119); admin moved to 19A:1118; exploited to here]
2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [began turn at Tobruch; technically Red U-4; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was sea transported to Alexandria, then railed to Matruh; exploited to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1020; in the M. Phase regular moved south along the Siwa road to the Siwa Oasis (19A:0627) and then one hex back to road hex 19A:0626, ending the M. Phase there; exploited north to here]
1-10 Recon II 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1018; in the M. Phase regular moved one hex to 19A:0919; remained in the hex]
1-2-10* Mot SG X AA=1 7 [component part of the 7-10* Arm XX 7,which began turn at 19A:1020; the arm XX broke down in the M. Phase at hex 1020 and the component 1-2-10 mot SG X unit then regular moved two hexes to here; remained in the hex]
4 gsp’s [generated this turn at step 16 of the I. Phase; railed to Matruh; in the E. Phase spent 5 SMPs exploiting to here]

19A:1019 [clear terrain hex, two hexes SW of Matruh; on the next not completed Tobruch-Matruh railway line]:
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began the turn at 19A:1119; on the Aug I 41 Allied M. Phase it spent 2 MPs in hex 1119 beginning the construction there of a 1-cap temporary airfield; this turn, per WW Rule 14A1, it opted to complete the construction of the Matruh/Tobruch railroad in hex 19A:1119 by expending all its MPs there, enabling the Allied player to advance the railhead marker immediately afterwards to this hex in the current M. Phase, from the Matruh hex; after this the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) then automatically voluntarily advanced westwards one hex into the adjacent unbuilt Matruh/Tobruch railroad hex, per the said WW rule; in so doing it abandoned the uncompleted 1-cap temporary airfield it had begun the previous turn at 19A:1119; ended the turn here, at 1019]
2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1119; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; the division’s other two supported Aus inf X’s are at Tobruch; this unit moved one hex to here]
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 2 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1621; regular moved to here]

19A:1119 [clear terrain major rail line hex, SW of Matruh]:
railhead marker

  • The Matruh-Tobruch railhead marker was advanced into this hex in the M. Phase, from its Matruh hex starting point, after the 1 RE cons unit beginning the turn in hex 19A:1119 declared all its MPs expended in building the railway line there.  Doing this also gives the 0-1-4 cons X the ability to voluntarily automatically move into the next adjacent not yet begun Tobruch-Matruh railway hex, per WW Rule 14A1.  Per the WitD Allied OB booklet the Tobruch-Matruh railway construction may begin on the Aug II 41 Allied turn.
  • 7-8* Inf XX 6 [British; assembled here at the end of the M. Phase from the unsupported components]
    Note:  This is a Unit Identification Options Change taken from the WW OB booklet, at p. 13.  The 7-8* Inf XX’s HQ unit is a substitute for the 8 Inf XX HQ 70 reinforcement unit, Arriving on the May I 41 Allied turn, per the WitD Allied OB.  Per the WW OB booklet it Converts to the 8 Inf XX 70 HQ unit on the Oct I 41 Allied turn, which is apparently also when the 7-8 Inf XX 70 can then finally assemble.  Evidently no provision has been made in the officially published Europa literature for a Br 7-8* Inf XX 6 divisional unit to be available for assembly on the May I 41 Allied turn, but such a divisional unit has been provided in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario project, pending further input.  There is a British 8* Inf XX HQ 6 unit available in the revised BF counter sheet, which I believe is part of a small number of WitD corrections/additions included in this revised BF counter sheet.  Interestingly, this “official” unit has a 8 Inf XX HQ 6 on the flip-side (eg., w/out the *), possibly indicating a unit conversion that has not yet been accounted for in the published Europa literature.  EA member Ralph Sunley was kind enough to send me part of a software application which enabled the creation of a provisional new British 7-8* Inf XX 6 unit and also the new Trans-Jordanian 1-10 Mot Inf III AL (Arab Legion) unit for use in the EA game reports.
  • 8* Inf XX HQ 6 [British; began turn at Haifa, in Palestine; in the M. Phase sea transported to Alexandria, then railed to Matruh, and moved to here; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
  • 2-8 Inf X 161 [began turn at 19A:1219; moved one hex to here; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
  • 2-8 Inf X 150 [began turn at 19A:1420; regular moved to here; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
  • 2-8 Inf X 151 [at the start of the turn this Br inf X was broken down into two unsupported “Y” IIs; the 1-8 Inf II Y began the turn at 19A:1320 and the 0-1-8 Inf II Y began the turn at 19A:1420; in the M. Phase both inf IIs “Y” regular moved to here and later in the M. Phase reassembled into the 2-8 Inf X 151; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]

19A:1118 [clear terrain coast road hex, NW of Matruh]:
2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began turn at Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt; railed to Matruh, then moved one hex to here]
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt; railed to Matruh, then moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 5 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1521; regular moved to here]

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase disposition: Eastern Mediterranean

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase disposition: Eastern Mediterranean

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail line junction coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
{7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA) [began turn here; at the start of the M. Phase it broke down into its supported components]}
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to Matruh; remained here]
2-8 Inf X 14 [began turn at Haifa, in Palestine; railed to Alexandria; in the E. Phase the Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 air unit based at Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) staged to Alexandria, picked up the Br inf X and air transported it to here; the Bombay T type air unit returned to base at Alexandria]
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at 19A:1119; regular moved to here]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 68 [began turn here; never moved]
P-40C 5F5 1/13 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [inop.; began turn here; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it flew the CAP air mission over all-sea hex 19A;0717, N of Sidi Barrani; returned to base here early in the ground movement step of the M. Phase]
Hurri 1 5NF5 1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1219 [clear terrain road to Siwa hex, S of Matruh]:
8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1420; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 4 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria, railed to Matruh and then moved to here]

19A:1319 [major rail line coast hex, SE of Matruh]:
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn at Tripoli (20A:5005), in Lebanon; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it sea transported to Alexandria; railed to here; used its last 2 remaining MPs beginning the construction of a 1-cap temporary airfield here]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began turn at Haifa, in Palestine; railed to here]
0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 57 [began turn here; never moved]
Well 1C 3NB4 1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) ; in the E. Phase flew a strat port night bombing air mission to the Derna (18A;4116) target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Well 1C 3NB4 1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033); in the E. Phase flew a strat port night bombing air mission to the Derna (18A;4116) target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1320 [clear terrain hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1219; moved one hex to here]

19A:1420 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn at Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt; railed to 19A:1418, then moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 6 (SA) [supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA), which began the turn at Matruh and broke down early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]

19A:1521 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 3 (SA) [supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA), which began the turn at Matruh and broke down early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]

19A:1621 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 1 (SA) [supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA), which began the turn at Matruh and broke down early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]

El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) [clear terrain point city major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
fort marker [completed in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase]
0-8 Hv AA II AA=1 2 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
A-22 3A3 2-1/19 [inop.; began turn at 19A:1418; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
A-22 3A3 2-1/19 SAAF [inop.; began turn 19A:1418; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [full city hex/major port major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
0-2-8 Hv AA X AA=4 1 NMBDO (RM) [began turn here; never moved]
Glad 3F3 0/8 [operative; began turn here; late in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here from Ismailia (19A:3516); never moved this turn]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [inop.; began turn at Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413); late in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it air transferred to Port Said from Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq; in the E. Phase of this turn it staged to Alexandria, picked up the Br 2-8 Inf X 14 unit, and air transported it to Matruh (19A:1218); rebased here]

Cairo (19A:3219) [full city hex transportation line junction hex, NW of the Cairo partial city hex]:
0-1-6 RR Eng X MEF (Emp) [began turn here; Egypt Garrison eng/cons unit; never moved]

  • This unit can’t move from here w/out violating the Egypt Garrison eng/cons unit provision, unless another 1 RE eng/cons unit takes its place.

Cairo (19A:3320) [clear terrain partial city hex, SE of the Cairo full city hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line nexus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker

Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) [swamp dot city/standard port/Suez Canal major rail line terminal coast hex]:
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began turn at Alexandria; railed to here]

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispostions in the Levante

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispostions in the Levante

In Palestine [end of turn]:

  • Per WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons, the Palestine garrison requirement is 3 REs of Garrison-category units. The Allied garrisons are determined at step 17 of the Allied I. Phase. However, per WW Rule 37E4, Forming units in the ME Replacement Pool count at their regular RE size for the Palestine Garrison requirement, as do also ME Replacement Pool units, but they count at 1/3 their regular RE size. In addition to the 1.5 Garrison-capable REs present on-map in Palestine, the Allied player is counting some of the 3.5 Garrison-capable REs in the Forming Box of the Middle East Command Replacement Pool.  See below, in the Middle East Replacement Pool section, for further details.

Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:

  • Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. More later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios, in conjunction w/ the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison/construction, per WW Advanced Rule 14A1e, and in reference to the Levant Allied Garrison stipulations on WW Game Play Chart 5.

1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at Soueida (20A:4905), in Syria; regular moved to here]
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn here; never moved]

Tel Aviv (19A:4308 [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [began turn at 18A:4808; moved to here]

Allied Units in Armistice Lebanon & Syria [{M. Phase}/end of turn]:

  • Per the WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons (Rule 37E), it appears the Allied player is fulfilling the garrison requirements for the Vichy French Levant, and has been since the beginning of the Allied invasion of the the Levant on the Jun I 41 Allied turn.

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
{7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus) [began turn at Beyrouth (20A:4207); early in the M. Phase it broke down into its component supported inf X’s]}
2-8* Inf X 18 (Aus) [supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); broke down into its component supported inf X’s at the beginning of the M. Phase; this supported component remained here]

Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line coast hex]:

  • Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. More later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios, in conjunction w/ the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison/construction, per WW Advanced Rule 14A1e, and in reference to the Levant Allied Garrison stipulations on WW Game Play Chart 5.

2-8* Inf X 21 (Aus) [supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); broke down into its component supported inf X’s at the beginning of the M. Phase; this supported component moved to here]

Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn here]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at Alep (20A:3231); regular moved along the road to here, capturing Idib (21A:3333) along the way]

Homs (20A:3902) [clear terrain reference city transportation line junction hex]:
hit marker on reference city airbase
Allied owned; vacant

Hama (20A:3702) [clear terrain reference city major rail line hex]:
hit marker on reference city airbase
Allied owned; vacant

Alep (21A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
2-8* Inf X 25 (Aus)  [supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); broke down into its component supported inf X’s at the beginning of the M. Phase; this supported component admin moved to here]

On Cyprus [end of turn]:

Limassol (20A:3615) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

Famagusta (20A:3411) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

Non Phasing Axis Air Activity in the Allied Exploitation Phase:

Late in the E. Phase the Axis player air transfers the It CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 air unit based at 18A:0603, in Sicily, to Derna (18A:4116), in Libya.

Late in the E. Phase the Axis player air transfers the Ger LW Me 109E 7F5 1/7 air unit based at 18A:0403, in Sicily, to Derna.

Late in the E. Phase the Axis player air transfers the Ger LW He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22 air unit based at Derna to the 3-cap permanent airfield at Bengasi (18A:3121), in Libya.

Aug II 41 Allied Initial Phase dispositions in Iraq

Aug II 41 Allied Initial Phase dispositions in Iraq

Middle East (ME) Command Replacement Pool [{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:

3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]
2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]
3-2-10 Arm X 4 [in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario this unit is at-start in the ME Replacement Pool, per F. Watson’s ER-II Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#71]
3-2-10 Arm X 1 [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; this is the original pre-conversion unit of the one sent to Greece]

Eliminated Air Units Box:

Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase it participated in the first Allied attack in the Vichy French Levant, flying the GS air mission at 20A:4607; it was Killed in air combat there by the bypassing Vichy Fr D 520 F type air unit, flying the Interception air mission to the target hex]
{Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [killed in combat over the Tobruch hex on the Aug I 41 Axis M. Phase; rebuilt at step 14 of this turn’s I. Phase after the Allied player spends 2 ARPs]}

Forming Box:

3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
2-8* Inf X 2 FL (FF)  [placed here at step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the Apr II 42 Allied turn]
1-2-6 Inf X 3FL (FF)  [placed here at step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the May II 42 Allied turn]

The Allied Near East (NE) Command on the Aug II 41 Allied turn:

  • Iraqi coup collapse occurred in the May II 41 Axis I. Phase, per the dice roll done then using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table. At that time all Iraqi forces/production were removed from the map and the Iraq Replacement Pool. By the end of the I. Phase all Iraqi territory was Allied owned; except in our case the Mosul hex, which at the time contained the Axis Conditional Reinforcement Ger LW Mxd A type air unit.  Seeing that the Iraqi coup had indeed collapsed, the Axis Conditional Reinforcement promptly air transferred out of the Mosul hex later in the May II 41 Axis turn, and Mosul was captured by the Allies in the following Jun I 41 Allied turn.
  • The current Allied Iraqi railnet-cap is 3 1/2.
  • At step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase the Allied player transferred 10 Middle East Command SMPs to the Near East Command, per WW Rule 12H2b.  They cannot be used there until the following Aug II 41 Allied turn, eg., this turn.
  • This turn the Allies invade neutral, but pro-Axis Iran.  When the Allies invade Iran, Iran then declares war on the Allies and joins the Axis, and the Axis player controls the Iranian forces.  Following the Allied invasion of Iran, at step 4 of the Axis I. Phase, the Allied player rolls the dice and consults the WW Iranian Surrender Table.  On a roll of 10 or more, Iran surrenders to the Allies.  The Allied player gets a +1 modifier “for each Allied-owned city in Iran (except Tehran) south of the ‘D’ weather line.”  At the end of the current Allied turn they have 10 Iranian city hexes in their control, which apparently makes Iranian surrender automatic in the following Axis I. Phase.  See WW Rule 38I for rules details regarding Iran.
  • Per the WW War in the Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, at the additional conditions on the maps bullet, which is used in ME Scenario-based Europa games, “the transportation line from Basra (22A:4313) to 22A:4011 does not exist (is neither a road nor a railroad).”  There is a further elaboration at Appendix G–Transportation Lines, in the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet, where it states that “construction was undertaken following the Anglo-Soviet occupation of Iran and was completed in March 1942.  Actually, only a rail ferry crossed Shatt-al-Arab until mid-1943, when a rail bridge was completed.”  For now, pending further input, it is assumed that there is another bridge crossing the Shatt-al-Arab a little farther south at the borderline hex-side of 22A:4411 (in Iraq) and Abadan (22A:4410), in Iran, which is good enough for normal ground unit crossing and supply tracing purposes via the road element, per WW Rule 12B.

In pro-Allied Iraq [{end of the C. Phase}/end of turn]:

  • Per the WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons (Rule 37E), it appears the Allied player is fulfilling the garrison requirements this turn, for Iraq. This would be per the horizontal line reading: “EJIS [Jul II 41] – Sep I 41”. For a more detailed discussion of the Iraq garrison, see the Jul I 41 Allied game report

21A:4208 [clear terrain major rail line hex]:
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:3116, in the Syrian “duckbill” area; admin moved 16 hexes along transportation lines to here]

21A:4821 [ravines hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn at 21A:4925, in Iraq; regular moved to here in the M. Phase; remained in the hex]

  • This is a provisional new unit introduced in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario on the May I 41 Allied turn. For more details, see that posted EA game report.

H-3 Pump Station (21A:5125) [stony desert road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4726, in Iraq; moved along the road to here]

one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:2827, E of Habbaniya, in Iraq; in the M. Phase spent 19 SMPs moving west along the road to here]

Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied owned]
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:5106, in Trans-Jordan; admin moved along the road to here]

Ramadi (22A:2830) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq; admin moved along the road to here]

Habbaniya (22A:2828) [clear terrain point city road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq; admin moved along the road to here]
0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [began turn at Ramadi (22A:2830); moved to here]

Baghdad 22A:2825 [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
one hit marker on airbase
vacant at the end of the M. Phase

Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]
4 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Audax  1A1  1/8 inop.; began turn here; in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Basra from the Habbaniya airfield (22A:2828), in Iraq; in the C. Phase of this turn it flew the GS air mission to the Ahwaz (22A:3810) hex, in Iran; rebased here]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 (RAAF) [inop.; began turn here; in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Basra from Alexandria, in Egypt; at the beginning of the M. Phase of this turn it flew the CAP air mission over the Ahwaz hex (22A:3810), in Iran; in the C. Phase it switched to the Escort air mission, after the Iranian Mxd  3F3  1/8 air unit based at Ahwaz flew the Interception air mission against the Br Audax A type air unit flying the GS air mission to the hex; the RAAF Hurri 1 air unit inflicted a Kill on the Iranian Mxd F type air unit in the ensuing air combat above the Ahwaz target hex; rebased here]

22A:4312 [swamp road hex, next to the Iranian border]:
{one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:4411, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; spent one SMP in the M. Phase moving to here; expended at the end of the C. Phase for the Allied ground combat attack at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in Iran]}

In Iran [end of turn]:
Shahabad (32:2229) [mountain point city road hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn at Khanaquin (21A:4501/32:2133)), in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at Khanaquin (21A:4501/32:2133), in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to here]

Karind (32:2130) [mountain point city road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at Baghdad (22A:2825); admin moved to here along the transportation lines]

32:2131 [mountain road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at Habbaniya (22A:2828), in Iraq; admin moved along transportation lines to here]

22A:3709 [clear terrain road hex]:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to Ramhormoz (22A:3907), but also captured Haft Kel (22A:3807) along the way; exploited to here, but captured Masjid-i-Sulaiman (22A:3508) and Sushtar (22A:3509) along the way]

Ahwaz (22A:3810) [clear terrain reference city major rail line-road junction hex]:
6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) [assembled at adjacent hex 22A:3911 with its unsupported components at the end of the M. Phase; in the C. Phase it attacked the Iranian 1-6* Inf XX 6 at Ahwaz; advanced into the Ahwaz hex after combat]

  • 8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212; in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz; assembled into the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]
  • 2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz; assembled into the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]
  • 1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212; in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz, but captured Susangerd (22A:3812) along the way; assembled into the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]
  • 2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4411, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz, in the M. Phase, crossing the Shatt al Arab-Tigris and capturing Khorramshahr (22A:4311) and Abadan (22A:4410) while moving along the transportation line along the way; assembled into the 6-8* Ind XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]

Turn Activity

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied ground and air units at the isolated Tobruch hex that began the turn at technically Red or Black U-4 essentially remain at this U-4 status, as per WW Optional Rule 12E, U-4 is in effect the most severe supply status for a unit.  All 9 REs of ground units and the single air unit beginning the turn at Tobruch are in special general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase due to the 14 gsp’s in the hex. These twelve gsp’s were generated from a step of attack supply present in the hex on the Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase.  They will be removed from the maps at step 24 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase, after the supply determination step for that turn.  At Malta, all of the 4.5 REs of Allied ground units beginning the turn there are definitely Red U-2, as no gsp’s were sea transported to there on the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn.

Aug II 41 Allied naval movement step

Aug II 41 Allied naval movement step

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player spends no accumulated inf or arm RPs in the Middle East Command.  He does, however, spend two of his three remaining ARPs to repair the Br Hurri 1 5F5 1/8  air unit that was killed in combat over the Tobruch hex on the Aug I 41 Axis M. Phase.  The repaired air unit is taken from the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Middle East Replacement Pool and placed at the certainly isolated & out-of-supply air base at Tobruch.  This is apparently legal in WW-based games, per WW Rule 25C2.  Note that evidently “repaired” air units taken from an Aborted Air Units Box must be placed on-map “at any friendly-owned unisolated air base in the command that has a capacity of 1 or more and that is in ARP supply,” per WW Rule 25C3, but that “replaced” air units are not encumbered by the “unisolated” restriction, per the same WW rule.   The air unit begins in general supply, as it was placed on-map after step 11 of the I. Phase.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player generates 4 new gsp’s at both the Suez and Alexandria Allied Standard Supply terminals.

At step 22 of the I. Phase the Axis player assigns the It SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 air unit and the Ger LW Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air unit, both based at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, to the Naval Patrol air mission.  The other Ger LW Ju 87B D type air unit based at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch, is assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission.  Finally, the two It Br 20M 3NB4  2-5/24 air units based at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) are also assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission.  No CAP air missions are flown by either side in the I. Phase.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the maps the 4 gsp’s at Egyptian Western Desert hex 19A:1020, stacked with the three c/m units there, including the 7-10* Arm XX 7.

In the naval movement step of the M. Phase the Allied player does a series of naval transport activities in the East and Central Mediterranean sea zones. He can send no gsp’s from Gibraltar to Malta this turn, as the available W Med NTP was sunk in the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn and cannot be replaced until the Sep I 41 turn; nor can use his E Med NTPs to conduct naval transport coming from or going into the W Med sea zone, per WW Rule 31A2.  This turn he will very likely be compelled to again attempt to sea transport to Tobruch the single step of attack supply on the maps in the Mediterranean, at Alexandria.  Will he this turn also sea transport one of the steps of attack supply at Basra to the Mediterranean Sea area, perhaps to Suez, in Egypt, or perhaps gsp’s to Malta from one of his standard Supply Terminals in the E Med sea zone?  The subsequent naval actions done this turn are listed below in sequential order. Those numbered that are indicated by a # are indicated as such in the naval movement step action activities picture included below in the game report. However, this turn the Allied player has only 8 E Med NTPs available for his sea transport demands.

#1.  In what is likely an unusual move, the Allied player first embarks on an E Med ANTP the 4 fresh gsp’s generated at Suez in the I. Phase and sends the cargo naval group up the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea, following the same sea route and day-night chronology done on the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn.  But when the cargo naval group gets to the last daylight all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, before the final all night movement segment of the voyage into the Tobruch harbor, the Axis player declines to attempt a Contact die roll by any of his assigned Naval Patrol air units.  The Allied player wonders why; is it due to the two operative Allied air units at Tobruch and the operative SAAF P-40C F type at Matruh, or is the Axis player only waiting for him to sea transport the step of attack supply at Alexandria?  The Axis player wonders why the 4 gsp’s are being transported on an E Med ANTP, but assumes it is somehow due to the damage hit marker currently affecting Tobruch’s port capacity, creating sea transport problems for the Allies.  In any event, the Allied player still has to run the gauntlet of the Axis anti-shipping forces upon entering map 18A, and also the Disruption Table die roll once the gsp’s are disembarked at Tobruch’s clear terrain beach hex, which is in an Axis ZOC.  Upon entering the Cent Med sea zone the Allied player rolls good on the Naval Table, fortunately using the 9 column now after the timely repair done to the Malta Status number done earlier in the I. Phase, and so the 4 gsp’s arrive at Tobruch beach hex, at the 10th naval movement step done at night.  But then begins a 45 naval movement point countdown for disembarking the “amphibious cargo” (because of the ANTP) at a friendly-owned beach, and in our case, the first 20 naval movement points must be in daylight and therefore, I presume, both the E Med ANTP and its cargo are still liable for Axis Naval Patrol air mission Contact attempts and possible air attacks while this amphibious disembarking at a beach is taking place in the daylight.  But once again the Axis player declines to bomb the quite vulnerable Allied naval force so close to the Axis air units assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission.  He knows the Special Ops Disruption Table die roll may still do his work for him, at least for the gsp’s, and he is perhaps protecting his air assets from the ANTP’s 2 factor flack shot and also possible interception from the two operative Hurri 1 air units based at Tobruch.  In time the Allied player spends the 45 additional naval movement points required to disembark the gsp’s at the Tobruch beach hex, twice in vulnerable daylight sessions without the Axis doing anything, and in the end the Allied player gets the opportunity to roll on the Disruption Table.  There is a -1 modifier for amphibiously disembarking in enemy ZOCs, and the die roll is a 3, modified to a 2, just enough for a No Effect, and so the gsp’s are not scattered.

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Western Desert

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Western Desert

Right after this the Allied player ups the ante in the Mediterranean aero-naval warfare by flying the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Matruh on the CAP air mission over the all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, likely preparing for one of the turn’s big naval transport operations.

#2.   Next, in somewhat of a surprise to the Axis player, the Allied player embarks the Br 2-1-6 Tnk II 7RT on an E Med NTP, which begins the turn at Tobruch and expends 10 naval movement points transporting it eastwards at night through all-sea hexes until entering all-sea hex 19A:0917, the first hex movement done in daylight. It avoids Axis anti-shipping contact on the Naval Table dice roll done when entering the Cent Med sea zone upon exiting the Tobruch harbor hex.  When it enters the optimal daylight Axis target hex at 19A:0917, the Axis player again declines to attempt any Axis Naval Patrol Contact die roll using the Success Table, perhaps because of the two good operative Allied fighters based at Matruh and in interception range.  And so the  Br 2-1-6 tnk II embarked on the E Med NTP continues its voyage to Alexandria, where the ground unit safely disembarks.

#3.  After this, the Allied player embarks the primo Br 3-8 Inf X 22 G, beginning the turn at Matruh (19A:1218), and sails it in daylight towards Tobruch, using the string of east-west all-sea hexes just north of the Axis-owned Egyptian coastline.  He pauses at all-sea hex 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani and still in the daylight, but the Axis player says go ahead, and so the Allied player does that, declaring the next all-sea hex at 19A:0617 as the first done at night movement, in the final night leg of the voyage into the safety of the Tobruch port hex.  When it enters the Cent Med sea zone, at the first sea hex of map 18A, it unfortunately rolls a dread Contact on the Naval Table, but sees a fortunate 5 on the subsequent Shipping Results Table die roll: for a NE.  And the 3-8 Inf X 22 G arrives safe and sound at the Tobruch hex.

#4.  Now the Allied player cannot put it off any longer, and sea transports on three E Med NTPs westwards towards Tobruch the step of attack supply beginning the turn at Alexandria, the only one in the Mediterranean, using the usual east-west voyage route along the north Egyptian coastline, but dog-legging one hex northwestwards at coast hex 19A:0918 to adjacent all-sea hex 19A:0817, in order to avoid being caught at an enemy-owned coastline hex in case the Axis player calls for a Naval Patrol Contact die roll on the Success Table.  A couple of hexes later, upon entering the preferred Axis target hex at all-sea hex 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, he again pauses to see what the Axis player wants to do, and the Axis player says proceed as you please.  And so the Allied player does, eventually entering the Central Med Sea zone at night at all-sea hex 18A:5117, where, perhaps with a nervous hand, he rolls good on the Naval Table, thereby avoiding the Axis anti-shipping forces plying those aged troubled waters.

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Egypt and Levante

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Egypt and Levante

#5.  With a visible sign of relief, the Allied player then brings on his two turn reinforcements, arriving from South Africa, which would be the 8 Inf XX HQ 2 (SA) and the 2-8 Inf X 4 (SA).  They are sea transported in turn reinforcement NTPs, and sail to the major port of Alexandria, where they disembark their cargo.

#6.  Finally the Allied player uses his last 2 remaining E Med NTPs to sea transport the Br 8* Inf XX HQ 6, beginning the turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, and the 2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus), beginning at Tripoli (20A:5005), in Lebanon, to Alexandria, ultimately combining together into a single cargo naval group.  This final naval transport ends the Allied naval movement step for the turn.

At the very beginning of the ground movement step of the M. Phase the Allied  player flies the RAAF Hurri  5F5  1/8 air unit, beginning the turn based at Basra (22A:4313), in SE Iraq, on the CAP air mission over the Ahwaz reference city hex (22A:3810), in Iran; which is the first Allied act of war against the neutral but pro-Axis Iranians.  The operative Iranian Mxd  2F2  1/8 air unit based at Ahwaz declines to intercept the Allied fighter flying overhead its airbase.

Right after that the Allied player rebases at Matruh the the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit flying the CAP air mission over the all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani.

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase in Iraq

Aug II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase in Iraq

Allied rail movement in the Middle East rail net on their Aug II 41 turn:

  • 3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began rail movement from Haifa, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking; doubled for a mot II unit, for total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8 Inf X 14 [began rail movement from Haifa, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began rail movement from Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began rail movement from Disuq, in Egypt, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began rail movement from Disuq, in Egypt, for a total of .5 RE of railcap]
  • 5 pos flk unit [British; began rail movement from Alexandria, for a total of .5 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8 Eng X [began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 8* Inf XX HQ 6 [British; began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 8 Inf XX 2 (SA) [turn reinf; began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8 Inf X 4 (SA) [turn reinf; began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
  • 4 gsp’s [began rail movement from Alexandria, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]

The Allies’ per turn Middle East railnet railcap is 16.

In the M. Phase the Allied player moves forward the Matruh-Tobruch railhead marker from Matruh to adjacent hex 19A:1119, and the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) that extended it into the next hex intended for the railway construction, which would be hex  19A:1019.  In so doing, he creates a situation demanding the forward movement of the two protective front line armored stack hexes that essentially comprise the Allied desert shield against the Afrika Korps, poised in far eastern Libya just behind the Egyptian borderline. These two front line armored stacks end the turn at 19A:0919 and 0920.  19A:0919 has 9 defense factors and 1 flack factor; 19A:0920 has 10 defense factors and 2 flack factors.  The 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME guards the shield’s flank, at 19A:1020.  At the end of the I. Phase of the following Aug II 41 Axis turn the Allied player intends to send Harassment to 19A:0922, to the south of the front line desert shield.  Coast road hex 19A:0918 is left vacant.  There is some risk in this EOT set-up, but it is just beyond the range of the Axis fighter units and is under the umbrella of Allied fighter units and DAS; and so the Allied player opts for it.  Much fretting was done about which of the two front line hexes should have 10 defense factors and which should have only 9, and which stack should have 2 flack factors and which should have 1.

Aug II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Western Desert

Aug II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Western Desert

The Aus 2-8 Eng X 1 has been brought from Syria to Egypt via sea transport, and and after rail movement from Alexandria, where it disembarked, begins a 1-cap temporary airfield at major rail line coast hex 19A:1319, SE of Matruh, for now.

The Allied player has not forgotten about the Haifa-Tripoli RR provision of the Allied Garrisons requirement, found on WW Game Play Chart 5, and intends to fulfill it utilizing WW Advanced Rule 14A1e.  Pending further input, it appears that if the Allies can have 3 REs of cons/eng units in the Levant by the I. Phase of the Nov I 41 turn and then keep them there, the Haifa-Tripoli railway should be complete by the I. Phase of the Jan I 43 turn, which should fulfill the implied Allied garrison requirement of in effect actually building to competition the Haifa-Tripoli RR by the end of a standard WW ME Scenario game, which is the basis of the new WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario.  If this is so, then the VP penalty count for not fulfilling the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison requirement would begin, at the latest, by the Nov I 41 Allied I. Phase.

Aug II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Eastern Iraq and western Ira

Aug II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Eastern Iraq and western Ira

In the C. Phase the Allied player attacks the Iranian 1-6* Inf XX 6 at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in SW Iran.  Attacking it is the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind), from adjacent hex 22A:3911, to the SW of Ahwaz.  This Allied unit assembled from its component parts at the end of the M. Phase.  The Br Audax  1A1  1/8 air unit, beginning the turn at Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq, flies the GS air mission over the Ahwaz hex.   The Iranian Mxd  2F2  1/8 air unit, based at Ahwaz,  then flies the Intercept air mission.  At that time the RAAF Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit flying the CAP air mission over the Ahwaz hex switches to the Escort air mission and inflicts a Kill on the Iranian F type air unit in the ensuing air combat; the Iranian fighter unit rolls a Return.  The Allied player attacks at a straight-up 7 to 1, adding the Audax’s 1 tac factor to the Inf inf XX’s 6 attack factors, and rolls a 1: DR; and so the Iranian Inf XX 6 retreats one hex to 22A:3710, to the NE on the major rail line.  The Ind 6-8* Inf XX 8 advances into Ahwaz after the combat, and the two Allied air units flying overhead the reference city hex return to base at Basra.  By the end of the E. Phase the Allies have captured 10 Iranian cities on the game maps.

At the end of their turn the Allies have the following inventory of accumulated RPs in the ME Command: 9.5 Br inf, 1.5 Br arm, 2.5 Aus inf, 2 NZ inf, 2 Ind inf, and 1 Allied ARP.  They began the turn with 3 ARPs, but 2 ARPs were spent rebuilding the eliminated Br Hurri 1 F type air unit that was placed at isolated Tobruch at step 14 of the I. Phase.

Aug II 41 Allied EOT dispositionns: off-map display details

Aug II 41 Allied EOT dispositionns: off-map display details

Commentary

For the second turn in a row, the Allied player has found it tough to figure out what to do with the British 8th Army’s desert shield line in west-central Egypt.  Lately, each Allied turn is like a new game, with non-divisional inf units either assembling into or breaking down from infantry divisions or battalions.  At the start of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the would-be designer knew something about the Mar II 41 to the Jun II 41 time period, having a few years earlier studied from start to finish F. Watson’s Enter Rommel-II Europa battle scenario, played on the Western Desert Scenario map groups (18A & 19A) only, while working to combine it with the WW Marita-Merkur Scenario into a somewhat larger Europa WW Scenario called “Operation Lustre”, which is in fact a completed Scenario, albeit unpublished.  Quite a bit of study and game play had also been done with a WW “Operation Crusader” Scenario revision, beginning on the Nov II 41 turn and ending on the Jan I 42 turn, although this one is admittedly not quite finished.  But there was a gap of recent Europa Western Desert and/or Middle East Scenario game play spanning the Jul I 41 to the Nov I 41 game turns.  This Europa desert wargaming territory has not been trod by me since the ’80s or early ’90s, until the current EA game reports for the present WW ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario project, and the fog of time has rolled in, obscuring the former Western Desert gameboard lessons learned back then.  For me this ”fog of time” dilemma was even “foggier” for the Allied play than for the Axis.

But the 0-1-4 Cons 43 RPC (Col) Crete campaign survivor unit now involved in constructing the Matruh-Tobruch railway has been like the high-kicking North Korean infantrymen in a Pyongyang May Day dress parade, prodding forward and westwards the necessary Allied desert shield frontal armored force, thereby perhaps enabling a somewhat historical time schedule for this gradual, but risky and necessarily cautious advance forward/westward in the EA reported wargame, which appears to be a necessary component for the springing of a successful Allied Crusader-type offensive later.  And as the gap narrows between the two opposing forces in the Western Desert, so does the risk of a technical flaw, or blunder, or miscalculation happening by either side; which is true to life, it seems, in the real world war case where the dread ante is regularly upped when one or both sides are pursuing a dangerous strategy of deliberately increasing the risks in the decisive zone, forcing the break.  This board wargame phenomena may be characteristic of warfare in the Western Desert in 1941, as opposed to that in other Europa campaigns, such as in Russia in 1941 or 1942.  Here in the Western Desert in the second half of 1941 it probably implies that one side’s strength, in our case the Allies, is steadily increasing to a tipping point, at which time the other side will be forced to either cut and run from their established position or else be faced with a big ground combat die roll at unfavorable odds and/or map positioning, and with a potentially decisive result if the attacker’s combat die roll is good.

There are evidently two published and distributed versions (eg., a bad & incorrect old version and a corrected newer version) of WitD map 32, just like the case of WitD map 22A, which was inadvertently used by me in earlier postings of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports.  Map 22A shows primarily SE Iraq and SW Iran; map 32 shows NW and north-central Iran (eg., that part of Iran west and south of the Caspian Sea, including Tehran).  I believe owners of these WitD Europa maps can tell the bad & incorrect old maps by a tell-tale “blue registration mark” on each (see the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet, p. 17, regarding the blue registration mark), which was evidently removed in the corrected never versions of each map, along with the more serious printed terrain errors.  On bad & incorrect map 22A the blue registration mark is at 22A:2728; on bad & incorrect map 32 the blue registration mark is at 32:1624.  In the pictures below viewers can see examples of each version of map 32 of Iran.  All map photographs below showing the Tehran hex are of the corrected newer version of map 32, I believe.  Would RV know if I am correct regarding map 32, since he was kind and alert enough to let me know earlier about map 22A, while there was still time for me to fix things somewhat in the EA game reports?  And I thank him again now for letting me know about map 22A.

 

Aug I Axis Turn

Aug I 41 Axis EOT Dispositions

Mainland Europe off-map holding box:

1.5 Italian inf Replacement Points (RPs) at the end of the Axis I. Phase and the Axis turn:  1 It inf RP at the start of the turn, + .5 reinforcement It inf RP at step 14 of the I. Phase = a new total of 1.5 It inf RPs at the end of step 14 of the Axis I. Phase; no builds this turn, or on-map transfers.

2 German inf RPs at the end of the Axis I. Phase and the Axis turn:  .5 Ger inf RP at the start of the turn, + 1.5 reinforcement Ger inf RPs at step 14 of the Axis I. Phase = a new total of 2 Ger inf RPs at the end of step 14 of the Axis I. Phase; no builds this turn, or on-map transfers.

3 Ger ARPs at the start & end of the turn; no builds this turn.

3 It ARPs at the end of the Axis I. Phase and the Axis turn:  4 It ARPs at the start of the turn, -1 to repair the CR 42  3F3  0/8 air unit in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool, placed at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya, at step 14 of the Axis I. Phase.

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions - Central Mediterranean

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions – Central Mediterranean

In Sicily [end of turn]:

Licata (18A:0102) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield
SM 79-1 2B3 1-5/22 [inop.; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status strat bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Miss; returned to base here]

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
Me 109E 7F5 1/7 [inop.; began turn at 18A:0603, in Sicily; flew the Escort air mission w/ the large Axis air op flying to the Valletta target hex at the very beginning of the M. Phase; engaged in combat w/ the intercepting Br Hurri 2 T type air unit, based at Valletta; inflicted a Kill on the Hurri 2 air unit; returned to base here]
G 50 3F3 0/9 [inop.; began turn at Licata (18A:0102); at the very beginning of the M. Phase if flew a fighter on a bombing air mission against the Valletta airbase; jettisoned; returned to base here]
Ca 311 2B2 1/L/14 [inop.; began turn at Syracusa (18A:0702), in Sicily; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status tac bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; returned to base here]

Coast hex 18A:0603:
3-cap permanent airfield
CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 [inop; began turn at Syracusa (18A:0702), in Sicily; at the very beginning of the M.Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing air mission against the Valletta airbase; jettisoned; returned to base here]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 [inop.; Italian; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status tac bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; returned to base here]

Syracusa (18A:0702) [reference city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Augusta (18A:0701) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Malta on the Aug I 41 Axis turn:
Malta Status: 8, at the start of the turn, +4 for Malta Status bombing hits done prior to the naval movement step of the M. Phase, = 12 during this turn’s naval movement step and at the EOT.

Valetta hex (18A:0407) flack: this turn, 5 (3 intrinsic + a total of 2 only for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs’ 2 flack factors each, as their unit flack factors were both halved because of being definitely Red U-2, due to the lack of gsp’s present at Malta at step 11 of the I. Phase)

On this turn Malta Status air missions to the Valletta hex would roll on the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table, Per WW Rule 37I2a.

There were no gsp’s present in the Valletta hex at the start of the Axis player turn.

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions in Lybia

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions in Lybia

Western Desert (Libya & Egypt) [{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:

Recap of Axis SMPs:  23, per the ER-II Scenario.

Tripolitania Garrison Box:
0-1-6* Inf III 290 GaF
0-1-6* Inf III 340 GaF
0-1-6* Inf III 350 GaF
0-2-6* Inf III 330 GaF

Tripoli (18A:0121) [clear terrain dot city/major port hex transportation line junction coast hex]:
Axis Supply Terminal marker
fort marker
0 pos flk unit AA=3 [Italian]
4 steps of attack supply [all began turn here; never moved]
1.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]
1.5 Ger arm RPs [turn reinforcements, began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase these 1.5 Ger arm RPs were successfully sea transported to Tripoli in a single naval group embarked on three turn reinf Axis NTPs; disembarked & stored at the Tripoli Axis standard supply terminal]
3 It inf RPs [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]
1 Ger inf RP [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]

18A:0122 [Castel Benito; clear terrain secondary rail line hex, S of Tripoli]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Misurata (18A:1022) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap temporary airfield
one step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya; in the E. Phase spent 9 SMPs exploiting to here]

Buerat el Hsum (18A:2116) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at Misurata (18A:1022); in the E. Phase spent 7 SMPs exploiting to here]

Sirte (18A:1727) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
fort marker
3-cap permanent airfield
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status strat bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Miss; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status strat bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status strat bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; returned to base here]

18A:2730 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

El Agheila (18A:2930) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

18A:3328 [clear terrain road hex, S of Agedabia]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:2730; in the E. Phase spent 6 SMPs exploiting to here]

Agedabia (18A:3327) [clear terrain point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

Bengasi (18A:3121) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line junction hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
12 port damage hit markers
4 pos flk AA=1 [Italian; began turn here; never moved]
3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol [began turn here; never moved]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

Soluch (18A:3222) [clear terrain point city secondary rail terminus hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

18A:3617 [rough terrain road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

18A:3618 [Maraua; rough terrain road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

18A:4218 [stony desert road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

Derna (18A:4116) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
1 port damage hit marker
8* Inf XX HQ 9 LA (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
0-6 Lt AA II AA=1 38 [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop.; ARP build; began turn here at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase it flew a fighter on an airbase bombing mission to the Tobruch target hex; jettisoned; returned to base here]
He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22 [inop.; began turn at Misurata (18A:1022), in Libya; in the M. Phase it staged to Sirte (18A:1727), picked up the resource point there, and air transported it (see WW Optional Rule 23E3) on a 1-way air transport air mission to Derna (18A:4116); rebased here]

18A:4216 [stony desert coast road hex, SE of Derna]:
one resource point [began the turn at Sirte (18A:1727); in the M. Phase was air transported to Derna (18A:4116) by the He 111H4 B type air unit, performing a bomber on an air transport air mission; in the E. Phase it spent 1 SMP moving to here, from Derna]

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
8 Inf XX HQ 102 Trn [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42 3F3 0/9 [inop.; began turn at Derna (18A:4116); early in the M. Phase it flew a fighter on an airbase bombing mission to the Tobruch target hex; jettisoned; engaged in combat w/ the bypassing intercepting SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit; returned to base here]
BR 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop.; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Br 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; Hit; returned to base here]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Ain el Gazala]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:3920; admin moved 7 hexes along the roads to here]

18A:4620 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8 Inf III 155 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4720; moved one hex to here]

18A:4720 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn at 18A:4620; moved one hex to here]

18A:4819 [clear terrain hex; 2 hexes S of Tobruch]:
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn here; never moved]
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn at 18A:4718; completed the construction of a 2-turn fort in 18A:4718 begun in the Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn here; never moved]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
fort marker
3-cap temporary airfield
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [began turn here; never moved]
3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [began turn here; never moved]
1-6 Hv AA II 29 [began turn here; never moved]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn at 18A:4818; regular moved one hex to here, expending 5 MPs]
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); early in the M. Phase it flew a fighter on an airbase bombing mission to the Tobruch target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 (LW) [inop.; began turn at Derna (18A:4116); early in the M. Phase it flew a tac port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]
SM 79-2 2B3 3-4/V/20 [inop.; began turn at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya; early in the M. Phase it flew a tac port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar [began turn here; never moved]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved one hex to here, expending 5 MPs]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
3-capacity temporary airfield [completed by the It 0-6 cons III early in the M. Phase]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn here; spent 5 MPs in the hex completing the construction of a 3-cap temporary airfield, three MPs had already been expended for its construction at the beginning of the turn; remained in the hex]
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4720; regular moved to here]
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0219; regular moved to here in the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
2-3-8 Art III 16C [began turn at Porto Bardia (19A:0318); regular moved to here]
Me 109F1 6F6 1/8 [inop.; began turn at 18A:4718; early in the M. Phase it flew the Escort air mission to the Tobruch target hex w/ the large air op; engaged in air combat w/ the intercepting Br Hurri 1 F type air unit; inflicted a Kill on the air unit; returned to base here]
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop; began turn at 18A:4718; early in the M. Phase it flew the Escort air mission to the Tobruch target hex w/ the large air op; engaged in air combat w/ the bypassing intercepting SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit; returned to base here]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at 18A:0603, at Sicily; air transferred to here in the E. Phase]

18A:5018 [clear terrain hex]:
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn at Porto Bardia (19A:0318); moved to here]

18A:5119 [clear terrain hex]:
2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32 [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to here in the M.Phase; remained in the hex]
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn here; never moved]

19A:0219 [clear terrain hex]:
8-7-10* Pz XX 5 Le (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to here in the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/33 (Ger LW) [breakdown of the 2-10 Mot Hv AA III  AA=4  135 (Ger LW), which began the turn here; in the M. Phase the mot hv AA III moved to 19A:0922, capturing several Siwa road hexes along the way; at the beginning of the E. Phase the mot hv AA III broke down into its component mot hv AA IIs, and the 1-10 Mot Hv AA II I/33 exploited back to here]
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 18A:5018; regular moved to 18A:4819 in the M. Phase; exploited to here]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn here; in the M. Phase it moved to 19A:0625, capturing various Siwa road hexes along the way; exploited back to here in the E. Phase]

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
5 port damage hit markers
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn here; in the M. Phase it moved eastwards along the Egyptian coast road up to 19A:0818, capturing the various coast road hexes along the way, including the Sidi Barrani point city hex at 19A:0718; exploited back to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA AA=2 I/18 (Ger LW) [breakdown of the 2-10 Mot Hv AA III AA=4 135 (Ger LW), which began the turn at 19A:0219; in the M. Phase the mot hv AA III moved to 19A:0922, capturing several Siwa road hexes along the way; at the beginning of the E. Phase the mot hv AA III broke down into its component mot hv AA IIs, and the 1-10 Mot HV AA II I/18 exploited back to here]
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:5119; moved to Halfaya Pass (19A:0419) in the M. Phase; exploited to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at 18A:5018; moved to Halfaya Pass (19A:0419) in the M. Phase; exploited to here]

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions in the Western Desert

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions in the Western Desert

Crete [end of turn]:

Khania (18A:4403) [rough terrain reference city/standard port road terminus coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Erakleion (18A:4903) [rough terrain reference city/standard port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

Scarpanto (19A:0701) [rough port point city minor port hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

At Rodi [end of turn]:

Rodi (20A:2230) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

20A:2331 [rough terrain coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Med/NA Replacement Pool [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:
1 x 2-6 Inf XX 60 Sbr
1 x 2-10 Mot Inf III 10 B
1 x 2-1-8 Lt Tnk III 3
2 x 1-8 Lt Tnk X 1,2
5 x 1-6 Tnk II 1, 3, 5, 6, 21
1 x Para Inf III Tonini
3 x 0-1-6* Inf III 300 GaF, 310 GaF, 320 GaF
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 24 dM
3 x 2-3-6 Art III 10 C, 20 C, 21 C
1 x 1-6 Art III 23 C
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 8 A [Jun I 41 Axis turn reinf; sunk in sea transit to Libya that turn by Allied anti-shipping, per the Naval Table]
4 x 0 pos flk unit AA=1 [Italian]

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box:

{CR 42 3F3 0/9 [here since the start of the new Scenario, per ER-II; at step 14 of the I. Phase it was rebuilt w/ the expenditure of an It ARP and placed at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya]}

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:

Me 110D 5HF5 4-2/12 (Ger LW) [in the Jul II 41 Allied M. Phase it performed the Escort air mission at the 19A:0717 target hex, escorting the Naval Patrol air mission at the hex; killed in air combat]

Axis Near East Command

On the Jul II 41 Axis turn the Vichy French Levant surrendered to the invading Allies, per the Allied player’s Variable Levant Surrender Table dice roll, done at step 13 of the Axis I. Phase.  By the end of the following Aug I 41 Allied turn, virtually all cities in the Vichy French Levant were Allied-owned save one, which would be Idib, at clear terrain point city road hex 21A:3333, two hexes SW of Alep, in NW Syria, which Allied units had not managed to enter and ultimately gain ownership of, per WW Advanced Rule 5B3, that turn.  There are no remaining Axis forces in the Levant or in the Near East.  However, in the EA reported Scenario, all Syrian and Lebanese hexes that are Axis-controlled at the time of the Vichy French Levant surrender to the Allies are considered still Axis-owned until all least all cities in the Levant are Allied-controlled in an I. Phase, at step 12, essentially per WW Optional Rule 5B5, if not otherwise via WW Rule 5B.  Although these nuances of lingering Axis hex ownership in the Levant after the Vichy French surrender there are admittedly not very important in the current EA reported wargame, they may be important in other WW ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario wargames perhaps to be played.

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions in the Levante

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions in the Levante

Non-Phasing Allied air unit activity near the end of the Exploitation Phase:

Late in the E. Phase the Br Audax  1A1  1/8 air unit beginning the turn at the Habbaniya 3-cap permanent airfield at 22A:2828, in Iraq, air transfers to the dot city airbase at Basra (22A:4313), also in Iraq.

Late in the E. Phase the RAAF Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit beginning the turn at Alexandria, in Egypt, air transfers to the dot city airbase at Basra, in Iraq.

Late in the E. Phase the Br Glad  3F3  0/8 air unit beginning the turn at Ismailia (19A:3516), in Egypt, air transfers to Alexandria.

Late in the E. Phase the Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 air unit beginning the turn at Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq, air transfers to the dot city airbase at Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413), in Egypt.

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions: eastern Iraq, western Iran

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions: eastern Iraq, western Iran

In pro-Allied neutral Iraq [end of turn]:

In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the pro-Axis Iraqi coup automatically occurs in the Apr I 41 Axis I. Phase.

The Iraqi coup collapsed at step 4 of the I. Phase of the May II 41 Axis turn, when the Allied player rolled the dice checking for an Iraqi Coup Collapse, using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table, per WW Rule 38J5.

This Axis turn, At step 2 of the I. Phase, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 6: Fawzi is under control of the Axis player for the player turn. The Axis player then flipped the Fawzi unit to its guerrilla mode, which began the turn at 21A:4824.  With the Fawzi unit then in its guerrilla mode, the Allied player opted to place the Fawzi dummy guerrilla unit at 21A:5016.

21A:4722 [ravines hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [began turn at 21A:4824, in its 0-1-8 inf II combat mode; at step 2 of the I. Phase it voluntarily flipped to the guerrilla mode, after it came under the control of the Axis player per the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll; in the M. Phase it moved to here; note that the new 1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) unit has an APZOC in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario]

21A:5016 [stony desert road hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [dummy guerrilla-capable unit; began turn at step 2 of the I. Phase at 21A:5016; remained in the hex]

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions: off-map display detail

Aug I 41 Axis EOT dispositions: off-map display detail

Turn Activity

At step 2 of the I. Phase the Axis player does the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and comes up with a 6: Fawzi is under control of the Axis player for the player turn.  Because the Allied player has concentrated combat ground units in the immediate vicinity of the Fawzi combat mode infantry unit, the Axis player opts to flip it to its guerrilla mode, the better to evade the expected Allied attacks next turn.  In addition, the Fawzi dummy guerrilla unit is also placed on the maps.  In the movement phase he moves the main Fawzi unit, now in its hidden guerrilla mode, away from the concentration of Allied units coming for Fawzi, in an effort to keep the bandit alive and somehow still a diversion of the Allied forces in the Mid East.

Aug I 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions

Aug I 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied forces at Tobruch are still isolated and the ground units there are all at U-4 supply status; but all forces in the Tobruch hex are in special general supply due to the gsp’s available there at the supply determination step of the I. Phase. See the text above or pictures below for more detail. At Malta the Allied ground units there are in definite Red U-2 supply status, as there were no gsp’s at Valletta at the start of the turn.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player spends an It ARP to repair the CR 42 3F3 0/8 air unit in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool and places it at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya.  Although it can be argued that the archaic Italian biplane is only target practice for the Allied Hurri 1 air units, the point is that Axis has 4 It ARPs at the beginning of the turn, and the new air cycle is coming up in two turns, on the Sep I 41 turn.  With a 2 ARP spending limit per Axis ARP pool per turn, he feels he must spend the ARPs while he can, regardless of the quality of what’s available, before the old ARP remainder allotments are discarded (save 1) at the beginning of the new Axis air cycle on the Sep I 41 Axis I. Phase.

Aug I 41 Axis middle of the I. Phase dispositions: Western Desert

Aug I 41 Axis middle of the I. Phase dispositions: Western Desert

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player converts the step of attack supply at Tobruch into 12 new gsp’s, per WW Rule 12C4b.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the map the 12 old gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated there on the earlier Jul II 41 Axis phase from a step of attack supply then at the hex.

Aug I 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Levante

Aug I 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Levante

At the beginning of the M. Phase the Axis player first executes a big air op at the Valletta target hex, comprising of a number of Italian and German LW air units based at Sicily and at Sirte, in Libya.  When all the Axis air units converge on the Malta target hex, the Allied player opts to send his Br Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 air unit based at Valletta on the Intercept air mission.  It engages the escorting Ger LW  Me 109E  7F5  1/7 air unit and is killed in combat, itself rolling a (-).  In the meantime the It CR 42AS and G 50 air units, flying a fighter on a bombing air mission, jettison their bomb load, seeing that the Br Hurri 2 air unit has left the Valletta airbase to fight, and in that case not wanting to risk the target hex’s 5 factor flack shot against an empty airbase air raid.  But the half-dozen Axis air units on the Malta Status bombing air mission roll on the better for them 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table, per WW Rule 37I2a, and as Luck would have it, all evade the Allied player’s lessened flack factor dice rolls done on the Antiaircraft Fire Table.  When the Axis player rolls for the Malta Status bombing air mission hits on the Bombing Table, he reaps four big hits, jacking the Malta Status number from 8 to 12, before the naval movement step.

Aug I 41 Axis beginning of naval movement: Action details of Axis naval transport movements

Aug I 41 Axis beginning of naval movement: Action details of Axis naval transport movements

In the naval movement step the Axis player successfully sea transports across the Cent Med sea zone his turn reinforcement 1.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) to the Axis standard supply terminal at Tripoli, in Libya, using 3 turn reinforcement NTPs.  These reinf Ger arm RPs begin the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at his standard supply terminal in the Mainland Europe off-map holding box.  On the other hand, disaster strikes when he attempts to sea transport his two turn reinforcement steps of attack supply across the Cent Med sea zone, using 6 turn reinf NTPs in a single large naval group convoy.  In spite of just earlier successfully jacking the Malta Status number up to 12, the maximum, he manages to roll an 11 on the Malta Table: Contact with the Allied anti-shipping forces.  Then he rolls a 4 on the Shipping Results Table: E, for Eliminated.  And so two Axis steps of attack supply sink beneath the waves somewhere between Sicily and Tripoli, in Libya.  After this loss, he does not attempt to sea transport across the Cent Med sea zone any of his It or Ger inf RPs available in the Mainland Europe off-map holding box, using either the turn reinforcement NTPs for the new Aug I turn reinf arrivals or his meager on-map Axis NTPs for the available Axis inf RPs that have been stored for awhile at the holding box’s standard supply terminal.  For now he will take no chances against the Allied anti-shipping forces, and will wait for another turn to maybe air transport them across the ever-dangerous Cent Med sea zone.

Aug I 41 Axis end of the naval movement step: Central Mediterranean

Aug I 41 Axis end of the naval movement step: Central Mediterranean

Then the Axis player sends a large air op to the Tobruch target hex, escorted by the Ger LW Me 109F1 and the It MC 200 F type air units, based at the 3-cap temporary airfield at 18A:4718, adjacent to the Allied fortress. The other It MC 200 3F4 1/8 air unit based at Ain el Gazala and the two It CR 42  3F3  0/9 air units based at Derna all fly the fighter unit on a bombing mission, per WW Rule 23D1, certainly on an airbase bombing air mission. When fighters fly the airbase bombing air mission, their tac bombing strength is increased by 1, per WW Rule 20G2a. In the same air op are the two It Br 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 air units, based at Gazala, flying a daytime strat port bombing air mission, along with the Ger LW Ju 87 B D type air unit, based at Derna, flying a tac port bombing air mission, and finally the It SM79-2  2B3  3-2/code V/20 air unit, based at 18A:4718, also flying a tac port bombing air mission, without torpedoes, of course. In this case, with so many Axis air units overhead the Tobruch hex, both the Allied SAAF Hurri 1 and the Br Hurri 1 F type air units based at the hex fly the Intercept air mission at the Tobruch target hex; but the SAAF Hurri 1 attempts to bypass the escort screen. First the intercepting Br Hurri 1 air unit engages the escorting Ger LW Me 109F1 F type air unit in combat and is Killed by the sharp rolling Axis player; the Allied player rolls a (-).   Then the MC 200 F type air unit takes its clear and safe combat dice roll on the Air Combat Results Table against the SAAF Hurri 1 air unit, attempting the bypass, and rolls a (-).  Meanwhile, during the air combat preparation substep of the air combat step, the two CR 42 F type air units jettison their bomb load, but remain in the mission force.  After successfully evading the escorting MC 200’s air combat, the bypassing SAAF Hurri 1 F type takes a random pick at the mission force and comes up with one of the CR 42 F type air units that has just jettisoned its bomb load, reverting to their printed F type air attack and defense strength.

Aug I 41 Axis early in the MOVEMENT Phase action details: Air raid on Tobruk

Aug I 41 Axis early in the MOVEMENT Phase action details: Air raid on Tobruk

In the ensuing fighter vs fighter air combat, both F type air units roll a (-).  Next the MC 200 (on the airfield bombing air mission) and the Ger LW Ju 87 B, the SM 79-2, and the two Br 20M air units all somehow evade Tobruch’s 3 factor flack shot, and to the Axis player’s joy the bombing MC 200 air unit scores a hit on the temporary airfield (the 2nd one) and the four port bombing die rolls done on the Bombing Table fetch two hits, good for 1 port damage hit marker on the strong natural harbor.  At the end of the air op all surviving air units rebase in eastern Libya; see the text above or the pictures below for the rebasing details.  However, it should be explained that the Axis player did the big Tobruch air op only after the It 0-6 cons III at hex 18A:4918, adjacent to Tobruch on the SE, expended 5 MPs to complete the 3-cap temporary airfield there, allowing some of the Axis air units on the Tobruch air op to rebase there.  At the start of the turn there was an uncompleted 1-cap temporary airfield in the hex with 3 MPs of construction done on it in earlier turns by the same It cons III, which had never left the hex.  Other than the It cons III completing the temporary airfield at 18A:4918 by expending the 5 MPs in the hex, no other Axis ground movement had yet been done in the ground movement step of the Axis M. Phase.

Aug I 41 Axis dispositions after the big air op against the Tobruch

Aug I 41 Axis dispositions after the big air op against the Tobruch

Much to the Axis player’s chagrin, he realizes that he is not set up for the important Conversion of the two Ger 1-10 Mot MG IIs and the 10* Pz XX HQ components of the 5 Leichte Panzer Division, to be done this turn per the Axis OB 5th Leichte Division Option, found at p. 27 of the WW OB booklet, which is being used in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario game done for the EA game reports.  This conversion buys for the Axis the famous full-fledged 9-10 Pz XX 21.  The pre-conversion 8-7-10* PZ XX 5 Le unit begins the turn at 18A:4918, adjacent to Allied-held Tobruch, and therefore is in an enemy ZOC, making it ineligible for conversion, per WW Rule 40A1.  The Axis player decides to simply switch it with the 9-10 Pz XX 15 at 19A:0219; but one thing leads to another, as the light XX has the “self-supported indicator,” (see WW Rule 11-Support) and so he ends up having to shuffle a number of units in far eastern Libya in order to be set up for the conversion next turn.  This forward stance does invite the possibility of the Allied player somehow spoiling the conversion by moving a unit with a ZOC adjacent to it, but the Axis player decides to take the chance.

Aug I 41 Axis end of the M. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean.

Aug I 41 Axis end of the M. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean.

Of note in the M. Phase was the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit’s staging from the 1-cap temporary airfield at Misurata (18A:1022) to Sirte (18A:1727), where it loaded the single resource point there in the hex and air transported it in a 1-way air transport air mission to Derna (18A:4116), where it based.  This air op was done in the M. Phase so that in the E. Phase the resource point could be moved one hex eastwards along the coast road to adjacent hex 18A:4216, using an Axis SMP.

Aug I 41 Axis end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Western Desert

Aug I 41 Axis end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Western Desert

In the E. Phase both players do some air transfer air missions.  See the text above or the pictures below for details.  Two of the Allied player’s non-phasing air transfer air missions were to Basra dot city airbase, in SE Iraq by the Iranian border, likely in preparation for an Allied invasion of Iran next turn.

Commentary

The Axis player was doubly lucky this turn with his big Malta and Tobruch air bombing missions.  Not only did he inflict telling damage at both hexes, with the Malta Status hits, airbase hits, and port damage hits, but he did these air bombing missions without any Axis air unit aborts or kills, despite three Allied Hurri fighter unit interceptions and numerous flack shots.  And to top it all, he killed the Br Hurri 2 air unit at Malta and a Br Hurri 1 air unit at Tobruch.  There is a Br Blen 4 B type air unit already in the Middle East Command’s Eliminated Air Units Box; and so this string of Allied air unit kills is creating a severe strain on the Allied ARP expenditure requirements in the warfare done here.

Although happy with these local air battle victories, the Axis player is quite conscious of the fact that the just reshuffled Axis forward panzer spearhead stack at Libyan hex 19A:0219, at the Egyptian borderline, has remained stationary there for two turns now, unable to either strike westwards against Tobruch or venture any farther east to better threaten the Allied desert shield in the Matruh zone.  He has neither a sufficient ground unit mass in the Tobruch zone nor available steps of attack supply east of Tobruch to effectively push up against the Allied stop line in Egypt without inviting risk, he believes.  The steps of attack supply are needed both offensively and defensively in far eastern Libya at this time in the game, if the Axis mobile force indeed sallies forth and separates from the Axis ground unit mass besieging Tobruch.  Nor does he have a handy local source of gsp’s, like the Allied player has at Alexandria or Suez.  However, a number of secondary factors seem to be incrementally adding up to the Axis player’s favor in the short-term, perhaps enabling him to do something decisive soon in the Western Desert.  He definitely wants to end the “standing-still contest” now running in the Western Desert.  It is a game only the Allies will win, in the end.

Aug I Allied Turn

End of Turn Dispositions

Malta [end of turn]:

Malta Status: 8, end of turn [at turn’s start 10, – 2 repair this turn = 8]

Malta Repair Rate: beginning on the Jul I 41 turn, 2 repair points each I turn and I repair point each II turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.

At the start of the Allied turn there were no gsp’s present in the Valletta hex; on the previous Jul II 41 Allied turn the Allied player was unable to successfully sea transport any gsp’s to Malta.  Therefore at step 11 of this turn’s I. Phase all Allied ground units at Malta were definitely Red U-2.  In the naval movement step of this turn’s M. Phase the usual W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s generated at Gibraltar was again sunk by Axis anti-shipping forces when it entered the Cent Med sea zone on map 18A .  This is important for the two Br hv AA IIs’ flack factors, which are halved due to being U-2.  Valletta’s intrinsic flack is not affected by supply, as in the EA reported game report of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario we are not using WW Optional Rule 12E4-Intrinsic AA and General Supply Effects.

The Br Hurri 2 F type air unit that began the turn in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool was rebuilt at step 14 of the I. Phase when the Allied player expended the Br ARP stored at the Valletta hex, which arrived at Malta on the prior Jul II 41 Allied M. Phase.  The rebuilt Hurri 2 air unit is in special general supply this turn.

Valletta (18A:0407):
3-cap permanent airfield; one hit of damage

Valletta hex flack factor: 5 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 2 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II units, AA = 2 each, but halved for being U-2)
3-6* Inf X 1 M [definitely Red U-2]
2-6* Inf X 2 M [definitely Red U-2]
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [definitely Red U-2]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 10 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 4 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-4 Cons X MC [definitely Red U-2]
Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 [operative; ARP rebuild this turn at step 14 of the I. Phase; in general supply when rebuilt; never moved]

Aug I 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Central Mediterranean

Aug I 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Central Mediterranean

In Libya [{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:

Tobruch (18A:4817) [clear terrain fortress/standard port]:
Note that per WW Optional Rule 12E, U-4 is in effect the most severe general supply state for a unit, and therefore in the EA reported Scenario we will not note w/ markers further turns out of general supply than the U-4 status.
Improved fortress; construction of the improved fortress was completed in the May II 41 Allied I. Phase.
3-cap temporary airfield
one hit of airfield damage
{one port damage hit marker, fixed this turn by the 0-1-4 cons X}
{7-8 Inf XX 9 (Aus) [began turn here; technically Red U-4; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it broke down into its supported components]}
2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) [supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; broke down at the beginning of the naval movement step; remained here]
2-8* Inf X 26 (Aus) [supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; broke down at the beginning of the naval movement step; remained here]
{2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to Alexandria]}
7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4; spent 4 MPs in the hex repairing the single port damage hit marker]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 51 [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
3-8 Art X 13 [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 SAAF [inop.; began turn here; never moved; technically Black U-4; in the naval movement step it flew the Patrol air mission against the Axis air op flying the Naval Patol air mission to the 18A:4718 target hex; paired against one of the Axis escort air units; returned to base here]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [inop.; began turn here; technically Red U-1; in the Jul II 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here, from Damas, in Syria; in the naval movement step of this turn it flew the Patrol air mission against the Axis air op flying the Naval Patrol air mission to the 18A:4718 target hex; paired against one of the Axis escort air units; returned to base here]
12 gsp’s [generated at step 16 of the JuI II 41 Axis I. Phase from a step of attack supply present in the Tobruch hex; these provide special general supply this turn and in the following Aug I 41 Axis turn; they will be removed from the map at step 24 of the Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase, after the step 11 supply determination step]
one step of attack supply [turn reinf; successfully sea transported into Tobruch in 3 turn reinforcement NTPs in the naval movement step of the M. Phase]
{2 gsp’s [generated in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase at Suez; sea transported into Tobruch in the Jul II 41 M. Phase in an E Med NTP; removed from the maps at step 24 of the I. Phase of this turn]}

In Egypt [end of turn]:

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail junction coast hex]:
railhead marker [EA game report note: in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the Matruh-Tobruch railroad construction does not begin until the Aug II 41 Allied turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet]
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA) [assembled here at the end of the M. Phase from its unsupported components]
8 Inf XX HQ 1 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Matruh and assembled into the 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA) at the end of the M. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 1 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1420; moved to here and assembled into the 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA) at the end of the M. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 3 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1420; moved to here and assembled into the 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA) at the end of the M. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1420; moved to here and assembled into the 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA) at the end of the M. Phase]
3-8 Inf X 22 G [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn here; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 68 [began turn here; never moved]
P-40C 5F5 1/13 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [inop.; began turn here; in the naval movement step it flew the CAP air mission over all-sea hex 19A:0717; returned to base here early in the M. Phase]
Hurri 1 5NF5 1/8 [operative; turn Conversion; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase, where the converted Huurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit began the turn; never moved]

Aug I 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Western Desert

Aug I 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Western Desert

19A:1119 [clear terrain hex, SW of Matruh; on the not begun Tobruch-Matruh railway route]:
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began turn at 19A:1319; spent 2 MPs moving one hex to here, abandoning the unfinished construction of a 1-cap temporary airfield begun at 1319 on the Jul II 41 Allied turn; spent its last 2 MPs in 1119 beginning the construction there of another 1-cap temporary airfield]
2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began turn at Tobruch; technically Red U-4, but in special general supply via gsp’s present at the Tobruch hex; supported breakdown of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to Alexandria; in the ground movement step of the M. Phase it railed to Matruh and then moved to here]
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at 19A:1320; regular moved to here]

19A:1219 [clear terrain road to Siwa hex, S of Matruh]:
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn at El Alamein; admin moved along the transportation lines to here]
2-8 Inf X 161 [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria, railed to Matruh, and then moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began turn at Lattique (20A:3405), on the Syrian Mediterranean coastline; sea transported to Axexandria in the naval movement step; in the ground movement step railed to Matruh and then moved to here]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 57 [began turn here; never moved]
A-22 3A3 2-1/19 [inop.; began turn at El Alamein; in the E. Phase flew a tac port bombing air mission to Porto Bardia, in Libya (19A:0318); Hit; returned to base here]
A-22 3A3 2-1/19 SAAF [inop.; began turn at El Alamein; in the E. Phase flew a tac port bombing air mission to Porto Bardia, in Libya (19A:0318); Hit; returned to base here]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [inop.; began turn here; in the Jul II 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here, from Haifa, in Palestine; in the E. Phase flew a strat port bombing air mission to Porto Bardia, in Libya (19A:0318); Miss; returned to base here]

19A:1018 [coast road hex]
6-4-6 Tnk X 1 T [began turn at 19A:1219; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10 Recon II 6 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Matruh and moved to here; remained in the hex]
3-8 Art X 10 [turn reinf; disembarked at Matruh and moved to here]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began at Alexandria; railed to Matruh, then moved to here]

19A:1019 [clear terrain hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn at 19A:1220; regular moved to here]

19A:1020 [clear terrain Siwi road hex]:
7-10* Arm XX 7 [began turn at 19A:1219; moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10* Mot SG X AA=1 2 [began turn at 19A:1219; regular moved westwards along the Egyptian coast road to 19A:0519, capturing for the Allies the road hexes along the way, including the Halfaya Pass (19A:0419) hex, w/ its ZOC, and also Sidi Barriani (19A:0718), by moving through it; exploited back to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1219; regular moved southwestwards along the Siwi Oasis road to 19A:0823, capturing for the Allies the road hexes along the way; exploited back to here]
4 gsp’s [generated at Alexandria at step 16 of the I. Phase; railed to Matruh in the M. Phase; in the E. Phase spent 3 SMPs moving along the Siwa road to here]

19A:1320 [clear terrain hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 Inf II Y [unsupported inf II breakdown of the 2-8 Inf X 151, which began the turn at Matruh and where it broke down early in the M. Phase; the 1-8 Inf II Y component then regular moved to here]

19A:1420 [clear terrain hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 150 [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]
0-1-8 Inf II Y [unsupported inf II breakdown of the 2-8 Inf X 151, which began the turn at Matruh and where it broke down early in the M. Phase; the 0-1-8 Inf II Y component then regular moved to here]

19A:1521 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 5 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

19A:1621 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 2 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) [clear terrain point city major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
fort marker [completed in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase]
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [turn Conversion of the 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab unit; began turn at major rail line hex 20A:4205, in Lebanon, at step 14 of the I. Phase, where the converted 2-1-10 Mot Inf X Hab unit began the turn; in the M. Phase the new lt arm X railed as far as hex 20A:5028, in Egypt, using a secondary rail line part of the way; exploited to here]
2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [began turn at major rail line hex 20A:4205, in Lebanon; in the M. Phase it railed as far as Alexandria, using a secondary rail line part of the way; exploited to here]
0-8 Hv AA II AA=1 2 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
Well 1C 3NB4 1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at 19A:1418; in the E. Phase flew a strat port bombing air mission at night to Derna (18A:4116); Miss; returned to base here]
Well 1C 3NB4 1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at 19A:1418; in the E. Phase flew a strat port bombing air mission at night to Derna (18A;4116); Miss; returned to base here]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [inop.; began turn here; in the Jul II 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here from a temporary airfield in Lebanon; in the E. Phase flew a strat port bombing air mission to Porto Bardia, in Libya (19A:0318); Hit; returned to base here]

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [major port/full city hex/major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
0-2-8 Hv AA X AA=4 1 NMBDO (RM) [began turn here; never moved]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; turn reinf; disembarked here and remained in the hex]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 (RAAF) [operative; began turn here; in the Jul II 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here from Damas, in Syria; this turn never moved]
one step of attack supply [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]

Disuq (20A:5126) [canal intensive point city major rail line hex]:
2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4406; spent 1 MP moving one hex to Rayak, entrained on the secondary rail line there, and railed as far as Disuq, in Egypt]
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4406; spent 1 MP moving one hex to Rayak, entrained on the secondary rail line there, and railed as far as Disuq, in Egypt]
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4406; spent 1 MP moving one hex to Rayak, entrained on the secondary rail line there, and railed as far as Disuq, in Egypt]
Cairo (19A:3219) [full city hex transportation line junction hex, NW of the Cairo partial city hex]:
0-1-6 RR Eng X MEF (Emp) [turn reinf; disembarked at Suez and admin moved along road to here]
Although technically it doesn’t have to be, this unit is probably the preferred engineer-category unit (1RE) for the Egypt garrison requirement beginning on the Aug II 41 Allied I. Phase, at step 17, per the WW Allied Garrisons Chart. The Allied player must be careful where he places his designated Egyptian engineer-category garrison unit, as per WW Rule 37EC-Use of [Allied] Garrison Forces, this unit “may not move, spend MPs, or use their construction abilities during any turn in which they are part of an Allied garrison.” For our Egyptian engineer-category garrison unit, this would be, in all WW Scenarios, from the Aug II 41 Allied I. Phase until the “end of time,” meaning until either the final Jan II 43 game turn, in WW Western Desert-based Scenarios, or until the final Jul II 43 game turn, in WW War in the Desert-based Scenarios. In the EA reported game it is placed here, in the Cairo full city hex. Other candidate Egyptian hexes for its permanent on-map placement might be the Cairo partial city hex, or one of the Suez Canal port hexes, or perhaps a dot or reference city hex in the Delta zone, or perhaps at Alexandria.
Cairo (19A:3320) [clear terrain partial city hex, SE of the Cairo full city hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port major rail line terminus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker

Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) [swamp dot city/standard port/Suez Canal major rail line terminal coast hex]:
vacant by the end of the E. Phase

Ismailia (19A:3516) [sand reference city/standard port/Suez Canal transportation line junction hex]:
Glad 3F3 0/8 [operative; began turn here; in the Jul II 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here from Alexandria; this turn never moved]

In Palestine [end of turn]:

Per WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons, the Palestine garrison requirement is 3 REs of Garrison-category units. The Allied garrisons are determined at step 17 of the Allied I. Phase. However, per WW Rule 37E4, Forming units in the ME Replacement Pool count at their regular RE size for the Palestine Garrison requirement, as do also ME Replacement Pool units, but they count at 1/3 their regular RE size. In addition to the 1.5 Garrison-capable REs present on-map in Palestine, the Allied player is counting some of the 3.5 Garrison-capable REs in the Forming Box of the Middle East Command Replacement Pool. See below, in the Middle East Replacement Pool section, for further details.

Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:
Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. Probably more later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios.
8* Inf XX HQ 6 [British; began turn at 20A:4407, in Lebanon; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 14 [began turn at 20A:4407; regular moved to here]
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began turn at 20A:4206, in Lebanon; regular moved to here]
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn at 20A:4308, in Lebanon; regular moved to here]
20A:4808 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4407; regular moved to here]

Safad (20A:4608) [rough terrain point city]:
vacant at the end of the M. Phase

Aug I 41 Allied EOT dispositions in the Levante

Aug I 41 Allied EOT dispositions in the Levante

Allied Units in Armistice Lebanon & Syria [end of turn]:

Per the WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons (Rule 37E), it appears the Allied player is fulfilling the garrison requirements for the Vichy French Levant, and has been since the beginning of the Allied invasion of the the Levant on the Jun I 41 Allied turn.

Soueida (20A:4905) [rough terrain point city hex]:
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at 20A: 4105; regular moved to here]

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4308, S of Beyrouth; moved one hex to here]

Rayak (20A:4306) [clear terrain point city secondary rail line hex]:
Allied owned; vacant at the end of the M. Phase

Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line coast hex]:
Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. Probably more later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios.
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4308; regular moved to here, abandoning the 2-cap temporary airfield at 4308 and spending 2 MPs in the hex repairing the hit of damage on the Tripoli reference city airbase; remained in the hex]

Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn at Rayak (20A:4306); moved to here]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
vacant by the end of the naval movement step; Allied owned
{4 gsp’s [generated in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase at Alexandria; sea transported to here on an E Med NTP in the naval movement step; removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]}

Homs (20A:3902) [clear terrain reference city transportation line junction hex]:
hit marker on reference city airbase
Allied controlled by the end of the M. Phase

Hama (20A:3702) [clear terrain reference city major rail line hex]:
hit marker on reference city airbase
Allied controlled by the end of the M. Phase

Alep (21A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at 20A:4002, S of Homs; regular moved north to here, capturing Homs and Hama along the way]

21A:3116 [clear terrain road hex, W of Kamechile (21A:3115), in the Syrian “duckbill” area]:
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:3526, in Syria, admin moved 16 hexes along the road to here]

Trans-Jordan [end of turn]:
20A:5106 [ravines road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn at Safad (20A:4608), in Palestine; regular moved to here]

On Cyprus [end of turn]:
Limassol (20A:3615) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

Famagusta (20A:3411) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip

Non Phasing Axis Air Activity in the Allied Exploitation Phase:

Late in the E. Phase the Ger LW He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22 air unit based at Licata (18A:0120), at Sicily, air transfers to the 1-cap temporary airfield at Misurata (18A:1022), in Libya. It makes sure to stay out of the patrol and intercept radius of the operative Br Hurri 2 F type air unit based at Valletta, at Malta.

Late in the E. Phase the It CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 air unit based at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya, air transfers to Syracusa (18A:0702), at Sicily.

Late in the E. Phase the It CR 42 3F3 0/9 air unit based at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 18A:0403, at Sicily, air transfers to Derna, in Libya. The Br operative Hurri 2 F type air unit based at Valletta, at Malta, declines to Patrol attack the CR 42 air unit as it flies off from the airfield at 10A:0403.

Late in the E. Phase the It Ca 311 2B2 1/L/14 air unit based at Derna, in Libya, air transfers to Syracusa (18A:0702), at Sicily.

Middle East (ME) Command Replacement Pool [end of turn]:
3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]
2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]
3-2-10 Arm X 4 [in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario this unit is at-start in the ME Replacement Pool, per F. Watson’s ER-II Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#71]
3-2-10 Arm X 1 [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; this is the original pre-conversion unit of the one sent to Greece]

Eliminated Air Units Box:
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase it participated in the first Allied attack in the Vichy French Levant, flying the GS air mission at 20A:4607; it was Killed in air combat there by the bypassing Vichy Fr D 520 F type air unit, flying the Interception air mission to the target hex]

Forming Box:
3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
2-8* Inf X 2 FL (FF) [placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the Apr II 42 Allied turn]
1-2-6 Inf X 3FL (FF) [placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the May II 42 Allied turn]

In the Allied Near East (NE) Command:

Iraqi coup collapse occurred in the May II 41 Axis I. Phase, per the dice roll done then using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table. At that time all Iraqi forces/production were removed from the map and the Iraq Replacement Pool. By the end of the I. Phase all Iraqi territory was Allied owned; except in our case the Mosul hex, which at the time contained the Axis Conditional Reinforcement Ger LW Mxd A type air unit.

The current Allied Iraqi railnet-cap is 3 1/2.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player transferred 10 Middle East Command SMPs to the Near East Command, per WW Rule 12H2b. They cannot be used there until the following Aug II 41 Allied turn. See the Turn Activity section below for further details.

Allied Regular NE Command Reinforcements, Aug I 41 Allied Turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.

Near East Command:

Arrive:
8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind)
2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind)
2 steps of attack supply
5 SMPs [Note: There is in addition to the 5 SMPs already in the Near East Command at the start of the turn.]

In pro-Allied Iraq:

Per the WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons (Rule 37E), it appears the Allied player is fulfilling the garrison requirements this turn, for Iraq. This would be per the horizontal line reading: “EJIS [Jul II 41] – Sep I 41”. For a more detailed discussion of the Iraq garrison, see the Jul I 41 Allied game report

21A:4726 [stony desert road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4504, in Syria, NE of Damas; admin moved along the road to here]

21A:4925 [sand road hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn at Damas (20A:4505), in Syria; admin moved to 21A:4726, in Iraq; exploited to here]

This is a provisional new unit introduced in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario on the May I 41 Allied turn. For more details, see that posted EA game report.

Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied owned]
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:5120, in Trans-Jordan; admin moved along the road to here]
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began the turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine; late in the E. Phase the Br Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 air unit based at Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413), in Egypt, staged to Haifa (20A:4710) and air transported the 1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) to here.]
Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 [inop.; began the turn at Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413), in Egypt; late in the E. Phase it staged to Haifa, in Palestine, and air transported the 1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) to here; rebased at Rutbah]

Ramadi (22A:2830) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [began turn at Habbaniya (21A:5023); regular moved along the road to here]

Habbaniya (22A:2828) [clear terrain point city road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023; admin moved along the road to here]
Audax 1A1 1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

22A:2827 [canal intensive road hex, E of Habbaniya]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:3324; spent 8 SMPs in the E. Phase exploiting to here along the transportation lines, crossing the demolished bridge]

Baghdad 22A:2825 [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
one hit marker on airbase
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4411; admin moved along the transportation lines to here]

Baqubah (21A:4802) [canal intensive reference city transportation line junction hex]:
vacant at the end of the M. Phase

Khanaquin (21A:4501) [clear terrain point city secondary rail line-road junction hex, at the Iranian border]:
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn at Baghdad (22A:2815); regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at Baqubah (21A:4802) regular moved to here]

Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
vacant at the end of the M. Phase

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn at Shaibah; moved one hex to here]
4 steps of attack supply [three began the turn here, plus there were two new NE Command turn reinforcement steps of attack supply that disembarked at Basra in the current Allied M. Phase; one of the steps of attack supply at Basra used two SMPs to move along the road to 22A:4411; four remained in the hex]

22A:4212 [swamp hex, NE of Basra, next to the Iranian border]:
8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [Near East Command turn reinf; disembarked at Basra and regular moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind) [Near East Command turn reinf; disembarked at Basra and regular moved one hex to here]
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn at Basra; regular moved one hex to here]
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4215; regular moved to Basra; exploited to here]
22A:4411 [swamp road hex, next to the Iranian border]:
2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [began turn at Basra; regular moved to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Basra; spent 2 SMPs moving to here in the M. Phase]

Turn Activity

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied ground and air units at the isolated Tobruch hex that began the turn at technically Red or Black U-4 essentially remain at this U-4 status, as per WW Optional Rule 12E, U-4 is in effect the most severe supply status for a unit. Therefore in the EA reported Scenario we will not note with numbered markers any further turns out of general supply than the severest U-4 status. All 9 REs of ground units and the two air units beginning the turn at Tobruch are in special general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase due to the 14 gsp’s in the hex. Twelve were generated from a step of attack supply present in the hex on the Jul II 41 Axis I. Phase and 2 were generated in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase at an on-map Allied standard supply terminal hex and then sea transported that same turn into the Tobruch port hex. At Malta, all of the 4.5 REs of Allied ground units beginning the turn there are definitely Red U-2, as no gsp’s were sea transported to there on the previous Jul II 41 Allied turn. The Aus 2-8 Inf X 19, at Lattique (20A:3405), on the Vichy French Levant Mediterranean coastline, is back in general supply via a supply line trace to an Allied standard supply terminal marker.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions, Central Mediterranean

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player spends no accumulated RPs in the Middle East Command, but he does spend the ARP stored at the Valletta hex, on Malta, and rebuilds the Br Hurri 2 5F5 1/9 air unit, removing it from the Aborted Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool and placing it at the Valletta 3-cap permanent airfield.

Also at step 14 of the I. Phase, in perhaps a desperate move to somehow solve the chronic scarcity of attack supply steps in the Mid East Command, the Allied player transfers 10 Middle East SMPs to the Near East Command, thereby hoping to eventually obtain at least one NE Command step of attack supply by moving it overland along the long east-west road from Baghdad-Habbaniya-Ramadi-Rutbah-to Haifa. He has in mind specifically the step of attack supply beginning the turn on the secondary rail line at 22A:3324, in central Iraq, and which moved onto the long east-west road in the E. Phase. Although the 10 Mid East SMPs were sent to the NE Command this I. Phase, they cannot be used until the subsequent Aug II 41 Allied turn. The Allied player began the turn with 25 SMPs in the Middle East Command; now he is down to 15 SMPs there. At the start of the turn the Allied player had 5 SMPs in the Near East Command, and 5 more turn reinforcement SMPs arrived at the Near East Command via Basra; now he has upped his SMPs there to 20. We will see if this hasty and risky shuffle works out, or if it puts him in a bind in the Western Desert at a bad time. He has good intentions of returning the 10 loaned SMPs back to the ME Command as soon as possible.

Jul II 41 end of step 23 of the I. Phase dispositions: Western Desert

Jul II 41 end of step 23 of the I. Phase dispositions: Western Desert

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player generates 4 new gsp’s at both the Suez and Alexandria Allied Standard Supply terminals.

At step 22 of the I. Phase the Axis player has the Ger LW Me 109E 7F5 1/7 air unit, based at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 18A:0403, on Sicily, fly the CAP air mission over the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta, but the Allied player does not have the newly resurrected and operative Br Hurri 2 F type air unit based there fly the Intercept air mission. Back in Libya, the Axis player assigns the It SM 79-2 B type air unit based at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, to the Naval Patrol air mission, along with the two It BR 20M NB type air units based at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518). At the time standing by the gameboard, these Axis Naval Patrol air missions appear cosmetic, or futile, as both Tobruch and the western half of Egypt are full of operative Allied F type air units.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Levante

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Levante

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the maps the 2 gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated on the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase and then sea transported to there in the M. Phase of that same turn. The 4 gsp’s at Lattique that were generated on the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase and then sea transported to there in the M. Phase of that same turn are also removed from the maps at this time.

In the naval movement step of the M. Phase the first thing the Allied player does is execute his naval transport itinerary to the Valletta port hex, at Malta. He sea transports on the just replaced W Med NTP the 4 gsp’s that were generated this turn at Gibraltar, per WW 41B1-Western Desert Campaign, and this transport naval group enters the west edge of map 18A at all-sea hex 0108. To determine Axis Central Med anti-shipping effects, he uses the 9 column of the Naval Table, per WW Rule 31E1, and once again, just like on the Jul II 41 Allied turn, runs into Axis unit-shipping forces when he rolls a 10: Contact. On the subsequent die roll using the Shipping Results Table, at the Supply/Resource Item column, he rolls a 4: Eliminated; and so the W Med NTP and the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar are all lost. The W Med NTP will not be available again until the I. Phase of the Sep I 41 Allied turn, when it can be replaced, per WW Rule 35D.  Next the Allied player has the 2 Br inf RPs turn reinforcement, per the WitD Allied OB, arrive at his option on the west edge of of map 18A, once again at all-sea hex 0108, in a turn reinforcement NTP, per WW Rule 40A3.  This time Fate jimmies the Naval Table dice roll in the favor of the Allies, and the cargo naval naval group successfully arrives at the Valletta limited supply terminal, where the 2 Br inf RPs are disembarked and stored, no doubt to be used in the upcoming Aug II 41 Allied I. Phase to Upgrade the 1-8 MG II 1 Ch unit at Malta to the bigger and better 3-6* Inf X 3 M, per the WitD Allied OB.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the I. Phase dispositions in Iraq

Aug I 41 Allied end of the I. Phase dispositions in Iraq

Next, the Allied player does a number of other naval transport activities in the East and Central Mediterranean sea zones. This turn he is again very likely compelled to attempt to sea transport to Tobruch at least one of the three turn reinforcement steps of attack supply, per the Allied Production Chart found on p. 36 (back page) of the WW OB booklet.  These subsequent naval actions are listed below in sequential order. Those numbered that are indicated by a # are indicated as such in the naval movement step action activities picture included below in the game report.  However, this turn the Allied player has only 9 E Med NTPs, even after adding the 2 E Med replacements, per WW Rule 35D, because of the Allied E Med NTP losses incurred on the preceding two July game turns.

#1.  After breaking down the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9 to its supported component parts, the Allied player attempts to sea transport the Aus 2-8* Inf X 24 (technically Red U-4) out of Tobruch and to the Alexandria port hex.  It embarks on an E Med NTP and expends 10 naval movement points moving eastwards at night through all-sea hexes until entering all-sea hex 19A:0917, the first hex movement done in daylight.  It avoids Axis anti-shipping contact on the Naval Table dice roll done when entering the Cent Med sea zone from the Tobruch harbor hex.  But upon entering the optimal daylight Axis target hex at 19A:0917, the Axis player declines to attempt any Axis Naval Patrol Contact die roll using the Success Table, as there are too many Allied fighters in the zone, and so the supported Australian inf X embarked on the E Med NTP continues its voyage to Alexandria, where the ground unit disembarks.

Right after this the Allied player flies the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Matruh on the CAP air mission over the all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barriani, prepping up for one of the turn’s big naval transport operations.

Aug I 41 Allied naval movement step action details: the Malta convoys

Aug I 41 Allied naval movement step action details: the Malta convoys

#2.  Now the Allied player gets to the point and sea transports towards Tobruch a step of attack supply embarked on three turn reinforcement NTPs.  The cargo naval group follows the same sea route and day-night chronology done on the previous Jul II 41 Allied turn, beginning its move at the east edge of 19A in the Red Sea and eventually entering the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal. But when the cargo naval group gets to the last daylight all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, before the final all night segment of the voyage into the Tobruch harbor, the Axis player again declines to attempt a Contact die roll by any of his assigned Naval Patrol air units, evidently again due to the two operative Allied air units at Tobruch, the Br Hurri 1 air unit flying the CAP air mission over the last daylight all-sea hex, and the operative SAAF P-40C F type at Matruh.  The voyage isn’t over yet, and when the 3 turn reinforcement NTPs carrying the step of attack supply reaches the Cent Med sea zone at map 18A, disaster strikes when the Allied player rolls on the Naval Table; this time its a 10: Contact!  Then he rolls a 4 on the Shipping Results Table, using the Supply/Resource Item column, which is E: Eliminated.  One wonders if the big supply convoy sank amid fire and smoke, in the night.  Were there many survivors, and were they captured by the Axis, who controls the shoreline to the south?

Aug I 41 naval movement step action details north of the Westen Desert region

Aug I 41 naval movement step action details north of the Westen Desert region

#3.  Next, the Allied player easily brings back to Alexandria the Aus 2-8 Inf X 19, from the port of Lattique, on the Syrian coastline, embarked on an E Med NTP.

#4.  After that, a large naval group voyages into the Mediterranean Sea from the Suez Canal, consisting entirely of turn reinforcement NTPs (3), carrying three important Aug I 41 Allied reinforcement ground units to the Matruh minor port harbor, the last 10 naval movement points being done at night.  The cargo would be the 3-8 Art X 10, the 8 Inf XX HQ 1 (SA), and the 1-10 Recon II 6 (SA).  Once again, the Axis player declines to attempt any Contact die roll for the assigned Naval Patrol air units, probably due to the long range distance and the several available Allied fighter units in the vicinity of the optimal target hex, not to mention the two at Tobruch, which could Patrol attack.

#5.  Another large turn reinforcement naval group at the Red Sea east edge of map 19A then makes its move, this time going directly to Alexandria and therefore out of harm’s way from any Naval Patrol air missions based in far-off eastern Libya.  This convoy has the second step of attack supply, the Br 2-8 Inf X 161, and the 5 pos flk AA unit.  The turn reinforcement cargo arrives safely at Alexandria and disembarks its reinforcement cargo there.

#6.  This time the Allied player sends his third and last available step of attack supply towards Tobruch, again embarked in three turn reinforcement NTPs.  When it arrives at the critical last daylight hex at 19:0717, the Axis player once again declines to attempt any Contact die roll for the assigned Naval Patrol air units.  And so the Allied naval group continues onwards towards Tobruk, at night.  This time when it enters the Cent Med sea zone at map 18A the Allied player successfully rolls a no contact on the Naval Table, using the 9 column, and the critical step of attack supply finally arrives safely at the Tobruch fortress hex.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the naval movement step dispositions: Central Mediterranean

#7.  By now perhaps feeling a little bold and not forgetting about the current lack of supply at Malta, the Allied player decides to embark the 4 fresh gsp’s at Suez on an E Med NTP and sails it westwards, first going NW up towards Crete, getting the naval group as far away as he can from the Axis air units assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission based at two east Libyan coastline airfields.  He arranges for the naval group to enter the Cent Med sea zone on map 18A at all-sea hex 5105, on its first naval movement step at night.  There, upon entering the Cent Med sea zone at all-sea map edge hex 18A:5105, he successfully rolls a no contact on the Naval Table.  After that he proceeds at night 10 naval movement steps through 10 all-sea hexes, entering daylight at all-sea hex 18A:4003, SW of the Greek isle of Andikythera, and there the Axis player finally makes his Naval Patrol air mission request for a Contact die roll on the Success Table, for the It SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 air unit based at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, 18 hexes away from the 18A:4003 target hex.  There’s a +3 modifier for calm seas and a -3 for the range; and the die roll is a 5: Contact!  When the It B type air unit on the Naval Patrol air mission leaves its base at 18A:4718, it is escorted for 8 hexes by the It MC 200 3F4  1/8 and the Ger LW Me 109F1  6F6  1-8 air units, both based at the same airfield.  The Allied player isn’t sure what to do, but wants to do something, and so he sends the SAAF Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 and the Br Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air units, based at adjacent Tobruch, on the Patrol air mission, designating 18A;4718 as the target hex.  The pair of Allied Patrol fighters pair up with the pair of Axis Escort fighters and after lots of shooting, all four fighter units return to their bases, intact but inoperative.  Meanwhile, the It B type air unit on the Naval Patrol air mission continues to the target hex, which is well beyond the range of both the escort and the patrolling fighters.  At the target hex it successfully evades the E Med NTP’s 2 factor flack shot, in spite of the -1 modifier for being a code V, which this time is definitely carrying torpedoes on the Naval Patrol air mission.  The Axis player then rolls three dice for the SM 79-2 air unit’s 3 tac factors, looking for 5’s or 6’s, due to the +1 modifier for the code V, and manages to sink the E Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s bound for Malta.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the naval movement step, Central Mediterranean

Aug I 41 Allied end of the naval movement step, Central Mediterranean

Although the Allied player has remaining available E Med NTPs and there are still 4 fresh gsp’s at the Alexandria standard supply terminal hex, he is loath to risk this turn any more E Med NTPs in naval transport activities, seeing the two operative It Br 20M NB type air units assigned to the Naval Patrol at the Ain el Gazala airfield and knowing the potent effects of the recent Axis anti-shipping dice rolls in the Cent Med sea zone; and so he declares the Allied naval movement step finished.  Malta will be on its own in the upcoming Aug I 41 Axis turn, regardless of the consequences.

At the start of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the Allies had an on-map East Med NTP maximum capability of 10 NTPs.  The Allies began this turn with an on-map East Med NTP capability of 7 NTPs.  After this turn’s NTP rebuilds done at step 14 of the I. Phase, per WW Rule 35D, the Allies had an on-map East Med NTP capability of 9 NTPs.  After this turn’s naval movement step, and the loss of 1 East Med NTP, the Allies have an on-map East Med NTP capability of 8 NTPs.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the M. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean

Aug I 41 Allied end of the M. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean

Early in the M. Phase the Allied player rebases at Matruh the Hurri 1 F type air unit flying the CAP air mission over the all-sea hex 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, on the Egyptian coastline.

Allied rail movement in the Middle East rail net on their Aug I 41 turn:

  • 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began rail movement on a secondary rail line in Lebanon, for a total of 4 REs of railcap]
  • 2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [began rail movement on a secondary rail line in Lebanon, for a total of 2 REs of railcap]
  • 2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began rail movement on a secondary rail line in Lebanon, for a total of 2 REs of railcap]
  • 2-8* inf X 7 (Ind) [began rail movement on a secondary rail line in Lebanon, for a total of 2 REs of railcap]
  • 1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began rail movement on a secondary rail line in Lebanon, for a total or 1 RE of railcap]
  • 5 pos flk unit  AA=1  [British; began rail movement at Alexandria; .5 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8 Inf X 161 [turn reinf; began rail movement at Alexandria; 1 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began rail movement at Alexandria; 1 RE of railcap]
  • 2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began rail movement at Alexandria; 1 RE of railcap]
  • 4 gsp’s [began rail movement at Alexandria; 1 RE of railcap]

The Allies’ per turn Middle East railnet railcap is 16.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions in the Western Desert

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions in the Western Desert

In the E. Phase the Allied player again sends the two Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 air units based at 19A:1418, in Egypt, on a night strat bombing air mission of the Derna port’s cargo capacity, in eastern Libya.  But this time the two night bombers miss their port target when rolling on the Bombing Table and return to their base.  After that the Allied player sends a big air op to the Porto Bardiya hex, in far eastern Libya, to bomb its nearly totally ruined minor port capacity. He flies to the Porto Bardiya target hex the Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 from the 3-cap permanent airfield at 19A:1418, along with the other Blen 4 B type air unit and the two A-22  3A3  2-1/19 air units, all based at the 3-cap temporary airfield at El Alamein.  The two Br Blen 4 B types fly a strat port bombing air mission and the two A-22 A type air units (one Br and one SAAF) fly a tac port bombing air mission.  The four Allied port bombing air units manage three hits on the harbor, but all the blasting amounts to only one additional port damage hit marker, which jacks up the port’s damage to a maximum of 5 port damage hits, per the WW Port Summary Chart.  At the start of the turn Porto Bardiya had 4 port damage hits.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Eastern Mediterranean.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Eastern Mediterranean.

Late in the E. Phase the non-phasing Axis player does a variety of air transfer air missions on the maps.  See the text above or the maps below for details.

At the end of the E. Phase the non-phasing Axis player rebases the Ger LW Me 109E F type air unit flying the CAP air mission over the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta, at the 3-cap permanent airfield at coast hex 18A:0603, at Sicily.

At the beginning of their turn the Allies had the following inventory of accumulated replacement points (RPs) in the ME Command: 7.5 Br inf, .5 Br arm, 1.5 Aus inf, 1.5 NZ inf, 1 Ind inf, and 3 Allied ARPs. All these items are stored at the Alexandria hex. Another available Allied ARP was stored at the Valletta hex, at Malta; this ARP was expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the Hurri 2 F type air unit in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool.

At the end of their turn the Allies have the following revised inventory of accumulated RPs in the ME Commad, after the arrival and inclusion of this turn’s ME Production reinforcements: 9.5 Br inf, 1.5 Br arm, 2.5 Aus inf, 2 NZ inf, 2 Inf inf, and 3 Allied ARPs.  All items are stored at the Alexandria hex.  At the end of their turn there are no Allied ARPs stored at Valletta, at Malta.  Except for replacing the Br Hurri 2 F type air unit at Malta, there were no replacement builds done this turn in the Allied I. Phase.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the M. Phase dispositions: Levante.

Aug I 41 Allied end of the M. Phase dispositions: Levante.

Commentary

This turn the Allied EOT dispositions in the Egyptian Western Desert zone caused the Allied player a considerable amount of distress.  An initial scheme was eventually scrapped, text, pictures & all, as finally believed not to be right.  In the original plan the Allied stack at 19A:1119 at the end of the turn in this EA game report, containing the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col), was instead at 1219, prepped to maybe build a fort there next turn.  The step of attack supply at Alexandria had been brought up to Matruh in the E. Phase, using the available SMPs.  The Allied desert shield mobile force was at the adjacent Siwi road hex 19A:1120, in the original plan all stacked with the 7-10* Arm XX 7.  The pesky 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME unit was at adjacent hex 19A:1119, just to the north.  The two A-22 A type air units would have provided the needed Harassment air missions at coast road hex 19A:1018, in the upcoming Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase.  The  point in describing the worry is that at least for me, the “correct” Allied Western Desert strategy in the second half of 1941 has been hard to analyze.  Possibly this generic game “strategy” assumes that in this time frame genuinely aggressive Allied maneuver against the Afrika Korps is the preferred strategy; and in the context of the current WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario I believe it is.

If you want to play WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario deeper into 1942, say utilizing the WW ME Scenario’s provision for a possible final Jan II 43 game turn, then don’t forget to implement the WitD Allied OB booklet’s provisions (at p. 6) for the Free French (FF) Conditional Reinforcement “Forces in the Levant” ground unit additions after the surrender of the Vichy French Levant.  For those who wonder about such things, it was probably the Conquest Turn 21/[the historical May I 41 turn] Release from the Levant Garrison of the 2-8* Inf X 2 FL (FF) stipulation found in the WitD Allied OB booklet that enabled this unit to subsequently be moved to its stipulated place at its old WD map hex 19A:0225 at-start location (two hexes inside the Libyan border SW of Bardia, on a completed Matruh-Tobruch railway hex, which also contains the North Africa coast road) in F. Watson’s classic “Desert Cauldron: The Gazala Battles, May-June, 1942” Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#36, way back in 1994.  And so the wartime events in July of 1941 directly interact with wartime events in June of 1942.

The Allied player is also in a dither about his inability to accumulate steps of attack supply in the Western Desert.  In this game they all keep being gobbled up, either by the demands of supplying besieged and isolated Tobruch or for the hard-hitting ground attacks demanded by the Allied invasion of the Vichy French Levant.  Is he playing the Europa desert wargame wrong, or what?  Maybe he is just impatient for things to fall into place for him such that he can see the the correct gaming method, which in some ER-II based Europa desert Scenario games, at least, might mirror the historical Allied strategy.  But he is also worried about the Axis player still being able to spoil things for him, either by a stunning Axis punch at Tobruch or at a jaw-jutting Egyptian desert shield stance.  As a guide he digs out Peter Roger’s quite interesting “Operation Crusader: Auchinleck’s Offensive-November, 1941” Europa battle scenario, which is “updated for WitD” and published in TEM#55, in 1997.  Here, at least, one can study a Europa player’s historical set-up analysis for the historically critical Nov II 41 game turn in a classic Europa WitD format.  Well, P. Rogers has an Allied fort and airfield at Sidi Barrani (19A:0718) and another Allied airfield at nearby Egyptian hex 19A:0819, two hexes to the SE of Sidi Barrani.  Rogers also has 2 steps of attack supply at Tobruch and 6 steps of attack supply in Egypt.  In Rogers’ revised “Crusader” Europa battle scenario the Allied front line on the presumably historically-based at-start Nov II 41 turn would appear to be roughly at Sidi Barrani-19A:0819-and then apparently doglegs SE back towards the Siwi road, which is entirely in Allied control.  And somehow the mighty British 6-4-6 Arm X 32 T Conversion unit is at Tobruch.  Wow, in this game I’ve got a lot to do and not much time to try and fill the army boots of the British 8th Army’s renown General Auchinleck!  Let’s see if I can even get that far, in game turns played, without making a cardboard mistake too big to fix.