Europa Games and Military History

Month: June 2016

January through April, plus strategic events of May, 1917

We failed to notice in September 1916 that Austria-Hungary fell to national will one. This mattered not at all and a few rolls recently revealed their shaken and recovered status.

The big news of the winter came from Russia, where the Czarist government collapsed in March, so Germany and Austria-Hungary reaped 150 morale points in bonuses. The French received a less impressive 2.5 foreign manpower.

The other big news came from the United States of America, which declared war against Germany in early April 1917 after a few years of turmoil in the Western Hemisphere. United States Marines evacuated Veracruz, Mexico in September 1914 then occupied Haiti in June 1915. Pancho Villa led his rebels to Columbus, New Mexico, in December 1915 and a punitive expedition chased him uneventfully until November 1916. Cool heads avoided a second Mexican-American War and the first American units will arrive in France in June 1917.

Portuguese society bubbled with unrest in 1917, but that was not news. Given Portugal’s historical performance, we agreed that rolling for a “12” during every turn made civil war too likely. We agreed to roll monthly and Portugal remained in the war through May 1917.

Factory managers and merchants missed some production for the West during this report. German aircraft hit three Entente factories in November; two failed to produce in January. British riflemen took the Valenciennes coal field in January, putting Germany into an energy deficit. In January, the Entente produced 23 equipment and 17 resource points as trade continued to vary by factory bombing. Central Powers factories produced 15 resource points and 29 equipment in January. Due to their new 0.9 multiplier, Germany’s seventeen working factories produced 15 resource and 30.5 equipment points in March, plus for the first time, western Germany imported two points of each weapons and ammunition from Silesia. Entente bureaucrats simultaneously raised production to 0.5 for 19 resource and 30 equipment points. In May, the United States provided effectively unlimited energy and iron and the Entente operated all factories and traded with all neutrals at full rate for 20 resource points and 39 equipment points. The Central Power simultaneously accrued 19 and 34.5 points respectively.

In the game, by February 1917 the Hindenburg Plan looked like genius. Germany purchased four points of food in 1914, instead of zero historically. Game rules make Germany’s conquest of The Netherlands a profitable decision in 1915, so the Entente declared war on that country and put its food into German mouths preemptively. Ludendorff thus began destroying Germany’s economy in 1917 because he safely could: in game the Central Powers will become hungry in September 1919 instead of July 1918. This simulation malformation should save Germany and Austria-Hungary each almost 90 morale by October 1919, including 25 un-doubled influenza points.

The major rail networks continued to wilt over the winter and spring. After a final deterioration in January, enough Entente railroad engineers worked the Italian network to guarantee its’ integrity. Overwork and underinvestment pushed German and French networks remorselessly toward collapse: each loses one regiment of capacity during each check. Maintenance problems stranded two German trains in Valenciennes and their French captors put some cars and parts into Gallic service. The Austro-Hungarian network is so weak it cannot deteriorate further.

The February 1917 morale check proved interesting. Italy gained no morale points but Germany gained approximately 4.83 points (events in Africa may adjust), leaving Germany at approximately 111% of its historical morale. Austria-Hungary gained 13.5 points. Britain gained approximately 22.83 points (again, Africa), leaving Britain at national will three, like the Germans. France broke the mold by building on its previous superior situations to gain a bonus of approximately 126.83 points, restoring France’s morale advantage over the Germans.

German morale points are the basic currency of the game. The historical German morale situation in February 1917 was (supposedly) 286; vice 227 in February 1918. Between those checks, Germany gained 150 points for Russian collapse and surrender and lost 21 points average for strategic naval, 32 points in the East, and 12 points in Africa. Historical Entente land and air forces, with local naval support, thus inflicted 144 points of morale losses on the Germans between February 1917 and February 1918. The in-game Entente inflicted 104 points of morale losses during the same months from 1916-1917.

The strategic naval war bit fiercely into the morale of both Britain and Germany during the first half of 1917. Germany’s submarines and raiders operated most effectively, inflicting 14 morale on the British. Entente hunter-killer groups also performed well and German mothers wept to think of their sons, thought safe in the navy but lost at sea (11 morale points). We suspect that German strategic naval loss must include an average of losses to the surface fleet against the Russians because nothing else could account for the average morale point losses Germany suffers in the strategic naval war.

The German, Austro-Hungarian, French, British, and Italian armies all transformed during the period. The French machinegun arm disappeared into divisions which reorganized from four to three regiments. The British machinegun arm sent its men to field artillery brigades and its machines to rifle divisions. Both British and French generals grudgingly received large tank formations. German generals continued reorganizing four regiment divisions and began forming three regiment “trench” divisions. Austro-Hungarian and Italian generals combined some independent brigades into divisions. All air forces except the Belgian grew better and larger. All major powers increased combat engineer unit size.

At the onset of active campaigning, three major armies remained understrength. For lack of manpower, Germany still field dozens of cadres. The Italians retain many, and the French a few, of the dozens of artillery units dumped directly into their replacement pools in 1915. The French remain slightly understrength in combat engineers. Entente equipment and British, French, and Belgian manpower are all only slightly above even.

Air defenses improved dramatically over the period. Generals and politicians of all countries screamed for anti-aircraft guns and screamed again after industry and training commands provided an amazing strength of that new arm. In Italy, some German commanders refused to fly into13 density flak and struck at more distant targets instead. Lesser flak and rear area fighter defenses appeared (and some later disappeared from) near Lyon and Marseilles, over Paris and London, and in the English Midlands. French and British fighters and flak reliably protected factories and bomber bases near the front. German flak grew slightly in some cities and significantly on the front line.

Aerial results during the period reflected changes in production, technology, tactics, and luck. Zeppelins scored four hits at Milano, two at Birmingham, and one at Bristol. Some zeppelins and the one German bomber attacked Italian and French factories many times. Italian flak damaged a zeppelin group but master German machinists again successfully repaired the cripples. Italian bombers, the Ca-2 workhorse and new SIA-7, hit Stuttgart and Koln four times. The flush German air force attacked the Entente bomber base in France and killed a French fighter group, but two groups of Germans suffered disaster by flak. Because April mud prevented ground battles, all air forces reached full strength by May.

By winter 1917, the German General Staff considered a long and increasingly brutal war inevitable. British and French artillery devastated German sectors in autumn 1916. From 1917, Entente heavy artillery can move without disruption and avoid telegraphing attack sectors. Many officers wanted better fortifications, forts broadly and improved forts in key sectors. Other officers advocated a “Hindenburg Line” slightly to the rear, in good terrain, and on short lines.

The German high command decided differently. Two German and one Dutch engineer groups began devastating three areas to protect a Hindenburg Line from the ocean through Bruxelles to the Ardennes and international opprobrium sapped morale in both countries. The high command also ordered fortification of the east bank of the Rhine River, starting near Duisburg and Düsseldorf, so the German Army could gradually trade Belgium for time and Entente casualties

In autumn 1916, Entente commanders realized they could not defend Istria as it was, so they changed it. Istria’s ports, one each standard and minor, could not sustain an adequate garrison unless theater commanders committing many ships and trucks to the effort. Therefore, in October British port engineers began upgrading Rovigno’s minor port. Early in 1917, a strong British army replaced weak French forces. At the end of April, British artillery began to batter the fort at Trieste after Rovigno opened at its larger capacity. In May, a flood of American railroad equipment connected British army depots directly to their strategic logistics. The Entente envisioned British forces battering Austro-Hungarians and Germans on Trieste’s fields all summer.

That plan came unglued with the first Italian attack across the Isonzo River in May 1917.

Nov I 41 Allied Turn

EOT Dispositions

Malta

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

Malta Status: 10, end of turn [at turn’s start 12, – 2 repairs this turn, at step 19 of the I. Phase = 10]

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 5 gsp’s present in the Valletta hex. However, there are 5.5 REs of ground units on Malta, so the Allied player designates the 0-4 Cons X MC as the 1 RE unit that is definitely Red U-2. This would make the rest of the ground units at Malta technically U-2, but in special general supply by tracing to the available gsp’s at Valletta. Malta’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.

Valletta (18A:0407) [rough terrain point city major port hex, w/ a strong natural harbor]:
Valletta hex flack factor: 7 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 4 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II units now in special general supply)
3-cap permanent airfield; one hit of damage
3-6* Inf X 1 M [technically Red U-2; never moved]
3-6* Inf X 3 M [technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  10 [technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  4 [technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-4 Cons X MC [definitely Red U-2; never moved]
Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
4 gsp’s [sea transported to here from Gibraltar in a W Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase of the current Allied turn]
1 gsp [sea transported to here from Suez in an E Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase of the current Allied turn]
{5 gsp’s [4 were sea transported from Gibraltar in a W Med NTP and 1 was sea transported from Suez in an E Med NTP, all in the naval movement step of the Oct II 41 Allied M. Phase; they are removed from the maps at step 24 of the current Allied I. Phase]}

18A:0307 [rough terrain hex, NW of Valletta]:
This hex currently has an intrinsic flack factor of 2, per the WW Intrinsic Light AA Summary, found on Game Play Chart 2–Air War.
2-6* Inf X 2 M [began turn here; technically Red U-2; never moved]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn here; technically Black U-2; never moved]

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Lybia

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Lybia

Egypt

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

19A:0618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Sidi Barrani]:
6-4-6 Arm X 32 T [began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10 Recon II 4 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here; remained in the hex]
3-8 Art X 10 [began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here; remained in the hex]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here]
1-10 Recon II 1 DG [began turn at 19A:0820;  moved to here]

19A:0720 [clear terrain hex]:
3-8 Art X 13 [began turn here; never moved]
6-4-6 Arm X 1 T [began turn here; never moved]
1-10 Recon II 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to here; remained in the hex]
3-2-10 Arm X 1 [began turn here; moved SW to Giarabub road hex 19A:0326, and then into the Oasi di Giarabub hex (19A:0327), and then back to hex 0326, where it ended the M. Phase; exploited back to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to Siwa road hex 19A:0726 and then to 19A:0724, capturing Siwa road hexes along the way; exploited to here]
1-10* Mot SG  AA=1  X 2 [began turn here; moved to Egyptian coast road hex 19A:0519 and then continued westwards, moving through Halfaya Pass (19A:0419), the road junction hex at 19A:0218,  the Porto Bardia hex (19A:0318), and then back to 19A:0319, where it ended the M. Phase; exploited back to here]
{2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began turn here; per the WitD Allied OB booklet, a turn reinf Conversion: the lt arm unit is removed from the maps and the 4-3-8 Arm X 9 conversion unit is placed in the Forming Box; it needs 3 Br arm RPs expended to activate]}

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Western Desert

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Western Desert

19A:0820 [clear terrain hex]:
3-8 Art X 30 [turn reinf; sea transported to Matruh in a turn reinf NTP, where it disembarked, railed to 19A:0819, and then moved one hex to here]
7-10* Arm XX 7 [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to Giarabub road hex 18A:5121 (via Halfaya Pass) and then moved southwards along that road to 19A:0223, capturing road hexes along the way; ended the M. Phase at 0223; exploited to here]

19A:0819 [clear terrain hex; containing the Tobruch-Matruh railway line completed this turn]:
3-cap temporary airfield [began the turn as a 2-cap temporary airfield, but the Aus 2-8 Eng X 1 spent 2 MPs in the hex building it into a 3-cap temporary airfield]
railhead marker [began the turn at 19A:0919, advanced to 19A:0819 in the M. Phase, after the 1-2-8 Eng X 8 expended all its MPs in the hex]
1-2-8 Eng X 8 [began turn here; expended all its MPs in the hex completing the Tobruch-Matruh railway line in this hex, thereby advancing the railhead marker in the M. Phase to here, from 19A:0919; never moved; the Br eng X chose not to advance forward to the next uncompleted Tobruch-Matruh rail hex at 19A:0720, as it voluntarily could have done]
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 26 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 (RAAF) [opertive; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; turn ARP rebuild; began turn at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
{6 gsp’s [4 of these gsp’s were generated at Alexandria and 2 were generated at Suez on the Oct II 41 Allied turn; all 6 were removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]}

Sidi Barrani (19A:0718) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap temporary airfield [built this turn by the Aus 2-8 Eng X 1]
7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth [turn Br inf RP build from the 3-8* Inf Cadre 50 Nth, which began the turn at 19A:0918; the inf XX began the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at hex 0918; in the M. Phase the inf XX moved to here]
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0819; spent 2 MPs in the hex to increase the 2-cap temporary airfield there to a 3-cap temporary airfield; spent 2 MPs moving to Sidi Barrani, where it then spent 4 MPs building a 1-cap temporary airfield]
{0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn here; per the WitD Allied OB booklet Withdraws at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
Hurri 2C  5F5  2/9 [inop.; turn reinf; began turn at Matruh at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]

19A:0818 [clear terrain coast road hex, SE of Sidi Barrani]:
7-8 Inf XX 6 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0920; regular moved to here]

19A:0918 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield [completed on the Sep II 41 Allied turn]
0-8 Hv AA II  AA=1  2 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1319; moved to here]
P-40C 5F5 1/13 (SAAF) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 (SAAF) [operative; turn conversion; began the turn here at step 14 of the I. Phase; per the WitD Allied OB booklet a turn Conversion of the Hurri 1 5F5  1/8 (SAAF) air unit that began the turn here; never moved]
P-40C  5F5  1/13 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1018 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
1-8 Inf X 38 (Ind) [turn reinf; Special: per the WitD Allied OB booklet it appears in any Allied-owned city; began turn at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; admin moved westwards along the Egyptian coastal transportation line to here]

19A:1118 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Matruh]:
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119); admin moved westwards along the Egyptian coastal transportation line to here]

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail line junction coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
2-8* Inf X 161 [began turn here; never moved]
0-2-8 Hv AA X  AA=4  12 [turn conversion; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at 19A:1319; per the WitD Allied OB booklet a turn Conversion of the 0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 51 unit that began the turn at 19A:1319; moved to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop; began turn at 19A:1418; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Hurri 1  5NF5  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1319 [major rail line coast hex, SE of Matruh]:
3-cap temporary airfield
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  68 [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); moved to here]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 (SAAF) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  51 [began turn here; never moved]
Well 2  4NB4  1-6/36 [inop.; turn reinf; began turn at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it flew a night port strat bombing to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase it flew a night port strat bombing to the Tobruch target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase it flew a night port strat bombing to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]

19A:0919 [clear terrain Matruh-Tobruch major rail line hex]:
7-8 Inf XX 2 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0818; regular moved to here]
2 steps of attack supply [began turn at 19A:0819; in the M. Phase both steps of attack supply spent a total of 2 SMPs moving one hex along the major rail line to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Alexandria; railed to here]
6 gsp’s [all these gsp’s were railed to here; 4 came from Alexandria and 2 came from Suez; all were generated this turn at step 16 of the I. Phase]

19A:1019 [clear terrain Matruh-Tobruch major rail line hex]:
8-8 Inf XX 2 (NZ) [assembled here from its unsupported components at the end of the M. Phase]
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1220; moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1220; moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1220; moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [began turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine; sea transported to Matruh aboard an E Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; after disembarking it moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]

19A:1120 [clear terrain Siwa road hex]:
2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1019; moved one hex to here]
2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1019; moved one hex to here]

19A:1220 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 150 [began turn at 19A:1120; moved one hex to here]
2-8* Inf X 151 [began turn at 19A:1220; moved one hex to here]

19A:1321 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 6 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

19A:1421 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 3 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

19A:1522 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 1 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Estern Desert and Egypt

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Estern Desert and Egypt

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]
vacant by the end of the M. Phase

19A:2417/20A:5030 [clear terrain major rail line coast hex, SW of Alexandria]:
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at Ismailia (19A:3516); admin moved along the transportation lines to here]

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [full city hex/major port major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  27 [British; began turn here; never moved]
Glad  3F3  0/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
{Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [turn ARP repair; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase and then immediately Withdrawn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet]}
2 steps of attack supply [turn reinforcements; sea transported to Suez in 6 turn reinf NTPs in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; disembarked and railed to here]
one step of attack supply [turn reinf; sea transported to here aboard 3 turn reinf NTPs in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; disembarked here and remained in the hex]

19A:2516/20A:2930 [canal intensive major rail line junction coast hex, NE of Alexandria]:
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at 19A:2417; moved to here]
Damaphur (19A:2716/20A:5027) [canal intensive reference city major rail line junction hex]:
Bftr 1C  6HF5  1/S/21 [operative; turn reinf; began turn here at step 14 of the I. Phase; never moved]
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

Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) [swamp dot city/standard port/Suez Canal major rail line terminal coast hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn at Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it embarked on an E Med NTP and voyaged first to the Aden off-map holding box, but it did not disembark there; instead it resumed its voyage in the naval movement step of the E. Phase, and after traversing the Suez Canal it finally entered the port hex of Port Said, where the Ind 5th Inf XX HQ unit disembarked]

Ismailia (19A:3516) [sand reference city/standard port/Suez Canal transportation line junction hex]:
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at Suez (19A:3718); moved to here]

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line nexus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
1-6 Trng X MEF (NZ) [turn reinf: per the WitD Allied OB booklet a Middle East Garrison Arrival; began turn here at step 14 of the I. Phase.  The WitD Allied OB booklet identifies this particular unit as evidently a WitD ME Garrison unit.  In WW this unit’s arrival coincides with a Nov II 41 Allied Egypt Garrison increase requirement, and so it is likely the voluntary unit of choice for this Egypt Garrison increase.  However, this additional new Egypt Garrison unit, picked from Allied Garrison-category units, per the WW Allied Garrisons chart found on Game Play Chart 5, evidently may move around Egypt, unlike its eng/cons garrison unit counterpart, which must remain where it is initially placed, unless another eng/cons unit takes its place.

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.

20A:4609 [clear terrain major rail line/road junction coast hex, N of Haifa]:
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.
For the first time in the game the Haifa-Tripoli railhead marker is moved forward, presumably at step 17 or 19 of the I. Phase.

Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:5127, in Iraq next to the T-J/Iraq borderline; admin moved 12 hexes along the road to secondary rail line hex 20A:5006, in Trans-Jordan; entrained and railed to here]

Tel Aviv (19A:4308 [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

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.

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
2-8* Inf X 25 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]

20A:4308 [rough terrain coast road hex]:
0-1-6 Cons X 61 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

20A:4107 [rough terrain coast road hex]:
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

20A:4006 [rough terrain coast road hex, SW of Tripoli]:
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

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.
2-8* Inf X 18 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
2-8* Inf X 21 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

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

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

Alep (21A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
vacant

21A:4220 [clear terrain hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn here; never moved]
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.

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Estern Mediterranean

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Estern Mediterranean

Trans Jordan

20A:5006 [clear terrain secondary rail line-road junction hex]:
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023); admin moved westwards 16 hexes along the road to here]

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

Nicosia (20A:3414) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn here; technically Black U-1; never moved]
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn here; technically Black U-1; never moved]

Larnaca (20A:3513) [clear terrain point city/minor port road hex]:
{one gsp [generated at Suez on the Oct II 41 Allied turn at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the Oct II 41 Allied turn M. Phase in an E Med NTP; removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]}
one gsp [generated at Suez on the current Allied turn at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the M. Phase in an E Med NTP]

Middle East Command Replacement Pool

[{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:
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]
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]
3-8 Inf X 22 G [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]
2-8 Inf X 14 [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]

Aborted Air Units Box
{Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [turn ARP repair; placed at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase and then immediately Withdrawn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet; the unit was an Oct II 41 Allied turn 1 ARP expenditure build & Box move from the Eliminated Air Units Box to the Aborted Air Units Box]}

Eliminated Air Units Box
{Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [turn ARP rebuild; placed at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; the unit had been killed in air combat on the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase at the Porto Bardiya target hex, by the Ger LW Me 109E F type air unit, which the Br Hurri 1 air unit managed to abort]}

Forming Box
3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo)
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; this turn it counted as part of the Levant Garrison]
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; this turn it was counted as part of the Palestine garrison]
4-3-8 Arm X 9 [turn conversion unit; placed here at step 14 of the Nov I 41 Allied I. Phase, per the WitD Allied OB booklet; 3 arm RPs must the spent to activate this unit]

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions: off-map display details

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions: off-map display details

The Allied Near East (NE) Command

The 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 Sep II 41 Allied I. Phase the Allied player transferred back to the Middle East Command the 10 SMPs that had been transferred to the Near East Command on the Aug I 41 Allied turn, per WW Rule 12H2b.

At step 4 the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase Iran surrendered to the Allies, per the Iranian Surrender Table. All Iranian forces surrendered to the Allies and were removed from the map.

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Iraq and Iran

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Iraq and Iran

pro-Allied Iraq

[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.

Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at Ramadi (22A:2830); admin moved 16 hexes along the road to here]
Audax  1A1  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Ramadi (22A:2830) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at Baghdad (22A:2825); moved along the road to here]

Habbaniya (22A:2828) [clear terrain point city road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

Baghdad (22A:2825) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
one hit marker on the airbase
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

22A:3224 [swamp secondary rail line hex]:
2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [began turn at Basra (22A:4313); railed and regular moved to here, regular moving over the rail hit at Diwaniya (22A:3623) on the way and then regular moving across the demolished bridge hex side to here]

Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
8* Inf XX HQ 6 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
2-8 Inf X 27 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  1 [began turn here; never moved]
1-pt river flotilla  AA=1  PAIC (RN) [began turn here; never moved]
2 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Iraq and Iran

Nov I 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Iraq and Iran

In Iran

[end of turn]:

Tehran (32:1512) [clear terrain partial city major rail line junction hex]:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at 32:2012; moved to here along the transportation lines; remained in the hex]

Ahwaz (22A:3810) [clear terrain reference city major rail line-road junction hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

Abadan (22A:4410) [swamp reference city/minor port road hex, on a major river hex]:
1-6 Inf X Indr (ISF) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]

Kohrramshahr (22A:4311) [clear terrain point city/standard port major rail line-road junction hex, on a major river hex]:
1-8 Inf X 26 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]

Bandar Shahpur (22A:4407) [clear terrain point city/standard port major rail line terminus island hex, w/ a sea causeway to the mainland]:
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn at Abadan (22A:4410); admin moved along the transportation lines to here]

Iran Off-Map Holding Boxes chart
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at 32:1914; regular moved SE along the secondary rail line through Kashan (32:2311) and exited the map at edge hex 32:2510 at its 7th MP; it spent its last MP moving off-map along the 25 hex road to the off-map Iranian reference city Karman, per the WitD Iran Off-Map Holding Boxes chart]
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at 32:2413; regular moved SE along the road and exited the map at edge hex 32:2513 at its 2nd MP; it then spent 5 MPs moving off-map along the 5 hex road to off-map Iranian dot city Isfahan, and then spent its last MP moving onwards along the 18 hex off-map road to the off-map Iranian dot city of Shiraz, per the WitD Iran Off-Map Holding Boxes chart]

Turn Activity

The weather die roll was a 5 this turn, and so it is mud in the C, D, and E weather zones. As always, it is clear in the F weather zone. This turn all seas are calm in the EA reported WW Scenario map groups. Parts of the C & D weather zones are visible in northern Iran on map 32, but on map 32 both these weather zones are in the Soviet occupation zone and therefore are not a factor in the new Scenario. On the WD map group of 18A and 19A, (and 20A) the rough terrain notch of the Cyrenaica is in weather zone E, as is part of the coastal littoral of Palestine, and all of the coastline of Lebanon and NW Syria. In addition to these North African and West Asian mainland areas that are indicated on the WD map group, a number of Mediterranean islands are also in weather zone E, namely: Cyprus, Crete, the Dodecanese, Sicily, and Malta. On the Nov I 41 game turn the weather is mud in weather zones E; but it is always automatically clear in the F weather zone, which is the prevailing weather zone in the Western Desert and Mesopotamian regions.

Nov I 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Nov I 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions, Central Mediterranean

At step 11 of the I. Phase, at Malta, which is the supply determination step, five of the 5.5 REs of Allied ground units there are declared technically Red U-2, but in special general supply via the 5 gsp’s which were sea transported to Valletta on the previous Oct II 41 Allied turn, four from Gibraltar and 1 from Suez. The Br 0-4 Cons X MC at the Valletta hex is the ground unit designated as being definitely Red U-2.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player takes on some reinforcements, some conversions, and does some ARP rebuilds and repairs, all in Egypt.  He rebuilds the Hurri 1 air unit, removing it from the Eliminated Air Units Box, and repairs the Blen 4 B type air unit, removing it from the Aborted Air Units box of the ME Command Replacement Pool.  The Blen 4 air unit is then immediately Withdrawn from the maps, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.  A turn air unit reinf arrives in the Allied Anti-Shipping Aircraft Holding Box.  Using Br inf RPs, the Allied player rebuilds the British 7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth from its 3-8* Inf Cadre 50 Nth, which began the turn at 19A:0918, in Egypt.  See the text above or the pictures below for additional details.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player generates 4 new gsp’s at his Suez and Alexandria Standard Supply terminals. But this turn the Allied player believes it is not necessary to generate gsp’s at the Basra Standard Supply terminal.

Nov I 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions, Egypt and Western Desert

Nov I 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions, Egypt and Western Desert

At step 22 of the I. Phase the non-phasing Axis player flies the Me 109E  7F5  1/7 air unit based at 18A:0403, on Sicily, on the CAP air mission over the Valletta hex (18A:0407), on Malta.  Interestingly, Br Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 air unit based at the Valletta hex does not fly either the Patrol or Intercept air mission. The Axis player does not fly any Harassment air missions. But he assigns four Axis air units to the Naval Patrol air mission. These would be the Ger LW Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air unit based at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, and the It SM 79-2  2B3  2-4/V/20 air unit at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch.  He also assigns the on the Naval Patrol air mission the Ger LW Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 air unit based at 18A:0403, on Sicily and the It SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit based at Tripoli (18A:0121).  He cannot assign to the Naval Patrol air mission the two Br 20M NB types based at Tripoli, as they flew the Malta Status air mission on the prior Oct II 41 Axis player turn, and therefore are inoperative throughout the Nov I 41 Allied player turn.  He nevertheless assigns the short-legged Ger LW Ju 87B D type air unit at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, to the Naval Patrol air mission because of the paucity of Axis air units more appropriate for this air mission in the east Libya zone, and in order to maintain at least some kind of aero-naval war in the waters north and east of Tobruch.  These Axis Naval Patrol air mission assignments also imply that this Allied turn he is not worried for the need of extra DAS assets in the Tobruch vicinity.

At step 23 of the I. Phase the Allied player does his first “Desert Rat” Raid, per WW Rule 37F, and scores an airfield damage hit at the Axis 1-cap permanent airstrip at Agedabia (18A:3327).  It appears he is able to do this now, even though 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME unit’s prerequisite withdrawal occurred at step 14 of the I. Phase, as the Desert Raid Raid effort doesn’t occur until later, at step 23.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes the 5 gsp’s at Valletta hex, at Malta, and the 6 gsp’s at 19A:08919, in the Western Desert, and the 1 gsp at Larnaca (20A:3513), on Cyprus. All these old gsp’s were generated in the previous Oct II 41 Allied I. Phase.

Nov I 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions, Eastern Mediterranean

Nov I 41 Allied end of the Initial Phase dispositions, Eastern Mediterranean

This turn, in the naval movement step of the M. Phase, the Allied player has available 10 E Med NTPs and also his single W Med NTP available for his sea transport requirements.

The first thing the Allied player does in the naval movement step is to sea transport to Malta 4 gsp’s generated at the Gibraltar standard supply terminal in a W Med NTP. This is done through the Gibraltar Convoys proviso found at WW Rule 41B1-Western Desert Campaign, which is used in standard WW Middle East Campaign Scenarios. Because of the two Axis air units in the Malta zone assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission, the W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar enters Map 18A way to the south, at hex 0115, in the daylight (this is required per the Gibraltar Convoys proviso) and deliberately 1 hex south of the official E weather line all-sea hex at 0114, and at which location it successfully rolls a no contact for the Cent Med Axis anti-shipping effects, using the Naval Table.  Immediately after this the It SM 79-1 2B3 1-5/22 air unit based at Tripoli (18A:0121) rolls for Naval Patrol contact on the Success Table. The Ger LW Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 air unit based at 18A:0403, on Sicily, is 13 hexes away, and so would have to fly at extended range to attempt a Naval Patrol contact, and with its tac factor already halved due to the Mud weather at Sicily, doesn’t bother.  The It SM 79-1 air unit based at Tripoli is only 6 hexes away, and so its +3 modifier for the calm seas is off-set with only a -1 for the range, making for a net +2 modifier.  Its roll on the Success Table is good, for a Naval Patrol contact, and it also successfully evades the Allied NTP’s 2 factor flack shot, but in the end it fails to roll the 6 needed for a hit on the Bombing Table, with its puny 1 tac bombing factor.  And so the Allied W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar arrives at the Valletta port hex, voyaging from all-sea map edge hex 18A:0114 entirely at night, and disembarks its cargo there.  It can be argued that the SM 79-1 B type air unit was not suited for the Naval Patrol air mission assignment, with its 1 tac factor.  But it was all the Axis player had available in the south area of the Malta zone in the I. Phase, and so this unit was assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission in order to serve notice of an Axis aero-naval war presence in the Malta zone.

Nov I 41 Allied naval movement action detail: Malta Convoy

Nov I 41 Allied naval movement action detail: Malta Convoy

Next, the Allied player does a number of naval actions in the East and Central Mediterranean sea zones. These subsequent naval actions are listed below in sequential order. Those that are indicated by a # are indicated as such in the related naval movement step action activities picture included below in this game report.  In these same naval movement step action activities pictures included below are indicated by blank red markers what is here the agreed upon/house rule E weather line boundary in the all-sea Mediterranean Sea hexes for maps 18A & 19A, which was left off the maps.  There may well be buried in some old WitD errata or in the old Europa magazine an official or semi-official designation for this E weather line omission in the Mediterranean all-sea hexes on the WD map group.  If so, someone please let me and the EA know.  The E weather zone boundary in the Mediterranean all-sea hexes is important this turn because of the mud weather now in the E weather zone and how it affects the Naval Patrol air missions with target hexes at all-sea Mediterranean Sea hexes in the zone.  Upon a careful inspection and juxtaposing of maps 27, 25A, and 18A, we can see that west edge all-sea hex 0114 of map 18A, 7 hexes north of Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya, is an official E weather line border hex.  To me, the E weather line appears to be somewhat farther south running horizontally across the Mediterranean that what one might casually first guess where the line would be.

Nov I 41 Allied naval movement action details

Nov I 41 Allied naval movement action details

#1.  An E Med NTP carries a gsp from Suez, in Egypt, to Larnaca (20A:3513), on Cyprus, in order to keep the two Allied inf IIs there in special general supply.

#2.  An E Med NTP carries a gsp from Suez up the Suez Canal and enters the Mediterranean Sea.  It begins night movement beginning at all-sea hex 20A:4822 and continues sailing a NW bearing using night movement for 10 hexes, to all-sea hex 20A:4128.  From this route it is evident that it is likely sailing to Malta.  Beginning at all-sea hex 20A:4028 it voyages in daylight, and continues at a NW bearing, thus remaining just out of the normal range of the It SM 79-2  2B3  2-4/V/20 air unit based at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; but eventually it will have to veer more to the west in its presumed voyage to Malta, and into the normal range of the Italian torpedo bomber air unit.  It finally does so at 19A:1003, 20 hexes away from 18A:4818.  But the Axis player has been counting his hexes, too, and knows the Allied cargo naval group must travel at least 8 more all-sea hexes in the daylight, and so waits a bit, until the NTP enters all-sea hex 19A:0305, south of the eastern end part of Crete, and now 16 hexes from 18A:4818.  There is a +3 modifier for calm seas and a -3 modifier for the range; but the skillful Axis player rolls a 5, for a Naval Patrol Contact.  Because the target hex is north of the E weather line, the SM 79-2 B type’s (V code) tac factor is halved, to 1, but he still has a +1 die roll modifier on the Bombing Table for being the V code.  But bad luck strikes the Axis side when the Allied player rolls for his 2 factor flack shot on the Antiaircraft Fire Table and rolls a snake-eyed 2, modified to a 1 due to the Axis B type air unit carrying torpedoes, and it is aborted.  When the Allied cargo naval group enters the Cent Med sea zone two hexes later he rolls good on the Naval Table also, and so the E Med NTP carrying the gsp from Suez makes it to Valletta, where it disembarks its cargo.  This was probably a lucky voyage.

#3.  The Allied player then sea transports into the Mediterranean Sea his turn reinf British 3-8 Art X 30 ground unit, beginning the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase embarked on a turn reinf NTP at Red Sea all-sea map edge hex 19A:5126.  The cargo naval group approaches Matruh (19A:1218), in Egypt, in darkness, beginning its night movement at all-sea hex 20A:4533/19A:1915.  It eventually safely enters the Egyptian minor port, where it disembarks its cargo, perhaps still in darkness.

#4.  Then the NZ 3-8 Inf X 5, beginning the turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, is embarked on an E Med NTP and sails to Matruh, using the same technique as described in #3 in expending its final 10 naval movement points.  It too, arrives safely at Matruh in the night, and disembarks there.

#5.  Next, the Allied player sea transports all his turn Replacement Points (RPs) and one turn reinf step of attack supply from the SE Red Sea edge of map 19A into the Mediterranean Sea and sends them to his standard supply terminal at Alexandria, where they disembark.

#6.  Finally, the Allied player sea transports his two remaining turn reinf steps of attack supply to Suez, in Egypt, where they are disembarked from the turn reinf NTPs.

Nov I 41 Allied end of the naval movement dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Nov I 41 Allied end of the naval movement dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Meanwhile, back at Basra, in Iraq, the 8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) embarks on an E Med NTP and begins a long voyage to Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413). At the end of the naval movement step of the M. Phase this cargo naval group from Basra enters the Aden off-map holding box, but does not disembark its cargo there. Instead, the cargo naval group waits until the naval movement step of the E. Phase, at which time it continues its voyage from Aden to the WD map group and eventually enters Port Said, in Egypt at the north end of the Suez Canal, where the 5th Ind Inf XX HQ unit finally disembarks, ending its move.

Turn rail movement inventory on the Middle East railnet:

1 RE = for the 3-8 Art X 30 turn reinf which disembarked at Matruh, where it entrained

2 REs = for the 2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind), which began turn at 21A:5127, in Iraq, and admin moved to the secondary rail hex at 20A:5006, in Trans-Jordan, where it entrained

6 REs = for the two turn reinf steps of attack supply which disembarked at Suez, where they entrained

1 RE = for 4 gsp’s at Alexandria, where they entrained

.5 RE = for 2 gsp’s at Suez, where they entrained

3 REs =for the step of attack supply which began the turn at Alexandria, where it entrained

Allied Middle East rail net railcap: 16, per ER-II Allied OB Initial Forces, Mar II 41 Axis turn.

Nov I 41 Allied end of the naval movement dispositions, Eastern Mediterranean

Nov I 41 Allied end of the naval movement dispositions, Eastern Mediterranean

The Allied player assembles the big NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at 19A:1019, in west-central Egypt.  He likes to assemble the Allied infantry XXs, if possible, as then next turn he has the options of breaking them down any way he wants, which may be useful.

It is hard to say what the Allied player should do in the currently idle backwater Allied territories of Iraq and Iran, now that the Axis threat in the Near East is apparently ended forever, pending developments on the Russian front.  The Allied player currently has ownership of all Iranian cities on maps 22A and 32, although the Iranian off-map holding boxes still contain uncontrolled city boxes, still presumably considered “pro-Axis neutral.”  As far as I am concerned, all Iranian hexes on maps 22A and 32 are Allied-owned, essentially via WW Optional Rule 5B5-Ownership of Territory.  In practical Europa WW board wargame theory, at this time all this Iranian hex control concern and the Allied ground movement activity in Iran isn’t worth a thing, but I suspect that in real-life WWII, the opening of the probably important oil-exporting Iranian Persian Gulf port of Bandar Shahpur (22A:4407), ensconced with a narrow straits hex crossing, was an important war objective in the Allied strategic planning in this zone.

The Scenario’s new Trans-Jordanian 1-10 Mot Cav III AL [Arab Legion] continues to chase after the Fawzi unit in Iraq and Syria, but it can do little more as long as the Fawzi unit is in its guerrilla mode.  It has APZOCS, per the new Scenario’s rules provisions regarding the new T-J unit, but it is the only Allied unit with this capability in the new Scenario, and so cannot by itself ZOC entrap and kill Fawzi in ground combat against the guerrilla unit, unless adjacent impassable terrain or certain international border hexes help it.  I’m wondering if the British cav Xs should also have APZOCs, too, in the new Scenario; but we don’t want to be too hard on the Fawzi bandit, do we?

Nov I 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, Eastern Mediterranean

Nov I 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, Eastern Mediterranean

It’s tempting to air transfer the Bftr 1C  6HF5  1/S/21 air unit to Valletta, on Malta, but the Axis player has the Ger LW Me 109 air unit on the CAP air mission over the target hex, and there is the problem of keeping a second air unit at Malta in supply.  This would require sending a 6th Allied gsp each turn to Malta, and sending 5 to Malta is hard enough; in practice four is the most convenient.  The Allied player feels he has been quite lucky so far in keeping Malta supplied, and if the situation in the Western Desert continues to be static, Malta may become a magnet for Axis special attention and warfare schemes.

In the E. Phase the Allied player sends his three Well NB air units on a night strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch hex, and scores a hit.  A hit marker is placed next to Tobruch, but not a port damage marker, with the anchor on it, as it takes two bombing hits to make a  port damage marker hit on its strong natural harbor.  Late in the E. Phase several Allied F type air units also air transfer to new temporary airfields build in west-central Egypt.

At the beginning of the Nov I 41 Allied turn the Allied player had the following inventory of ME Command RPs/ARPs stored at the Alexandria hex:  5.5 Br inf, .5 Br arm, 2.5 Aus inf, 0 NZ inf, 4 Ind inf and 1 Allied ARP. At step 14 of the I. Phase 4 Br inf RPs were spent to build the British 7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth from its 3-8* Inf Cadre.  This reduces for a moment the Br inf RP tally to 1.5.

In the M. Phase, the Allied turn reinf RPs were sea transported to Alexandria, aboard turn reinf NTPs.  Alexandria is where the Allied player is currently storing all his RPs, and intends to continue doing so as long as it is not in danger of being captured or besieged by the Axis.  Note that per WW Rule 31C3-Replacement Points, RPs “may be embarked and disembarked only at friendly-owned ports that are standard supply terminals.”  And so in WW WD & ME Scenario based games the Allied player must decide upon a turn reinf RP storage policy in reference to his two beginning on-map standard supply terminals, Alexandria and Suez.  Inf RPs however, can be moved about via rail or air transport.

At the end of the Nov I 41 Allied turn the Allied player has the following revised inventory of ME Command RPs/ARPs stored at the Alexandria hex:  3.5 Br inf, 1.5 Br arm, 3.5 Aus inf, .5 NZ inf, 5 Ind inf, and 7 ARPs.  He may spend up to 3 ARPs per turn during the new air cycle.

Commentary

The WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario project EA game reports are almost at an end, but the Allied player yearns for the opportunity for revenge and counterattack, and is not at all thankful that it’s almost over.  But at the same time the Axis player is content with his present gameboard position, now that he holds the fortress and strong harbor of Tobruch, and like a successful commander looks for new ways to damage the Allied war cause in his Med/NA Command.  Both sides are stymied for the moment by the Mud weather, but probably more so the Axis side than the Allied.  Even this turn the Allied player looks hard for an opening or opportunity in the Western Desert zone, itching for his big pay-back fight.  He keeps his guard up at Malta, Cyprus and the Delta zone, looking skywards for the German paratroop air drops.  In spite of increasing the danger of an EOT deployment oversight/blunder in west-central Egypt, he still creeps forward another hex closer towards the main Axis force in eastern Libya; and he builds more temporary airfield capacity in the forward position, just behind the desert shield.  If the Axis decides to attack, then maybe so much the better for the Allies in the ensuing melee, or with EX results.  And so there is in fact an array of ways and means for the Allied player to engage the Afrika Korps in combat, and he knows that this is his present task in the world war, here in the Western Desert.

Oct II 41 Axis Turn

EOT Dispositions

Mainland Europe off-map holding box

[end of turn]:
1-6 Tnk II 52 [Oct I 41 Axis turn reinf, returned to the holding box that turn by Allied anti-shipping effects; began this turn at the mainland Europe off-map holding box; remained in the holding box this turn, as the Axis player used his three available Axis Med NTPs to sea transport a step of attack supply from Tripoli to Tobruch, using inshore waters sea movement, per WW Rule 34B1, in order to avoid the Allied anti-shipping effects Naval Table dice roll]
0 Italian inf Replacement Points (RPs) at the end of the Axis turn: .5 It RPs began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; late in the E. Phase the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up the .5 It inf RP along with 1.5 Ger inf RPs and air transported them on a 1-way regular air transport at twice its printed range to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.
1.5 German inf RPs at the end of the Axis turn: 3 Ger inf RPs began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; late in the E. Phase the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up 1.5 Ger inf RPs along with .5 It inf RP and air transported them on a 1-way regular air transport at twice its printed range to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.
3 Ger ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Axis turn: The Axis player began the turn w/ 5 Ger ARPs, but at step 14 of the I. Phase 2 Ger ARPs were expended to repair 2 Ger LW air units in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool.  The Axis player would like to spend all his available ARPs to repair Ger LW air units in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool, but per WW Advanced Rule 25C6 he may in the current air cycle spend up to 2 Ger ARPs per turn.  The 2 repaired Ger LW air units were the Me 109E  7F5  1/7 and the the Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12  air units, which were both placed at 18A:0403, in Sicily.
2 It ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Axis turn: The Axis player began the turn w/ 4 It ARPs, but at step 14 of the I. Phase 2 It ARPs were expended to rebuild the G 50  3F3  0/6 air unit. The air unit was removed from the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool and placed on the maps at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), in Libya.

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Sicily

[end of turn]:

Licata (18A:0102) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [inop.; turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase it flew the Escort air mission with the Axis air group flying to the Valletta target hex comprised of two fighters on a bombing air mission; the Me 109E air unit engaged in air combat w/ the Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 air unit based at Valletta, which intercepted the Axis air mission at the target hex; in the ensuing air combat both air units rolled a (-) against each other; rebased here]
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [inop.; turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing air mission w/ the Axis air op flying to the Valletta target hex; jettisoned its bomb load after the Hurri 2 air unit based at Valletta flew the Intercept air mission; rebased here]
CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing air mission w/ the Axis air op flying to the Valletta target hex; jettisoned its bomb load after the Hurri 2 air unit based at Valletta flew the Intercept air mission; rebased here]

Coast hex 18A:0603:
3-cap permanent airfield

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 Oct II 41 Axis turn
Malta Status: 10, at the start of the turn, + 2 for Malta Status bombing hits done in the M. Phase prior to the naval movement step, = 12 during this turn’s naval movement step and at the EOT.

Valletta hex (18A:0407) flack this turn: 7 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 4 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs’ 2 flack factors each, as this turn these two ground units are in special general supply via the 5 gsp’s successfully sea transported from Gibraltar and Suez to Malta on the Oct II 41 Allied turn).

On this turn Malta Status air missions to the Valletta hex would roll on the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table, shifted two columns to the left, Per WW Rule 37I2a.

There were 5 gsp’s present in the Valletta hex at the start of the Axis player turn, and 5.5 REs of ground units on Malta. At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied player designated the 0-4 Cons X MC unit as definitely Red U-2.  The Br Hurri 2 F type air unit based at Valletta is in “special air unit supply” per WW Rule 24I3-Allied Malta Special Air Unit Supply. Four of the gsp’s beginning the turn at Malta were generated at Gibraltar on the Oct I 41 Allied turn and sea transported to Valletta in the M. Phase of that turn; the 5th gsp was generated at Suez.

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Western Desert

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, 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]
5 steps of attack supply [7 began the turn here, one was sea transported to Tobruch in 3 Axis Med NTPs, using inshore waters naval transport movement to avoid Allied unit-shipping effects in the Cent Med sea zone; late in the E. Phase another step of attack supply beginning the turn at Tripoli exploited westwards along the coast road to 18A:1023; the other 5 steps of attack supply at Tripoli never moved]
2.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) at the end of the I. Phase and Axis player turn [6 Ger arm RPs began the turn at Tripoli, stored at the standard supply terminal, but 3.5 Ger arm RPs were expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from its 4-8* Pz Cadre 21]
4.7 It inf RPs at the end of the Axis player turn [5.2 It inf RPs began the turn here (1.2 of these are special It inf RPs); late in the E. Phase 1 It inf RP at Tripoli was air transferred to Derna (18A:4116) by the Ger LW He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 air unit, which also carried a Ger inf RP; after this air transport air mission there were 4.2 It inf RPs at Tripoli; then the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), at Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up .5 It inf RP, along with 1.5 Ger inf RPs, and air transported them to Tripoli on a 1-way air transport air mission at twice its printed range; this increased the It inf RP count at Tripoli to 4.7]
3.25 Ger inf RPs at the end of the Axis player turn [3.25 Ger inf RP began the turn here (1.25 of these are special Ger inf RPs); but .5 Ger inf RP was expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from its 4-8* Pz Cadre, along with another expended Ger inf RP stored at Derna (18A:4116); late in the E. Phase 1 Ger inf RP from Tripoli was air transferred to Derna by the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit flying a bomber on an air transport air mission; this air unit also carried an It inf RP; after this air transport air mission there were 1.75 Ger inf RPs at Tripoli; then the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), at Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up 1.5 Ger inf RPs, along with .5 It inf RP, and air transported them to Tripoli on a 1-way air transport air mission at twice its printed range; this increased the Ger inf RP count at Tripoli to 3.25]
BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at Bengasi (18A:3121); air transferred to Bengasi late in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase; early in the M. Phase of the current turn it flew the Malta Status air mission to the Valletta target hex, after first staging to Misurata (18A:1022); used the 3 column on the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; rebased here]
BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at Bengasi (18A:3121); air transferred to Bengasi late in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase; early in the M. Phase of the current turn it flew the Malta Status air mission to the Valletta target hex, after first staging to Misurata (18A:1022); used the 3 column on the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; rebased here]
SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 [inop.; began turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily; late in the E. Phase it staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box, picked up .5 It inf RP and 1.5 Ger inf RPs as cargo and air transported them to on a bomber on an air transport air mission to Tripoli on a 1-way air transport air mission at twice its printed range; based here]

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]:
vacant at the end of the E. Phase

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 Tripoli (18A:0121); late in the E. Phase it spent 10 SMPs exploiting along the coast 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 18A:0924; late in the E. Phase it spent 10 SMPs exploiting along the coast 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

18A:3228 [clear terrain road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at El Ageheila (18A:2930); late in the E. Phase spent 3 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]
1-6 Inf III A [began turn here; unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol; never moved]
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn at Derna (18A:4116); spent 11 MPs admin moving along the road to here]
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:3622 [stony desert road hex, NE of Zaulet Msus]:
2-10 Mot Inf III 288 SV (Ger) [began turn at 18A:1026; admin moved 20 hexes along the coast road to 18A:3029, NE of El Agheila; exploited to here]

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

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

Derna (18A:4116) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
3 port damage hit markers, w/ 1 MP of cons unit repair already done [Derna began the turn w/ 5 port damage hit markers, w/ 3 MPs of cons unit repair already done on one of them]
6 Inf XX HQ A [began turn here; unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol; never moved]
0-6 Lt AA II  AA=1  38 [began turn here; never moved]
1-6 Hv AA II  AA=1  29 [turn RP build; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; remained in the hex]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn here; spent all 6 MPs in the hex, first finishing the repair of a hit of port damage that it had already expended 3 MPs on the previous Oct I 41 Axis turn, next spending 4 MPs to fix a second hit of port damage from scratch, and finally spending 1 MP towards the fix of a third hit of port damage]
{1 Ger inf RP [began turn here; expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from the 4-8* Pz Cadre 21, which began the turn at Tobruch (18A:4817)]}
{1 It inf RP [began turn here; expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the It 1-6 Hv AA II  AA=1  29, which is placed here, at Derna]}
1 Ger inf RP [began the turn at Tripoli; late in the E. Phase it was air transported to here by the He 111H4 B type air unit on a 1-way air regular transport air mission at twice its printed range, along w/ an It inf RP]
1 It inf RP [began the turn at Tripoli; late in the E. Phase it was air transported to here by the He 111H4 B type air unit on a 1-way air regular transport air mission at twice its printed range, along w/ a Ger inf RP]
He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya; it air transferred to Tripoli late in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase; late in the E. Phase of the current turn it flew a 1-way air regular transport air mission at twice its printed range to Derna (18A:4116), carrying 1 It inf RP and 1 Ger inf RP]

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]
1-6 Inf III A [began turn here; never moved]
G 50bis  3F3  0/10 [inop.; began turn at 18A:4818; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Ca 311  2B2  1/L/14 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SE of Ain el Gazala]:
{3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn here; at the beginning of the M. Phase it breaks down into the Italian “B” Inf XX unsupported breakdown components, which includes two 1-6 Inf IIIs “B” and the 6 Inf XX HQ B unit]}
1-6 Inf III B [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav, which broke down in this hex at the beginning of the M. Phase; this unsupported component remained in the hex]

18A:4520 [sand hex]:
1-6 Inf III B [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav, which broke down at hex 18A:4618 at the beginning of the M. Phase; this unsupported component regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at 18A:4420; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn at 18A:4719; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]

18A:4619 [clear terrain hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:4520; moved one hex to here]

18A:4719 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Inf III 65 [began turn at 18A:4719; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Inf III 66 [began turn at 18A;4719; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn at 18A:4619; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
fort marker
3-cap temporary airfield  [began the turn w/ one hit of damage, but it was repaired in the M. Phase by the Ger 0-8 Cons III Afr]
6 Inf XX HQ B [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav, which broke down at hex 18A:4618 at the beginning of the M. Phase; the unsupported HQ unit regular moved to here]
0-1-10 Mot Lt AA II  AA=1  617 (Ger) [began turn at Tobruch; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [began the turn an Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); spent 6 MPs regular moving along the road to here and then spent 2 MPs in the hex repairing the one hit of damage on the airfield]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn here; never moved]
G 50  3F3  0/6 [inop.; turn ARP rebuild; 2 It ARPs were spent to rebuild the air unit; placed at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 [operative; Italian; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32 [began turn here; never moved]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
fort marker [completed on the Sep I 41 Axis I. Phase]
5-8* Inf XX 90 LA (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4718; moved to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/33 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4919; moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; moved to here; remained in the hex]
2-3-8 Art III 16 C [began turn at 18A:4818, moved one hex to here]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn here; remained in the hex]
Me 109F1  6F6  1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; late in the E. Phase of the Oct II 41 Allied turn it air transferred to here from 18A:0403, on Sicily; never moved]

Tobruch (18A:4817) [clear terrain point city/standard port w/ a strong natural harbor unimproved fortress hex]:
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn at 18A:4918; moved one hex to here]
{4-8* Pz Cadre 21 (Ger) [began turn here; at step 14 of the I. Phase it was rebuilt into the 9-10 Pz XX 21]}
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121); sea transported to here in 3 Axis Med NTPs using inshore movement in order to avoid Allied Cent Med anti-shipping effects; arrived and disembarked at Tobruch in the E. Phase naval movement step]

18A:4919 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 21 (Ger) [turn inf/arm RP build; began the turn at Tobruch as the 4-8* Pz Cadre 21; at step 14 of the I. Phase the pz cadre was rebuilt into the 9-10 Pz XX 21, using Gerf arm & inf RPs; regular moved to here after first moving into Porto Bardiya (19A:0318), gaining Axis ownership of that hex; remained at 18A:4919]
3-8* Arm Cadre 132 Ar [began turn at 18A:4818; moved to here; remained in the hex]
5-8 Mot Inf XX 101 Trs [the mot inf XX assembled here at the end of the M. Phase from its unsupported component parts; remained in the hex]
8 Mot Inf XX HQ 101 Tre [began turn at Tobruch; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn at 18A:4619; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:4619; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]
2-10 Mot Inf III 9 B [began turn at 18A:4420; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]

18A:5018 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved eastwards along the coast road to 19A:0618, in Egypt, where it ended at the end of the M. Phase; along the way it captured road hexes for the Axis, including Halfaya Pass (19A:0419); exploited back  to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/18 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4918; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 18A:4918; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; in the M. Phase it regular moved to Siwia road hex 19A:0725, capturing for the Axis that road hex and also 19A:0726, 19A:0824, and 19A:0823; exploited to here]

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
5 port damage hit markers
vacant at the end of the M. Phase, but Axis-owned

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 the 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]
1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [participated in the Tobruch attack on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase; part of the combat EX loss]
{1-6 Hv AA II  AA=1  29 [participated in the Tobruch attack on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase; part of the combat EX loss]}
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [eliminated in ground combat at Porto Bardiya in the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase]
4 x 0 pos flk unit  AA=1 [Italian]

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box
{Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; aborted in air combat over the Porto Bardiya target hex in the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase by a Hurri 1 F type air unit, which was killed]}
{Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; aborted by Tobruch’s flack when flying the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]}
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [aborted by Tobruch’s flack when flying the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [aborted by Tobruch’s flack when flying the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [aborted in air combat by a bypassing Allied intercepting fighter in the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [aborted by an Allied airfield tac bombing air mission Hit in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase]

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions: off-map display detail

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions: off-map display detail

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box
{G 50  3F3  0/6 [turn ARP rebuild; 2 It ARPs were spent to replace the air unit; placed at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), at step 14 of the I. Phase; killed in air combat on Oct I 41 Axis turn at the Valletta target hex by the Br Hurri 2 F type air unit]}

 

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. At the start of the Aug II 41 Axis turn all cities in the Levant were finally Allied-owned, and there were no remaining Axis forces anywhere in the Levant or in the Near East. And so at step 12 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase, all land hexes in Syria and Lebanon were declared Allied owned.

The Iranians surrendered in the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase. There are still neutral pro-Axis hexes in Iran, but they are too far away to be of any use to the Axis war effort.

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 1: “Fawzi does nothing.”

In Armistice Syria [end of turn]:

21A:4621 [stony desert hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [guerrilla-capable bandit unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn here; remains in the hex, as per the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll,  “Fawzi does nothing;” in its combat mode it is a 0-1-8 inf [II] unit]

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. The Iraqi army then surrendered and all its forces were removed from the maps. All Iraqi hexes became Allied-owned, except Mosul, which at that time contained a Ger LW air unit. This Ger LW air unit subsequently evacuated Iraq later in the May II 41 Axis turn. On the following Jun I 41 Allied turn a Br ground unit gained control of the Mosul hex, and thus the Allies had complete control of all hexes in newly pro-Allied Iraq.

21A:4318 [clear terrain hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [dummy guerrilla-capable unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn here; remained in the hex, as per the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, ” Fawzi does nothing.”]

Oct II 41 Axis I. Phase/M. Phase/EOT dispositions in Iraq and Iran

Oct II 41 Axis I. Phase/M. Phase/EOT dispositions in 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 1: “Fawzi does nothing.”

At step 11 of the I. Phase at Malta, 5 of the 5.5 ground unit REs there are in special general supply by virtue of the 5 gsp’s at the Valletta hex. The two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs (AA = 2) are certainly in special general supply, as is also the Br 5 pos flk unit. The Br 0-4 Cons X MC is the single Allied unit at Malta designated as definitely Red U-2.  On Cyprus, the two Allied inf IIs at Nicosia (20A:3414) would technically become Black U-3 this turn, but per WW Rule 12C1b-Limited Supply Terminals, “each Allied-owed port on an island outside of the Adriatic Sea Zone” is considered a limited supply terminal, and although they are not a source of regular general supply, they do evidently prevent units from in effect going below a U-2 supply status “for the purposes of judging isolation,” per WW Rule12E3; and so the Black U-2 marker will remain on the maps for their supply status designation.  However, this turn these two inf IIs draw special general supply via the single gsp beginning the turn on the island, at the port of Larnaca (20A:3513).

Oct II 41 Axis end of the I. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean

Oct II 41 Axis end of the I. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player does some Ger and It ARP repairs and rebuilds.  He is careful not to spend in excess of his ARP spending limits.  In Libya, using arm and inf RPs, he rebuilds the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from its 4-8* Pz Cadre, and also rebuilds the It 1-6 Hv AA II 29.  He uses the Axis RPs beginning the turn at Derna for both these Axis ground unit rebuilds, along with the rest needed for the pz XX rebuild from his principal Libyan store of RPs at Tripoli.

At step 22 of the I. Phase neither side flies any CAP, Harassment, or Naval Patrol air missions.

Oct II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Western Desert

Oct II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Western Desert

The first thing the Axis player does in the M. Phase is send an air op to the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta. It is escorted by the Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) air unit based at 18A:0403, at Sicily. The It CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 and the Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) air units, both based at 18A:0403, fly the fighter on a bombing air mission.  However, for the time being the Axis player leaves the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit, beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily, where it’s at.  In case it’s not apparent to some readers, the intent of the fighters on a bombing mission air op is to hopefully force the Br Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 air unit based at Valletta to fly the Intercept air mission and engage in air combat with the stronger Me 109E 7F5 type air unit, lest it otherwise be bombed while sitting at the Valletta airfield.  The Allied player cooperates and flies his Hurri 2 F type air unit on the  Intercept air mission at the Valletta target hex, where it engages in air combat with the recently repaired Ger LW Me 109E F type air unit; both air units roll a (-) against each other. When the Axis sees the Hurri 2 air unit is flying the Intercept air mission, the It CR 42AS F type and the Ger LW Me 110D HF type air units flying the bombing air missions jettison their bomb loads, but remain with the air mission group.  They jettison in order to avoid the menacing 7 flack factor flack shot they would have to endure had they persisted in bombing the now empty enemy Valletta airfield.  Although disappointed that he has not aborted or killed the annoying Br Hurri 2 air unit guarding Malta, he has least rendered it inoperative in the face of further Axis air attacks this turn against the Valletta hex.

After the fighter air combat at the Valletta target hex the Allied player then stages the two It BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 air units beginning the turn at Bengasi (18A:3121) to Misurata (18A:1022), and they both fly a daylight strat bombing Malta Status air mission.  The two Br 20M air units make it past Valletta’s 3 factor flack shot (against Malta Status bombing air missions) and then each scores a Hit on the target hex, using the 5 column on the Bombing Table.  This jacks up the Malta Status to 12, from 10.  The two Br 20M NB type air units eventually rebase at Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.

Oct II 41 Axis naval movement step action details

Oct II 41 Axis naval movement step action details

In the Movement Phase the Axis player has one Italian cons III beginning the turn at Derna (18A:4116) repair two hits of port damage at the minor port.  One of the hits of port damage began the turn with 3 MPs of repair already done the previous Axis turn by that same Axis construction unit.  The German Afr cons III beginning the turn at Derna moves along the coast road to 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, and fixes the hit of damage on the airfield there.  The second It cons III beginning the turn at Derna admin moves 11 hexes along the coast road to Bengasi.

Late in the E. Phase the He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW) air unit based at Tripoli air transports a Ger and an It inf RP to Derna, on a 1-way regular air transport air mission at twice its printed range.  The Axis player keeps moving It and Ger RPs up towards the Western Desert front in order to be able to rebuild ground units closer to it, as per WW Rule 40B3b-Replacing Units, “the player spends the RPs required to replace the unit, removes the unit from the replacement pool, and places it as a reinforcement at any of the locations where the RPs are spent.”  Rebuilding cadres from RPs is different: to rebuild a cadre, the “cadre may not be in an enemy ZOC and must be able to trace an overland-element supply line (of any length) to each RP that will be spent to rebuild it.”  The Axis player, in accordance with his RP policy used in the new Scenario, air transports to Tripoli, from the mainland Europe off-map holding box, some more It and Ger RPs, using the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit that began the turn at Sicily.  He air transports them as a guarantee of their safe arrival to North Africa, as any item sea transporting across the Cent Med sea zone must roll the dice on the Naval Table for possible Allied anti-shipping effects.  And so unless special provisions are made to increase the NTPs above the minimum required for the sea transport of a supply/resource item, a contact dice roll is normally good as dead for the sea transported RP supply cargo when the subsequent Shipping Results Table die roll is done.

Oct II 41 Axis end of the EOT dispositions: Egypt and Levante

Oct II 41 Axis end of the EOT dispositions: Egypt and Levante

Commentary

With the fall of Tobruch a new epoch of Axis strategy arrives in the Western Desert, but it is also influenced by the Porto Bardiya attack the Oct II 41 Allied turn and the apparently still strong position of the Allied player in Egypt, with a stout 8th Army and a somewhat formidable Allied air force.  But the Axis in North Africa is presently tempered by the fact that its army is no longer between a rock and a hard place, as it was when the Allies held the improved fortress of Tobruch with practically as big a stack of ground units there as possible.

And so, “what now” for the Axis in the Med/NA Command?  Well, for one thing, in the short run the Axis player’s air strength is withered with four good Ger LW air units still in the Aborted Air Units Box, but he will get three of them back on the Nov I 41 Axis turn, and he can place the new ARP repaired air units at either Sicily, or in the Western Desert, or at airfields in the South Aegean Islands.  In the meantime, even as early as this turn the recently cadred 21st Pz XX is already again at full strength, rebuilt in the I. Phase from its diminished 4-8* Pz Cadre.  The It 3-8* Arm Cadre 132 Ar will remain so for quite awhile, until at least the Mar II 42 Axis turn, at the earliest, I think.  It could be argued that the Axis player might ought to have taken his EX losses at Tobruch from another source than the 7 taken from the 7-8 Arm XX 132 Ar, but at the time this was considered the best long-term strategy, based on RP rebuild efficiency.

Implicit in the “what now?” analysis is what the Axis player will do with his three construction units, and part of what he is doing is a long term construction strategy aimed well into 1942 that goes beyond the probable end turn of the current EA reported game.  The Ger 0-8 Cons III Afr unit’s move towards Tobruch is a necessary immediate short-term movement in order to do some airfield repairs in this critical forward zone, but the two It cons IIIs are already being sent westward to begin longer-term construction activities in the rear.

In a seeming sideshow, the Axis player has been actively engaging the Br Hurri 2 F type air unit based at Valletta, on Malta, in an apparent attempt to either abort or kill it in air combat or else abort it on the ground at its airfield, with his recent threats of an airfield bombing air mission, using consistently the fighters on a bombing mission air ops.  But what he is really doing is what he believes are the necessary preliminary operations for a big Ger LW airborne assault on the island, in fact duly planned for the Nov II 41 Axis turn.  This possible big Axis para-op is certainly contingent on the weather that turn, which is 50-50 Mud weather, and which would force the cancellation the operation.  In any event the current strategy sentiment of the Axis player is that the Ger LW para units are needed more at the Russian front in the winter of ’41-’42, probably for their winterization effects, than for a dicey Axis airborne assault at Malta in the 4th quarter of 1941.  But he goes through these necessary preliminary Valletta bombing motions, just as he believes a good Axis player should, in keeping all available big Axis strategic options going forward as best he can on the game maps, just in case their execution appears timely.

In theory the Axis player could very soon try to engage the 8th Army in battle in the Western Desert with the aim of destroying as much of it as he can.  This is what Rommel might have done, influenced by his likely Axis world war paradigm at the time and its consequent desperate search for Victory.  But in our Europa wargame the British 8th Army is currently quite strong in Egypt and has been persistent in staying under its protective/offensive air umbrella of close-in fighter protection and potential DAS/GS assets.  In order to “actively engage” the 8th Army in western Egypt, the Axis player probably needs to repair with ARPs the four good Ger LW air units presently in the Aborted Air Units Box, base them in eastern Libya and/or Crete, and then use them for GS and DAS in conjunction with any Axis advance eastwards.  But instead of this short-term aggressive WD strategy, the Axis player might ought to hold fast and ready in the Tobruch/eastern Libya zone, waiting instead for the Allied player to sally forth westwards, which eventually he must, and then engage the Allies in a reactive counter-punch battle strategy, taking into account the relative positioning of both sides’ respective air umbrellas in the zone at that time.  If the Allied player accordingly pursues a “prudent” and calculated methodical westwards advance of his protective/offensive air umbrella, it implies a protracted and dragged-out campaign with the meager Allied construction/eng assets calling the shots insofar as maneuver, whereby the Axis side might be able to implement stifling countermeasures, as he watches the gameboard and time goes by.  This is what the 2016 cardboard Rommel might do, influenced by his paradigm of all-knowing world war hindsight.

But the present situation after the fall of Tobruch could devolve into a deliberately static situation in the Western Desert, where both sides in essence remain where they’re at until maybe the third quarter of ’42, as the Allies bide their time and continue to steadily strengthen.  This doesn’t make for an exciting Europa wargame, but it is one method of playing the game in attempting a particular side’s wargame victory, utilizing the the numbers, proportions, likely odds, and aggregate resources in a given way.  In any event, in the almost finished WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports, I cannot offer a July 4th fireworks display spectacular finale, for the sake of coliseum entertainment, and instead feel rather obliged to keep to conservative Allied play at least, thinking that’s how Wavell or Auchinleck would do it, mostly.

WW Supplemental TEC usage update in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports:

Up until now, the WitD game box provided GE TEC (Terrain Effects Chart) has been used in this game instead of the WW Supplemental TEC, thinking here at the gameboard that it was all the same, insofar as the terrain features of the WD and NE map groups are concerned.  But now we know that there are relevant differences between the two terrain effects charts regarding at least Escarpment hexsides and Ravines hexes.  In addition, it appears that the revised +2 MP costs to cross an Escarpment hexside affects the Dec I 40 Allied turn at-start turn of the WW WD or ME Scenarios, insofar as how the Allied opening turn was typically done previously using the original/older WitD game box provided GE TEC.

Beginning this Oct II 41 Axis turn I intend to use the WW Supplemental TEC movement effects for Escarpment hexsides and Ravines hexes.  A quick review of the previous EA game reports indicates that the use of the GE TEC has not profoundly affected game play, although it is admitted that the older +1 Escarpment movement effect was done in mostly Axis ground unit movement between hexes 18A:4618 and 4619, during the siege of Tobruch.  But I know of no turn where this Axis ground movement perversely coincided with and was a decisive factor in, say, an Axis attack on Tobruch.  A more subtle but admittedly also important factor with the +2 Escarpment movement effect could/would be in regards to the Allied front line desert shield positioning in west-central Egypt against possible Axis maneuvers towards it from eastern Libya in 1941-42.  But for now I am not dismayed or discouraged by the discovery of the TEC differences, insofar as attempting Europa WW desert wargames beginning on the ER-II Mar II 41 Axis turn.  Use of the WW Supplemental TEC in standard Europa WW WD & ME based desert wargames beginning on the standard Dec I 40 Allied turn, with the special surprise Allied turn, is another Europa issue requiring further special attention and study, and will not be discussed here in the context of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports.

Oct II 41 Allied Turn

EOT Dispositions

Malta

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

Malta Status: 10, end of turn [at turn’s start 11, – 1 repair this turn, at step 19 of the I. Phase = 10]

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 4 gsp’s present in the Valletta hex. However, there are 5.5 REs of ground units on Malta, and so the Allied player designates the 0-4 Cons X MC as the 1 RE unit that is definitely Red U-2.  The Br 5 pos flk unit is designated as definitely black U-1.  This would make the rest of the ground units at Malta technically U-2, but in special general supply by tracing to the available gsp’s at Valletta. Malta’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.

Valletta (18A:0407) [rough terrain point city major port hex, w/ a strong natural harbor]:
Valletta hex flack factor: 7 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 4 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II units now in special general supply)
3-cap permanent airfield; one hit of damage
3-6* Inf X 1 M [began turn here; technically Red U-2; never moved]
3-6* Inf X 3 M [began turn here; technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  10 [began turn here; technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  4 [began turn  here; technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-4 Cons X MC [began turn here; definitely Red U-2; never moved]
Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
4 gsp’s [sea transported to here from Gibraltar in a W Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase of the current Allied turn]
1 gsp [sea transported to here from Suez in an E Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase of the current Allied turn]
{4 gsp’s [sea transported from Gibraltar in a W Med NTP in the naval movement step of the Oct I 41 Allied M. Phase; removed from the maps at step 24 of the current Allied I. Phase]}

18A:0307 [rough terrain hex, NW of Valletta]:
This hex currently has an intrinsic flack factor of 2, per the WW Intrinsic Light AA Summary, found on Game Play Chart 2–Air War.
2-6* Inf X 2 M [began turn here; technically Red U-2; never moved]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began the turn at Valletta; at step 11 of the I. Phase declared definitely Black U-1; moved one hex to here in the M. Phase]

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Egypt

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

Sidi Barrani (19A:0718) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); regular moved to here]

19A:0719 [clear terrain hex, S of Sidi Barrani]:
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0920; regular moved to here]
7-10* Arm XX 7 [this Br arm XX assembled from its component parts at 19A:0218, SW of Porto Bardia, at the end of the M. Phase; at the beginning of the turn the two component 3-2-10 Arm X units 7 & 22 were assembled with the 7-6-10* Arm XX 2, at 19A:0819; this arm XX broke down into its component parts at the beginning of the M. Phase and the two aforementioned 3-2-10 arm Xs regular moved to 19A:0218, SW of Porto Bardia; these two 3-2-10 arm Xs were then joined there by the 1-2-10* Mot SG X 7, which began turn at 19A:0920, and all three component parts eventually assembled into the 7-10* Arm XX 7, at the end of the M. Phase; in the C. Phase the 7th Arm XX participated in the Porto Bardia attack; exploited to here]
1-10 Recon II 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0918; regular moved to 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; exploited to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:0819; regular moved to 19A:0218, SW of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; advanced into the Porto Bardiya hex after the combat; exploited to here]

19A:0720 [clear terrain hex]:
3-8 Art X 13 [turn RP build; began turn at Alexandria, at step 14 of the I. Phase; railed to 19A:0819, then regular moved two hexes to here]
6-4-6 Arm X 1 T [began turn at 19A:0920; regular moved to 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; exploited to here]
3-2-10 Arm X 1 [turn arm RP build; began turn  at Alexandria, a step 14 of the I. Phase; railed to 19A:0819, then regular moved to Halfaya Pass (19A:0419), which was as far west as it could move; exploited to here]
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began turn at 19A:0819; regular moved to 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; exploited to here]
1-10* Mot SG  AA=1  X 2 [began the turn assembled w/ the 7-6-10* Arm XX 2, at 19A:0819; at the beginning of the M. Phase this arm XX broke down into its component parts; the 1-10* Mot SG X 1 component regular moved to 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; exploited to here]

19A:0820 [clear terrain hex]:
6-4-6 Arm X 32 T [began turn at 19A:0818; in the M. Phase regular moved to 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; exploited to here]
1-10 Recon II 4 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0818; in the M. Phase regular moved to 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; exploited to here]
3-8 Art X 10 [began turn at 19A:0818; regular moved to here]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:0818; regular moved to here]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:0818; regular moved to here]
1-10 Recon II 1 DG [began turn at 19A:0920; in the M. Phase regular moved to 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya; participated in the Porto Bardiya attack; exploited to here]

19A:0819 [clear terrain hex; containing the next uncompleted Tobruch Matruh railway line]:
2-cap temporary airfield [constructed this turn by the 1-2-8 Eng X 8]
1-2-8 Eng X 8 [began turn at 19A:0918; regular moved 2 hexes to here, then spent 6 MPs in the hex constructing a 2-cap temporary airfield]
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn at El Arish (19A:4012), in the Sinai, in Egypt; railed to here]
2-8* Inf X 26 (Aus) [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; regular moved to here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 (RAAF) [inop.; began turn at Matruh; in the M. Phase flew the CAP air mission to the Porto Bardiya target hex, first staging to 19A:0918; switched to the Interception air mission in the C. Phase, when an Axis DAS air op entered the target hex; survived the ensuing air combat; returned to base here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; began turn at Matruh; in the M. Phase flew the CAP air mission to the Porto Bardiya target hex, first staging to 19A:0918; switched to the Interception air mission in the C. Phase, when an Axis DAS air op entered the target hex; survived the ensuing air combat; returned to base here]
6 gsp’s [4 of these gsp’s were generated at Alexandria and 2 were generated at Suez, all at step 16 of the current I. Phase; railed to 19A:0919 in the M. Phase; in the E. Phase all spent 6 SMPs moving to here]
2 steps of attack supply [began turn at Alexandria; railed to 19A:0919 in the M. Phase; in the E. Phase spent 6 SMPs moving to here]

19A:0919 [clear terrain hex; containing the Tobruch-Matruh railway line route]:
railhead marker
The Matruh-Tobruch railhead marker was not advanced this turn, as a cons/eng unit was not set up for its construction. The last time the railhead marker advanced was in the Sep II 41 Allied M. Phase, from 19A:1019 into this hex.
{one step of attack supply [began turn here; expended in the C. Phase for the Allied attack at Porto Bardiya, in Libya]}
{7 gsp’s [began turn here; all were generated at either Alexandria or Suez on the previous Oct I 41 Allied turn; removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]}

19A:0818 [clear terrain coast road hex, SE of Sidi Barrani]:
7-8 Inf XX 2 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1119; regular moved to here]

19A:0918 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield [completed on the Sep II 41 Allied turn]
3-8 Inf Cadre 50 Nth [turn RP build; began turn at Alexandria, at step 14 of the I. Phase; railed to 19A:0919, then moved one hex to here]
P-40C  5F5  1/13 (SAAF) [inop.; began turn at Matruh; late in the E. Phase flew the Escort air mission w/ the airfield bombing air missions flying to the 18A:4718 target hex, SW of Tobruch, after first staging to here; returned to base here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 (SAAF) [inop.; began turn here; in the M. Phase flew the CAP air mission over the Porto Bardiya target hex, first staging to 19A;0918; switched to the Interception air mission in the C. Phase, when an Axis DAS air op entered the target hex; survived the ensuing air combat; returned to base here]
P-40C  5F5  1/13 [inop; turn ARP expenditure repair; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the C. Phase flew the Intercept air mission to the Porto Bardiya target hex when an Axis DAS air op entered the target hex; in the ensuing air combat it successfully bypassed two Axis fighters and aborted the Ger LW Ju 88A4 B type air unit flying the DAS air mission at the target hex; returned to base here]

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Western Desert

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions, Western Desert

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail line junction coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
2-8* Inf X 161 [began turn at Alxeandria; supported breakdown of the Br 7-8* Inf XX 6; admin moved 14 hexes along the coast road to here]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  68 [began turn here; never moved]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [inop.; began turn at Alexandria; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Hurri 1   5NF5   1/8 [inop.; turn ARP expenditure repair; began turn at Alexandria, at step 14 of the I. Phase; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

19A:1319 [major rail line coast hex, SE of Matruh]:
3-cap temporary airfield
0-8 Hv AA II  AA=1  2 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  51 [began turn at 19A:1418; moved one hex to here]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 (SAAF) [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase it flew the airfield bombing air mission to the 18A:4718 target hex, SW of Tobruch; Hit; returned to base here]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 [inop.; began turn at 19A:1418; late in the E. Phase it flew the airfield bombing air mission to the 18A:4718 target hex, SW of Tobruch; Miss; returned to base here]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop.; began turn here; in the E. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Derna hex (18A:4116); Hit; returned to base here]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  57 [turn RP build; began turn at Alexandria, at step 14 of the I. Phase; admin moved 12 hexes along the coast road to here]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop; began turn at 19A:0918; in the E. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Derna hex (18A:4116); Hit; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; in the E. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Derna hex (18A:4116); Miss; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; in the E. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Derna hex (18A:4116); Hit; returned to base here]

19A:0920 [clear terrain hex]:
7-8 Inf XX 6 (Aus) [assembled here from its unsupported components at the end of the M. Phase]
8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1018; unsupported component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1018; unsupported component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1018; unsupported component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0919; unsupported component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6; moved one hex to here]

10A:1019 [clear terrain Matruh-Tobruch major rail line hex]:
2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1319; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; regular moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1319; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; regular moved to here]

19A:1120 [clear terrain Siwa road hex]:
2-8* Inf X 150 [began turn at 19A:0918; regular moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 151 [began turn at 19A:0919; regular moved to here]

19A:1220 [clear terrain hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1419; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1419; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn at 19A;1419; regular moved to here]

19A:1321 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1520; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 4 (Ind); regular moved two hexes to here]
2-8* Inf X 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1420; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA); regular moved two hexes to here]

19A:1421 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1521; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 4 (Ind); regular moved one hex to here]
2-8* Inf X 3 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1521; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA); regular moved one hex to here]

19A:1522 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1621; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 4 (Ind); regular moved one hex to here]
2-8* Inf X 1 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1621; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA); regular moved one hex 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]
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn at 19A:0920; moved one hex to 19A:0919, entrained, and railed to El Alamein]

19A:2417 [clear terrain major rail line coast hex, SW of Alexandria]:
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); admin moved to here]

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Western Desert

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: Western Desert

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [full city hex/major port major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine; railed to here]
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  27 [British; began turn here; never moved]
Glad  3F3  0/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

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

Ismailia (20A:3516) [sand reference city/standard port/Suez Canal transportation line junction hex]:
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn here; never moved]

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line nexus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn here; never moved]

El Arish (19A:4012) [sand major rail line coast hex, in the Sinai, in Egypt]:
vacant at the end of the M. Phase

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.
3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [turn NZ inf RP build; began turn at Alexandria, at step 14 of the I. Phase; railed to here]

Tel Aviv (19A:4308 [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

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.

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
2-8* Inf X 25 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

20A:4308 [rough terrain coast road hex]:
0-1-6 Cons X 61 RPC (Col) [began turn at 20A:4810, in Palestine; admin moved north along the coastal transportation line to here]

20A:4107 [rough terrain coast road hex]:
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began turn at 20A:4911, in Palestine; admin moved north along the coastal transportation line to here]

20A:4006 [rough terrain coast road hex, SW of Tripoli]:
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [Br inf RP rebuild; began turn at Alexandria, at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to Beyrouth (20A:4207) in the naval movement step of the M. Phase on an E Med NTP; admin moved along the coast road to 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.
2-8* Inf X 18 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
2-8* Inf X 21 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

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

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

Alep (21A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
vacant

21A:4220 [clear terrain hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn 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.

Cyprus

[{beginning of the turn}/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

Nicosia (20A:3414) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn here; technically Black U-1; never moved]
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn here; technically Black U-1; never moved]

Larnaca (20A:3513) [clear terrain point city/minor port road hex]:
{one gsp [generated at Suez on the Oct I 41 Allied turn at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the Oct I 41 Allied turn M. Phase in an E Med NTP; removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]}
one gsp [generated at Suez on the current Allied turn at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the M. Phase in an E Med NTP]

Non Phasing Axis Air Unit Air Transfers Late in the Allied Exploitation Phase:

Late in the E. Phase the MC 200  3F4  1/8 air unit based at 18A;0403, in Sicily, air transfers to 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch.  The operative Br Hurri 2 F type air unit based at Valletta, on Malta, declines a patrol attack air mission.

Late in the E. Phase the Ger LW He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 air unit based at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch, air transfers to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.

Late in the E. Phase the two It BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 air units based at Derna (18A;4116) air transfer to Bengasi (18A:3121), in Libya.

Middle East Command Replacement Pool

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

{3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [NZ inf RP rebuild this turn, at step 14 of the I. Phase; moved to here from the Balkan Command Replacement Pool after the fall of Crete]}
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 [Br arm RP rebuild this turn, at step 14 of the I. Phase; moved to here from Balkan Command Replacement Pool after the fall of Crete; this is the original pre-conversion unit of the one sent to Greece]}
{0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [Br inf RP rebuild this turn, at step 14 of the I. Phase; eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]}
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]
{7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth [Br inf RP 3-8* Inf Cadre 50 Nth rebuild this turn, at step 14 of the I. Phase; the 50 Nth Inf XX was eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]}
{0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  13 [Br inf RP rebuild this turn, at step 14 of the I. Phase; eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]}
3-8 Inf X 22 G [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]
2-8 Inf X 14 [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]
{3-8 Art X 13 [Br inf RP rebuild this turn, at step 14 of the I. Phase; eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]}

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: off-map display details

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions: off-map display details

Aborted Air Units Box:
{Hurri 1  5NF5  1/8 [turn ARP expenditure repair; aborted in air combat over the Tobruch target hex in the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]}
{P-40C  5F5  1/13 [turn ARP expenditure repair; aborted in air combat over the Tobruch target hex in the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]}
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [turn ARP expenditure build & Box move; on the Oct II 41 Allied turn the Allied player spent 1 ARP to move this unit from the Eliminated Air Units Box to the Aborted Air Units Box]

Eliminated Air Units Box:
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [killed in air combat on the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase at the Porto Bardiya target hex, by the Ger LW Me 109E F type air unit, which the Br Hurri 1 air unit managed to abort]

Forming Box:
3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo)
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; this turn it counted as part of the Levant Garrison]
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 Oct II 41 Allied turn

The 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 Sep II 41 Allied I. Phase the Allied player transferred back to the Middle East Command the 10 SMPs that had been transferred to the Near East Command on the Aug I 41 Allied turn, per WW Rule 12H2b.
At step 4 the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase Iran surrendered to the Allies, per the Iranian Surrender Table. All Iranian forces surrendered to the Allies and were removed from the map.

pro-Allied Iran

[{beginning of the turn}/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:5127 [ravines road hex, next to the T-J/Iraq borderline]:
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4921; moved to here along the roads]

Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
Audax  1A1  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Ramadi (22A:2830) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

Habbaniya (22A:2828) [clear terrain point city road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

Baghdad 22A:2825 [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
one hit marker on the airbase
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [began turn at Bandar Shahpur (22A:4407) in Iran; admin moved to here along the transportation lines]
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  1 [began turn here; never moved]
1-pt river flotilla  AA=1  PAIC (RN) [began turn here; never moved]
2 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
{3 gsp’s [generated here at step 16 of the I. Phase of the Oct I 41 Allied turn; removed from the maps at the end of the current I. Phase]}

Iran

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

32:1914 [clear terrain major rail line hex, NW of Qum]:
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at Karaj (32:1413); regular moved to here, capturing point city Saveh (32:1815) for the Allies]

32:2413 [clear terrain road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:2807; regular moved off-road to here, capturing point city Qulpaigan for the Allies]

32: 2012 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex, E of Qum]:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at 32:1710; regular moved along the transportation lines to 32:2012, exploited along the secondary rail line to 32:2510, at the S edge of map 32, on the way capturing reference city of Kashan for the Allies, and then it double backed along the secondary rail line to here]

Abadan (22A:4410) [swamp reference city/minor port road hex, on a major river hex]:
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn at Bushier (22A:5101); in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was sea transported to here in an E Med NTP]

Ahwaz (22A:3810) [clear terrain reference city major rail line-road junction hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

Bandar Shahpur (22A:4407) [clear terrain point city/standard port major rail line terminus island hex, w/ a sea causeway to the mainland]:
vacant by the end of the M. Phase

Ganaweh (22A:4802) [clear terrain point city/minor port coast hex]:
{one gsp [generated at Basra on the previous Oct I 41 Allied turn; removed from the maps at the end of the I. Phase of the current turn, after the supply determination phase]}

Turn Activity

The weather die roll was a 4 this turn, and so it is mud in the D and C weather zones. It is clear in the E and F weather zones.  All seas are calm in the EA reported new Scenario map groups. Part of the C weather zone is visible in northern Iran on map 32, as is also part of D weather zone, but on map 32 both these weather zones are in the Soviet occupation zone and therefore are not a factor in the new Scenario. On the WD map group of 18A and 19A, (and 20A) the rough terrain notch of the Cyrenaica is in weather zone E, as is part of the coastal littoral of Palestine, and all of the coastline of Lebanon and NW Syria. In addition to these North African and West Asian mainland areas, a number of Mediterranean islands that are indicated on the WD map group are also in weather zone E, namely: Cyprus, Crete, the Dodecanese, Sicily, and Malta. On the Oct II 41 game turn the weather is automatically clear in weather zones E and F (eg., the F weather zone prevailing in the Western Desert and Mesopotamian regions).

Oct II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the I. Phase dispositions in Lybia

Oct II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the I. Phase dispositions in Lybia

At step 11 of the I. Phase, which is the supply determination step, at Malta, four of the 5.5 REs of Allied ground units there are declared technically Red U-2, but in special general supply via the 4 gsp’s which were sea transported to Valletta from Gibraltar on the previous Oct I 41 Allied turn. The Br 0-4 Cons X MC at the Valletta hex is the ground unit designated as being definitely Red U-2.  The Br 5 pos flk unit is still only Black U-1 this turn, and so is designated as the other ground unit on Malta not in special general supply.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player receives no reinforcements or replacements, but he rebuilds the recently aborted Hurri 1  5NF5  1/8 and the P-40C  5F5  1/13 air units, removing them from the Aborted Air Units Box of the ME Command Replacement Pool and placing the P-40C air unit at 19A:0918 and the Hurri 1 NF type at Alexandria.  He also spends a third ARP to move the Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air unit from the Eliminated Air Units Box to the Aborted Air Units Box of the ME Command.  This leaves him 1 ARP left going into the new air cycle coming up the next Nov I 41 turn.  In addition, he spends arm and inf RPs to rebuild the following units, all of which begin the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase, at Alexandria:

3-2-10 Arm X 1 = 3 Br arm RPs

0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) = 1 Br inf RP; see WW Rule 40B3d for this RP rebuild

0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  51 = 1 Br inf RP

3-8 Art X 13 = 3 Br inf RPs

3-8 Inf Cadre 50 Nth = 3 Br inf RPs

3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) = 3 NZ inf RPs.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player generates 4 new gsp’s at his Suez and Alexandria Standard Supply terminals.  But this turn the Allied player believes it is not necessary to generate gsp’s at the Basra Standard Supply terminal.

Oct II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase, Western Desert

Oct II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase, Western Desert

At step 22 of the I. Phase neither side flies CAP air missions, nor does the Axis player fly any Harassment air missions.  But he does assign two Axis air units to the Naval Patrol air mission.  These would be the Ger LW Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air unit at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, and the It SM 79-2  2B3  2-4/V/20 air unit at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the maps the 4 gsp’s at Valletta hex, at Malta, and the 7 gsp’s at 19A:0919, in the Western Desert, and the 1 gsp at Larnaca (20A:3513), on Cyprus, and the 3 gsp’s at Basra, in Iraq, and the single gsp at Ganaweh (22A:4802), in Iran.  All these old gsp’s were generated in the previous Oct I 41 Allied I. Phase.

Oct II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Levante

Oct II 41 Allied end of step 23 of the Initial Phase dispositions in the Levante

This turn, at the start of the the naval movement step of the M. Phase, the Allied player has available 8 E Med NTPs and also his single W Med NTP available for his sea transport requirements.

The first thing the Allied player does in the naval movement step is to sea transport to Malta in a W Med NTP 4 gsp’s generated at the Gibraltar standard supply terminal.  This is done through the Gibraltar Convoys proviso found at WW Rule 41B1-Western Desert Campaign, which is used in standard WW Middle East Campaign Scenarios.  However, by admittedly a home brew stipulation in the new Scenario, apparently verbally [eg., I assume/declare it is still unofficial] sanctioned by a Europa significant in an EA posting several years ago, the gsp amount has been upped to 4, from the published limit of 2 given in the aforesaid WW Rule 41B1.  This W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar enters Map 18A at hex 0701, and successfully rolls a no contact for the Cent Med Axis anti-shipping effects, using the Naval Table; and so the naval group safely enters the port of Valletta, on Malta.

Oct II 41 Allied naval movement action details: The Malta convoy from Gibraltar

Oct II 41 Allied naval movement action details: The Malta convoy from Gibraltar

Then the Allied player sends a fresh gsp generated at Suez to the port of Larnaca (20A:3513), on Cyprus, in order to keep the two Allied inf IIs there at Nicosia supplied, who are guarding the island from Ger LW paratroop attack.  Next, the newly rebuilt 0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) unit is sea transported in an E Med NTP from Alexandria to Beyrouth, in Lebanon, in order to comply with the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison requirement.  Using this recently eliminated cons unit from Tobruch will enable the Allied player to have the better Aus 2-8 Eng X 1 do a U-turn on its long rail journey from the Western Desert to Lebanon, and instead go back to the Egyptian desert front, rather than languish in Lebanon for the rest of a WW Middle East Campaign Scenario.  Both of these naval groups leave Alexandria expending 10 naval movement steps of night movement through 10 all-sea hexes, just to be safe from a possible extended range Naval Patrol attempt by the It SM 79-2 2B3 3-2/V/20 air unit, assigned to the Naval  Patrol air mission and based at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch.

Oct II 41 Allied naval movement in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Oct II 41 Allied naval movement in the Eastern Mediterranean.

After this, the Allied player instigates a frankly dangerous naval transport mission, using 1 E Med NTP to sea transport to Malta a fresh gsp generated at Suez in the I. Phase, daring to cross at feasible contact range the two Axis air units assigned to Naval Patrol, both based at airfields surrounding now Axis-owned Tobruch.  The cargo naval group leaves Alexandria at night, and voyages in darkness to all-sea hex 20A:3929.  The next hex the Allied cargo naval group enters is all-sea hex 20A:3839, which is the first hex in the daylight.  From there it continues to voyage NW across the Mediterranean to 20A:3033, where it veers to a more WNW bearing.  It goes this route to all-sea hex 19A:0305, just south of the eastern end of Crete and not yet in the Cent Med sea zone; but now the Axis player has taken an interest in the daring convoy and requests a contact die roll on the Success Table, using the Ger LW Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air unit at extended range, based at 18A:4718, 16 hexes away.  He uses this Axis air unit now because he believes that if he waits until the naval group gets onto map 18A, after certainly voyaging 10 all-sea hexes in darkness skirting south of Crete, it will then be out of range of the Ger LW Stuka unit, even using extended range.  At the target hex 19A:0305 there is a +3 modifier for calm seas and a -3 for the 16 hex range, making for a straight-up die roll on the Success Table; and the Axis player rolls low, for a Failure.

And so the Allied naval group sails on, beginning its first hex using night movement at 19A:0105.  On its second all-sea hex of night movement it enters the Cent Med sea zone (on the game maps here) at 18A:5005, south of Crete, where it rolls on the 9 column of the Naval Table, checking for Axis anti-shipping effects, and is lucky again with a no contact result.  Continuing to use night movement, it proceeds westwards 8 more all-sea hexes, and enters daylight again at 18A:4104, which is south of the Greek isle of Andikthyera.  Here the Axis player again calls for a Naval Patrol contact die roll, using the Success table, utilizing the It SM 79-2  2B3  3-2/V/20 air unit, based at 18A:4818, 17 hexes away.  Once again there is a +3 modifier for calm seas and a -3 for the 17 hex range.  This time the Axis player rolls high on the Success Table, for a Success, and it looks like a watery grave for the Allied convoy, with the V code bomber flying at regular range.  But the air unit’s V code carries with it a -1 modifier (when carrying torpedoes) on the Antiaircraft Fire Table, and the Allied player’s dice roll is a 5, modified to a 4: Return!  And so the It SM 79-2 B type air unit returns to its base at 18A:4818, south of Tobruch, and the Allied naval transport group makes it to Valletta, and there disembarks its 1 gsp, which will supply the 5 pos flk unit, which later in the M. Phase will move to the rough terrain hex adjacent to Valletta, upping that hex’s flack factor from 2 to 3, in case of a Ger LW paradrop assault.

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, Gulf of Sidra

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, Gulf of Sidra

Immediately after the naval movement step of the M. Phase, at the beginning of the ground movement  step, the Allied player sends three Hurri 1 F type air units on the CAP air mission over the Porto Bardiya target hex (19A:0318), where the worried It 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs is probably hunkered low in its foxhole, wondering about its fate.  These Hurri 1’s would be the two air units based at Matruh (the Br Hurri 1 and the RAAF Hurr 1 air units) and another Br Hurri 1 air unit based at 19A:1319.  All three Allied Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air units need to first stage to the forward airfield at 19A:0918 in order to fly the CAP air mission at the relatively distant Porto Bardiya hex.

This opening air unit move of the Allied ground movement step is in effect a challenge to the Axis player to forthwith commence an air combat battle of attrition over the Porto Bardiya hex.  The offer is tempting, and certainly would be the first step towards protecting the beleaguered It inf XX in the hex.  But at this stage of the game, the Axis has nothing to prove to the Allied side, having just captured Tobruch, and is presently not inclined to jump into battles instigated by the enemy, and so it sends no Intercepting air missions of its own to the Porto Bardiya hex just yet.  However, later in the M. Phase the Axis player gets restless to do something and sends four Axis fighter units to the Porto Bardiya hex on the CAP air mission. These would be the It MC 200  3F4  1/8 air unit based at Tobruch and all three Axis fighters based at adjacent hex 18A:4918, to the SE, which are the Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) unit, the Me 109F1  6F6  1/8 (Ger LW) unit, and another It MC 200 F type air unit.  In sending the four good Axis fighter air units to the Porto Bardiya target hex, the Axis player is saying “switch your CAP fighters to the Intercept air mission and engage now in a major air battle, if you wish.”  But Allied player does not wish to fight now, but he is willing to up the bluffing ante, and in response to the Axis player’s trick he sends the SAAF Hurr 1 air unit based at 19A:0918 on the CAP air mission to the Porto Bardiya hex, which makes for both the Axis and the Allies having 4 fighter units each on the CAP air mission at the hex.  Upon the arrival to the Porto Bardiya target hex of the SAAF Hurri 1 air unit on the CAP air mission, the Axis player declines to switch any of his fighter units on the CAP mission there to the Intercept air mission, as by now he is watching and waiting, maybe for the C. Phase.  And so all 8 air units on the CAP air mission at the Porto Bardiya hex will remain so “until the mission movement step of a subsequent air op,” moving into the target hex that may precipitate their air mission switch, or until the end of the player turn, all per the specifics of WW Rule 20E-Combat Air Patrol (CAP).

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, Western Desert

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, Western Desert

In the M. Phase the Allied player moves the 1-2-8 Eng X 8 from coast road hex 19A:0918 to 19A:0819, and constructs there a 2-cap temporary airfield.  He feels he must have forward airfields as soon as possible, if he is to somehow sooner gain back the initiative in the campaign.  This hex also happens to be the next unconstructed hex on the Matruh-Tobruch railway line.  He also rails the Aus 2-8 Eng X 1 to here, back from El Arish, in the Egyptian Siani, as since the unexpected fall of Tobruch he is able to send the rebuilt 0-1-4 Cons 66 RPC (Col) to Syria instead, in order to fulfill the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison requirement.

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, WEstern Mediterranean

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions, WEstern Mediterranean

Of course the Allied player is angry about the Axis player’s luck with the die in capturing the fortress of Tobruch last turn, and assuredly takes a long time looking on the maps for ways to “get back,” perhaps as early as this turn.  But in eastern Libya the Axis player is now, much like the Allied player was in west-central Egypt the entire 3rd quarter of ’41, under the protective umbrella cover of both close-in fighter protection and also DAS, due to the number and proximity of his airfields in the desert frontline zone, and also due to the successful conservation of his air units.  The obvious Allied consolation prize would be to attack the 3-6 Italian inf XX at Porto Bardiya, but as the Allied player discovers upon close inspection, it is very tricky and fraught with danger, and he has to put into harm’s way quite a large quantity of the Allied F type air units available in the ME Command in order try and clinch good odds for the attack.  He feels he must attack only with c/m units, in order that in the E. Phase they might exploit several hexes back into Egypt, to what might be called a Sidi Barrani line, in order to be under his own protective air umbrella and out from underneath the Axis player’s hostile air umbrella, which can also be used offensively.  Additionally, he feels he must not take any attacker losses, which per the Allied battle plan would necessarily be c/m units, if he is to use later these same c/m units at a substantial desert front line placed as close to the Axis front line as is feasible.  He estimates that the Allied desert front line must be comprised of at least 3 good stacks of AEC capable units, and with what he has available before any combat, he feels he is already right at the minimum amount for the necessary c/m counter mix for these three needed fitting generic front line stacks.

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions in the Levante

Oct II 41 Allied EOT dispositions in the Levante

In the C. Phase the Axis player flies the Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) air unit based at Derna (18A:4116) on the DAS air mission to the Porto Bardiya hex, escorted by the two It CR 42  3F3  0/9 air units based at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518).  When the Axis DAS air op enters the target hex the Axis player then switches to the Escort air mission all 4 of his fighter units flying the CAP air mission at the target hex.  This is the moment of truth for the Allied player, because if the Axis DAS manages to safely arrive and remain at the target hex, it creates an unfavorable combat die roll situation, where an EX is possible.  But the battle for Porto Bardiya starts to spin out of control when the Allied player opts out on cautious play and instead switches to the Intercept air mission all four of his F type air units flying the CAP air missions at the target hex.  These Allied CAP switches are done in the Axis Mission Movement Step.  Most importantly, it appears per WW Rule 20E, that in our situation where both sides have active CAP air missions in the target hex, the Axis player initiating the DAS air op must first commit his fighters flying the CAP air missions to the Escort, and only afterwards does the reacting Allied player commit his fighters flying the CAP air missions to the Intercept air missions.  But it’s not over yet, because after the Axis Mission Movement Step is done, the Allied player sends the Br P-40C  5F5  1/13 air unit, based at 19A:0918, to the Porto Bardiya hex on the Intercept air mission, in the Interceptor Movement Step, following the air operation sequence per WW Rule 16D.  The Br P-40C F type air unit will attempt to bypass the escort screen and attack the mission force, which the lucky fighter unit successfully does against the two air combat dice rolls of the CR 42 and MC 200 fighter screen.

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Iraq and Iran

Oct II 41 Allied end of the Movement Phase dispositions: Iraq and Iran

The big Combat Phase air battle over the Porto Bardiya target hex is admittedly messy and fairly bloody.  See the photo below for additional information on the particulars of the C. Phase air battle over the Porto Bardiya hex.  But after all, the lucky Allied player manages to abort the Ger Lw Ju 88A4 air unit flying the DAS air mission, in air combat with the Br P-40C air unit.  This enables him to proceed with an 8 to 1, -1 ground combat die roll against the Italian 3-6 inf XX, using entirely c/m attacking forces.   Per the Allied battle plan he would not have attempted the Porto Bardiya ground combat attack had the Axis successfully delivered the DAS to the target hex, as then the combat would have risked the loss of some of his meager c/m units.  This is assuming the Allied player would be able to stifle his wish for quick revenge, and cancel the Porto Bardiya attack in the face of the EX risk.  Instead, in our case he wins the Porto Bardiya hex with an automatic ELIM, taking into account the enemy ZOC entrapment of the Italian inf XX in the hex.  The Allied player enters the hex after combat, but does not remain there in the E. Phase.  Instead, he withdraws his c/m force from eastern Libya and retreats eastwards a few hexes to the relative safety of a “Sidi Barrani” line, utilizing the 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME unit to effectively cover the Sidi Barrani hex from Axis entry in the upcoming Axis M. Phase.

Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase: The air battle over Porto Bardiya

Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase: The air battle over Porto Bardiya

In the E. Phase the Allied player conducts two bombing air missions into eastern Libya, doing a daylight strat bombing air mission at the Derna hex (18A:4116) and an airfield tac bombing air mission at the 3-cap temporary airfield at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch.  The Axis player has a single operative fighter in the zone, which would be the G 50bis  3F3  0/10 air unit at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch. But the two Well 1C   3NB4  1-6/28 air units, both based at 19A:1418, and the two Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air units, one based at 19A:0913 and the other at 19A:1319, are all able to skirt around the G 50bis’ interception range in their flight to the Derna target hex.  The two A-22  3A3  2-1/19 air units, one being the SAAF A-22 air unit based at 19A:1319 and the other the Br A-22 air unit based at 19A:1418, are escorted to the target hex by the sole remaining operative Allied fighter in the zone, which would be the long-ranging SAAF P-40C  5F5  1/13 air unit based at Matruh (19A:1218), which must first stage to 19A:0918.  And so the weaker G 50bis F type air unit decides not to get involved, hoping the Axis flack shots and bad Allied Bombing Table die rolls will do its war work, instead.  But Derna’s 2 factor flack shot are misses against all four Allied B type air units, perhaps because of the +1 modifier they get on the Antiaircraft Fire Table; and airfield hex’s single flack shot whizz by the two A-22 A type air units.  But Luck still lingers with the Allied pilots, as the Allies score 3 port damage hits at Derna, and the A-22s inflict a hit of damage on the 3-cap temporary airfield at 18A:4718, which also aborts a Ger LW Ju 87B D type air unit there, after a random selection of the three Axis air units based at that hex.

Oct II 41 Allied middle of the Explitation Phase dispositions, Western Desert

Oct II 41 Allied middle of the Explitation Phase dispositions, Western Desert

Turn rail movement inventory on the Middle East railnet:

1 RE = for the 3-8 Art X 13 turn RP build; began turn at Alexandria, where it entrained

2 REs = for the 3-2-10 Arm X 1 turn Br arm RP build; began turn at Alexandria, where it entrained

1 RE = for the 2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus); began turn at El Arish, in the Sinai, in Egypt, where it entrained

1 RE = for 4 gsp’s; began the turn at Alexandria, where they entrained

.5 RE = for 2 gsp’s; began the turn at Suez, where they entrained

1 RE =for the 3-8* Inf Cadre 50 Nth turn RP build; began the turn at Alexandria, where it entrained

6 REs = for two steps of attack supply; began the turn at Alexandria, where they both entrained

.5 REs = for the 1-8 AT II 65; began the turn at 19A:0920, from where it moved one hex to 19A:0919, where it entrained

1 RE = for the 3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) turn RP build; began turn at Alexandria, where it entrained.

Allied Middle East rail net railcap: 16, per ER-II Allied OB Initial Forces, Mar II 41 Axis turn.

At the beginning of the turn the Allied player has the following inventory of Middle East (ME) Command RPs/ARPs stored at the Alexandria hex: 13.5 Br inf, 3.5 Br arm, 2.5 Aus inf, 3 NZ inf, 4 Ind inf, and 4 Allied ARPs.

After doing a number of rebuilds/ARP repairs in the I. Phase, the Allied player has a revised inventory of ME Command RPs/ARPs stored at the Alexandria hex;  5.5 Br inf, .5 Br arm, 2.5 Aus Inf, 0 NZ inf, 4 Ind inf and 1 Allied ARP.

Oct II 41 Allied middle of the Exploitation Phase bombing air missions action details

Oct II 41 Allied middle of the Exploitation Phase bombing air missions action details

Commentary

This was a difficult turn for the Allied player, insofar as determining the turn’s various end of phase dispositions.  What he had to do was “back” into the main body of the turn from his initially determined EOT dispositions, and from the projected EOT dispositions, then “back” into the Combat Phase dispositions, as he was firmly fixed on taking a shot at the Italian inf XX at Porto Bardiya.  And from the projected Combat Phase dispositions, which were eventually decided to require exclusively c/m units for the Porto Bardiya attack, he “backed” into the end of the Movement Phase dispositions for the final placement of his non-motorized units, in particular those non-motorized artillery and pos flack units needed in the desert shield front line in west-central Egypt, at the new Sidi Barrani line.

The Allied end of turn dispositions also went through three evolutionary versions, or plans.  The first EOT plan envisioned two inf XXs (the SA 2nd and the Aus 6th) at Porto Bardiya, with one of the three “generic” Allied c/m stacks (see the maps below) then necessarily positioned at 19A:0319, S of Porto Bardiya, and the other two Allied c/m stacks at 19A:0520 and 19A:0620.  But this quite aggressive EOT disposition plan seemed laced with potential regret, and the Allied player is sure he cannot be begging for another big ground unit stack loss so soon after the fall of Tobruch.

The second Allied EOT disposition plan envisioned exploiting out of the immediate Porto Bardiya vicinity after the battle there and hunkering into a nearby Halfaya Pass (19A:0419)-19A:0520-19A:0620 front line shield, with the rest of the 8th Army being stretched from there to the Qattara Depression, but this was eventually considered too risky, also; and so it was scrapped.

The third plan, the one seen in the present game report, was done only after a heaving sigh of resignation, as it seemed to imply a secure Axis position in eastern Libya, but at least the attack on the hapless It 3-6 inf XX at Porto Bardiya was successfully carried out.  But a close observation of the game report concerning how the combat attack transpired might indicate that “this was an attack that oughtn’t be.”  This is because it was only by bad air combat dice rolls, from the Axis point of view, that the Axis player failed to deliver the 3 tac factors of DAS (halved to 1.5 defense factors) in the Porto Bardiya target hex, in spite of his clear fighter superiority in the zone.  Had the Axis player successfully delivered the DAS to the Porto Bardiya target hex, the Allied player was going to try and persuade himself to abandon the attack, in order to avoid an EX possibility involving his c/m attacking units.

The ground and air unit attrition rate is starting to climb in the game, what with the fall of Tobruch with its big EX result and both sides’ collateral air unit losses.  Then this turn there was a mixed bag of air unit losses by both sides, at Malta and in the Western Desert, due in part by the newly changed situation in the latter region.  And this attrition has happened to two players (read: myself) that claim to sometimes follow a policy of air and ground unit conservation in their Western Desert Europa wargaming. I will let other Rommels, Wavells, and Auchinlecks criticize a so-called broad strategy of “conservation” in Europa wargame play, and admit that in some cases sudden large antes and big wagers are good for the wargame, as in poker play.