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This turn the Allied player invades Iran. Rule 38I3-Allied Invasion says “for game purposes, the Allied player is required to invade Iran. He may not invade (enter) Iran before Aug I 41 [eg., the historical Europa date, I believe]. … The Soviet Union invades Iran simultaneously with the Allied invasion. … [T]he effects of the Soviet invasion are [1] all Iranian units north of the D weather line are removed from play, [and 2], of the Iranian units that start in Tehran, only one Iranian unit may move from Tehran (the rest have to stay and guard the capital).”
Set-up of the Iranian Army as of this Europa date, per WitD Neutral Nations OB:
Capital: Tehran (32:1512).
Rail Capacity: Iranian rail net: 8 REs. Note: The Iranian rail net has not been renovated.
No intrinsic AA.
Iranian Army:
Tabriz (32:0229) [partial city hex; north of D weather line]:
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 3
Rizaieh (21A:2902) [reference city; north of D weather line]:
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 4
Resht (32:0718) [dot city; north of D weather line]:
1 x 0-1-6 Inf X Resht
Gurgan (32:0701) [point city; north of D weather line]:
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 11 [Conversion Jun I 40]
Senna (32:1627) [point city; north of D weather line]:
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 5
Tehran (32:1512) [partial city hex]:
Iran capital marker
1 x pos hv AA AA=1
2 x 1-2-6 Inf XX 1,2
1 x Art III 1
1x 1-8 Lt Arm X 1 [Regular reinforcement Jun I 40]
- This will be the “one Iranian unit [that] may move from Tehran.”
Kermanshah (32:2127) [reference city]:
1 x -6* Inf XX 12 [Conversion Jun I 40]
Ahwaz (22A:3810) [reference city]:
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 6
1 x Mxd 2F2 1/8 [“Any airbase in Iran”]
Meshed (off-map):
1 x 1-7* Mtn II 7
Isfahan (off-map):
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 13 [Conversion Jun I 41]
Shiraz (off-map):
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 8
Kerman (off-map):
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 10 [Conversion Jun I 40]
Zahidan (off-map):
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 9
Note: All off-map Iranian cities are found on the Iran Off-Map Holding Box printed on the WitD Neutrals Game Chart. All appear to be south of the D weather line.
Allied movement and end of movement phase/turn dispositions, NE map group:
In Syria/Iraq/Iran [all Allied units are in general supply this turn]:
In Syria [end of movement phase]:
21A:3924 [stony desert road hex]:
1 x 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9
- This Br c/m X began the turn at border hex 21A:4318, in Iraq. In its westwards movement it captures the Syrian point city Abu Kemal at border hex 21A:4319 and then Syrian reference city Deir ez Zoir at 21A:3922.
In the Central Iraq region and Iran [end of movement phase]:
Rutbah (21A:5023):
1-cap permanent airstrip
Habbaniya (22A:2828) [end of turn]:
3-cap permanent airfield
1 x 0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [never moved]
Baghdad (22A:2825) [partial hex city; end of turn]:
one hit on airbase
1 x 0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [never moved]
Khanaquin (21A:4501) [point city at the Iraq-Iran border; beginning of movement phase]:
1 x 6-8* Inf XX 10 (Ind) [breaks down to its supported Xs]
- At the beginning of the movement phase this unit breaks down into its three supported Ind Ind X’s.
- The Ind 2-8* Inf X 24 regular moves to point city/mtn road hex Karind (32:2130), in Iran.
- The Ind 2-8* Inf X 25 regular moves to point city/mtn road hex Shahabad (32:2229), in Iran.
- The Ind 1-8* Inf X 20 regular moves to mtn road hex 32:2131, in Iran.
In Southwest Iran [movement and end of movement phase dispositions]:
22A:3710 [clear terrain major rail hex, NE of Ahwaz, in Iran; end of movement phase].
1 x 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [regular moved from 22A:3514, in Iraq]
22A:3911 [clear terrain major railway hex, SW of Ahwaz]:
1 x 8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [regular moved from 22A:4212]
1 x 2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [regular moved from 22A:4212]
- On the way to 22A:3911 this Ind inf X enters and captures Susangerd (22A:3812) for the Allies.
1 x 1-6 Inf II Z (Ind) [breakdown; moved from 22A:4212]
- This Ind inf II is a breakdown of the Ind 2-8 Inf X 19, beginning the m. phase at 22A:4212.
22A:4212: [swamp border hex in Iran, NE of Basra; end of movement phase]:
1 x 8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [moved 1 hex to here from Basra]
22A:4112 [clear terrain border hex, in Iran; end of movement phase]:
1 x 2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind)
- This Ind inf X began the turn at Basra. It moved two hexes eastwards along the swamp road, crossed the Shatt-al-Arab major river hexside and entered into the Iranian reference city/minor port road hex of Abadan (22A:4410); then it veered north on the road and entered the point city/standard port of Korramshahr (22A:4311), where the major railway line begins, and ended its move at clear terrain hex 22A:4112.
22A:4011 [clear terrain major railway hex; end of movement phase]:
1 x 0-1-6 Inf II Z (Ind) [breakdown; moved from 22A:4212]
- This Ind inf II is the other breakdown unit of the Inf 2-8 Inf X 19, beginning the movement phase at 22A:4212.
22A:4211 [clear terrain major railway hex; end of movement phase]:
one step of attack supply [spent 10 SMPs moving here from Basra]
Basra (22A:4313) [dot city/major port]:
Allied standard Supply Terminal marker
1 x 1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [railed here from 21A:4303]
four steps of attack supply
1 x Audax 1A1 1/8 [operative]
1 x P 40C 5F5 1/13 [operative]
In the WW Allied Near East Command Replacement Pool
1 x 2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind)
- This unit was eliminated in the battle for Baghdad on the Jul II 41 Allied turn.
Iranian air activity at the end of the movement phase:
- At the end of the movement phase the Iranian Mxd 2F2 1/8 air unit at Ahwaz (22A:3810) flies the CAP air mission over the Ahwaz hex.
Allied force activity in the Combat Phase:
- The phasing Allied player flies the Audax A type air unit based at Basra on the GS air mission to the Ahwaz reference city hex 22A:3810. It is escorted by the SAAF P 40C 5F5 type air unit also based at Basra. When the Allied combined air ops reach their target hex the Iranian Mxd 2F2 type air unit flying the CAP mission over the Ahwaz hex refuses to intercept.
- The Iranian 1-6* Inf XX 6 is defending the Ahwaz hex (22A:3810). From adjacent hex 22A:3710, to the NE, the Ind 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 attacks. On the opposite side of Ahwaz the Allied stack at hex 22A:3911, SW of Ahwaz, is also attacking. This would be the Ind 8* Inf XX HQ 8, the Ind 2-8 Inf X 18, and the Ind 1-6 Inf II breakdown Z. The Audax 1A1 1/8 air unit adds its 1 tac factor for GS. The step of attack supply at 22A:4211 gives attack supply to all attacking Allied ground units. All attack factors plus the GS add up to a total of 6. The Ind lt arm X’s AECA gives the attack a +1 DRM. The attack is a 6 to 1 +1. The die roll is 2, modified to a 3: DH, good enough for a DE in our case. The Iranian 1-6* Inf XX 6 is removed from the map and placed in the Iranian Replacement Pool.
- The Ind 8* Inf XX HQ, the 2-8 Inf X 18, and the 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 all advance after combat into the Ahwaz hex. The Ind 1-6 Inf II Z breakdown remains in hex 22A:3911, to the SW of Ahwaz, after combat.
- After combat the Audax A type and the SAAF P 40C F type air units return to the dot city airbase of Basra and land inoperative. The Iranian Mxd F type air unit remains over the Ahwaz hex on the CAP mission.
- At the end of the combat phase the step of attack supply at 22A:4211 is removed from the map.
Exploitation phase [end of turn]:
In Syria [end of exploitation]:
21A:4431 [stony desert road hex]:
1 x 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began the e. phase at Syrian hex 21A:3924]
- On its way westwards in the exploitation phase, this unit captures Palmyre (21A:4129) for the Allies.
In Southwestern Iran [end of exploitation]:
Haft Kel (22A:3807) [point city rough terrain hex]:
1 x 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began the e. phase at Ahwaz (22A:3810)]
- On its way to the Haft Kel point city hex this unit also captures in the exploitation phase the Iranian point cities of Bamhoromoz (22A:3907) and Masjid-i-Suliman (22A:3508).
Iranian air activity at the end of the exploitation phase:
- At the end of the exploitation phase the Iranian Mxd F type air unit flying the CAP mission over the Ahwaz hex (22A:3810) rebases at the Dizful reference city airbase (22A:3311), a little to the north.
Commentary:
The Allies have captured 9 Iranian cities by the end of the Aug II 41 Allied turn. This is important because in the next Axis initial phase when they roll on the Iranian Surrender Table they’ll get a +1 dice roll modifier “for each Allied-owned city in Iran (except Tehran) south of the ‘D” weather line.” It appears to me that in the upcoming Aug II 41 Axis initial phase the dice roll using the Iranian Surrender Table (found on WW Game Play Chart 8-Political Events) will result in an automatic “Surrenders.” With a subsequent “Iraq Campaign” Scenario game report appearing unnecessary, I may conclude the special cropped ME Campaign Scenario EA demonstration with a Final Analysis and/or some final thoughts on the WW ME Campaign Scenario.
From the main transportation line running from Korramshahr (22A:4311) to Ahwaz (22A:3810) the Indian soldiers of the 8th and 5th Ind Inf XXs see from across the desert and marsh the sun setting low on the special WW ME/“Iraq Campaign” Scenario. From their compass perspective the top hemisphere of the globe is currently immersed in the world war’s high tide. I imagine some say they saw the mirage of a city on fire. Where to next, in the cardboard world of Europa?
When was the last time you set up the Iranian Army units on the Europa Near East maps and the WitD Iran Off-Map Holding boxes? Do you even have the Iranian Army punched out from Europa Counter Sheet 87? Egad, what have I done here? Obviously I’m retired with time to kill!
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