- For the fourth time in the special ME/“Iraq Campaign” Scenario demonstration, the Allied player in the Axis initial phase prior to the reinforcements segment checks for an Iraqi Coup Collapse by a dice roll using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table to determine results. There is a +1 Modifier for the Allied-owned dot city of Basra and there is another +1 Modifier “if a rail connection (per Rule 7A1) cannot be traced from an Axis-owned Baghdad to an Axis-owned dot city in Iraq.” Finally, there is a -1 Modifier “if an Axis air unit is in Iraq.” This tallies to a factored +1 Dice Roll Modifier on the Table, which in any dice roll result would not be enough to result in a Coup Collapse, and so the roll effort is not done.
- For those who may want to know, in the off-map portion of the larger ME Campaign Scenario from which the special cropped ME/“Iraq Campaign” Scenario is derived, the Allied invasion of Vichy Levant began on the prior Jun I 41 Allied turn, as historical. The Allied forces used in the Syrian campaign done off-map in the larger ME Campaign Scenario are taken from the Allied Initial Forces found in F. Watson’s “Syria” Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#81, minus of course the forces listed there that are used in our special “Iraq Campaign” demonstration. Some minor differences in the off-map ME Campaign Scenario’s Vichy Levant campaign from Watson’s “Syria” battle scenario Jun I 41 Allied at start are that in the off-map Vichy Levant campaign both the 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME and the Well 1C 3NB4 type air unit begin in Palestine, and the step of attack supply “at H-3 Pump Station” (21A:5025) in Watson’s battle scenario is found in the off-map ME Campaign Scenario in Palestine along with the other two steps of attack supply there on the Jun I 41 Allied turn. The Br Hurri 1 F type and the Blen 4 B type air units also in Palestine now (per Watson’s “Syria” battle scenario) are probably the survivors from Greece and Crete. The other available ME Command Br Hurri 1 F type air unit is at Tobruch (18A:4817); and the ME Command’s SAAF Hurri 1 F type, the other Br Blen 4 B type, and the Br A-22 A type air units are in the Libya-Egypt border zone, facing the Afrika Korps besieging Tobruch. The long-ranging SAAF P-40C 5F5 1/13 air unit is in Egypt, along with the second Br Glad F type air unit in the ME Command. The other Br Glad air unit is certainly at Habbaniya, in our game.
Allied dispositions:
In the Central Iraq region [all Allied forces here are in general supply]:
Rutbah (21A:5023):
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied controlled]
22A:2725 [canal intensive secondary rail hex E of the Tigris River; NE of Baghdad]:
1 x 2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind)
22A:2726 [clear terrain hex NW of Baghdad]:
1 x 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab
22A:2826 [clear terrain road/major rail line junction hex W of Baghdad]:
1 x 0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [this is the static II originally from Habbaniya]
22A:2926 [canal intensive major rail/secondary rail nexus hex SW of Baghdad]:
1 x 8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind):
1 x 1-8 Ind X 20 (Ind)
1 x 0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [this is the static II originally from Shaibah]
Habbaniya (22A:2828):
3-cap permanent airfield
1 x 2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind)
1 x Glad 3F3 0/8 [operative]
1 x Audax 1A1 1/8 [operative]
1 x Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 [operative]
In the Southern Iraq region [all Allied forces here are in general supply]:
Basra (22A:4313) [dot city/major port]:
Allied standard Supply Terminal marker
one step of attack supply
Shaibah (22A:4314):
3-cap permanent airfield [Allied controlled]
22A:3822 [canal intensive secondary rail hex]:
1 x 2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind)
22A:3524 [canal intensive secondary rail hex]:
one step of attack supply
Axis Intervention in Iraq forces on the South Aegean Island of Rodi at the turn’s start:
Rodi (20A:2230) [point city/standard port hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
1 x Ju 52 1T2 0/20 (LW)
4 gsp’s, generated at the standard port hex of Rodi in the Jun I 41 Axis initial phase per Rule 12C2a.
- In the movement phase the Ju 52 T type air unit air transports two of the gsp’s at the Rodi airfield on a “1-way regular transport mission at extended range” (see Rule 23B-Extended Range) to the Mosul dot city hex (21A:3509) in Iraq, exactly 60 hexes—3X its range.
Iraqi forces and Axis/German forces in Iraq movement, end of movement phase dispositions, and commentary:
In the Central Iraq region [end of turn dispositions]:
Baghdad (22A:2825) [end of turn]:
Iraq capital marker
1 x 1-2-6 Inf XX 3 [never moved]
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 2 [never moved]
1 x 0-1-6* Inf XX 4 [never moved]
1 x Mxd 1A2 1/8 [never moved]
Baqubah (21A:4802) [reference city canal intensive secondary rail junction hex; end of turn]:
1 x 1-6* Inf XX 1
- Becomes Black U-1 this Axis initial phase; regular moves from 21A:4704 to Baqubah, thereby recapturing this city and airbase for the Axis/Coup Iraqis.
In the Northern Iraq region [end of turn dispositions]:
Mosul (21A:3509) [dot city]:
1 x Ju 52 1T2 0/20 (LW) [began turn at Rodi airfield (20A:2230)]
2 gsp’s
- The gsp’s on-map at Mosul at the end of the Axis turn were generated this Jun I 41 Axis initial phase at the Rodi (20A:2230) standard port hex and then air transported to Mosul in the movement phase. The two gsp’s on-map at Mosul at the start of the Axis turn that were generated in the May II 41 Axis initial phase were removed from the map at the end of the Jun I 41 Axis initial phase, per Rule 12C4 and the WW Master Sequence of Play.
1 x Mxd 2A3 1-1/16 (LW) [never moved]
- Technically Red U-2, but in general supply via one of the gsp’s in the Mosul hex.
- After a hard look at the Allied dispositions in the Baghdad zone, the Axis player concludes that next turn it is unlikely Allies will attempt their needed big attack at the Baghdad partial city hex. And so for this reason, and also the upcoming conversion considerations, the Mxd A type air unit is left at the remote Mosul airbase and does not now air transfer closer to Baghdad.
Allied air unit activity in Iraq late in the Axis exploitation phase:
Nasiriya (22A:3919) [reference city;end of turn]:
1 x Bombay 1T1 1-2/15 [inoperative]
- Late in the Axis exploitation phase this air unit transfers to here from Habbaniya (22A:2828).
Commentary: The whole Axis turn is perhaps typical of a “prolonged” Iraqi campaign as depicted in this particular special WW ME Campaign Scenario demonstration situation, I think. But the Axis player is biding his time and keeping his meager core forces at the Baghdad hex, forcing the Allies to tediously maneuver and slowly consolidate for a partial city hex battle there. The Axis player thinks the best strategy now is to maneuver to delay as many turns as possible an Iraqi Coup collapse/surrender by using the resources and territory available. Both sides’ game play is very tricky and convoluted; a mistake or miscalculation only hastens the undesired wargame situation for that side. Should the Coup Iraqis and the Axis Intervention forces maneuver and combine for an attack this turn against the Ind 2-8 Ind X 21 at 22A:2725? Or should the Iraqi 1-0-8 Lt Arm X 1 attempt to break out of Baghdad this turn and rum amok, forcing the Allies to waste a turn in a chase-down and kill? Well, I didn’t do either, this turn.
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