Aug II 41 Allied EOT Dispositions
Malta [end of turn]:
- Malta Status: 11, end of turn [at turn’s start 12, – 1 repair this turn = 11]
- Malta Repair Rate: beginning on the Jul I 41 turn, 2 repair points each I turn and 1 repair point each II turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.
- At the start of the Allied turn there were no gsp’s present in the Valletta hex. On the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn the Allied player was unable to successfully sea transport any gsp’s to Malta, as the usual W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s generated at Gibraltar was sunk that turn by Axis anti-shipping forces when it entered the Cent Med sea zone on map 18A . This is important for the two Br hv AA IIs’ flack factors, which are currently halved due to being U-2. Valletta’s intrinsic flack is not affected by supply, as in the EA game reports for the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario we are not using WW Optional Rule 12E4-Intrinsic AA and General Supply Effects.
- The Br Hurri 2 5F5 1/9 air unit is in the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool.
Valletta (18A:0407) [rough terrain point city major port hex, w/ a strong natural harbor]:
3-cap permanent airfield; one hit of damage
Valletta hex flack factor: 5 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 2 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II units, AA = 2 each, but halved for being U-2)
3-6* Inf X 1 M [definitely Red U-2]
2-6* Inf X 2 M [definitely Red U-2]
3-6* Inf X 3 M [per the WitD Allied OB booklet, at the Aug I 41 Allied turn heading, this is a Conversion unit of the original 1-8 MG II 2 Ch unit beginning the turn here; the conversion was done this turn at step 14 of the I. Phase, w/ the 2 Br inf RPs stored at the Valletta limited supply terminal duly expended at step 14 to enable the conversion; the newly converted unit is definitely Red U-2, as was the pre-conversion unit]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 10 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 4 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-4 Cons X MC [definitely Red U-2]
In Libya [{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:
Tobruch (18A:4817) [clear terrain fortress point city standard port road junction hex, w/ a strong natural harbor]:
Improved fortress; construction of the improved fortress was completed in the May II 41 Allied I. Phase.
- Per the WW Airbase Summary, improved fortresses have a permanent airfield capacity of 1.
3-cap temporary airfield, two hits of airfield damage
{one port damage hit marker, repaired this turn by the 0-1-4 cons X}
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4; spent 4 MPs in the hex repairing the single port damage hit marker]
2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; never moved; technically Red U-4]
2-8* Inf X 26 (Aus) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; never moved; technically Red U-4]
7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 51 [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
3-8 Inf X 22 G [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to here; in general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase]
3-8 Art X 13 [began turn here; never moved; technically Red U-4]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [operative; ARP build at step 14 of the I. Phase; killed in combat over the Tobruch hex on the Aug I 41 Axis M. Phase; this air unit was taken from the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Middle East Replacement Pool and placed at the certainly isolated & out-of-supply air base at Tobruch; apparently this is quite legal in WW-based games, per WW Rule 25C2; note that evidently “repaired” air units taken from an Aborted Air Units Box must be placed on-map “at any friendly-owned unisolated air base in the command that has a capacity of 1 or more and that is in ARP supply,” per WW Rule 25C3, but that “replaced” air units taken from the Eliminated Air Units Box do not wear this restriction chain-hobble; the air unit begins in general supply, as it was placed after step 11 of the I. Phase; never moved this turn]
12 gsp’s [generated at step 16 of the Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase from a step of attack supply present in the Tobruch hex; these provide special general supply this turn and in the following Aug I 41 Axis turn; they will be removed from the map at step 24 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase, after the step 11 supply determination step]
4 gsp’s [generated this turn at step 16 of the I. Phase at Suez; successfully sea transported in an E Med ANTP to the Tobruch beach hex and amphibiously disembarked there in the naval movement step of the M. Phase]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Alexandria; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to here]
In Egypt [{M. Phase}/end of turn]:
19A:0920 [clear terrain hex]
6-4-6 Arm X 1 T [began turn at 19A:1018; in the M. Phase regular moved two hexes to 19A:0920; remained in the hex]
3-2-10 Arm X 7 [component part of the 7-10* Arm XX 7, which began the turn at 19A:1020; the arm XX broke down in the M. Phase at hex 1020 and the component 3-2-10 Arm X 7 unit then moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
1-10* Mot SG X AA=1 2 [began turn at 19A:1020; in the M. Phase regular moved west along the Egyptian coast road to Halfaya Pass (19A:0419) and then back to coast road hex 19A:0618, ending the M. Phase there; exploited to here]
3-8 Art X 10 [began turn at 19A:1018; regular moved two hexes to 19A:0920]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:1018; regular moved two hexes to 19A:0920]
19A:1020 [clear terrain road to Siwa hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn at 19A;1019; moved one hex to here]
19A:0919 [clear terrain hex]:
3-2-10 Arm X 3 [component part of the 7-10* Arm XX 7, which began turn at 19A:1020; the arm XX broke down in the M. Phase at hex 1020 and the component 3-2-10 Arm X 3 unit regular moved two hexes to here; remained in the hex]
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119); moved to 19A:1118; exploited to here]
2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119); admin moved to 19A:1118; exploited to here]
2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [began turn at Tobruch; technically Red U-4; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was sea transported to Alexandria, then railed to Matruh; exploited to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1020; in the M. Phase regular moved south along the Siwa road to the Siwa Oasis (19A:0627) and then one hex back to road hex 19A:0626, ending the M. Phase there; exploited north to here]
1-10 Recon II 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1018; in the M. Phase regular moved one hex to 19A:0919; remained in the hex]
1-2-10* Mot SG X AA=1 7 [component part of the 7-10* Arm XX 7,which began turn at 19A:1020; the arm XX broke down in the M. Phase at hex 1020 and the component 1-2-10 mot SG X unit then regular moved two hexes to here; remained in the hex]
4 gsp’s [generated this turn at step 16 of the I. Phase; railed to Matruh; in the E. Phase spent 5 SMPs exploiting to here]
19A:1019 [clear terrain hex, two hexes SW of Matruh; on the next not completed Tobruch-Matruh railway line]:
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began the turn at 19A:1119; on the Aug I 41 Allied M. Phase it spent 2 MPs in hex 1119 beginning the construction there of a 1-cap temporary airfield; this turn, per WW Rule 14A1, it opted to complete the construction of the Matruh/Tobruch railroad in hex 19A:1119 by expending all its MPs there, enabling the Allied player to advance the railhead marker immediately afterwards to this hex in the current M. Phase, from the Matruh hex; after this the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) then automatically voluntarily advanced westwards one hex into the adjacent unbuilt Matruh/Tobruch railroad hex, per the said WW rule; in so doing it abandoned the uncompleted 1-cap temporary airfield it had begun the previous turn at 19A:1119; ended the turn here, at 1019]
2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1119; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; the division’s other two supported Aus inf X’s are at Tobruch; this unit moved one hex to here]
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 2 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1621; regular moved to here]
19A:1119 [clear terrain major rail line hex, SW of Matruh]:
railhead marker
- The Matruh-Tobruch railhead marker was advanced into this hex in the M. Phase, from its Matruh hex starting point, after the 1 RE cons unit beginning the turn in hex 19A:1119 declared all its MPs expended in building the railway line there. Doing this also gives the 0-1-4 cons X the ability to voluntarily automatically move into the next adjacent not yet begun Tobruch-Matruh railway hex, per WW Rule 14A1. Per the WitD Allied OB booklet the Tobruch-Matruh railway construction may begin on the Aug II 41 Allied turn.
- 7-8* Inf XX 6 [British; assembled here at the end of the M. Phase from the unsupported components]
Note: This is a Unit Identification Options Change taken from the WW OB booklet, at p. 13. The 7-8* Inf XX’s HQ unit is a substitute for the 8 Inf XX HQ 70 reinforcement unit, Arriving on the May I 41 Allied turn, per the WitD Allied OB. Per the WW OB booklet it Converts to the 8 Inf XX 70 HQ unit on the Oct I 41 Allied turn, which is apparently also when the 7-8 Inf XX 70 can then finally assemble. Evidently no provision has been made in the officially published Europa literature for a Br 7-8* Inf XX 6 divisional unit to be available for assembly on the May I 41 Allied turn, but such a divisional unit has been provided in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario project, pending further input. There is a British 8* Inf XX HQ 6 unit available in the revised BF counter sheet, which I believe is part of a small number of WitD corrections/additions included in this revised BF counter sheet. Interestingly, this “official” unit has a 8 Inf XX HQ 6 on the flip-side (eg., w/out the *), possibly indicating a unit conversion that has not yet been accounted for in the published Europa literature. EA member Ralph Sunley was kind enough to send me part of a software application which enabled the creation of a provisional new British 7-8* Inf XX 6 unit and also the new Trans-Jordanian 1-10 Mot Inf III AL (Arab Legion) unit for use in the EA game reports.
- 8* Inf XX HQ 6 [British; began turn at Haifa, in Palestine; in the M. Phase sea transported to Alexandria, then railed to Matruh, and moved to here; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
- 2-8 Inf X 161 [began turn at 19A:1219; moved one hex to here; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
- 2-8 Inf X 150 [began turn at 19A:1420; regular moved to here; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
- 2-8 Inf X 151 [at the start of the turn this Br inf X was broken down into two unsupported “Y” IIs; the 1-8 Inf II Y began the turn at 19A:1320 and the 0-1-8 Inf II Y began the turn at 19A:1420; in the M. Phase both inf IIs “Y” regular moved to here and later in the M. Phase reassembled into the 2-8 Inf X 151; assembled into the 7-8* Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
19A:1118 [clear terrain coast road hex, NW of Matruh]:
2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began turn at Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt; railed to Matruh, then moved one hex to here]
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt; railed to Matruh, then moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 5 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1521; regular moved to here]
Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail line junction coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
{7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA) [began turn here; at the start of the M. Phase it broke down into its supported components]}
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to Matruh; remained here]
2-8 Inf X 14 [began turn at Haifa, in Palestine; railed to Alexandria; in the E. Phase the Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 air unit based at Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) staged to Alexandria, picked up the Br inf X and air transported it to here; the Bombay T type air unit returned to base at Alexandria]
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at 19A:1119; regular moved to here]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 68 [began turn here; never moved]
P-40C 5F5 1/13 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [inop.; began turn here; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it flew the CAP air mission over all-sea hex 19A;0717, N of Sidi Barrani; returned to base here early in the ground movement step of the M. Phase]
Hurri 1 5NF5 1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
19A:1219 [clear terrain road to Siwa hex, S of Matruh]:
8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1420; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 4 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria, railed to Matruh and then moved to here]
19A:1319 [major rail line coast hex, SE of Matruh]:
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn at Tripoli (20A:5005), in Lebanon; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it sea transported to Alexandria; railed to here; used its last 2 remaining MPs beginning the construction of a 1-cap temporary airfield here]
19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began turn at Haifa, in Palestine; railed to here]
0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 57 [began turn here; never moved]
Well 1C 3NB4 1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) ; in the E. Phase flew a strat port night bombing air mission to the Derna (18A;4116) target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Well 1C 3NB4 1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033); in the E. Phase flew a strat port night bombing air mission to the Derna (18A;4116) target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
19A:1320 [clear terrain hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1219; moved one hex to here]
19A:1420 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn at Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt; railed to 19A:1418, then moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 6 (SA) [supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA), which began the turn at Matruh and broke down early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]
19A:1521 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 3 (SA) [supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA), which began the turn at Matruh and broke down early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]
19A:1621 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 1 (SA) [supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA), which began the turn at Matruh and broke down early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]
El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) [clear terrain point city major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
fort marker [completed in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase]
0-8 Hv AA II AA=1 2 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
A-22 3A3 2-1/19 [inop.; began turn at 19A:1418; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
A-22 3A3 2-1/19 SAAF [inop.; began turn 19A:1418; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [full city hex/major port major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
0-2-8 Hv AA X AA=4 1 NMBDO (RM) [began turn here; never moved]
Glad 3F3 0/8 [operative; began turn here; late in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here from Ismailia (19A:3516); never moved this turn]
Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 [inop.; began turn at Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413); late in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it air transferred to Port Said from Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq; in the E. Phase of this turn it staged to Alexandria, picked up the Br 2-8 Inf X 14 unit, and air transported it to Matruh (19A:1218); rebased here]
Cairo (19A:3219) [full city hex transportation line junction hex, NW of the Cairo partial city hex]:
0-1-6 RR Eng X MEF (Emp) [began turn here; Egypt Garrison eng/cons unit; never moved]
- This unit can’t move from here w/out violating the Egypt Garrison eng/cons unit provision, unless another 1 RE eng/cons unit takes its place.
Cairo (19A:3320) [clear terrain partial city hex, SE of the Cairo full city hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line nexus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) [swamp dot city/standard port/Suez Canal major rail line terminal coast hex]:
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began turn at Alexandria; railed to here]
In Palestine [end of turn]:
- Per WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons, the Palestine garrison requirement is 3 REs of Garrison-category units. The Allied garrisons are determined at step 17 of the Allied I. Phase. However, per WW Rule 37E4, Forming units in the ME Replacement Pool count at their regular RE size for the Palestine Garrison requirement, as do also ME Replacement Pool units, but they count at 1/3 their regular RE size. In addition to the 1.5 Garrison-capable REs present on-map in Palestine, the Allied player is counting some of the 3.5 Garrison-capable REs in the Forming Box of the Middle East Command Replacement Pool. See below, in the Middle East Replacement Pool section, for further details.
Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:
- Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. More later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios, in conjunction w/ the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison/construction, per WW Advanced Rule 14A1e, and in reference to the Levant Allied Garrison stipulations on WW Game Play Chart 5.
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at Soueida (20A:4905), in Syria; regular moved to here]
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn here; never moved]
Tel Aviv (19A:4308 [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [began turn at 18A:4808; moved to here]
Allied Units in Armistice Lebanon & Syria [{M. Phase}/end of turn]:
- Per the WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons (Rule 37E), it appears the Allied player is fulfilling the garrison requirements for the Vichy French Levant, and has been since the beginning of the Allied invasion of the the Levant on the Jun I 41 Allied turn.
Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
{7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus) [began turn at Beyrouth (20A:4207); early in the M. Phase it broke down into its component supported inf X’s]}
2-8* Inf X 18 (Aus) [supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); broke down into its component supported inf X’s at the beginning of the M. Phase; this supported component remained here]
Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line coast hex]:
- Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. More later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios, in conjunction w/ the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison/construction, per WW Advanced Rule 14A1e, and in reference to the Levant Allied Garrison stipulations on WW Game Play Chart 5.
2-8* Inf X 21 (Aus) [supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); broke down into its component supported inf X’s at the beginning of the M. Phase; this supported component moved to here]
Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn here]
Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at Alep (20A:3231); regular moved along the road to here, capturing Idib (21A:3333) along the way]
Homs (20A:3902) [clear terrain reference city transportation line junction hex]:
hit marker on reference city airbase
Allied owned; vacant
Hama (20A:3702) [clear terrain reference city major rail line hex]:
hit marker on reference city airbase
Allied owned; vacant
Alep (21A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
2-8* Inf X 25 (Aus) [supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); broke down into its component supported inf X’s at the beginning of the M. Phase; this supported component admin moved to here]
On Cyprus [end of turn]:
Limassol (20A:3615) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
Famagusta (20A:3411) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
Non Phasing Axis Air Activity in the Allied Exploitation Phase:
Late in the E. Phase the Axis player air transfers the It CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 air unit based at 18A:0603, in Sicily, to Derna (18A:4116), in Libya.
Late in the E. Phase the Axis player air transfers the Ger LW Me 109E 7F5 1/7 air unit based at 18A:0403, in Sicily, to Derna.
Late in the E. Phase the Axis player air transfers the Ger LW He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22 air unit based at Derna to the 3-cap permanent airfield at Bengasi (18A:3121), in Libya.
Middle East (ME) Command Replacement Pool [{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:
3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]
2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]
3-2-10 Arm X 4 [in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario this unit is at-start in the ME Replacement Pool, per F. Watson’s ER-II Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#71]
3-2-10 Arm X 1 [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; this is the original pre-conversion unit of the one sent to Greece]
Eliminated Air Units Box:
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase it participated in the first Allied attack in the Vichy French Levant, flying the GS air mission at 20A:4607; it was Killed in air combat there by the bypassing Vichy Fr D 520 F type air unit, flying the Interception air mission to the target hex]
{Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [killed in combat over the Tobruch hex on the Aug I 41 Axis M. Phase; rebuilt at step 14 of this turn’s I. Phase after the Allied player spends 2 ARPs]}
Forming Box:
3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
2-8* Inf X 2 FL (FF) [placed here at step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the Apr II 42 Allied turn]
1-2-6 Inf X 3FL (FF) [placed here at step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the May II 42 Allied turn]
The Allied Near East (NE) Command on the Aug II 41 Allied turn:
- Iraqi coup collapse occurred in the May II 41 Axis I. Phase, per the dice roll done then using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table. At that time all Iraqi forces/production were removed from the map and the Iraq Replacement Pool. By the end of the I. Phase all Iraqi territory was Allied owned; except in our case the Mosul hex, which at the time contained the Axis Conditional Reinforcement Ger LW Mxd A type air unit. Seeing that the Iraqi coup had indeed collapsed, the Axis Conditional Reinforcement promptly air transferred out of the Mosul hex later in the May II 41 Axis turn, and Mosul was captured by the Allies in the following Jun I 41 Allied turn.
- The current Allied Iraqi railnet-cap is 3 1/2.
- At step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase the Allied player transferred 10 Middle East Command SMPs to the Near East Command, per WW Rule 12H2b. They cannot be used there until the following Aug II 41 Allied turn, eg., this turn.
- This turn the Allies invade neutral, but pro-Axis Iran. When the Allies invade Iran, Iran then declares war on the Allies and joins the Axis, and the Axis player controls the Iranian forces. Following the Allied invasion of Iran, at step 4 of the Axis I. Phase, the Allied player rolls the dice and consults the WW Iranian Surrender Table. On a roll of 10 or more, Iran surrenders to the Allies. The Allied player gets a +1 modifier “for each Allied-owned city in Iran (except Tehran) south of the ‘D’ weather line.” At the end of the current Allied turn they have 10 Iranian city hexes in their control, which apparently makes Iranian surrender automatic in the following Axis I. Phase. See WW Rule 38I for rules details regarding Iran.
- Per the WW War in the Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, at the additional conditions on the maps bullet, which is used in ME Scenario-based Europa games, “the transportation line from Basra (22A:4313) to 22A:4011 does not exist (is neither a road nor a railroad).” There is a further elaboration at Appendix G–Transportation Lines, in the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet, where it states that “construction was undertaken following the Anglo-Soviet occupation of Iran and was completed in March 1942. Actually, only a rail ferry crossed Shatt-al-Arab until mid-1943, when a rail bridge was completed.” For now, pending further input, it is assumed that there is another bridge crossing the Shatt-al-Arab a little farther south at the borderline hex-side of 22A:4411 (in Iraq) and Abadan (22A:4410), in Iran, which is good enough for normal ground unit crossing and supply tracing purposes via the road element, per WW Rule 12B.
In pro-Allied Iraq [{end of the C. Phase}/end of turn]:
- Per the WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons (Rule 37E), it appears the Allied player is fulfilling the garrison requirements this turn, for Iraq. This would be per the horizontal line reading: “EJIS [Jul II 41] – Sep I 41”. For a more detailed discussion of the Iraq garrison, see the Jul I 41 Allied game report
21A:4208 [clear terrain major rail line hex]:
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:3116, in the Syrian “duckbill” area; admin moved 16 hexes along transportation lines to here]
21A:4821 [ravines hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn at 21A:4925, in Iraq; regular moved to here in the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
- This is a provisional new unit introduced in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario on the May I 41 Allied turn. For more details, see that posted EA game report.
H-3 Pump Station (21A:5125) [stony desert road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4726, in Iraq; moved along the road to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:2827, E of Habbaniya, in Iraq; in the M. Phase spent 19 SMPs moving west along the road to here]
Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied owned]
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:5106, in Trans-Jordan; admin moved along the road to here]
Ramadi (22A:2830) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq; admin moved along the road to here]
Habbaniya (22A:2828) [clear terrain point city road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq; admin moved along the road to here]
0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [began turn at Ramadi (22A:2830); moved to here]
Baghdad 22A:2825 [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
one hit marker on airbase
vacant at the end of the M. Phase
Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]
4 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Audax 1A1 1/8 inop.; began turn here; in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Basra from the Habbaniya airfield (22A:2828), in Iraq; in the C. Phase of this turn it flew the GS air mission to the Ahwaz (22A:3810) hex, in Iran; rebased here]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 (RAAF) [inop.; began turn here; in the Aug I 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Basra from Alexandria, in Egypt; at the beginning of the M. Phase of this turn it flew the CAP air mission over the Ahwaz hex (22A:3810), in Iran; in the C. Phase it switched to the Escort air mission, after the Iranian Mxd 3F3 1/8 air unit based at Ahwaz flew the Interception air mission against the Br Audax A type air unit flying the GS air mission to the hex; the RAAF Hurri 1 air unit inflicted a Kill on the Iranian Mxd F type air unit in the ensuing air combat above the Ahwaz target hex; rebased here]
22A:4312 [swamp road hex, next to the Iranian border]:
{one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:4411, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; spent one SMP in the M. Phase moving to here; expended at the end of the C. Phase for the Allied ground combat attack at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in Iran]}
In Iran [end of turn]:
Shahabad (32:2229) [mountain point city road hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn at Khanaquin (21A:4501/32:2133)), in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at Khanaquin (21A:4501/32:2133), in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to here]
Karind (32:2130) [mountain point city road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at Baghdad (22A:2825); admin moved to here along the transportation lines]
32:2131 [mountain road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at Habbaniya (22A:2828), in Iraq; admin moved along transportation lines to here]
22A:3709 [clear terrain road hex]:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to Ramhormoz (22A:3907), but also captured Haft Kel (22A:3807) along the way; exploited to here, but captured Masjid-i-Sulaiman (22A:3508) and Sushtar (22A:3509) along the way]
Ahwaz (22A:3810) [clear terrain reference city major rail line-road junction hex]:
6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) [assembled at adjacent hex 22A:3911 with its unsupported components at the end of the M. Phase; in the C. Phase it attacked the Iranian 1-6* Inf XX 6 at Ahwaz; advanced into the Ahwaz hex after combat]
- 8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212; in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz; assembled into the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]
- 2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz; assembled into the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]
- 1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4212; in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz, but captured Susangerd (22A:3812) along the way; assembled into the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]
- 2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4411, in Iraq, at the Iranian border; regular moved to 22A:3911, adjacent to Ahwaz, in the M. Phase, crossing the Shatt al Arab-Tigris and capturing Khorramshahr (22A:4311) and Abadan (22A:4410) while moving along the transportation line along the way; assembled into the 6-8* Ind XX 8 (Ind) at the end of the M. Phase]
Turn Activity
At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied ground and air units at the isolated Tobruch hex that began the turn at technically Red or Black U-4 essentially remain at this U-4 status, as per WW Optional Rule 12E, U-4 is in effect the most severe supply status for a unit. All 9 REs of ground units and the single air unit beginning the turn at Tobruch are in special general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase due to the 14 gsp’s in the hex. These twelve gsp’s were generated from a step of attack supply present in the hex on the Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase. They will be removed from the maps at step 24 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase, after the supply determination step for that turn. At Malta, all of the 4.5 REs of Allied ground units beginning the turn there are definitely Red U-2, as no gsp’s were sea transported to there on the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn.
At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player spends no accumulated inf or arm RPs in the Middle East Command. He does, however, spend two of his three remaining ARPs to repair the Br Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 air unit that was killed in combat over the Tobruch hex on the Aug I 41 Axis M. Phase. The repaired air unit is taken from the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Middle East Replacement Pool and placed at the certainly isolated & out-of-supply air base at Tobruch. This is apparently legal in WW-based games, per WW Rule 25C2. Note that evidently “repaired” air units taken from an Aborted Air Units Box must be placed on-map “at any friendly-owned unisolated air base in the command that has a capacity of 1 or more and that is in ARP supply,” per WW Rule 25C3, but that “replaced” air units are not encumbered by the “unisolated” restriction, per the same WW rule. The air unit begins in general supply, as it was placed on-map after step 11 of the I. Phase.
At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player generates 4 new gsp’s at both the Suez and Alexandria Allied Standard Supply terminals.
At step 22 of the I. Phase the Axis player assigns the It SM 79-2 2B3 3-4/V/20 air unit and the Ger LW Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 air unit, both based at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, to the Naval Patrol air mission. The other Ger LW Ju 87B D type air unit based at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch, is assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission. Finally, the two It Br 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 air units based at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) are also assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission. No CAP air missions are flown by either side in the I. Phase.
At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the maps the 4 gsp’s at Egyptian Western Desert hex 19A:1020, stacked with the three c/m units there, including the 7-10* Arm XX 7.
In the naval movement step of the M. Phase the Allied player does a series of naval transport activities in the East and Central Mediterranean sea zones. He can send no gsp’s from Gibraltar to Malta this turn, as the available W Med NTP was sunk in the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn and cannot be replaced until the Sep I 41 turn; nor can use his E Med NTPs to conduct naval transport coming from or going into the W Med sea zone, per WW Rule 31A2. This turn he will very likely be compelled to again attempt to sea transport to Tobruch the single step of attack supply on the maps in the Mediterranean, at Alexandria. Will he this turn also sea transport one of the steps of attack supply at Basra to the Mediterranean Sea area, perhaps to Suez, in Egypt, or perhaps gsp’s to Malta from one of his standard Supply Terminals in the E Med sea zone? The subsequent naval actions done this turn are listed below in sequential order. Those numbered that are indicated by a # are indicated as such in the naval movement step action activities picture included below in the game report. However, this turn the Allied player has only 8 E Med NTPs available for his sea transport demands.
#1. In what is likely an unusual move, the Allied player first embarks on an E Med ANTP the 4 fresh gsp’s generated at Suez in the I. Phase and sends the cargo naval group up the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea, following the same sea route and day-night chronology done on the previous Aug I 41 Allied turn. But when the cargo naval group gets to the last daylight all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, before the final all night movement segment of the voyage into the Tobruch harbor, the Axis player declines to attempt a Contact die roll by any of his assigned Naval Patrol air units. The Allied player wonders why; is it due to the two operative Allied air units at Tobruch and the operative SAAF P-40C F type at Matruh, or is the Axis player only waiting for him to sea transport the step of attack supply at Alexandria? The Axis player wonders why the 4 gsp’s are being transported on an E Med ANTP, but assumes it is somehow due to the damage hit marker currently affecting Tobruch’s port capacity, creating sea transport problems for the Allies. In any event, the Allied player still has to run the gauntlet of the Axis anti-shipping forces upon entering map 18A, and also the Disruption Table die roll once the gsp’s are disembarked at Tobruch’s clear terrain beach hex, which is in an Axis ZOC. Upon entering the Cent Med sea zone the Allied player rolls good on the Naval Table, fortunately using the 9 column now after the timely repair done to the Malta Status number done earlier in the I. Phase, and so the 4 gsp’s arrive at Tobruch beach hex, at the 10th naval movement step done at night. But then begins a 45 naval movement point countdown for disembarking the “amphibious cargo” (because of the ANTP) at a friendly-owned beach, and in our case, the first 20 naval movement points must be in daylight and therefore, I presume, both the E Med ANTP and its cargo are still liable for Axis Naval Patrol air mission Contact attempts and possible air attacks while this amphibious disembarking at a beach is taking place in the daylight. But once again the Axis player declines to bomb the quite vulnerable Allied naval force so close to the Axis air units assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission. He knows the Special Ops Disruption Table die roll may still do his work for him, at least for the gsp’s, and he is perhaps protecting his air assets from the ANTP’s 2 factor flack shot and also possible interception from the two operative Hurri 1 air units based at Tobruch. In time the Allied player spends the 45 additional naval movement points required to disembark the gsp’s at the Tobruch beach hex, twice in vulnerable daylight sessions without the Axis doing anything, and in the end the Allied player gets the opportunity to roll on the Disruption Table. There is a -1 modifier for amphibiously disembarking in enemy ZOCs, and the die roll is a 3, modified to a 2, just enough for a No Effect, and so the gsp’s are not scattered.
Right after this the Allied player ups the ante in the Mediterranean aero-naval warfare by flying the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Matruh on the CAP air mission over the all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, likely preparing for one of the turn’s big naval transport operations.
#2. Next, in somewhat of a surprise to the Axis player, the Allied player embarks the Br 2-1-6 Tnk II 7RT on an E Med NTP, which begins the turn at Tobruch and expends 10 naval movement points transporting it eastwards at night through all-sea hexes until entering all-sea hex 19A:0917, the first hex movement done in daylight. It avoids Axis anti-shipping contact on the Naval Table dice roll done when entering the Cent Med sea zone upon exiting the Tobruch harbor hex. When it enters the optimal daylight Axis target hex at 19A:0917, the Axis player again declines to attempt any Axis Naval Patrol Contact die roll using the Success Table, perhaps because of the two good operative Allied fighters based at Matruh and in interception range. And so the Br 2-1-6 tnk II embarked on the E Med NTP continues its voyage to Alexandria, where the ground unit safely disembarks.
#3. After this, the Allied player embarks the primo Br 3-8 Inf X 22 G, beginning the turn at Matruh (19A:1218), and sails it in daylight towards Tobruch, using the string of east-west all-sea hexes just north of the Axis-owned Egyptian coastline. He pauses at all-sea hex 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani and still in the daylight, but the Axis player says go ahead, and so the Allied player does that, declaring the next all-sea hex at 19A:0617 as the first done at night movement, in the final night leg of the voyage into the safety of the Tobruch port hex. When it enters the Cent Med sea zone, at the first sea hex of map 18A, it unfortunately rolls a dread Contact on the Naval Table, but sees a fortunate 5 on the subsequent Shipping Results Table die roll: for a NE. And the 3-8 Inf X 22 G arrives safe and sound at the Tobruch hex.
#4. Now the Allied player cannot put it off any longer, and sea transports on three E Med NTPs westwards towards Tobruch the step of attack supply beginning the turn at Alexandria, the only one in the Mediterranean, using the usual east-west voyage route along the north Egyptian coastline, but dog-legging one hex northwestwards at coast hex 19A:0918 to adjacent all-sea hex 19A:0817, in order to avoid being caught at an enemy-owned coastline hex in case the Axis player calls for a Naval Patrol Contact die roll on the Success Table. A couple of hexes later, upon entering the preferred Axis target hex at all-sea hex 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani, he again pauses to see what the Axis player wants to do, and the Axis player says proceed as you please. And so the Allied player does, eventually entering the Central Med Sea zone at night at all-sea hex 18A:5117, where, perhaps with a nervous hand, he rolls good on the Naval Table, thereby avoiding the Axis anti-shipping forces plying those aged troubled waters.
#5. With a visible sign of relief, the Allied player then brings on his two turn reinforcements, arriving from South Africa, which would be the 8 Inf XX HQ 2 (SA) and the 2-8 Inf X 4 (SA). They are sea transported in turn reinforcement NTPs, and sail to the major port of Alexandria, where they disembark their cargo.
#6. Finally the Allied player uses his last 2 remaining E Med NTPs to sea transport the Br 8* Inf XX HQ 6, beginning the turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, and the 2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus), beginning at Tripoli (20A:5005), in Lebanon, to Alexandria, ultimately combining together into a single cargo naval group. This final naval transport ends the Allied naval movement step for the turn.
At the very beginning of the ground movement step of the M. Phase the Allied player flies the RAAF Hurri 5F5 1/8 air unit, beginning the turn based at Basra (22A:4313), in SE Iraq, on the CAP air mission over the Ahwaz reference city hex (22A:3810), in Iran; which is the first Allied act of war against the neutral but pro-Axis Iranians. The operative Iranian Mxd 2F2 1/8 air unit based at Ahwaz declines to intercept the Allied fighter flying overhead its airbase.
Right after that the Allied player rebases at Matruh the the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit flying the CAP air mission over the all-sea hex at 19A:0717, N of Sidi Barrani.
Allied rail movement in the Middle East rail net on their Aug II 41 turn:
- 3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began rail movement from Haifa, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking; doubled for a mot II unit, for total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 2-8 Inf X 14 [began rail movement from Haifa, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began rail movement from Disuq (20A:5126), in Egypt, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began rail movement from Disuq, in Egypt, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began rail movement from Disuq, in Egypt, for a total of .5 RE of railcap]
- 5 pos flk unit [British; began rail movement from Alexandria, for a total of .5 RE of railcap]
- 2-8 Eng X [began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 8* Inf XX HQ 6 [British; began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 8 Inf XX 2 (SA) [turn reinf; began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 2-8 Inf X 4 (SA) [turn reinf; began rail movement from Alexandria, after disembarking, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
- 4 gsp’s [began rail movement from Alexandria, for a total of 1 RE of railcap]
The Allies’ per turn Middle East railnet railcap is 16.
In the M. Phase the Allied player moves forward the Matruh-Tobruch railhead marker from Matruh to adjacent hex 19A:1119, and the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) that extended it into the next hex intended for the railway construction, which would be hex 19A:1019. In so doing, he creates a situation demanding the forward movement of the two protective front line armored stack hexes that essentially comprise the Allied desert shield against the Afrika Korps, poised in far eastern Libya just behind the Egyptian borderline. These two front line armored stacks end the turn at 19A:0919 and 0920. 19A:0919 has 9 defense factors and 1 flack factor; 19A:0920 has 10 defense factors and 2 flack factors. The 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME guards the shield’s flank, at 19A:1020. At the end of the I. Phase of the following Aug II 41 Axis turn the Allied player intends to send Harassment to 19A:0922, to the south of the front line desert shield. Coast road hex 19A:0918 is left vacant. There is some risk in this EOT set-up, but it is just beyond the range of the Axis fighter units and is under the umbrella of Allied fighter units and DAS; and so the Allied player opts for it. Much fretting was done about which of the two front line hexes should have 10 defense factors and which should have only 9, and which stack should have 2 flack factors and which should have 1.
The Aus 2-8 Eng X 1 has been brought from Syria to Egypt via sea transport, and and after rail movement from Alexandria, where it disembarked, begins a 1-cap temporary airfield at major rail line coast hex 19A:1319, SE of Matruh, for now.
The Allied player has not forgotten about the Haifa-Tripoli RR provision of the Allied Garrisons requirement, found on WW Game Play Chart 5, and intends to fulfill it utilizing WW Advanced Rule 14A1e. Pending further input, it appears that if the Allies can have 3 REs of cons/eng units in the Levant by the I. Phase of the Nov I 41 turn and then keep them there, the Haifa-Tripoli railway should be complete by the I. Phase of the Jan I 43 turn, which should fulfill the implied Allied garrison requirement of in effect actually building to competition the Haifa-Tripoli RR by the end of a standard WW ME Scenario game, which is the basis of the new WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. If this is so, then the VP penalty count for not fulfilling the Haifa-Tripoli RR garrison requirement would begin, at the latest, by the Nov I 41 Allied I. Phase.
In the C. Phase the Allied player attacks the Iranian 1-6* Inf XX 6 at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in SW Iran. Attacking it is the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind), from adjacent hex 22A:3911, to the SW of Ahwaz. This Allied unit assembled from its component parts at the end of the M. Phase. The Br Audax 1A1 1/8 air unit, beginning the turn at Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq, flies the GS air mission over the Ahwaz hex. The Iranian Mxd 2F2 1/8 air unit, based at Ahwaz, then flies the Intercept air mission. At that time the RAAF Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 air unit flying the CAP air mission over the Ahwaz hex switches to the Escort air mission and inflicts a Kill on the Iranian F type air unit in the ensuing air combat; the Iranian fighter unit rolls a Return. The Allied player attacks at a straight-up 7 to 1, adding the Audax’s 1 tac factor to the Inf inf XX’s 6 attack factors, and rolls a 1: DR; and so the Iranian Inf XX 6 retreats one hex to 22A:3710, to the NE on the major rail line. The Ind 6-8* Inf XX 8 advances into Ahwaz after the combat, and the two Allied air units flying overhead the reference city hex return to base at Basra. By the end of the E. Phase the Allies have captured 10 Iranian cities on the game maps.
At the end of their turn the Allies have the following inventory of accumulated RPs in the ME Command: 9.5 Br inf, 1.5 Br arm, 2.5 Aus inf, 2 NZ inf, 2 Ind inf, and 1 Allied ARP. They began the turn with 3 ARPs, but 2 ARPs were spent rebuilding the eliminated Br Hurri 1 F type air unit that was placed at isolated Tobruch at step 14 of the I. Phase.
Commentary
For the second turn in a row, the Allied player has found it tough to figure out what to do with the British 8th Army’s desert shield line in west-central Egypt. Lately, each Allied turn is like a new game, with non-divisional inf units either assembling into or breaking down from infantry divisions or battalions. At the start of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the would-be designer knew something about the Mar II 41 to the Jun II 41 time period, having a few years earlier studied from start to finish F. Watson’s Enter Rommel-II Europa battle scenario, played on the Western Desert Scenario map groups (18A & 19A) only, while working to combine it with the WW Marita-Merkur Scenario into a somewhat larger Europa WW Scenario called “Operation Lustre”, which is in fact a completed Scenario, albeit unpublished. Quite a bit of study and game play had also been done with a WW “Operation Crusader” Scenario revision, beginning on the Nov II 41 turn and ending on the Jan I 42 turn, although this one is admittedly not quite finished. But there was a gap of recent Europa Western Desert and/or Middle East Scenario game play spanning the Jul I 41 to the Nov I 41 game turns. This Europa desert wargaming territory has not been trod by me since the ’80s or early ’90s, until the current EA game reports for the present WW ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario project, and the fog of time has rolled in, obscuring the former Western Desert gameboard lessons learned back then. For me this ”fog of time” dilemma was even “foggier” for the Allied play than for the Axis.
But the 0-1-4 Cons 43 RPC (Col) Crete campaign survivor unit now involved in constructing the Matruh-Tobruch railway has been like the high-kicking North Korean infantrymen in a Pyongyang May Day dress parade, prodding forward and westwards the necessary Allied desert shield frontal armored force, thereby perhaps enabling a somewhat historical time schedule for this gradual, but risky and necessarily cautious advance forward/westward in the EA reported wargame, which appears to be a necessary component for the springing of a successful Allied Crusader-type offensive later. And as the gap narrows between the two opposing forces in the Western Desert, so does the risk of a technical flaw, or blunder, or miscalculation happening by either side; which is true to life, it seems, in the real world war case where the dread ante is regularly upped when one or both sides are pursuing a dangerous strategy of deliberately increasing the risks in the decisive zone, forcing the break. This board wargame phenomena may be characteristic of warfare in the Western Desert in 1941, as opposed to that in other Europa campaigns, such as in Russia in 1941 or 1942. Here in the Western Desert in the second half of 1941 it probably implies that one side’s strength, in our case the Allies, is steadily increasing to a tipping point, at which time the other side will be forced to either cut and run from their established position or else be faced with a big ground combat die roll at unfavorable odds and/or map positioning, and with a potentially decisive result if the attacker’s combat die roll is good.
There are evidently two published and distributed versions (eg., a bad & incorrect old version and a corrected newer version) of WitD map 32, just like the case of WitD map 22A, which was inadvertently used by me in earlier postings of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports. Map 22A shows primarily SE Iraq and SW Iran; map 32 shows NW and north-central Iran (eg., that part of Iran west and south of the Caspian Sea, including Tehran). I believe owners of these WitD Europa maps can tell the bad & incorrect old maps by a tell-tale “blue registration mark” on each (see the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet, p. 17, regarding the blue registration mark), which was evidently removed in the corrected never versions of each map, along with the more serious printed terrain errors. On bad & incorrect map 22A the blue registration mark is at 22A:2728; on bad & incorrect map 32 the blue registration mark is at 32:1624. In the pictures below viewers can see examples of each version of map 32 of Iran. All map photographs below showing the Tehran hex are of the corrected newer version of map 32, I believe. Would RV know if I am correct regarding map 32, since he was kind and alert enough to let me know earlier about map 22A, while there was still time for me to fix things somewhat in the EA game reports? And I thank him again now for letting me know about map 22A.
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