Author: Greg Bartels (Page 2 of 11)

End of Turn Dispositions

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

0 Italian inf Replacement Points (RPs) at the end of the Axis I. Phase and the Axis turn: .5 It inf RP at the start of the turn, + .5 reinforcement It inf RP at step 14 of the I. Phase = a new total of 1 It inf RP in the middle of step 14 of the Axis I. Phase.   But this same 1 It inf RP was transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, near the end of step 14 of the I. Phase, per WW Rule 37C2a-Mainland Europe, and then air transported from there to Tripoli, in Libya, in the M. Phase, by the SM 79-1 B type air unit beginning the turn at Licata, along w/ a Ger inf RP.  This leaves no It inf RPs in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

1.5 German inf RPs at the end of the Axis I. Phase and the Axis turn: 1 Ger inf RP at the start of the turn: +  1.5 reinforcement Ger inf RPs at step 14 of the Axis I. Phase = a new total of 2.5 Ger inf RPs in the middle of step 14 of the Axis I. Phase.  But 1 Ger inf RP was transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, near the end of step 14 of the I. Phase, and then air transported from there to Tripoli, in Libya, in the M. Phase, by the SM 79-1 B type air unit beginning the turn at Licata, along w/ an It inf RP.  This leaves 1.5 Ger inf RPs in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

6 Ger ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Sep I 41 Axis turn:  1 Ger ARP at the start of the Axis turn, which is the beginning of a new air cycle.  There were 5 Ger turn reinforcement ARPs at step 14 of the I. Phase, with a single accumulated Ger ARP carried over from the previous air cycle’s remainder, per WW Advanced Rule 25C5.  There were no German ARP expenditures or transfers this turn.  The Axis player may spend up to 2 Ger ARPs per turn, per WW Advanced Rue 25C6.

7 It ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Sep I 41 Axis turn:  3 It ARPs at the start of the Axis turn, which is the beginning of a new air cycle.  The Axis player gets +.25 VPs for each “friendly ARP forfeited (not used or accumulated) at the end of each air cycle,” per the WW Axis & Allied Victory Point Schedule, found on p. 25 of the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet.  This would be for a total of .5 Axis VP this turn.  There were 6 It turn reinforcement ARPs at step 14 of the I. Phase, with a single accumulated It ARP carried over from the previous air cycle’s remainder; this adds to the new total of 7.  There were no It ARP expenditures or transfers this turn.  The Axis player may spend up to 3 It ARPs per turn.

In Sicily [end of turn]:

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

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
G 50  3F3  0/9 [inop.; began turn at Slouch (18A:3222), in Libya; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]

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

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

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

Malta on the Sep I 41 Axis turn:

Malta Status: 9, at the start of the turn, + 3 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 gsp’s successfully sea transported to Malta on the Sep I 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 4 gsp’s present in the Valletta hex at the start of the Axis player turn, and 5 REs of ground units on Malta.   The Allied player designates the 0-4 Cons X MC as the designated 1 RE unit that is definitely Red U-2.

Libya [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, at the end of the naval movement step and at the EOT:  3 steps of attack supply began the turn here and never moved, + 2 turn reinforcement steps of attack supply that began the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe off-map holding box and were then sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the M. Phase in 6 turn reinf NTPs; they disembarked at Tripoli and remained in the hex]
4.5 Ger arm Replacement  Points (RPs) at the end of the naval movement step and at the EOT:  3 Ger arm RPs began the turn here and were not expended or moved this turn, + 1.5 turn production reinforcement Ger arm RPs were that began the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe off-map holding box and were then sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the M. Phase in 3 turn reinf NTPs; they disembarked at Tripoli and were stored at the Axis standard supply terminal]
4 It inf RPs at the EOT:  4 It inf RPs began the turn here and were not expended or moved this turn, + 1 turn production reinforcement It inf RP that began the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe off-map holding box and was immediately transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, and then in the M. Phase it was air transported to here by the It SM 79-1 B type air unit, along with a Ger inf RP; one of the other It inf RPs beginning the turn at Tripoli was air transported to Derna (18A:4116), in Libya, late in the E. Phase, by the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit, which began the turn here, along with a Ger inf RP]
2 Ger inf RPs at the EOT:  2 Ger inf RPs began turn here and were not expended or moved this turn, + 1 turn production reinforcement Ger inf RP that began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe off-map holding box and was immediately transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, and then in the M. Phase it was air transported to here by the It SM 79-1 B type air unit, along with an It inf RP; one of the other Ger inf RPs beginning the turn at Tripoli was air transported to Derna late in the E. Phase, by the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit, beginning the turn here, along with an It inf RP]

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

Homs (18A:0522) [rough terrain point city/minor port road junction coast hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

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

18A:0925 [clear terrain road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:1023, S of Misurata; late in the E. Phase spent 2 SMPs exploiting along the road to here]

18A:1427 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
8 Mot Inf XX HQ 101 Trs [turn reinf; unsupported breakdown component of the 5-8 Mot Inf XX 101 Trs; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at the mainland Europe off-map holding box, assembled w/ the 5-8 mot inf XX; successfully sea transported to Tripoli in the naval movement step of the M. Phase, where the 5-8 mot inf XX broke down into its unsupported component parts; this component part then admin moved along the coast road to 18A:1023; exploited to here]
1-8 Mot Inf III 65 [same turn activity as its associated 8 Mot Inf XX HQ 101 Trs unit indicated above]
1-8 Mot Inf III 66 [same turn activity as its associated 8 Mot Inf XX HQ 101 Trs unit indicated above]

Sirte (18A:1727) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
fort marker
3-cap permanent airfield
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status tac bombing air mission; used the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table and evaded the Valletta flack; Hit; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [same turn activity as the Ju 88A4 air unit indicated just above; it, too, scored a Malta Status Hit]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status tac bombing air mission; used the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table and evaded the Valletta flack; Miss; returned to base here]

18A:2227 [sand coast road hex];
2-10 Mot Inf III 9 B [turn reinf; unsupported breakdown component of the 5-8 Mot Inf XX 101 Trs; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at the mainland Europe off-map holding box, assembled w/ the 5-8 mot inf XX; successfully sea transported to Tripoli in the naval movement step of the M. Phase, where the 5-8 mot inf XX broke down into its unsupported component parts; this component part then admin moved along the coast road to Buerat el Husm (18A:1226); exploited to here]
0-1-10 Mot Lt AA II  AA=1  617 (Ger) [turn reinf; began the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; successfully sea transported to Tripoli in the naval movement step of the M. Phase, in a turn reinf NTP; admin moved along the coast road to Buerat el Husm (18A:1226); exploited 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
one step of attack supply [began turn at Sirte (18A:1727); late in the E. Phase it spent 12 SMPs exploiting along the road 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]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

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

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

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

Derna (18A:4116) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
3 port damage hit markers
6 Inf XX HQ A [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]
BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Br 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Tripoli (18a:0121); late in the E. Phase it loaded 1 Ger inf RP and 1 It inf RP stored there and flew a bomber on an air transport air mission (see WW Optional Rule 23E3) to here, flying a one-way regular transport mission with a range twice its printed movement rating, per WW Rule 19F1-Regular Transport]
1 Ger inf RP [began the turn at Tripoli, in Libya, late in the E. Phase air transported to here by He 111H B type air unit flying a bomber on an air transport air mission]
1 It inf RP [began the turn at Tripoli, in Libya, late in the E. Phase air transported to here by He 111H B type air unit flying a bomber on an air transport air mission]

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
8 Inf XX HQ 102 Trn [began turn at 18A:4618; moved to here along the road]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop; began turn at Derna (18A:4116); early in the E. Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex in a large air op; returned by the Tobruch flack; rebased here]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop.; began turn here; early in the E. Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex in a large air op; made it through the Tobruch flack and bombed the airfield, adding its 1 tac factor w/ that of the Ca 311 B type air unit, flying the same airfield bombing air mission; Miss; returned to base here]
Ca 311  2B2  1/L/14 [inop.; began turn here; early in the E. Phase it flew an airfield bombing air mission to the Touch target hex in a large air op; made it through the Tobruch flack and bombed the airfield, adding its 1 tac factor w/ that of the Cr 42 F type air unit flying a fighter on a bombing air mission; Miss; returned to base here]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Ain el Gazala]:
1-6 Inf III A [began turn at 18A:4216, SE of Derna; unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol; moved along the road to here]

18A:4720 [clear terrain hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:4719; regular moved to here]

18A:4620 [clear terrain hex]:
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [began turn at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch; regular moved to here]

18A:4719 [clear terrain hex]:
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch, where it spent 3 MPs completing the construction of a 3-cap temporary airfield, adding this to the 1 MP done by it in the previous Aug I 41 Axis turn towards the 2nd cap increase of a 1-cap temporary airfield; after completing the 3-cap temporary airfield’s construction it spent its remaining 3 MPs moving one hex (due to exiting enemy ZOCs) to here]

18A:4819 [clear terrain hex; 2 hexes S of Tobruch]:
3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to here]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; spent all its MPs (due to enemy ZOCs and terrain) regular moving 2 hexes to here]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
fort marker
3-cap temporary airfield

5-8* Inf XX 90 LA (Ger) [assembled here for the first time from its unsupported component parts at the end of the M. Phase]

• 8* Inf XX HQ 9 La (Ger) [began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); regular moved to here along the road and assembled into the 5-8* Inf XX 90 LA at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf III 361 (Ger) [began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); regular moved to here along the road and assembled into the 5-8* Inf XX 90 LA at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf III 155 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4720; regular moved to here and assembled into the 5-8* Inf XX 90 LA at the end of the M. Phase]

1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [began turn here; never moved]
1-6 Hv AA II  AA=1  29 [began turn here; never moved]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; in the previous Sep I 41 Allied turn it flew the Harassment air mission]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield [this temp airfield began the turn as a 1-cap airfield, w/ 1 construction MP already done for the next cap increase; the It 0-6 Cons 5 A beginning the turn in the hex spent 3 MPs increasing its cap to a 3, and then moved away]
7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar [began turn here; never moved]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
G 50bis  3F3  0/10 [inop., turn reinf; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at 18A:4718; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield [completed on the Aug I 41 Axis turn]
fort marker [its quick construction began on the previous Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase; it was completed on the current Sep I 41 Axis I. Phase]
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn at 18A:4620; regular moved to here]
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn at 18A:4720; regular moved to here]
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:4719; regular moved to here]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn here; never moved]
Me 109F1  6F6  1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; early in the E. Phase it flew the CAP air mission over the Tobruch hex, just prior to the big Axis air op to the same hex; engaged in air combat w/ the intercepting SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Tobruch; aborted the Allied fighter unit; rebased here]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); early in the E. Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex in a large air op; evaded the Tobruch flack and bombed the airfield; Hit; returned to base here]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [inop.; turn reinf; placed at 18A:0403, in Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it flew an air transfer air mission to here]

18A:5017 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 18A:4819; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn at 18A:4819; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]

18A:5118 [clear terrain hex]:
2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32 [began turn at 18A:5018; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn at 18A:5018; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]

19A:0218 [clear terrain road junction hex, SE of Porto Bardiya]:
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at Porto Bardiya; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at Porto Bardiya; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:4818; late in the E. Phase it spent 9 SMPs exploiting along the road and through enemy ZOCs, 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
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; regular moved to here; spent its last 2 MPs beginning the construction of a 1-cap temporary airfield here]
2-3-8 Art III 16 C [began turn at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; regular moved to here]

19A:0319 [clear terrain coast road hex, S of Porto Bardiya]:
9-10 Pz XX 21 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:5119; regular moved to here; in the E. Phase the pz XX exploited eastwards along the Egyptian coast road to Sidi Barrani (19A:0718) and then double backed to here, capturing for the Axis side the Sidi Barrani point city hex and the Egyptian coast road hexes in between]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn at 18A:5119; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/33 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:5119; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]

19A:0219 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn at Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10 Mot Hv AA  AA=2  I/18 (Ger LW) [began turn at Porto Bardiya; moved to here; remained in the hex]

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 [end of turn]:

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

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box:

CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 [in the C. Phase of the Aug II 41 Axis turn it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; aborted by the Tobruch flack shot]

Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; early in the E. Phase flew the Escort air mission for the big Axis air op flying to the Tobruch target hex; engaged in air combat w/ the intercepting Br Hurri 1 F type air unit, based at Tobruch; aborted in the air combat]

MC 200  3F4  1/8 [inop; began turn at 18A:4918, early in the E. Phase flew a fighter on a bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex in a large air op; aborted by the Tobruch flack shot]

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:

vacant

Axis Near East Command

On the Jul II 41 Axis turn the Vichy French Levant surrendered to the invading Allies, per the Allied player’s Variable Levant Surrender Table dice roll, done at step 13 of the Axis I. Phase. By the end of the following Aug I 41 Allied turn, all cities in the Levant were Allied-owned save one, namely the point city of Idib (21A:3333), two hexes SW of Alep in the NW region of Syria.  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 in the Levant or in the Near East. In the EA reported Scenario and also in the WW ME and WD Scenarios, I think, all Syrian and Lebanese land hexes that are Axis-controlled at the time of the Vichy French Levant surrender continue to be Axis-owned until either captured by the subsequent movement of Allied units w/ ZOCs and/or all cities in the Levant are Allied-controlled in an I. Phase, at step 12, essentially via WW Optional Rule 5B5. These conditions appeared to be fulfilled at step 12 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase, and so at that time all land hexes in Syria and Lebanon were declared Allied owned.

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

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 surrendered and all forces were then removed from the maps.  All Iraqi hexes then 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.
• 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.”

21A:4621 [stony desert hex]:

Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [guerrilla-capable inf II bandit unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn here; remains here in the guerrilla mode per the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll]

21A:5020 [stony desert road hex]:

Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [dummy guerrilla-capable unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn here; remains here in the guerrilla mode per the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll].

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,” Per WW Optional Rule 39E4.

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied forces at Tobruch are still isolated and most all the ground units there are all at U-4 supply status, except the recently arrived Br 2-8 Inf X 14, which now becomes black U-1. The recently rebuilt Br Hurri 1 F type air unit now becomes Black U-2, as does the Br 3-8 Inf X 22 G. But all forces in the Tobruch hex are in special general supply due to the gsp’s available there at the supply determination step of the I. Phase.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player places his ground unit and production reinforcements in the mainland Europe off-map holding box, and also the It G 50bis  3F3  0/10 air unit turn reinforcement.  He places the MC 200  3F4  1/8 air unit reinforcement at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 18A:0403, in Sicily.  He does no ground unit replacement builds, nor does he repair with ARPs the It CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 air unit in the Aborted Air Units Box of his Med/NA Command Replacement Pool.  He is anticipating big air unit losses prior to the next air cycle and does not want to spend ARPs so early on repairing the old aborted biplane fighter unit.

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

At step 22 of the I. Phase the Allied player sends the two A-22  3A3  2-1/19 (one Br & one SAAF) air units based at El Alamein (19A:2119) on the Harassment air mission to the Egyptian target hex at 19A :0821.  At the end of step 22 the two A type air units rebase at 19A:1319, having delivered their total of 4 tac factors to the 0821 target hex, good for two harassment marker hits.

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

The first thing the Axis player does in his M. Phase is send the Italian Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air unit based at 18A:0603, at Sicily, and the three Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) air units at Sirte (18A:1727), in Libya, on the Malta Status tac bombing air mission to the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta. This turn the Axis air units roll on the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table, Per WW Rule 37I2a, as now the Allies have gsp’s at Malta at step 11 of the I. Phase, when supply status is determined.  The It Ju 87B D type air units gets past the Valletta hex’s flack, and scores a Hit on the Bombing Table. The three Ju 88A4 B type air units also get past Valletta’s 3 factor flack shot and two of their three strat bombing die rolls are Hits. The It Ju 87B D type air unit rebases at 18A:0603, in Sicily, and the three Ju 88A4 air units return to base at Sirte.

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

After that the Axis player sea transports across the Cent Med sea zone to Tripoli, in Libya, his turn reinforcements in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.  He sends the It 5-8 Mot Inf XX 101 Trs across the Mediterranean as an assembled mot inf XX, but after it disembarks he breaks it down into its unsupported components.  The other Axis ground unit reinforcement, the Ger 0-1-10 Mot Lt AA II 617, and the two reinforcement steps of attack supply, and also the 1.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) all successfully make it across the Cent Med sea zone. All these sea transported turn reinforcement items roll on the most favorable 12 column of the Naval Table, when checking for Allied anti-shipping effects.

In the M. Phase the It 0-6 Cons 5 A, beginning the turn at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch, spends 3 MPs completing the 3-cap temporary airfield there and then moves away from the Allied fortress’ perimeter, to the SW, to hex 18A:4719.  After completing the fort at 18A:4918, using quick-construction technique with the Ger 0-8 Cons III Afr, the It 0-6 Cons 10A pulls away from the Tobruch perimeter hex and also moves in a SW direction, ending its move at 18A:4819, stacked with the 3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav, which moved there to protect it next turn from overruns.  On the other hand, the Ger 0-8 Cons III Afr does not make any wide arcing SW swing round Tobruch, but instead regular moves directly east into Porto Bardiya, where it begins construction there of a 1-cap temporary airfield.  It is joined at Porto Bardiya with the 2-3-8 Art 16 C, giving it some strength from potential Allied overruns.

Early in the E. Phase the Axis player executes a series of  air missions against the Tobruch hex, attempting to eliminate the two Allied Hurri 1 F type air units there.  First he flies the Ger LW Me 109F1  6F6  1/8 air unit based at adjacent hex 18A:4918 on the CAP air mission over the hex.  The Allied player sends only the SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Tobruch on the Intercept air mission over the Tobruch target hex, but the Me 109F1 air unit aborts the SAAF Hurri 1 air unit; the SAAF Hurri 1 F type rolls a (-).  The Me 109F1 returns to base at the 3-cap temporary airfield at 18A:4918.

Next the Axis player sends the MC 200  3F4  1/8 air unit based at 18A:4918, the other MC 200 F type air unit based at Ain el Gazala, and the two CR 42  3F3  0/9 air units based at Gazala and Derna, respectively, all on a fighter on a bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex.  Accompanying them is the Ca 311  2B2  1/L/14 air unit, based at Gazala.  The large Axis air op is escorted by the Ger LW Me 109E  7F5  1/7 air unit, based at 18A:4918.  The Br Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Tobruch flies the Intercept air mission and engages in air combat with the formidable ME 109E air unit, and aborts it, whereas the Me 109 E rolls a (-).  After the air combat the Allied player rolls for Tobruch’s flack shots on the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table against the Axis air units flying the bombing air missions, and one of the CR 42 F type air units on a bombing air mission is returned by flack.  Because of its L code, the vulnerable Ca 311 B type air unit doesn’t get the +1 modifier for being a bomber, but still survives the 3 factor flack shot, and then pairs up with the remaining CR 42 air unit for a total of 2 tac factors on an airfield bombing mission, but rolls a Miss on the Bombing table.  However, the MC 200 F type air unit on an airfield bombing mission, with its tac factor of 1 thus jacked up to 2, rolls high on the Bombing Table and scores a hit on Tobruch’s airfields, which have a total capacity of 4, and so the Axis player does get something for all his aerial efforts against the improved fortress hex.  Afterwards all the surviving Axis air units involved in the big Tobruch air op return to base in various airfields in the Tobruch zone.  See the text above or the pictures below for these details.

Then the Axis player loads a Ger inf RP and an It inf RP on the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit based at Tripoli, in Libya, which flies a 1-way air transport air mission (eg., a bomber on an air transport air mission, this time at double range but still at regular lift capacity) from there to Derna, in an effort to get some RPs closer to the front, in case of casualties there, which are expected soon.

The Axis player also does some air unit transfers late in the E. Phase.  See the EOT dispositions text above or the pictures below for these details.

Commentary

The Axis EOT disposition is certainly not pretty, nor is it brilliant, nor are its prospects for achieving anything like Victory evident.  It is in fact the desperate maneuver of a rather small desperate army near the end of its rope.  It also shows how the unimproved fortress of Porto Bardiya has become an albatross hanging around the neck of the Axis in North Africa.  It must be defended if the siege of Tobruch is to continue, the Axis  player believes, lest the Allies run in some infantry XXs and make a forward bastion out of it, likely in conjunction with an armored force at adjacent Halfaya Pass.  The alternative would be to lift the siege of Tobruch and instigate a “strategic maneuver” somewhat to the west, in accordance with some longer-term Axis defensive plan, either in the Cyrenaican rough terrain area or perhaps better yet at the Agedabia-El Agheila zone.  But right now the Axis player feels like this is little more than a Chicken Little retreat, and instead opts to play with fire, attempting the more dangerous game of bluff and intimidation with the strengthening 8th Army, and perhaps making something out of a yet unseen Allied bad move, or one more wild attack at Tobruch, if he can manage it in time.

 

End of Turn Dispositions

Malta [end of turn]:

• Malta Status: 9, end of turn [at turn’s start 11, – 2 repairs this turn = 9]
• 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 II 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 had been sunk on the Aug I 41 Allied turn by Axis anti-shipping forces when it entered the Cent Med sea zone on map 18A.  Nor could this W Med NTP be replaced on the Aug II 41 Allied I. Phase.  This lack of gsp’s at Valletta at step 11 of the I. Phase 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 [definitely Red U-2]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 10 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 4 [definitely Red U-2; flack factor halved]
0-4 Cons X MC [definitely Red U-2]
two ARPs [one ARP was sea transported to Valletta from Gibraltar on a turn reinf NTP and the other ARP was flown in from the RN CG-2 naval unit in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; the RN CG-2 naval unit entered map 18A from the west edge of the map, from Gibraltar]
4 gsp’s [sea transported from Gibraltar in the naval movement step of the M. Phase in a W Med NTP]

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}
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 two airfield hits of damage]
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 here; never moved; technically Black U-1; sea transported into Tobruch on the Aug II 41 Allied turn]
2-8 Inf X 14 [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); in the M. Phase it was sea transported to here this turn in an E Med NTP]
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; technically Black U-4]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved; technically Black U-1; 2 ARP Eliminated rebuild on the Aug II 41 Allied turn]
12 gsp’s [generated at step 16 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase from a step of attack supply present in the Tobruch hex; these provide special general supply this turn and in the following Sep I 41 Axis turn; they will be removed from the map at step 24 of the Sep I 41 Axis I. Phase, after the step 11 supply determination step]
one step of attack supply [turn reinforcement; in the naval movement step of the current M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to here in 3 turn reinf NTPs]
{4 gsp’s [generated on the Aug II 41 Allied turn at step 16 of the I. Phase at Suez; successfully sea transported to the Tobruch beach hex in an E Med ANTP and amphibiously disembarked there in the naval movement step of the Aug II 41 Allied M. Phase]}

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

19A:0818 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
6-4-6 Arm X 32 T [turn reinf conversion unit, as is also the 1-6 Recon II 1 DG unit, which is linked to the same conversion activity; the conversion is done at step 14 of the I. Phase at 19A:0919 from the component conversion units; regular moved to here in the M. Phase; remained in the hex]

• {3-2-10 Arm X 3 [began turn at 19A:0919; converted to the 6-4-6 Arm X 32T at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
• {2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [began turn at 19A:0919; converted to the 6-4-6 Arm X 32T at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
• {2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [began turn at 19A:0919; converted to the 6-4-6 Arm X 32T at step 14 of the I. Phase]}

1-10 Recon II 1 DG [turn reinf conversion unit, in conjunction w/ the 6-4-6 Arm X 32 T unit conversion; the conversion is done at at step 14 of the I. Phase at hex 19A:0919 from the component conversion units; regular moved to here in the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
1-10 Recon II 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0919; moved to here]
3-8 Art X 10 [began turn at 19A:0920; moved to here]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began turn 19A:0920; regular moved to here]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began turn at Port Said (19A:3413), in Egypt; in the M. Phase sea transported to Matruh in an E Med NTP; disembarked at Matruh and then admin moved to here]

19A:0920 [clear terrain hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn at 19A:1020; moved one hex to here]

19A:0819 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
6-4-6 Arm X 1 T [began turn at 19A:0920; moved to here]
3-2-10 Arm X 7 [began turn at 19A:0920; moved to here]
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began turn at 19A:0919; moved to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:0919; moved to here, but only after capturing for the Allies the two Siwa road hexes 19A:0823&0923 that the Axis captured in their Aug II 41 turn]
1-10* Mot SG X AA=1 2 [began turn at 19A:0920; moved to here, but only after capturing for the Allies all the Egyptian coast road hexes previously owned by the Axis, up to and including Halfaya Pass (19A:0419) and Sidi Barrani (19A:0718)]
1-2-10* Mot SG X AA=1 7 [began turn at 19A:0919; moved to here; remained in the hex]

19A:0918 [clear terrain coast road hex]
2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began turn 19A:1019; supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; regular moved to here]
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn 13A:1319; regular moved to here]
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn at 19A:1019; regular moved to here]

19A:0919 [clear terrain hex; on the next not completed Tobruch-Matruh railway line]:
2-8* Inf X 161 [supported breakdown of the Br 7-8* Inf XX 6; the 7-8* Inf XX 6 began the turn at 19A:1119 and broke down into its supported components early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [ began turn at 19A:1019; after expending all its MPs completing the railway construction here it voluntarily automatically advanced one hex to here]
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1118; regular moved to here]

19A:1019 [clear terrain major rail line (Matruh to Tobruch railway) hex]:
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:1019 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 advance into the adjacent not yet completed 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.

19A:1018 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
7-8 Inf XX 2 (SA) [assembled here at the end of the M. Phase from its unsupported component parts]

• 8 Inf XX HQ 2 (SA) [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); regular moved to here and assembled into the SA 7-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf X 4 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1219; regular moved to here and assembled into the SA 7-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf X 5 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1118; regular moved to here and assembled into the SA 7-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf X 2 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1019; regular moved to here and assembled into the SA 7-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]

one step of attack supply [turn reinf; sea transported to Ismailia (19A:3516) in the M. Phase, where it disembarked; then it railed to Matruh and spent 3 SMPs moving to here in the M. Phase]

8 gsp’s [all generated in the current I. Phase, 4 at Alexandria and 4 at Suez; in the M. Phase each batch of four was railed to Matruh, where the combined batch of eight spent 3 SMPs moving to here in the M.Phase]

19A:1119 [clear terrain major rail line (Matruh to Tobruch railway) hex, SW of Matruh]:
{7-8* Inf XX 6 [British; began turn here; at the beginning of the M. Phase it broke down into its supported components]}
7-8 Inf XX 6 (Aus) [assembled here at the end of the M. Phase from its unsupported component parts]

• 8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1219; regular moved to here and assembled into the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1219; regular moved to here and assembled into the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1118, moved one hex to here and assembled into the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus) [turn RP rebuild; placed at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; admin moved to here and assembled into the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 6 at the end of the M. Phase]

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail line junction coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began turn at 19A:1418; moved to here]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 68 [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); never moved]
P-40C  5F5  1/13 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 (RAAF) [inop.; began turn at Alexandria; in the Aug II 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here from Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq; late in the E. Phase of the Sep I 41 turn it air transferred to here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; flew the CAP air mission to all-sea hex 19A:0717 in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; rebased at the very beginning of the ground movement step of the M. Phase]
one step of attack supply [turn reinf; sea transported to Ismailia (19A:3526) in the M. Phase, where it disembarked; railed to Matruh]

19A:1219 [clear terrain road to Siwa hex, S of Matruh]:
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1320; regular moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1320; regular moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1320; regular moved one hex to here]

19A:1319 [major rail line coast hex, SE of Matruh]:
3-cap temporary airfield
0-1-6 Cons X 61 RPC (Col) [turn reinf; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at Matruh (19A:1218); in the M. Phase it moved one hex to here and expended 2 MPs to complete the final cap increase, to 3, of the temporary airfield began in the previous Aug II 41 turn, when the 2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) spent the first 2 MPs of its construction; early in the current turn’s M. Phase the Aus eng X expended 4 MPs in hex 1319 completing the 1-cap temporary airfield and increasing its cap to 2, after which it moved away]

P-40C  5F5  1/13 [inop.; turn reinf; began at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 57 [began turn here; never moved]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase it flew a night Port strat Bombing air mission to the Derna hex, in Libya, Miss; rebased here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase it flew a night Port strat Bombing air mission to the Derna hex, in Libya, Miss; rebased here]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1320 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 150 [supported breakdown of the 7-8* Inf XX 6; the 7-8* Inf XX 6 began the turn at 19A:1119 and broke down into its supported components early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 151 [supported breakdown of the 7-8* Inf XX 6; the 7-8* Inf XX 6 began the turn at 19A:1119 and broke down into its supported components early in the M. Phase; this supported component regular moved to here]

19A:1420 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 4 (Ind); never moved]
2-8* Inf X 6 (SA) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA); never moved]

19A:1521 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 4 (Ind); never moved]
2-8* Inf X 3 (SA) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA); never moved]

19A:1621 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 4 (Ind); never moved]
2-8* Inf X 1 (SA) [began turn here; supported breakdown component of 7-8 Inf XX 1 (SA); never moved]

El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) [clear terrain point city major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
fort marker [completed in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase]
0-8 Hv AA II AA=1 2 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 [inop.; began turn here; flew the Harassment air mission on the Aug II 41 Axis turn]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 SAAF [inop.; began turn here; flew the Harassment air mission on the Aug II 41 Axis turn]
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; per the WitD Allied OB Withdraws this turn, at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) [began turn at Tobruch (18A:4817); supported breakdown component of the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 9; sea transported to here in an E Med NTP in the M. Phase; technically Red U-4 this turn, but in special general supply via gsp’s at Tobruch; disembarked and remained in the Alexandria hex]
0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 27 [British; turn reinf; sea transported to here in the M. Phase in a turn reinf NTP; disembarked and remained in the Alexandria hex]
Hurri 1  5NF5  1/8 [inop.; began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
one step of attack supply [began turn at H-3 Pump Station (21A:5125), in Iraq; in the M. Phase it spent 20 SMPs moving along the transportation lines to secondary rail line hex 20A:4809 (Nazareth), in Palestine; railed from Nazareth to 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

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

Ismailia (20A:3516) [sand reference city/standard port/Suez Canal transportation line junction hex]:
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine; admin moved to here]
Glad 3F3 0/8 [inop.; began turn at Alexandria, in Egypt; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line nexus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine; railed to here]
two steps of attack supply [began the turn at Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase they embarked on 6 E Med NTPs, exited the S edge of map 22A, and spent 110 naval movement points to enter the Aden off-map holding box (see WW Allied Game Chart 1–Holding Boxes), but they did not disembark there; in the naval movement step of the E. Phase they resumed anew their naval movement, expending 75 naval movement points to enter the Red Sea at the SW edge of map 19A, and continuing their voyage until entering the port of Suez, where the two steps of attack supply finally disembarked]

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.

1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at Lattique (20A:3405), in Syria; admin moved southwards along the Levant coastline 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]:
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn at Damas (20A:4505); admin moved 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 at Beyrouth (20A:4207); supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); regular moved to here]

Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
vacant by the end of the M. Phase

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
2-8* Inf X 21 (Aus) [began turn at Tripoli (20A:4005); supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); regular moved to here]

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]:
2-8* Inf X 25 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

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:

At the very end of the naval movement step of the M. Phase the three Ger LW Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 air units based at Bengasi (18A:3121) air transfer to Sirte (18A:1727), in Libya.

At the very end of the naval movement step of the M. Phase the Ger LW He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 air unit based at Bengasi air transfers to Tripoli (18A:0121), 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; rebuilt at step 14 of the I. Phase and placed at Alexandria]}
3-2-10 Arm X 4 [in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario this unit is at-start in the ME Replacement Pool, per F. Watson’s ER-II Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#71]
3-2-10 Arm X 1 [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; this is the original pre-conversion unit of the one sent to Greece]

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

Forming Box:
3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
2-8* Inf X 2 FL (FF) [placed here at step 14 of the 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 Sep I 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.
• 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.

In pro-Allied Iraq [{beginning of 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:4721 [ravines hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn at 21A:4821; regular moved to here; 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.

21A:4719 [stony desert pump station road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at H-3 Pump Station (21A:5125), in Iraq; regular moved to here]

21A:4921  [stony desert pump station road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023); regular moved to here]

Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn at Ramadi (22A:2830); admin moved along the road to here]
Audax  1A1  1/8 [operative; began turn at Rutbah; in the Aug II 41 Axis E. Phase it flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to here from Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq; never moved]

Ramadi (22A:2830) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4208, in Iraq; admin moved along the transportation lines 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 airbase
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn at Shahabad (32:2229), in Iran; admin moved along the transportation lines to here]
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at 32:2131, in Iran; admin moved along the transportation lines to here]

22A:4021 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex, to Basra]:
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn at Habbaniya (22A:2828); admin moved along the transportation lines to here, crossing the demolished bridge hexside]

Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn at Basra; moved one hex to here]

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind) [began turn at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in Iran, assembled w/ the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind); at the beginning of the M. Phase this inf XX broke down into its unsupported component parts; this component regular moved to Basra]
1-pt river flotilla AA=1 PAIC (RN) [turn reinforcement; sea moved to here; remained in the hex]
2 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
{two steps of attack supply [began turn here; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase they embarked on 6 E Med NTPs and at the end of the step entered the Aden off-map holding box, but did not disembark; in the naval movement step of the E. Phase they continued their voyage from there and eventually entered the Suez port (19A:3718), in Egypt, where they disembarked and ended their move]}

In Iran [end of turn]:

Kangavar 32:2023 [clear terrain point city road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at Shahabad (32:2229), in Iran; regular moved along the road to here]
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at Karind (32:2130), in Iran; admin moved along the road to here]

22A:2217 [clear terrain major rail line hex]:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:3709; in the M. Phase it regular moved northwards to 22A:3111, capturing reference city Dizful (22A:3311) and point city Andimeshk (22A:3211) along the way; in the E. Phase it exploited northwards along the major rail line to here, capturing reference city Iraq (22A:2318) along the way]

Ahwaz (22A:3810) [clear terrain reference city major rail line-road junction hex]:
{6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind) [began turn here; at the beginning of the M. Phase it broke down into its component parts]}
8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [began turn at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in Iran, assembled w/ the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind); at the beginning of the M. Phase this inf XX broke down into its unsupported component parts; the inf XX HQ component remained here]

22A:4205 [rough terrain hex]:
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in Iran, assembled w/ the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind); at the beginning of the M. Phase this inf XX broke down into its unsupported component parts; this component regular moved to here]

Bandar Shahpur (22A:4407) [clear terrain point city/standard port major rail line terminus island hex, w/ a causeway to the mainland]:
2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [began turn at Ahwaz (22A:3810), in Iran, assembled w/ the 6-8* Inf XX 8 (Ind); at the beginning of the M. Phase this inf XX broke down into its unsupported component parts; this component regular moved to here]

Turn Activity

The weather is clear this turn in the E, D, and C weather zones.  Technically speaking, 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 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.  The weather is automatically clear in weather zones E and F (eg., the F weather zone prevailing in the Western Desert and Mesopotamian regions) on the Sep I & Sep II 41 game turns.  But beginning on the Oct I 41 game turn there is a 1 in 6 chance of Mud in weather zone E, if a 6 is rolled on the Weather die roll; and on the Oct II 41 game turn the odds go up to a 1 in 3 chance of Mud there, if a 5 or 6 is rolled.

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 ground units and the two air units beginning the turn at Tobruch are in special general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase due to the 16 gsp’s in the hex. Twelve of these gsp’s were generated from a step of attack supply present in the hex on the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase. They will be removed from the maps at step 24 of the Sep I 41 Axis I. Phase, after the supply determination step for that turn.  The other 4 gsp’s at Tobruch were generated at Suez on the Aug II 41 Allied turn and will be removed from the maps at step 24 of the current Allied I. Phase.  At Malta, all of the 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 rebuilds with stored Aus inf RPs the 2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus), removing it from the ME Replacement Pool and placing it on-map at Alexandria.  He would very much like to rebuild one of the two Br 3-2-10 arm Xs in the ME Replacement Pool, but has only 2.5 Br arm RPs, even after this turn’s 1 Br arm RP arrival, and so he must wait until the Oct II 41 turn to do this expensive arm replacement build.  In the meantime, due to the required big arm conversion done this turn, he has only one 3-2-10 arm X on the maps, and therefore cannot assemble for four turns the valuable Br 7-10* Arm XX 7, requiring two, and will have to do the best he can with what he’s got, which are two 6-4-6 Arm Xs, a single 3-2-10 arm X, the 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9, and the two 1-10 Recon IIs.  It looks like he can get by this turn at the Egyptian desert shield front line, but things will get tricky there on the upcoming Sep II 41 turn, if he plans to continue to push forward the desert shield front line ahead of the Matruh-Tobruch railway construction stack containing the construction unit.  He would also like to build the Blen 4 B type air unit languishing in the Eliminated Air Units Box of the ME Replacement Pool, but feels he must wait, as the new air cycle’s ARPs just arrived this turn and he might ought to wait and see how many additional air unit losses he might suffer in the long interval until the next cycle, coming on the Nov I 41 Allied turn.

At step 14 the Allied player also activates the CG-2 (RN) naval unit, which is placed “at Gibraltar.”  Gibraltar admittedly does not have an off-map holding box in either of the standard WW ME or WD Scenarios, but there should be one, I think, because of the stipulations for Allied Middle East Command reinforcement Arrivals (both reinforcements and production) having the option to enter at the west edge of map 18A, in addition to the Red Sea SE edge of map 19A, per WW Rule 40A3.  If they are Returned by the Shipping Results Table after rolling a contact on the Naval Table upon entering the Cent Med sea zone on the west edge of map 18A, then they need a place to go in order to remain in the game, and that place would and should be Gibraltar.  Conversely, if Allied Middle East Command turn reinforcements are Returned by the Shipping Results Table upon entering the Central Med or Aegean Sea zones, they should “return” to either Alexandria or Suez (eg., an Allied standard supply terminal/major port), I think, instead of the obscure Egyptian Red Sea minor port of Port Safaga at hex 19A:4731.

Although I confess to currently being interested in having a Gibraltar off-map holding box, in order to more realistically reenact Allied sea transport from Gibraltar to Malta in WW ME & WD-based Scenarios, I will admit that some careful consideration ought to be given before the implementation of this wish.  For example, in a WW WitD Scenario, which is essentially what I’m talking about in effect reproducing with the off-map Gibraltar holding box, all sea transport from Gibraltar to Malta (eg., in either W Med or turn reinf NTPs, or atop a RN CG naval unit) routinely calls for Axis anti-shipping effects dice rolls upon entering the West Med sea zone from the Gibraltar hex, which normally would be done of the 0 column of the Naval Table, per WW Rule 31D3.  This is in addition to the routine Cent Med sea zone dice roll on the Naval Table for Axis anti-shipping effects there.  In the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario game reports I have utilized as a basis for all the Allied naval movement onto the west edge of map 18A the Gibraltar Convoys stipulation of WW Rule 41B1-Western Desert Campaign, which is found at p. 4 of the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet; and the Gibraltar Convoys proviso apparently turns a blind eye to the Axis anti-shipping effects in the West Med sea zone.  To refresh memories, in the new Scenario I have jacked up the Allied gsp availability at Gibraltar to 4, from the rules as written provision for 2, because it appears to me that would be the number of Gibraltar supply terminal gsp’s readily available to the Allied player for many turns in a WW WitD Campaign game.  For the EA hard core who may want to know additional related detail, I currently think that in standard WW ME & WD Scenarios utilizing the proposed off-map Gibraltar holding box, the Allied player might ought to be prohibited from access to W Med NTPs beginning on the Nov I 42 turn, and from then on to the Jan II 43 end turn of either of those two Scenarios, due to the Torch campaign then occurring in the off-map Atlantic and W Med sea zones, which sucks up many of the W Med NTPs.  Of course comments are quite welcome from those players who might have something to say about any of the aspects of the issue.

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 flies the Ger LW Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/9 air unit based at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, on the Harassment air mission to hex 18A:5020.  From the same 3-cap temporary airfield adjacent to Tobruch the Axis player assigns to the Naval Patrol air mission the other Ger LW Ju87B D type air unit and the It SM 79-2  2B3  3-2/V/20 air units.  The fact that the Axis has to fly Harassment this turn for the first time is an indication of both the growing strength and closer proximity of the Allied 8th Army in west-central Egypt to the Tobruch war zone.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the maps the 4 gsp’s at Egyptian Western Desert hex 19A:0919 that were generated at Alexandria on the Aug II 41 Allied turn.  He also removes the 4 gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated at Suez on the Aug II 41 Allied turn.

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.  This turn he will very likely be compelled to attempt to sea transport to Tobruch one of his turn reinforcement steps of attack supply.  Some of 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. This turn the Allied player has his full complement of 10 E Med NTPs available for his sea transport demands, and also his one available W Med NTP and the activated RN CG-2 naval unit, both beginning at Gibraltar.

The first naval transport of the Allied naval movement step are 4 fresh gsp’s generated this turn at off-map Gibraltar and embarked on the Allied player’s single available W Med NTP.  The naval group enters the west edge of map 18A at all-sea hex 0107.  This turn, after two unsuccessful previous turns, the Allied player finally gets it down right and rolls a No Contact on the Naval Table, using the 9 column, and so the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar arrive safely at the Valletta hex.  In this same Allied naval group are also one of the turn ARPs embarked in a turn reinf NTP and the RN CG-2, carrying another turn ARP.  When both these naval transports enter map 18A at all-sea hex 0107 in the daylight, they too roll for Allied anti-shipping effects on the Naval Table and come up with No Contact results.  Immediately after this the CG-2 naval unit flies the reinf ARP from its flight decks to the Valletta airfield/limited supply terminal hex, where it is stored; and then the RN CG-2 naval unit turns around and exits the west edge of the map.  The turn reinf NTP with the other reinforcement ARP continues it voyage to the Valletta port, along with the W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar, and both cargoes are finally disembarked there.

#1.  On the WD map group (eg., specifically maps 18A & 19A, but in our case including map 20A), the first naval movement the Allied player does is embark the 2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) unit, beginning the turn at Tobruch (18A:4817), on an E Med NTP, which exits the harbor at night to all-sea hex 18A:4917.  At this time the Allied player rolls on the 9 column of the Naval Table for Axis anti-shipping effects, but is lucky and rolls a no contact.  After doing this, the cargo naval group continues moving eastwards at night in all-sea hexes just north of the North African coastline until it enters all-sea hex 19A:0917, which must be its first daylight hex of the voyage.  At this point the Axis player declines to attempt a die roll on the Success Table for Naval Patrol contact.  Any Axis air units flying the Naval Patrol air mission to the all-sea target hex would do so without fighter escort, and there are three good Allied fighter units in interception range based at Matruh, 4 hexes away.  And so the Allied naval group continues its voyage eastwards, and the E Med NTP carrying the Aus 2-8* inf X finally enters the Alexandria port hex, where it disembarks its cargo.  Although the ground unit is technically Red U-4 this turn, it is in special general supply via the gsp’s present in the Tobruch hex in the I. Phase.

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.  The Allied player then embarks the Br 2-8 Inf X 14 unit, beginning the turn at Matruh (19A:1218), on an E Med NTP and voyages westwards in daylight, first along the Allied-controlled coastline for three hexes, but then it dog-legs NW to all-sea hex 19A:0817, in order to avoid entering the Axis-controlled Sidi Barrani coast hex at 19A:0718.  It then enters all-sea hex 19A:0717, just north of Sidi Barrani, still in daylight, where the Br Hurri 1 air unit is flying the CAP air mission.  Both players know that the next all-sea hex to the west, which would be 19A:0617, will the the first nighttime hex in the final night leg of the voyage to Tobruch, but once again the Axis player declines to attempt a Sea Patrol contact die roll on the Success Table, thinking there are better ways to fight the war than instigating a bloody aero-naval battle in the said target hex at this time.  Upon entering the Cent Med sea zone at map 18A the Allied player must roll for Axis anti-shipping effects on the Naval Table, and this time he rolls a Contact, but is relieved when afterwards he rolls a NE (No Effect) on the Shipping Results Table.  And so the E Med carrying the 2-8 Inf X 14 enters the Tobruch port and disembarks its cargo.

#3.  Then the Allied player sends one of the turn reinforcement steps of attack supply towards Tobruch in 3 turn reinforcement NTPs.  The cargo naval group begins its voyage on the SE edge of map 19A in the Red Sea, at hex 5125, where it was placed at step 14 of the I. Phase.  After passing through the Suez Canal it makes its way westwards along the Egyptian coastline, plus a few all-sea hexes just north of the coastline, until it too, dog-legs NW to all-sea hex 19A:0717, just north of Sidi Barrani and still in daylight.  And when it enters all-sea hex 19A:0717, just north of Side Barrani, the Axis player again declines to attempt any Sea Patrol contact die rolls, saving his air units to fight another day in another air battle.  When the cargo naval group carrying the step of attack supply reaches the Cent Med sea zone the Allied player must again roll on the Naval Table for Axis anti-shipping effects, but is lucky this time with a no contact result; and so the naval group successfully arrives at Tobruch.  Note that in most circumstances any contact dice roll for the naval transport of supply cargo (i.e., gsp’s or steps of attack supply) on the Naval Table normally means that it is sunk per the subsequent Shipping Results Table die roll.

#4.  After this, the Allied player sea transports the turn reinf Br 0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 27 unit to Alexandria, in a turn reinf NTP.  This is normally a safe voyage route, as it is basically too far for any practical Axis Sea Patrol contact at extended range, and there are two operative fighter units based at Alexandria, including the recently arrived long range P-40C  5F5  1/13 air unit.

#5.  Next, the Allied player sea transports to Alexandria in a large bulk convoy the rest of his turn reinforcement production items, all embarked in turn reinf NTPs, which would be the turn reinforcement armor and infantry Replacement Points, and 3 of the Arriving turn reinforcement ARPs.  The other two turn reinforcement Arrival ARPs opted to enter the maps at the west edge of map 18A, on their voyage to Malta.

#6.  Then the Allied player sea transports the 5 pos flk unit (AA=1), beginning the turn at Port Said (19A:3413), in Egypt, to Matruh, in an E Med NTP.  The cargo naval group approaches Matruh from the NE, using night movement for the last 8 all-sea and single coast hex (eg., the Matruh port hex) of the voyage, and disembarks its cargo at the Egyptian port.  The Axis makes no attempt of a Naval Patrol contact.

#7  Finally, the Allied player sea transports his two remaining reinforcement steps of attack supply, embarked in 6 turn reinforcement NTPs, to the Egyptian standard port of Ismailia (19A:3516), in Egypt.  Normally he would sea transport them to Alexandria, or to Suez as an alternate.  But Alexandria is a major port with a capacity of 12 REs, and has already handled 6.5 REs of cargo capacity.  If he voyages to there with the two steps of attack supply he will be a half RE over its RE capacity.  Of course there are a variety of ways he could shuffle his naval transport itinerary to make things fit, but he opts to do the sea transporting this way, as in any event the steps of attack supply need to be railed to other destinations as soon as possible, upon their disembarkation in Egypt.

Meanwhile, back at Basra, in Iraq, two steps of attack supply are embarked on 6 E Med NTPs and begin a long voyage to Suez.  At the end of the naval movement step of the M. Phase the 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 point it continues its voyage from Aden to the Mid East and eventually enters the Suez port (19A:3718), in Egypt, where the the two steps of attack supply finally disembark, ending their move.

It needs to be pointed out that these two steps of attack supply from Basra are in effect, new and additional steps of attack supply introduced into the WW ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario via F. Watson’s “Iraq: Rashid Ali and the Golden Square” Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#81, in 2001.  By “new and additional” I mean that they are not found anywhere in the WitD Allied OB booklet, which is the OB basis for the standard WW Western Desert and Middle East Campaign Scenarios.  These two new and additional NE/ME Command steps of attack supply in effect come in specifically at F. Watson’s Jun II 41 Allied [Regular] Reinforcements and Replacements Allied OB listing for his “Iraq” Europa battle scenario, found at p. 24 of TEM#81.  The two steps of attack supply indicated at the May I 41 Allied Reinforcements and Replacements listing of Watson’s “Iraq” Europa battle scenario are certainly the same as the Coup Turn 3/[the historical May I 41 turn] Allied Conditional Reinforcements: Iraqi Coup Reaction Forces, found at p. 5 of the WitD Allied OB booklet, and so concur with the standard WW Allied OB, I believe.

And so here I serve notice of perhaps the biggest OB change found in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario than what is used in standard WW desert scenarios, excepting only the provisional addition of the new 1-10 Mot Cav III AL [Arab Legion] (Trans-Jordan) unit.  In bringing in these two new and additional steps of attack supply I am certainly implying that I think they are needed in any vibrant and well-played Europa wargame where there may be extended and protracted Iraq and Vichy French Levant campaigns, along with the usual heavy demands of the siege of Tobruch and the Allied Western Desert desert shield.  Comments from any Europa players who may have something to say about this are certainly welcome, and needed for the proper completion of either the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, or any future good revision of the standard WW or WitD games, I think.  One test might be to compare the number of steps of attack supply in the Western Desert region of the current wargame on the Nov I 41 game turn with what is indicated in the Nov I 41 at-start Allied OB of either of the Operation Crusader Europa battle Scenarios found in TEM #36 or #55.  What do you think about all the above?

Allied E Med NTP naval transport activity on their Sep I 41 turn:

• 2-8 Inf X 14; from Matruh to Tobruch, in 1 E Med NTP
• 2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus), from Tobruch to Alexandria, in 1 E Med NTP
• 5 pos flk AA=1 unit; from Port Said to Matruh, in 1 E Med NTP
• 2 steps of attack supply, from Basra to Alexandria, in 6 E Med NTPs.

This turn the Allied player has an E Med NTP lift capability of 10 REs.

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

• one step of attack supply, which entrained at Nazareth secondary rail line hex 20A:4809, in Palestine, for a total of 6 REs of railcap.
• 4 gsp’s, began rail movement from Alexandria, for a total of 1 RE of railcap.
• two steps of attack supply, beginning the rail movement from the Ismailia major rail line hex (19A:3516), in Egypt, for a total of 6 REs of railcap.
• 1-8 MG II 2 Ch, beginning the rail movement at Haifa (20AS:4710), in Palestine, for a total of 1 RE of railcap.

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

In the M. Phase the Allied player moves forward the Matruh-Tobruch railhead marker from 19A:1119, SW of Matruh, to adjacent hex 19A:1019, and the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) that extended it voluntarily automatically advances into the next hex intended for the railway construction, which would be hex 19A:0919.

The Aus 2-8 Eng X 1 spends 4 MPs at major rail line coast hex 19A:1319, SE of Matruh, finishing the 1-cap temporary airfield that it had begun on the previous Aug II 41 turn and adding an additional capacity, before moving 4 road hexes west along the coast road.  Then the turn reinf 0-1-4 Cons X  61 RPC (Col), beginning the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at adjacent Matruh, moves one hex to 1319 and expends 2 MPs in hex 1319 to add the 3rd and final capacity level to the temporary airfield there.

In the E. Phase the Allied player sends the two Well 12C  3NB4  1-6/28 air units based at 19A:1418 on a night Port strat Bombing air mission to the Derna hex (18A:4116), in Libya. Both NB type air units make it past Derna’s 2 factor flack shot, but miss when rolling on the 5 column of the Bombing Table, with a -1 for bombing at night.  He also does a series of air unit transfers in Egypt late in the E. Phase, in preparation of the upcoming Axis turn and also as a consequence of the gradual westward advance of the Allied front line position the past several turns in west-central Egypt, requiring a repositioning of the air units in the zone.

At the start of their turn the Allies had the following inventory of accumulated Replacement Points (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.  At step 14 of the I. Phase of this turn 2 Aus inf RPs were spent to rebuild the 2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus), which was placed at Alexandria.  In the naval movement step of the M. Phase additional turn reinforcement RPs were disembarked and stored at the Alexandria standard supply terminal.  At the end of the Allied turn the Allies had the following RP inventory in his ME Command: 11.5 Br inf, 2.5 Br arm, 1.5 Aus inf, 2.5 NZ inf, 3 Inf inf, and 6 Allied ARPs, all of which were stored in Alexandria.  The Allied player was able to add 1 ARP to his new tally, carried over from the old air cycle.  Two of his reinf ARPs were successfully delivered to Malta, in the Malta Command, where they are stored at the Valletta limited supply terminal.  Beginning this turn, the Allied player may spend up to 3 ARPs in the ME Command per turn, per WW Advanced Rule 25C6.

Commentary

Overall, the Allied player is happy with how things are progressing at this stage of the wargame.  However, he feels that it’s not entirely due to his handling of the 8th Army, but rather that the hand of Fate has intervened three times in the game, and made absolutely sure that for now at least the Axis will not take Tobruch, when it could have been otherwise.  Putting it another way, assuming all things being “normal,” (eg., a given series of wargames played along the lines of this game) then half of those Western Desert wargames played should, by typical chance odds, result in the Allies still possessing Tobruch beginning on this Sep I 41 turn, and in the other half of the “given” wargames the Axis would have captured it by now, after a big battle die roll.  Standing next to the gameboard table, that is my current estimate of the habit of chance interfacing in a given “series” of Western Desert wargame plays.  But of course in real life the WWII campaign happened only once, with a kind of series repeats perhaps occurring only in retirement, or in prison, or perhaps fleetingly atop the gallows scaffold.  And so in wargame design we might ought to watch what we wish for, and be thankful when the mysterious die/dice rolls roll like how we think they ought, and not curse them when they spite us, as we conveniently forget the fact that although we labor hard to design the authenticity, accuracy, and realness in our cardboard campaigns, we nevertheless always fall back on the wayward dice to confirm the work.

Axis EOT Dispositions

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

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

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

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

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

In Sicily [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crete [end of turn]:

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

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

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

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

At Rodi [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

Axis Near East Command

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turn Activity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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

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

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.

 

Aug I 41 Axis EOT Dispositions

Mainland Europe off-map holding box:

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

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

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

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

In Sicily [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crete [end of turn]:

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

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

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

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

At Rodi [end of turn]:

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

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

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

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box:

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

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:

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

Axis Near East Command

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turn Activity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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

End of Turn Dispositions

Malta [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Egypt [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Palestine [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Non Phasing Axis Air Activity in the Allied Exploitation Phase:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In the Allied Near East (NE) Command:

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

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

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

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

Near East Command:

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

In pro-Allied Iraq:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turn Activity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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

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

End of Turn dispositions

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

4 Italian inf Replacement Points (RPs) at the start of the turn, but 3 It inf RPs were transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase, per WW Rule 37C2a-Mainland Europe, and then air transported from there to Tripoli, in Libya, in the M. Phase.  At the end of the turn there was 1 It inf RP in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

1.5 German inf Replacement Point at the start of the turn, but 1 Ger inf RP was transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase, and then air transported from there to Tripoli, in Libya, in the M. Phase.  At the end of the turn there was .5 Ger inf RP in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

5 Ger ARPs at the start of the turn, but two were expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to replace the aborted He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 and the Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air units.  The He 111H4 air unit was placed at the Licata airfield hex, on Sicily, along with the It SM 79-1 B type air unit beginning the turn there.  The Ger LW Ju 87B air unit was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield at Sicilian coast hex 18A:0603, along with the It Ju 87B D type air unit beginning the turn there.  At the end of the turn there were 3 Ger ARPs left in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

5 It ARPs at the start of the turn, but one was expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to replace the aborted Br 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 air unit.  It was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 18A:2730, in Libya, along with the other BR 20M air unit beginning the turn there.  At the end of the turn there were 4 It ARPs left in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.

In Sicily [end of turn]:

Licata (18A:0102) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield
G 50 3F3 0/9 [inop.; began turn at Scarpanto (19A:0701), in the Dodecanese; late in the E. Phase it flew the air transfer air mission to here]
SM 79-1 2B3 1-5/22 [inop.; began turn here; on the Jul II 41 Allied E. Phase it did a non-phasing air transfer to here from El Agheila, in Libya; early in the M. Phase of this turn it flew an air transport air mission, per WW Optional Rule 23E3, carrying 2 It inf RPs from Licata to Tripoli, in Libya; returned to base here]
He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22 [inop.; turn ARP build, placed at Licata at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase it flew an air transport air mission, per WW Optional Rule 23E3, carrying 1 It inf RP and 1 Ger inf RP from Licata to Tripoli, in Libya; returned to base here]

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
Me 109E 7F5 1/7 [inop.; began turn at 18A:4718, in Libya; late in the E. Phase it flew the air transfer air mission to here]
Cr 42 3F3 0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Coast hex 18A:0603:
3-cap permanent airfield
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 [inop.; Italian; began turn here; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status tac bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; returned by flack; returned to base here]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; turn ARP build, placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it flew the Malta Status tac bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Miss ; returned to base here]

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

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

Malta on the Jul II 41 Axis turn:
Malta Status: 9, at the start of the turn, + 1 for Malta Status bombing hits done prior to the naval movement step of the M. Phase, = 10 during this turn’s naval movement step and at the EOT.
Valetta hex (18A:0407) flack: this turn, 5 (3 intrinsic + a total of 2 only for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs’ 2 flack factors each, as their unit flack factors were both halved because of being definitely Red U-2, due to the lack of gsp’s present at Malta at step 11 of the I. Phase)
On this turn Malta Status air missions to the Valletta hex would roll on the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table, Per WW Rule 37I2a.

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

Western Desert (Libya & Egypt) [{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 [all began turn here; never moved]
1.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]
3 It inf RPs [began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; in the I. Phase these It inf RPs transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily; in the M. Phase they were air transported to here, two It inf RPs in the It SM 79-1 B type and one It inf RP in the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit, along with a Ger inf RP]
1 Ger inf RP [began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; in the I. Phase this Ger inf RP transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily; in the M. Phase the Ger inf RP was air transported to here in the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit, along with an It inf RP]

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

Misurata (18A:1022) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap temporary airfield
one step of attack supply [began turn at Homs (18A:0522); in the E. Phase it spent 5 SMPs moving along the coast road to here]

Sirte (18A:1727) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
fort marker
3-cap permanent airfield
1 resource point [began turn here; never moved]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Bengasi (18A:3121); at the very beginning of the M. Phase it staged to Sirte and flew the Malta Status strat bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; returned by flack; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Bengasi; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it staged to Sirte and flew the Malta Status strat bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Miss; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Bengasi; at the very beginning of the M. Phase it staged to Sirte and flew the Malta Status strat bombing air mission; used the 2 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; returned to base here]

18A:2730 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:2428; in the E. Phase it spent 3 SMPs moving along the road to here]

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

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

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

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

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

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

18A:3920 [stony desert road hex, SW of El Mechili]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:3228; admin moved 12 hexes along the road to here]

18A:4218 [stony desert road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:3228, in the E. Phase it spent 15 SMPs moving along the road to here]

Derna (18A:4116) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

1 port damage hit marker
8* Inf XX HQ 9 LA (Ger) [began turn at 18A:3622, NE of Zaulet Msus; admin moved 12 hexes along the roads to here]
0-6 Lt AA II AA=1 38 [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 [inop; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew a fighter on an airbase bombing mission to the Tobruch target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 (LW) [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); early in the M. Phase it flew a tac port bombing air mission to the Tobruch hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Ca 311 2B2 1/L/14 [inop.; began turn at 18A:0403, at Sicily, late in the E. Phase it flew the air transfer air mission to here]

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]
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop.; on the Jul II 41 Allied E. Phase it did a non-phasing air transfer mission to Ain el Gazala from 18A:0603, on Sicily; early in the M. Phase of this turn it flew a fighter on an airbase bombing mission to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]
BR 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at 18A:2730; early in the M. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned by flack; returned to base here]
Br 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop; turn ARP build; placed at 18A:2730, in Libya, at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned by flack; returned to base here]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [began turn here; never moved]
3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn here; never moved]
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn here; continued the construction of a 2-turn fort in the hex begun in the Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase; projected to be completed on the Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase]
1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [began turn here; never moved]
1-6 Hv AA II 29 [began turn here; never moved]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew the Escort air mission to the Tobruch target hex w/ the large air op; returned to base here]
Me 109F1 6F6 1/8 [inop.; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew the Escort air mission to the Tobruch target hex w/ the large air op; did air combat w/ the intercepting SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Tobruch; rolled a Return in air combat; returned to base here]
SM 79-2 2B3 3-4/V/20 [inop.; began turn at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya; early in the M. Phase it flew a tac port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; Hit; returned to base here]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar [assembled here in the E. Phase from its component parts; upgrade of the 5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar]
4-3-6 Tnk III 132 [turn reinf; successfully sea transported in a turn reinf NTP to Derna (18A:4116), and then admin moved along the coast road to 18A:4618; exploited to here in the E. Phase]
8 Arm XX HQ [breakdown of the 5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar; the lt arm XX’s HQ component is indicated as an arm XX HQ unit on the counter; the 5-8 Lt Arm XX began the turn at 18A:4818 and broke down into its unsupported component parts in the M. Phase; the 8 Arm XX HQ unit then regular moved to 18A:5121; in the E. Phase it exploited to here and assembled for the first time into the new upgraded 7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar unit]
2-10 Mot Inf III 8B [breakdown of the 5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar; the 5-8 Lt Arm XX began the turn at 18A:4818 and broke down into its unsupported component parts in the M. Phase; the unsupported 2-10 Mot Inf III component part then regular moved to 18A:5121; in the E. Phase it exploited to here and assembled for the first time into the new upgraded 7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar unit]
{5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar [began turn here; in the M. Phase it broke down into its unsupported components for the last time; in the E. Phase the unit assembled into its upgraded 7-6-8 Arm XX for the first time; the old 5-8 Lt Arm XX unit was permanently removed from play]}
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn here; never moved]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32  [breakdown of the 5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar; the 5-8 Lt Arm XX began the turn at 18A:4818 and broke down into its unsupported component parts in the M. Phase; the unsupported “relic” 2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32 component part of the 5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar then regular moved to 18A:5121; in the E. Phase it exploited to here]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn here; spent 4 MPs in the hex upgrading the track to a road; then it spent its last 2 MPs in the hex continuing the construction of a new temporary airfield in hex 4918, increasing the completed MP construction count to 3]
8-7-10* Pz XX 5 Le (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn here; never moved]

18A:4620 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn at 18A:4819; regular moved to here]

18A:4720 [clear terrain hex]:
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [turn reinf; began the turn at Derna (18A:4116); regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf III 155 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4918, SE of Tobruch; regular moved to here]
18A:4819 [clear terrain hex; 2 hexes S of Tobruch]:

1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:5018; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn here; never moved]

18A:5018 [clear terrain hex]:
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 18A:4618; regular moved to 18A:5020; exploited to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn here; never moved]

18A:5119 [clear terrain hex]:
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn here; never moved]

19A:0219 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn here; in the M. Phase it moved to 19A:0725, capturing various Siwa road hexes along the way; exploited back to here in the E. Phase]
2-10 Mot Hv AA III AA=4 135 (Ger LW) [began turn here; in the M. Phase it moved to 19A:0721, but not before advancing farther eastwards and capturing various Siwa road hexes along the way; exploited back to here in the E. Phase]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn here; in the M. Phase it moved eastwards along the Egyptian coast road up to 19A:1018, and then double-backed to 19A:0618, capturing the various coast road hexes along the way, including the Sidi Barrani point city hex at 19A;0718; exploited back to here]

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
4 port damage hit markers
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn here; never moved]
2-3-8 Art III 16C [began turn at 18A:4818; regular moved to here]

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

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

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

At Rodi [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:
Rodi (20A:2230) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
{Ju 52 1T2 0/20 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn at Rodi (20A:2230); Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq; at step 14 of the I. Phase it withdrew from the Intervention, permanently withdrawing from the game]}

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

Med/NA Replacement Pool [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]

1 x 2-6 Inf XX 60 Sbr
1 x 2-10 Mot Inf III 10 B
1 x 2-1-8 Lt Tnk III 3
2 x 1-8 Lt Tnk X 1,2
5 x 1-6 Tnk II 1, 3, 5, 6, 21
1 x Para Inf III Tonini
3 x 0-1-6* Inf III 300 GaF, 310 GaF, 320 GaF
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 24 dM
3 x 2-3-6 Art III 10 C, 20 C, 21 C
1 x 1-6 Art III 23 C
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 8 A [Jun I 41 Axis turn reinf; sunk in sea transit to Libya that turn by Allied anti-shipping, per the Naval Table]
4 x 0 pos flk unit AA=1 [Italian]
Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box:
CR 42 3F3 0/9 [here since the start of the new Scenario; per ER-II]
{He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22  (Ger LW) [aborted in the Jul I 41 Axis C. Phase by Tobruch AA fire when it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; rebuilt this Axis I. Phase, at step 14, and placed at the Licata airfield hex, in Sicily]}
{Br 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [aborted in the Jul I 41 C. Phase by Tobruch AA fire when it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; rebuilt this Axis I. Phase, at step 14, and placed at the airfield at 18A:2730, in Libya]}
{Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 (Ger LW) [in the Jul II 41 Allied M. Phase it performed the Naval Patrol air mission at the 19A:0717 target hex against Allied naval force; aborted; rebuilt this Axis I. Phase, at step 14, and placed at the airfield at 18A:0603, in Sicily]}

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:

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

Axis Near East Command

Per the Allied player’s Variable Levant Surrender Table dice roll, done at step 13 of the current Axis I. Phase, the Vichy French Levant immediately surrenders to the Allies.  All Vichy French forces in the Levant are removed from the maps, except for the Vichy Fr LeO 251 B type air unit beginning the turn at Alep, which Withdraws to mainland Europe at step 14 of the current Axis I. Phase.  However, the Axis player still retains control over the hexes in the Levant he owns, which is presumably officially determined at steps 11 & 12 of the current Axis I. Phase.  In addition to some remaining hex control, the Axis player also retains control of the previously Vichy French-controlled Levant railcap, SMPs, and intrinsic AA.

Updated Select Initial Conditions Recap & Current Status for the remaining Axis-controlled Vichy French Levant on the Jul II 41 Axis turn:

Vichy French Levant Standard Supply Terminals:  None, after the surrender

SMPs: 4, after surrender; Axis controlled

Rail Capacity, Levant Rail net: 3, after surrender; Axis controlled

Intrinsic Vichy French Levant AA: Per the WW Intrinsic Light AA Summary, 1 point per remaining Axis controlled dot and major city hex in the Levant.  In our case here, this would be at dot city Beyrouth and at partial city hex Alep, which are still Axis-controlled.

Remaining Axis-controlled Vichy French Levant [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
still Axis controlled

Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line coast hex]:
railhead marker
hit marker on reference city airbase
still Axis controlled

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

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

Alep (20A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
{ME 110C 5HF5 1/12 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq; at step 14 of the I. Phase it withdrew from the Intervention, permanently withdrawing from the game]}
{He 111H4 4B4 2-7/22 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq; at step 14 of the I. Phase it withdrew from the Intervention, permanently withdrawing from the game]}
{LeO 451 3B5 2-5/25 (Vichy French) [inop.; began turn here; per the WitD Neutrals OB booklet this Vichy French unit transfers back to mainland Europe when the Vichy Levant surrenders; withdraws at step 14 of the current I. Phase, permanently withdrawing from the game]}

{4 Axis-specific gsp’s, generated in the Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase at the Axis standard port of Rodi, in the Dodecanese, and air transported from Rodi to here in the Jul I 41 Axis M. Phase; removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase}
still Axis controlled

Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool [end of turn]:

A-8 Mot Cav II Lev (TS) [eliminated in combat in the Jul II 41 Allied C. Phase at 20A:4102, in Vichy French Syria]
A-8 Cav III Tcher (TS) [eliminated in combat in the Jul II 41 Allied C. Phase at 20A:4206, in Vichy French Lebanon]
2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr) [eliminated at 20A:4308 in the Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III 6 CdA (Afr) [eliminated at 20A:4308 in the Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase]
3-6* Inf III 24 MC (Col) [eliminated at Saida (20A:4408) in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III 7 CA (Afr) [eliminated at Saida (20A:4408) in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-6* Inf III 17 TS (Col) [eliminated at 20A:4707; in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr) [eliminated in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase]
1-8 Cav III 2 MS (Afr) [eliminated in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase]

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

In sequential order, as done

The It G 50 3F3 0/9 air unit beginning the turn at Scarpanto (19A:0701), in the Dodecanese, flew the air transfer air mission to Licata (18A:0102), at Sicily.

The Ger LW Me 109E  7F5  1/7 air unit beginning the turn at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, in Libya, flew the air transfer air mission to 18A:0403, at Sicily.

Seeing that there are now no operative Axis air units in the zone, the Br Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit beginning the turn at Matruh  (19A:1218), in Egypt, flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Tobruch (18A:4817), in Libya.

The Br Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit beginning the turn at Damas (20A:4505), in Syria, flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Matruh, in Egypt.

The Br Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air unit beginning the turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to 19A:1418, in Egypt.

The Br Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 air unit beginning the turn at 20A:4308, in Lebanon, south of Beyrouth, flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to El Alamein (19A:2119), in Egypt.

The RAAF Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit beginning the turn at Damas, in Syria, flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Alexandria, in Egypt.

The Br Glad  3F3  0/8 beginning the turn at Alexandria, flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Isamilia (19A:3516), in Egypt.

The Br Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 air unit beginning the turn at Damas, in Syria, flew a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Port Said (19A:3413), in Egypt.

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 Initial Phase.

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

This Axis turn, At step 2 of the Initial Phase, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 2: Fawzi changes mode but does not move. The Axis player flips the Fawzi unit to its combat mode and removes the Fawzi dummy guerrilla unit at hex 21A:4825.

21A:4824 [sand hex]:

0-1-8 Inf II Fawzi (Bandit) [began turn here, in the guerrilla mode; at step 2 of the I. Phase it was flipped to the combat mode; per the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll it cannot move this turn]

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 2: Fawzi changes mode but does not move.  The Fawzi dummy guerrilla unit is removed from the maps.

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Aus 2-8 Inf X 19 at Lattique (20A:3405), along the Vichy French Syrian Mediterranean coastline, is no longer Black U-2; it can trace a supply line to an Allied standard supply terminal.  The Allied forces at Tobruch are still isolated and the ground units there are all at U-4 supply status; but all forces in the Tobruch hex are in special general supply due to the gsp’s available there at the supply determination step of the I. Phase.  See the text above or pictures below for  more detail.  At Malta the Allied ground units there are in definite Red U-2 supply status, as there were no gsp’s at Valletta at the start of the turn.

At step 13 of the I. Phase the Allied player checks for Variable Levant Surrender, per WW Optional Rule 38V3f, rolling the dice and using the Variable Levant Surrender Table. This turn the Allied player gets a +1 modifier if “this is the second or later turn that Damas is Allied-owned”, a +2 if “a supplied Allied unit is adjacent to a Vichy-owned Beyrouth”, but also a -1 if “an Allied unit has been eliminated or reduced to cadre in [the] Levant”, for an adjusted +2 overall modifier to the dice roll. The lucky Allied player rolls an 11, which is modified to a 13:  Surrender!  And so the fighting has ended in the Vichy French Levant.  In the case of a Vichy French Levant surrender, then per WW Rule 38V3f & d, “all Vichy ground and air units [except the LeO 451 B type air unit] in the Levant are removed from play; these forces are considered to be eliminated.”  Furthermore, per WW Rule 38A5-Surrender, “a neutral that surrenders forfeits all accumulated replacements and no longer receives any reinforcements.”  I take all this to mean that all Vichy French/Axis-controlled land hexes in the Levant are still owned by the Axis side until these said land hexes are later captured by Allied ground units or otherwise deemed owned by the Allies, per WW Rules 5B & 5B3 & 4.  Technically then, and explicitly per WW Rule 38A5, the remaining Vichy French/Axis-controlled Levant railcap, SMPs, port, rail lines, airbases, and land hexes are still under the control of the Axis player, including the applicable Axis-owned hexes for administrative movement.  Thus the Axis Ger LW air units at Alep, in northern Vichy French Syria, along with the 4 Axis-specific gsp’s in that hex, remain on-map there at this still Axis-controlled hex, even after the formal Vichy French Levant’s surrender at step 13 of the Jul II 41 Axis I. Phase and the removal of virtually all their forces from the map in the Vichy French Levant.  In addition to that, the Vichy Fr LeO 451  3B5  2-5/25 air unit, beginning the turn at Alep, remains in the hex until step 14 of the current Axis I. Phase, when it Withdraws back to mainland Europe, per the WitD Neutrals OB, at p. 5.  In this case the Vichy French Levant air unit is not counted as eliminated for the Allied WW VP count purposes; nor are surrendered or eliminated Vichy French TS units counted for WW VP purposes, I think.

Finally, it should be noted here that had the Vichy French Levant campaign continued deeper into 1941 without a Vichy French surrender, then on the Sep I 41 and Nov 1 41 Axis turn air cycles, in the new Scenario, the resistive Vichy French Levant would have received 1 Vichy French ARP on each of those two turns as a Conditional Reinforcement, per the WitD Neutrals booklet, at pages 16 & 17.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player transfers 3 It inf RPs and 1 Ger Inf RP from the mainland Europe off-map holding box, where they were stored, to the Licata port/airfield hex at 18A:0102, in Sicily, per WW Rule 37 C2a, in anticipation of air transporting them over the Cent Med sea zone to Tripoli, in Libya.  At step 14 of the I. Phase the Optional Axis Near East Forces that are at Rodi, in the Dodecanese, and Alep, in the Vichy French Levant, are permanently withdrawn from the game by decision of the Axis player, per WW Optional Rule 38J6, and are removed from the maps, as is also the Vichy Fr LeO 451 B type air unit, beginning the turn at Alep, which is withdrawn back to mainland Europe.  The Axis intervention into the Near East epoch is over.

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

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the map the 12 old gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated there on the earlier Jul II 41 Axis phase from a step of attack supply then at the hex.  There are still 2 old gsp’s at the Tobruch hex that were sea transported into the hex in the Jul II 41 Allied M. Phase.  In Syria the 4 Axis-specific gsp’s at the Alep hex are removed from the map that were generated on the Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase at Rodi, and then air transported to Alep.  The Vichy French gsp’s present in the Alep hex at the start of the turn were removed at step 13 of the current I. Phase, when the Vichy French forces surrendered.

At the very start of the Axis M. Phase, even before doing any sea transport in the naval movement step, the Axis player conducts a series of Malta Status air missions against the Valletta target hex, in an effort to increase the Malta Status number prior to doing any Axis naval transport.  He staggers them one-by-one, in order to promptly quit the bombing air missions after a certain amount has been reached (at least one, but hopefully up to 3 or 4) in order to use the remaining air units for another air mission at the Tobruch target hex.  In spite of committing 5 good Axis air units to the Malta Status bombing air missions, only one Malta Status hit is scored, and he stops there, not wanting to commit either of the two It Br 20M NB type air units, which could have bombed Malta this turn, but which he wants for the Tobruch operation.

Next the Axis player sends a large air op to the Tobruch target hex, escorted by the Ger LW Me 109F1 and the It MC 200 F type air units, based at 18A:4718, adjacent to the Allied fortress.  The recently converted It CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 air unit and the other It MC 200 3F4  1/8 air unit both fly the fighter unit on a bombing mission, per WW Rule 23D1, on an airbase bombing air mission.  When fighters fly the airbase bombing air mission, their tac bombing strength is increased by 1, per WW Rule 20G2a.  In the same air op are the two It Br 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 air units, flying a daytime strat port bombing air mission, along with the Ger LW Ju 87 B D type air unit, flying a tac port bombing air mission.  In this case, with so many Axis air units overhead the Tobruch hex, the Allied SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit based at the hex goes ahead and flies the Intercept air mission, and after the random draw engages the Ger LW Me 109F1 F type air unit in combat.  In the ensuing fighter combat neither air unit is killed or aborted, and so the Axis player continues to the Mission Resolution step, and manages a hit on the Tobruch temporary airfield and inflicts two hits on the Tobruch strong natural harbor port, which is good for a port damage marker of 1.  See the text above or the pictures below for additional details of both the Tobruch and the several Malta air missions.

Both sides do air unit transfers in the Axis E. Phase.  First, the phasing Axis player strengthens his air assets in Sicily, using air units previously based in Libya and at Scarpanto.  Then the non-phasing Allied player evacuates his air units from the now pacified Levant, and also from Palestine, rebasing all of them in Egypt.

Commentary

The collapse of Vichy French resistance in the Levant at step 4 of the Axis I. Phase is certainly a big and arguably an unexpected event in the EA reported Europa game scenario.  It is “big” because the event immediately releases a number of Allied units now available for use in the Egyptian Western Desert against the Axis Afrika Korps milling in the Tobruch zone, in eastern Libya.  It is “unexpected” because this turn it took an Allied dice roll of 11 or 12 to clinch the surrender, and the lucky Allied player rolled an 11.  But a close look at the WW Variable Levant Surrender Table perhaps reveals that Vichy Levant surrender is never a sure thing in the WW Scenarios, even though historically the surrender occurred on the Jul I 41 turn in circumstances similar to what is indicated on the maps in the EA game report, I think.  In fact, if Beyrouth turns out to be a Vichy French “Tobruch” citadel, then, using the implied logic of the given + Modifiers, the Allies should bypass it, thereby still retaining the +2 modifier if “a supplied Allied unit is adjacent to a Vichy-owned Beyrouth”, and instead march northwards to take first a Vichy French-owned Alep, and add its +1 modifier to the dice roll, if it is Allied-owned.  To conquer Beyrouth first is to gain a +1 for its Allied-ownership, but it loses for the Allied player the +2 if “a supplied Allied unit is adjacent to a Vichy-owned Beyrouth.”  Maybe in a revised WW the Allied player could have an additional + modifier benefit of say, an additional +1 modifier for every 5 or 6 Levant point and reference city hexes owned by the Allied player when the Variable Levant Surrender Table is used in the appropriate Axis I. Phases, perhaps after the fall of one of the Vichy French Levant dot or partial city hexes.  In the current Jul II 41 Axis I. Phase the Allied player held 11 such Levant point and reference cities.  There are a total of 16 point and reference cities in the Levant.  This + modifier for the Allied player would give him an incentive to occupy these cities scattered throughout the vast French colonial territory, where in the historical campaign Allied units, mostly from Iraq, did just that.  These remote eastern and central Vichy French Levant cities are otherwise probably ignored in many WW Middle East Campaign Scenarios, for the sake of pursuing the campaign exclusively in Lebanon and far western Syria against the two dot and the single partial city hexes there, currently the only 3 Levant cities fetching + modifiers for the Allies.

Right now it seems to me that the key to prolonged Axis/Vichy French resistance in the Vichy French Levant is not specifically through an Axis intervention into the Vichy French Levant via WW Rule 38V3A-Axis Privileges, but rather by a spirited and prolonged resistance in a pro-Axis coup Iraq.  This would be signaled and enabled by a failed Allied Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table dice roll done on the turn that the critical +5 modifier is used for the “first turn (only) that a supported Allied unit is adjacent to an Iraqi-owned Baghdad”, per the Wavell’s War Errata–28 October 2005 addendum.  In many WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenarios this one time dice roll event will likely occur on the May II 41 turn, and if it fails to bring about the pro-Axis Iraqi coup surrender, the consequences will likely be an additional 2 months to the longevity of pro-Axis coup Iraq, until the Allied player marches up enough Allied forces to the Baghdad coup citadel, along with the needed step of attack supply, to attack Baghdad and take the partial city hex.  A prolonged Iraqi campaign might delay the start and perhaps more likely the conclusion of an Allied invasion of the conniving Vichy French Levant, and with the automatic Iraqi coup embedded in the Apr I 41 Axis turn of the new Scenario, should be part of the Axis side’s strategic considerations for the first half of 1941, I would think.

This turn the Axis player did seriously consider another big Axis attack on Tobruch, similar to the one done the turn before, utilizing again the little Italian 1-8 Asslt Eng II 31 G in order to acquire the critical +1 engineer modifier, but instead he opted for the big Axis air raids on Malta and Tobruch.  Certainly the Axis player is considering attempting soon another big Tobruch attack, but he feels he needs some time to prepare and maneuver.  But time is on the Allied player’s side, more better Axis players might argue; and this may be so, but the Axis player doesn’t want to attack in a panic, like maybe Paulus at Stalingrad, and so he claims to bide his time, for now.  A big Axis attack on Tobruch this turn, using the It assault engineer II for the modifier, would likely have mustered about 31 adjusted ground unit attack factors, against an Allied defense factor of 20.  It would have cancelled out the Malta and Tobruch air raids, sucking up all the available Axis air strength in the Med/NA Command.  It likely would have been done without the Me 110C  5HF5  4-2/12 air unit, presently in the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool, which is sorely needed in any Axis assault of the improved fortress for its 4 tac factors (halved) on the GA air mission.  The step of attack supply brought up to 18A:4218 in the E. Phase would have to be brought up to the same hex in the M. Phase instead, and expended in the C. Phase along with the only other Axis step of attack supply in the zone, at 18A:4818.  Keeping to the same Axis movement scheme, at the end of the Axis turn that would have left the closest Axis step of attack supply to the Tobruch zone at Benghazi.  There is another one at 18A:2730, two  hexes west of El Agheila.  In a hypothetical Jul II 41 Axis attack on Tobruch, the Axis would likely have to get through the Tobruch 3 factor flack shot at least one 4 tac factor Axis air unit and a host of 3 tac factor air units in order to get the chance for another straight up 2 to 1, with a 50-50 chance of winning the hex.  I agree, it’s hard to say prior to any combat die roll what would have been the best Axis strategy on the Jul II 41 Axis turn, but what’s done is done in the EA game report.  Part of the Axis scheme of sending Axis arm and inf RPs to Tripoli is to better prepare for big EX and HX results in such big projected Axis Tobruch attacks, or perhaps as a result of big Allied Crusader-type offensive attacks, coming sooner or later.

 

EOT Dispositions

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

3.5 Italian inf Replacement Points at the start of the turn, + .5 reinforcement RPs at step 14 of the I. Phase = a new total of 4, which is the same at the end of the I. Phase & turn; no builds this turn.

1.5 German inf Replacement Point reinforcements at step 14 of the I. Phase, which is the same as at the end of the I. Phase & turn; no builds this turn.

1 Ger ARP at the start of the turn, which is carried over into the next air cycle, per WW Advanced Rule 25C6-ARP Accumulation, + 5 Ger ARP reinforcements at step 14 of the I. Phase = a new total of 6.  A maximum of 2 Ger ARPs can be spent each Axis I. Phase, per WW Advanced Rule 25C6-ARP Spending Limits.  The Axis player spends one Ger ARP at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the Ger LW Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 air unit beginning the turn in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool.  It is placed at Khania (18A:4403), on Crete.  At the end of the I. Phase and turn the Axis player has a total of 5 Ger ARPs remaining.

1 It ARP at the start of the turn, which is carried over into the next air cycle, per WW Advanced Rule 25C6, +5 It ARP reinforcements at step 14 of the I. Phase = a new total of 6.  A maximum of 2 It ARPs can be spent each Axis I. Phase, per WW Advanced rule 25C6.  The Axis player spends one It ARP at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the It SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool.  It is placed at 18A:2730, in Libya.  At the end of the I. Phase the Axis player has a total of 5 It ARPs remaining.

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

Licata (18A:0102) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield
{SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 [began turn here; this air unit is withdrawn this turn, per the WitD Axis OB, which is the basis of the new Scenario’s Axis draft OB; withdrawn at step 14 of the I. Phase]}

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
Ca 311  2B2  1/L/14 [inop.; turn conversion of the original Ca 309 air unit, per the WitD Axis OB booklet, Order of Battle Options, on p. 13, which is provisionally being used in the new Scenario; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; did Malta Status tac bombing air mission at the very beginning of the M. Phase; used the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit (yes, it rolled a 6); returned to base here]
Cr 42  3F3  0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Coast hex 18A:0603:
3-cap permanent airfield
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 [inop.; Italian; began turn here; did Malta Status tac bombing air mission at the very beginning of the M. Phase; used the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; returned to base here]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; turn reinf; placed at 18A:0603, on Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; never moved]

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 Jul I 41 Axis turn:

Malta Status: 8, at the start of the turn, +2 for Malta Status bombing hits done prior to the naval movement step of the M. Phase, = 10 during this turn’s naval movement step and at the EOT.

Valetta hex (18A:0407) flack: 7 (3 intrinsic + a total of 4 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II’s 2 flack factors, each)

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

4 gsp’s are present in the Valletta hex at the start of the Axis player turn, generated on the previous Jul I 41 Allied I. Phase. However, this turn there are 4.5 REs of ground units on Malta, at Valletta.  The Allied player opts to designate the 1-8 MG II 2 Ch as the particular unit that is definitely in the Red U-2 supply status. The other 4 REs of Allied ground units at Valletta are technically Red U-2, but are designated as being in special general supply via the 4 gsp’s.

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

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

Tripoli (18A:0121) [clear terrain dot city/major port hex transportation line junction coast hex]:
Axis Supply Terminal marker
fort marker
0 pos flk unit AA=3 [Italian]
3 steps of attack supply [all began turn here; never moved]
2 steps of attack supply [turn reinfs; began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase the two steps were successfully sea transported to Tripoli in a single naval convoy consisting of 6 turn reinf Axis NTPs; disembarked and never moved]
1.5 German arm Replacement Points (RPs) [turn reinforcements, began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase these 1.5 Ger arm RPs were successfully sea transported to Tripoli in a single naval convoy consisting of three turn reinf Axis NTPs; I am assuming that arm REs are doubled for naval transport purposes per WW Rule 27B3; disembarked & stored at the Tripoli Axis standard supply terminal]

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 hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli; spent 4 SMPs in the E. Phase moving along the coast road to here]

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

Sirte (18A:1727) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
fort marker
3-cap permanent airfield
1 resource point

18A:2428 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:1427; spent 10 SMPs in the E. Phase moving along the road to here]

18A:2730 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at Misurata (18A:1022); in the C. Phase it first staged to Slouch (18A:3222) and then performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]

El Agheila (18A:2930) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 [turn ARP build; placed at 18A:2730 at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the C. Phase it first staged to Agedabia and then performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]

18A:3228 [clear terrain road hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:2027; admin moved along road to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:2428; spent 8 SMPs in the E. Phase moving along the road to here]

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

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

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

18A:3622 [stony desert road hex, NE of Zaulet Msus]:
8* Inf XX HQ 9 LA (Ger) [began turn at 18A:2428; admin moved 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
{1 port damage hit marker}
0-6 Lt AA II AA=1 38 [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [turn reinf; began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the naval movement step it is successfully sea transported to Derna in a turn reinf NTP, expending 35 naval movement points doing so; in the M. Phase the cons III spends 4 MPs in the Derna port hex repairing the single hit of port damage there; remained in the hex]
CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 [operative; step 14 of the I. Phase turn conversion of the CR 42  3F3  0/9 air unit beginning the turn here; never moved]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [inop.; began turn at Scarpanto (19A:0701); in the C. Phase it first staged to Khania, on Crete, and then performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Sirte (18A:1727), in Libya; in the C. Phase it first staged to 18A:3617 and then performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
{1 resource point [began turn here; expended at step 19 of the I. Phase for beginning the construction of a fort in hex 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch]}

18A:4216 [stony desert coast road hex, SE of Derna]:
{1 step of attack supply [began turn at Derna; in the M. Phase it spent one SMP moving one road hex to here; expended at the end of the C. Phase giving attack supply to 10 REs of Axis ground units in the Tobruch attack; the step of attack supply at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) was also expended in the Tobruch attack]}
vacant at the end of the C. Phase

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
8 Inf XX HQ 102 Trn [began turn at 18A:4818; unsupported breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; regular moved to here]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (LW) [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (LW) [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
{one step of attack supply [began turn here; expended at the end of the C. Phase giving attack supply to 10 REs of Axis ground units in the Tobruch attack; the step of attack supply at 18A:4216 was also expended in the Tobruch attack]}

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at Agedabia (18A:3327); admin moved 12 hexes along the road to 18A:4119; exploited to here]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [began turn here; never moved; it did not participate in the Tobruch attack]
3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn at 18A:4818; regular moved one hex to here; it did not participate in the Tobruch attack]
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn here; began construction a 2-turn fort in the hex at step 19 of the I. Phase, projected to be completed in the Aug I 41 Axis I. Phase; utilized the expended resource point beginning the turn at Derna; never moved; it did not participate in the Tobruch attack]
1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); regular moved to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]
1-6 Hv AA II 29 [began turn here; never moved; participated in the Tobruch attack]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn here; never moved; participated in the Tobruch attack]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [inop; began turn here; in the C. Phase performed the Escort air mission for the GS air op over the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase performed the Escort air mission for the GS air op over the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]
Me 109F1  6F6  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase performed the Escort air mission for the GS air op over the Tobruch target hex; returned to base here]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to 18A:4818; participated in the Tobruch attack; remained here in E. Phase]
2-3-8 Art III 16C [began turn at Halfaya Pass (19A:0419), regular moved to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn here; never moved; participated in the Tobruch attack]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved; not expended in the Tobruch attack]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
2-8 Inf III 155 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4618; regular moved to here; it did not participate in the Tobruch attack]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn at 18A:4818; spends 5 MPs regular moving one hex to here, abandoning the temporary airfield under construction at 18A:4818; spends 1 MP at 18A:4918 beginning construction of a new temporary airfield in hex 4918; it did not participate in the Tobruch attack]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn here; never moved; participated in the Tobruch attack]
8-7-10* Pz XX 5 Le (Ger) [began turn at Halfaya Pass (19A:0419), regular moved to here; remained here in the E. Phase; participated in the Tobruch attack]

18A:4819 [clear terrain hex; 2 hexes S of Tobruch]:
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn at 18A:4718; unsupported breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to 18A:4918; exploited to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]

18A:5018 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:4818; unsupported breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at 18A:5119; regular moved to 18A:4818; exploited to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]

18A:5119 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn at 19A:0219; regular moved to 18A:4818; exploited to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to 18A:4918; exploited to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]

19A:0219 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0320; regular moved to 18A:4818; exploited back to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0320; regular moved to 18A:4818;  exploited to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]
2-10 Mot Hv AA III AA=4 135 (Ger LW) [began turn here; regular moved to 18A;4818; exploited to here; participated in the Tobruch attack]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn at Halfaya Pass (19A:0419); unsupported breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; regular moved to 19A:0922, gaining Axis ownership of the Egyptian coast road hexes up to 19A:1018 and the Siwa road hexes 19A:1119-1020-1021; exploited along the Siwa road to 19A:0823, gaining hex control of the road up to this hex and the adjacent south road hex 19A:0824, and then turned NW and ended its exploitation movement here]

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
4 port damage hit markers
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn at 18A:5018; regular moved to here]

Crete [end of turn]:

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

Erakleion (18A:4903) [rough terrain reference city/standard port coast road hex]:
hit marker on the reference city airbase

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

Scarpanto (19A:0701) [rough port point city minor port hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
G 50 3F3 0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 [inop.; turn ARP build; placed at Khania (18A:4403), on Crete, at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the C. Phase it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4 4B5 3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Sirte (18A:1727),in Libya; in the C. Phase it first staged to 18A:3618 (Maraua) and then performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]

Southeast or Med/NA Command

Mainland Europe:

Axis Conditional Reinforcements

Optional Axis Near East Forces [see WW OB booklet, p. 27 and WW Optional Rule 38J6; per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario draft Rules and Axis OB, based on the concept of F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter: June-July 1941” Europa Battle Scenario, found in TEM#81]

• Axis Conditional Reinforcements Axis Intervention in Iraq forces tentative operational area, per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario draft rules: Axis Near East Command, Axis SE Command, the South Aegean Islands (see WW Rule 3D), Cyprus, Palestine, and Trans-Jordan.

[Iraqi] Coup turn 7/Jul I 41 Axis Turn:

Place at any airfield on Rodi:

German:
1 x He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW)  [Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq/NE]

Axis Production/Vichy French Production:

Place at Rodi (20A:2230):
4 Axis gsp’s at the standard port of Rodi (20A:2230), generated at step 16 of the Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase, per WW Rule 12C2a & 12C4

1 Vichy French Colonial inf RP [per the WW OB booklet, p. 36 [back cover] and F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter: June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario Axis OB, published in TEM#81; technically, begins in “mainland Europe”, but I believe that since the Axis cessation of  operations in the Balkans, this includes “any Axis-owned ports or airbases in the South Aegean Islands”, per WW Rule 40A2-Axis Reinforcements]

Mainland Europe:
one Vichy French ARP [per F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter: June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario Axis OB, published in TEM#81]

At Rodi [end of turn]:

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

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

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

Med/NA aborted air units box:
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [here since the start of the new Scenario; per ER-II]
He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 [began the Jul I 41 Axis turn at Derna; in the C. Phase it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; aborted by the Tobruch AA fire]
Br 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [Jul I 41 Axis turn reinf; placed at Khania (18A:4403), on Crete, at step 14 of the I. Phase; this can be done in the South Aegean Islands after the Axis cessation of operations in the Balkans, per WW Rule 40A2-Axis Reinforcements; in the C. Phase it performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; aborted by the Tobruch AA fire]
{SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 [in the Med/NA Replacement Pool since the start of the new Scenario; per ER-II; turn ARP build; placed at 18A:2730, in Libya, at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
{Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 [aborted by Allied NTP flack in the naval movement step of the Jul I 41 Allied M. Phase; turn ARP build; placed at Khania (18A:4403), on Crete, at step 14 of the I. Phase]}

Axis Near East Command

Select Initial Conditions Recap & Status Update for the Vichy French Levant on the Jul I 41 Axis turn:

Standard Supply Terminals: Damas (20A:4505/19A:4701) and Beyrouth (20A:4207)

• Damas was captured by the Allies in the previous Jul I I 41 Allied C. Phase.

SMPs:  4, this turn; it was 5 at the beginning of the Scenario, but reduced to 4 this turn after the loss of the Vichy French standard supply terminal at Damas, on the Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase; this SMP reduction is per WW Advanced Rule 12H3

Rail Capacity, Levant Rail net:  3; was 4, but reduced to 3 this turn after the loss of the dot city/rail marshaling yard at Damas on the Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase, per WW Rule 7A5a

Intrinsic Vichy French Levant AA: Per the WW Intrinsic Light AA Summary, 1 point per dot and major city hex in the Levant.

Vichy French Levant Conditional Reinforcements:

3nd Turn of Invasion/Jul I 41:

Available in [mainland] Europe [both these items per F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter: June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario, from TEM#81]

1 Vichy French ARP [Note: Per WW Advanced Rule 25C8 and WW Rule 25G [ARP] Transfers, in the I. Phase this Axis turn reinf may transfer from mainland Europe to the Axis-controlled South Aegean Islands and from there to a Vichy French standard supply terminal in the Levant, and there be expended in this same I. Phase]

Vichy French Levant [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
Standard Supply Terminal marker [Vichy French Levant specific]
0-1-5 Cons X Lev (Col) [began turn here; never moved, but expended 4 MPs in the Beyrouth hex building a 1-cap temporary airfield there]
4-3-6* Inf III 6 LE (LE) [began turn at 20A:4406; regular moved one hex to Rayak; entrained there on the secondary railway and railed to Beyrouth]
1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (Afr) [turn Vichy Fr in RP build; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; never moved]
one step of attack supply (Vichy French) [began turn here; never moved]
{.5 Vichy French inf RPs began the turn at Beyrouth, + 1.25 Vichy Fr special inf RPs added on at step 14 of the I. Phase for combat losses incurred in the previous Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase; 1 Vichy Fr inf RP is expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to replace the 1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (AFR), w/ .75 Vichy Fr inf RPs remaining at the Beyrouth hex at the end of the I. Phase}
ME 110C  5HF5  1/12 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Rayak (20A:4306); air transferred to Beyrouth in the M. Phase; technically Red U-1, but in special general supply via an Axis-specific gsp air transported to Beyrouth on the Jun II 41 Axis M. Phase; this gsp was removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]
D 520  6F5  0/11 (Vichy French) [operative; began turn here; never moved]

20A:4307 [mountain secondary rail line hex, SE of Beyrouth]:
2-6* Inf III 29 TA (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4307; never moved]

Rayak (20A:4306) [clear terrain point city transportation line junction hex]:
{1-cap permanent airstrip [demolished in the M. Phase by the A-8 Cav III Tchr (TS)]}
{1 x resource point (Vichy French) [began turn at Rayak; expended in the I. Phase to increase the Vichy French Levant railcap to 4.5, from 3, per WW Optional Rule 7A5b]}
vacant at the end of the M. Phase

20A:4206 [mountain hex, NE of Beyrouth]:
A-8 Cav III Tcher (TS) [began turn at Rayak (20A:4306); spent 2 MPs demolishing the 1-cap permanent airstrip at Rayak, then regular moved to here]

20A:4106 [mountain hex]:
C-8 Cav III Ligne (TS) [began turn at 20A:4405; regular moved to here]

Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line coast hex]:
railhead marker
hit marker on reference city airbase
C-8 Cav III N Syr (TS) [began turn here; never moved; spent 2 MPs demolishing the reference city airbase in the hex]

Homs (20A:3902) [clear terrain reference city  transportation line junction hex]:
hit marker on reference city airbase
1-8 Cav III 1 SM (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4405; regular moved to here]
D-8 Cav III Djez (TS) [began turn at 20A:3903; regular moved to here, but not before demolishing the reference city airbases at Homs (20A:3902) and Hama (20A:3702)]

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

Alep (20A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
1-6 Inf II V/1 TM (Afr) [began turn at Alep]
Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Rodi (20A:2230); Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq; in the E. Phase air transported 1 Vichy French inf RP and 2 Axis-specific gsp’s (generated at the port of Rodi in the I. Phase) to here]
He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW) [Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq; began turn at Rodi at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the E. Phase air transported 2 Axis-specific gsp’s (generated at the port of Rodi in the I. Phase) to here]
LeO 451  3B5  2-5/25 (Vichy French) [inop.; Vichy French  ARP build; began turn at Beyrouth (20A:4207) at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the M. Phase it air transported 2 Vichy French-specific gsp’s to Alep, per WW Optional Rule 23E3]
1 Vichy French inf RP, air transported to here from Rodi (20A:2230) in the M. Phase
.75 Vichy French inf RP, railed to here from Beyrouth in the M. Phase, entraining on a secondary rail line
4 Axis-specific gsp’s, generated this I. Phase at the Axis standard port of Rodi, in the Dodecanese, and air transported from Rodi to here
4 Vichy French-specific gsp’s, generated this turn at Beyrouth; 2 were railed to here from Beyrouth, entraining on a secondary rail line, and 2 were air transported to here from Beyrouth by the LeO 451 B type air unit

21A:3332 [swamp major rail line hex, S of Alep]:
A-5 Inf III 1 Lev (TS) [began turn at 20A:3302; moved to here]

20A:4102 [clear terrain road hex]:
A-8 Mot Cav II Lev (TS) [began turn at 21A:4433; due to enemy ZOCs it became Black U-1 in the I. Phase, halving its movement rating; regular moved to 20A:4302; exploited to here]

Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool {beginning of turn}/end of turn]:
{1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (Afr) [eliminated at Damas (20A:4505) in the Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase; rebuilt this turn w/ Vichy Fr inf RPs and placed at Beyrouth at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr) [eliminated at 20A:4308 in the Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III 6 CdA (Afr) [eliminated at 20A:4308 in the Jul I 41 Allied C. Phase]
3-6* Inf III 24 MC (Col) [eliminated at Saida (20A:4408) in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III 7 CA (Afr) [eliminated at Saida (20A:4408) in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-6* Inf III 17 TS (Col) [eliminated at 20A:4707; in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr) [eliminated in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase]
1-8 Cav III 2 MS (Afr) [eliminated in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase]

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

• In the E. Phase the Br Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 air unit beginning the turn at Tel Aviv (20A:5011), in Palestine, performs a non-phasing air transfer air mission to the Port Said airbase (20A:5121), in Egypt.

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 Initial Phase.
• The Iraqi coup collapsed at step 4 of the Initial Phase of the May II 41 Axis turn, when the Allied player rolled the dice checking for an Iraqi Coup Collapse, using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table, per WW Rule 38J5.
• This Axis turn, At step 2 of the Initial Phase, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 6: Fawzi is under the control of the Axis player for the player turn. The Axis player decides to keep the two Fawzi units in their Guerrilla mode and move them in the M. Phase.

21A:4824 [sand hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [began turn at 21A:4821; moved to here]

21A:4825 [stony desert road hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [dummy guerrilla-capable unit; began turn at 21A:4822; moved to here]

Turn Activity

At step 2 of the I. Phase the Axis player does the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and comes up with a 6: Fawzi is under the control of the Axis player for the player turn.  The Axis player decides to keep the two Fawzi units in their Guerrilla mode and moves them in the M. Phase.

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Aus 2-8 Inf X 19 at Lattique (20A:3405), along the Vichy French Syrian Mediterranean coastline, becomes Black U-2.  This is a correction from what was indicated in the pictures done for the previous Jul I 41 Allied turn game report.  The SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit at Tobruch becomes Black U-4 this turn, making all the Allied units currently in the Tobruch hex now at the U-4 status, Red or Black.

At step 13 of the I. Phase the Allied player checks for Variable Levant surrender, per WW Optional Rule 38V3f, rolling the dice and using the Variable Levant Surrender Table.  This is perhaps the optimum turn in the present game for this political event, as this turn the Allied player gets a +2 modifier for “the first turn Damas is Allied-owned”, a +2 if “a supplied Allied unit is adjacent to a Vichy-owned Beyrouth”, but also a -1 if “an Allied unit has been eliminated or reduced to cadre in [the] Levant,” for an adjusted one-time +3 overall modifier to the dice roll.  The Alied player rolls a 7, which is modified to a 10: No Surrender; and so the fighting goes on in the Vichy French Levant.

After the Axis player ceases operations in the Balkans, each Axis-owned port in the South Aegean Islands becomes an Axis unrestricted full supply source, per WW Rule 12C2a. The South Aegean Islands include all islands in the Dodecanese.

Beginning on the Jun II 41 Axis turn, the Axis player may use naval transport in the Eastern Mediterranean sea zone, using the 12 column of the Naval Table. This would be per WW Rule 31D2.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player spends the turn reinforcement Vichy French ARP and rebuilds the LeO 451  3B5  2-5/25 (Vichy French) air unit, placing it at Beyrouth (20A:4207), in the Vichy French Levant. Although F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter: June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#81, says the ARP is Available in Europe, I believe it can be expended this turn at either of the Vichy French standard Supply Terminals to replace the aborted air unit, per WW Rule 25C4-ARP Transfer.  The Ger LW Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 and the It SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air units are also rebuilt, costing one Ger & It ARP, and are removed from the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Replacement Pool and placed on the maps.

At step; 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player spends 1 Vichy French inf RP stored at Beyrouth to rebuild the 1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (Afr), placing it at Beyrouth.  This leaves .75 Vichy Fr inf RPs stored at Beyrouth at the end of the I. Phase.

Using the Optional Axis Near East Forces Axis Order of Battle, found in the WW Orders of Battle booklet, at p. 27, the Axis player continues to bring into play the Axis Conditional Reinforcements Axis Intervention in Iraq (Optional Rule 38J6) German forces.  This time the Coup Turn 7/[in our case, the Jul I 41 Axis turn] Ger LW He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 air unit is brought in at Rodi, in the Dodecanese, at step 14 of the I. Phase.  Although admittedly these forces were initially intended as a pro-Axis Iraqi coup intervention force, they also seem to be a plausible and convenient Axis intervention force pool for deployment into an Allied-invaded Vichy French Levant, assuming that the Axis player has received either Air or Full Axis privileges in the Levant, after doing the correct dice roll using the Vichy Levant Table, per WW Rule 38V3a.  This Optional Axis Near East Forces OB seems to be the source of the Axis Conditional Reinforcements indicated in F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter: June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#81, and so we use it here, in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player converts the one remaining step of attack supply at Tobruch into 12 new gsp’s, per Rule 12C4b-GSP’s from Steps of Attack Supply.  At the Tobruch hex this turn are also 6 gsp’s that were generated on the previous Jul I 41 Allied I. Phase and sea transported into the hex during that turn’s M. Phase.  At step 16 the Axis player generates 4 gsp’s at the standard port of Rodi (20A:2230), per WW Rule 12C2a & 12C4; and 4 Vichy French-specific gsp’s are generated at the Vichy French Levant standard supply terminal at Beyrouth (20A:4207), in Lebanon.

At step 19 of the I. Phase the Axis player begins the construction of a two-turn fort at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, in Libya.  He expends the resource point at Derna, 6 hexes away.  In the Vichy French Levant the Axis player expends a Vichy French resource point to increase the Vichy French Levant railcap from 3 to 4.5 this turn (only), per WW Optional Rule 7A5b-Temporary Capacity Increase.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the 12 gsp’s at Tobruch are removed from the maps that were generated on the earlier Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase.  Also removed from the maps at step 24 are the 8 Vichy French-specific gsp’s at several locations in the Vichy French Levant that were generated in the I. Phase of the same Jun II 41 Axis turn, at the Vichy French Levant standard supply terminals at Beyrouth and Damas.

 

In the naval movement step of the Initial Phase the Axis player successfully sea transports the two steps of attack supply to Tripoli, in Libya and also the German reinforcement 0-8 Cons III Afr, to Derna, in Libya.  Because the Malta Status is 10 at the beginning of the naval movement step, the Axis player also risks sea transporting to Tripoli the important turn reinforcement 1.5 Ger arm RPs.  But he waits before sea transporting any It or Ger inf RPs across the Cent Med sea zone to North Africa, as there is an alternate transport method available, but it cannot be done this turn, and so for now he bides his time.  Note that the poor Italian ally does not receive any arm RPs until the Jan I 42 Axis I. Phase, and so it appears that the Axis player would be wise to conserve the Italian armored and mobile forces until near the end of 1941 at the earliest, unless he wishes to share with the Italians the German arm RPs.  But for the hard core Europa aficionados, an array of possible Axis arm and inf RP policy options perhaps reveals itself now, as the game enters into the second half of 1941, with the consequent ground unit losses anticipated in the inevitable clashes in the Western Desert.  So at least by now would be a good time for both players to take a hard look at the WW Special RP Costs Chart, found on p. 28 (the back cover of the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet), and understand the dear costs of replacing certain units, especially armor.  For the Allied player in the EA reported WW ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, it takes a hefty 3 Br arm RPs to replace the vital 3-2-10 arm X’s, which is why it took until the Jul I 41 Allied I. Phase for the Allied player to finally replace one of the three such units found in the new Scenario’s Middle East Replacement Pool.  For the German 5-3-10 pz IIIs, I believe WW players use the cost listings under Pz Brigades, Unit Attack Str of 5; it probably should read “Pz Regiments”.  Someone let me know if they believe the correct costs of either the Ger 5-3-10 pz IIIs or the Br 3-2-10 arm Xs are different than what I’ve indicated here, for the benefit of the interested EA audience who want to play the game accurately.

In the Movement Phase the It 0-6 Cons III 5 A begins the construction of a 2-turn fort at the SW hex adjacent to Tobruch, signaling the deepening stages of the protracted siege there.  The It 0-6 Cons III 10 A moves from 18A:4818, S of Tobruch, abandoning the unfinished 1-cap temporary airfield begun there last turn, as perhaps a diversion, and moves to adjacent hex 4919, and begins there another 1-cap temporary airfield, currently unfinished, and perhaps another diversion.  The next Axis player turn this construction III will be expected to upgrade the track in that hex to a road, thereby finishing the Tobruch Bypass, and enabling Axis general supply eastwards, beyond Tobruch and into Egypt.  Meanwhile, the fresh Ger 0-8 Cons III Afr turn reinforcement disembarks at Derna after successfully sea transporting from mainland Europe.  What will it do next?  Should it have gone to Benghasi, instead?

But in the C. Phase the world war again presses its harsh and perilous demands upon its Europa wargame players, and the Axis player executes the second big Axis attack in the game against Allied held Tobruch, regardless of the hazards.  This time he organizes a “specialist” attack, utilizing the little Italian 1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G as the basis, in order to gain the important +1 combat die roll modifier when attacking a fortification hex, if at least 1/10 of the attacking REs, excluding attacking artillery units, are combat engineers, per WW Rule 14A 2&3.  But note that “an assault engineer has its combat strength doubled and has its RE size doubled for purposes of calculating the engineer proportion when attacking into … any fortification with a combat die roll modifier of -1 … (per the Fortification Effects Chart).”  In addition, he throws into the Tobruch attack his available heavy AA units, whose attack strengths are not halved when attacking fortifications, per WW  Optional Rule 14M2.

By my tally, the Axis attacks Tobruch with a total of 18 adjusted non-artillery ground unit attack factors, + 13 artillery attack factors, totaling to 31 ground unit attack factors, not quite the 34 needed for a straight-up 2 to 1 odds.  This would be against a total of 17 Allied defense factors in the improved fortress of Tobruch.  We see that in our case here, per the Grand Europa Fortifications Effect Chart, that an improved fortress’s Combat Effects is a -1, no AEC, attacker (except engineers and artillery) and GS halved, and that the engineer modifiers are in effect.  And so, under these circumstances, the Axis player takes no chances in failing to get the better 2 to 1 odds with his dicey Tobruch attack and throws into the attack against the improved fortress virtually every available Axis air unit with a tac bombing factor, except for his three best F type air units in the zone, based at the adjacent 3-cap temporary airfield hex 18A:4718, which he sends on the Escort air mission along with the big GS air mission in a giant combined air operation, as a safeguard against the single operative Allied fighter, the SAAF Hurri 1  5F5  1/8, present in the Tobruch hex.  For the Axis air op details, see the text above or the pictures below.  When the swarm of Axis air units appears above the Tobruch hex, the SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit declines to patrol or intercept, figuring its chances of survival are better on the ground, pending the outcome of the combat die roll.  After determining the effects of Tobruch’s 3 flack factors by the dice rolls, using the Antiaircraft Fire Table, the Axis player adds 9 adjusted (eg., after halving) GS tac strength factors to the ground combat subtotal of 31, for a total Axis adjusted combat attack strength of 40 attack factors, against the Allied defense factor of 17:  a straight-up 2 to 1.  There’s a -1 modifier for the Allied improved fortress and a +1 modifier for the Axis engineering effects.  And the combat die roll is a 3:  AS!  At the end of the C. Phase the Axis player rebases his big air op flying over the Tobruch hex and expends two of his three steps of attack supply in the zone; these would be the one at 18A:4216, in the M. Phase moved 1 hex to there from Derna, and the second step at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518).  At the end of the turn only the step of attack supply remaining in the Tobruch zone is at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; the nearest other one is still quite far away, two road hexes SW of Agedabia.

Meanwhile, back in the Vichy French Levant, the Vichy French, along with the intervening Ger LW forces present in the French colony, execute a series of furtive maneuvers intended to prolong resistance there, in order to tie down as many Allied units as possible at that secondary front, for the pleasure of their Axis masters.  What is essentially a defensive coastal enclave is created along the Lebanese Mediterranean coastline, centered at the remaining Vichy French standard supply terminal in the Levant, at Beyrouth.  Farther  north, forces and supplies are gathered at the Syrian partial city hex of Alep, as a kind of planned final Axis resistive redoubt for the Allies to march up to and engage.  The Variable Levant Surrender dice rolls, per WW Optional Rule 38V3f, done in the Axis I. Phases, at step 4, conveniently serves as a game model for the inevitable Vichy French Levant and Allied armistice negotiations, certainly quietly going on in these late stages of the Syrian campaign.

Near the end of the E. Phase the Allied player does a non-phasing air transfer of the Bombay T type air unit from Tel Aviv, in Palestine, to Port Said in Egypt.  Although perhaps a relatively minor war effort, he wants to maximize his options next turn.

Commentary

The Axis attack on Tobruch this turn was probably not pretty, but sitting next to the gameboard it did appear necessary.  For the Axis player to settle back into a siege and hold only mentality, to become sleepy and half-witted by the desert heat and sun, and then succumb to a “midnight at the oasis” forever mentality, and to now become fearful of the dread tasks demanded by world war that it instigated earlier, is to invite the wrath and contempt of Death and Mars, whom the Axis masters of war invoked and counted on in other times for the sake of Victory.  But the Tobruch attack also perhaps revealed a vulnerability of the Allies.  They can be hit at the improved fortress, with a 50-50 chance of wiping out the large Allied garrison there without any fear of an AH, with a straight-up 2 to 1 combat die roll.  How many more times can the Axis pull off this attack, where a DR is as good as a DE?  Moreover, by the end of his turn the Axis is poised to wreak havoc on the Jul II 41 Allied schemes of supplying the besieged and isolated Tobruch garrison, with more Axis air assets positioned in the zone.  The Axis tactical position in the Tobruch zone should improve with the progress of the Tobruch Bypass road, with the construction of Axis forts around the perimeter, and with the possible construction of additional Axis airfields farther eastwards.

On the other hand, each I turn of the second half of 1941, which began on the prior Jul I 41 Allied turn, is a big Allied reinforcement and production turn.  For the Allies, it’s like having Christmas at the start of every month.  This next turn the Axis player is vulnerable in the Tobruch zone in that it has only one step of attack supply there, which can be a weakness, both defensively and offensively.  This is one reason why the Axis ended their turn in a rather conservative defensive stance in far eastern Libya, east of Tobruch, after earlier risking a lot in the Tobruch attack.  Soon the Allies will likely want to begin to cunningly creep forward from their present Egyptian front line desert shield, the better to finally pounce with greater effect and precision in executing a Crusader-type offensive.

Which side can exploit their particular advantages and/or exploit their enemy’s weaknesses in the second half of 1941, in order to break the stalemate in the Western Desert and rout the enemy?  That seems to be the name of the game, for now.

 

 EOT Dispositions

Malta [end of turn]:

• The Br Hurri 2 F type air unit is in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool.
• Malta Status: 10, end of turn [at turn’s start 10, – 2 repairs this turn = 8]
• Malta Repair Rate: beginning on the Jul I 41 turn, 2 repair points each I turn and I repair point each II turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.

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

Valletta hex flack factor: 5 (3 intrinsic, + 2 for the 0-1-8 hv AA II)
3-6* Inf X 1 M
2-6* Inf X 2 M
1-8 MG II 2 Ch
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 10
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 4 [turn reinf; successfully sea transported from Gibraltar, using 1 turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; in checking for Axis anti-shipping effects, the 9 column was used on the Naval Table, per WW Rule 31E1]
0-4 Cons X MC
4 gsp’s generated on the Jun II 41 Allied turn I. Phase [these were successfully sea transported from Gibraltar, using 1 W Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; in checking for Axis anti-shipping effects, the 9 column was used on the Naval Table, per WW Rule 31E1]
Note: This turn all ground units on Malta are still technically Allied U-2 in the current Allied I. Phase, due to the presence of the 4 gsp’s at the start of the turn.

In Libya [end of turn]:

Tobruch (18A:4817) [clear terrain fortress/standard port]:

• Note that per WW Optional Rule 12E, U-4 is in effect the most severe general supply state for a unit, and therefore in the EA reported Scenario we will not note w/ markers further turns out of general supply than the U-4 status.

Improved fortress; construction of the improved fortress was completed in the May II 41 Allied I. Phase.
3-cap temporary airfield
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 51 [never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
7-8 Inf XX 9 (Aus) [never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
2-8 Inf X 16 [never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
3-8 Art X 13 [never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
2-8 Inf X 23 [never moved; technically still Black U-4]
one step of attack supply [turn reinf; successfully sea transported into Tobruch in the M. Phase]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved; technically still Black U-3]
12 gsp’s [generated on the Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase from a step of attack supply present in the Tobruch hex; these provide special general supply this turn and in the following Jul I 41 Axis turn; they will be removed from the map at the end of step 23 of the Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase, after the supply determination step of that turn]

In Egypt [end of turn]:

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail junction coast hex]:
railhead marker
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
8 Inf XX HQ 50 Nth [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 150 [RP build at step 14 of the I. Phase, placed at Alexandria; admin moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 151 [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and then railed to here]
3-8 Inf X 22 G [began turn at 19A:1721; regular moved to here]
1-8 AT II 65 [RP build at step 14 of the I. Phase, placed at Alexandria; admin moved to here]
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 68 [began turn at Alexandria; admin moved to here]
P-40C  5F5  1/13 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; turn conversion of the Glad F type air unit beginning the turn at 19A:1418, done at step 14 of the I. Phase; air transferred to here in the E. Phase]
Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [inop.; turn ARP build, placed at 19A:1418 at step 14 of the I. Phase; air transferred to here in the E. Phase]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 57 [began turn at Matruh; moved to here]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop.; began turn at Alexandria; on Jun II 41 Axis E. Phase did a non-phasing air transfer to Alexandria from Lattique; in the current E. Phase it flew a strat port bombing air mission to Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); Hit; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at Alexandria; in the E. Phase staged to 19A:1418 and flew a strat port bombing air mission at night to Derna (18A:4116); Miss; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; turn reinf, placed at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the E. Phase staged to 19A:1418 and flew a strat port bombing air mission at night to Derna (18A;4116); Hit; returned to base here]

19A:1319 [clear terrain major rail line coast hex, SW of Matruh]:
7-10* Arm XX 7 [assembled here from its components at the end of the M. Phase, then remained here until the turn’s end]

• 1-2-10* Mot SG X AA=1 7 [began turn here; at the end of the M. Phase assembled into the  7-10* Arm XX 7]
• 3-2-10 Arm X 7 [began turn at 19A:1419; regular moved to here, then assembled into the 7-10* Arm XX 7]
• 3-2-10 Arm X 3 [RP build at step 14 of the I. Phase; placed at Alexandria; admin moved to here and assembled into the 7-10* Arm XX 7]

1-10* Mot SG X AA=1 2 [began turn at 19A:1419; regular moved west along the coast road to hex 19A:0618, capturing for the Allies the point city of Sidi Barrani (19A:0718) and the road road hexes it entered along the way; exploited back to here]
6-4-6 Tnk X 1 T [began turn here; never moved]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn here; regular moved along the Siwi Oasis road to 19A:0725, capturing for the Allies the road hexes along the way; exploited back to here]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [British; began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]

19A:1320 [clear terrain hex]:

0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn at Lattique (20A;3405), on the Vichy French Levant Mediterranean coastline; technically Black U-1, but in special general supply via a gsp in the Lattique hex in the I. Phase; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was sea transported in an E Med NTP to Matruh, and after disembarking it regular moved to here]

19A:1419 [clear terrain hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [RP build at step 14 of the I. Phase, placed at Alexandria; railed to 19A:1519, then regular moved to here]
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]

19A:1520 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8 Inf X 1 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to 19A;1519, then regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 3 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to 19A;1519, then regular moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 6 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to 19A;1519, then regular moved to here]

19A:1620 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1520; moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 5 (SA) [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]

19A:1721 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1620; moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 2 (SA) [began turn at Matruh; regular moved to here]

El Alamein 19A:2119/20A:5033 [clear terrain point city major rail coast road hex]:
2-cap temporary airfield
two-turn fort under construction; began in the Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase; projected to be complete on the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began turn here; building a 2-turn fort in the hex; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [RP build at step 14 of the I. Phase, placed at Alexandria; regular moved to here]
8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria; regular moved to here]
0-8 Hv AA II AA=1 2 (Aus) [began turn at Haifa; railed to here]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 [inop.; began turn at Matruh; in the E. Phase flew a tac port bombing air mission to Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); Miss; returned to base here]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 SAAF [inop.; turn reinf; placed at Matruh at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the E. Phase flew a tac port bombing air mission to Porto Bardiya (19A:0318); Miss; returned to base here]

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [major port/full city hex/major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
0-2-8 Hv AA X 1 NMBDO (RM) [turn RP build; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; never moved]
Glad  3F3  0/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

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

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

In Palestine [{in the M. & C. Phases}/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.

Tel Aviv (20A:5011) [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to here, just making it]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [inop.; began turn at Haifa; in the C. Phase it successfully flew the GS air mission over the Damas target hex (20A:4505), evading its intrinsic flack factor; returned to base here]

Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:
Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. Probably more later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios.]
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked at Haifa; remained here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 (RAAF) [inop.; turn reinf; placed at Tel Aviv at step 14 of the I. Phase; at the end of the M. Phase flew the CAP air mission over Lebanese coast hex 20A:4308, in the Vichy French Levant; in the C. Phase it switched to the interception air mission over the target hex and successfully bypassed the Axis escorts in the target hex; returned to base here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it flew the interception air mission over the 20A:4308 target hex, where it successfully bypassed the Axis escorts present there and engaged in air combat w/ the Vichy French LeO 451 B type air unit flying the DAS air mission, Aborting the Axis air unit; returned to base here]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it successfully flew the GS air mission over the Damas target hex (20A:4505), evading its intrinsic flack factor; returned to base here]

Safad (20A:4608) [rough terrain point city hex]:
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked at Haifa and moved to here]

20A:4808 [clear terrain secondary rail hex]:

{one step of attack supply [turn reinf; disembarked at Haifa and spent 3 SMPs in the M. Phase moving along the transportation line to here; in the C. Phase this step of attack supply provided attack supply to 10 REs of attacking Allied ground units in the Vichy French Levant; the step of attack supply was removed from the maps at the end of the C. Phase]}

Activated Allied Task Force in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Zone:

RN-1 4 pt TF (RN)

• Per WW Rule 27A4-Task Force Availability, this Allied task force was activated at step 14 of the I. Phase and placed at the Haifa major port hex.  In the naval movement step of the M. Phase it moved to all-sea hex 20A:4309, adjacent to the Lebanese coastline.  In the C. Phase it added its 4 factor NGS strength to the ground combat occurring at adjacent Vichy French Levant coast hex 20A:4308, per WW Rule 34A-Naval Gunfire Support (NGS).  At the end of the Allied turn it was removed from the maps and placed in the Used Box of the Royal Naval Availability Box.

Allied Units in the Vichy French Levant [end of turn]:

Sour (20A:4509) [clear terrain point city transportation line coast hex]:
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn at 20A:4808, in Palestine; moved to here]

Saida (20A:4408) [rough terrain point city transportation line coast hex]:
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn here; in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; remained here after combat]

20A:4308 [rough terrain coast road hex, S of Beyrouth]
7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4508; moved one hex to Saida (20A:4408); in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; advanced into the hex after combat]
2-8 Inf X 14 [began turn at Saida (20A:4408); in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; advanced into the hex after combat]
2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [RP build at step 14 of the I. Phase, placed at Alexandria; railed to Haifa and then regular moved to Saida (20A;4308); in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; advanced into the hex after combat]

2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked at Haifa and then regular moved to Saida (20A:4408); in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; advanced into the hex after the combat]

20A:4407 [rough terrain hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 6 [began turn at Sadia (20A:4408); moved one hex to here; in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; remained here after combat]
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began turn at Saidia (20A:4408); moved one hex to here; in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; remained here after combat]
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at Safad (20A:4608), in Palestine; regular moved to here; in C. Phase attacked the 2 Vichy French units at 20A:4308; remained here after combat]

20A:4507 [ravines hex]:
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at 20A:4609, in Palestine; regular moved to here]

20A:4506 [clear terrain hex, SW of Damas]:
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4708; regular moved to here; in C. Phase attacked the Vichy French unit at Damas (20A:4505); remained here after combat]
2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [began turn 20A:4708; regular moved to here; in C. Phase attacked the Vichy French unit at Damas (20A:4505); remained here after combat; did not exploit, ended turn here]

Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn at 20A:4707; regular moved to 20A:4506; in C. Phase attacked the Vichy French unit at Damas; advanced into Damas after combat]

20A:4504 [clear terrain road junction hex, NE of Damas]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4706; regular moved to here; in C. Phase attacked the Vichy French unit at Damas (20A:4505); remained here after combat]

20A:4604 [clear terrain hex, SE of Damas]:
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at 20A:4807; moved to here; in C. Phase attacked the Vichy French unit at Damas (20A:4505); remained here after combat]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began turn here; still technically Black U-1 in the I. Phase, but in special general supply via a gsp in the hex in the I. Phase; never moved.  Note: earlier website postings indicated this unit to be Red U-1 this turn, but this was an error; it became technically Black U-1 on the previous  Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase.]

Deir ez Zoir (21A:3922) [clear terrain reference city road junction hex]:
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:3213, in northeastern Vichy French Syria; admin moved along the road to Deir ez Zoir]

22A:4402 [rough terrain hex]:
2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab [began turn at 21A:3116; regular moved along the road to 21A:4229, capturing Deir ez Zoir (21A:3922) and Palmyre (21A:4129) for the Allies; exploited to here, moving around the Vichy French A-8 Mot Cav II Lev (TS) unit.  Note:  In several of the earlier Axis player turn game reports, the Vichy French A-8 Cav II Lev (TS) unit has been erroneously designated as a regiment (III) instead of a battalion (II), as it really is.  This has been corrected in the website game report postings.]

21A:4432 [stony desert road hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq; regular moved along the road to 21A:4430 in Vichy French Syria, capturing the Vichy French Levant point city Jebel Tenef (21A:4718) for the Allies; exploited to here]

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

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 Allied Exploitation Phase the Axis NE Command Conditional Reinforcement Ger LW Ju 52 T type air unit, beginning the turn at Beyrouth (20A:4207), in the Vichy French Levant, does a non-phasing air transfer mission to the 3-cap airfield at Rodi (20A:2331) on the island of Rodi, in the Dodecanese.

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

{3-2-10 Arm X 3 [eliminated in combat at El Agheila (18A:2930), in Libya, on the Mar II 41 Axis C. Phase; Br arm RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

{8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; NZ inf RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

{2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; NZ inf RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

{8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; Aus inf RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

{2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; Aus inf RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

{0-2-6 HV AA X 1 NMBDO (RN) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; Br inf RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

{1-8 AT II 65 [eliminated in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase, when it participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; eliminated in the HX combat result; Br inf RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

{2-8 Inf X 150 [eliminated in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase, when it participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; eliminated in the HX combat result; Br inf RP build this turn; placed at Alexandria]}

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]

Aborted Air Units Box:

{Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; ARP build this turn; placed at 19A:1418, in Egypt]}

Eliminated Air Units Box:

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

Forming Box:

3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk)
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo)

In the Allied Near East Command:

• Iraqi coup collapse occurred in the May II 41 Axis I. Phase, per the dice roll done then using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table. At that time all Iraqi forces/production are removed from the map and the Iraq Replacement Pool. By the end of the I. Phase all Iraqi territory is Allied owned; except in our case the Mosul hex, which at the time contained the Axis Conditional Reinforcement Ger LW Mxd A type air unit.
• The new Allied Iraqi railnet-cap is 3 1/2.

Allied Regular Reinforcements, Jul  I 41 Allied Turn.

Near East:

Arrive:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind)

In pro-Allied Iraq [end of turn]:

• A closer look at the WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons (WW Rule 37E), at its Iraq/Iran Chart listing, has resulted in a new provisional (read: tentative, pending further input) interpretation of the WW Iraq garrison requirement, at least for the unfinished WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, if not also for WW Scenarios.  It appears that at the horizontal line on the Chart designated as “EJIS-Sep I 41”, which stipulates an Allied Iraqi garrison of 1 Arm RE (see below), 4 Gar REs (normally the two Col 0-1-4 Static IIs plus some available Ind inf Xs), one HQ RE (normally an available Ind inf XX HQ unit), and one Air [unit] (normally the available Br Addax air unit), it should be understood to be in effect beginning on the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase, at step 17, at the “earliest”, assuming a prior coup Iraq surrender done before the Jul II 41 turn.  An Iraqi “surrender” occurs only if there has been an Iraqi coup between the Jan I 41 and the Jun II 41 turns inclusive, per WW Rule 38J4-[Iraqi] Coup.  The “EJIS-Sep I 41” horizontal line Iraqi garrison requirement date of Jul II 41 at the “earliest,” after the coup Iraq surrender, is important because it conveniently allows for the timely Arrival of the Jul I 41 Allied NE Command regular Reinforcement 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) 1 RE “Arm” ground unit to Iraq, which is evidently precisely the intended “Arm” unit for this WW garrison requirement.  Note the available Br 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab is a mot inf unit, and not an arm unit, and cannot fulfill the Arm garrison requirement of WW Game Play Chart 5.

Mosul (21A:3509) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:3213, just inside the Vichy French Syrian border; moved to here]
Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied owned]
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:2833; admin moved 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]
Audax 1A1 1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Baghdad 22A:2825 [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
one hit marker on airbase
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:3423; admin moved to here]
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [NE Command turn regular reinforcement; disembarked at Basra and admin moved to 22A:3423; exploited to Baghdad]
21A:4318 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to the Vichy French Syrian border]:
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4819, in Iraq; regular moved northwards to Abu Kemal (21A:4319), just inside the Vichy French Levant border, capturing the Syrian point city for the Allies, and then turned and moved to hex 21A:4318, ending its move back in Iraq]

22A:3524 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:4021; in E. Phase spent 5 SMPs moving along the transportation line 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
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
three steps of attack supply [all began turn here; all never moved]

Turn Activity

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied units at the isolated Tobruch hex that began the turn at technically Red U-4 now essentially remain at the U-4 status, as per WW Optional Rule 12E, U-4 is in effect the most severe general supply state for a unit. Therefore in the EA reported Scenario we will not note with numbered markers any further turns out of general supply than the severest U-4 status.  All 8 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 16 gsp’s in the hex; 12 were generated from a step of attack supply present in the hex on the Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase, and 4 were generated in the Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase at an on-map Allied standard supply terminal hex and then sea transported that same turn into the Tobruch port hex.  At Malta the 4 REs of Allied ground units beginning the turn there are all technically Red U-2, but draw special general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase from the 4 gsp’s also in the hex, generated on the Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase at Gibraltar and sea transported that same turn to the Valletta hex, on Malta.  The two Allied ground units beginning the turn in the Lattique port hex on the Vichy French Levant Mediterranean coastline are in special general supply by virtue of the 2 gsp’s in the hex generated on the Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase and sea transported to there that turn.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Glad F type air unit beginning the turn at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 19A:1418, in Egypt, converts to a Hurri 1 F type air unit.  The Allied player spends one of the ME Command’s turn reinforcement ARPs to rebuild the Hurri 1 F type air unit in the Middle East Replacement Pool Aborted Air Units Box, which moved over from the Balkan Command Replacement Pool, and places it at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 19A:1418, along with the turn conversion Hurri 1 air unit just placed there.  The reinforcement Well 1C NB air unit is placed at Alexandria and the reinforcement SAAF A-22 A type air unit is placed at Matruh.  The reinforcement RAAF (Australian) Hurri 1 F type air unit is placed at Tel Aviv (20A:5011), in Palestine.  In the naval movement step of the Movement Phase one of the Arriving ARPs is embarked on a turn reinforcement NTP and is sea transported to Malta via Gibraltar, at the Allied player’s choice (eg., entering the ME Command via either the Red Sea on 19A or via Gibraltar on 18A), entering into an all-sea hex on the west edge of map 18A, similar to the Gibraltar convoys proviso of WW Rule 41B1-Western Desert Campaign.  Similarly, the Malta reinforcement Br 0-1-8 Hv AA II 4 unit arrives on-map at the same all-sea hex on the west edge of map 18A, per WW Rules 40A3 and 40B1.  See below for additional details of the Malta cargo convoy.  The remaining 3 turn reinforcement ARPs are stored in the Alexandria hex.  Per WW Rule 35D-NTP Replacements, the two Allied E Med NTPs sunk on the previous Jun II 41 Allied turn by Axis Naval Patrol hits are replaced in the I. Phase.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player rebuilds with RPs a number of ground units from his now chock full Middle East Command Replacement Pool, and places these RP rebuilds at the Alexandria hex, greatly overstacking the hex there.  But note that per WW Rule 8B “the stacking limit is in force at the end of each movement, combat, and exploitation phase,” but not at the end of the I. Phase.  Specifically, he rebuilds the 3-2-10 Arm X 3 (3 arm RPs), the RM 0-2-6 Hv AA X 1 NMBDO (2 Br inf RPs), the 2-8 Inf X 150 (2 Br inf RPs), the 1-8 AT II 65 (1 Br inf RP), the NZ 8 Inf XX HQ 4 (1 NZ inf RP), the NZ 2-8 Inf X 4 (2 NZ inf RPs), the Aus 8 Inf XX HQ 6 (1 Aus inf RP), and the Aus 2-8 Inf X 17 (2 Aus inf RPs).

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player activates the RN-1 4 pt TF, per WW Rule 27A4, now available again in the new 3rd quarter, and places it at the Haifa major port hex, in Palestine.

In the I. Phase, at step 16, the Allied player generates 4 new gsp’s at the Suez and Alexandria Allied Standard Supply sources.

At step 22 of the I. Phase neither side announces any CAP air missions, but the Axis player assigns to the Naval Patrol air mission the two Ger LW Ju 87B D type air units based at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) and the Ger LW Ju 88A4 B type and It SM 79-2 B type (V code) air units, both based at Scarpanto (19A:0701).  But as a precaution, the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit based at Derna remains operative, just in case of surprises this turn.

At step 24 of the I. Phase all the old gsp’s that were generated on the Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase are removed from the map.  Those would be the 4 at the Valletta hex, on Malta, the 4 old gsp’s at the Tobruch hex, and the 2 gsp’s at the Lattique hex, on the Vichy French Levant Mediterranean coastline.

In the naval movement step of the M. Phase, the first thing the Allied player does is determine the outcome of his naval transport itinerary to Malta.  He sea transports on a turn reinforcement NTP a reinf ARP (1/2 RE, per WW Rule 3A3) and on another turn reinforcement NTP the Malta reinforcement Br 0-2-8 Hv AA II 4 ground unit.  On a W Med NTP he transports 4 gsp’s, generated at Gibraltar in the I. Phase.  All three NTPs come into the Cent Med sea zone from Gibraltar.  When the three NTPs enter all-sea hex 18A:0108, on the west edge of map 18A, he uses the 9 column of the Naval Table, per WW Rule 31E1.  The 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar make it to Valletta, on Malta, as does also the 0-2-8 hvy AA II, but the turn reinf NTP carrying the reinf ARP rolls an 11, a Contact.  In this case, I believe the Outside Naval Interdiction Zones column is used for Unit/[Air] Replacement Point Contacted Cargo, and a 2 is rolled: Return!  And so the Allied ARP is “returned” to off-map Gibraltar, where next turn it will undoubtedly try again to sea transport to Malta, but then on an E Med NTP, rather than on a turn reinf NTP, as done now.  But note that with the arrival of the welcome Br hv AA II, the Allied player currently doesn’t have enough gsp’s at Malta to get all his units in special general supply in the upcoming Axis Jul I 41 I. Phase.

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 naval movement step action activities picture included below in the game report.  He then begins to execute his sea transport schedule for besieged and isolated Tobruch.  This turn it’s a dangerous game, as he must sea transport to Tobruch preferably a step of attack supply and/or as many as possible of the 8 available gsp’s generated in the I. Phase from his two on-map standard supply sources at either Alexandria or Suez.  The voyages will be through a gauntlet of hazards, as the Axis player is ready for him with some of his air assets on the Naval Patrol air mission, and Tobruch is now considered in the Central Med sea zone, and therefore each Allied NTP is liable for Axis anti-shipping dice rolls on the Naval Table, on the 9 column.

#1.   An E Med NTP is used to sea transport 2 gsp’s from Alexandria to Tobruch.  From Alexandria, its first naval movement point expenditure takes it to adjacent all-sea hex 20A:4931/19A:2317, at night.  It proceeds westwards through the next two all-sea hexes, under cover of night, entering and traversing Egyptian coast hex 19A:2018 on the 4th and 5th naval movement points, as it takes 2 naval movement points to traverse a coastal hex, per the Naval MP Costs Summary.  It moves west along the Egyptian coastline at night until the 2nd required naval movement point expenditure at Egyptian coast hex 19A:1719, which must be in daylight, as by then it has expended the maximum 10 consecutive naval movement points at night, per WW Rule 34B2.  From this point in the naval movement count the E Med NTP carrying the 2 gsp’s from Alexandria begins expending the required minimum 20 consecutive naval movement points in daylight, per WW Rule 34B2, spending 2 points per coastal hex, except when diverting once from the coast hexes to enter all-sea hex 19A:1417, until it enters and traverses the Sidi Barrani coast hex on the 19th and 20th naval movement point expenditures.  Here the Allied player briefly pauses, waiting to see if the Axis player does anything, and then goes ahead and enters adjacent all-sea hex 19A:0617, at night, which means that he can make it to the Tobruch hex using entirely night movement and thus avoid the Axis Naval Patrol air mission attacks, which can be done only in the daytime.  So the Axis player doesn’t bite the bait of the gsp’s, and is evidently waiting for the anticipated big turn reinforcement convoy carrying one of the steps of attack supply, requiring at least 3 turn reinforcement NTPs.  When the E Med NTP sea transporting the 2 gsp’s from Alexandria enters map 18A the Allied player must roll the dice for Axis anti-shipping contact in the Cent Med sea zone, using the 9 column on the Naval Table, and comes up with a 5: no contact, and so it and its cargo arrives safely at Tobruch, under the cover of darkness.

#2.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport the remaining 2 gsp’s at Alexandria to Tobruch, using the same sea route and day-night chronology as above.  The Axis player again refuses to allocate his available assigned Naval Patrol assets on a Contact attempt, and the Allied player again avoids Contact with Axis anti-shipping forces upon entering the Cent Med sea zone on map 18A.  And two more gsp’s make it safely to the Tobruch hex, for a total of 4, so far.

#3.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport 2 gsp’s from Suez to Tobruch, and beginning at the Alexandria coastal hex uses the same voyaging procedures as indicated above.  The same as above happens on this voyage and so two more gsp’s make it safely into Tobruch, for a total of 6 so far.

#4.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport the remaining 2 gsp’s at Suez to Tobruch, using the same procedures as indicated for voyage #3, but this time the Axis anti-shipping forces get to work and a Contact is rolled on the Naval Table (a 10), and a 4 is rolled on the Supply/Resource Item column of the Shipping Results Table: Eliminated.  And so the E Med NTP is sunk, along with its cargo of 2 gsp’s from Suez.  Consequently, on the naval movement step of his Jul II 41 turn the Allied player will have available only 9 E Med NTPs, and not the normal 10, until step 14 of the I. Phase of his Aug I 41 turn, when he can replace the lost E Med NTP, per WW Rule 35D.

#5.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport the Br 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME from Lattique, on the Vichy French Syrian Mediterranean coastline to Matruh, in Egypt.  From all-sea hex 20A:4533/19A:1915 it uses night movement for the last 9 hexes to the Matruh coast hex.  The Axis player does not attempt a Naval Patrol contact roll.

#6.  The Allied player can no longer stave off his most critical sea transport voyage, and must now use 3 turn reinforcement NTPs to sea transport one of the turn reinforcement steps of attack supply to Tobruch, entering the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal.  He uses the same route and time schedule as indicated above; but this time the Axis player plays the game differently.  At Egyptian coastal hex 19A:0918, on the 15th consecutive naval movement point expenditure in daylight, which would be the first of the two required to traverse the said coast hex, the Axis player rolls for Contact on the Success Table, using the Ger LW Ju 88A4 B type air unit based at Scarpanto, which is 18 hexes away from the target hex at 19A:0918, on the Egyptian coastline.  There’s a +3 modifier for calm seas, a +1 modifier for the Allied naval unit being in a friendly coastal hex, and a -3 modifier for the 18 hex range, which tallies to a net +1 modifier on the Success Table.  And the Axis player rolls a 6: Contact!  But next the Allied player rolls a 3 on the 2 factor flack shot: an Abort, and so in a typical twist of fate the vulnerable naval group survives the first Axis air attack and the formidable Ger LW Ju 88A4 air units lands in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool.  But now the Allied player, in somewhat of a panic, says to heck with this coast-hugging strategy and abruptly turns due north on his 16th naval movement point expenditure, perhaps churning the water behind his transports in a wide frothy arc, seeking better safety in the adjacent all-sea hex 19A:0917, due north.  Forthwith the Axis player again rolls for Naval Patrol contact, now using the two Ger LW Ju 87B D type air units based at Ain el Gazala, on extended range, 14 hexes away.  This time the modifiers are +3 for calm seas and -2 for the 14 hex range, for a net +1 modifier.  But the Axis player rolls low for a Failure, and so the two Ju 87 B air units are flipped to inoperative in the Ain el Gazala hex.  But it’s not over yet.  The Allied player must expend 4 more naval movement points in daylight, for a total of 5 expended since the Contact with the Axis B type air unit based at Scarpanto.  At all-sea hex 19A:0518, at the 20th and last naval movement point expenditure in daylight (due to the sudden change in the voyage route), the Axis player rolls for a Contact attempt using the Italian SM 79-2 B type air unit (V code) based at Scarpanto.  There’s a +3 modifier for calm seas and a -3 for the 18 hex range, for a 0 modifier; but the Axis player rolls a 4: Failure.  And so the Allied naval group carrying the reinforcement step of attack supply enters the next all-sea hex at night.  It eventually moves onto map 18A and the Cent Med sea zone, but it rolls good on the Naval Table and thereby avoids the Cent Med Axis anti-shipping forces.  And after all the Allied player gets his desperately needed step of attack supply into Tobruch, so he can convert it to 12 gsp’s in the upcoming Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase, keeping practically the entire amount of the rib-sticking U-4 ground units present in the Tobruch hex in special general supply for another couple of player turns.

The Allied player then sea transports his remaining ME Command turn reinforcements first to Alexandria and then to Haifa.  See the text above and the pictures below for details.  Finally the Allied player moves the RN-1 4 pt TF (RN) from the Haifa major port hex to all-sea hex 20A:4309, adjacent to the Vichy French Levant coast hex 20A:4308.

Detail of the Allied ground unit railing done in the ground movement step of the M. Phase:

• 0-8 Hv AA II AA=1 2 (Aus) [began turn at Haifa; railed to El Alamein]
• 2-8 Inf X 151 [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to Matruh]
• 2-8 Inf X 1 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to 19A:1519]
• 2-8 Inf X 3 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to 19A:1519]
• 2-8 Inf X 6 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to 19A:1519]
• 8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [RP build in the I. Phase, placed at Alexandria; railed to 19A:1519]
• 2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [RP build in the I. Phase; placed at Alexandria; railed to Haifa]
• 1-8 MG II 2 Ch [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria and railed to Tel Aviv]

At the end of the M. Phase the turn reinforcement Australian Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit, placed at Tel Aviv (20A:5011) at step 14 of the I. Phase, flies the CAP air mission over the Vichy French Levant Mediterranean coast hex at 20A:4308.  Although in patrol or interception range of the two Axis fighters in Vichy French Lebanon, the Axis player declines to engage now the Allied fighter.  He will wait to fight when the situation becomes clearer in the C. Phase, after he commits his meager DAS against the ominous upcoming Allied attacks.

In the Allied Combat Phase the Axis player knows that that an Allied attack is certain at rough terrain Lebanese coast hex 20A:4308 and very likely at Damas (20A:4505).  He sends the Vichy Fr LeO 451  3B5  2-5/25 air unit on the DAS air mission to the 20A:4308 target hex, with the Vichy Fr D 520  6F5  0/11 and the Ger LW Me 110C  5HF5  1/12 as escorts.  Forthwith, the Allied player flies the Br Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 air unit based at Haifa, in Palestine, on the interception air mission, and he switches the RAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit flying the CAP air mission at the target hex to the intercept air mission.  However, both Allied air units opt to bypass the Axis fighter screen of the Ger LW Me 110C and Vichy Fr D520 air units.  The Axis player allots his two fighter air units against the two bypassing Allied air units and manages to roll high on both his dice rolls on the Air Combat Results Table, for two (-)’s.  And so the two Allied Hurri F type air units engage the hapless Vichy Fr Leo 451 B type air unit.  The Br Hurri 1 air unit engages first and rolls an Abort, and so the LeO 451 air unit is placed in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool. And the at the end of the combat the two Allied F type air units return to their respective bases, as do also the two escorting Axis air units.

At the Lebanese rough terrain coast road hex 20A:4308, south of Beyrouth, are the Vichy French 2-1-8* Lt Arm III 6 CdA (Afr) and the 2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr).  Attacking this Vichy French hex from the south, at coast road hex 20A:4408, are the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus), the 2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus), the Br 2-8 Inf X 14, the 2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus), and the 2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind).  Of this Allied stack, the first 4 receive attack supply.  Attacking the Vichy French hex from the southeast, at adjacent hex 20A:4407, from across a mountain hexside, are the Br 8* Inf XX HQ 6, the 2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind), and the 3-8* Mtn X Carp (Pol).  Only the last unit, the Polish mtn X, receives attack supply.  Finally, from all-sea hex 20A:4309, the RN-1 TF (RN) adds its 4 strength NGS to the combat at adjacent coast hex 20A:4308.  The combat tallies are 3 supported defense factors for the Axis player and an adjusted Allied attack factor total of 21.5 (due to attack supply considerations & the mountain hexside), for a 7 to 1, -2.  There’s a -1 for the rough terrain and a -1 for the defending stack’s 1/10 AECD capability, due to the Vichy Fr lt arm III.  The Allied player rolls a 5, which modifies to a 3: a DE.  And so after the combat most of the Allied stack at 20A:4408 enters hex 20A:4308, except for the Aus 2-8 eng X, which remains where it was.

Next the Allied player attacks the Vichy Fr 1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (Afr), at Damas (20A:4505), but not before he sends to the Damas target hex the Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 and Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air units, both based at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, on the GS air mission.  Both Allied air units make it past the intrinsic 1 flack factor at the Vichy French Damas hex.  Attacking Damas from adjacent hex 20A:4506 are the 3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF), the 1-8 Art II 1 (Aus), and the Br 2-1-6 Tank II 4 RT, all units in this hex (a total of 2 REs) receiving attack supply.  Attacking Damas from adjacent hex 20A:4604 is the Br 1-8 Cav X 6; this unit is without attack supply and is there as cannon fodder, just in case of an EX or HX.  Finally, the 2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind), at adjacent hex 20A:4504, attacks Damas, in attack supply.  In this combat case the Axis defense factor of 2 at the Damas hex is being attacked by an adjusted Allied attack factor of 10.25 (including the 2 GS tac factors), for a straight up 5 to 1.  The die roll is a 2: a DR, which in this case, with the enclosed ZOCs, is good for a DE.  And so the Vichy Fr 1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (AFR) is placed in the Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool and the two Allied air units providing GS rebase in Palestine.  The Free French inf X enters Damas after combat.  Finally, the turn reinforcement step of attack of supply at hex 20A:4808, in Palestine, is removed from the map, expended after giving attack supply to 10 REs of attacking Allied ground units in the two Combat Phase ground attacks occurring in the Vichy French Levant.

In the E. Phase the Allied player uses the two Br Well 1C NB air units based at Alexandria to do a strat port bombing air mission to the Derna target hex at 18A:4116, at night.  They stage to 19A:1418 and then fly to the Derna target hex, scoring one Hit at the Axis minor port, evading the It 0-8 lt flk II’s 1 flack factor, and then they both return to base at Matruh.  After the Derna air mission, the Br Blen 4 air unit does a strat port bombing air mission to the Porto Bardiya hex, in Libya, at 19A:0318, along with the 2 tac bombing Allied A-22 A type air units.  All 3 port bombing air missions are done at daylight, and the Blen 4 air unit scores a Hit.  See the text above or the pictures below for the rebasing details of these three Allied air units.

Finally, the Ger LW Ju 52 T type air unit beginning the turn at Beyrouth, in the Vichy French Levant, does a non-phasing air transfer back to the Dodecanese island of Rodi, and bases at the 3-cap permanent airfield at point city/standard port hex of Rodi (20A:2230).  This Ger LW air unit is an Axis NE Command Conditional Reinforcement unit, as is also the Ger LW Me 110C HF type air unit, still in Vichy French Lebanon, at the 1-cap permanent airstrip at Rayak.

At the beginning of the turn Allies had the following accumulated replacements: 10.5 Br inf, 2.5 Br arm, 0 Allied ARPs, 3.5 Aus inf, and 3.5 NZ inf RPs. All items were stored at the Alexandria hex.  After receiving their Production reinforcements and prior to any I. Phase builds, the Allied player briefly had a revised inventory of the following accumulated replacements:  12.5 Br inf, 3.5 Br arm, 5 Allied ARPs, 4.5 Aus inf, 4.5 NZ inf, and 1 Ind inf.  After the replacement builds done at step 14 of the I. Phase the Allies had the following final player turn inventory of accumulated replacements:  7.5 Br inf, .5 Br arm, 1.5 Aus inf, 1.5 NZ inf, 1 Ind inf, and 3 Allied ARPs.  All items are stored at the Alexandria hex.  One available Allied ARP is currently off-map at Gibraltar.

Commentary

The Allies receive a large amount of reinforcements and production this turn, enabling them to simultaneously reinforce both the Vichy French Levant invasion front and their Egyptian Western Desert protective shield, perhaps thus definitely proscribing the earlier 1941 aggressive Axis schemes of dominating both the Western Desert and the Near East, in their apparent pursuit of Victory in the world war, prior to the then unknown Russian campaign.  And the new reality of Barbarossa apparently fixes the course of the now subsidiary Axis North African campaign, perhaps even as early as this Jul I 41 turn.  Already the Axis forces in the Western Desert seem fitted between a rock and a hard place:  in between the big Allied bastion at Tobruch and the corresponding stout Western Desert stop line at Matruh.  Already the Axis is being set up for a Crusader-type offensive pinch, which is surely coming, pending the steadily growing strength of the Allies in the MTO, which just might dispel the false illusion of Axis strength perceived in besieging Tobruch and staying the newly formed 8th Army at its Egyptian desert shield line.

And it is perhaps only via Europa that wargamers see this larger real unfolding vista of modern world war struggle that is likely obscured in other more tactical focused games, that magnify and bring to life the tanks, the ships, the infantryman weapons, and the planes that individual soldiers manipulate in their struggle against other enemy individual soldiers, like the ancient gladiators did in the Coliseum, for the pleasure of the Roman audience.

It appears the 1941 pre-Barbarossa “Enter Rommel” epoch has nearly ended in the Western Desert and the Middle East, when capturing Tobruch, intervening effectively in pro-Axis coup Iraq, intriguing with the Vichy French in the Levant to the detriment of Britain’s Middle East position, and ultimately plunging deep into Egypt with the mobile Afrika Korps were the Axis plans of the day.  Now a new epoch of protracted Western Desert warfare, of siege warfare at fortified bastions and at static desert stop lines, along with the necessary continuous supply considerations for modern overseas fighting armies comes to the fore in North Africa, all done to seize mastery of the southern flank in the world war.

But the game isn’t over, yet.  The Allies are still quite vulnerable at Tobruch, both in the defense factor count and in maintaining supply, and even this very next Axis turn the important Allied stack at Matruh is also at risk of destruction, with only 9 defense factors.  For awhile longer in this game the Allied player can make no mistakes in counting the hexes separating the two Nazi German panzer XXs from the Allied Egyptian desert shield line, in terms of both an outright attack at either of its two westernmost hexes and/or overruns at the remoter eastward ones.  He cannot bungle his defense factor counts at either Tobruch or at the Egyptian stop line, and he must be careful with his air assets in Egypt, allotting some for DAS and some for Harassment.  His nemesis is his “big mistake” in the technical set-up on the maps, which is only waiting to happen, and the Axis player knows it.  For those EA members who may wish to be reassured now, next turn the Allied player will certainly send harassment air missions to Egyptian hex 19A:1321.  But this reassurance only decreases the amount of DAS assets maybe needed at Matruh, that same turn.  But the Axis nemesis is that very desperate necessity to soon attack the Allies at either Tobruch or at the Allied Egyptian desert shield, even at risky odds, for the sake of the sweet nod from Victory, and thereby perhaps escape the emerging world war reality of a coming Crusader-type offensive, and later an impenetrable El Alamein stop wall, and finally ultimate defeat in North Africa after inevitably retreating into some wretched and forsaken coastal enclave.

EOT Dispositions

Axis Med/NA Command

Axis Conditional Reinforcements, per WW Desert and the Balkans Scenario, WW Axis Order of Battle, p. 24:

German:

Med/NA:
Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from Balkans:

Available in Europe:
1 x He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22
3 x Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26
1 x Me 109F1  6F6  1/8

Return:
1 x Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12

Mainland Europe off-map holding box [end of turn]:
3.5 Italian inf Replacement Points at the start of the turn, no builds this turn.
1 Ger ARP at the start of the turn, no builds this turn.
1 It ARP at the start of the turn, no builds this turn.

In Sicily [end of turn]:

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

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
Ca 309  2B1  1/L/9 [inop.; began turn here; did Malta Status tac bombing air mission at the very beginning of the M. Phase; Miss; returned to base here]
Cr 42  3F3  0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

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

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

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

Malta on the Jun II 41 Axis turn:

Malta Status: 9, at the start of the turn, +1 for Malta Status bombing hit done prior to the naval movement step of the M. Phase, =10.

Valetta hex flak: 5 (3 intrinsic + 2 for the 0-1-8 hv AA II’s 2 flack factors)

4 gsp’s are present in the Valletta hex at the start of the Axis player turn, generated on the previous Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase. All Allied forces on Malta are in special general supply this turn.

Western Desert (Libya & Egypt) [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]
4 steps of attack supply [all began turn here; never moved]

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

Misurata (18A:1022) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap temporary airfield
BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [inop.; began turn here; did Malta Status strat bombing daylight air mission at the very beginning of the M. Phase; Miss; returned to base here]

18A:1427 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli; spent 18 SMPs moving along the road to here in the E. Phase]

Sirte (18A:1727) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
fort marker
3-cap permanent airfield
1 resource point
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 [inop.; Axis Conditional Reinforcement: Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from Balkans; at step 14 of the I. Phase was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield @ 18A:0603, at Sicily; did Malta Status strat bombing air mission at the very beginning of the M. Phase; Miss; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26  [inop.; Axis Conditional Reinforcement: Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from Balkans; at step 14 of the I. Phase was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield @ 18A:0603, at Sicily; did Malta Status strat bombing air mission at the very beginning of the M. Phase; Miss; returned to base here]

18A:2027 [sand coast road hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:0925; admin moved along road to here]

18A:2428 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 9 LA (Ger) [began turn at 18A:0925; admin moved to here]
step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:1927, spent 5 SMPs moving along the coast road to here in the E. Phase]

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

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

Agedabia (18A:3327) [clear terrain point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 18A:1627, SW of Sirte; admin moved 12 hexes along the coast road to 18A:2829; exploited to here]

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

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

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

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

Derna (18A:4116) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-6 Lt AA II AA=1 38 [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 [inop.; Axis Conditional Reinforcement: Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from Balkans; at step 14 of the I. Phase was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield @ Licata (18A:0102), on Sicily; in the E. Phase it staged to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya, where it then loaded the resource point there and air transported the supply cargo (see WW Optional Rule 23E3), flying a 1-way regular transport mission to here (see WW Rule 20F1)]
1 step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya; in the naval movement step it was successfully sea transported from Tripoli to here using 3 Axis Med NTPs, per WW Rule 31A1]
1 resource point [began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya; in the E. Phase it was air transported to here by the turn reinf He 111H4 B type air unit]

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [began turn at Barce (18A:3418); admin moved 11 hexes along road to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 [inop.; Axis Conditional Reinforcement: Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from Balkans; at step 14 of the I. Phase was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield @ 18A:0403, on Sicily; air transferred to here in the E. Phase]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
2-8 Inf III 155 (Ger) [began turn at Barce (18A:3418); admin moved 12 hexes along road to here]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
3-6 Inf XX  27 Brs [at the end of the M. Phase reassembled from the unsupported B Inf XX components]

• 6 Inf XX HQ B [began turn at Derna; HQ component of the 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs; regular moved to here]
• 1-6 Inf III B [began turn at Ain el Gazala; unsupported component of the 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs; regular moved to here]
• 1-6 Inf III B [began turn at Derna; unsupported component of the 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs; regular moved to here]

1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn here; breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; never moved]

0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn here; spent 4 MPs in the hex upgrading the track here to a regular road; see WW Advanced Rule 14A1g; ended M. Phase here]
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4818; regular moved to 18A:5020; exploited to here]
1-6 Hv AA II 29 [began turn here; never moved]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4618; regular moved one hex to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to 18A:5020; exploited back to here]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 [inop.; began turn here; flew CAP air mission late in the I. Phase over the Axis mobile force at 19A:0219; returned to base at the end of the E. Phase]
Me 109F1  6F6  1/8  [inop.; Axis Conditional Reinforcement: Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from Balkans; at step 14 of the I. Phase was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield @ Syracusa (18A:0702), on Sicily; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:4718; breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; regular moved 1 hex to here]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved one hex to here]
8 Inf XX HQ 102 Trn [began turn at Porto Bardiya; breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; regular moved to here]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn here; spent 4 MPs in the hex upgrading the track here to a regular road; see WW Advanced Rule 14A1g; spent its last 2 MPs in the hex beginning the construction of a 1-cap temporary airfield; ended M. Phase here]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
5-8 Lt Arm XX 132 Ar [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to 18A:5020; exploited to here]
2-10 Mot Hv AA III  AA=4  135  (Ger LW) [parent mot hv AA III of the two mot hv AA II’s; assembled at the end of the E. Phase]

• 1-10 Mot Hv AA II I/33 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4818; regular moved to 19A:0319; exploited to here & assembled into III]
• 1-10 Mot Hv AA II I/18 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to 19A:0319; exploited to here & assembled into III]

3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn at 18A:4818; spent 5 MPs moving one hex to here]

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

18A:5119 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at 18A:5018; regular moved to 19A:0720; exploited to here]

19A:0219 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn at 18A:5119; regular moved to Sidi Barraini (19A:0718); exploited to here]

19A:0320 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0219; regular moved to 19A:1119; exploited to here]
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0219; regular moved to 19A:0921; exploited to here]

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
3 port damage hit markers

19A:0419 (Halfaya Pass) [clear terrain coast road hex]:
8-7-10* Pz XX 5 Le (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to 19A:0620: exploited to here]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn at 19A:0219; breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; regular moved to Siwa Oasis (19A:0627); exploited to here]
2-3-8 Art III 16C [began turn at Porto Bardiya, regular moved two hexes to here]

Crete [end of turn]:

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

Erakleion (18A:4903) [rough terrain reference city/standard port coast road hex]:
hit marker on the reference city airbase

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

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

G 50  3F3  0/9 [inop.; began turn at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 [inop.; Axis Conditional Reinforcement: Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from Balkans; at step 14 of the I. Phase was placed at the 3-cap permanent airfield @ Licata (18A:0102), at Sicily; air transferred to here late in E. Phase]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), in Libya; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

Southeast or Med/NA Command:

Axis Conditional Reinforcements

Optional Axis Near East Forces [see WW OB booklet, p. 27 and WW Optional Rule 38J6; also per 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario draft Rules and Axis OB, based on F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter:  June-July 1941” Europa Battle Scenario, found in TEM#81]

[Iraqi] Coup turn 6/Jun II 41 Axis Turn:

Place at any airfield on Rodi:

German:

Convert:  1 x Mxd A  2A3  1-1/16 to:
1 x Me 110C  5HF5  1/12

• Axis Conditional Reinforcements Axis Intervention in Iraq forces operational area, per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario draft rules:  Axis Near East Command, Axis SE Command, the South Aegean Islands (see WW Rule 3D), Cyprus, Palestine, and Trans-Jordan.

one point of gsp at the standard port of Rodi (20A:2230), generated on the Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase [turn Conditional Reinforcement per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete draft Axis OB, in conjunction w/ the Optional Axis Near East Forces]

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
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 by Allied anti-shipping, per the Naval Table]
4 x 0 pos flk unit AA=1 [Italian]

Med/NA aborted air units box:

CR 42 3F3 0/9 [here since the start of the new Scenario; per ER-II]
SM 79-1 2B3 1-5/22 [in the Med/NA Replacement Pool since the start of the new Scenario; per ER-II]

Axis Near East Command

Select Initial Conditions Recap for the Vichy French Levant:

Standard Supply Terminals: Damas (20A:4505/19A:4701) and Beyrouth (20A:4207).
SMPs: 5
Rail Capacity, Levant Rail net: 4.
Intrinsic AA: Per the WW Intrinsic Light AA Summary, 1 point per dot and major city hex in the Levant.

Vichy French Levant Conditional Reinforcements:

2nd Turn of Invasion/Jun II 41:

Available in [mainland] Europe [both these items per F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter:  June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario, from TEM#81]:
1 x LeO 451  3B5  2-5/25
1 Vichy French ARP [Note:  Per WW Advanced Rule 25C8 and WW Rule 25G [ARP] Transfers, in the I. Phase this Axis turn reinf may transfer from mainland Europe to the Axis-controlled South Aegean Islands and from there to a Vichy French standard supply terminal in the Levant, and there be expended in this same I. Phase]

Place in Damas (20A:4505):
1 x resource point [per Jean-Guy Rathe’s “Troupes Francaises du Levant Order of Battle (Land), June 1941”, {TFL} from TEM#81]

Vichy French Levant [end of turn]:

20A:4308 [rough terrain transportation line coast hex, S of Beyrouth]:
2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr) [Vichy French turn inf RP build; placed at Damas (20A:4505) at step 14 of the I. Phase; moved to here]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III 6 CdA (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4507; regular moved to Rayak (20A:4306); exploited to here]

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
Standard Supply Terminal marker [Vichy French Levant specific]
0-1-5 Cons X Lev (Col) [began turn at Damas (20A:4505); moved to here]
.5 Vichy French inf RP stored in the hex [Note: This is a revision of the previously posted sum of 2, which was incorrect; this should be the correct tally of available Vichy French inf RPs in the Levant.]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Rayak (20A:4306); in M. Phase spent 2 SMPs moving along transportation line to here]
1 Axis-specific gsp, generated in the current I Phase; began turn at Rodi (20A:2230) at step 14 of the I. Phase; air transported to here by the Ger LW Ju 52 T type air unit in the E. Phase
D 520  6F5  0/11 (Vichy French) [inop.; Vichy French ARP build, began turn at Damas (20A:4505) at step 14 in the I. Phase; in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Rodi (20A:2230); Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq; in the E. Phase air transported the single Axis-specific gsp from Rodi to here; this was a 1-way regular transport mission at extended range, per WW Rule 23B]
LeO 451  3B5  2-5/25 (Vichy French) [inop.; began turn in mainland Europe; Vichy French Conditional Reinforcement; air transferred to here in the E. Phase]

20A:4307 [mountain secondary rail line hex]:
2-6* Inf III 29 TA (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4407; moved one hex to here]

20A:4406 [rough terrain hex, S of Rayak]:
4-3-6* Inf III 6 LE (LE) [began turn at 20A:4507; moved one hex to here]

Rayak (20A:4306) [clear terrain point city transportation line junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
A-8 Cav III Tcher (TS) [began turn at 20A:4407; regular moved to here]
1 x resource point [began turn at Damas (20A:4505); turn reinf per Rathe’s TFL article; in M. Phase spent 3 SMPs moving along transportation line from Damas to here]
ME 110C  5HF5  1/12 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Rodi (20A:2230); Axis Conditional Reinforcement, Axis Intervention in Iraq; did turn conversion at Rodi in the I. Phase; air transferred to here in the E. Phase]

20A:4405 [rough terrain secondary rail line hex, NW of Damas]:
1-8 Cav III 1 SM (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4507; regular moved to here]
C-8 Cav III Ligne (TS) [began turn at 20A:4607; regular moved to here]

Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
Standard Supply Terminal marker [Vichy French Levant specific]
1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4607; regular moved to here]

Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line coast hex]:
railhead marker
C-8 Cav III N Syr (TS) [began turn at 20A:4308; regular moved to here]

20A:3903 [clear terrain major rail line hex, SW of Homs]:
D-8 Cav III Djez (TS) [began turn at Damas (20A:4505); automatically Rallied at step 14 of the I. Phase by the expenditure of 1/4 TS inf RP; admin moved to here]
2 Vichy French specific gsp’s, generated in the current I. Phase, from Damas (20A:4505); railed to here]

Alep (20A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
1-6 Inf II V/1 TM (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4507; regular moved to Rayak (20A:4306), where it entrained on the secondary railway and railed to Alep]
6 Vichy French-specific gsp’s, generated in the current I. Phase, four railed from Beyrouth (20A:4207) and two railed from Damas (20A:4505)]

20A:3302 [rough terrain road hex]:
A-5 Inf III 1 Lev (TS) [began turn at Alep (20A:3231); moved to here]

21A:4433 [stony desert road hex]:
A-8 Mot Cav II Lev (TS) [began turn at Deir ez Zoir (21A:3922); moved to 21A:4027; exploited to here]

Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:

3-6* Inf III 24 MC (Col) [eliminated at Saida (20A:4408) in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III 7 CA (Afr) [eliminated at Saida (20A:4408) in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
2-6* Inf III 17 TS (Col) [eliminated at 20A:4707; in the Jun II 41 Allied C. Phase]
{2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr) [eliminated in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase; Vichy Fr inf RP build this turn; placed at Damas]}
1-8 Cav III 2 MS (Afr) [eliminated in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase]

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

• Late in the E. Phase the Br Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air unit at Lattique (20A:3405), in the Vichy French Levant air transfers to Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416), in Egypt.

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 Initial Phase.
• The Iraqi coup collapsed at step 4 of the Initial 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.
• At step 2 of the Initial Phase of the current Jun II 41 Axis turn, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 2:  Fawzi changes mode but does not move.  The 0-1-8 Inf II Fawzi (Bandit) unit is accordingly flipped to its guerrilla mode and remains in the hex where it began the turn units its end.  In addition, the Fawzi Dummy guerrilla-capable unit is also placed on-map in step 2 in the Fawzi operational area.

21A:4821 [ravines hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [began turn at 21A:4821; at step 2 the Fawzi action die roll indicates that Fawzi changes mode but does not move from the hex it was in at the beginning of the turn; unit is flipped to guerrilla mode and never moved]

21A:4822 [ravines hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [dummy guerrilla-capable unit; placed here at step 2 of the I. Phase, after the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll; never moved]

Initial Phase

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 2:  Fawzi changes mode but does not move.  The combat 0-1-8 Inf II Fawzi (Bandit) is accordingly flipped to its guerrilla mode and remains in the Iraqi ravines hex where it began the turn.  In addition, a dummy guerrilla-capable unit is placed on-map in the Near East Fawzi operational area; it also does not move in the M. Phase, per the Fawzi action die roll.

At step 4 of the I. Phase the Axis player declares the voluntarily Axis cessation of operations in the Balkans, per WW Rule 3E5b, as the Rule’s two bulleted initial prerequisites are apparently fulfilled.  For the particular context of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, WW Rule 3E5b says to “immediately take the following action, in the sequence indicated:  1) All non-Greek/Yugoslav forces in the Balkan Command Replacement Pool or in the Balkan Command’s aborted or eliminated air units boxes are moved to the corresponding pool or box of the Middle East command.  Transfer any accumulated non-Greek/Yugoslav Allied replacement points in the Balkan Command to the Middle East Command.  2) For the SE and Balkan Commands (only):  Tally the victory points (Rule 42B) each side receives for enemy losses and friendly accumulated replacement points.  3) Remove from play all forces and supply/resource items in the SE and Balkan Commands (including those in the replacement pool or in the aborted or eliminated air units boxes ….  Forfeit all SMPs, ARPs, and replacement points in the SE and Balkan Commands. … [4) skipped]  5) The South Aegean Islands become part of the Axis Med/NA and the Allied Middle East Commands.  The Axis player ceases to control the SE Command.  The Allied player ceases to control the Balkan Command.  Axis-owned hexes on the South Aegean Islands now have intrinsic Axis defense forces (Rule 37H).”  After the cessation of Axis operations in the Balkans, which marks the definitive end of the special Assault on Crete segment, the BF map 15B in effect ceases to be in play in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, per WW Rule 3E5e, and no action may occur on it in the context of the new Scenario.

In addition, per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario draft rules, two turns after the Axis player voluntarily ceases operations in the Balkans, eg., in our case on the Jul II 41 Axis I. Phase, 3-cap permanent airfields w/out any hits are placed at the Khania (18A:4403) and Erakleion (18A:4093) hexes, on Crete.  Any temporary airfields currently in either of these hexes (only) at the time of the Axis cessation of operations in the Balkans may remain on the maps w/out the presence of an Axis cons/eng unit until the  placement of the aforesaid 3-cap permanent airfields, which replace temp airfields in either hex.  Any additional airbase damage hits on Crete reference city airbases are then removed.  In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the Rethymnon (18A:4603) 1-cap permanent airfield indicated in both the WW Merkur Scenario and the Assault on Crete Scenario Allied OBs is not automatically repaired if it has a damage hit marker on it, nor is it now replaced in the Rethymnon hex if it has been removed from the map earlier.

Note that after the Axis player ceases operations in the Balkans, each Axis-owned port in the South Aegean Islands becomes an Axis unrestricted full supply source, per WW Rule 12C2a.  The South Aegean Islands include all islands in the Dodecanese.

Beginning this turn, the Axis player may use naval transport in the Eastern Mediterranean sea zone, using the 12 column of the Naval Table.  This would be per WW Rule 31D2.  Specifically the rule says that the Axis play may not use naval transport anywhere in the Eastern Mediterranean “unless all hexes on Crete are Axis-owned.”  In our game the Axis did not both eliminate all Allied forces on Crete and occupy all city/port hexes (see WW Advanced Rule 5B3) on the island until the Jun I 41 Axis C. Phase, and thus it might be argued that definite “ownership” of Crete would be determined on the following player I. Phase, at step 12, for this particular case.  Finally, assuming that Crete is definitely “Axis-owned” this I. Phase, then per WW Advanced Rule 3D7-Central Med Reduction/Eastern Med Expansion, beginning in this M. Phase the Eastern Mediterranean sea zone is “reduced” to “that portion of the Med on Maps 19A and 20A, excluding the portion of map 20A included in the Aegean Sea,” per WW Rule 3D6.  Correspondingly, the Central Med sea zone is “that portion of the Med on map 18A not included in the Aegean Sea,” per WW Rule 3D6.  According to WW Rule 41, map 19A overlaps map 18A.  Therefore beginning this turn the important Libyan minor port of Derna is now in the Cent Med sea zone.  Porto Bardiya remains always in the East Med sea zone.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player spends the turn reinforcement Vichy French ARP and rebuilds the D 520 6F5 0/11 (Vichy French) air unit, placing it at Damas (20A:4505), in the Vichy French Levant.  Although F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter:  June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#81, says the ARP is Available in Europe, I believe it can be expended this turn at either of the Vichy French standard Supply Terminals to replace the aborted air unit, per WW Rule 25C4-ARP Transfer.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player spends 2 Vichy French inf RPs to rebuild the  2-6* Inf III 22 TA (Afr) and places it at Damas (20A:4505).  .5 Vichy Fr inf RPs remain stored at the Beyrouth standard supply terminal.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player converts the one remaining step of attack supply at Tobruch into 12 new gsp’s, per Rule 12C4b-GSP’s from Steps of Attack Supply.  At step 24 of the current I. Phase the 12 old gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated from a converted step of attack supply on the Jun I 41 Axis Initial Phase are removed from the map.  At the Tobruch hex this turn are also 4 gsp’s that were generated on the previous Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase and sea transported into the hex during that turn’s M. Phase.  In the Vichy French Levant, the Axis player generates 4 Vichy French-specific gsp’s at each of the Vichy French standard Supply Terminals:  Damas and Beyrouth.

At step 22 of the I. Phase the Axis player flies the Me 109E 7F5 1/7 air unit, based at 18A:4718 (SW of Tobruch), on the CAP air mission over the Axis mobile force at 19A:0219.  Quite interestingly, the SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit based at Tobruch declines to patrol attack or follow suit with a CAP mission of its own; nor does the Allied player send the A-22 A type air unit on the Harassment air mission to the same hex (19A:0219), certainly escorted by the SAAF P-40 F type air unit, both based at Matruh.  Already the dangerous game of second guessing and maneuvering is commencing over the Egyptian Western Desert hexes where the Allied player has his stop line, the inevitable complement of the Tobruch siege in the current epoch, it appears.

Movement Phase

At the very beginning of the Movement Phase, prior to the naval movement step, the Axis player commences a series of Malta Status air missions over the Valletta hex, on Malta, in order to attempt to ratchet up the Naval Status Number on the Naval Table.  He does this not because there is some particular NTP cargo he wishes to send across the Mediterranean to North Africa, but rather because this turn his air assets are positioned for a relatively big Malta Status attack and are strengthened with the arrival of the Luftwaffe Conditional Reinforcements.  He staggers the air mission attacks so that if he has early consistent success he may stop the attacks and air transfer the remaining Axis air assets in the Malta zone (i.e., the Italian Ju 87B D type  or the BR 20M NB air unit) to other fronts.  But for all his planning and scheming, only one Malta Status hit is done, by the old reliable SM 79-1 B type air unit.  As a consolation, the Valletta flack, shifted “two columns to the left” per WW Rule 37I2a, is still ineffective against the Malta Status air missions.  But a formidable host of the Luftwaffe Conditional Reinforcement air units remain operative at Sicily, evidently for other air ops.  After performing the Malta Status bombing air mission, the Axis player bases the Br 20M and two of the Ju 88A4 air units at Misurata and Sirte, respectively, so that on the next Axis turn they will be available for air ops in either the Malta or the Toburch zones.

Using the three available Axis Med sea zone NTPs, the Axis player naval transports one of the numerous steps of attack supply stacked at the Tripoli hex, in Libya, to the Derna minor port hex, this turn now finally in the Cent Med sea zone.  He rolls good on the 10 column of the Naval Table and the cargo is then disembarked at the Axis port hex.  This is perhaps a wake-up call for the Allied player to get to work with the long-range Well 1C NB air unit and bust up some the now handy Axis forward port.

This turn the Axis player upgrades the tracks at adjacent Tobruch hexes 18A:4718 & 18A:4818 to roads, by the Italian cons IIIs in each hex expending 4 MPs, per WW Advanced Rule 14A1g-Road Construction, and the “road-to-track change-point markers” are duly removed from the two hexes.  Strictly as a procedural formality, the Italian cons III at 18A:4818 uses its 2 remaining MPs to begin a 1-cap temporary airfield, but next turn it may well abandon this labor and move to adjacent track hex 18A:4918, as completion of the Tobruch Bypass has priority; in any event there is the availability other Italian cons III.  But the way I play Europa the other cons III cannot complete a partially done MP or turn count construction labor in progress, although it may add additional airfield capacity, if it begins and completes the entire MP expenditure.

Exploitation Phase

In the Exploitation Phase the Luftwaffe Conditional Reinforcement Me 109F1 F type air unit, beginning the turn at Syracusa, at Sicily, air transfers to the 3-cap temporary airfield at 18A:4718, adjacent to Tobruch.  Now the still operational SAAF Hurri 1 air unit based at Tobruch makes its move, but does a patrol attack rather than an interception air mission over the target hex, thinking it the wisest at this time.  The result is a No Effect, and so the Allied F type air unit is flipped to inop at Tobruch and the Ger LW F type air units lands at the airfield.

In the Exploitation Phase the operative Ger LW Ju 88A4 air unit at Licata, at Sicily air transfers to the Scarpanto airfield, where it joins the SM 79-2 B type air unit, which has air transferred from Derna, in Libya, and the G 50 F type air unit, which has air transferred from the temporary airfield at 18A:4718, adjacent to Tobruch, all in the E. Phase.  The Ger LW Me 110D HF type air unit, based at the Sicilian airfield at coast hex 18A:0403, flies the air transfer air mission to Ain el Gazala, in eastern Libya, basing there with the  two Ger LW Ju 87B D type air units.  All these Axis air transfers have been helped by the inoperative status of the SAAF Hurri 1 air unit based at Tobruch.

Then the Axis player air transfers the Axis Conditional Reinforcement Me 110C HF type air unit, based at Rodi, in the Dodecanese, to the Vichy French 1-cap permanent airstrip at Rayak, in the Vichy French Levant.  The Vichy French LeO 451 B type air unit, based operative in the admittedly vague “mainland Europe” place (perhaps the Axis off-map mainland Europe holding box?), air transfers to the Beyrouth dot city airbase, in Vichy French Lebanon.  Joining it at the Beyrouth airbase in the E. Phase is the Ger LW Ju 52 T type air unit, beginning the turn at Rodi and performing the air transport air mission to the Vichy French Levant, carrying the single Axis specific gsp, generated this turn at Rodi, per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Axis draft OB.  All this Axis air unit and gsp air transport activity done in the Vichy French Levant is per the Full intervention dice roll done using the Vichy Levant Table on the May II 41 Axis turn.  In admittedly as a late afterthought, the Axis player air transfers the recently rebuilt Vichy French D 520 F type air unit to Beyrouth from Damas, where it was placed earlier in the I. Phase, after expending there the available Vichy French ARP reinforcement transferred from mainland Europe.

Finally, the still operative Ger LW Conditional Reinforcement He 111H4 B type air unit, beginning the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at Licata, at Sicily, stages to Tripoli, in Libya, where it loads the resource point in the Tripoli hex and air transports the supply cargo on a 1-way regular transport air mission to the Derna airfield hex, basing there with the CR 42 F type air unit, along with its resource point cargo.

At the end of the E. Phase the Ger LW Me 109E air unit, flying the CAP air mission over hex 19A:0219, in far eastern Libya at the Egyptian border, rebases at the 3-cap temporary airfield at 18A:4718, adjacent to Tobruch on the SW.  The Allied player performs a non-phasing air transfer of the Blen 4 B type air unit, based at the reference city Lattique airbase, on the Vichy French Syrian Mediterranean coastline, to the Alexandria hex, in Egypt.

Commentary

In the wake of the Allied invasions of Iraq and the Vichy French Levant, in allegedly WW-based games, comes the issue of Rule 38E-Allied Garrisons, along with the important accompanying WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons.  The garrison check is done “each Allied initial phase,” at step 17, eg., after the I. Phase reinforcement/replacement activities.  Technically, next turn the Allies will already be in a pinch in Iraq, as the 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab and the Ind 10th Inf XX HQ units are in the Vichy French Levant helping with the Allied invasion, and not Iraq, doing the garrison duty.  This is in spite of the fact that historically they participated in the invasion of Syria and in Europa are included in F. Watson’s “Syria, Operation Exporter: June-July, 1941” Europa battle scenario Allied OB, found in TEM#81.  But Allied garrison requirements are a fact of the WWII history, and VPs should be important in channeling the game play in Europa, one would think.  Probably more later on these two important Europa wargame issues in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario.

Already in the Vichy French Levant the endgame is apparently being played out, and the Axis move this turn in the Levant is an expression of this sentiment that defeat or surrender is coming.  The first sign was in the earlier Jun I 41 Axis Combat Phase, when the Vichy French ground attack failed to eliminate the  FF 3-8* Inf X 1 FL and the 1-8 AT II 65 stacked at 20A:4607.  Instead they were D-backed.  The second sign were the two successful Allied attacks of Vichy French ground units in the following Jun II 41 Allied Combat Phase,  when three good Vichy French ground units were eliminated in combat, withering the Vichy French army defending the Levant.  Next turn Damas will certainly fall; then the Variable Levant Surrender Table becomes a potent factor in the wargame, eventually ending French rule in the Levant.

This turn the Axis player opted not to attack at either Tobruch or the Egyptian Western Desert region in the Matruh zone, and for now I will leave it to other Europa strategists to critique this turn’s decisions.  The Axis player didn’t attack this turn because now he opted for maneuver and conservation of the Axis forces.  But the Western Desert war reality is, I think, that in order to achieve victory in North Africa in the second half of 1941 the Axis player is almost desperately compelled to attack at some point–either at Tobruch or in the Egyptian Western Desert–or else he apparently ultimately plays into the inevitable Allied Crusader attack scheme at the end of the year, which is certainly coming in its due time.