Month: February 2016

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.

 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: 9, end of turn [at turn’s start 10,  – 1 repair this turn = 9]
Malta Repair Rate: 1 repair point each turn.

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
0-4 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 improved fortress/standard port]:
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 becomes technically Red U-4]
0-1-8 Hv AA II   AA=2   51 [never moved; this turn becomes technically Red U-4]
7-8 Inf XX                          9 (Aus) [never moved; this turn becomes technically Red U-4]
2-8 Inf X                           16 [never moved; this turn becomes technically Red U-4]
2-1-6 Tnk II                       7 RT [never moved; this turn becomes technically Red U-4]
3-8 Art X                           13 [never moved; this turn becomes technically Red U-4]
2-8 Inf X                            23 [never moved; technically still Black U-3]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8  SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved; technically still Black U-2]
12 gsp’s [generated on the Jun 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 Jun II 41 Axis turn; they will be removed from the map at the end of step 23 of the Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase, after the supply determination step of that turn]
4 gsp’s [generated in the current I. Phase; all were sea transported into Tobruch in the naval movement segment; two are from Suez, two are from Alexandria; two others from Suez were sunk in transit to Tobruch]

In Egypt [{beginning of turn}/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
8 INf XX HQ                    50 Nth [turn reinf; disembarked at Suez; railed to here]
2-8 Inf X                            2 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked at Suez; railed to here]
2-8 Inf X                            5 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X                            6 (NZ) [began turn at Alexandria; admin moved to here]
1-8 MG II                           1 RNF [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Lt AA II     AA=1       57 [began turn here; never moved]
5 pos flk unit AA=1 [Br; began turn at Limassol, on Cyprus; in I. Phase still Black U-1; sea transported to Port Said, then railed to here]
P-40C  5F5  1/13  SAAF [inop.; began turn here; in the naval movement step performed Intercept air mission to the Sidi Barrani target hex; returned to base here]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 [inop.; began turn at Tel Aviv (20A:5011), in Palestine; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
Glad  3F3  0/8 [inop.; began turn at Haifa, in Palestine; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

19A:1319 [clear terrain major rail line coast hex, SW of Matruh]:
1-2-10* Mot SG X   AA=1    7 [began turn at 19A:1320; moved to here]
6-4-6 Tnk X                             1 T [turn reinf; disembarked at Suez; railed to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X                      3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1320; in M. Phase it regular moved along the Siwa road to 19A:0725, regaining Allied hex control of the road all the way to Siwa; exploited back to here]

19A:1419 [clear terrain hex]:
1-10* Mot SG X     AA=1      2 [began turn at 19A:1219; in M. Phase it regular moved along the coast road to the Halfaya Pass hex (19A:0419), gaining Allied hex control of the road to here, exploited back to here]
3-2-10 Arm X                         7 [began turn at 19A:1219; moved to here]

19A:1520 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X                                5 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1521; moved to here]

19A:1620 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X                              11 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1621; moved to here]

19A:1721 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
3-8 Inf X                                22 G [began the turn at 19A:1420;  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, beginning this 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; at step 19 of the I. Phase it begins building a 2-turn fort in the hex; the single resource point at the Alexandria hex is expended]

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [major port/full city hex/major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-8 Hv AA II      AA=2     68 [began turn here; never moved]
Glad 3F3 0/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn at Matruh; in C. Phase staged to Alexandria and performed GS air mission at 20A:4707, in the Vichy French Levant; rebased at Alexandria at the end of the C. Phase]
{one step of attack supply [began turn at Alexandria; railed to Haifa, then spent 3 SMPs moving along secondary rail line to 20A:4808, in Palestine; the step of attack supply is expended at the end of the C. Phase for the 2 Allied combat attacks in the Vichy French Levant]}
{1 resource point [expended at step 14 of the I. Phase for the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) to build a 2-turn fort at El Alamein]}
{4 gsp’s, generated in the current turn’s I. Phase; two were successfully sea transported to Tobruch in an E Med NTP; the other two were railed to Haifa and then air transported in the E. Phase to Lattique, in the Vichy French Levant}

Cairo (19A:3320) [clear terrain partial city hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port major rail line terminus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
{4 gsp’s, generated in the current turn’s I. Phase; each gsp was sea transported to Tobruch in a single E Med NTP, two were sunk in transit, two made it to Tobruch}

In Palestine [end of turn]:

Tel Aviv (20A:5011) [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
[vacant at the end of the E. Phase]

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 on its construction.]
0-8 Hv AA II       AA=1       2 (Aus) [began turn at Tel Aviv, in Palestine; moved to here]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [inop.; began turn at Haifa; in the E. Phase air transported 2 gsp’s  to Lattique, in the Vichy French Levant; the gsp’s had been railed to Haifa from Alexandria; rebased at Haifa]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; performed escort air mission for the GS air op to 20A:4707, in the Vichy French Levant; rebased at Haifa at the end of the C. Phase]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop.; began turn at Alexandria; in C. Phase staged to Haifa and performed GS air mission to 20A:4707; rebased at Haifa at the end of the C. Phase]

20A:4609 [clear terrain transportation line coast hex, N of Haifa]:
1-8 Cav X                              5 [began turn at Safad (20:4608); moved one hex to here]

Safad (20A:4608) [rough terrain point city hex]:
2-8 Inf X                               9 (Ind) [turn reinf; sea transported to Haifa, after disembarkation regular moved to here]

20A:4808 [clear terrain secondary rail hex]:
1-8 Inf II                               11 (CS) [began turn at Haifa; moved to here]

Considerations regarding the Allied invasion of the Vichy French Levant in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario on the Jun II 41 Turn:

• Per Rathe’s “Troupes Francaises du Levant” (TFL) article in TEM#81, beginning on the Jun II 41 Allied turn, “Beyrouth and Damas have an intrinsic unsupported defensive strength of 1 until their hex is captured.”
• Just in case it’s unclear to EA readers unfamiliar with his TFL article, “each TS [Troupes Speciales] unit has a letter-strength, in all cases equal to a[n unsupported] combat strength of 1, and a Cohesion level (CL) as listed in the [TFL] OB.”  Furthermore, “C or D-strength units involved in a combat must check their cohesion before the combat die roll.” And finally, “A or B-strength units must check their cohesion whenever they receive an AH/DH, EX, or HX combat result.”  There is a somewhat complicated array of  CL modifiers for affected TS units when using the Cohesion Table.  There are some other TS unit stipulations, but these less important occasional ones will be discussed when and if they arise in the EA game report.
• Rathe’s discussion of the BANP railroad is interesting.  This is the major rail line in Syria and Turkey running from the northwestern Syrian border hex 20A:2932-Alep-21A:3213, which is the major rail line border hex (w/ Iraq) in the northeastern Syrian “duckbill.”  This is found on p. 47 of his TFL article.  His stipulations could and should be included in the new Scenario, and could have a certain impact on an Axis Intervention in Iraq, per WW Optional Rule 38J6, in the final worked draft of the new Scenario’s rules.
• Right now I’m thinking that only the D-8 Cav III PTch (TS) ought to be Removed on the “1st Turn of Invasion (Jun I 41),” just as Rathe has indicated in his TFL article.  Also, on the May I 41 Axis turn, certainly prior to the Allied invasion of the Levant, 2 or 3 of the remaining TS units would then be required to be scrapped.  For the new Scenario those few TS units excluded from the list of those available for the required scraping on the May I 41 turn would be the D-8 Cav III Djez and the A-8 Mot Cav III Lev, which are in effect required Vichy French TS at-start units on the projected turn of the Allied invasion of the Levant in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario.  The reason I want to do this “required” scrapping on the May I 41 Axis turn is that it presently appears to me that the full contingent of TS units on the map at the Allied turn of the invasion makes the Vichy French Levant army too strong.
• Mention ought to be made regarding the peculiar blend of ZOC effects present in the SW zone of the Vichy French Levant, comprising the southern part of Lebanon and the SW extremity of Syria.  This southwestern part of the Vichy French Levant, more or less close to its Mediterranean coastline, is in the E weather zone, as is also the northwestern part of Palestine along the same coastline.  In the E weather zone only divisions “exert ZOCs into adjacent hexes,” per Rule 5A-Zones of Control (ZOCs).  Since the E weather zone is the northern, and therefore is what might be called the dominant weather zone at the definite blue weather line, the stipulation about “only divisions” exerting ZOCs into adjacent hexes goes for those particular hexes there in Palestine and the French Levant where the light blue E weather line goes through, in addition to those hexes specifically north, or above, the blue weather line.  Brigades, regiments, and cadres exert ZOCs through their adjacent hexsides in those particular hexes exclusively and specifically south, or below, the E weather line.  This is all clarified in Example 1 in Rule 5A, which covers the same peculiar ZOC situation occurring on WD map 18A in the Cyrenaica, in the eastern part of Libya.
• The Dice Roll Modifiers stipulated for the Variable Levant Surrender Table compel the Allied player to capture Beyrouth, Damas, and Alep.  The Allied player rolls for the Variable Levant Surrender Table “each Axis initial phase after the Allies invade the Levant and the Levant has not yet surrendered.”  No mention was made of this on the prior Jun I 41 Axis initial phase because there were not enough + modifiers in effect at that time to enable the “13 or more” dice roll needed for Levant Surrender.

Activated Allied Task Force in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Zone:

20A:4409 [all-sea hex, adjacent to Lebanese coast hex Saida (20A:4408)]:
RN-1  4 pt TF  (RN) [activated at step 14 of the I. Phase and placed at the Haifa great port hex; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it moved to all-sea hex 20A:4409, adjacent to Saida, in Lebanon; in C.  Phase it participated in a combat attack against the Vichy French Levant units in the Saida hex; remained here until the end of the Allied turn, when it was deactivated and removed from the maps.

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

Sour (20A:4509) [clear terrain point city transportation line coast hex]:
[vacant at the end of the M. Phase]

Saida (20A:4408) [rough terrain point city transportation line coast hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ                      6 [began turn at Matruh; sea transported to Haifa in the naval movement step, after disembarkation it regular moved 2 hexes north to Sour; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; after combat it moved into Saida]
3-8* Mtn X                           Karp (Pol) [began turn at 20A:4609, in Palestine; moved one hex north to Sour (20A:4509); in the C. Phase participated in an attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; after combat it moved into Saida]
2-8 Eng X                             1 (Aus) [began turn at Sour (20A:4509), in Lebanon; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; after combat it moved into Saida]
2-8 Inf X                              14 [began turn at Safad (20A:4608); moved north one hex to 20A:4508; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; after combat it moved into Saida]

20A:4508 [rough terrain hex]:
7-8 Inf XX                            7 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; after combat it remained here at 4508]

20A:4708 [rough terrain hex]:
1-8 Art II                               1 (Aus) [began turn at Sour (20A:4509), in Lebanon; moved two hexes to here; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at hex 20A:4707; remained here after combat]

2-1-6 Tnk II                          4 RT [began turn at Sour (20A:4509), in Lebanon; moved two hexes to here; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at hex 20A:4707; remained here after combat and in the E. Phase]

20A:4707 [rough terrain hex]:
3-8* Inf X                              1 FL (FF) [began turn at Safad (20A:4608), in Palestine; moved one hex to 20A:4708; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at hex 20A:4707; moved into the hex after combat]

20A:4706 [clear terrain secondary rail hex]:
2-8* Inf X                              7 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4708, regular moved to here; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at hex 20A:4707; remained here after combat]

20A:4807 [rough terrain secondary rail line hex]:
1-8 Cav X                               6 [began turn at 20A:4808, in Palestine; moved to adjacent hex 20A:4807, in the Vichy French Levant; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at hex 20A:4707; remained here after combat]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II           ME [began turn at Haifa; did amphibious sp op landing at Lattique in the naval movement segment of the M. Phase; landed undisrupted]
2-8 Inf X                              19 (Aus) [began turn at Alexandria; in the naval movement step sea transported to the Lattique beach hex, in the French Levant; remained at-sea in the Lattique beach hex until the E. Phase, when it did an amphibious landing at a friendly beach hex; landed undisrupted]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop.; began turn at Tel Aviv (20A:5011), in Palestine; in C. Phase staged to Rutbah (21A:5023), in Iraq, and performed the GS air mission at the Hassetche target hex (21A:3218), in the Vichy French Levant; rebased here at the end of the C. Phase]
2 gsp’s [generated at Alexandria in the current turn’s I. Phase; railed to Haifa; air transported to here in the E. Phase by the Br Bombay T type air unit]

21A:3213 [clear terrain major rail line hex, just inside the Vichy French Levant border]:
8* Inf XX HQ                      10 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4507; admin moved 16 hexes along transportation line hexes to here]
1-8 Inf X                               20 (Ind) [began turn 21A:4507; admin moved 16 hexes along transportation line hexes to here]

21A:3116 [clear terrain road hex, NE of Deir er Zoir]:
2-1-10* Mot Inf X                Hab [began turn at 21A:3116, in northeastern Syria; in the M. Phase regular moved to 21A: 3217, E of Hassetche; in the C. Phase it attacked the Vichy French TS unit in the Hassetche hex, advancing into Hassetche after combat; exploited 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

Middle East (ME) Command Replacement Pool [end of turn]:

2-8 Inf X                              150 [turn reinf; sea transported to Haifa; after disembarkation regular moved to Sour (20A:4509); in the C. Phase participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; eliminated in the HX combat result]
1-8 AT II                              65 [began turn at Safad (20A:4608); moved north one hex to 20A:4508; in the C. Phase participated in the attack at Saida (20A:4408), in Lebanon; eliminated in the HX combat result]
3-2-10 Arm X                         3 [eliminated in combat on the Mar II 41 Axis turn C. Phase of the EA game report]
3-2-10 Arm X                         4 [in the Scenario at-start in the ME Replacement Pool, per ER-II]

Eliminated Air Units Box:

Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [in the previous 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]

In the Allied Near East Command:

In  pro-Alled Iraq [end of 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 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.
• At the beginning of this turn the new Allied Iraqi railnet-cap is 3 1/2.

Allied Conditional Reinforcements

Iraqi Coup Reaction Forces

Coup Turn 5/Jun II 41 Allied Turn

Near East:

Arrive:
1-8 Inf X                                 17 (Ind)
two steps of attack supply [per F. Watson’s “Iraq: Rashid Ali and the Golden Square” Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#81]

Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied owned]
1-10 Mot Cav III                   AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn here; never moved.  This is a provisional new unit introduced in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario on the May I 41 Allied turn. For more details, see that posted EA game report.]

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

21A:4819 [stony desert Pump Station road hex]:
2-8 Inf X                               21 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4109; admin moved 16 hexes along transportation line hexes to here]

22A:2833 [stony desert Rutbah-Ramadi road hex]:
2-8 Inf X                               25 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:3022; admin moved 16 hexes along transportation line hexes to here]

22A:3423 [canal intensive secondary rail line hex]:
2-8 Inf X                               24 (Ind) [began turn at Basra; admin moved 16 hexes along the secondary rail line to here]

22A:4021 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:4217; in E. Phase spent 5 SMPs exploiting to here along the secondary rail line hexes]

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

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
1-8 Inf X                                17 (Ind) [turn Conditional Reinforcement; disembarked at Basra; afterwards remained here]
one step of attack supply [never moved]
two steps of attack supply [turn Conditional Reinforcements; disembarked at Basra; afterwards they remained here]

Axis Southeast Command

At Rodi:

Rodi (20A:2230) [clear terrain major port point city coast hex]:
3-cap-permanent airfield
3-4-6 Inf XX                         50 Reg [Dodecanese Garrison]
1-2-5 Art X                            35 [Dodecanese Garrison]
1-2-5 Art X                            36 [Dodecanese Garrison]
0-6 Lt AA II         AA=1         Rodi [Dodecanese Garrison]
1-0-6 Lt Tnk II                   312 [Dodecanese Garrison]
Mxd F  2F2  0/8 [operative; Dodecanese Garrison; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 52  1T2  0/20  (Ger LW) [inop.; Axis Conditional Reinforcement; flipped to its inop side at step 21 of the I. Phase due to airfield capacity]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Mxd A   2A3   1-1/16 (Ger LW) [operative; Axis Conditional Reinforcement; never moved]

20A:2331 [rough terrain coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
1-6 Hv AA III      AA=2         Rodi [Dodecanese Garrison]
Ju 88A1  3B5  3-5/26 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; performed the Naval Patrol air mission; returned to base here]
Ju 88A1  3B5  3-5/26 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; performed the Naval Patrol air mission; returned to base here]
Ju 88A1  3B5  3-5/26 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; performed the Naval Patrol air mission; returned to base here]
Mxd B  1B2  1-2/21 [inop.; began turn here; Dodecanese garrison; flipped to its inop side at step 21 of the I. Phase due to airfield capacity]

On Scarpanto:

Scarpanto (19A:0701) [rough terrain minor port point city hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-6 Lt AA II      AA=1         Scar [Dodecanese Garrison]
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission; never flew the mission]
Ju 87R  2D3  4-1/13 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; performed the Naval Patrol air mission; returned to base here]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission; never flew the mission]

On Samos:

Samos (20A:1432/15B:1400) [rough terrain point city minor port coast hex]:
6 Inf XX HQ                           C [an unsupported breakdown component of the 4-6 Inf XX 6 Cno]

On Melos (15B:1610):

Melos (15B:1610) [clear terrain point city minor port Aegean islet hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; assigned to Naval Patrol air mission; never flew the mission]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; assigned to Naval Patrol air mission; never flew the mission]
Do 17Z  3B4  3-4/13 (Ger LW) [operative.; began turn here; assigned to Naval Patrol air mission;  never flew the mission]

On Crete:

• At the start of the Allied turn there are no Allied forces on the island

Khania (18A:4403/15B:2115) [rough terrain reference city/standard port road terminus coast hex]:
2-cap temporary airfield
2-6 Eng III                        685 [any] (Ger) [becomes technically Black U-1 this turn]
7-8 Mtn XX                           6 (Ger) [becomes technically Black U-1 this turn]
Me 110C  5HF5  1/12 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; still technically Red U-1; never moved]
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; becomes Black U-1 this turn, as it is not an Axis stipulated reciprent of special general supply from the available gsp’s at Khania; never moved]
He 111H  4B4  2-7/S/22 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; becomes Black U-1 this turn, as it is not an Axis stipulated reciprent of special general supply from the available gsp’s at Khania; assigned to Naval Patrol air mission; never flew the mission]
12 gsp’s [generated in the Jun I 41 Axis I. Phase]

18A:4504 [mountain coast hex]:
7-6 Para XX                          7 (Ger LW) [still technically Red U-1]

Rethymnon (18A:4603) [rough terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-5 Glider II                          1 St (Ger LW) [still technically Red U-1]
2-5 Para III                           1 St (Ger LW) [still technically Red U-1]
1-6 Marine Cmdo II           Gr/SM [still technically Red U-1]

{Suda Bay} (18A:4503) [rough terrain coast hex; formerly a port upgrade major port and an Allied standard supply terminal]:
3-8 Mtn III                            A (Ger) [becomes technically Black U-1 this turn]

Erakleion (18A:4903) [rough terrain reference city/standard port coast road hex]:
hit marker on the reference city airbase
3-8 Mtn III                            A (Ger) [still technically Red U-1]

Hagios Nikolaos (19A:0203) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road terminus hex]:
1-6 Inf III                               C [becomes technically Black U-1 this turn]

 

Mainland Greece:

15B:1415 [southeastern Peloponnese rough terrain coastline hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
2 x 5 pos flk  AA=2 (Ger LW)
G 50bis  3F3  0/10 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Do 17Z  3B4  3-4/13 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; assigned to Naval Patrol air mission; never flew the mission]
Do 17Z  3B4  3-4/13 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; assigned to Naval Patrol air mission; never flew the mission]

Kalamai (15B:1118) [clear terrain reference city/standard port secondary rail line terminus coast hex]:
2 x 5 pos flk  AA=2 (Ger LW)

15B:0914 [eastern Peloponnese rough terrain coastline hex; E of Nauplion, SE of Korinthos]:
3-cap temporary airfield
5 pos flk  AA=1 (Ger LW)

15B:0813 [rough terrain secondary rail line coast hex, E of Korinthos]:
3-cap temporary airfield

Athenai (15B:0911) [great port/full hex city transportation line junction coast hex]:
2 x 5 pos flk  AA=2 (Ger LW)
2-6 Eng III                         690 [any] (Ger)
1-8 Ski II                              MC
8 Mtn XX HQ                       A (Ger)
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
2 x Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [operative; both began turn here; both never moved]
Z 506B  2B3  2-4/F/22 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

15B:0811 [clear terrain secondary rail line coast hex, NW of Athenai]:
3-cap permanent airfield
5 pos flk  AA=1 (Ger LW)
3 x Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [all operative; all began turn here; all never moved]

15B:0711 [clear terrain transportation line junction coast hex, 2 hexes N of Athenai]:
3-cap temporary airfield
5 pos flk  AA=1 (Ger LW)
3 x Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [all operative; all began turn here; all never moved]

Levadia (15B:0612) [clear terrain major rail line hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
5 pos flk  AA=1 (Ger LW)
3 x Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [all inop; all began turn here; all never moved]

Turn Activity:

At step 11 of the Initial Phase the Allied units at the isolated Tobruch hex beginning the turn at technically Red U-3 now become technically Red U-4. But all are in special general supply due to the 12 gsp’s in the hex, generated from a step of attack supply present in the hex on the Jun I 41 Axis I. Phase.  At Malta the Allied ground units there are technically Red U-2, but draw general supply from the 4 gsp’s in the hex, generated on the Jun I 41 Allied I. Phase at Gibraltar and then sea transported to Valletta.  All the Axis units on Crete beginning the turn at Red U-1 now become technically Red U-2.  Several other Axis units on Crete become technically Red U-1 in the current Allied I. Phase. There are 12 gsp’s present at the Khania hex, on Crete, generated on the Jun I 41 Axis I. Phase from a step of attack supply then present at Athenai; in the Jun I 41 Axis E. Phase these 12 gsp’s were air transported to Khania.  With these 12 gsp’s the Axis player is able to designate all Axis ground and air units on Crete as in special general supply, except for the Ger LW Me 109 E and the He 111H4 air units, both based at Khania.  These two Axis air units become definitely Red U-1 this turn.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player activates the Br RN-1 task force naval unit, per WW Rule 27A4, removing it from the Unused portion of the Royal Navy Availability Box and placing it at the major port of Haifa, in Palestine.  Because the Jun II turn is at the very end of of the 2nd “quarter year,” it will be available again the next Allied I. Phase, on the Jul I 41 turn, at the beginning of the 3rd quarter year.  In the C. Phase this unit participates in the combat attack at Saida (20A:4408), in the Vichy French Levant.  At the end of the Allied player turn it is returned to Used portion of the Royal Navy Availability box.

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

At step 22 neither side executes any CAP air missions, but the Axis player assigns a number of Naval Patrol air missions, utilizing Axis air units in the SE Command on Crete, the Dodecanese, Melos, and at mainland Greece airbases.  Also assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission are the three Axis Med/NA Command air units based at Ain el Gazala, in the Cyrenaica.  See the Commentary below on these Axis air missions in the new Scenario and WW Rule 3E2-Axis Commands.

In the Initial Phase, at step 24, the 4 old gsp’s at at the Valletta hex, on Malta that were generated on the Jun I 41 Allied Initial Phase are removed from the map.  The four old gsp’s at the Suez hex that were generated on the Jun I 41 Allied Initial Phase are removed from the map, as are also the four old gsp’s at the Alexandria hex that were generated on the same  I. Phase.

Movement Phase

In the M. Phase’s initial naval movement step, the Allied player executes a number of naval actions in the vast eastern Mediterranean Sea basin.  The naval actions are listed below in sequential order.  Those that are indicated by a # are indicated as such in the naval action step activities picture included below in the game report.

#1.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport the Br 5 pos flk unit (AA=1) from Limassol on Cyprus, to Port Said, in Egypt.  Because of its remoteness and the relatively unimportant cargo, the Axis player declines to attempt a Naval Patrol Contact attempt.

#2.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport 1 gsp from Suez, in Egypt, to Tobruch, using the largely coastal hex sea route and particular day and night movement chronology indicated in the related picture below.  Several of the sea transport hexes are in all-sea hexes, such as at 19A:2317-2217-2118, and the final night-time leg to Tobruch are through all-sea hexes 19A:0617-0518-0417-0317-0216-18A:5117-5016-4917, and then Tobruch.  The Axis player, sensing what the Allied player is up to and noticing his daylight sea movement beginning again at Egyptian coast hex 19A:4922, is compelled by the demands of the war to commence the running aero-naval battle of attrition that the Royal Navy is daring.  Taking into account the interception ranges of the Br Glad F type air unit based at Alexandria and the longer-range SAAF P-40C fighter unit at Matruh, and analyzing the Naval Patrol ranges (regular and extended range) of his preferred available air units assigned to the Naval Patrol mission, the Axis player picks the remote Egyptian Delta coast hex 19A:4922 to attempt Contact.  He utilizes one of the three SE Command Ju 88A2 air units based 21 hexes away at the Rodi island airfield at 20A:2331, and rolls for Contact on the Success Table.  The modifiers are +3 for calm seas and -4 for the 21 hex range, for a -1 modifier.  To be sure, this means only a roll of 6 brings Success.  He rolls a 2: Failure.  The Axis player dutifully flips to inoperative the Ju 88A1 air unit at the airfield at 20A:2331, on Rodi, and then lets the gsp to sail onwards towards Toburch, again under the cover of night for 10 naval movement points, with nightfall beginning at all-sea hex 19A:2317 and enduring to the 2nd point expenditure done inside coast hex 19A;1719, which must be in daylight.  Then the NTP carrying the gsp from Suez expends the required minimum 20 naval movement points in daylight per WW Rule 34B2, spending 2 points per coastal hex, per the Naval MP Costs Summary, thereby hugging the coastline as far away as it can get from the Axis Naval Patrol air units until the Sidi Barrarini coastal hex, from which it may again commence night movement, upon entering adjacent all-sea hex 19A:0617.  Using this possibly standard sea voyage hex route, Allied shipping is safe using night movement in the last 9 map hexes until entering the Tobruch coast hex, costing 2 naval movement points to enter, and thus completing the last leg of the voyage entirely at night into the safety of the Allied improved fortress harbor.  But by now the Axis player knows the voyage route and timing, too.

#3.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport 1 gsp from Suez to Tobruch,using the same Allied voyaging method along the North African coastline.  The Axis player keeps to the plan also and picks again the Egyptian coast Delta hex at 19A:4922 to attempt Contact, and utilizes the second available Ju 88A1 air unit based at 20A,2331, at Rodi.  But the Axis player rolls a 3 on the Success Table, when he needs a 6; and so the Allied NTP goes its way and the Axis player must flip to inoperative the ineffective second Ju 88A1 air unit based at Rodi.

#4.  Not wanting to fix something that’s working right, the Allied player again sends an E Med NTP with the third available gsp at Suez on the same route to Tobruch, and like an old friend the Axis player requests a Contact die roll at the same Egyptian coastal hex 19A:4922.  But this time the Axis player rolls better and finally comes up with the 6 needed on the Success Table.  The Allied player rolls high on the Antiaircraft Fire Table and misses the Ju 88A1 air unit.  Since the target hex is only 21 hexes away from the Rodi airfield at 20A:2331, the Ju 88A1’s full 3 tac factor is used; three dice are rolled, looking for 6’s only, and a 6 shows up: a Hit!  And so the E Med NTP and its cargo of 1 gsp from Suez is sunk.  The third and last SE Command Ju 88A1 air unit from the Rodi airfield at 20A:2331 rebases there, inoperative.

#5.  The Allied player then sends the 4th and last gsp from Suez in an E Med NTP on its voyage to Tobruch.  By now the Axis player has used up the three available Ju 88A1 air units at Rodi assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission.  What will he do now, under the circumstances?  The Allies go their merry way for a long while, perhaps thinking that Fritz has tired of this chasing after such tiny sardines with his best bombers.  Then, at the last hex of daylight of the long voyage, at Sidi Barrani hex 19A:0718, the Axis player declares that one of the two Ger LW Med/NA Command Ju 87 B D type air units based 16 hexes away at Ain el Gazala and assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission, wants to roll for Contact at that coastal hex, at extended range.  The modifiers are +3 for calm seas and -3 for the 16 hex range, for 0 modifiers, and the Axis player rolls a 5: a Success.  Forthwith the long-ranging SAAF P-40C F type air unit based at Matruh flies the Intercept mission to the Sidi Barrani target hex, seeking to put a quick end to the Axis raids on the Allied shipping.  But this time the likely doesn’t happen, and both air units roll (-) results per the Air Combat Results Table.  The formidable but this time unlucky Allied P-40C air unit rebases inoperative at Matruh, and after its close shave the Ju 87B air unit now gets to face the E Med NTP’s 2 factor flack shot.  The Allied player rolls an 8, a miss.  The extended range Ju 87B D type air unit, with a normal tac factor of 4, here reduced to effectively a 1 due to the extended range, rolls on the Bombing Table, but with a +1 modifier for being the D type, and comes up with a 6: a Hit!  And so the E Med NTP sinks into the sea, the second one sunk so far, along with its gsp cargo, from Suez, making it the second gsp to be sunk this turn.  The jubilant Ju 87 B air unit rebases at Gazala, inoperative.

 

#6.  Undaunted, the Allied player now sends two gsp’s from the Alexandria standard Supply Terminal on one E Med NTP, utilizing the same westward voyage route and day and night chronology.  This time at the Sidi Barrani coastal hex the SE Command’s Ger LW Ju 87R air unit assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission and based at the Scarpanto airfield (19A:0701) calls for a Contact attempt die roll, again on extended range in spite of its 13 hex range.  Since the SAAF P-40C F type air unit is now inoperative, the Axis player feels that he can risk another of the SE Command’s air units.  To the Allied player’s chagrin this 2nd Stuka dive bomber unit also rolls a Success result, and just like the other it also gets through the NTP’s flack shot, too.  But its luck changes when it rolls a 3 on the Bombing Table, modified to a 4: for a Miss.  And so the relieved E Med NTP makes it alive to Tobruch, along with the 2 gsp’s from Alexandria and a big war story to tell; and the hapless Ju 87R air unit returns to Scarpanto, and there perhaps packs its bags, for Russia.

#7.  But as suddenly as the harrowing Allied gsp voyages to Tobruch began, now they stop.  One reason is that the Allied player is following a fairly rigid protocol, and wants to avoid sinking more E Med NTPs than he can immediately replenish his next Jul I 41 turn, per WW Rule 35D.  And so next he embarks the Br 8* Inf XX HQ 6 unit at Matruh on an E Med NTP and sends it away on a northeasterly direction, the first 10 all-sea hexes done at night.  The first daylight hex is at all-sea hex 19A:4530, four hexes away from Alexandria and its operative Glad F type air unit, which may be why the It SM 79-2 2B3 type (V code) air unit based at Ain el Gazala (along w/ the two Ger LW Ju 87 B D type air units) declines a Contact attempt at extended range.  The Br 8* inf XX HQ unit continues to Haifa, in Palestine, where it disembarks its ground unit cargo.  This naval transport was important because in so doing the Allied unit still had some MPs left after disembarkation; if it had been railed from Matruh to northern Palestine it would not have been able to get where the Allied player wanted it to be.

#8.  Then the Allied player embarks the Br 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME, at Haifa,  on the single available E Med ANTP, per WW Rule 31A2 (at the end Note), and sends it to the unoccupied Vichy French Levant clear terrain reference city/minor port Lattique hex, at 20A:3405, on an amphibious special op, duly planned one turn in advance.  This was the only Allied sp op planned this turn.  The Allied player picked Lattique mostly on a lark, but of the three available French Levant ports, it alone has the clear terrain hex, is remote from the colony’s rail lines, and there was some possibility that it might be unoccupied this turn.  The Allied battalion rolls a 4 on the Disruption Table, which modifies to a 3: still a No Effect, and so enters and thereby gains control of the Syrian coast hex.

#9.  Afterwards, the Allied players embarks the Aus 2-8 Inf X 19, beginning the turn at Alexandria, on an E Med NTP and it, too, voyages northeast to the Lattique coast hex; but since no amphibious sp op was planned for it, it and its ground unit cargo must remain in the coastal hex for the rest of the M. Phase and the duration of the C. Phase.  The Allied NTP in the Lattique hex does not disembark its non-c/m cargo until the E. Phase, when it disembarks it on the now bona fide friendly Lattique beach hex, thereby suffering only the -3 Disruption modifier.  For being a lark of an amphibious operation scheme, the Allied player rolls a skillfully high die roll of 5, which modifies to a 2: a very lucky No Effect; and so the Allied player has successfully landed completely undisrupted a small amphibious force in a remote beach location in Vichy Syria, and also captured intact a reference city airbase.  Looking back in retrospect from the edge of the gameboard, the amphibious operation has all the earmarks of a rash venture, and even with its initial success it may only amount to a drain from the main and evidently decisive Allied effort at the southwestern Lebanese front, or perhaps elsewhere where it might now be.

Next the Allied player sea transports his turn reinforcements, using the turn reinforcement naval transport ability, disembarking the Br 8 Inf XX HQ 50 Nth, the SA 2-8 Inf X 2, and the primo Br 6-4-6 Tnk X 1 T at Suez. The Br 2-8 Inf X 150 and the Ind 2-8 Inf X 9 are disembarked at Haifa, in Palestine.

Finally, the Allied player moves the recently activated Br 1-RN task force from Haifa (20A:4710) to nearby all-sea hex 20A:4409, adjacent to enemy-occupied Lebanese coast hex  of Saida, at 20A:4408, at the battle line in the Vichy French Levant.

In the C. Phase the Allied player does three attacks in the Vichy French Levant.  The first is at the point city of Hassetche (21A:3218), located in the northeastern Syrian “duckbill” zone.  The Br 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab has steadily moved towards this distant angle in the Fertile Crescent, intending to clear the remote area of Vichy French influence and gain control of the region’s cities and transportation lines.  The Br c/m X attacks the Hassetche hex from adjacent eastern road hex 21A:3217.  Defending Hassetche is the Vichy French TS unit D-8 Cav III Djez, which in the new Scenario is essentially a garrison unit of this remote hex, unable to move out of the hex unless and until it is pushed/moved out in a C. Phase.  The Br Blen 4  2B3  1-2/23 air unit, beginning the turn at Tel Aviv (20A:5011), in Palestine, stages to the Rutbah 1-cap permanent airstrip (21A:5023) in Iraq and flies the GS air mission over the Hassetche target hex.  Per Rathe’s Troupes Speciales Rules, found on pp. 44-45 of his Europa#81 article, “C or D strength TS units involved in a combat must check their cohesion before the combat die roll.”  The C-8 Cav III Djez (TS) already has a relatively low CL rating of 3, and with the +1 modifier for the Allied GS air support and the high die roll of 5, the unit seems predestined to be Dispersed and placed in the Nord-Syrie territory box, as it is.  After implementing the results of the cohesion check die roll, “if no defender remains, attacking units may advance after combat”; and so the Allied player does just this and advances the 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab into the now vacant Hassetche hex.  For attack supply the Allied player invoked WW Advanced Rule 12D3-Minimal Attack Supply.  Interestingly, the Blen 4 B type air unit on the GS air mission overhead Hassetche returns to base not at Rutbah, in Iraq, but rather to the recently occupied (in the M. Phase) Lattique reference city airbase (20A:3405), on the northwestern Vichy French Levant coastline.

Next the Allied player attacks the Vichy French 2-6* Inf III 17 TS (Col) at rough terrain hex 20A:4707, in the SW zone of the Vichy French Levant.  Attacking it are the 2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind), at 20A:4706; the 3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF), the 2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT, and the 1-8 Art II 1 (Aus), all at 20A:4708; and finally the 1-8 Cav X 6, at 20A:4807.  Adding their GS tac factors are two Allied air units:  the Br Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 air unit, beginning the turn at Matruh and staging to Alexandria, and the Br Blen 4  2B3  1-2/23 air unit, beginning the turn at Alexandria and staging to Haifa.  Escorting the air op mission to the target hex at 20A:4707 is the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit, based at Haifa.  The Vichy French D 520  5F5  0/11 air unit, based at nearby Damas (20A:4505), flies the Intercept air mission, and opts to bypass the escorting Br F type air unit, just like the last time.  But the Hurri 1 5F5 air unit rolls a 4 on the Air Combat Results Table: an Abort; and so the Fr D 520 F type air unit is placed in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool.  All Allied units receive attack supply except for the 1-8 Cav X 6.  In the end, the Allied player rolls the die on a straight up 5 to 1 combat, -1 for rough terrain and +1 for attacking with 1/10th AEC, and comes up with a 5: DE.  And so the 2-6* Inf III 17 TS (Col) is also placed in the Replacement Pool, along with the brave Vichy French fighter unit.

Finally the Allied player attacks the formidable Vichy French Levant stack at rough terrain coast hex Saida (20A:4408), containing the 3-6* Inf III 24 MC (Col) and the 2-1-6* Lt Arm III 7 CdA.  Attacking the Vichy Levant units at Saida are the 8* Inf XX HQ 6, the 3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol), the 2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus), and the turn reinforcement 2-8 Inf X 150, all at Sour (20A:4509).  Also attacking the Saida hex are the Allied units at 20A:4508, containing the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus), the 1-8 AT II 65, and the 2-8 Inf X 14.  The  RN-1 4 pt TF (RN), at all-sea hex 20A:4409, adjacent to the Saida coast hex, contributes its 4 attack factors.  All Allied ground units are in attack supply except for the 8* Inf XX HQ 6 and the 1-8 AT II 65.  The odds are a 5 to 1, -2; there’s a -1 for the rough terrain and there’s another -1 for the Vichy French stack’s 1/10th AECD, because of the Fr 2-1-6* lt arm III’s armor effects.  This time the Allied player rolls with perhaps the greatest skill yet seen so far in a turn with a roster of illustrious rolls: a 3, which modifies to a 1, for a HX.  And so the two primo Vichy French Levant ground units are placed in their Replacement Pool, and the Allied player picks the 1-8 AT II 65 and the newly arrived Br 2-8 Inf X 150 to place in the Middle East Replacement Pool.

In the E. Phase the Allied player air transfers the Br Glad F type air unit at Haifa and the Br A-22 A type air unit at Tel Aviv, both in Palestine, to airfields in the Matruh zone, in Egypt.  The Allied player feels that the Western Desert Force’s front line shield, anchored at Matruh, is threatened by the menacing forward position of the formidable Axis mobile force at 19A:0219, spearheaded by the powerful Ger 9-10 Pz XX 15.  Although the Axis player may not yet realize it, the Allied player currently feels that either of the two westernmost anchor hexes of his Matruh stop line are in effect an Axis attack waiting to happen.

At the end of the turn Allies have the following accumulated replacements: 10.5 Br inf, 2.5 Br arm, 0 Br ARPs, 3.5 Aus, and 3.5 NZ RPs. All items are stored at the Alexandria hex.

Commentary

In both the projected 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario and in the relevant standard WW Scenarios there is a kind of built-in Ultra for the Allied player regarding the occurrence of Axis air-droppable special operations in the SE Command (see WW Rule 33C) prior to the Axis ceasing operations in the Balkans.  In WW wargames an Axis air-droppable unit cannot execute a planned sp op “if it is in an enemy ZOC, attacks, or is attacked at any time between the planning and the execution of the operation,” per WW Rule 33A2.  Thus in the EA reported new Scenario, both sides knew per the rules that by the end of the May II 41 Axis Combat Phase no Axis airborne landings would happen on the upcoming Jun I 41 Axis turn, nor will any Axis airborne landings occur on the upcoming Jun II 41 Axis turn, due to the combats done on Crete in the Jun I 41 Axis Combat Phase by all the available Ger LW air-droppable units.  That is why this turn the Allied player leaves Cyprus undefended and Alexandria defended only with the Br 0-2-8 hv AA II.  He already knows there is no need to defend Nicosia, on Cyprus, or fear a Ger LW air landing assault at vulnerable hex 19A:2417, adjacent to Alexandria, or at the back-door retreat hex at 19A:1318, behind Matruh; he knows that all these risky hexes are safe by following the previous action on the maps in the Axis turn Combat Phases.  In fact, right now in the EA game report, the earliest the Axis player may execute a new airborne landing sp op would be on the Jul I 41 Axis turn, after duly planning it on the still to come Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase.

And so, what about the very important WW Rule 3E3-Player Control of Commands, where it says “Axis SE Command forces … may never leave that command unless directed to by the OB.”  And what precisely is this Europa map hex territory of the SE Command, which its designated forces “may never leave”?  Per WW Rule 3E1&2 it is, for our limited discussion here, the Dodecanese, Greece, Italy (excluding the Italian Central Mediterranean Islands), the hexes in the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea zones, and also the South Aegean Islands (eg., those Greek islands indicated on WD maps 18A & 19A).  Focusing just on the Aegean Sea zone hexes on maps 18A and 19A, which in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario are placed on top of BF map 15B, we identify as inclusive parts of the southern edge of the Aegean Sea zone on 18A: hexes 18A:3901-4001 (both these hexes including the Greek island of Kythera)-4103 (the Greek isle of Andikythera)-4104-4204-Crete coast hex 4304, and then all the southern Crete coast hexes up to and including the map’s east edge hex at 18A:5104, and presumably including also the Greek isle of Gavdos hex (18A:4605).  Proceeding to WD map 19A, the Aegean Sea zone continues eastwards along the remaining southern coast hexes of Crete, including the coastal hexes of 19A:0304-0403-0402, then to all-sea hex 19A:0502, and then includes all the hexes inside the Dodecanese Islands territory borderline on maps 19A and 20A, “plus that [small] portion of The Med on the northern half of map 20A,” eastwards to Turkish coast hex 20A:2526, inclusive.

Well, the above paragraph might expose a WW Rules dilemma in the games utilizing both the WD and the BF map groups, as it appears the WW Rules can be interpreted to prohibit necessary, realistic, and historical Southeast (SE) Command forces game play action from occurring in the nearby hexes of the adjacent East Med and Central Med sea zones that are per the Rules in the Axis Med/NA Command, because “Axis SE Command forces … may never leave that command.”  In at least the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the “minimum program” WW rules (as written) solution would be to allow Axis SE Command Naval Patrol air missions and directly related air missions (eg., escort and interception) to include those East and Central Med sea zone hexes in range of SE Command’s affected air units, at both regular and extended range, as long as the SE Command’s air units return to base in their respective SE Command operational area hexes.  This is certainly how we currently play the new Scenario in the EA game reports, apparently in spite of WW Rule 3E3.  If these SE Command Axis air units are aborted or eliminated in Med/NA Command hexes, they are placed in the SE Command Replacement Pool, because they “may never leave [the SE Command].”  Frankly, once we begin allowing SE Command Naval Patrol missions to Med/NA Commmand target hexes if the said Axis air units dutifully return to base in the SE Command, then logically all other air missions follow, using the same criterion.  So, where do we exercise discrimination and draw the line, once the tinkering and dickering begins with WW Rule 3E3?  And what about the SE Command’s air-droppable Ger LW ground units?  For the present, in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario game report done at the EA, we allow Axis SE Command air units to perform Naval Patrol and directly related air missions anywhere in the Mediterranean sea zones, as long as they rebase in SE Command hexes.  To recapitulate, by default of the game play we have allowed the SE Command’s air-droppable Ger LW air units to operate only in SE Command hexes, although we’ve admittedly talked some about maybe allowing Axis SE Command airborne sp ops at Cyprus.

Finally, it appears that in both the new 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario and evidently in the standard WW Scenarios utilizing at least both the WD and BF map groups (i.e., the WW Desert and the Balkans Scenario), it is likely that sometimes (eg., maybe in about 50% of the games) an Assault on Crete segment will continue beyond the “historical” Jun I 41 Axis I. Phase cessation of Axis operations in the Balkans (per WW Rule 3E5a).  In view of this, is there some plausible way in Europa to nevertheless better assure the historical at-start Barbarossa Axis OB, in particular regarding the Scorched Earth Surprise Turn air unit provisos (SE Rule 31F2), in say, a hypothetical 1941 WW/Scorched Earth (SE or FitE) link-up Scenario?  To get to the point, it appears to me this could be accomplished by a stipulated German OB Withdrawal at step 14 on the WW Jun I 41 turn’s I. Phase, assuming the Axis  player has not already voluntarily ceased operations in the Balkans, per WW Rule 3E5b, at step 4.  This is perhaps already done per the WW Marita-Merkur Scenario Axis OB on the Jun I 41 turn, at p. 21 of the WW OB booklet, but unfortunately it has not ever been explained as such, as far as I know.  Adding to its present obscurity, this pertinent German LW withdrawal is for some reason omitted from the WW Assault on Crete Scenario Axis OB, found on the same page; and the WW Assault of Crete Scenario Axis OB was used as the basis of the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario.  Using the SE Luftwaffe Air Order of Battle Chart, found on p. 11 of the SE Axis OB booklet, and comparing it with the at-start German Luftwaffe air units for the WW Assault on Crete Scenario Axis OB, I believe one might come up with a more focused WW Jun I 41 German Luftwaffe air unit SE Command withdrawal consisting of the three Do 17Z air units, a Me 109E air unit, and a Ju 87B air unit.  If the Axis player still did not voluntarily cease operations in the Balkans at step 4 of the following WW Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase, then 5 Ju 52 air units probably ought to be withdrawn from the SE Command, to be available on the regular Jun II 41 turn on the Russian front, per the SE Luftwaffe Air Order of Battle Chart.  Right now tonight I’m thinking these LW SE Command withdrawals will likely be somehow included in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario project.  Perhaps more on this issue later, if an EA discussion develops.

 

EOT Dispositions

Axis Regular Reinforcement, Conditional Reinforcement, and Production Considerations on the Jun I 41 Axis turn of the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario:

• The five Available in Europe and one Return Ger LW air units indicated in the WitD Axis OB booklet as reinforcements for this turn are definitely neither available, nor are any Returning.  Since the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario is necessarily in effect a kind of truncated WW Desert and the Balkans Campaign Scenario with the Yugoslav and Greek mainland campaigns lobbed off, but the Crete campaign segment included, we feel bound to implement the special Desert and the Balkans Scenario “Return of Luftwaffe Air Units from [the] Balkans” OB stipulation, found on p. 24 of the WW OB booklet.  In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario these six stipulated Ger LW air units are Available in the mainland Europe off-map holding box and/or Sicily at step 14 of the same I. Phase that the Axis player ceases operations in the Balkans, per WW Rule 3E5b.
• In the earlier May II 41 Allied turn EA game report, at the special Assault on Crete Segment May II 41 Allied turn non-phasing Axis Set-up, it was stated that “special Assault on Crete segment SE Command Reinforcements are available per the Axis Reinforcements of the WW Assault on Crete Scenario Axis OB at p. 21” of the WW OB booklet.  In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, this turn’s Ger  8-6 Air Lndg XX 22 unit is in fact an Axis Optional Conditional Reinforcement, and in the new Scenario, as in the WW Balkan Campaign and the Desert and the Balkans Scenarios, per the WW Balkan Victory Chart Axis VP Schedule, the Axis player pays a -3 VP penalty if he takes the Ger air landing XX as a reinforcement this turn.  And so in our EA game report the victory-seeking Axis player declines the offer of help from the willing air landing troops, leaving them instead for the upcoming surprise turn of SE/TW farther north at the Soviet borderline, in Rumania.  The Axis player does, however, take the Regular Reinforcement one step of attack supply given in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Axis draft OB for the special Assault on Crete segment, which appears at Athenai, Greece, at step 14 of the I. Phase.
• Per Jean-Guy Rathe’s “Troupes Francaises du Levant Order of Battle (Land), June 1941,” published in TEM#81, under the 1st Turn of Invasion Conditional Reinforcements, the A-8 Cav III Tcher (TS) unit’s initial CL rating of 5 is reduced to 4 at step 14 of the I. Phase.  In the EA game report, the D-8 Cav III PTch (TS) has already been Removed, as required at-start, per the new Scenario’s Vichy French Levant draft OB, along with the B-5 Inf III 2 Lev (TS), which was selected from an OB list of TS units.  The two TS units required to be scrapped at-start, per the new Scenario’s Vichy French Levant draft OB stipulations, are the C-8 Cav III Druze and the B-5 Inf III 3 Lev, both selected from an OB list.  However, in our Scenario game report the Axis player spends 1/4 TS inf RP, stored at Damas, to “rally” the recently Dispersed C-8 Cav III Ligne (TS), beginning this turn in the Sud-Syrie territory box, and places it at Damas at step 14 of the I. Phase.  All these Troupes Speciales Rules details can be found on pp. 44-45 of Rathe’s article and in the Vichy French Levant considerations found in the previous Jun I 41 Allied turn EA game report.  However, now I am tentatively stipulating that the Axis player’s I. Phase substep expenditure of TS inf RPs for Rallying dispersed TS units comes before an Axis player’s subtsep cohesion check effort for a dispersed TS unit placed in its territory box, and so for a particular TS unit he can do one or the other in an I. Phase, but not first attempt the free cohesion check for a unit and, if failing, then pay the TS inf RP cost to get the unit.  In our EA game report, at the end of his I. Phase, the Axis player has 1/4 TS inf RP remaining, stored at Damas.
• We tentatively use F. Watson’s Vichy French Levant Axis OB for the Vichy Levant’s Jun II and Jul I 41 Regular Reinforcements, all of which are then Available in Europe.  This is different than the WW OB booklet’s Western Desert Scenario Neutral Nations OB for Vichy France, which stipulates that the LeO 451  3B5  2-5/25 air unit and the Fr ARP are available at Damas.  But for now I believe Watson’s Vichy French Regular Reinforcement OB stipulations are the more accurate, pending any new input.

Axis Med/NA Command

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

3 Italian inf Replacement Points at the start of the turn, +.5 It inf RP turn reinforcement = 3.5; no builds this turn.
2 Ger ARPs at the start of the turn, -1 ARP transfer to the SE Command, where it is immediately expended, = 1 ARP remaining at the end of the Axis turn.

• At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player transfers 1 Med/NA Ger ARP to the SE Command (see WW Rule 25C4-ARP Transfer), where it is used that same step to rebuild the Ger LW air unit in the Aborted Air Units Box of the SE Command Replacement Pool.  The rebuilt Ger LW Do 17Z  3B4  3-4/13 air unit is placed at the 3-cap temporary airfield at 15B:0914, on the eastern Peloponnese coastline, along with the other two on-map Ger LW Do 17Z air units.  Although arguably superfluous at this point in the Scenario, the LW air unit rebuild nevertheless appears to take away from the Allied player +.5 VP “per air unit in enemy aborted air units box,” as indicated by the WW Common Victory Chart’s Axis & Allied VP Schedule, found on p. 25 of the WW Scenarios & Appendices booklet, and intended to be tallied in the SE Command losses at the end of the Scenario’s special Assault on Crete Segment, which occurs whenever the Axis player ceases operations in the Balkans, per WW Rule 3E5b.  Certainly more later on the important issue of VPs in the new Scenario and possibly also the special Assault on Crete segment’s relationship to the standard Jun II 41 Barbarossa opening turn in a hypothetical FitE/new Scenario link-up context.

2 It ARPs at the start of the turn, -1 ARP expenditure at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 air unit in the Med/NA Command’s Aborted Air Units Box.  It is placed at the Syracusa hex (18A:0702), on Sicily.

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; Miss; 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; 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 Jun I 41 Axis turn:

Malta Status: 10, at the start of the naval movement step of the Axis M. Phase and at the EOT.  At the beginning of the turn the Malta Status is 8, +2 Malta Status hits achieved at the beginning of the M. Phase, prior to the naval movement step, for the Axis player turn total of 10.

Valetta hex flack: 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 I 41 Allied I. Phase.  All Allied forces on Malta are in special general supply this turn.

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
3 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
2 steps of attack supply [turn reinforcements; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; successfully sea transported to here]
1 resource point
0 pos flk unit AA=3 [Italian]

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.; turn ARP build, placed at Syracusa airbase, in Sicily, in the I. Phase; did Malta Status strat bombing daylight air mission at the very beginning of the M. Phase; Hit; returned to base here]

18A:0925 [clear terrain road hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III                   280 GaF [released from the Tripolantania Garrison this turn per the WitD Axis OB; placed at Tripoli (18A:0121), Libya, at step 14 of the I. Phase; admin moved to here]
8* Inf XX HQ                    9 LA (Ger) [turn reinf; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe holding box; successfully sea transported to Tripoli and admin moved to here]

18A:1627 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Sirte]:
1-6 Tnk II                        4 [turn reinf; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe holding box; successfully sea transported to Homs (18A:0522), then admin moved along the coast road to 18A:1026; exploited to here]

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

18A:1927 [sand coast road hex]:
step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:0924, spent 12 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

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 [began turn here; never moved]
3-6 Inf XX                         25 Bol [began turn at 18A:3622; regular moved to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

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

Barce 18A:3418 [rough terrain point city road junction hex]:
1-8 Aslt Eng II                 31 G  [turn reinf; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe holding box; successfully amphibiously disembarked at Libyan clear terrain coast hex 18A:3219; landed disrupted; afterwards moved to here]
2-8 Inf III                        155 (Ger)   [turn reinf; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase in the mainland Europe holding box; successfully amphibiously disembarked at Libyan clear terrain coast hex 18A:3219; landed undisrupted; afterwards 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
6 Inf XX HQ                 B [began turn here; HQ component of the 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs; never moved]
1-6 Inf III                      B [began turn here; an unsupported component of the 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs; never moved]
0-6 Lt AA II    AA=1    38 [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield

• This temporary airfield began the turn as a 1-cap, +1 cons III MP being already spent towards the 2nd cap; this turn the 0-6 Cons III 5 A spent 3 MPs in the hex to increase the cap to 3 and then regular moved to 18A:4718.

1-6 Inf III                       B [began turn at 18A:4318; an unsupported component of the 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs; moved 2 road hexes to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:4318; spent 2 SMPs moving along the road to here in the E. Phase]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [inop.; began turn at Derna; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (LW) [inop.; began turn at Derna; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (LW) [inop.; began turn at Derna; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-4-8 Art III                  221 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:3722; admin moves 10 road hexes to here]

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

• This temporary airfield began the turn as a 2-cap, +1 cons III MP being already spent towards the 3rd cap; this turn the 0-6 Cons III 10A spent 1 MP in the hex to increase the cap to there and then regular moved to adjacent hex 18A:4818.

5-8 Lt Arm XX               132 Ar [began turn here; in the M. Phase regular moved to 18A:5020; exploited back to here]
1-8 Inf III                        61 [breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn; the 5-8 inf XX began the turn at 18A:4920; it broke down early in the M. Phase; this unsupported 1-8 inf III component regular moved to here]
1-8 Inf III                        62 [breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn, the 5-8 inf XX began the turn at 18A:4920; it broke down early in the M. Phase; this unsupported 1-8 inf III component regular moved to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II          I/18 (Ger LW) [began at 18A:2227; admin moved 20 hexes along road to 18A:3821; exploits along the road to here in the E. Phase]
0-6 Cons III                     5 A [began turn at Ain el Gazala; spent 3 MPs in that hex increasing the 1-cap temporary airfield there to a 3-cap, then regular moved 2 hexes to here]
1-6 Hv AA II                     29 [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 Mot Art III                 2 AC [began turn here; in M. Phase 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; did non-phasing air transfer to here late in the Jun I 41 Allied E. Phase; late in the present Axis turn’s I. Phase it flew the CAP air mission over the adjacent Tobruch hex (18A:4817); rebased here at the end of the E. Phase]
G 50  3F3  0/9 [inop.; began turn at 18A:0603, at Sicily; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; 1 hex S of Tobruch]:
3-6 Inf XX                         55 Sav [began turn at 18A:4618; regular moved to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II           I/33 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4918; in M. Phase regular moved 19A:0720; exploited to here]
1-10 Mot AT II                  605 (Ger) [began turn at 18A: 4918; in M. Phase regular moved to 19A:0720; exploited to here]
0-6 Cons III                      10 A [began turn at 18A:4718; spent 1 MP in that hex increasing the 2-cap temporary airfield there to a 3-cap, then spent 5 MPs regular moving one hex to here]
3-4-6 Art III                      5 A [began turn at 18A:4718; spent 5 MPs moving one hex to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:4718; late in the E. Phase spent 9 SMPs moving one hex to here]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
8-7-10* Pz XX                   5 Le (Ger) [began turn here; in the M. Phase regular moved to 19A:0818, SE of Sidi Barrani; exploited back to here]
2-3-6 Art III                       24 C [began turn at 18A:4818; spent 5 MPs moving one hex to here]

18A:5018 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III                1 AC [began turn at 18A:4818; in the M. Phase regular moved to 19A:0420; exploited to here]

18A:5119 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III                 3 AC [began turn at 18A:4918; in M. Phase regular moved along road to 19A:0519; exploited to here]

19A:0219 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX                       15 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4818; in M. Phase regular moved to 19A:0723, gaining Axis-ownership of Siwa road hex 19A:0823; exploited to here]
3-10 Mot Inf III              115 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4718; in M. Phase regular moved to 19A0321; exploited to here]
2-10 Mot Inf III                7 B [breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn, the 5-8 inf XX began turn at 18A:4920; it broke down early in the M. Phase; later in the M. Phase the unsupported 2-10 mot inf III component unit regular moved to 19A:0725, gaining Axis-ownership of Siwa road hexes 19A:0824-0725-0726; 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
3-6 Inf XX                          17 Pav [began turn at 18A:4819; regular moved to here]
8 Inf XX HQ                      102 Trn [breakdown of the 5-8 Inf XX 102 Trn, the 5-8 inf XX began turn at 18A:4920; it broke down early in the M. Phase; the 8 inf XX HQ component unit regular moved to here]
3-2-8 Art III                       16C [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to here]

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 a turn reinforcement NTP attempting to sea transport it to Libya from the mainland Europe off-map holding box; in this case no It special inf RPs are derived from its loss]
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 Southeast Command [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:

At Rodi:
Rodi (20A:2230): [clear terrain point city/standard port coast hex]
3-cap-permanent airfield
3-4-6 Inf XX                         50 Reg [Dodecanese Garrison; never moved]
1-2-5 Art X                            35 [Dodecanese Garrison; never moved]
1-2-5 Art X                            36 [Dodecanese Garrison; never moved]
0-6 Lt AA II        AA=1        Rodi [Dodecanese Garrison; never moved]
1-0-6 Lt Tnk II                     312 [Dodecanese Garrison; never moved]
Mxd F  2F2  0/8 [inop.; Dodecanese Garrison; began turn here; flipped to its inop side at step 21 of the I. Phase due to airfield capacity]
Ju 52  1T2  0/20 [operative; began turn here; Axis Conditional Reinforcement; never moved]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Mxd  2A3  1-1/16 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; Axis Conditional Reinforcement; never moved]

20A:2331: [rough terrain coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
1-6 Hv AA III      AA=2       Rodi [Dodecanese Garrison; never moved]
Ju 88A1  3B5  3-5/26 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 88A1  3B5  3-5/26 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 88A1  3B5  3-5/26 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Mxd B  1B2  1-2/21 [inop.; began turn here; Dodecanese garrison; flipped to its inop side at step 21 of the I. Phase due to airfield capacity]

On Scarpanto:
Scarpanto (19A:0701): [rough terrain point city/minor port coast hex]
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-6 Lt      AA II AA=1      Scar [Dodecanese Garrison; never moved]
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87R  2D3  4-1/13 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]

On Samos:
Samos (20A:1432/15B:1400) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast hex]:
6 Inf XX HQ                         C [began turn here; an unsupported breakdown component of the 4-6 Inf XX 6 Cno; never moved]

On Melos (15B:1610):
Melos (15B:1610) [clear terrain point city/minor port Aegean islet coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase performed the GS air mission over the Erakleion hex (18A:4903), on Crete; returned to base here]
Do 17Z  3B4  3-4/13 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn in the Aborted Air Units box of the SE Command Replacement Pool; rebuilt in the I. Phase w/ an ARP transfer from the Med/NA Command, placed at 15B:0914; then air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

On Crete:
At the start of  the Axis turn the island had both Axis and Allied forces on it.

Khania (18A:4403/15B:2115) [rough terrain reference city/standard port road terminus coast hex]:
2-cap temporary airfield

• built this turn by the Ger 2-6 Eng III 685, present in the hex the entire turn

2-6 Eng III                            685  [any] (Ger) [began turn at Khania; still Red U-1; in M. Phase it expended 6 MPs in the Khania hex to build a 2-cap temporary airfield here; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on the Suda Bay hex; after combat it remained in the Khania hex]
7-8 Mtn XX                          6 (Ger) [the Ger mtn XX began the turn at Athenai; early in the M. Phase it broke down into its unsupported components, then all the components were sent to the Khania hex, on Crete, either by sea or air transport; the components reassembled into the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 6 at Khania at the end of the M. Phase; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on the Suda Bay hex; after combat it remained in the Khania hex]

• 8 Mtn XX HQ B [breakdown component of the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 6, which began the turn at Athenai; early in the M. Phase it broke down into its unsupported components; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was successfully sea transported to the Khania port hex, on Crete; at the end of the M. Phase, at Khania, it reassembled into the mtn XX]
• 3-8 Mtn III B [breakdown component of the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 6, which began the turn at Athenai; early in the M. Phase it broke down into its unsupported components; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase, it was successfully sea transported to the Khania port hex, on Crete; at the end of the M. Phase, at Khania, it reassembled into the mtn XX]
• 3-8 Mtn III B [breakdown component of the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 6, which began the turn at Athenai; early in the M. Phase it broke down into its unsupported components; then, directly after the naval movement step, it was air transported to the Khania reference city airbase, on Crete; at the end of the M. Phase, at Khania, it reassembled into the mtn XX]

Me 110C  5HF5  1/12 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; technically still Red U-1, but in Axis designated special supply due to the gsp present in the hex at the start of the I. Phase; never moved]
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Melos (15B:1610; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
He 111H  4B4  2-7/S/22 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at 15B:1415, on the southeastern Peloponnese; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
12 gsp’s [generated in the Jun I 41 Axis I. Phase; they began in the I. Phase at Athenai, where they were broken down from a step of attack supply present in the hex; late in the E. Phase all 12 gsp’s were air transported to Khania by the three Ger LW Ju 52 air units based at Levadia (15B:0612)]
{one gsp [generated in the May II 41 Axis I. Phase; removed from the map at the end of the current I. Phase]}
{one step of attack supply [began turn at Athenai; in the naval movement step of the current M. Phase was successfully sea transported to Khania, on Crete; expended in the C. Phase of the current turn]}

18A:4504 [mountain coast hex]:
7-6 Para XX                          7 (Ger LW) [at the end of the M. Phase it reassembled from its divisional breakdown components at mountain hex 18A:4504, reassembling as still Red U-1; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on Rethymnon; after combat it remained at the mountain hex]

• 6 Para XX HQ 7 (Ger LW) [began turn at Athenai; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it was sea transported to Khania, on Crete; in the M. Phase it moved to the adjacent mountain hex 18A:4504; at the end of the M. Phase it reassembled there into the 7-6 para XX]
• 2-5 Para III 7/1 (Ger LW) [began turn here; still Red U-1; in the M. Phase it regular moved to the adjacent mountain hex 18A:4504; at the end of the M. Phase it reassembled there into the 7-6 para XX]
• 2-5 Para III 7/2 (Ger LW) [began turn here; still Red U-1; in the M. Phase it regular moved to the adjacent mountain hex 18A:4504; at the end of the M. Phase it reassembled there into the 7-6 para XX]
• 2-5 Para III 7/3 (Ger LW) [began turn here; still Red U-1; in the M. Phase it regular moved to the adjacent mountain hex 18A:4504; at the end of the M.Phase it reassembled there into the 7-6 para XX]

Rethymnon (18A:4603) [rough terrain point city/standard port coast road hex]:
1-5 Glider II                          1 St (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4304; still Red U-1; in M. Phase it regular moved to mountain hex 18A:4504; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on Rethymnon ; after combat it advanced into the Rethymnon hex]

2-5 Para III                           1 St (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4304; still Red U-1; in M. Phase it regular moved to mountain hex 18A:4504; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on Rethymnon; after combat it advanced into the Rethymnon hex]
1-6 Marine Cmdo II             Gr/SM [began turn at Khania; still Red U-1; in the M. Phase it regular moved to mountain hex 18A:4504; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on Rethymnon; after combat it advanced into the Rethymnon hex]

{Suda Bay} (18A:4503) [rough terrain coast hex; formerly a port upgrade major port and an Allied standard supply terminal]:
3-8 Mtn III                           A (Ger) [began turn at 15B:0813; an unsupported breakdown of 7-8 Mtn XX 5; early in the M. Phase it was air transported to Khania by a Ger LW Ju 52 air unit beginning the turn at Athenai; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on the Suda Bay hex; after combat it advanced into the Suda Bay hex]

Erakleion (18A:4903) [rough terrain reference city/standard port coast road hex]:

• hit marker on the reference city airbase

3-8 Mtn III                           A (Ger) [began turn at Khania, on Crete; still Red U-1; an unsupported component of the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 5; in the M. Phase it regular moved to coast hex 18A:4803; in the C. Phase it participated in the Axis attack on the Erakleion hex; after combat it advanced into Erakleion]

Hagios Nikolaos (19A:0203) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road terminus hex]:
1-6 Inf III                              C [began turn at Samos (20A:1432/15B:1400), on the Axis-occupied Aegean island of Samos; it is an unsupported breakdown component of the 4-6 Inf XX 6 Cno; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it conducted an amphibious assault special op at the Nagios Nikolaus beach hex, and successfully landed undisrupted; remained in the hex]

Mainland Greece:

15B:1415 [southeastern Peloponnese rough terrain coastline hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
5 pos flk AA=1 (Ger LW) [began turn here; never moved]
5 pos flk AA=1 (Ger LW) [began turn at 15B:0914; admin moved to here; see WW Rule 6B for admin movement in mainland Greece in WW]
G 50bis  3F3  0/10 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Do 17Z  3B4  3-4/13 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at 15B:0914; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
Do 17Z  3B4  3-4/13 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at 15B:0914; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]

Kalamai (15B:1118) [clear terrain reference city/standard port secondary rail line terminus coast hex]:
2 x 5 pos flk AA=2 (Ger LW) [began turn here; never moved]

15B:0914 [eastern Peloponnese rough terrain coastline hex; E of Nauplion, SE of Korinthos]:
3-cap temporary airfield
5 pos flk AA=1 (Ger LW) [began turn here; never moved; at the start of the turn there were two 5 pos flk LW units here, but one admin moved to 15B:1415]

15B:0813 [rough terrain secondary rail line coast hex, E of Korinthos]:
3-cap temporary airfield

Athenai (15B:0911) [great port/full hex city transportation line junction coast hex]:
2 x 5 pos flk AA=2 (Ger LW) [began turn here; never moved]
2-6 Eng III                           690 [any] (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 Ski II                               MC [began turn here; never moved]
8 Mtn XX HQ                       A (Ger) [began turn at Lauren (15B:1111); moved into Athenai; Mtn XX HQ unit breakdown of 7-8 Mtn XX 5]
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [inop.; began the turn at 15B:1415, in the southeastern Peloponnese; air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it air transported a ground unit in mainland Greece to the reference city Khania airbase, on Crete; returned to base here]
Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Kalamai (15B:1118); air transferred to here late in the E. Phase]
Z 506B  2B3  2-4/F/22 [operative; began turn at Athenai; never moved]
{one step of attack supply [turn reinf per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete draft OB; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; broke down into 12 gsp’s at step 16 of the I. Phase; in the E. Phase these 12 gsp’s were air transported to Khania, on Crete]}

15B:0811 [clear terrain secondary rail line coast hex, NW of Athenai]:
3-cap permanent airfield
5 pos flk AA=1 (Ger LW) [began turn here; never moved]
2 x Ju 52 1T2 0/20 (Ger LW) [both operative; both began turn here; both never moved]
Ju 52 1T2 0/20 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Athenai; early in the M. Phase it air transported a ground unit in mainland Greece to the reference city Khania airbase, on Crete; returned to base here]

15B:0711 [clear terrain transportation line junction coast hex, 2 hexes N of Athenai]:
3-cap temporary airfield
5 pos flk AA=1 (Ger LW) [began turn here; never moved]
2 x Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [both operative; both began turn here; both never moved]
Ju 52 1T2 0/20 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Athenai; early in the M. Phase it air transported a ground unit in mainland Greece to the reference city Khania airbase, on Crete; returned to base here]
Levadia (15B:0612) [clear terrain major rail line hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
5 pos flk AA=1 (Ger LW) [began turn at 15B:0813; admin moved to here]
3 x Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (Ger LW) [all inop; all began turn here; late in the E. Phase all three staged to Athenai where they each loaded up 4 gsp’s, for the total of 12 gsp’s that were in the Athenai hex, and air transported all of them to the airbase at Khania, on Crete; all three rebased here]

SE Command Replacement Pool [end of turn]:

2-6 Inf III                             C [This breakdown unit is derived from the 4-6 Inf XX 6 Cno, which began the turn at Samos (20A:1432/15B:1400). At the beginning of the May II 41 Axis M. Phase it broke down into the unsupported components of inf XX “C.” This inf III breakdown had an amphibious special op planned that turn for the Khania hex, on Crete, but the Aegean ANTP sea transporting it was sunk by an Eliminated die roll on the Shipping Results Table after a Contact dice roll on the Naval Table]

Eliminated Air Units Box:
DFS 230  0GT-1 -/T (Ger LW) [did air drop mission of the LW glider II on the May II 41 Axis M. Phase; placed here per WW Rule 23F]

Axis Near East Command

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

Select Initial Conditions Recap:
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.

Sadia (20A:4408) [rough terrain point city transportation line coast hex]:
3-6* Inf III 24 MC (Col) [began turn at Tripoli (20A:4005), in Lebanon; regular moved to here]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III                7 CA (Afr) [began turn at Damas; regular moved to 20A:4407; exploited to here]

20A:4308 [rough terrain transportation line coast hex, S of Beyrouth]:
C-8 Cav III                            N Syr (TS) [began turn at Alep; admin moved to here]

20A:4407 [rough terrain hex]:
2-6* Inf III                           29 TA (Afr) [began turn here; in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase this unit was D-backed to 4407; never moved this turn]
A-8 Cav III                           Tcher (TS) [began turn at Damas; regular moved to here]

20A:4507 [ravines hex]:
4-3-6* Inf III                        6 LE (LE) [began turn at Alep; in the M. Phase it railed to Rayak and then regular moved to 20A:4507; in the C. Phase it participated in the attack on the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607; remained here at 4507 after combat]
2-1-6* Lt Arm III                6 CdA (Afr) [began turn at Damas; in the M. Phase it regular moved to here; in the C. Phase it participated in the attack on the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607; remained here at 4507 after combat]
1-8 Cav III                            1 SM (Afr) [began turn at Beyrouth (20A:4207); in the M. Phase it regular moved to here; in the C. Phase it participated in the attack on the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607; remained here at 4507 after combat]
1-6 Inf II                               V/1 TM (Afr) [began turn at Damas; in the M. Phase it regular moved to here; in the C. Phase it participated in the attack on the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607; remained here at 4507 after combat]
20A:4607 [rough terrain hex inside Vichy Syria; Allied-occupied hex at the start of the Axis player turn]
1-2-6* Inf III                        16 TT (Afr) [began turn at 20A:4806; regular moved to 20A:4606; in the C. Phase participated in the attack on the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607; after combat it moved into hex 4607]
C-8 Cav III                           Ligne (TS) [this turn placed at Damas at step 14 of the I. Phase after the expenditure of .25 TS inf RP;  in the Jun I 41 Allied C. Phase it had been placed in the Sud-Syrie territory box after being Dispersed in a cohesion check die roll prior to an Allied attack at hex 20A:4607; this turn in the M. Phase it regular moved to 20A:4507; this time having rolled a No Effect on the cohesion check die roll done before the combat, it participated in the C. Phase attack on the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607; after combat it moved into hex 4607]

20A:4707 [rough terrain hex]:
2-6* Inf III                           17 TS (Col) [began turn at 20A:4707; in the C. Phase participated in the attack on the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607; after combat it remained here at 4707]

Rayak (20A:4306) [clear terrain point city transportation line junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
one step of attack supply [began turn at Beyrouth; in M. Phase spent 3 SMPs to move along transportation line to here]

Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
Standard Supply Terminal marker [Vichy French Levant specific]
0-1-5 Cons X                        Lev (Col) [began turn at Alep; railed to here]
{one step of attack supply [expended in the C. Phase for the Vichy French attack at 20A:4607]}
D 520  6F5  0/11 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
Standard Supply Terminal marker [Vichy French Levant specific]
[vacant of Vichy French forces at the end of the turn]

Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line coast hex]:
railhead marker
[vacant of Vichy French forces at the end of the turn]

Alep (21A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
A-5 Inf III                             1 Lev (TS) [began turn at Lattique (20A:3405); moved to here]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
[vacant of Vichy French forces at the end of the turn]

Hassetche (21A:3218) [clear terrain point city road hex]:
D-8 Cav III                           Djez (TS) [began turn here; never moved; required to remain here at Hassetche until moved out of the hex in a C. Phase]

Deir ez Zoir (21A:3922) [clear terrain reference city road junction hex]:
A-8 Mot Cav II                   Lev (TS) [began turn here; never moved; tentatively required to remain here this turn; may move freely next turn]

• Note:  This TS unit’s first turn after the Allied invasion restriction proviso will likely be changed from “required to remain at Dier ez Zoir” this turn to “required to end the first turn after the Allied invasion at either Deir ez Zoir or Palmyre (21A:4129).”

Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool:
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:

• The Br Glad F type air unit beginning the turn at Nicosia (20A:3413), on Cyprus, air transfers to Hafia (20A:4710) late in the E. Phase

In pro-Allied neutral Iraq [{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:

• In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the pro-Axis Iraqi coup occurs in the Apr I 41 Axis Initial Phase.
• At step 4 of the Initial Phase of the May II 41 Axis turn, the Allied player rolled a 9 when checking for an Iraqi Coup Collapse, using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table, per WW Rule 38J5.  This resulted in a modified roll tally of 15: Coup Collapse, taking into account the +1 modifier for the Allied-owned Iraqi dot city of Basra, the +1 modifier for if a rail connection (per WW Rule 7A1) cannot be traced from an Axis-owned Baghdad to an Axis-owned dot city in Iraq, and the +5 modifier for the “first turn (only) that a supported Allied unit [eg., the Br 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab] is adjacent to an Iraqi-owned Baghdad,” per the WW Errata-28 October 2005 addendum.  At that time all Iraqi forces were removed from the game maps and the Iraqi Replacement Pool.  All Iraqi hexes became Allied controlled except for the Mosul hex (21A:3509), because of the presence in the Mosul hex at that time of the Ger LW Mxd A type Conditional Reinforcement air unit, which was subsequently air transferred back to Rodi in the May II 41 Axis E. Phase.
• This turn, in the Allied E. Phase, the Br 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab exploited through the Mosul hex, thereby gaining Allied control of the only remaining Axis-controlled hex in Iraq.
• Meanwhile, back at step 2 of the Initial Phase of the current Jun I 41 Axis turn, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 5: “Fawzi is under the control of the Axis player for the player turn.”  The Axis player forthwith changed the mode of the Fawzi Guerrilla unit (Bandit) from guerrilla to combat, per WW Optional Rule 39B-[Guerrilla] Modes.  The Fawzi dummy Guerrilla unit, beginning the turn at 22A:3133, was accordingly removed from the maps and set aside.  The Fawzi Guerrilla unit beginning the turn at 21A:5121 was flipped to the 0-1-8 Inf II Fawzi (Bandit) side.

21A:4821 [ravines hex]:

0-1-8 Inf II                            Fawzi (Bandit) [began turn at 21A:5121 in the Guerrilla mode; at step 2 of the I. Phase, after the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, it was voluntarily flipped to its combat mode by the Axis player; in the M. Phase it moved to here]

22A:3133 [stony desert hex]:

[vacant after step 2 of the I. Phase]

{Fawzi Guerrilla Unit (Bandit) [dummy unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn here; at step 2 of the I. Phase it was removed from the maps and set aside after the Axis player voluntarily flipped the main Fawzi Guerrilla unit to its combat side.]}

Turn Activity:

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Br 5 pos flk unit at Limassol (20A:3615), on Cyprus, becomes Black U-1; as does also the Br Glad F type air unit based at Nicosia (20A:3413), on Cyprus.  Most of the Axis forces starting the turn on Crete are still definitely Red U-1, except for the Ger LW Me 110C HF air unit based at Khania, which this turn is only technically Red U-1, drawing Axis designated special general supply from the single gsp present in the Khania hex until its removal at step 24.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player converts one of the two steps 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 Initial Phase the 12 old gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated from a converted step of attack supply in the May II 41 Axis Initial Phase are removed from the map.  At step 16 of the I. Phase the Axis player also converts one of the steps of attack supply at Athenai into 12 new gsp’s.

 

At step 22 of the I. Phase the Me 109E F type air unit at the 2-cap temporary airfield at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, flies the CAP air mission over the adjacent Tobruch hex (18A:4817).  The SAAF Hurri 1 F type air unit based at the Tobruch airfield would have liked to have performed a non-phasing CAP air mission over Tobruch in the I. Phase first, in order to get safely off the ground for the duration of the Axis turn, but was pre-empted by the phasing Axis player per Rule 16D-Air Operation Sequence, and so remains based at the Tobruch airfield, operative.  At the end of the E. Phase the Ger LW Me 109E air unit rebases at the now 3-cap-temporary airfield at 18A:4718.

Early in the M. Phase, prior to the naval movement step, the Axis player flies a big Malta Status daylight air mission air op against the Valletta hex, on Malta.  Flying the Malta Status air mission are the strat bombing SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit, from Licata, the strat bombing Br 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 air unit, from Syracusa, on Sicily, the tac bombing It Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air unit, from Sicilian coast hex 18A:0603, and the tac bombing Ca 309  2B1  0/9, from Sicilian coast hex 18A:0403.  All make it through the Valletta factored flack factor of 2 (see WW Rule 37I2-Bombing Malta) and the Ju 87B and BR 20M air units each score a Hit.  All the Italian air units return to their respective Sicilian airbases, except for the long-range BR 20M NB type, which rebases at the 1-cap temporary airfield at Libya, thereby increasing its air mission alternatives next turn.

At the start of the Axis M. Phase the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX  6 unit at Athenai is broken down into its unsupported B Mtn XX components.

In the naval movement step of the Axis M. Phase the Axis player uses 5 Aegean NTPs to successfully sea transport the following forces from the great port of Athenai, in mainland Greece, to the standard port of Khania, at Crete: one step of attack supply (3 Aegean NTPs), the Ger LW 6 Para XX HQ 7 unit (1 Aegean NTP), and the Ger 8 Mtn XX HQ B unit (1 Aegean NTP), which is the HQ unit of the unsupported breakdown components of the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 6).  Per WW Rule 31D6, the 12 column is used on the Naval Table (see WW Game Play Chart 3-Naval War) and all the Axis sea cargo makes it safely across the Aegean Sea to Crete.  The 6th Axis Aegean NTP is an Aegean ANTP (see WW Rule 31A), and it sea transports the It 1-6 Inf III C, an unsupported breakdown component of the It 4-6 Inf XX 6 Cno, beginning the turn at the port hex of Samos (20A:1432/15B:1400), on the Axis-controlled Aegean island of Samos, to the Allied-controlled Cretan beach hex of Hagios Nikolaos (19A:0203), on an amphibious assault special operation, duly planned one turn in advance (See WW Rule 33A).  This was the only Axis special operation planned for this turn.  After determining that the Axis Aegean NTP is not Contacted per the Naval Table dice roll, the Greek 1-4 Static X Erak, 3 hexes away at Erakleion (18A:4903), declined the Enemy Reaction die roll attempt (WW Rule 32B), as after analysis it appeared that in any event a successful non-c/m 1 MP Reaction Movement in any direction would not affect either that Allied unit at Erakleion, or the ownership of the Erakleion hex at the turn’s end, or the events unfolding at Hagios Nikolaos.  This time Fate smiled at the Italian inf III when the Axis player rolls a 4 on the Disruption Table, which modifies to a 2: No Effect; and so the It 1-6 Inf III C successfully landed undisrupted at the Hagios Nikolaos enemy beach hex.

It appears that beginning this turn the Axis player has only 6 Aegean NTPs (with a maximum of 3 of them being ANTPs, per WW Rule 31A), although on the May II 41 Axis turn he definitely began with 7 Axis Aegean NTPs, per the WW Assault on Crete Scenario Axis OB, which is the basis of the new Scenario’s Axis OB for the special Assault on Crete segment.  Well, the Axis player lost one Aegean ANTP on his May II 41 M. Phase assault on Crete, and per WW Rule 35D-NTP Replacements, evidently no replacement provisions are made for lost Axis Aegean NTPs, although there are provisions for the replacement of lost Axis Mediterranean and Adriatic NTPs.

Immediately after the safe arrival of the NTP cargo to the Khania hex, the Axis player then instigates an air transport air op of three German ground units from airfields in mainland Greece, using the three operative Ger LW Ju 52 T type air units beginning the turn at Athenai, to the Khania reference city airbase target hex.  Two of the Ger LW Ju 52 T type air units based at Athenai air transport to Khania the the two 3-8 Mtn III B (the two unsupported breakdown units of the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 6) units, both beginning the turn at Athenai, too.  The third Ger LW Ju 52 T type air unit based at Athenai stages to the 3-cap temporary airfield at 15B:0813, on mainland Greece, and from there air transports the 3-8 Mtn III A (an unsupported breakdown of the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 5) unit to Khania, on Crete.  One of the Ger LW Ju 52 air units rebases at Athenai, another Ju 52 air unit rebases at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 15B:0811 (NW of Athenai), and the last Ju 52 T type air unit rebases at the 3-cap temporary airfield at 15B:0711.

Meanwhile, another naval transport odyssey is unfolding in the Central Med sea zone, utilizing the Axis player’s turn reinforcement NTPs available for the Axis turn’s ground reinforcements and two steps of attack supply, all beginning the naval movement step in the mainland Europe off-map holding box.  First, at Cyrenaica clear terrain coast road hex 18A:3219, the Axis player amphibiously disembarks the two Axis ground unit reinforcements that have no heavy equipment, which would be the Ger 2-8 Inf III 155 and the It 1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G.  Only the It aslt eng II lands disrupted at the beach hex, the Ger inf III lands undisrupted.  Then the two turn reinforcement steps of attack supply and all the remaining Axis reinforcement ground units successfully make it across the central Mediterranean sea zone, per the Naval Table dice rolls.  But the Axis side receives a bitter blow this turn when the Axis turn reinforcement NTP carrying the primo It 3-4-6 Art III 8 A unit rolls a 1 on the Shipping Results Table and sinks, after a Contact result on the Naval Table.  This is surely bad for the Axis player, as it will likely not be replaced in the context of the game and will be missed in the Western Desert.

In the M. Phase the It 0-4 cons III beginning the turn at Ain el Gazala increases the 1-cap temporary airstrip there (w/ 1 MP already done for the second cap) to a 3-cap temporary airfield.  The It 0-4 cons III beginning the turn at 18A:4718 increases the 2-cap temporary airfield there (w/ 1 MP already done for the third cap) to a 3-cap temporary airfield.  On Crete, the Ger 2-6 eng III beginning the turn at the reference city Khania hex spends all its MPs building a 2-cap temporary airfield in the hex.

In the C. Phase the Axis player executes three combats on the island of Crete, utilizing 10 REs of Axis ground units there.  The first battle is at Erakleion (18A:4903), against the Greek 1-4 Static X Erak unit in the hex.  Attacking is the Ger 3-8 Mtn III A, which had moved to adjacent coast hex 18A:4803, from Khania.  Adding GS is the Ger LW Ju 87B D type air unit from Melos.  The odds are 9 to 1, -1 for rough terrain, good enough for an automatic Elim.  After combat the Ger mtn III advances into the Erakleion hex.

The second combat on Crete is at Rethymnon (18A:4603), against the Greek 1-4 Static X Reth unit in the hex.  Attacking are the Ger LW 7-6 Para XX 7, the Ger LW 2-5 Para III 1 St, the Ger LW 1-5 Glider II 1 St, and the It 1-6 Mar Cmdo II Gr/SM, all from adjacent mountain hex 18A:4504.  The odds are easily again 9 to 1, -1 due to the rough terrain, which is good enough for another automatic Elim.  After the combat the three non-divisional Axis units advance into the Rethymnon port hex.

The third combat on Crete is Suda Bay, at 18A:4503, which is also an Allied Improved Port and an Allied standard Supply Terminal.  Defending the Suda Bay hex is the 0-2-0 Hv AA X 1 NMBDO (RM) and the Greek 1-4 Static X Khania, for a total of 1.5 defense factors.  The Axis stack at the adjacent Khania hex attacks Suda Bay.  The Khania port hex contains the Ger 7-8 Mtn XX 6, the other 3-8 Mtn III A, and the Ger 2-6 Eng III 685, adding to a total of 12 attack factors.  The odds are thus an 8 to 1, -1 for the rough terrain, again good enough for an automatic Elim, with no place for the Allied stack to retreat to in case of a DR.

In the Vichy French Levant the Vichy French forces attack the Allied stack at 20A:4607, just inside Vichy Syria.  The way the Vichy French forces had done their movement prior to the C. Phase made it difficult for the Allied player to determine whether the Vichy French were going to attack the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 7 at 20A:4508 or the Allied stack at adjacent hex 20A:4607, containing the FF 3-8* Inf X 1 FL and the Br 1-8 AT II 65.  The Allied player was more concerned about the Australian inf XX, and so sent to its hex the Br Blen 4 B type air unit, based at Tel Aviv (20A:5011) on the DAS air mission, escorted by the Br Hurri 1 5F5 type air unit based at Haifa.  Although it was very tempting for the Vichy French D 520 6F5 type air unit to intercept and give combat to the weaker Hurri 1 air unit, the Axis player held it back, wanting to make sure it is available until the arrival of the Fr ARP on the Jun II 41 Axis turn.

The pivot in getting the 3 to 1 is the C-8 Cav III Ligne (TS), with a CL rating of 4, and this time with a +1 modifier on the cohesion table die roll “when stacked with a non-TS combat unit,” done before the combat die roll.  The Axis player’s cohesion table die roll is low (a 2), and so the C-8 Cav III TS unit throws in its unsupported combat factor of 1 (halved).  From hex 20A:4707 the 2-6* Inf III 29 TA (Afr) attacks.  From hex 20A:4606 the 1-2-6* Inf III 16 TT (Afr) attacks.  Attacking from hex 20A:4507 are the 4-3-6* Inf III 6 LE (LE), the 1-8 Cav III 1 SM (Afr), the 1-6 Inf II V/1 (Afr), the C-8 Cav III Ligne (TS), and the 2-1-6* Lt Arm III 6 CdA (Afr).  The Axis combat attack factor total is 10.5, including the TS cav III’s .5 combat factor, with a +1 modifier because of the 1/10 AECA, due to the Vichy French supported lt arm III’s full AECA.  The Allied defense factor is 3.5, with a -1 modifier for the rough terrain.  The combat die roll is a straight-up 3 to 1 and the die says 5: DR.  And so the Allied stack retreats to 20A:4608, back across the borderline into Palestine, and the Fr 1-2-6* inf III (Afr) and the TS C-8 cav III advance into hex 20A:4607 after the combat.  The Vichy French step of attack supply at Damas is expended.

In the E. Phase both sides do air unit transfers; see the text above or the pictures below for the sundry details of these air unit movements on the maps.

Commentary

It is hard to tell from being so close to the game board if it is worth it for the Allied player to prolong the agony at Crete.  In the Jun I 41 Allied I. Phase, he could have disbanded the 0-2-0 Hv AA X 1 NMBDO (RM) and also the three Greek static X’s, per WW Rule 40C2-Disbanding, and then in the M. Phase could have completely evacuated Crete of the remaining Allied forces.  Note that per WW Rule 3B2-Allied [Side], the British and the Greek forces are two separate “national forces” and therefore all four units could be disbanded in the same I. Phase.  This appears to be the most exquisite and efficient way for the Allied player to find a quick end to the Crete debacle, other than suffering the -3 VP penalty for disbanding the RM brigade (1 RE), and then not getting any Br special inf RPs due to the unit’s 0 combat strength.  At least with the disbanding the Allied player would not give to the Axis player the +1 VP for the RE in the Balkan Command Replacement Pool due to a combat loss, per the WW Common Victory Chart, which in large part will be used at the end of the special Assault on Crete segment, corresponding with the Axis cessation of operations in the Balkans.  If I am understanding the WW Rules correctly, there is no VP penalty for disbanding the Greek units after the Axis player ceases operations in the Balkans, per WW Rule 3E5b, as their unit losses are evidently not counted for VPs, per WW Rule 42B.  But of course this “exquisite” solution of the Crete debacle depends upon the Axis player immediately following up the above Allied scheme with his own prompt voluntary cessation of operations in the Balkans.  What ought the Axis player do in this game on his Jun II 41 Axis I. Phase?

In the Western Desert the Axis player continues a cumbersome and awkward southward swing around the Tobruch improved fortress’s defense perimeter, thereby exerting pressure on it and the British Western Desert force bracing up at the Matruh stop line in central Egypt.  But this action implies that for the time being the Axis player has likely abandoned any big attack on the Allied citadel of Tobruch.  A variety of tell-tale signals indicate that the Axis has opted instead for a new and different strategy of bypassing Tobruch and applying pressure on the Allied Western Desert Force’s desert shield at Matruh.  This is not necessarily an end zone run to Alexandria, but of course it could be.  But if the Axis player can push the Allied player away from Matruh and its strategic airfield, or neutralize it by building corresponding close-up Egyptian airfields, then he can endanger the necessary air defense structure enabling the continued successful supply and reinforcement of the besieged fortress.  Signals of the impending end of the 1941 “Enter Rommel” epoch are the continued Axis swing around Tobruch of the non-c/m units, the positioning of the two It cons IIIs at hexes 18A:4718 and 18A;4818, and the nonchalant air transfer of the Axis stack of D type and B type air units from Derna to Ain el Gazala.

A hard look at the situation at Tobruch this turn reveals that the Axis player can muster a preferred count total of 29 3/4 factored ground attack factors (not quite all in attack supply via the absolutely necessary expenditure of the two available steps of Axis attack supply in the zone) and a maximum of 6 total factored (eg., halved, for the improved fortress) GS factors, this possible tac factor total prior to the 3 column dice results of the Antiaircraft Fire Table.  The Allies have a total of 17 defense factors at Tobruch, so the Axis player must count on almost all (eg., 3 out of 4) of the possible four Axis air units providing GS making it through Tobruch’s flack to obtain the raunchy 2 to 1, -1 odds.  If the die comes up 1, it’s an AH, and that’s not good for the Axis player, even if Mars & Death are paid off by flipping XX’s to cadres and using Italian cannon fodder for the change.  And so this turn Rommel forgets all about Tobruch and fishes in other troubled waters, seeking to snag victory.

But at the moment the Allied invasion of the Vichy French Levant only weakens the Allied player’s desert shield at Matruh; and so perhaps the Axis player can make hay while the sun shines.  At this same moment, the Allied player has a looming attack supply step crisis in store due to pursuing his current lavish double strategy of supplying Tobruch with gsp’s derived from broken down steps of attack supply and the demands for vigorous attacks each turn in the Allied invasion of the Vichy French Levant, in pursuit of clinching its surrender, per the Variable Levant Surrender Table.  And to top it all, beginning this Axis turn, at step 12 of the I. Phase, the Allied player begins to lose VPs for “placing Australian units in a precarious position.”  This “precarious” situation occurs “once at least three Australian REs have been in the replacement pool (at any time)” and if any Australian unit “is isolated in an Axis Initial Phase.”  Furthermore, “the Allied  player loses 1/2 victory point for each Australian RE in a precarious position.”  In the EA game report all the above occurs this Axis Initial Phase, per WW Advanced Rule 38B3-Australian Preservation, and in the current Axis I. Phase the Australian 9th Inf XX (3 REs) is at isolated Tobruch.  Using F. Watson’s WD Campaign Victory Conditions analysis chart found in  his outstanding “End of the Beginning:  The Third Battle of El Alamein, October 1942” Europa battle scenario, found in TEM#63, we see that according to his estimate, historically the Allies lost -13.5 VPs for “Australian forces placed in precarious positions ([WitD] Rule 43D2).”  I believe the WitD Australian Preservation proviso to be essentially the same as WW Advanced Rule 38B3.

The Allied invasion of the Vichy French Levant creates a complex situation for the Axis player, and the “correct” strategy will likely be decided only in hindsight, pending the outcome of combat die rolls and the Allied player’s reaction to the Vichy French moves and actions.  Thus, if this turn’s Vichy French attack would have resulted in a DH, or a HX, or maybe even an EX, the Axis player would almost unavoidably have become a winning warrior with the correct strategy.  Although the Axis player has successfully pushed back the Allied invaders from a hex of Vichy French Levant territory, he has expended one of the French colony’s two steps of attack supply, and most of the strong Vichy French ground units are jammed up at the front in the SW zone of the Levant.

Finally, a procedural mistake has occurred on the game maps which is enough to make this Europa game reporter red-faced and hang his head a moment.  On the May II 41 Allied turn, when rearranging the Allied desert front line at Matruh and corralling the three supported Aus inf X’s there back to Alexandria in preparation for the upcoming Allied invasion of the Vichy French Levant, I accidentally reassembled them into the Australian 6th Inf XX instead of the game correct and historical 7th Inf XX.  There were three mighty and distinguished Australian infantry XXs in the Mediterranean theater of operations during the 1941 epoch:  the 9th at Tobruch, the 6th at Greece and Crete, and the 7th defending Egypt and then involved in the Levant campaign.  This wargame oversight has been corrected.