Month: March 2016

End of Turn dispositions

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

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

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

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

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

In Sicily [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tripoli (18A:0121) [clear terrain dot city/major port hex transportation line junction coast hex]:
Axis Supply Terminal marker
fort marker
0 pos flk unit AA=3 [Italian]
5 steps of attack supply [all began turn here; never moved]
1.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) [began turn here; not expended or moved this turn]
3 It inf RPs [began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; in the I. Phase these It inf RPs transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily; in the M. Phase they were air transported to here, two It inf RPs in the It SM 79-1 B type and one It inf RP in the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit, along with a Ger inf RP]
1 Ger inf RP [began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; in the I. Phase this Ger inf RP transferred to the Licata port/airfield hex, in Sicily; in the M. Phase the Ger inf RP was air transported to here in the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit, along with an It inf RP]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
8 Inf XX HQ 102 Trn [began turn here; never moved]
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop.; on the Jul II 41 Allied E. Phase it did a non-phasing air transfer mission to Ain el Gazala from 18A:0603, on Sicily; early in the M. Phase of this turn it flew a fighter on an airbase bombing mission to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]
BR 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at 18A:2730; early in the M. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned by flack; returned to base here]
Br 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop; turn ARP build; placed at 18A:2730, in Libya, at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase it flew a daylight strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch target hex; returned by flack; returned to base here]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:

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

Axis Near East Command

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

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

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

SMPs: 4, after surrender; Axis controlled

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool [end of turn]:

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

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

In sequential order, as done

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

21A:4824 [sand hex]:

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

Turn Activity

At step 2 of the I. Phase the Axis player does the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and comes up with a 2: Fawzi changes mode but does not move.  The Fawzi dummy guerrilla unit is removed from the maps.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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

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

 

Allied EOT Dispositions

Malta [end of turn]:

• Malta Status: 9, end of turn [at turn’s start 10, – 1 repair this turn = 9]
• Malta Repair Rate: beginning on the Jul I 41 turn, 2 repair points each I turn and I repair point each II turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.
• At the start of the Allied turn and until step 24 of the I. Phase there were 4 gsp’s present in the Valletta hex; but at the beginning of the turn there were 4.5 REs of Allied ground units on Malta.  So, at step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied player designated all ground units on Malta in special general supply except for the 1-8 MG II 2 Ch, which is definitely Red U-2.
• This turn the Allies were unable to successfully sea transport any gsp’s to Malta.  The usual W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s generated at Gibraltar at step 16 of the I. Phase was sunk by Axis anti-shipping forces when it entered the Cent Med sea zone on map 18A in the naval movement step of the M. Phase.
• The Br Hurri 2 F type air unit is in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool.

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

Valletta hex flak factor: 7 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 4 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II units, 2 each)
3-6* Inf X 1 M [technically Red U-2]
2-6* Inf X 2 M [technically Red U-2]
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [designated definitely Red U-2 at step 11 of the I. Phase]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  10 [technically Red U-2]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  4 [technically Red U-2]
0-4 Cons X MC [technically Red U-2]

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

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

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

Improved fortress; construction of the improved fortress was completed in the May II 41 Allied I. Phase.
3-cap temporary airfield
7-8 Inf XX 9 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth [assembled at Tobruch at the end of the M. Phase from its unsupported components; per WW Rule 15A, the Br inf XX assembles in the U-4 status, as two of its component inf Xs were existing U-4]

• 8 Inf XX HQ 50 Nth [began turn at Matruh; sea transported into Tobruch in an E Med NTP; in general supply in the I. Phase]
• 2-8 Inf X 16 [never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
• 2-8 Inf X 23 [never moved; this turn is technically Black U-4]
• 2-8 Inf X 69 [turn reinf; sea transported into Tobruch in a turn reinf NTP; in general supply in the I. Phase]

0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  51 [began turn here; never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [began turn here; never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
3-8 Art X 13 [began turn here; never moved; this turn is technically Red U-4]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 SAAF [operative; began turn here; never moved; this turn is technically Black U-4]
12 gsp’s [generated at step 16 of the JuI 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 Jul II 41 Axis turn; they will be removed from the map at step 24 of the Jul  II 41 Axis I. Phase, after the supply determination step]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Alexandria; sea transported into Tobruch in 3 E Med NTPs]
2 gsp’s [generated in the current I. Phase at Suez; sea transported into Tobruch in an E Med NTP]
{6 gsp’s [generated on the Jul I 41 Allied phase and sea transported into the Tobruch hex in the naval movement step of the M. Phase of the Jul I 41 Allied turn; removed from the maps at step 24 of the I. Phase]}

In Egypt [end of turn]:

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail junction coast hex]:
railhead marker
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus) [began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119); admin moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 150 [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 151 [began turn here; never moved]
3-8 Inf X 22 G [began turn here; never moved]
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn here; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  68 [began turn here; never moved]
P-40C  5F5  1/13 SAAF [inop.; began turn here; flew the Intercept air mission to all-sea hex 19A:0717 in the naval movement step; returned to base here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; flew the CAP air mission to all-sea hex 19A:0717 in the naval movement step, switched to interception in the target hex; returned to base here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1319 clear terrain major rail coast hex];
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began turn at El Alamein; railed to here after increasing the 2-cap temporary airfield there to a 3-cap; spent 1 MP in hex 1319 beginning to build a 1-cap temporary airfield]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  57 [began turn here; never moved]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; in the E. Phase flew a strat port bombing air mission at night to Derna (18A:4116); Miss; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; in the E. Phase flew a strat port bombing air mission at night to Derna (18A;4116); Hit; returned to base here]

19A:1219 [clear terrain Siwi road hex, S of Matruh]:
7-10* Arm XX 7 [began turn at 19A:1319; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
1-10* Mot SG X  AA=1  2 [began turn at 19A:1319; regular moved along the Egyptian coast road to 19A:0519, capturing for the Allies the road hexes along the way, including the Halfaya Pass (19A:0419) hex, w/ its ZOC, and also Sidi Barriani (19A:0718), by moving through it; exploited back to here]
6-4-6 Tnk X 1 T [began turn at 19A:1319; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1319; regular moved along the Siwi Oasis road to 19A:0823, capturing for the Allies the road hexes along the way; exploited back to here]

19A:1220 [clear terrain hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn at 19A:1320; moved one hex to here]

19A:1320 [clear terrain hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1419; moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1419; moved one hex to here]
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at 19A:1419; moved one hex to here]

19A:1420 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8 Inf X 1 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1520; moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 3 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1520; moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1520: moved one hex to here]

19A:1521 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1620; moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 5 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1620; moved one hex to here]

19A:1621 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:1721; moved one hex to here]
2-8 Inf X 2 (SA) [began turn at 19A:1721; moved one hex to here]

El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) [clear terrain point city major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield

• At the start of the turn this was a 2-cap temporary airfield, but was increased to a 3-cap by the 0-1-4 cons X 43 RPC expending 2 MPs in the hex before it railed to 19A:1319.

fort marker [completed this turn at step 19 of the I. Phase; began in the Jun II 41 Allied I. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Hv AA II  AA=1  2 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 [inop.; began turn here; performed the Harassment air mission in the previous Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 SAAF [inop.; began turn here; performed the Harassment air mission in the previous Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase]

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [major port/full city hex/major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
0-2-8 Hv AA X  AA=4  1 NMBDO (RM) [began turn here; never moved]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1  [British; began turn at 19A:1319; railed to here]
Glad  3F3  0/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

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

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

In Palestine [end of turn]:

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

Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:
Railhead marker [per WW Rule 41B1a-Western Desert Campaign Starting Conditions, “the transportation line from Haifa to Tripoli (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.” This stipulation is used in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario. Probably more later regarding its construction in WW ME Scenarios.
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn at Sour (20A:4509), in Vichy French Lebanon; moved to here]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop.; began turn at 19A:1418, in Egypt; air transferred to here in the E. Phase]

Safad (20A:4608) [rough terrain point city hex]:
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

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

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

20A:4308 [rough terrain coast road hex, S of Beyrouth]
2-cap temporary airfield
7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn at Saida (20A:4408), in Vichy French Lebanon; moved one hex to here and built a 2-cap temporary airfield; remained here]
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn at Tel Aviv (20A:5011); regular moved north along the Mediterranean coast transportation line to here]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop.; began turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine; in the C. Phase flew the GS air mission to the 20A:4206 target hex in Vichy French Lebanon; returned to base here]

20A:4407 [rough terrain hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 6 [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 14 [began turn at 20A:4308; moved to here]
2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4308; moved to here]

20A:4406 [rough terrain hex]:
2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4308; regular moved to here]
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at 20A:4506, SW of Damas; moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4504, NE of Damas; moved to here]

Rayak (20A:4306) [clear terrain point city secondary rail line hex]:
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn at Damas (20A:4505); regular moved to Rayak (20A:4306); in the C. Phase attacked the Vichy Fr TS unit at 20A:4206; after combat remained in the Rayak hex]

20A:4206 [mountain hex, NE of Beyrouth]:
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [began turn at 20A:4407; regular moved to Rayak (20A:4306); in the C. Phase attacked the Vichy Fr TS unit at 20A;4206; moved in after combat]

20A:4205 [clear terrain major rail line hex]:
2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab [began turn at 22A:4402; regular moved to 20A:4103; in the C. Phase attacked the Vichy Fr TS unit at adjacent hex 20A:4102, but remained at 4103 after the combat; exploited to here]
2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [began turn at 20A:4506, SW of Damas; regular moved to 20A:4103; in the C. Phase attacked the Vichy Fr TS unit at adjacent hex 20A:4102, but remained at 4103 after the combat; exploited to here]

20A:4105 (Mt. Lebanon) [mountain hex]:
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at 20A:4507; regular moved to here]

20A:4002 [clear terrain major rail line hex, S of Homs]:
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at 20A:4604, SW of Damas; regular moved to here]

Damas (20A:4505) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn at 21A:4432; regular moved to 21A:4133; exploited to here]

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

Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 (RAAF) [inop.; began turn at Haifa; in the C. Phase flew the Escort air mission w/ the GS air mission air units to the target hex at 20A:4206; returned to base here]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; began turn at Haifa; began turn at Haifa; in the C. Phase flew the Escort air mission w/ the GS air mission air units to the target hex at 20A:4206; returned to base here]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [inop.; began turn at Port Said (19A:3413), in Egypt; in the C. Phase staged to Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, and then flew the GS air mission to the 20A:4206 target hex in Vichy French Lebanon; rebased here]

20A:4504 [clear terrain road junction hex, NE of Damas]:
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at 20A:4407; regular moved to here]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus) [began turn here; still Black U-2 at step 11 of the I. Phase; never moved]
4 gsp’s [generated in the current I. Phase at Alexandria; sea transported to here on an E Med NTP in the naval movement step]

21A:3526 [clear terrain road hex]:
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at Deir ez Zoir (21A:3922); regular moved to here along the road, dog-legging to Rakka (21A:3424), capturing it for the Allies and the road hexes along the way]

Trans-Jordan [end of turn]:

21A:5120 [stony desert road hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn at Haifa (20A:4710); admin moved 16 hexes along the transportation lines to here]

On Cyprus [end of turn]:

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

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

Non Phasing Axis Air Activity in the Allied Exploitation Phase:

Late in the E. Phase the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit based at El Agheila (18A:2930), in Libya, flies a non-phasing air transfer air mission to the 3-cap permanent airfield at Licata (18A:0102), on Sicily.

Late in the E. Phase the MC 200  3F4  1/8 air unit based at 18A:0603, at Sicily, flies a non-phasing air transfer air mission to the 3-cap temporary airfield at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), in Libya.

Late in the E. Phase the Ger LW Me 110C  5HF5  1/12 (definitely Red U-2) air unit based at Beyrouth (20A:4207), in Vichy French Lebanon, flies a non-phasing air transfer air mission to Alep (20A:3231), in Vichy French Syria.

Late in the E. Phase the Ger LW Ju 52  1T2  0/20 (technically Red U-1) air unit based at Alep, in Vichy French Syria, flies a non-phasing air transfer air mission to the 3-cap permanent airfield at Rodi (20A:2230).

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

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

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

In the Allied Near East Command:

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

Allied Regular Reinforcements, Jul II 41 Allied Turn

Near East Command:

Arrive:
2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind)

 

In pro-Allied Iraq [end of turn]:

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

Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied owned]
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

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
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn at Mosul (21A:3509); railed to 22A:2926, adjacent to Baghdad and then moved to here]

Baqubah (21A:4802) [canal intensive reference city transportation line junction hex]:
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at Baghdad (22A:2825); moved to here]

22A:4215 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at Baghdad (22A:2825); regular moved along transportation line to 22A:3723; exploited to here along the secondary rail line]

21A:4411 [stony desert pumping station road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:4318, adjacent to the Vichy French Syrian border; regular moved to here]

22A:3324 [canal intensive secondary rail line hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:3524, spent 2 SMPs in the E. Phase moving along the secondary rail line to here; it couldn’t cross the demolished bridge this turn, not enough SMPs left]

Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [Allied NE Command regular reinforcement; disembarked at Basra; remained here]
three steps of attack supply [all began turn here; all never moved]

Turn Activity

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied ground and air units at the isolated Tobruch hex that began the turn at technically Red or Black U-4 essentially remain at this U-4 status, as per WW Optional Rule 12E, U-4 is in effect the most severe supply status for a unit. Therefore in the EA reported Scenario we will not note with numbered markers any further turns out of general supply than the severest U-4 status. All 8 REs of ground units and the single air unit beginning the turn at Tobruch are in special general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase due to the 18 gsp’s in the hex.  Twelve were generated from a step of attack supply present in the hex on the Jul I 41 Axis I. Phase and 6 were generated in the Jul I 41 Allied I. Phase at an on-map Allied standard supply terminal hex and then sea transported that same turn into the Tobruch port hex.

At Malta, 4 of the 4.5 REs of Allied ground units beginning the turn there are technically Red U-2, but draw special general supply at step 11 of the I. Phase from the 4 gsp’s also in the hex, generated at Gibraltar in the Jul I 41 Allied I. Phase and sea transported that same turn to the Valletta hex. Once again the Allied player decides to designate the Br 1-8 MG II 2 Ch as the definite ground unit out of supply, although he admittedly seriously considered designating the Br 0-4 Cons X MC as the unit definitely out of supply.  Evidently this construction unit being out of supply does not inhibit its ability to  enable the spending of the Malta repair points, per WW Rule 37I, although spending the 2 MPs in the M. Phase to repair the damage hit on the Valletta 3-cap permanent airfield would prevent the repair rate of 1, it appears, per the same WW rule.  In any event, the Allied player doesn’t have to worry about an Axis assault on Malta until the Sep II 41 Axis turn, at the earliest, per WW Rule 33D1a, since the Axis did not cease operations in the Balkans until the Jun II 41 Axis turn.  The Aus 2-8 Inf X 19, at Lattique (20A:3405), on the Vichy French Levant Mediterranean coastline, is still definitely Black U-2 at this turn’s supply determination step, but it is not isolated.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player activates the CG-1 (RN) naval unit, per WW Optional Rule 34E, and “in effect” places it at the off-map Gibraltar major port, where the Allied ARP is stored that he attempted to naval transport to Malta on the previous Jul I 41 Allied turn, embarked then on a turn reinforcement NTP.  Although a hard bargaining rules lawyer might argue that Gibraltar is neither a port on the maps in the new WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario, which is based on the WW Middle East Scenario, nor is there an off-map holding box for it in the published WW charts, Gibraltar is nevertheless a present factor in both the previously mentioned scenarios’ game play, and so therefor we think activating the British RN CG naval unit at off-map Gibraltar is applicable in both games, pending further input and discussion.

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

At step 19 of the I. Phase the 2-turn fort under construction at El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) by the 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) is now complete.

At step 22 of the I. Phase neither side flies CAP missions, but the Axis player designates 6 Axis aircraft based at airfields in Libya and at Scarpanto as assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission, in an obvious attempt to thwart any Allied reinforcement and supply of Tobruch.  See the text above and the pictures below for the Axis Naval Patrol air mission details.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes from the maps the 4 gsp’s at Malta that were generated on the Jul I 41 Allied I. Phase and sea transported to Valletta in the M. Phase of that same turn.  Also removed from the maps at this time are the 6 gsp’s at Tobruch that were generated on the Jul I 41 Allied I. Phase and then sea transported to there in the M. Phase of that same turn.

In the naval movement step of the M. Phase the first thing the Allied player does is execute his naval transport itinerary to the Valletta port hex, at Malta.  He sea transports on a W Med NTP 4 gsp’s that were generated that same turn at Gibraltar, per WW 41B1-Western Desert Campaign, and the transport naval group enters the west edge of map 18A at all-sea hex 0108.  To determine Axis Central Med anti-shipping effects, he uses the 9 column of the Naval Table, per WW Rule 31E1, and quickly runs into trouble when he rolls a 3: Contact.  On the subsequent die roll using the Shipping Results Table, using the Supply/Resource Item column, he rolls a 6: Half Eliminated; and so, with only one NTP to halve, both the 4 Gibraltar gsp’s and the W Med NTP are lost.  The handy W Med NTP will not be available again until the I. Phase of the Aug I 41 Allied turn, when it can be replaced, per WW Rule 35D.  Then the activated RN CG-1 naval unit carrying the Br ARP previously stored at Gibraltar enters the west edge of map 18A, at all-sea hex 0116.

Using as a tentative rules guide the WW Gibraltar Convoys proviso, found in WW Rule 41B1, I currently believe “the first hex must be in daylight.”  Although this provisional stipulation is not a factor in our particular Jul II 41 turn situation in the EA reported wargame, it might be in other games if the Axis player had Axis air units on Naval Patrol in the Malta zone.  Upon entering map 18A, the CG-1 naval unit duly rolls the dice to determine the effects of Axis anti-shipping action in the Cent Med, using the Naval Table, per WW Optional Rule 34E, and comes up lucky this time with No Contact.  Consult the mentioned WW Rule if interested in the effects if Axis anti-shipping Contact had been made with the Allied CG-1 naval unit carrying the ARP cargo.  In our situation, the Br ARP immediately transfers from the RN CG-1 naval unit, now on-map at 18A:0116, to the Valletta limited supply terminal hex, on Malta, where it is stored for likely use in the upcoming Allied player turn to rebuild the Hurri 2 F type air unit, now in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Malta Command Replacement Pool.  Afterwards the CG-1 naval unit promptly exits the board, surely on its way back to Gibraltar.

Next, the Allied player does a number of naval transport activities in the East and Central Mediterranean sea zones.   This turn he is very likely compelled to attempt to sea transport to Tobruch the single on-map step of attack supply in the Mediterranean, which begins the turn at Alexandria.  Failing this, or perhaps somehow intertwined with the overall procedural strategy of getting the available step of attack supply to Tobruch, is an alternate Plan B of getting to Tobruch as many of the 8 gsp’s as possible that are on-map in the Mediterranean at the beginning of the M. Phase.  These subsequent naval actions are listed below in sequential order.  Those that are indicated by a # are indicated as such in the naval movement step action activities picture included below in the game report.  The Allied player begins by executing his sea transport schedule for besieged and isolated Tobruch, but note that this turn the Allied player has only 9 E Med NTPs, having already lost one on his Jul I 41 turn.

#1.  An E Med NTP is used to sea transport 1 gsp from the Allied standard supply terminal at the major port of Suez (19A:3718), to Tobruch.  The first hex it enters, which would be Suez Canal hex 19A:3618, is at night, and it continues moving at night up to and including Egyptian Delta swamp coastal hex 19A:3212, now in the Mediterranean Sea.  Per the Naval MP Costs Summary it costs 1 naval movement point (ntp) to “enter an all-sea hex or river/canal hexside,” and 2 ntp’s to enter a coastal hex.  It begins daylight movement when it enters adjacent Egyptian Delta swamp coast hex 19A:3113, and continues its voyage in daytime, using a mixture of coast and all-sea hexes up to and including the Alexandria coastal hex at 19A:2416.  It then does a voluntarily truncated sea movement at night up to and including all-sea hex 19A:1918.  Beginning at Egyptian clear terrain coast rail line hex 19A:1818 the Allied player begins the mandatory 20 ntp’s in the daytime, if he definitely wants to later begin naval movement at night.  He hugs the North African coastline until coast hex 19A:1118, the last friendly coast hex.  Because the Allied naval group wants to avoid being caught in an enemy-owned coastal hex by an enemy Naval Patrol air mission, the E Med NTP carrying the single gsp from Suez then dog-legs northwestward, entering adjacent all-sea hex 19A:1017, and continues moving through 3 more all-sea hexes until 19A:0717, due north of the adjacent enemy-owned Sidi Barrani coastal hex.  As intended, this is its last hex in daylight.  If it can make it to adjacent all-sea hex 19A:0617, this time at night, it can make it all the way into the port hex of Tobruch using night movement, thereby escaping the fearsome Axis Naval Patrol air mission attacks.  But this time the Axis player makes no Contact attempt die rolls, using the Success Table, and lets the small naval task force sail onwards.  He is unsure as to what to do, being sure only that the Allied player is trying to bait him into chasing after this little minnow with his formidable array of available Naval Patrol assets.  But this time other Axis minions do the Axis air force’s work for them, because when the small naval group enters the Cent Med sea zone, upon entering map 18A, the Allied player rolls an 11 on Naval Table, using the 9 column, which is good for an Axis anti-shipping Contact.  Using the Supply/Resource Item column on the Shipping Results Table for a single NTP makes both it and the cargo good as sunk by default without the die roll.  And so all are lost along the ancient Libyan coastline, where Virgil says Aeneas once sailed, and lost ships, also.

#2.  The undaunted Allied player then sends another E Med NTP carrying another gsp from Suez along the same voyage route to Tobruch.  This time the Axis player shows interest at all-sea hex 19A:0717, just north of the Sidi Barraini Egyptian coast hex, which is the last hex in daylight before the final leg of night movement, ending at the Tobruch port hex.  There he opts for a Naval Patrol Contact attempt die roll on the Success table, using the Ger LW Ju88A4 B type air unit based at Scarpanto, 16 hexes away in the Dodecanese.  The Contact attempt die roll modifiers are +3 for calm seas and -3 for the range, making it necessary for the Axis player to roll a 5 or 6 to achieve a Contact; and he rolls a 3: No Contact.  And so the Allied naval group then sails onwards, this time at night, towards Tobruch.  But alas, when it reaches the Cent Med sea zone it rolls a 3 on the Naval Table, signifying a Contact with the Axis anti-shipping forces and in this case, just like the previous voyage, it is another automatic sinking, perhaps by an Axis torpedo from a submarine or an Italian light craft.

#3.  Now the Allied player uses some bigger bait and sends the last 2 gsp’s present at the port of Suez, embarked on an E Med NTP.  At the now familiar all-sea “target hex” at 19A:0717, the Axis player again calls for a Naval Patrol Contact attempt die roll, using this time the second available Ger LW Ju 88A4 B type air unit based at Scarpanto.  The Success Tale modifiers are identical to those in #2, above.  But this time the Axis player rolls right and comes up with a 5: Contact.  The Allied player’s 2 flack factor shot dice roll is also high, a 10, which is a miss.  And so now the Axis player has three die rolls, looking for 6’s only, and comes up with no sixes.  The lucky Allied naval group force voyages on, and is lucky again with its Axis anti-shipping dice roll, and so successfully runs the gauntlet, from Suez to Tobruch, and delivers its cargo of 2 gsp’s, generated this turn at an Allied standard supply terminal, and with a mariner’s tale to tell at some harbor tavern.

Now it’s coming down to the nitty-gritty, and the Allied player ups the ante in the running aero-naval conflict by flying one of the two operative Br Hurri 1 F type air units based at Matruh on the CAP air mission over the all-sea hex at 19A:0717, looking for the Axis bombers.

#4.  Then the Allied  player ups the ante again when he sends the turn reinforcement 2-8 Inf X 69 towards Tobruch, beginning in a turn reinforcement NTP at all-sea hex 19A:5129, in the Red Sea on the SE edge of map 19A.  Once in the Suez Canal it begins using the same day-night chronology as the other E Med NTPs used that began their voyages from the port of Suez, carrying the gsp’s.  But at the Egyptian coast hex at Matruh, at 19A:1218, the Allied cargo naval group is joined by a second naval group coming out of the port there, comprising of an E Med NTP embarked with the 8 Inf XX HQ 50 Nth, which began the turn at Matruh.  The now enlarged Allied naval group then sails westwards as a unit, reaching even all-sea hex 19A:0717 without interference from the Axis. The Axis player is very tempted to blast this Allied convoy filled with British soldiers like a rubber duck in a tub, but he feels it best to stick to the original plan and lie in wait for the expected big Allied cargo sea transport of the single available step of supply, now languishing at the docks of Alexandria.  More Allied troops at Tobruch mean more Allied prisoners-of-war, in due time, he thinks to himself.  And so he lets the troop transports sail on to their destiny at the fortress of Tobruch, come what may.  There is, of course, the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit still on the CAP mission above all-sea hex 19A:0717, and the SAAF P-40C F type air unit is still operative at the Matruh airfield and within interception range of 0717 to consider.

#5.  And so now it comes down to the step of attack supply at Alexandria, which is what the Allied player embarks next on three E Med NTPs and sends westwards.  But the four gsp’s generated this turn are still at Alexandria, so what is the Allied player doing?  In any event, the Allied player continues with the established voyage schedule and sea route until it reaches all-sea hex 19A:0717, and then the Axis player kicks out the jambs and calls for Naval Patrol Contact attempt die rolls, using the entire remaining contingent of assigned Axis Naval Patrol air mission units, based at Derna and at Ain el Gazala.  At Derna (18A:4116) are the It SM 79-2 B type (V code) and the Ger LW Ju88A4 B type air units, and at Ain el Gazala are two Ger LW Ju 87 D type air units, these latter two air units flying the Naval Patrol air mission at extended range, if the Contact attempt die roll is successful.  The Derna contingent, 16 hexes away from the 19A:0717 target hex, does a single Success Table die roll.  There is a +3 for calm seas and a -3 for the 16 hex range, and the die roll result is a 3: No Contact.  The Ain el Gazala contingent is 12 hexes away from the same target hex, so there is a +3 for calm seas, but only a -2 for the 12 hex range, and the Success Table die roll is a 4: Contact!  But the two Ger LW Ju 87 B air units, flying at extend range, do not fly alone, as in our case they can and are escorted by the Ger LW Me 110D HF type air unit based and operative in the same hex, with a range of 12, just right for the aero-naval combat occasion.  Forthwith the Allied player sends the operative SAAF P-40C F type air unit based at Matruh on the interception air mission to the said target hex, and the Br Hurri 1 air unit flying the CAP air mission at the target switches to the intercept air mission.  The intercepting SAAF P-40C air unit pairs up with the escorting Me 110D HF air unit, and the Br intercepting Hurri 1 F type engages one of the Ger LW Ju 87 B D type air units.  This time the P-40C air unit is deadly and Kills the Me 110D air unit in air combat; the ME 110D air unit’s own dice roll on the Air Combat Results Table being a (-).  The Br Hurri 1 F type air unit Aborts the Ger LW Ju 87 B air unit, which in return rolls a (-).   The surviving Ju 87 B D type air unit evades the E Med NTP 2 factor flack shot, but, perhaps due to flying at the extended range, rolls low on the Bombing Table, for a Miss.  After all this shooting the 3 E Med NTPs carrying their supply cargo continue towards Tobruch, this time at night and make it into the harbor, safely avoiding a bad dice roll on the Naval Table upon entering the Cent Med sea zone.  And so ends this turn’s aero-naval and anti-shipping warfare saga, off the North African coast, involving the Allied naval group carrying the vital step of attack supply to Tobruch.  By then the two surviving Allied F type air units at the 19A:0717 target hex have returned to base at Matruh, perhaps afterwards talking about their firey encounter with the Nazi Stukas and twin-engined fighters above the sea.

#6.  The Allied player is happy in successfully sea transporting the 2 fresh gsp’s, the step of attack supply, and the two Br ground units into Tobruch.  This was for a total of 5.5 REs of units/supplies, and the RE capacity of the Tobruch standard port is 6, assuming no port damage.  Balancing the RE port capacity and the sea transport demands of each turn can be tricky, I think.  As a Plan B, the Allied player had set aside the 4 remaining gsp’s still at Alexandria as a last-ditch reserve.  If the step of attack supply didn’t make it to Tobruch, then the Bombay T type air unit based at Port Said would have staged to Alexandria, loaded the 4 gsp’s and then flown a 1-way air transport mission to the besieged fortress, at twice its range and at night, thereby assuring the successful delivery of the gsp cargo, although it would have had to roll on the Success Table for a possible crash-landing (read: an Abort), upon finishing the air transport air mission.  As it turns out, the Allied player still has several E Med NTPs available, and 4 fresh gsp’s still stacked on the pier at Alexandria, so what to do with this luxury?  He could sea transport them to Malta, which has no gsp’s at all now, as the W Med NTP carrying the usual shipment of gsp’s from Gibraltar was sunk this turn.  But he is loath to risk yet another E Med NTP to the hot-rolling Axis anti-shipping forces working the Cent Med sea zone.  Another E Med NTP loss would jack up the game turn’s total to 4, and since he can only replace up to 2 per each I turn, this would put him down to 8 available E Med NTPs at the beginning of the Aug I 41 Allied naval movement step, instead of the projected 9, so far.  In any event, the built-in Ultra intelligence embedded in WW Rule 33D1a assures the Allied player in the current EA reported game that Malta is as safe as money in the bank from an Axis invasion assault until the Sep II 41 Axis turn, at the earliest.  And so, in these cardboard wargame circumstances, the Allied player decides to forget all about the supply status of Malta for now, which will never get below Red U-2 for the ground units and for air units at Valletta in excess of one (for Malta air unit supply, see WW Rule 23I) anyway, due to the connivance of the WW rules as written (for Malta ground unit supply, see WW Rule 12C1b and Rules 12E2&3), and instead loads up the 4 gsp’s at Alexandria on an E Med NTP and sends them on a guaranteed safe cruise in the E Med sea zone to the Allied-occupied port of Lattique, on the Mediterranean coastline of Vichy French Syria.  Right now tonight I believe that Malta supply considerations should be toughened up in WW Europa, for the sake of realism.  Optional Rule 12E3-Elimination from Lack of General Supply should be in effect at Malta/Gozo, I think, with perhaps a +1 modifier, at best, to be accounted for in the Success Table die roll for elimination, at U-4, because Valletta is a limited supply terminal.  The limited supply terminal status should account for this +1 modifier and for the needed Malta Command reinforcement and replacement activities.  Then, finally, the Allies have a good reason to send regular supply convoys to Malta.

During the M. Phase the Aus 2-8 Eng 1, beginning the turn at Saida (20A:4408), in Vichy French Lebanon moves north one hex to coast road hex 20A:4308, along with the Aus 7-8 Inf XX 7 and the Br 1-8 MG II 2 Ch units, and builds a 2-cap temporary airfield in the hex, which is south of Beyrouth.  If the Syrian campaign persists, the Allies will need forward airfields to slug it out with the Axis in their coastal enclave redoubt.  Vichy French Beyrouth could be a tough nut to crack, if the armistice negotiations drag on.

Upon finishing the important fort at El Alamein, the handy 0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) rails west, to hex 19A:1319, SE of Matruh.  It could have instead moved one hex due south of El Alamein to 19A:2120, in order to perhaps build another temporary airfield there and eventually the second fort for the classic El Alamein stop line.  But for now, in the current game, it presses westwards, perhaps maneuvering for an even better fort location at 19A:1219, south of Matruh, which would be a first step in a sequence of maneuvers intended ultimately to push westwards the Allied front line desert shield, in preparation for a Crusader-type offensive later in 1941.  One thing holding back these good intentions is the lack of a resource point in the zone.

In the Combat Phase the Allied player manages to put together two attacks in the Levant without a step of attack supply, in an almost desperate attempt to find the end to the Operation Exporter invasion campaign, seeing that the Variable Levant Surrender Table dice rolls have done them no favors.  In the upcoming Jul II 41 Axis I. Phase, at step 4, the Allied player will have to roll an 11 or 12 to secure a Vichy French Levant surrender.  Barring a total elimination of the Axis forces in the Levant, the only other practical strategy is to fight to take Beyrouth and Alep, which would give them a modest +1 modifier, each.  If the swaying gravity effect of the Variable Levant Surrender Table dice rolls continues to spite them, the Allies are faced with long fight in the Syrian campaign.

The first Allied attack in the Vichy French Levant is at 20A:4102, a clear terrain road hex containing the Vichy French D-8 Mot Cav II Lev (TS) unit.  Attacking it are the Br 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab and the 2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT, stacked together at adjacent SW hex 20A:4103.  On the opposite side of the defending hex, at NE hex 21A:4133, is the 1-10 Mot Cav X AL (T-J), a new unit introduced into the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario earlier in the game.  This latter Allied unit is not attacking, but its adjacent ZOCs in weather zone F (see WW Rule 5A2) entrap the Vichy French mot cav II TS unit, along with the attacking Habforce mot inf X’s ZOCs.  Per the Troupes Speciales [TS] Rules, found in Jean-Guy Rathe’s “Troupes Francaises du Levant: Order of Battle (Land), June 1941”, published in TEM#81, Axis/Vichy French “air units may not provide GS or DAS to TS REs.”  With no step of attack supply available, the two attacking Br units attack at half their combat strength.  For the supported 2-1-10 c/m Hab unit, that would be for an adjusted combat attack factor of 1, and for the 2-1-6 Tnk II, its would be .5, halved once for no attack supply and halved again for being unsupported, in this case.  But the Allied short stack attacks with full AECA due to the Br tnk II’s armor effects, for a +3 modifier; and looking at the Ground Combat Results Table, at the 3:1 column, we see that the combat attack is an automatic elimination.  The TS c/m II is removed from the maps, but neither of the Allied units participating in the attack move into the vacated hex, afterwards.

The second Allied attack is at mountain hex 20A:4206, NE of Beyrouth, in Vichy French Lebanon, where there is another Vichy French TS unit, this time the A-8 Cav III Tcher, one of the better TS units.  This Vichy French TS cav unit is being attacked by the 3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) and the 3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) from the adjacent Rayak hex, at 20A:4306, to the SE of the defending hex.  In this case, however, the Allied player invokes WW Advanced Rule 12D3-Minimal Attack Supply.  The rule says the unit drawing such “minimal attack supply” must “trace a supply line to a step of attack supply” which in our case is admittedly in far-off Iraq.  And so the Polish 3-8* Mountain X attacks into the mountain hex with its full 3 combat factors.  The Free French 3-8* Inf X’s attack factor is halved twice, once for not being in attack supply and again for attacking into the mountain hex.  For the FF inf X, this would equate to an adjusted attack factor total of 3/4.  However, per WW Rule 14K-Mountain (and Ski) Units, this Allied short stack gets a +1 modifier to off-set the -2 for the defender being in the mountain hex because at least 1/2 of the (non-artillery) REs attacking the mountain hex are mountain units.  But the Allied player also throws into the battle two Br air units on the GS air mission:  the Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air unit based at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, and the Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 air unit based at Port Said (20A:5121), in Egypt.  The Bombay air unit first has to stage to Haifa, and then flies with the rest of the air units in the air op to the target hex.  The two air units on the GS air mission are escorted to the target hex by the two Allied Hurri 1 F type air units (one Br, the other RAAF) based at Haifa.  Interestingly, perhaps as a symptom of the endgame period of the Levant campaign, the Axis player decides not to attempt intercept or patrol air missions with either the Vichy Fr D 520  5F5  0/11 or the Ger LW Me 110C  5HF5  1/12 (at definite Red U-2), both based at the close-by Beyrouth airbase.  ARPs are scarce now, for either Axis contingent in the Levant, and the Axis player wants to conserve his remaining Med/NA Command Ger ARPs and keep Axis air units in the Levant zone, forcing the Allied player to tie down forces at the secondary Middle East front.  And so when the two Br air units on the GS air mission arrive at the target hex they add their 1 tac factor each without any delay to the attack, both halved for GS in the mountain hex, for an adjusted total of 1 GS tac factor.  The Allied attack factor total would then be 4.75, to an Axis/Vichy French defense factor total of .5; which is good for a 9 to 1, -1 combat, or in effect, another automatic elimination.  And so the A-8 Cav Tcher (TS) unit is removed from the maps and placed in the Vichy French Levant Replacement Pool, along with the D-8 Mot Inf II Lev (TS) unit, eliminated a little earlier in the Allied C.Phase.  The D-8 c/m II derives no Vichy Fr TS inf RPs, because it was isolated at the moment of combat, but I believe the TS cav III derives .25 TS inf RPs, stored in the adjacent Beyrouth hex.  After combat the 3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) moves into the mountain hex, and the 3-8* Inf X 1FL (FF) remains at the adjacent Rayak hex.

In the E. Phase the Allied player again sends his two Br Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 air units based at 19A:1418, in Egypt, on a nighttime strat port bombing air mission to the Axis port of Derna (18A:4116), in Libya, and scores a hit, good for a port damage marker being placed in the target hex.  Both Allied NB type air units return to base at 19A:1418.  However, the third Br air unit based at 19A:1418, the operative Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air unit, does an air transfer air mission to Haifa, in Palestine, in order to beef up the DAS air defenses there in the upcoming Jul II 41 Axis turn.  The Allied player is spread thin in the Levant with vulnerable fragile foreign contingent ground units or Commonwealth units scarce in inf RPs at the line, and wants to protect them from an Axis player looking for a vengeance attack.  For his part in all the gameboard worrying, the Axis player shuffles some of his still operative air units back and forth between Sicily and eastern Libya, preparing for his next turn.

At the end of their turn the Allies have the following inventory of accumulated replacements: 7.5 Br inf, .5 Br arm, 1.5 Aus inf, 1.5 NZ inf, .5 Ind inf, and 3 Allied ARPs. All items are stored at the Alexandria hex. One available Allied ARP is stored at the Valletta hex, at Malta.  No builds were done this turn.

Commentary

There is some scurrying this turn in the Near East, as the Allied player, after rereading WW Rule 38I-Iran and refreshing his memory regarding the impending Allied invasion of Iran, rather belatedly begins his invasion deployment in eastern Iraq along the Iranian border.  In any event he will likely wait until the Aug II 41 turn to execute the invasion, anticipating the Aug I 41 turn arrival of the bigger part of the Ind 8th Inf XX at Basra, and its subsequent invasion deployment on map 22A next to the Iranian border.  Although per WW Rule 3E4-Player Control of Commands he doesn’t necessarily have to, the Allied player nevertheless maneuvers the 5th Ind Inf XX HQ unit and the Ind 2-8 Inf X 9 to possibly enter Iraq on the Aug I 41 Allied turn, overland from the west and per the WitD Allied OB, thinking if it’s historical, it must be good.  If the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario was based on the WW Western Desert Scenario instead of the WW Middle East Scenario (and it could have been), then these WitD Allied OB Transfers from the ME to the NE Commands would be required.  In any event the Iraq garrison requirement increases on the Sep II 41 turn, per WW Game Play Chart 5-Allied Garrisons, and by then there will be an Iranian garrison, too, to fulfill.  The Allied player eyes with interest the increasing number of attack supply steps piling up in Iraq, and mulls whether he can, like legendary sergeant Bilko, eventually finagle some for the ME Command.  But he will likely need at least one step of attack supply for the Iranian invasion, for an expected Allied attack at the reference city of Ahwaz (22A:3810), in SW Iran, guarded by an Iranian infantry XX; and beginning on the Sep II 41 turn there is an Iraqi garrison requirement of 2 steps of attack supply.  In the meantime the Allied player frets about the ongoing Syrian campaign and how also to sooner get the Australians out of besieged Tobruch, due to the flared Commonwealth wartime political crisis caused by the chronic parlous situation the Australian Mid East expeditionary force has found itself in since the collapse of the Greek campaign in the spring of 1941.

The Axis player is in a snit, too.  Since the last Jul I 41 air cycle replenishment he has played his Med/NA Command air force like a Mississippi riverboat gambler, and after the recent Axis air unit losses and builds, especially the Ger LW losses, in the stymied Jul I Axis Tobruch attack and in the Jul II Allied bloody aero-naval warfare attrition, he may need to change his daring betting strategy, in order to conserve his forces and not be forced to fold in his big third quarter of ’41 poker game, like a broke American tourist at Monte Carlo after betting with the Continental high-rollers.

EOT Dispositions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Malta on the Jul I 41 Axis turn:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

18A:3622 [stony desert road hex, NE of Zaulet Msus]:
8* Inf XX HQ 9 LA (Ger) [began turn at 18A:2428; admin moved to here]

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

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

Derna (18A:4116) [rough terrain point city/minor port coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
{1 port damage hit marker}
0-6 Lt AA II AA=1 38 [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [turn reinf; began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box at step 14 of the I. Phase; in the naval movement step it is successfully sea transported to Derna in a turn reinf NTP, expending 35 naval movement points doing so; in the M. Phase the cons III spends 4 MPs in the Derna port hex repairing the single hit of port damage there; remained in the hex]
CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 [operative; step 14 of the I. Phase turn conversion of the CR 42  3F3  0/9 air unit beginning the turn here; never moved]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [inop.; began turn at Scarpanto (19A:0701); in the C. Phase it first staged to Khania, on Crete, and then performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 [inop.; began turn at Sirte (18A:1727), in Libya; in the C. Phase it first staged to 18A:3617 and then performed the GS air mission over the Tobruch target hex for the Axis attack there; returned to base here]
{1 resource point [began turn here; expended at step 19 of the I. Phase for beginning the construction of a fort in hex 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch]}

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crete [end of turn]:

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

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

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

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

Southeast or Med/NA Command

Mainland Europe:

Axis Conditional Reinforcements

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

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

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

Place at any airfield on Rodi:

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

Axis Production/Vichy French Production:

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

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

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

At Rodi [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

Axis Near East Command

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

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

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

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

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

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

Vichy French Levant Conditional Reinforcements:

3nd Turn of Invasion/Jul I 41:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the pro-Axis Iraqi coup automatically occurs in the Apr I 41 Axis Initial Phase.
• The Iraqi coup collapsed at step 4 of the Initial Phase of the May II 41 Axis turn, when the Allied player rolled the dice checking for an Iraqi Coup Collapse, using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table, per WW Rule 38J5.
• This Axis turn, At step 2 of the Initial Phase, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 6: Fawzi is under the control of the Axis player for the player turn. The Axis player decides to keep the two Fawzi units in their Guerrilla mode and move them in the M. Phase.

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

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

Turn Activity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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

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

 

 EOT Dispositions

Malta [end of turn]:

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

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

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

In Libya [end of turn]:

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

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

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

In Egypt [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

19A:1320 [clear terrain hex]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Palestine [{in the M. & C. Phases}/end of turn]:

• Per WW Game Play Chart 5–Allied Garrisons, the Palestine garrison requirement is 3 REs of Garrison-category units.  The Allied garrisons are determined at step 17 of the Allied I. Phase.  However, per WW Rule 37E4 Forming units in the ME Replacement Pool count at their regular RE size for the Palestine Garrison requirement, as do also ME Replacement Pool units, but they count at 1/3 their regular RE size.

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

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

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

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

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

Activated Allied Task Force in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Zone:

RN-1 4 pt TF (RN)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On Cyprus [end of turn]:

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

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

Non Phasing Axis Air Activity in the Allied Exploitation Phase:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]

2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus) [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool]

3-2-10 Arm X 4 [in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario this unit is at-start in the ME Replacement Pool, per F. Watson’s ER-II Europa battle scenario, published in TEM#71]

3-2-10 Arm X 1 [moved from Balkan Command Replacement Pool; this is the original pre-conversion unit]

Aborted Air Units Box:

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

Eliminated Air Units Box:

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

Forming Box:

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

In the Allied Near East Command:

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

Allied Regular Reinforcements, Jul  I 41 Allied Turn.

Near East:

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

In pro-Allied Iraq [end of turn]:

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

Mosul (21A:3509) [clear terrain dot city transportation line junction hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:3213, just inside the Vichy French Syrian border; moved to here]
Rutbah (21A:5023) [stony desert point city road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip [Allied owned]
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:2833; admin moved to here]

Habbaniya (22A:2828) [clear terrain point city road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]
Audax 1A1 1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

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

22A:3524 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at 22A:4021; in E. Phase spent 5 SMPs moving along the transportation line to here]

Shaibah (22A:4314) [clear terrain secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port, w/ a major river hexside]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
three steps of attack supply [all began turn here; all never moved]

Turn Activity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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

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

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