Aug I Axis Turn

Aug I 41 Axis EOT Dispositions

Mainland Europe off-map holding box:

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

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

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

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

In Sicily [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crete [end of turn]:

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

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

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

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

At Rodi [end of turn]:

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

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

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

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box:

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

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:

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

Axis Near East Command

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turn Activity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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