Jun II 41 Axis Turn

EOT Dispositions

Axis Med/NA Command

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

German:

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

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

Return:
1 x Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12

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

In Sicily [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

Malta on the Jun II 41 Axis turn:

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

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

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

Western Desert (Libya & Egypt) [end of turn]:

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

Tripoli (18A:0121) [clear terrain dot city/major port hex transportation line junction coast hex]:
Axis Supply Terminal marker
fort marker
0 pos flk unit AA=3 [Italian]
4 steps of attack supply [all began turn here; never moved]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Crete [end of turn]:

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

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

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

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

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

Southeast or Med/NA Command:

Axis Conditional Reinforcements

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

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

Place at any airfield on Rodi:

German:

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

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

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

At Rodi [end of turn]:

Rodi (20A:2230) [clear terrain point city/standard port coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
20A:2331 [rough terrain coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

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

Med/NA aborted air units box:

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

Axis Near East Command

Select Initial Conditions Recap for the Vichy French Levant:

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

Vichy French Levant Conditional Reinforcements:

2nd Turn of Invasion/Jun II 41:

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

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

Vichy French Levant [end of turn]:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the pro-Axis Iraqi coup automatically occurs in the Apr I 41 Axis Initial Phase.
• The Iraqi coup collapsed at step 4 of the Initial Phase of the May II 41 Axis turn, when the Allied player rolled the dice checking for an Iraqi Coup Collapse, using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table, per WW Rule 38J5.
• At step 2 of the Initial Phase of the current Jun II 41 Axis turn, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 2:  Fawzi changes mode but does not move.  The 0-1-8 Inf II Fawzi (Bandit) unit is accordingly flipped to its guerrilla mode and remains in the hex where it began the turn units its end.  In addition, the Fawzi Dummy guerrilla-capable unit is also placed on-map in step 2 in the Fawzi operational area.

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

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

Initial Phase

At step 2 of the I. Phase the Axis player does the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and comes up with a 2:  Fawzi changes mode but does not move.  The combat 0-1-8 Inf II Fawzi (Bandit) is accordingly flipped to its guerrilla mode and remains in the Iraqi ravines hex where it began the turn.  In addition, a dummy guerrilla-capable unit is placed on-map in the Near East Fawzi operational area; it also does not move in the M. Phase, per the Fawzi action die roll.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Movement Phase

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

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

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

Exploitation Phase

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

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

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

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

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

Commentary

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

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

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