May I 41 Allied Turn

End of Turn Dispositions

Malta:

• Malta Status: Begins turn at 10, but -1 for the Malta repair rate (at step 19 of the I. Phase) = 9 by the end of the I. Phase/Allied turn.
• Malta Repair Rate: 1 repair point each turn.
• Valletta hex flack factor (intrinsic + hv AA II):  5

Valletta (18A:0407):
3-cap permanent airfield
3-6* Inf X 1 M
2-6* Inf X 2 M
1-8 MG II 2 Ch
0-1-8 Hv AA II AA=2 10
0-4 Cons X MC
Note: All the above ground units are technically Allied U-2, but are in special general supply due to the Apr II 41 Allied turn gsp’s.

Hurri 2 5F5 1/9 [inop.; Malta Command turn reinf; successfully air transferred to Malta from all-sea hex 18A:3605 from the activated CG-1 naval unit which successfully sea transported it to that hex from Alexandria, all done early in the M. Phase; in general supply at turn’s start]

4 gsp’s generated on the May I 41 Allied turn initial phase. [from Alexandria; successfully sea transported to Malta in the M. Phase using one E Med NTP]

one ARP [turn reinf; air transferred to Malta from all-sea hex 18A:3605 from the activated CG-2 naval unit which successfully sea transported it to that hex from Alexandria, all done early in the M. Phase; the ARP is stored at the Valletta hex]

Axis non-phasing air activity on the Western Desert map group at the end of the Initial Phase:

The G 50 F type air unit based at 18A:0603, in Sicily, flies a non-phasing CAP mission over the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta. After the air combat early in the Allied M. Phase it rebased at the Sicilian airfield at 18A:0603.

The two Ger LW Ju 87B D type air units based at Derna (18A:4116), in Libya, are assigned to the extended range Naval Patrol air mission.  Early in the M. Phase they become inoperative at Derna after failing the Contact Attempt for Naval Patrol Bombing Air Operation die roll.

In Libya [end of turn]:

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

• Construction is in progress on improving the fortress hex. This began in the Apr II 41 Allied I. Phase. It is projected to be complete in May II 41 Allied I. Phase.

1-cap temporary airfield, w/ one hit of damage, done by air raid in the Apr II 41 Axis M. Phase.
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [never moved; began fortress improvement on the Apr II 41 Allied I. Phase; technically Red U-1 this turn]
0-1-8 Hv AA II 51 [never moved; technically Red U-1 this turn]
7-8 Inf XX 9 (Aus) [never moved; technically Red U-1 this turn]
2-8 Inf X 16 [never moved; technically Red U-1 this turn]
2-1-6 Tnk II 7 RT [never moved; technically Red U-1 this turn]
3-8 Art X 13 [never moved; technically Red U-1 this turn]
2-8 Inf X 23 [sea transported from Alexandria to here using an E Med NTP; in general supply at Alexandria in I. Phase]
one step of attack supply [never moved]
one step of attack supply [turn reinf; sea transported to here using turn reinf naval transport ability]
12 gsp’s, broken down from a step of attack supply then present in the hex in I. Phase of the previous Apr II 41 Axis turn. These will provide general supply to all the forces in the Tobruch hex this turn and in the upcoming May I 41 Axis I. Phase. At the end of the May I 41 Axis I. Phase they will be removed from the map.

In Egypt [end of turn]:

19A:1018 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [never moved]
2-1-6 Tnk II 4 RT [moved to here from Matruh in the M. Phase; remained here in the E. Phase]
1-10* Mot SG X AA=1 2 [turn RP build; placed at Alexandria; admin moved to here in M. Phase; remained here in the E. Phase]

19A:1019 [clear terrain hex]:
3-2-10 Arm X 7 [never moved]
1-2-10* Mot SG X AA=1 7 [never moved]

19A:1118 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-8 Inf X 22 G [never moved]

19A:1219 [clear terrain Siwa road hex; S of Matruh]:
2-8* Inf X 18 (Aus) [brkdwn of Aus 7-8 Inf XX 7; regular moved to here from 19A:1120]

19A:1120 [clear terrain Siwa road hex]:
2-8* Inf X 21 (Aus) [brkdwn of Aus 7-8 Inf XX 7; regular moved to here from 19A:1120]

19A:1220 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 25 (Aus) [brkdwn of Aus 7-8 Inf XX 7; regular moved to here from 19A:1120]

19A:1321 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [brkdwn of Ind 7-8 Inf XX 4; regular moved to here from 19A:1219]

19A:1421 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [brkdwn of Ind 7-8 Inf XX 4; regular moved to here from 19A:1219]

19A:1522 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [brkdwn of Inf 7-8 Inf XX 4; regular moved to here from 19A:1219]

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road/major rail junction coast hex]:
railhead marker
3-cap permanent airfield
unfinished fort marker (projected to be complete in the May II 41 Allied I. Phase)
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [never moved; began building 2 turn fort in the Apr I 41 Allied I. Phase]
8* Inf XX HQ 6 [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria, then railed to here]

• This is a WW OB booklet optional substitute unit from the BF refit kit for the WitD Allied OB’s 70th Inf XX HQ unit. It came to my attention when studying F. Watson’s “Syria-Operation Exporter” Europa battle scenario found in TEM#81. It has been included in the 1941 ME Scenario. A tentative Br 7-8 Inf XX 6 substitute unit has been made specially for the 1941 ME Scenario EA reports by Ralph Sunley, along with the new Trans-Jordanian 1-10 Mot Cav III AL unit (see below). However, I’m not sure if there should be a British infantry division assembly unit available to be used in conjunction with the Br 8* Inf XX HQ 6 unit. For the additional complete WW OB information on the substitution of the WW 8* Inf XX HQ 6 unit for the original WitD 8 Inf XX HQ 70 unit, see the WW OB booklet, p. 13.

one step of attack supply [turn reinf; disembarked at Alexandria, then railed to here]

Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 SAAF [operative; turn reinf; placed here in I. Phase]
P-40C 5F5 1/13 SAAF [inop.; turn reinf; placed here in I. Phase; did tac port bombing air mission to Porto Bardiya late in the E.  Phase; Miss, returned to base here]
A-22 3A3 2-1/19 [inop.; turn reinf; placed here in I. Phase; did tac port bombing air mission to Porto Bardiya late in the E. Phase; Hit, returned to base here]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
1-8 AT II 65 [never moved]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [inop.; did non-phasing air transfer to here from Matruh in the previous Apr II 41 Axis E. Phase; did strat port bombing air mission to Derna late in the E. Phase; Miss, returned to base here]

Alexandria (20A4930/19A:2416) [major port/full city hex/major rail coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
2-8 Inf X 5 (SA) [turn reinf; disembarked here and remained in the hex]
Glad 3F3 0/8 [operative; never moved]
1 resource point [never moved]
one step of attack supply [never moved]

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

Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) [swamp dot city/major port major rail line terminus]:
0-8 Hv AA II AA-1 2 (Aus) [turn reinf; disembarked here and remained in the hex]

Ismailia (19A:3516) [clear terrain reference city/standard port transportation line junction hex]:
0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [admin moved to here along transportation line from Haifa, in Palestine ]
Glad 3F3 0/8 [operative; never moved]

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line junction hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began at Matruh; railed to here from Matruh]
4 gsp’s, generated in the May I 41 Allied I. Phase

In Palestine [end of turn]:
Gaza (19A:4211) [clear terrain point city major rail line coast hex]:
1-10 Mot Inf II 1 M (FF) [began at 19A:1018; first regular moved to Matruh, then railed to here]
2-1-8 Inf X Orient (FF) [turn reinf; disembarked at Tel Aviv, then regular moved to here]

Tel Aviv (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
1-8 Cav X 6 [never moved]

Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:
railhead marker
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [never moved]
1-8 Cav X 5 [regular moved to here from Gaza]

Axis non-phasing air unit activity on the WD map group in the Allied Exploitation Phase:

Near the end of the Allied E. Phase the Ger LW Me 109 E F type air unit at the Derna (18A:4116) airfield does a non-phasing air transfer to the airfield at 18A:0603, in Sicily.

Greece Off-Map Holding Box [end of turn]:

3-2-10 Arm X 1
3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ)
2-8 Inf X 16 (Aus)
2-8 Inf X 17 (Aus)
2-8 Inf X 19 (Aus)
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ)
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ)
2-8 Inf X 14
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ)
8 Inf XX HQ 6 (Aus)
3-2-28 Art X W
0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 57
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC
5 pos AA AA=1
1 step of attack supply

0-2-6 Hv AA X AA=4 MNBDO 1 (RN) [per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Allied draft OB this turn this unit is sea transferred to Greece using an E Med NTP; began turn at Alexandria; this transfer is based on the ER-II and WitD/WW WD Scenario Allied OBs]

1-8 Marine Cmdo X Layf [per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Allied draft OB this turn this unit is sea transferred to Greece using an E Med NTP; began turn at Ismailia; this transfer is based on the ER-II and WitD/WW WD Scenario Allied OBs]

Well 1C 3NB4 1-6/28 [remains here this turn per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Allied draft OB]

Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Allied draft OB a turn conversion of the Blen 1 B type air unit in the Greece off-map holding box is done in the I. Phase; this conversion is based on the ER-II and WitD/WW WD Scenario Allied OBs]

Hurri 1 5F5 1/8

one ARP [turn ME Production reinf; required 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Allied draft OB transfer to Greece; arrived in Greece in the I. Phase via WW Rule 25C4-ARP Transfer; this required transfer is based on the ER-II and WitD/WW WD Scenario Allied OBs; it is assumed that this ARP is automatically used/expended in the next Allied Initial Phase in the off-map Balkan Command]

one ARP [This is one of the turn ME Command Production reinforcements.  This is a voluntary ARP transfer from the ME Comand to the Greece off-map holding box/Balkan Command in anticipation of the Hurri 1 air unit presently in the Greece off-map holding box eventually being in the Balkan Command Aborted Air Units Box at the beginning of the May II 41 Allied turn.  This is certainly per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Allied draft OB for the Assault of Crete segment, which begins on the May II 41 Allied turn and is based on the WW Assault on Crete Allied OB, found in the WW OB booklet. Although technically sent to the off-map Greece holding box (see WW Rules 37C1d-Greece and 40A1), this ARP is stored at the Khania hex (18A:4403), on Crete.  Note that in the present turn there is no Balkan Command Replacements Box.  There will be a Balkan Command Replacements Box beginning on the May II 41 Allied turn (containing the aborted Hurri 1 air unit) in conjunction with the start of the Assault on Crete segment of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario.

In pro-Axis coup Iraq [end of turn]:

Rutbah (21A:5023) [point city stony desert road junction hex]:
1-cap permanent airstrip
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion]

• This is a special provisional new Allied ground unit introduced in the new Scenario. Per the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario Allied draft OB it is placed at Trans-Jordan border hex 21A:5128 in the same I. Phase that the Br 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab conversion takes place. It may enter Iraq from this hex if the Hab mot inf X also enters Iraq from this same hex. If so, it enters Iraq that turn with the same amount of MPs as the Br Mot If X Hab has remaining. Its initial operational area is Trans-Jordan and Iraq. It may also operate in the Vichy Levant when the Allies invade it. It may move (regular or admin, or by rail) through Palestine, but may not end its move there at the Allied turn’s end. If forced to retreat there due to combat in the Axis turn, it must move out of Palestine by the next Allied turn’s end, if possible. It may not serve as part of any WW Allied garrisons in the Scenario. It has an AGZOC (See WW Rule 39B2).  It draws general and attack supply from the Amman reference city hex (19A:4807), in Trans-Jordan. It may also draw general supply from the Allied standard supply sources or gsp’s.  It may also draw attack supply from Allied steps of attack supply. It is a fragile unit and cannot be replaced in the new Scenario, nor can special Allied RP’s be derived from it, if eliminated.
• In the Movement Phase the 1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) and the British 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab both regular move due east along the Iraqi desert road to stony desert hex 21A:5024, W of Rutbah, where the new T-J mot cav X ends the Movement Phase. The 2-1-10* Mot Inf Hab continues regular moving eastwards along the Iraqi desert road two more hexes to 21A:5022, E of Rutbah. In the Combat Phase both Allied c/m units attack the pro-Axis guerrilla unit Fawsi in the Rutbah hex (21A:5023), along with the Blen 4 B type air unit that stages to Haifa from Alexandria and flies the GS air mission to the Rutbah target hex. The Fawsi guerrilla unit (in guerrilla mode) decides to retreat before combat to adjacent stony desert road hex 21A:5022, and the Trans-Jordanian AL c/m III enters the Rutbah hex immediately after combat. It does not move from the Rutbah hex in the Exploitation Phase.

22A:2833 [stony desert road hex, end of turn]:
2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab

• In the Initial Phase the unit conversions were done at hex 21A:5128, in eastern Trans-Jordan at the Iraqi border, creating the British 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab unit.  In the Movement Phase it regular moved eastwards along the Iraq desert road to stony desert road hex 21A:5022, just East of Rutbah. There, along with the 1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) at 21A:5024, it participated in the ground attack against the Fawsi guerrilla unit occupying the Rutbah hex.  In the Exploitation Phase it moved eastwards 10 more hexes along the Iraq desert road, ending the turn at stony desert road hex 22A:2833, 5 hexes West of Habbaniya.

Habbaniya (22A:2828) [clear terrain point city road hex; end of turn]:

3-cap permanent airfield
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [never moved; Black U-1]
0-1-4 Static II 1 AS (Col) [never moved; in general supply]
Audax 1A1 1/8 [operational; becomes Red U-2 this I. Phase; never moved]
Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [inop., flew GS in the Combat Phase]

• The air unit began the turn at Alexandria. It staged to Haifa in the Combat Phase and flew the GS air mission to the Rutbah target hex (21A:5023), in Iraq. The pro-Axis Guerrilla Fawsi unit (in guerrilla mode) in the Rutbah hex retreated before combat and the Blen 4 air unit returned to base at the Habbaniya airfield near the end of the C. Phase.

Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [inop.; this is an I. Phase ARP build from turn ME Production reinfs; it was placed at the Khania reference city/3-cap permanent airfield, on Crete, in the I. Phase; then it air transferred from Khania to the Habbaniya airfield early in the E. Phase]

Shaibah (22A:4314) clear terrain point city secondary rail line hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Allied Conditional Reinforcements

Iraqi Coup Reaction Forces

Coup Turn 3/May I 41 Allied Turn

Near East:

Arrive:
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind)
two steps of attack supply

Basra (22A:4313) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line nexus coast hex; end of turn]:
Allied Supply Terminal marker
0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [never moved]
Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 [inop.; began turn at the Habbaniya airfield, Black U-1; air transfers to Basra late in the M. Phase]
one step of attack supply [Allied Conditional turn reinf; disembarks here in the M. Phase and remains at Basra]

22A:2417 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex; end of turn]:
one step of attack supply [Allied Conditional turn reinf; disembarks at Basra in the M. Phase and spends 5 SMPs in the M.Phase moving from Basra to here]

22A:4218 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex; end of turn]:
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [Allied Conditional turn reinf; disembarks at Basra and moves to here along the secondary rail line]

22A:4021 [clear terrain secondary rail line hex; end of turn]:
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began at 4218; regular moves along secondary rail lines to here]
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at 22A:4218; regular moves along secondary rail lines to here, but diverts to Naisirya (22A:3919) and back in order to gain control of the reference city hex]

ME Command Replacement Pool [end of turn]:

3-2-10 Arm X 3
3-2-10 Arm X 4

Turn Activities

In the Initial Phase, at step 14, the Allied player spends .5 Br inf RPs and .5 Br arm RPs to rebuild the Br 1-10* Mot SG X 2 (AA=1) from the Middle East Command Replaement Pool. It is placed at Alexandria in the Initial Phase.

In the Initial Phase, at step 14, the Allied player activates the CG-1 and CG-2 naval units and places them at the Alexandria port hex.

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

In the Initial Phase, at step 22, the non-phasing Axis player flies the G 50 F type air unit based at the 3-cap permanent airfield at 18A:0603 on the CAP air mission over the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta. The Axis player also designates the two Ger LW Ju 87B D type air units based at the 3-cap permanent airfield at Derna (18A:4116) as flying the Naval Patrol air mission.

In the Initial Phase, at step 24, 4 gsp’s @ the Valletta hex (18A:0407) on Malta generated on the Apr II 41 Allied Initial Phase are removed from the map.

In the Initial Phase, at step 24, 4 gsp’s @ the Suez hex (19A:3718) and 4 gsp’s @ the Alexandria hex, all generated on the Apr I 41 Allied Initial Phase are removed from the map.

The CG-1 naval units embarks the Hurri 2 F type air unit turn reinf for the Malta Command and the CG-2 naval units embarks one of the ME Command’s turn reinf ARPs. At the beginning of the M. Phase, this task force, which includes an E Med NTP carrying the 4 new gsp’s generated at Alexandria, exits the Alexandria hex and sails towards Malta.  At East Med all-sea hex 18A:5110, the Axis player rolls on the Success Table for a Contact Attempt for Naval Patrol Bombing Air Operation, utilizing the two Ger LW Ju 87B D type air units based at the Derna airfield hex 11 hexes away, and comes up with a 3: which is still a Failure although the +1 modifier jacks the die roll result to 4. And so the two Ju 87B air units at Derna are flipped to inoperative and the Allied naval group continues sailing westwards. When the naval group enters the Cent Med sea zone at hex 18A:4205 (see Advanced Rule 3D7-Central Med Reduction/Eastern Med Expansion), the Rule 31E-Axis Anti-Shipping Forces dice rolls are done using the 9 Column of the Naval Table for the three Allied naval units in the naval group. Surprisingly, none of the 3 Allied naval units are affected and the naval group continues its western voyage. At Cent Med all-sea hex 18A:3605, 32 hexes away from the Valletta target hex, the Allied player launches the Hurri 2 F type air unit on the air transfer mission from the CG-1 naval unit and the Allied ARP from the CG-2 naval unit. The Allied player does this at 18A:3605, 32 hexes away from the Valletta airfield at Malta instead of the 4X air transfer range of 36 hexes for the Hurri 2 air unit because of the stipulations found at Advanced Rule 25C8-Special ARP Transfer Range.

After the Hurri 2 F type air unit and the Allied ARP fly off to Malta from the two CG naval units, the two CG naval units return to the port of Alexandria before the end of the M. Phase.  But the NTP carrying the cargo of 4 gsp’s continues its voyage to Valletta. The two CG naval units remain in the port of Alexandria until the end of the Allied turn, when they are deactivated and placed back into the Used this Quarter section of the Royal Naval Availability Box, found on the WW Allied Game Chart 1-Holding Boxes.

Meanwhile, two Axis F type air units, the G 50 on the CAP air mission over the Valletta hex and the CR 42 on an interception mission from the airfield at 18A:0403, attempt to stop the Hurri 2 air unit doing the air transfer mission from the CG-1 naval unit to the Valletta airfield, but both roll Misses in the Air Combat and the Hurri 2 air unit successfully lands in the hex. The two Axis F type air units return to their respective bases in Sicily after the air combat.

After the voyage of the Allied naval group to Malta, a turn reinf step of attack supply is shipped into the Tobruch hex, using the turn reinf naval transport ability.

After this, the Br 2-8 Inf X 23 is sea transported to Tobruch from Alexandria, using an E Med NTP.

The Allied accumulated Replacement Point (RP) inventory is as follows: Br inf = 8.5, Br arm = 2, Aus inf = 2.5, NZ inf = 2.5. All Allied RPs are stored in the Alexandria hex. At the end of the turn there are no Allied ARPs stored in the Alexandria hex.

Allied reinforcement ARP inventory:

• In the Initial Phase 4 Allied reinforcement ARPs arrive (2) or are placed (2) this turn in the Middle East Command; these are all that are currently in play.
• One Allied reinf ARP is flown to the Valletta hex (at Malta) from an activated CG naval unit and stored there.
• Two Allied reinf ARPs are stored in the Greece off-map holding box. One is per the 1941 ME Scenario draft OB (derived from the ER-II Scenario and WitD/WW Western Desert Scenario OBs) and is assumed to be immediately used/expended in the Balkan Command. The other is a voluntary additional Middle East Command ARP transfer to the Balkan Command and will he available there on the May II 41 Allied turn.
• One Allied reinf ARP was used in the Initial Phase to build the Hurri 1 air unit that was in the ME Command Replacement Pool’s Aborted Air Units Holding Box.  It is placed at Khania, on Crete.

Commentary

It’s likely that beginning now the Allied player needs to count carefully each turn his total of ground unit defense factors in the besieged Tobruch hex. At the beginning of this turn there were 15 defense factors in the hex; at the turn’s end there are 17, after the sea transport arrival of the Br 2-8 Inf X 23. It appears to this war gamer that the addition of this Br inf X this turn is necessary for the successful defense of Tobruch next Axis turn. The mounting danger of Axis attack also means keeping an Allied eye focused on the arriving inventory of Axis attack factors in the Tobruch siege zone. All this might imply that in the ER-II based 1941 WD and ME scenarios it could be a primary Axis strategy to push as many ground attack factors and GS tac factors as quickly as possible toward the Tobruch siege zone from the Tripolitania base, with an optimum Tobruch attack date in mind of maybe the May I or May II 41 Axis turn. The fall of Tobruch on either of the May Axis turns would be a major Axis victory in the Western Desert in 1941. If coupled with good Axis dice rolls in Iraq, the two victories together could mean very serious trouble for the Allies in the Middle East in the second and third quarters of 1941. Note that on the May I 41 Axis turn Tobruch is still an unimproved fortress whereas on the May II 41 Axis turn Tobruch is scheduled to be an improved fortress.

The Iraq campaign sideshow continues to divert more Allied forces from other seemingly more important westward war zones.  Part of the “blame” is the pesky Fawsi unit, in addition to inherent war game design factors, perhaps.  What apparently makes the Fawsi unit a contender in the present game is the good Fawsi action die roll (per WW Rule 39E4) done in the Apr I 41 Axis Initial Phase, which enabled it that turn to move to the critical Rutbah airstrip and Iraqi desert road junction hex.  From then on it’s been nothing but trouble and a force drain for the Allied side.  But in the Europa WW Middle East Campaign Scenario, on which the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario is based, it appears the Allies have in fact both time and forces to pour into a resistant pro-Axis Coup Iraq, and so maybe a good “Wavell’s War” Allied player should be patient and assume this burden of war.  The game isn’t over yet and the British Western Desert Force in central Egypt is currently not threatened by the Italian and Afrika Korps Axis forces that are for now buffaloed at Tobruch.