Nov I 41 Allied Turn

EOT Dispositions

Malta

[{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:

Malta Status: 10, end of turn [at turn’s start 12, – 2 repairs this turn, at step 19 of the I. Phase = 10]

Malta Repair Rate: beginning on the Jul I 41 turn, 2 repair points each I turn and 1 repair point each II turn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.

At the start of the Allied turn there were 5 gsp’s present in the Valletta hex. However, there are 5.5 REs of ground units on Malta, so the Allied player designates the 0-4 Cons X MC as the 1 RE unit that is definitely Red U-2. This would make the rest of the ground units at Malta technically U-2, but in special general supply by tracing to the available gsp’s at Valletta. Malta’s intrinsic flack is not affected by supply, as in the EA game reports for the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario we are not using WW Optional Rule 12E4-Intrinsic AA and General Supply Effects.

Valletta (18A:0407) [rough terrain point city major port hex, w/ a strong natural harbor]:
Valletta hex flack factor: 7 (3 intrinsic, + a total of 4 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA II units now in special general supply)
3-cap permanent airfield; one hit of damage
3-6* Inf X 1 M [technically Red U-2; never moved]
3-6* Inf X 3 M [technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  10 [technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  4 [technically Red U-2; never moved]
0-4 Cons X MC [definitely Red U-2; never moved]
Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
4 gsp’s [sea transported to here from Gibraltar in a W Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase of the current Allied turn]
1 gsp [sea transported to here from Suez in an E Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase of the current Allied turn]
{5 gsp’s [4 were sea transported from Gibraltar in a W Med NTP and 1 was sea transported from Suez in an E Med NTP, all in the naval movement step of the Oct II 41 Allied M. Phase; they are removed from the maps at step 24 of the current Allied I. Phase]}

18A:0307 [rough terrain hex, NW of Valletta]:
This hex currently has an intrinsic flack factor of 2, per the WW Intrinsic Light AA Summary, found on Game Play Chart 2–Air War.
2-6* Inf X 2 M [began turn here; technically Red U-2; never moved]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn here; technically Black U-2; never moved]

Egypt

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

19A:0618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Sidi Barrani]:
6-4-6 Arm X 32 T [began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10 Recon II 4 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here; remained in the hex]
3-8 Art X 10 [began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here; remained in the hex]
5 pos flk unit  AA=1 [British; began turn at 19A:0820; moved to here]
1-10 Recon II 1 DG [began turn at 19A:0820;  moved to here]

19A:0720 [clear terrain hex]:
3-8 Art X 13 [began turn here; never moved]
6-4-6 Arm X 1 T [began turn here; never moved]
1-10 Recon II 6 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to here; remained in the hex]
3-2-10 Arm X 1 [began turn here; moved SW to Giarabub road hex 19A:0326, and then into the Oasi di Giarabub hex (19A:0327), and then back to hex 0326, where it ended the M. Phase; exploited back to here]
1-10* Mot Inf X 3 (Ind) [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to Siwa road hex 19A:0726 and then to 19A:0724, capturing Siwa road hexes along the way; exploited to here]
1-10* Mot SG  AA=1  X 2 [began turn here; moved to Egyptian coast road hex 19A:0519 and then continued westwards, moving through Halfaya Pass (19A:0419), the road junction hex at 19A:0218,  the Porto Bardia hex (19A:0318), and then back to 19A:0319, where it ended the M. Phase; exploited back to here]
{2-1-10* Lt Arm X 9 [began turn here; per the WitD Allied OB booklet, a turn reinf Conversion: the lt arm unit is removed from the maps and the 4-3-8 Arm X 9 conversion unit is placed in the Forming Box; it needs 3 Br arm RPs expended to activate]}

19A:0820 [clear terrain hex]:
3-8 Art X 30 [turn reinf; sea transported to Matruh in a turn reinf NTP, where it disembarked, railed to 19A:0819, and then moved one hex to here]
7-10* Arm XX 7 [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to Giarabub road hex 18A:5121 (via Halfaya Pass) and then moved southwards along that road to 19A:0223, capturing road hexes along the way; ended the M. Phase at 0223; exploited to here]

19A:0819 [clear terrain hex; containing the Tobruch-Matruh railway line completed this turn]:
3-cap temporary airfield [began the turn as a 2-cap temporary airfield, but the Aus 2-8 Eng X 1 spent 2 MPs in the hex building it into a 3-cap temporary airfield]
railhead marker [began the turn at 19A:0919, advanced to 19A:0819 in the M. Phase, after the 1-2-8 Eng X 8 expended all its MPs in the hex]
1-2-8 Eng X 8 [began turn here; expended all its MPs in the hex completing the Tobruch-Matruh railway line in this hex, thereby advancing the railhead marker in the M. Phase to here, from 19A:0919; never moved; the Br eng X chose not to advance forward to the next uncompleted Tobruch-Matruh rail hex at 19A:0720, as it voluntarily could have done]
1-8 Art II 1 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0719; moved to here]
2-8* Inf X 26 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 (RAAF) [opertive; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 1  5F5  1/8 [inop.; turn ARP rebuild; began turn at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]
{6 gsp’s [4 of these gsp’s were generated at Alexandria and 2 were generated at Suez on the Oct II 41 Allied turn; all 6 were removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]}

Sidi Barrani (19A:0718) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
1-cap temporary airfield [built this turn by the Aus 2-8 Eng X 1]
7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth [turn Br inf RP build from the 3-8* Inf Cadre 50 Nth, which began the turn at 19A:0918; the inf XX began the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at hex 0918; in the M. Phase the inf XX moved to here]
2-8 Eng X 1 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0819; spent 2 MPs in the hex to increase the 2-cap temporary airfield there to a 3-cap temporary airfield; spent 2 MPs moving to Sidi Barrani, where it then spent 4 MPs building a 1-cap temporary airfield]
{0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME [began turn here; per the WitD Allied OB booklet Withdraws at step 14 of the I. Phase]}
Hurri 2C  5F5  2/9 [inop.; turn reinf; began turn at Matruh at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it air transferred to here]

19A:0818 [clear terrain coast road hex, SE of Sidi Barrani]:
7-8 Inf XX 6 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:0920; regular moved to here]

19A:0918 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield [completed on the Sep II 41 Allied turn]
0-8 Hv AA II  AA=1  2 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1319; moved to here]
P-40C 5F5 1/13 (SAAF) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 (SAAF) [operative; turn conversion; began the turn here at step 14 of the I. Phase; per the WitD Allied OB booklet a turn Conversion of the Hurri 1 5F5  1/8 (SAAF) air unit that began the turn here; never moved]
P-40C  5F5  1/13 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1018 [clear terrain coast road hex]:
1-8 Inf X 38 (Ind) [turn reinf; Special: per the WitD Allied OB booklet it appears in any Allied-owned city; began turn at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; admin moved westwards along the Egyptian coastal transportation line to here]

19A:1118 [clear terrain coast road hex, SW of Matruh]:
1-8 AT II 65 [began turn at El Alamein (19A:2119); admin moved westwards along the Egyptian coastal transportation line to here]

Matruh (19A:1218) [clear terrain point city/minor port road-major rail line junction coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
fort marker
2-8* Inf X 161 [began turn here; never moved]
0-2-8 Hv AA X  AA=4  12 [turn conversion; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase at 19A:1319; per the WitD Allied OB booklet a turn Conversion of the 0-8 Lt AA II AA=1 51 unit that began the turn at 19A:1319; moved to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
Bombay  1T2  1-2/15 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [inop; began turn at 19A:1418; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Hurri 1  5NF5  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1319 [major rail line coast hex, SE of Matruh]:
3-cap temporary airfield
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  68 [began turn at Matruh (19A:1218); moved to here]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 (SAAF) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
A-22  3A3  2-1/19 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

19A:1418 [clear terrain major rail coast hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
0-1-8 Hv AA II  AA=2  51 [began turn here; never moved]
Well 2  4NB4  1-6/36 [inop.; turn reinf; began turn at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase it flew a night port strat bombing to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase it flew a night port strat bombing to the Tobruch target hex; Hit; returned to base here]
Well 1C  3NB4  1-6/28 [inop.; began turn here; late in the E. Phase it flew a night port strat bombing to the Tobruch target hex; Miss; returned to base here]

19A:0919 [clear terrain Matruh-Tobruch major rail line hex]:
7-8 Inf XX 2 (SA) [began turn at 19A:0818; regular moved to here]
2 steps of attack supply [began turn at 19A:0819; in the M. Phase both steps of attack supply spent a total of 2 SMPs moving one hex along the major rail line to here]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Alexandria; railed to here]
6 gsp’s [all these gsp’s were railed to here; 4 came from Alexandria and 2 came from Suez; all were generated this turn at step 16 of the I. Phase]

19A:1019 [clear terrain Matruh-Tobruch major rail line hex]:
8-8 Inf XX 2 (NZ) [assembled here from its unsupported components at the end of the M. Phase]
8 Inf XX HQ 2 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1220; moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 6 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1220; moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
2-8 Inf X 4 (NZ) [began turn at 19A:1220; moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]
3-8 Inf X 5 (NZ) [began turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine; sea transported to Matruh aboard an E Med NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; after disembarking it moved to here; assembled into the NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at the end of the M. Phase]

19A:1120 [clear terrain Siwa road hex]:
2-8* Inf X 20 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1019; moved one hex to here]
2-8* Inf X 24 (Aus) [began turn at 19A:1019; moved one hex to here]

19A:1220 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 150 [began turn at 19A:1120; moved one hex to here]
2-8* Inf X 151 [began turn at 19A:1220; moved one hex to here]

19A:1321 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 7 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 6 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

19A:1421 [clear terrain hex]:
2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 3 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

19A:1522 [clear terrain hex, adjacent to Qattara Depression]:
2-8* Inf X 11 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
2-8* Inf X 1 (SA) [began turn here; never moved]

El Alamein (19A:2119/20A:5033) [clear terrain point city major rail coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
fort marker [completed in the Jul II 41 Allied I. Phase]
vacant by the end of the M. Phase

19A:2417/20A:5030 [clear terrain major rail line coast hex, SW of Alexandria]:
1-8 Cav X 6 [began turn at Ismailia (19A:3516); admin moved along the transportation lines to here]

Alexandria (20A:4930/19A:2416) [full city hex/major port major rail line coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
3-cap permanent airfield
3-8* Inf X 1 FL (FF) [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  27 [British; began turn here; never moved]
Glad  3F3  0/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
{Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 [turn ARP repair; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase and then immediately Withdrawn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet]}
2 steps of attack supply [turn reinforcements; sea transported to Suez in 6 turn reinf NTPs in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; disembarked and railed to here]
one step of attack supply [turn reinf; sea transported to here aboard 3 turn reinf NTPs in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; disembarked here and remained in the hex]

19A:2516/20A:2930 [canal intensive major rail line junction coast hex, NE of Alexandria]:
1-8 MG II 1 RNF [began turn at 19A:2417; moved to here]
Damaphur (19A:2716/20A:5027) [canal intensive reference city major rail line junction hex]:
Bftr 1C  6HF5  1/S/21 [operative; turn reinf; began turn here at step 14 of the I. Phase; never moved]
Cairo (19A:3219) [full city hex transportation line junction hex, NW of the Cairo partial city hex]:
0-1-6 RR Eng X MEF (Emp) [began turn here; Egypt Garrison eng/cons unit; never moved]
This unit can’t move from here w/out violating the Egypt Garrison eng/cons unit provision, unless another 1 RE eng/cons unit takes its place.

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

Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413) [swamp dot city/standard port/Suez Canal major rail line terminal coast hex]:
8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) [began turn at Basra (22A:4313), in Iraq; in the naval movement step of the M. Phase it embarked on an E Med NTP and voyaged first to the Aden off-map holding box, but it did not disembark there; instead it resumed its voyage in the naval movement step of the E. Phase, and after traversing the Suez Canal it finally entered the port hex of Port Said, where the Ind 5th Inf XX HQ unit disembarked]

Ismailia (19A:3516) [sand reference city/standard port/Suez Canal transportation line junction hex]:
1-8 Cav X 5 [began turn at Suez (19A:3718); moved to here]

Suez (19A:3718) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line nexus coast hex]:
Supply Terminal marker
1-6 Trng X MEF (NZ) [turn reinf: per the WitD Allied OB booklet a Middle East Garrison Arrival; began turn here at step 14 of the I. Phase.  The WitD Allied OB booklet identifies this particular unit as evidently a WitD ME Garrison unit.  In WW this unit’s arrival coincides with a Nov II 41 Allied Egypt Garrison increase requirement, and so it is likely the voluntary unit of choice for this Egypt Garrison increase.  However, this additional new Egypt Garrison unit, picked from Allied Garrison-category units, per the WW Allied Garrisons chart found on Game Play Chart 5, evidently may move around Egypt, unlike its eng/cons garrison unit counterpart, which must remain where it is initially placed, unless another eng/cons unit takes its place.

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 some of the 3.5 Garrison-capable REs in the Forming Box of the Middle East Command Replacement Pool. See below, in the Middle East Replacement Pool section, for further details.

20A:4609 [clear terrain major rail line/road junction coast hex, N of Haifa]:
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.
For the first time in the game the Haifa-Tripoli railhead marker is moved forward, presumably at step 17 or 19 of the I. Phase.

Haifa (20A:4710) [clear terrain dot city/major port transportation line junction coast hex]:
2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind) [began turn at 21A:5127, in Iraq next to the T-J/Iraq borderline; admin moved 12 hexes along the road to secondary rail line hex 20A:5006, in Trans-Jordan; entrained and railed to here]

Tel Aviv (19A:4308 [clear terrain dot city/minor port major rail line junction coast hex]:
2-8 Inf X 29 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

Allied Units in Armistice Lebanon & Syria [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.

Beyrouth (20A:4207) [rough terrain dot city/standard port transportation line junction coast hex]:
2-8* Inf X 25 (Aus) [began turn here; never moved]

20A:4308 [rough terrain coast road hex]:
0-1-6 Cons X 61 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

20A:4107 [rough terrain coast road hex]:
0-1-4 Cons X 43 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

20A:4006 [rough terrain coast road hex, SW of Tripoli]:
0-1-4 Cons X 66 RPC (Col) [began turn here; never moved]

Tripoli (20A:4005) [rough terrain reference city/minor port transportation line 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.
2-8* Inf X 18 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

Lattique (20A:3405) [clear terrain reference city/minor port road terminus coast hex]
2-8* Inf X 21 (Aus) [began turn here; supported component of the 7-8 Inf XX 7 (Aus); never moved]

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

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

Alep (21A:3231) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
vacant

21A:4220 [clear terrain hex]:
1-10 Mot Cav III AL (T-J) [Arab Legion; began turn here; never moved]
This is a provisional new unit introduced in the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario on the May I 41 Allied turn. For more details, see that posted EA game report.

Trans Jordan

20A:5006 [clear terrain secondary rail line-road junction hex]:
2-8 Inf X 9 (Ind) [began turn at Rutbah (21A:5023); admin moved westwards 16 hexes along the road to here]

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

Nicosia (20A:3414) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
1-8 MG II 2 Ch [began turn here; technically Black U-1; never moved]
1-8 Inf II 11 (CS) [began turn here; technically Black U-1; never moved]

Larnaca (20A:3513) [clear terrain point city/minor port road hex]:
{one gsp [generated at Suez on the Oct II 41 Allied turn at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the Oct II 41 Allied turn M. Phase in an E Med NTP; removed from the maps at step 24 of the current I. Phase]}
one gsp [generated at Suez on the current Allied turn at step 14 of the I. Phase; sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the M. Phase in an E Med NTP]

Middle East Command Replacement Pool

[{beginning of turn}/end of turn]:
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]
3-8* Mtn X Karp (Pol) [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]
3-8 Inf X 22 G [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]
2-8 Inf X 14 [eliminated at Tobruch on the Oct I 41 Axis turn]

Aborted Air Units Box
{Blen 4 3B3 1-2/23 [turn ARP repair; placed at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase and then immediately Withdrawn, per the WitD Allied OB booklet; the unit was an Oct II 41 Allied turn 1 ARP expenditure build & Box move from the Eliminated Air Units Box to the Aborted Air Units Box]}

Eliminated Air Units Box
{Hurri 1 5F5 1/8 [turn ARP rebuild; placed at Alexandria at step 14 of the I. Phase; the unit had been killed in air combat on the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase at the Porto Bardiya target hex, by the Ger LW Me 109E F type air unit, which the Br Hurri 1 air unit managed to abort]}

Forming Box
3-8* Mtn X 1 (Gk) [counted as part of the Palestine Garrison]
0-1-8 Inf II Gd (Yugo)
2-8* Inf X 2 FL (FF) [placed here at step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase, after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the Apr II 42 Allied turn; this turn it counted as part of the Levant Garrison]
1-2-6 Inf X 3FL (FF) [placed here at step 14 of the Aug I 41 Allied I. Phase, after the Allied conquest of the Levant, per the WitD Allied French Conditional Reinforcements: Forces from the Levant, in the WitD Allied OB booklet, p. 6; this unit will be Full on the May II 42 Allied turn; this turn it was counted as part of the Palestine garrison]
4-3-8 Arm X 9 [turn conversion unit; placed here at step 14 of the Nov I 41 Allied I. Phase, per the WitD Allied OB booklet; 3 arm RPs must the spent to activate this unit]

The Allied Near East (NE) Command

The 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. Seeing that the Iraqi coup had indeed collapsed, the Axis Conditional Reinforcement promptly air transferred out of the Mosul hex later in the May II 41 Axis turn, and Mosul was captured by the Allies in the following Jun I 41 Allied turn.

The current Allied Iraqi railnet-cap is 3 1/2.

At step 14 of the Sep II 41 Allied I. Phase the Allied player transferred back to the Middle East Command the 10 SMPs that had been transferred to the Near East Command on the Aug I 41 Allied turn, per WW Rule 12H2b.

At step 4 the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase Iran surrendered to the Allies, per the Iranian Surrender Table. All Iranian forces surrendered to the Allies and were removed from the map.

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
1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [began turn at Ramadi (22A:2830); admin moved 16 hexes along the road to here]
Audax  1A1  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

Ramadi (22A:2830) [clear terrain reference city road hex]:
2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [began turn at Baghdad (22A:2825); moved along the road 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]

Baghdad (22A:2825) [clear terrain partial city transportation line junction hex]:
one hit marker on the airbase
8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

22A:3224 [swamp secondary rail line hex]:
2-8 Inf X 18 (Ind) [began turn at Basra (22A:4313); railed and regular moved to here, regular moving over the rail hit at Diwaniya (22A:3623) on the way and then regular moving across the demolished bridge hex side 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
8* Inf XX HQ 6 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
2-8 Inf X 27 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]
2-8 Inf X 19 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]
0-8 Lt AA II  AA=1  1 [began turn here; never moved]
1-pt river flotilla  AA=1  PAIC (RN) [began turn here; never moved]
2 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]

In Iran

[end of turn]:

Tehran (32:1512) [clear terrain partial city major rail line junction hex]:
2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind) [began turn at 32:2012; moved to here along the transportation lines; remained in the hex]

Ahwaz (22A:3810) [clear terrain reference city major rail line-road junction hex]:
8* Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind) [began turn here; never moved]

Abadan (22A:4410) [swamp reference city/minor port road hex, on a major river hex]:
1-6 Inf X Indr (ISF) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]

Kohrramshahr (22A:4311) [clear terrain point city/standard port major rail line-road junction hex, on a major river hex]:
1-8 Inf X 26 (Ind) [turn reinf; disembarked here from a turn reinf NTP in the naval movement step of the M. Phase; remained in the hex]

Bandar Shahpur (22A:4407) [clear terrain point city/standard port major rail line terminus island hex, w/ a sea causeway to the mainland]:
1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind) [began turn at Abadan (22A:4410); admin moved along the transportation lines to here]

Iran Off-Map Holding Boxes chart
2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind) [began turn at 32:1914; regular moved SE along the secondary rail line through Kashan (32:2311) and exited the map at edge hex 32:2510 at its 7th MP; it spent its last MP moving off-map along the 25 hex road to the off-map Iranian reference city Karman, per the WitD Iran Off-Map Holding Boxes chart]
2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [began turn at 32:2413; regular moved SE along the road and exited the map at edge hex 32:2513 at its 2nd MP; it then spent 5 MPs moving off-map along the 5 hex road to off-map Iranian dot city Isfahan, and then spent its last MP moving onwards along the 18 hex off-map road to the off-map Iranian dot city of Shiraz, per the WitD Iran Off-Map Holding Boxes chart]

Turn Activity

The weather die roll was a 5 this turn, and so it is mud in the C, D, and E weather zones. As always, it is clear in the F weather zone. This turn all seas are calm in the EA reported WW Scenario map groups. Parts of the C & D weather zones are visible in northern Iran on map 32, but on map 32 both these weather zones are in the Soviet occupation zone and therefore are not a factor in the new Scenario. On the WD map group of 18A and 19A, (and 20A) the rough terrain notch of the Cyrenaica is in weather zone E, as is part of the coastal littoral of Palestine, and all of the coastline of Lebanon and NW Syria. In addition to these North African and West Asian mainland areas that are indicated on the WD map group, a number of Mediterranean islands are also in weather zone E, namely: Cyprus, Crete, the Dodecanese, Sicily, and Malta. On the Nov I 41 game turn the weather is mud in weather zones E; but it is always automatically clear in the F weather zone, which is the prevailing weather zone in the Western Desert and Mesopotamian regions.

At step 11 of the I. Phase, at Malta, which is the supply determination step, five of the 5.5 REs of Allied ground units there are declared technically Red U-2, but in special general supply via the 5 gsp’s which were sea transported to Valletta on the previous Oct II 41 Allied turn, four from Gibraltar and 1 from Suez. The Br 0-4 Cons X MC at the Valletta hex is the ground unit designated as being definitely Red U-2.

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Allied player takes on some reinforcements, some conversions, and does some ARP rebuilds and repairs, all in Egypt.  He rebuilds the Hurri 1 air unit, removing it from the Eliminated Air Units Box, and repairs the Blen 4 B type air unit, removing it from the Aborted Air Units box of the ME Command Replacement Pool.  The Blen 4 air unit is then immediately Withdrawn from the maps, per the WitD Allied OB booklet.  A turn air unit reinf arrives in the Allied Anti-Shipping Aircraft Holding Box.  Using Br inf RPs, the Allied player rebuilds the British 7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth from its 3-8* Inf Cadre 50 Nth, which began the turn at 19A:0918, in Egypt.  See the text above or the pictures below for additional details.

At step 16 of the I. Phase the Allied player generates 4 new gsp’s at his Suez and Alexandria Standard Supply terminals. But this turn the Allied player believes it is not necessary to generate gsp’s at the Basra Standard Supply terminal.

At step 22 of the I. Phase the non-phasing Axis player flies the Me 109E  7F5  1/7 air unit based at 18A:0403, on Sicily, on the CAP air mission over the Valletta hex (18A:0407), on Malta.  Interestingly, Br Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 air unit based at the Valletta hex does not fly either the Patrol or Intercept air mission. The Axis player does not fly any Harassment air missions. But he assigns four Axis air units to the Naval Patrol air mission. These would be the Ger LW Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 air unit based at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, and the It SM 79-2  2B3  2-4/V/20 air unit at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch.  He also assigns the on the Naval Patrol air mission the Ger LW Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 air unit based at 18A:0403, on Sicily and the It SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit based at Tripoli (18A:0121).  He cannot assign to the Naval Patrol air mission the two Br 20M NB types based at Tripoli, as they flew the Malta Status air mission on the prior Oct II 41 Axis player turn, and therefore are inoperative throughout the Nov I 41 Allied player turn.  He nevertheless assigns the short-legged Ger LW Ju 87B D type air unit at 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, to the Naval Patrol air mission because of the paucity of Axis air units more appropriate for this air mission in the east Libya zone, and in order to maintain at least some kind of aero-naval war in the waters north and east of Tobruch.  These Axis Naval Patrol air mission assignments also imply that this Allied turn he is not worried for the need of extra DAS assets in the Tobruch vicinity.

At step 23 of the I. Phase the Allied player does his first “Desert Rat” Raid, per WW Rule 37F, and scores an airfield damage hit at the Axis 1-cap permanent airstrip at Agedabia (18A:3327).  It appears he is able to do this now, even though 0-8 Marine Cmdo II ME unit’s prerequisite withdrawal occurred at step 14 of the I. Phase, as the Desert Raid Raid effort doesn’t occur until later, at step 23.

At step 24 of the I. Phase the Allied player removes the 5 gsp’s at Valletta hex, at Malta, and the 6 gsp’s at 19A:08919, in the Western Desert, and the 1 gsp at Larnaca (20A:3513), on Cyprus. All these old gsp’s were generated in the previous Oct II 41 Allied I. Phase.

This turn, in the naval movement step of the M. Phase, the Allied player has available 10 E Med NTPs and also his single W Med NTP available for his sea transport requirements.

The first thing the Allied player does in the naval movement step is to sea transport to Malta 4 gsp’s generated at the Gibraltar standard supply terminal in a W Med NTP. This is done through the Gibraltar Convoys proviso found at WW Rule 41B1-Western Desert Campaign, which is used in standard WW Middle East Campaign Scenarios. Because of the two Axis air units in the Malta zone assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission, the W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar enters Map 18A way to the south, at hex 0115, in the daylight (this is required per the Gibraltar Convoys proviso) and deliberately 1 hex south of the official E weather line all-sea hex at 0114, and at which location it successfully rolls a no contact for the Cent Med Axis anti-shipping effects, using the Naval Table.  Immediately after this the It SM 79-1 2B3 1-5/22 air unit based at Tripoli (18A:0121) rolls for Naval Patrol contact on the Success Table. The Ger LW Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 air unit based at 18A:0403, on Sicily, is 13 hexes away, and so would have to fly at extended range to attempt a Naval Patrol contact, and with its tac factor already halved due to the Mud weather at Sicily, doesn’t bother.  The It SM 79-1 air unit based at Tripoli is only 6 hexes away, and so its +3 modifier for the calm seas is off-set with only a -1 for the range, making for a net +2 modifier.  Its roll on the Success Table is good, for a Naval Patrol contact, and it also successfully evades the Allied NTP’s 2 factor flack shot, but in the end it fails to roll the 6 needed for a hit on the Bombing Table, with its puny 1 tac bombing factor.  And so the Allied W Med NTP carrying the 4 gsp’s from Gibraltar arrives at the Valletta port hex, voyaging from all-sea map edge hex 18A:0114 entirely at night, and disembarks its cargo there.  It can be argued that the SM 79-1 B type air unit was not suited for the Naval Patrol air mission assignment, with its 1 tac factor.  But it was all the Axis player had available in the south area of the Malta zone in the I. Phase, and so this unit was assigned to the Naval Patrol air mission in order to serve notice of an Axis aero-naval war presence in the Malta zone.

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 related naval movement step action activities picture included below in this game report.  In these same naval movement step action activities pictures included below are indicated by blank red markers what is here the agreed upon/house rule E weather line boundary in the all-sea Mediterranean Sea hexes for maps 18A & 19A, which was left off the maps.  There may well be buried in some old WitD errata or in the old Europa magazine an official or semi-official designation for this E weather line omission in the Mediterranean all-sea hexes on the WD map group.  If so, someone please let me and the EA know.  The E weather zone boundary in the Mediterranean all-sea hexes is important this turn because of the mud weather now in the E weather zone and how it affects the Naval Patrol air missions with target hexes at all-sea Mediterranean Sea hexes in the zone.  Upon a careful inspection and juxtaposing of maps 27, 25A, and 18A, we can see that west edge all-sea hex 0114 of map 18A, 7 hexes north of Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya, is an official E weather line border hex.  To me, the E weather line appears to be somewhat farther south running horizontally across the Mediterranean that what one might casually first guess where the line would be.

#1.  An E Med NTP carries a gsp from Suez, in Egypt, to Larnaca (20A:3513), on Cyprus, in order to keep the two Allied inf IIs there in special general supply.

#2.  An E Med NTP carries a gsp from Suez up the Suez Canal and enters the Mediterranean Sea.  It begins night movement beginning at all-sea hex 20A:4822 and continues sailing a NW bearing using night movement for 10 hexes, to all-sea hex 20A:4128.  From this route it is evident that it is likely sailing to Malta.  Beginning at all-sea hex 20A:4028 it voyages in daylight, and continues at a NW bearing, thus remaining just out of the normal range of the It SM 79-2  2B3  2-4/V/20 air unit based at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; but eventually it will have to veer more to the west in its presumed voyage to Malta, and into the normal range of the Italian torpedo bomber air unit.  It finally does so at 19A:1003, 20 hexes away from 18A:4818.  But the Axis player has been counting his hexes, too, and knows the Allied cargo naval group must travel at least 8 more all-sea hexes in the daylight, and so waits a bit, until the NTP enters all-sea hex 19A:0305, south of the eastern end part of Crete, and now 16 hexes from 18A:4818.  There is a +3 modifier for calm seas and a -3 modifier for the range; but the skillful Axis player rolls a 5, for a Naval Patrol Contact.  Because the target hex is north of the E weather line, the SM 79-2 B type’s (V code) tac factor is halved, to 1, but he still has a +1 die roll modifier on the Bombing Table for being the V code.  But bad luck strikes the Axis side when the Allied player rolls for his 2 factor flack shot on the Antiaircraft Fire Table and rolls a snake-eyed 2, modified to a 1 due to the Axis B type air unit carrying torpedoes, and it is aborted.  When the Allied cargo naval group enters the Cent Med sea zone two hexes later he rolls good on the Naval Table also, and so the E Med NTP carrying the gsp from Suez makes it to Valletta, where it disembarks its cargo.  This was probably a lucky voyage.

#3.  The Allied player then sea transports into the Mediterranean Sea his turn reinf British 3-8 Art X 30 ground unit, beginning the turn at step 14 of the I. Phase embarked on a turn reinf NTP at Red Sea all-sea map edge hex 19A:5126.  The cargo naval group approaches Matruh (19A:1218), in Egypt, in darkness, beginning its night movement at all-sea hex 20A:4533/19A:1915.  It eventually safely enters the Egyptian minor port, where it disembarks its cargo, perhaps still in darkness.

#4.  Then the NZ 3-8 Inf X 5, beginning the turn at Haifa (20A:4710), in Palestine, is embarked on an E Med NTP and sails to Matruh, using the same technique as described in #3 in expending its final 10 naval movement points.  It too, arrives safely at Matruh in the night, and disembarks there.

#5.  Next, the Allied player sea transports all his turn Replacement Points (RPs) and one turn reinf step of attack supply from the SE Red Sea edge of map 19A into the Mediterranean Sea and sends them to his standard supply terminal at Alexandria, where they disembark.

#6.  Finally, the Allied player sea transports his two remaining turn reinf steps of attack supply to Suez, in Egypt, where they are disembarked from the turn reinf NTPs.

Meanwhile, back at Basra, in Iraq, the 8 Inf XX HQ 5 (Ind) embarks on an E Med NTP and begins a long voyage to Port Said (20A:5121/19A:3413). At the end of the naval movement step of the M. Phase this cargo naval group from Basra enters the Aden off-map holding box, but does not disembark its cargo there. Instead, the cargo naval group waits until the naval movement step of the E. Phase, at which time it continues its voyage from Aden to the WD map group and eventually enters Port Said, in Egypt at the north end of the Suez Canal, where the 5th Ind Inf XX HQ unit finally disembarks, ending its move.

Turn rail movement inventory on the Middle East railnet:

1 RE = for the 3-8 Art X 30 turn reinf which disembarked at Matruh, where it entrained

2 REs = for the 2-8 Inf X 10 (Ind), which began turn at 21A:5127, in Iraq, and admin moved to the secondary rail hex at 20A:5006, in Trans-Jordan, where it entrained

6 REs = for the two turn reinf steps of attack supply which disembarked at Suez, where they entrained

1 RE = for 4 gsp’s at Alexandria, where they entrained

.5 RE = for 2 gsp’s at Suez, where they entrained

3 REs =for the step of attack supply which began the turn at Alexandria, where it entrained

Allied Middle East rail net railcap: 16, per ER-II Allied OB Initial Forces, Mar II 41 Axis turn.

The Allied player assembles the big NZ 8-8 Inf XX 2 at 19A:1019, in west-central Egypt.  He likes to assemble the Allied infantry XXs, if possible, as then next turn he has the options of breaking them down any way he wants, which may be useful.

It is hard to say what the Allied player should do in the currently idle backwater Allied territories of Iraq and Iran, now that the Axis threat in the Near East is apparently ended forever, pending developments on the Russian front.  The Allied player currently has ownership of all Iranian cities on maps 22A and 32, although the Iranian off-map holding boxes still contain uncontrolled city boxes, still presumably considered “pro-Axis neutral.”  As far as I am concerned, all Iranian hexes on maps 22A and 32 are Allied-owned, essentially via WW Optional Rule 5B5-Ownership of Territory.  In practical Europa WW board wargame theory, at this time all this Iranian hex control concern and the Allied ground movement activity in Iran isn’t worth a thing, but I suspect that in real-life WWII, the opening of the probably important oil-exporting Iranian Persian Gulf port of Bandar Shahpur (22A:4407), ensconced with a narrow straits hex crossing, was an important war objective in the Allied strategic planning in this zone.

The Scenario’s new Trans-Jordanian 1-10 Mot Cav III AL [Arab Legion] continues to chase after the Fawzi unit in Iraq and Syria, but it can do little more as long as the Fawzi unit is in its guerrilla mode.  It has APZOCS, per the new Scenario’s rules provisions regarding the new T-J unit, but it is the only Allied unit with this capability in the new Scenario, and so cannot by itself ZOC entrap and kill Fawzi in ground combat against the guerrilla unit, unless adjacent impassable terrain or certain international border hexes help it.  I’m wondering if the British cav Xs should also have APZOCs, too, in the new Scenario; but we don’t want to be too hard on the Fawzi bandit, do we?

It’s tempting to air transfer the Bftr 1C  6HF5  1/S/21 air unit to Valletta, on Malta, but the Axis player has the Ger LW Me 109 air unit on the CAP air mission over the target hex, and there is the problem of keeping a second air unit at Malta in supply.  This would require sending a 6th Allied gsp each turn to Malta, and sending 5 to Malta is hard enough; in practice four is the most convenient.  The Allied player feels he has been quite lucky so far in keeping Malta supplied, and if the situation in the Western Desert continues to be static, Malta may become a magnet for Axis special attention and warfare schemes.

In the E. Phase the Allied player sends his three Well NB air units on a night strat port bombing air mission to the Tobruch hex, and scores a hit.  A hit marker is placed next to Tobruch, but not a port damage marker, with the anchor on it, as it takes two bombing hits to make a  port damage marker hit on its strong natural harbor.  Late in the E. Phase several Allied F type air units also air transfer to new temporary airfields build in west-central Egypt.

At the beginning of the Nov I 41 Allied turn the Allied player had the following inventory of ME Command RPs/ARPs stored at the Alexandria hex:  5.5 Br inf, .5 Br arm, 2.5 Aus inf, 0 NZ inf, 4 Ind inf and 1 Allied ARP. At step 14 of the I. Phase 4 Br inf RPs were spent to build the British 7-8 Inf XX 50 Nth from its 3-8* Inf Cadre.  This reduces for a moment the Br inf RP tally to 1.5.

In the M. Phase, the Allied turn reinf RPs were sea transported to Alexandria, aboard turn reinf NTPs.  Alexandria is where the Allied player is currently storing all his RPs, and intends to continue doing so as long as it is not in danger of being captured or besieged by the Axis.  Note that per WW Rule 31C3-Replacement Points, RPs “may be embarked and disembarked only at friendly-owned ports that are standard supply terminals.”  And so in WW WD & ME Scenario based games the Allied player must decide upon a turn reinf RP storage policy in reference to his two beginning on-map standard supply terminals, Alexandria and Suez.  Inf RPs however, can be moved about via rail or air transport.

At the end of the Nov I 41 Allied turn the Allied player has the following revised inventory of ME Command RPs/ARPs stored at the Alexandria hex:  3.5 Br inf, 1.5 Br arm, 3.5 Aus inf, .5 NZ inf, 5 Ind inf, and 7 ARPs.  He may spend up to 3 ARPs per turn during the new air cycle.

Commentary

The WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario project EA game reports are almost at an end, but the Allied player yearns for the opportunity for revenge and counterattack, and is not at all thankful that it’s almost over.  But at the same time the Axis player is content with his present gameboard position, now that he holds the fortress and strong harbor of Tobruch, and like a successful commander looks for new ways to damage the Allied war cause in his Med/NA Command.  Both sides are stymied for the moment by the Mud weather, but probably more so the Axis side than the Allied.  Even this turn the Allied player looks hard for an opening or opportunity in the Western Desert zone, itching for his big pay-back fight.  He keeps his guard up at Malta, Cyprus and the Delta zone, looking skywards for the German paratroop air drops.  In spite of increasing the danger of an EOT deployment oversight/blunder in west-central Egypt, he still creeps forward another hex closer towards the main Axis force in eastern Libya; and he builds more temporary airfield capacity in the forward position, just behind the desert shield.  If the Axis decides to attack, then maybe so much the better for the Allies in the ensuing melee, or with EX results.  And so there is in fact an array of ways and means for the Allied player to engage the Afrika Korps in combat, and he knows that this is his present task in the world war, here in the Western Desert.