Oct I 41 Axis Turn

End of Turn dispositions

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

1-6 Tnk II 52 [turn reinf; sea transported towards Tripoli, in Libya, in a turn reinf NTP; first rolled a Contact on the Naval Table for Allied anti-shipping effects, then rolled a Return on the Shipping Results Table; returned to the mainland Europe off-map holding box]
.5 Italian inf Replacement Points (RPs) at the end of the Axis I. Phase and the Axis turn: 0 It inf RPs at the start of the turn, + .5 It inf RP reinforcement this turn, = .5; no It inf RP expenditures or movement this turn from here.
3 German inf RPs at the end of the Axis I. Phase and the Axis turn: 1.5 Ger inf RPs at the start of the turn, + 1.5 Ger inf RP reinforcements this turn, = 3; no Ger inf RP expenditures or movement this turn from here.
5 Ger ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Axis turn: No Ger ARP expenditures this turn
4 It ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Axis turn: The Axis player began the turn w/ 5 It ARPs, but at step 14 of the I. Phase 1 It ARP was expended to repair the G 50  3F3  0/6 air unit. The air unit was removed from the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool and placed on the maps at 18A:0403, in Sicily.

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; early in the M. Phase flew a Malta Status bombing mission to the Valletta target hex, along w/ a larger Axis air op; rolled on the 3 column of the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; rebased here]

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
MC 200 3F4 1/8 [inop; began turn here; early in the M. Phase flew a fighter on a bombing air mission w/ the Axis air op flying to the Valletta target hex; jettisons its bomb load after the Hurri 2 air unit based at Valletta flew the Intercept air mission; rebased here]
CR 42AS  3F3  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; early in the M. Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing air mission w/ the Axis air op flying to the Valletta target hex; jettisons its bomb load after the Hurri 2 air unit based at Valletta flew the Intercept air mission; rebased here]

Coast hex 18A:0603:
3-cap permanent airfield

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 Oct I 41 Axis turn:

Malta Status: 10, at the start of the turn, + 1 for Malta Status bombing hits done in the M. Phase prior to the naval movement step, = 11 during this turn’s naval movement step and at the EOT.

Valletta hex (18A:0407) flack this turn: 8 (3 intrinsic + 1 for the Black  U-1 British 5 pos flk unit, + a total of 4 for the two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs’ 2 flack factors each, as this turn these two ground units are in special general supply via the 4 gsp’s successfully sea transported from Alexandria to Malta on the Sep II 41 Allied turn)

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

There were 4 gsp’s present in the Valletta hex at the start of the Axis player turn, and 5.5 REs of ground units on Malta. At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied player designated the 0-4 Cons X MC unit as definitely Red U-2.  The recently arrived Br 5  pos flk unit began the turn at Black U-1 and is designated as definitely Black U-1.  The Br Hurri 2 F type air unit based at Valletta is in “special air unit supply” per WW Rule 24I3-Allied Malta Special Air Unit Supply. The gsp’s beginning the turn at Malta were generated at Gibraltar on the Oct I 41 Allied turn and sea transported to Valletta in the M. Phase of that turn.

Libya [end of turn]:

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

Tripoli (18A:0121) [clear terrain dot city/major port hex transportation line junction coast hex]:
Axis Supply Terminal marker
fort marker
0 pos flk unit  AA=3 [Italian]
5 steps of attack supply [began turn here; never moved]
2 steps of attack supply [turn reinfs; both were successfully sea transported to Tripoli in the M. Phase by turn reinf NTPs]
4.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) [began turn here, stored at the standard supply terminal; neither expended nor moved this turn]
1.5 Ger arm RPs [turn reinfs; began turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box, at step 14 of then I. Phase; successfully sea transported to here in the naval movement step of the M. Phase in 3 turn reinf NTPs; disembarked and remained in the hex]
4 It inf RPs [began turn here; neither expended nor moved this turn]
1.2 It special inf RPs [generated this turn by Italian ground unit losses incurred at the battle for Tobruch; stored at the Axis standard supply terminal]
2 Ger inf RPs [began turn here; neither expended nor moved this turn]
1.25 Ger special inf RPs [generated this turn by German ground unit losses incurred at the battle for Tobruch; stored at the Axis standard supply terminal]

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

Homs (18A:0522) [rough terrain point city/minor port road junction coast hex]:
vacant at the end of the E. Phase

18A:0924 [clear terrain road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at Homs (18A:0522); in the E. Phase it spent 7 SMPs moving along the road to here]

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

18A:1026 [clear terrain road junction hex]:
2-10 Mot Inf III 288 SV (Ger) [turn reinf; began turn at step 14 of the I. Phase, in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; successfully sea transported to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya, in the naval movement step of the M. Phase, embarked on 2 turn reinf NTPs; after disembarkation at Tripoli it admin moved to Homs (18A:0522); exploited to here]

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

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
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:1327; in the E. Phase it spent 16 SMPs moving along the coast road to here]

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

Bengasi (18A:3121) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line junction hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
12 port damage hit markers
4 pos flk  AA=1 [Italian; began turn here; never moved]
1-6 Inf III A [began turn here; unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol; 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
3 port damage hit markers
6 Inf XX HQ A [began turn here; unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol; never moved]
0-6 Lt AA II  AA=1  38 [began turn here; never moved]
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn at 18A:4317; spent 2 MPs regular moving 2 road hexes to Derna and then spent its 4 remaining MPs repairing one hit of port damage there]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn at 18A:4417; spend 3 MPs regular moving 3 road hexes to Derna and then spent its 3 remaining MPs towards the partial repair of a hit of port damage there]
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4619; regular moved to here]
1 Ger inf RP [began turn here; neither expended nor moved this turn]
1 It inf RP [began turn here; neither expended nor moved this turn]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); in the C. Phase it provided GS for the attack on Tobruch; returned to base here]
BR 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it provided GS for the attack on Tobruch; returned to base here]
BR 20M 3NB4 2-5/24 [inop.; began turn here; in the C. Phase it provided GS for the attack on Tobruch; returned to base here]

18A:4218 [stony desert road hex]:
{one step of attack supply [began turn here; in the C. Phase it was expended in the Tobruch attack]}

Ain el Gazala (18A:4518) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
3-cap temporary airfield
8 Inf XX HQ 102 Trn [began turn here; never moved]
1-6 Inf III A [began turn at 18A:4618; moved one hex to here]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop; began turn at 18A:3617; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop; began turn at 18A:3617; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Ca 311  2B2  1/L/14 [inop.; began turn at 18A:3617; did a non-phasing air transfer to here late in the M. Phase of the Oct I 41 Allied turn; in the C. Phase it provided GS for the attack on Tobruch; returned to base here]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SE of Ain el Gazala]:
3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn at 18A:4719; regular moved 2 hexes to here]

18A:4420 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at 19A:0218; regular moved to 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
2-10 Mot Inf III 9 B [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to 18A:4819, 2 hexes S of Tobruch; exploited to here]

18A:4520 [sand hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn here; never moved]

18A:4619 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn at 18A:5017; regular moved to 18A:4918; participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to here]
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved to here]

18A:4719 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn at a19A:0218; regular moved to 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
1-8 Mot Inf III 65 [began turn at 18A:3423; admin moved 13 hexes along the roads to 18A:4618; exploited to here]
1-8 Mot Inf III 66 [began turn at 18A:3423; admin moved 13 hexes along the roads to 18A:4618; exploited to here]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
fort marker
3-cap temporary airfield
5-8* Inf XX 90 LA (Ger) [began turn here; never moved]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn at 18A:4818, S of Tobruch; spent 4 MPs moving 1 road hex to here, due to enemy ZOCs; participated in the Tobruch attack; remained in the hex]
Ju 87B 2D3 4-1/8 [inop.; Italian; began turn at Derna (18A:4116); in the C. Phase it provided GS for the attack on Tobruch; returned to base here]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at 18A:4818; in the C. Phase it flew the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex; Returned by flack; rebased here]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [inop; began the turn inoperative; flew the Harassment air mission on the prior Oct I 41 Allied turn]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
3-8* Arm Cadre 132 Ar [began the turn at 18A:4818, as the 7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar; the arm XX didn’t move in the M. Phase; it participated in the Tobruch attack; the arm XX was cadred as a result of the EX combat result; the arm cadre advanced into Tobruch after combat; then exploited back to here]
2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32 [began turn at 19A:0218; moved to 18A:4819, 2 hexes S of Tobruch; exploited to here]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn at 18A:4918; spent 4 MPs moving 1 road hex to here, due to enemy ZOCs; participated in the Tobruch attack; remained in the hex]
2-3-8 Art III 16 C [began turn at 18A:4619; regular moved 2 hexes to here; participated in the Tobruch attack; remained in the hex]
G 50bis  3F3  0/10 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [inop; began turn at 18A:4718; in the C. Phase it provided GS for the attack on Tobruch; returned to base here]
He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Misurata (18A:1022); in the C. Phase it provided GS for the attack on Tobruch, after first staging to Bengasi; returned to base here]

18A:4918 [clear terrain coast road hex; SE of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
fort marker [completed on the Sep I 41 Axis I. Phase]
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn here; never moved]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn at 19A:0319; in the M. Phase it moved along the Egyptian coast road to Sidi Barrani (19A:0718), and then double backed to 19A:0218, capturing Sidi Barrani and the Egyptian coast road hexes in between for the Axis, including Halfaya Pass (19A:0419); exploited to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/18 (Ger LW) [began turn at 19A:0219; in the M. Phase it moved to 18A: 4818, where it assembled into the 2-10 Mot Hv AA III  AA=4  135 (Ger LW); the mot hv AA III participated in the Tobruch attack; at the beginning of the E. Phase the Ger LW mot hv AA III unit broke down again and this 1-10 hv AA II component exploited to here]
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 18A:5017; moved to 18A:4819, 2 hexes S of Touch; exploited to here]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; regular moved one hex to here; participated in the Tobruch attack; remained in the hex]
Me 109F1  6F6  1/8 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; flew the Intercept air mission in the C. Phase against the Allied air op in the Tobruch target hex; in air combat aborted the Br Hurri 1 F type air unit flying the Escort air mission; returned to base here]
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn here; flew the Intercept air mission in the C. Phase against the Allied air op in the Tobruch target hex; attacked the Allied mission force; in air combat rolled a (-) against the Br Blen 4 B type air unit flying the DAS air mission; returned to base here]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [inop.; began turn here; flew the Intercept air mission in the C. Phase against the Allied air op in the Tobruch target hex; in air combat aborted the Br P-40C F type air unit flying the Escort air mission; returned to base here]

Tobruch (18A:4817) [clear terrain point city/standard port w/ a strong natural harbor unimproved fortress hex]:
8 Mot Inf XX HQ 101 Tre [began turn at 18A:3423; admin moved 13 hexes along the roads to 18A:4618; exploited to here]
4-8* Pz Cadre 21 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0319, as the 9-10 Pz XX 21 (Ger); in the M. Phase the pz XX regular moved to 18A:4918; in the C. Phase the pz XX participated in the Tobruch attack; the pz XX was cadred as a result of the EX combat result; the pz cadre advanced into Tobruch after the combat; remained in the hex]
0-1-10 Mot Lt AA II  AA=1  617 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4718; regular moved to 18A:4819, 2 hexes S of Tobruch; exploited to here]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [inop.; began turn at 18A:4718; in the C. Phase it flew a fighter on a bombing mission and provided GS for the attack on Tobruch; returned to base here]

18A:4919 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0219; in the M. Phase it regular moved to 18A:4918; participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn at 19A:0219; in the M. Phase it regular moved to 18A:4818; participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/33 (Ger LW) [began turn at 19A:0319; in the M. Phase it moved to 18A: 4818, where it assembled into the 2-10 Mot Hv AA III AA=4 135 (Ger LW); the mot hv AA III participated in the Tobruch attack; at the beginning of the E. Phase the Ger LW mot hv AA III unit broke down again and this 1-10 hv AA II component exploited to here]
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; regular moved one hex to 18A:4818; participated in the Tobruch attack; exploited to here]

19A:0218 [clear terrain road junction hex, SE of Porto Bardiya]:
{one step of attack supply [began turn here; in the C. Phase it was expended in the Tobruch attack]}

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
5 port damage hit markers
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [began turn at 18A:5118; moved to here]

Crete [end of turn]:

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

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

On Scarpanto [end of turn]:

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

At Rodi [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 [end of turn]:
1 x 2-6 Inf XX 60 Sbr
1 x 2-10 Mot Inf III 10 B
1 x 2-1-8 Lt Tnk III 3
2 x 1-8 Lt Tnk X 1,2
5 x 1-6 Tnk II 1, 3, 5, 6, 21
1 x Para Inf III Tonini
3 x 0-1-6* Inf III 300 GaF, 310 GaF, 320 GaF
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 24 dM
3 x 2-3-6 Art III 10 C, 20 C, 21 C
1 x 1-6 Art III 23 C
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 8 A [Jun I 41 Axis turn reinf; sunk in sea transit to Libya that turn by Allied anti-shipping, per the Naval Table]
1-8 Aslt Eng II 31 G [participated in the Tobruch attack on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase; part of the combat EX loss]
1-6 Hv AA II  AA=1  29 [participated in the Tobruch attack on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase; part of the combat EX loss]
4 x 0 pos flk unit AA=1 [Italian]

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box:
{G 50  3F3  0/9 [Oct I 41 Axis ARP turn repair; placed at 18A:0403, in Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; on the Sep II 41 Axis turn the unit had been aborted in air combat at the Valletta target hex by the Hurri 2 F type air unit]}
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [aborted by Tobruch’s flack when flying the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [aborted by Tobruch’s flack when flying the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [aborted by Tobruch’s flack when flying the GS air mission to the Tobruch target hex on the Oct I 41 Axis C. Phase]

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box:
G 50  3F3  0/6 [Oct I 41 Axis turn ARP repair; placed at 18A:0403, in Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase flew the Escort air mission for an air op flying to the Valletta target hex; engaged in air combat w/ the Br Hurri 2 t type air unit based at Valletta flying the Intercept air mission; Killed in the air combat]

Axis Near East Command

• On the Jul II 41 Axis turn the Vichy French Levant surrendered to the invading Allies, per the Allied player’s Variable Levant Surrender Table dice roll, done at step 13 of the Axis I. Phase. At the start of the Aug II 41 Axis turn all cities in the Levant were finally Allied-owned; and there were no remaining Axis forces in the Levant or in the Near East. And so at step 12 of the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase, all land hexes in Syria and Lebanon were declared Allied owned.
• The Iranians surrendered on the previous Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase. There are still neutral pro-Axis hexes and airbases in Iran, but they are too far from friendly Axis bases to be of any use to the Axis war effort.
• This Axis turn, At step 2 of the I. Phase, the Axis player did the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and came up with a 4: “Fawzi does not change mode and moves randomly during the upcoming movement phase”

In Armistice Syria [end of turn]:

21A:4621 [stony desert hex]:
Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [guerrilla-capable bandit unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn here; remains in the hex, as per the two die rolls done for the random movement it could not move, due to its 2MP die roll and the APZOCs of the T-J 1-10 mot cav III adjacent to it; in its combat mode it is a 0-1-8 inf [II] unit]

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

• In the 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario the pro-Axis Iraqi coup automatically occurs in the Apr I 41 Axis I. Phase.
• The Iraqi coup collapsed at step 4 of the I. Phase of the May II 41 Axis turn, when the Allied player rolled the dice checking for an Iraqi Coup Collapse, using the Variable Iraqi Coup Collapse Table, per WW Rule 38J5. The Iraqi army surrendered and all forces were then removed from the maps. All Iraqi hexes then became Allied-owned, except Mosul, which at that time contained a Ger LW air unit. This Ger LW air unit subsequently evacuated Iraq later in the May II 41 Axis turn. On the following Jun I 41 Allied turn a Br ground unit gained control of the Mosul hex, and thus the Allies had complete control of all hexes in newly pro-Allied Iraq.

21A:4318 [clear terrain hex]:

Guerrilla unit Fawzi (Bandit) [dummy guerrilla-capable unit, in guerrilla mode; began turn at 21A:4519; moved to here per the two die rolls done for the random movement]

Turn Activity

At step 2 of the I. Phase the Axis player does the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, per WW Optional Rule 39E4, and comes up with a 4:  “Fawzi does not change mode and moves randomly during the upcoming movement phase.”

At step 11 of the I. Phase the Allied forces at Tobruch are still isolated and most all the ground units there are at U-4 supply status, except the recently arrived Br Hurri 1 NF type air unit, which becomes Black U-1.  Also, the 2-8 Inf X 14, now becomes black U-3, and the 3-8 Mtn X Karp (Pol), now becomes Black U-2, and the Br  3-8 Inf X 22 G now becomes Black U-4. But all forces in the Tobruch hex are in special general supply due to the gsp’s available there at the supply determination step of the I. Phase. At Malta, 4 of the 5.5 ground unit REs are in special general supply by virtue of the 4 gsp’s at the Valletta hex. The two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs (AA = 2) are certainly in special general supply, and the recently arrived Br 5 pos flk unit is only Black U-1. In far away Iran, at Bushier (22A:5101), on the east coast of the Persian Gulf, the Ind 1-8 Inf X 17 unit technically becomes Black U-1 this turn, but is in special general supply via the single gsp at the near-by Iranian minor port hex of at Ganaweh (22A:4802).

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player brings on his turn reinforcements to the mainland Europe off-map holding box.  He also spends one It ARP to repair the aborted G 50  3F3  0/6 air unit, and places it at 18A:0403, at Sicily.  He does no other ARP or RP builds at this time, nor does he transfer any of his RPs in the mainland Europe holding box to 18A on-map ports or airfields at Sicily.

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

At step 22 of the I. Phase neither side performs any CAP, Harassment, or Naval Patrol air missions.

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

The first thing the Axis player does in the M. Phase is send an air op to the Valletta hex (18A:0407), at Malta. It is escorted by the G 50 3F3 0/6 air unit based at 18A:0403, at Sicily. The MC 200 3F4 1/8 and the CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 air units, both also beginning the turn at 18A:0403, fly the fighter on a bombing air mission. The SM 79-1 2B3 1-5/22 air unit based at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily, also flies in the air op to the Valletta target hex. The Br Hurri 2 5F5 1/9 air unit based at Valletta flies the Intercept air mission at the Valletta target hex and engages the recently repaired G 50 F type air unit in air combat, and this time Kills it; the G 50 air unit rolls a (-). When the Axis sees the Hurri 2 air unit is flying the Intercept air mission, the MC 200 and CR 42AS F type air units flying the bombing air missions jettison their bomb loads, but remain with the small air mission group. After the fighter air combat the Allied player rolls for his flack shot against the SM 79-1 B type air unit on a Malta Status strat bombing air mission, using the 3 column of the the Antiaircraft Fire Table, and comes up with a no effect. But when the Axis player rolls on the Bombing table, using the 5 column, he gets a Hit, which increases the Malta status to 11.  Both sides’ involved air units then rebase at their respective airfields.

In the Movement Phase the Axis player moves all three of his on-map construction units, two Italian and the German Afr cons III, to the Derna (18A:4116) minor port hex.  One It cons III fixes one of the damage hits to the port capacity of Derna, and another spends its 3 remaining MPs towards fixing another damage hit to its port capacity.  The Ger cons III ends its movement at Derna with 1 MP remaining, but the way I play the game, a cons/eng unit cannot add its MPs to the partial construction labor of another cons/eng unit for a particular increment of repair or construction, nor can it begin construction of another increment of repair/construction if a preliminary increment is only partially done.

Basically, the Axis player moves his ground units in the Tobruch zone in preparation for another major assault of the hex, which he figures will be either a straight-up 3 to 2 or a 2 to 1, if he uses again the It 1-8 Asslt Eng II 31 G to gain the critical +1 modifier against the fortress.  In his final M. Phase dispositions in the Tobruch zone he must take into account the possibility of an AR result, or an EX result.  He moves the 3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs into the Porto Bardiya hex (19A:0318) in order to keep the Allied player out of that unimproved fortress the next turn, regardless of what happens in the Tobruch attack.  It might become a “sacrificial lamb” for the protection of the greater bulk of the Afrika Korps, or it might not, all depending on what happens at Tobruch and then what the Allied player does.

The attack on Tobruch this turn is one of those dread tasks imposed by the demands of the world war upon those who do it.  The consequences are almost unimaginable in terms of potential costs to both sides.  But for the Axis to do nothing means either to wait for the Allied player to attack when he is good and ready, or else to meekly execute a strategic retreat, and admit to fearing both the attack on Tobruch and the Crusader offensive of the 8th Army, and this the cardboard Rommel cannot do.  After all, it was his strategy that got the Axis in the predicament it is in.  And a strategic retreat now would come at the worst of times in terms of weather in the E zone notch in Libya, in the rough terrain region of the Cyrenaica.   A weather change there could put the Axis in an awful maneuver bind, if it would not trap those Axis units in the mud weather zone in the Cyrenaica and ultimately cause them to be separated from the rest of the Axis army in Libya remaining in the clear weather F zone, somewhere to the south, or the southwest, in Tripolitania.  And so this turn the Axis side is compelled to do his wild attack against the improved fortress of Tobruch, come what may.

The Allied player is not completely without defensive options.  He does in fact have a single Br Blen 4  3B3  1-2/23 air unit based at 19A:0918, which is close enough to Tobruch to fly a DAS air mission to it, and there is a Br P-40C  5F5  1/13 air unit there to provide escort.  There is also a Hurri 1  5NF5  1/8 air unit based at Tobruch which could provide escort, or perhaps DAS, also.  In the C. Phase the Allied player sends the Blen 4 B type air unit on the DAS air mission to the Tobruch target hex and utilizes the two previously mentioned F type air units for escort at Tobruch.  The two Allied escort fighter units are unlucky and get aborted, but by a miracle the Blen 4 B type survives the air combat with the Ger LW Me 109 E air unit.  In the DAS air Mission Resolution Step, the Axis player gets a 2 factor flack shot at the Blen 4 B type air unit, per WW Rule 22B1, 4th bullet; but Luck still flies with the British bomber crews and the Axis player rolls high, using the Antiaircraft Fire Table, for a miss.  And after all the single Blen 4 air unit adds its .5 DAS adjusted tac factor to the Tobruch hex’s 20 ground unit defense factors.

The Axis player sends in virtually every available Axis air unit in range of Tobruch with a tac factor good for GS, excepting only the three Axis fighter air units thrown against the Allied DAS air op, comprised of the single Blen 4 B type air unit and escorted by the Hurri 1 and P-40C F type air units.  But still the Blen 4 air unit makes it through the gauntlet of formidable Axis fighters, although the two escorting Allied fighter units are aborted with no corresponding intercepting Axis fighter unit losses.  Meanwhile, three Axis units flying the GS air mission are aborted by Tobruch’s 3 factor flack shot, and one is returned.  Afterwards a raw air unit tac factor total of 18 is tallied, but due to the GS stipulations of WW Rule 20G2b-Ground Support (GS) and WW Optional Rule 20G4-Air Support Limits, this raw tac factor is whittled down to 17.  But then this diminished raw tac total is halved for the improved fortress, per the Fortifications Chart, found on the GE Terrain Effects Chart, and used in WW games.  The final adjusted Axis GS tac factor total is 8.5 factors.

The Axis player attacks Tobruch with a total of 19.5 adjusted non-artillery attack factors and 13 artillery attack factors.  And so 8.5 + 19.5 + 13 = 41.  The Allied player has 20 ground unit defense factors in Tobruch, + .5 DAS tac factors for a total of 20.5, and so the Axis attacks Tobruch at a straight-up 2 to 1 odds, the -1 modifier for the improved fortress being off-set by the +1 for the assault engineer modifier, per WW Rules 14A2&3.  The Axis player rolls the die and it comes up a 4: EX; and so after 4 tries Tobruch has finally fallen to the Axis after a bloody assault.

Axis ground units participating in the Tobruch assault:
1-8 Asslt Eng II 31 G = 1 adjusted RE; attacks w/ 2 adjusted attack factors
1-6 Hv AA II 29 = .5 RE; attacks w/ 1 adjusted attack factor
1-10 Mot AT II (Ger) 605 = .5 RE; attacks w/ .5 adjusted attack factor
2-10 Mot Hv AA III (Ger LW) = 1 RE; attacks w/ 2 adjusted attack factors
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) = 1 RE; attacks w/ 1.5 adjusted attack factors
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) = 2 RE; attacks w/ 4.5 adjusted attack factors
9-10 Pz XX 21 (Ger) = 2 RE; attacks w/ 4.5 adjusted attack factors
7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar = 2 RE; attacks w/ 3.5 adjusted attack factors.

The above tallies to 10 REs of ground units, w/ an adjusted 1 RE being combat eng capable, and with an adjusted attack factor total of 19.5.

Axis artillery units participating in the Tobruch attack:
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger)
3-4-6 Art III 5 A
2-3-8 Art III 16 C
2-3-6 Art III 24 C
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC.

The above tallies to 13 artillery attack factors.

After the combat all the Allied ground units at Tobruch are eliminated and are placed in the Middle East Command Replacement Pool.  The Allied player receives no special replacements for these eliminated ground units, as they were isolated in a single hex.

Per the Exchange result, the Axis player is required to eliminate 18 printed attack factors of Axis units actually participating in the attack, which is equal to the printed attack factors of the eliminated Allied ground units at Tobruch.  He cadres the 9-10 Pz XX 21, he cadres the 7-6-8 Arm XX 132 Ar, he must eliminate the 1-8 Asslt Eng II 31 G, and lastly he eliminates the Italian 1-6 Hv AA II 29.  The two Axis c/m cadres advance into Tobruch after combat.

The Axis player receives 1.25 Ger sp inf RPs and 1.2 It sp inf RPs for his unisolated combat losses, which are required to be stored at their Tripoli standard supply terminal, per WW Optional Rule 40B4-Special Replacements.

Commentary

The fall of Tobruch brings up several issues regarding Europa in WW games.  First, it appears to me right now that it’s likely that in about half the WW ME/ER-II games Tobruch will eventually fall to the Axis in 1941, if he persists in the straight-up 2 to 1 attacks, as has been the case here, in the EA game reports. This is when the Axis player uses the Italian 1-8 Asslt Eng II 31 G for the +1 modifier, as then he needs not fear in any event the AH or AE result.

Another issue of Europa wargame strategy focuses strictly on this game alone, as it might be that had the Allied player another forward airfield available (eg., a second one, the first one being already present at 19A:0918) in west-central Egypt on the Oct I 41 Axis turn, at perhaps 19A:0919, and with at least one other Blen 4 B type air unit and the other SAAF P-40C F type air unit based there, he might have been able to have just enough DAS present at the Tobruch hex to make the attack a 3 to 2.  The Allied player could also have attempted to air transfer more Hurri 1 air units into Tobruch on his previous Oct I 41 turn.  But the construction of this additional airfield implies a further difficult increase of strategic efficiency based on foresight.  The utilization of several Blen 4 B types on the DAS air mission, along with the two P-40C F types for escort, and also attempting one or two Hurri 1 air unit transfers to Tobruch on the prior turn in the face of available Axis fighter units in intercept range presents a dicey series of air combat rolls of unknown results.  And even then, assuming many or all these second thought “what ifs” go right for the Allied side, the Axis player can still roll a DR at a 3 to 2, completely eliminating the Allied side without any Axis losses, which would be a stunning Axis victory.  

In this turn’s EA commentary for our truncated and customized WW ME Campaign Scenario, we will not take into account the patent Allied hazards in the Iraq, Levant, or Crete campaigns, which are separate issues from what took place here this turn in the Western Desert.  These other peripheral campaigns are themselves fraught with frustrations, roadblocks, disappointments, delays, dilemmas, and defeats for the Allied side, and full of opportunities, victories, and stunning battle coup potentialities for a crafty Axis desert fox, with little or no risks at all to his Afrika Korps main force busy in the Western Desert fiddling with Tobruch and the 8th Army in Egypt.  But in 1941 that seems to be the name of the game in the Middle East–known here as “Wavell’s War”.