EOT Dispositions

Mainland Europe off-map holding box

[end of turn]:
1-6 Tnk II 52 [Oct I 41 Axis turn reinf, returned to the holding box that turn by Allied anti-shipping effects; began this turn at the mainland Europe off-map holding box; remained in the holding box this turn, as the Axis player used his three available Axis Med NTPs to sea transport a step of attack supply from Tripoli to Tobruch, using inshore waters sea movement, per WW Rule 34B1, in order to avoid the Allied anti-shipping effects Naval Table dice roll]
0 Italian inf Replacement Points (RPs) at the end of the Axis turn: .5 It RPs began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; late in the E. Phase the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up the .5 It inf RP along with 1.5 Ger inf RPs and air transported them on a 1-way regular air transport at twice its printed range to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.
1.5 German inf RPs at the end of the Axis turn: 3 Ger inf RPs began the turn in the mainland Europe off-map holding box; late in the E. Phase the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up 1.5 Ger inf RPs along with .5 It inf RP and air transported them on a 1-way regular air transport at twice its printed range to Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.
3 Ger ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Axis turn: The Axis player began the turn w/ 5 Ger ARPs, but at step 14 of the I. Phase 2 Ger ARPs were expended to repair 2 Ger LW air units in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool.  The Axis player would like to spend all his available ARPs to repair Ger LW air units in the Aborted Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool, but per WW Advanced Rule 25C6 he may in the current air cycle spend up to 2 Ger ARPs per turn.  The 2 repaired Ger LW air units were the Me 109E  7F5  1/7 and the the Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12  air units, which were both placed at 18A:0403, in Sicily.
2 It ARPs at the end of the I. Phase and Axis turn: The Axis player began the turn w/ 4 It ARPs, but at step 14 of the I. Phase 2 It ARPs were expended to rebuild the G 50  3F3  0/6 air unit. The air unit was removed from the Eliminated Air Units Box of the Med/NA Command Replacement Pool and placed on the maps at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), in Libya.

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Central Mediterranean

Sicily

[end of turn]:

Licata (18A:0102) [point city/minor port]:
3-cap permanent airfield

Coast hex 18A:0403:
3-cap permanent airfield
Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [inop.; turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; early in the M. Phase it flew the Escort air mission with the Axis air group flying to the Valletta target hex comprised of two fighters on a bombing air mission; the Me 109E air unit engaged in air combat w/ the Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 air unit based at Valletta, which intercepted the Axis air mission at the target hex; in the ensuing air combat both air units rolled a (-) against each other; rebased here]
Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [inop.; turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; 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; jettisoned 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; jettisoned 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 II 41 Axis turn
Malta Status: 10, at the start of the turn, + 2 for Malta Status bombing hits done in the M. Phase prior to the naval movement step, = 12 during this turn’s naval movement step and at the EOT.

Valletta hex (18A:0407) flack this turn: 7 (3 intrinsic, + 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 5 gsp’s successfully sea transported from Gibraltar and Suez to Malta on the Oct 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 5 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 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. Four of 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; the 5th gsp was generated at Suez.

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Western Desert

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions, Western Desert

Libya

[{beginning of the turn}/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 [7 began the turn here, one was sea transported to Tobruch in 3 Axis Med NTPs, using inshore waters naval transport movement to avoid Allied unit-shipping effects in the Cent Med sea zone; late in the E. Phase another step of attack supply beginning the turn at Tripoli exploited westwards along the coast road to 18A:1023; the other 5 steps of attack supply at Tripoli never moved]
2.5 Ger arm Replacement Points (RPs) at the end of the I. Phase and Axis player turn [6 Ger arm RPs began the turn at Tripoli, stored at the standard supply terminal, but 3.5 Ger arm RPs were expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from its 4-8* Pz Cadre 21]
4.7 It inf RPs at the end of the Axis player turn [5.2 It inf RPs began the turn here (1.2 of these are special It inf RPs); late in the E. Phase 1 It inf RP at Tripoli was air transferred to Derna (18A:4116) by the Ger LW He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 air unit, which also carried a Ger inf RP; after this air transport air mission there were 4.2 It inf RPs at Tripoli; then the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), at Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up .5 It inf RP, along with 1.5 Ger inf RPs, and air transported them to Tripoli on a 1-way air transport air mission at twice its printed range; this increased the It inf RP count at Tripoli to 4.7]
3.25 Ger inf RPs at the end of the Axis player turn [3.25 Ger inf RP began the turn here (1.25 of these are special Ger inf RPs); but .5 Ger inf RP was expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from its 4-8* Pz Cadre, along with another expended Ger inf RP stored at Derna (18A:4116); late in the E. Phase 1 Ger inf RP from Tripoli was air transferred to Derna by the Ger LW He 111H4 B type air unit flying a bomber on an air transport air mission; this air unit also carried an It inf RP; after this air transport air mission there were 1.75 Ger inf RPs at Tripoli; then the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), at Sicily, staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box and picked up 1.5 Ger inf RPs, along with .5 It inf RP, and air transported them to Tripoli on a 1-way air transport air mission at twice its printed range; this increased the Ger inf RP count at Tripoli to 3.25]
BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at Bengasi (18A:3121); air transferred to Bengasi late in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase; early in the M. Phase of the current turn it flew the Malta Status air mission to the Valletta target hex, after first staging to Misurata (18A:1022); used the 3 column on the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; rebased here]
BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 [inop.; began turn at Bengasi (18A:3121); air transferred to Bengasi late in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase; early in the M. Phase of the current turn it flew the Malta Status air mission to the Valletta target hex, after first staging to Misurata (18A:1022); used the 3 column on the Antiaircraft Fire Table; Hit; rebased here]
SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 [inop.; began turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily; late in the E. Phase it staged to the mainland Europe off-map holding box, picked up .5 It inf RP and 1.5 Ger inf RPs as cargo and air transported them to on a bomber on an air transport air mission to Tripoli on a 1-way air transport air mission at twice its printed range; based here]

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

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

18A:1023 [clear terrain road hex, S of Misurata]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121); late in the E. Phase it spent 10 SMPs exploiting along the coast road to here]

Sirte (18A:1727) [clear terrain point city coast road hex]:
fort marker
3-cap permanent airfield
one step of attack supply [began turn at 18A:0924; late in the E. Phase it spent 10 SMPs exploiting along the coast road to here]

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

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

18A:3228 [clear terrain road hex]:
one step of attack supply [began turn at El Ageheila (18A:2930); late in the E. Phase spent 3 SMPs exploiting to here]

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

Bengasi (18A:3121) [clear terrain reference city/major port transportation line junction hex]:
3-cap permanent airfield
12 port damage hit markers
4 pos flk  AA=1 [Italian; began turn here; never moved]
1-6 Inf III A [began turn here; unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 25 Bol; never moved]
0-6 Cons III 5 A [began turn at Derna (18A:4116); spent 11 MPs admin moving along the road to here]
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:3622 [stony desert road hex, NE of Zaulet Msus]:
2-10 Mot Inf III 288 SV (Ger) [began turn at 18A:1026; admin moved 20 hexes along the coast road to 18A:3029, NE of El Agheila; exploited to here]

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, w/ 1 MP of cons unit repair already done [Derna began the turn w/ 5 port damage hit markers, w/ 3 MPs of cons unit repair already done on one of them]
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]
1-6 Hv AA II  AA=1  29 [turn RP build; placed here at step 14 of the I. Phase; remained in the hex]
0-6 Cons III 10 A [began turn here; spent all 6 MPs in the hex, first finishing the repair of a hit of port damage that it had already expended 3 MPs on the previous Oct I 41 Axis turn, next spending 4 MPs to fix a second hit of port damage from scratch, and finally spending 1 MP towards the fix of a third hit of port damage]
{1 Ger inf RP [began turn here; expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from the 4-8* Pz Cadre 21, which began the turn at Tobruch (18A:4817)]}
{1 It inf RP [began turn here; expended at step 14 of the I. Phase to rebuild the It 1-6 Hv AA II  AA=1  29, which is placed here, at Derna]}
1 Ger inf RP [began the turn at Tripoli; late in the E. Phase it was air transported to here by the He 111H4 B type air unit on a 1-way air regular transport air mission at twice its printed range, along w/ an It inf RP]
1 It inf RP [began the turn at Tripoli; late in the E. Phase it was air transported to here by the He 111H4 B type air unit on a 1-way air regular transport air mission at twice its printed range, along w/ a Ger inf RP]
He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW) [inop.; began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya; it air transferred to Tripoli late in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase; late in the E. Phase of the current turn it flew a 1-way air regular transport air mission at twice its printed range to Derna (18A:4116), carrying 1 It inf RP and 1 Ger inf RP]

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 here; never moved]
G 50bis  3F3  0/10 [inop.; began turn at 18A:4818; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Ca 311  2B2  1/L/14 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

18A:4618 [clear terrain coast road hex, SE of Ain el Gazala]:
{3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav [began turn here; at the beginning of the M. Phase it breaks down into the Italian “B” Inf XX unsupported breakdown components, which includes two 1-6 Inf IIIs “B” and the 6 Inf XX HQ B unit]}
1-6 Inf III B [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav, which broke down in this hex at the beginning of the M. Phase; this unsupported component remained in the hex]

18A:4520 [sand hex]:
1-6 Inf III B [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav, which broke down at hex 18A:4618 at the beginning of the M. Phase; this unsupported component regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 1 AC [began turn at 18A:4420; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-8 Mot Art III 3 AC [began turn at 18A:4719; regular moved to here; remained in the hex]

18A:4619 [clear terrain hex]:
0-1-6* Inf III 280 GaF [began turn at 18A:4520; moved one hex to here]

18A:4719 [clear terrain hex]:
1-8 Mot Inf III 65 [began turn at 18A:4719; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Inf III 66 [began turn at 18A;4719; regular moved to here]
1-8 Mot Art III 2 AC [began turn at 18A:4619; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]

18A:4718 [clear terrain coast road hex; SW of Tobruch]:
fort marker
3-cap temporary airfield  [began the turn w/ one hit of damage, but it was repaired in the M. Phase by the Ger 0-8 Cons III Afr]
6 Inf XX HQ B [unsupported breakdown component of the 3-6 Inf XX 55 Sav, which broke down at hex 18A:4618 at the beginning of the M. Phase; the unsupported HQ unit regular moved to here]
0-1-10 Mot Lt AA II  AA=1  617 (Ger) [began turn at Tobruch; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
0-8 Cons III Afr (Ger) [began the turn an Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); spent 6 MPs regular moving along the road to here and then spent 2 MPs in the hex repairing the one hit of damage on the airfield]
2-3-6 Art III 24 C [began turn here; never moved]
G 50  3F3  0/6 [inop.; turn ARP rebuild; 2 It ARPs were spent to rebuild the air unit; placed at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), at step 14 of the I. Phase; late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 [operative; Italian; began turn here; never moved]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]

18A:4818 [clear terrain road hex; S of Tobruch]:
3-cap temporary airfield
2-1-8 Lt Arm III 32 [began turn here; never moved]
3-4-6 Art III 5 A [began turn here; never moved]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [inop.; began turn at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518); late in the E. Phase air transferred to here]
SM 79-2  2B3  3-4/V/20 [operative; began turn here; never moved]

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]
5-8* Inf XX 90 LA (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4718; moved to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/33 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4919; moved to here; remained in the hex]
1-10 Mot AT II 605 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; moved to here; remained in the hex]
2-3-8 Art III 16 C [began turn at 18A:4818, moved one hex to here]
3-4-8 Art III 221 (Ger) [began turn here; remained in the hex]
Me 109F1  6F6  1/8 (Ger LW) [operative; began turn here; never moved]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; late in the E. Phase of the Oct II 41 Allied turn it air transferred to here from 18A:0403, on Sicily; never moved]

Tobruch (18A:4817) [clear terrain point city/standard port w/ a strong natural harbor unimproved fortress hex]:
3-6 Inf XX 17 Pav [began turn at 18A:4918; moved one hex to here]
{4-8* Pz Cadre 21 (Ger) [began turn here; at step 14 of the I. Phase it was rebuilt into the 9-10 Pz XX 21]}
MC 200  3F4  1/8 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
CR 42  3F3  0/9 [operative; began turn here; never moved]
one step of attack supply [began turn at Tripoli (18A:0121); sea transported to here in 3 Axis Med NTPs using inshore movement in order to avoid Allied Cent Med anti-shipping effects; arrived and disembarked at Tobruch in the E. Phase naval movement step]

18A:4919 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 21 (Ger) [turn inf/arm RP build; began the turn at Tobruch as the 4-8* Pz Cadre 21; at step 14 of the I. Phase the pz cadre was rebuilt into the 9-10 Pz XX 21, using Gerf arm & inf RPs; regular moved to here after first moving into Porto Bardiya (19A:0318), gaining Axis ownership of that hex; remained at 18A:4919]
3-8* Arm Cadre 132 Ar [began turn at 18A:4818; moved to here; remained in the hex]
5-8 Mot Inf XX 101 Trs [the mot inf XX assembled here at the end of the M. Phase from its unsupported component parts; remained in the hex]
8 Mot Inf XX HQ 101 Tre [began turn at Tobruch; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]
1-8 Inf III 61 [began turn at 18A:4619; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]
1-8 Inf III 62 [began turn at 18A:4619; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]
2-10 Mot Inf III 9 B [began turn at 18A:4420; moved to here and assembled into the mot inf XX]

18A:5018 [clear terrain hex]:
9-10 Pz XX 15 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
2-10 Mot Inf III 7 B [began turn at 18A:4918; regular moved eastwards along the coast road to 19A:0618, in Egypt, where it ended at the end of the M. Phase; along the way it captured road hexes for the Axis, including Halfaya Pass (19A:0419); exploited back  to here]
1-10 Mot Hv AA II  AA=2  I/18 (Ger LW) [began turn at 18A:4918; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
1-6 Tnk II 4 [began turn at 18A:4918; moved one hex to here; remained in the hex]
3-10 Mot Inf III 115 (Ger) [began turn at 18A:4919; in the M. Phase it regular moved to Siwia road hex 19A:0725, capturing for the Axis that road hex and also 19A:0726, 19A:0824, and 19A:0823; exploited to here]

Porto Bardiya (19A:0318) [clear terrain unimproved fortress/point city/minor port road terminus coast hex]:
unimproved fortress
5 port damage hit markers
vacant at the end of the M. Phase, but Axis-owned

Crete

[end of turn]:

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

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

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

At Rodi [end of turn]:

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

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

Med/NA Replacement Pool

[{beginning of the turn}/end of turn]:
1 x 2-6 Inf XX 60 Sbr
1 x 2-10 Mot Inf III 10 B
1 x 2-1-8 Lt Tnk III 3
2 x 1-8 Lt Tnk X 1, 2
5 x 1-6 Tnk II 1, 3, 5, 6, 21
1 x Para Inf III Tonini
3 x 0-1-6* Inf III 300 GaF, 310 GaF, 320 GaF
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 24 dM
3 x 2-3-6 Art III 10 C, 20 C, 21 C
1 x 1-6 Art III 23 C
1 x 3-4-6 Art III 8 A [Jun I 41 Axis turn reinf; sunk in sea transit to Libya that turn by Allied anti-shipping, per the Naval Table]
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]}
3-6 Inf XX 27 Brs [eliminated in ground combat at Porto Bardiya in the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase]
4 x 0 pos flk unit  AA=1 [Italian]

Med/NA Aborted Air Units Box
{Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) [turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; aborted in air combat over the Porto Bardiya target hex in the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase by a Hurri 1 F type air unit, which was killed]}
{Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) [turn ARP repair; 1 Ger ARP was spent to repair the air unit; placed at 18A:0403, at Sicily, at step 14 of the I. Phase; 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]
Ju 88A4  4B5  3-7/26 (Ger LW) [aborted in air combat by a bypassing Allied intercepting fighter in the Oct II 41 Allied C. Phase]
Ju 87B  2D3  4-1/8 (Ger LW) [aborted by an Allied airfield tac bombing air mission Hit in the Oct II 41 Allied E. Phase]

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions: off-map display detail

Oct II 41 Axis EOT dispositions: off-map display detail

Med/NA Command Eliminated Air Units Box
{G 50  3F3  0/6 [turn ARP rebuild; 2 It ARPs were spent to replace the air unit; placed at Ain el Gazala (18A:4518), at step 14 of the I. Phase; killed in air combat on Oct I 41 Axis turn at the Valletta target hex by the Br Hurri 2 F type air unit]}

 

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 anywhere 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 in the Aug II 41 Axis I. Phase. There are still neutral pro-Axis hexes in Iran, but they are too far away 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 1: “Fawzi does nothing.”

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 Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll,  “Fawzi does nothing;” 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 then surrendered and all its forces were removed from the maps. All Iraqi hexes 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 here; remained in the hex, as per the Fawzi al Qawukji action die roll, ” Fawzi does nothing.”]

Oct II 41 Axis I. Phase/M. Phase/EOT dispositions in Iraq and Iran

Oct II 41 Axis I. Phase/M. Phase/EOT dispositions in Iraq and Iran

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 1: “Fawzi does nothing.”

At step 11 of the I. Phase at Malta, 5 of the 5.5 ground unit REs there are in special general supply by virtue of the 5 gsp’s at the Valletta hex. The two Br 0-1-8 hv AA IIs (AA = 2) are certainly in special general supply, as is also the Br 5 pos flk unit. The Br 0-4 Cons X MC is the single Allied unit at Malta designated as definitely Red U-2.  On Cyprus, the two Allied inf IIs at Nicosia (20A:3414) would technically become Black U-3 this turn, but per WW Rule 12C1b-Limited Supply Terminals, “each Allied-owed port on an island outside of the Adriatic Sea Zone” is considered a limited supply terminal, and although they are not a source of regular general supply, they do evidently prevent units from in effect going below a U-2 supply status “for the purposes of judging isolation,” per WW Rule12E3; and so the Black U-2 marker will remain on the maps for their supply status designation.  However, this turn these two inf IIs draw special general supply via the single gsp beginning the turn on the island, at the port of Larnaca (20A:3513).

Oct II 41 Axis end of the I. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean

Oct II 41 Axis end of the I. Phase dispositions: Central Mediterranean

At step 14 of the I. Phase the Axis player does some Ger and It ARP repairs and rebuilds.  He is careful not to spend in excess of his ARP spending limits.  In Libya, using arm and inf RPs, he rebuilds the Ger 9-10 Pz XX 21 from its 4-8* Pz Cadre, and also rebuilds the It 1-6 Hv AA II 29.  He uses the Axis RPs beginning the turn at Derna for both these Axis ground unit rebuilds, along with the rest needed for the pz XX rebuild from his principal Libyan store of RPs at Tripoli.

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

Oct II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Western Desert

Oct II 41 Axis end of the Initial Phase dispositions: Western Desert

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 Me 109E  7F5  1/7 (Ger LW) air unit based at 18A:0403, at Sicily. The It CR 42AS 3F3 1/8 and the Me 110D  5HF5  4-2/12 (Ger LW) air units, both based at 18A:0403, fly the fighter on a bombing air mission.  However, for the time being the Axis player leaves the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit, beginning the turn at Licata (18A:0102), in Sicily, where it’s at.  In case it’s not apparent to some readers, the intent of the fighters on a bombing mission air op is to hopefully force the Br Hurri 2  5F5  1/9 air unit based at Valletta to fly the Intercept air mission and engage in air combat with the stronger Me 109E 7F5 type air unit, lest it otherwise be bombed while sitting at the Valletta airfield.  The Allied player cooperates and flies his Hurri 2 F type air unit on the  Intercept air mission at the Valletta target hex, where it engages in air combat with the recently repaired Ger LW Me 109E F type air unit; both air units roll a (-) against each other. When the Axis sees the Hurri 2 air unit is flying the Intercept air mission, the It CR 42AS F type and the Ger LW Me 110D HF type air units flying the bombing air missions jettison their bomb loads, but remain with the air mission group.  They jettison in order to avoid the menacing 7 flack factor flack shot they would have to endure had they persisted in bombing the now empty enemy Valletta airfield.  Although disappointed that he has not aborted or killed the annoying Br Hurri 2 air unit guarding Malta, he has least rendered it inoperative in the face of further Axis air attacks this turn against the Valletta hex.

After the fighter air combat at the Valletta target hex the Allied player then stages the two It BR 20M  3NB4  2-5/24 air units beginning the turn at Bengasi (18A:3121) to Misurata (18A:1022), and they both fly a daylight strat bombing Malta Status air mission.  The two Br 20M air units make it past Valletta’s 3 factor flack shot (against Malta Status bombing air missions) and then each scores a Hit on the target hex, using the 5 column on the Bombing Table.  This jacks up the Malta Status to 12, from 10.  The two Br 20M NB type air units eventually rebase at Tripoli (18A:0121), in Libya.

Oct II 41 Axis naval movement step action details

Oct II 41 Axis naval movement step action details

In the Movement Phase the Axis player has one Italian cons III beginning the turn at Derna (18A:4116) repair two hits of port damage at the minor port.  One of the hits of port damage began the turn with 3 MPs of repair already done the previous Axis turn by that same Axis construction unit.  The German Afr cons III beginning the turn at Derna moves along the coast road to 18A:4718, SW of Tobruch, and fixes the hit of damage on the airfield there.  The second It cons III beginning the turn at Derna admin moves 11 hexes along the coast road to Bengasi.

Late in the E. Phase the He 111H4  4B4  2-7/22 (Ger LW) air unit based at Tripoli air transports a Ger and an It inf RP to Derna, on a 1-way regular air transport air mission at twice its printed range.  The Axis player keeps moving It and Ger RPs up towards the Western Desert front in order to be able to rebuild ground units closer to it, as per WW Rule 40B3b-Replacing Units, “the player spends the RPs required to replace the unit, removes the unit from the replacement pool, and places it as a reinforcement at any of the locations where the RPs are spent.”  Rebuilding cadres from RPs is different: to rebuild a cadre, the “cadre may not be in an enemy ZOC and must be able to trace an overland-element supply line (of any length) to each RP that will be spent to rebuild it.”  The Axis player, in accordance with his RP policy used in the new Scenario, air transports to Tripoli, from the mainland Europe off-map holding box, some more It and Ger RPs, using the SM 79-1  2B3  1-5/22 air unit that began the turn at Sicily.  He air transports them as a guarantee of their safe arrival to North Africa, as any item sea transporting across the Cent Med sea zone must roll the dice on the Naval Table for possible Allied anti-shipping effects.  And so unless special provisions are made to increase the NTPs above the minimum required for the sea transport of a supply/resource item, a contact dice roll is normally good as dead for the sea transported RP supply cargo when the subsequent Shipping Results Table die roll is done.

Oct II 41 Axis end of the EOT dispositions: Egypt and Levante

Oct II 41 Axis end of the EOT dispositions: Egypt and Levante

Commentary

With the fall of Tobruch a new epoch of Axis strategy arrives in the Western Desert, but it is also influenced by the Porto Bardiya attack the Oct II 41 Allied turn and the apparently still strong position of the Allied player in Egypt, with a stout 8th Army and a somewhat formidable Allied air force.  But the Axis in North Africa is presently tempered by the fact that its army is no longer between a rock and a hard place, as it was when the Allies held the improved fortress of Tobruch with practically as big a stack of ground units there as possible.

And so, “what now” for the Axis in the Med/NA Command?  Well, for one thing, in the short run the Axis player’s air strength is withered with four good Ger LW air units still in the Aborted Air Units Box, but he will get three of them back on the Nov I 41 Axis turn, and he can place the new ARP repaired air units at either Sicily, or in the Western Desert, or at airfields in the South Aegean Islands.  In the meantime, even as early as this turn the recently cadred 21st Pz XX is already again at full strength, rebuilt in the I. Phase from its diminished 4-8* Pz Cadre.  The It 3-8* Arm Cadre 132 Ar will remain so for quite awhile, until at least the Mar II 42 Axis turn, at the earliest, I think.  It could be argued that the Axis player might ought to have taken his EX losses at Tobruch from another source than the 7 taken from the 7-8 Arm XX 132 Ar, but at the time this was considered the best long-term strategy, based on RP rebuild efficiency.

Implicit in the “what now?” analysis is what the Axis player will do with his three construction units, and part of what he is doing is a long term construction strategy aimed well into 1942 that goes beyond the probable end turn of the current EA reported game.  The Ger 0-8 Cons III Afr unit’s move towards Tobruch is a necessary immediate short-term movement in order to do some airfield repairs in this critical forward zone, but the two It cons IIIs are already being sent westward to begin longer-term construction activities in the rear.

In a seeming sideshow, the Axis player has been actively engaging the Br Hurri 2 F type air unit based at Valletta, on Malta, in an apparent attempt to either abort or kill it in air combat or else abort it on the ground at its airfield, with his recent threats of an airfield bombing air mission, using consistently the fighters on a bombing mission air ops.  But what he is really doing is what he believes are the necessary preliminary operations for a big Ger LW airborne assault on the island, in fact duly planned for the Nov II 41 Axis turn.  This possible big Axis para-op is certainly contingent on the weather that turn, which is 50-50 Mud weather, and which would force the cancellation the operation.  In any event the current strategy sentiment of the Axis player is that the Ger LW para units are needed more at the Russian front in the winter of ’41-’42, probably for their winterization effects, than for a dicey Axis airborne assault at Malta in the 4th quarter of 1941.  But he goes through these necessary preliminary Valletta bombing motions, just as he believes a good Axis player should, in keeping all available big Axis strategic options going forward as best he can on the game maps, just in case their execution appears timely.

In theory the Axis player could very soon try to engage the 8th Army in battle in the Western Desert with the aim of destroying as much of it as he can.  This is what Rommel might have done, influenced by his likely Axis world war paradigm at the time and its consequent desperate search for Victory.  But in our Europa wargame the British 8th Army is currently quite strong in Egypt and has been persistent in staying under its protective/offensive air umbrella of close-in fighter protection and potential DAS/GS assets.  In order to “actively engage” the 8th Army in western Egypt, the Axis player probably needs to repair with ARPs the four good Ger LW air units presently in the Aborted Air Units Box, base them in eastern Libya and/or Crete, and then use them for GS and DAS in conjunction with any Axis advance eastwards.  But instead of this short-term aggressive WD strategy, the Axis player might ought to hold fast and ready in the Tobruch/eastern Libya zone, waiting instead for the Allied player to sally forth westwards, which eventually he must, and then engage the Allies in a reactive counter-punch battle strategy, taking into account the relative positioning of both sides’ respective air umbrellas in the zone at that time.  If the Allied player accordingly pursues a “prudent” and calculated methodical westwards advance of his protective/offensive air umbrella, it implies a protracted and dragged-out campaign with the meager Allied construction/eng assets calling the shots insofar as maneuver, whereby the Axis side might be able to implement stifling countermeasures, as he watches the gameboard and time goes by.  This is what the 2016 cardboard Rommel might do, influenced by his paradigm of all-knowing world war hindsight.

But the present situation after the fall of Tobruch could devolve into a deliberately static situation in the Western Desert, where both sides in essence remain where they’re at until maybe the third quarter of ’42, as the Allies bide their time and continue to steadily strengthen.  This doesn’t make for an exciting Europa wargame, but it is one method of playing the game in attempting a particular side’s wargame victory, utilizing the the numbers, proportions, likely odds, and aggregate resources in a given way.  In any event, in the almost finished WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports, I cannot offer a July 4th fireworks display spectacular finale, for the sake of coliseum entertainment, and instead feel rather obliged to keep to conservative Allied play at least, thinking that’s how Wavell or Auchinleck would do it, mostly.

WW Supplemental TEC usage update in the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports:

Up until now, the WitD game box provided GE TEC (Terrain Effects Chart) has been used in this game instead of the WW Supplemental TEC, thinking here at the gameboard that it was all the same, insofar as the terrain features of the WD and NE map groups are concerned.  But now we know that there are relevant differences between the two terrain effects charts regarding at least Escarpment hexsides and Ravines hexes.  In addition, it appears that the revised +2 MP costs to cross an Escarpment hexside affects the Dec I 40 Allied turn at-start turn of the WW WD or ME Scenarios, insofar as how the Allied opening turn was typically done previously using the original/older WitD game box provided GE TEC.

Beginning this Oct II 41 Axis turn I intend to use the WW Supplemental TEC movement effects for Escarpment hexsides and Ravines hexes.  A quick review of the previous EA game reports indicates that the use of the GE TEC has not profoundly affected game play, although it is admitted that the older +1 Escarpment movement effect was done in mostly Axis ground unit movement between hexes 18A:4618 and 4619, during the siege of Tobruch.  But I know of no turn where this Axis ground movement perversely coincided with and was a decisive factor in, say, an Axis attack on Tobruch.  A more subtle but admittedly also important factor with the +2 Escarpment movement effect could/would be in regards to the Allied front line desert shield positioning in west-central Egypt against possible Axis maneuvers towards it from eastern Libya in 1941-42.  But for now I am not dismayed or discouraged by the discovery of the TEC differences, insofar as attempting Europa WW desert wargames beginning on the ER-II Mar II 41 Axis turn.  Use of the WW Supplemental TEC in standard Europa WW WD & ME based desert wargames beginning on the standard Dec I 40 Allied turn, with the special surprise Allied turn, is another Europa issue requiring further special attention and study, and will not be discussed here in the context of the WW 1941 ME/ER-II/Crete Scenario EA game reports.