Jun I 41 Allied Turn

Iraqi Coup force and Axis Iraq intervention force dispositions [at the turn’s start]:

In the Central Iraq region [all Coup Iraq units are in supply via overland trace to Baghdad]:

Baghdad (22A:2825):

Iraq capital marker

1 x 1-2-6 Inf XX 3

1 x 1-6* Inf XX 2

1 x 0-1-6* Inf XX 4

1 x 1-0-8 Lt Arm X 1 [placed here in the Re-Do]

1 x Mxd 1A2 1/8 [operative]

21A:4704: [East of the Tigris River, 3 hexes NNE of Baghdad, clear terrain hex]:

1 x 1-6* Inf XX 1 [this unit is in general supply via an overland route to Baghdad]

In the Northern Iraq region:

Mosul (21A:3509) [dot city]:

1 x Mxd 2A3 1-1/16 (LW) [operative]

  • Technically, becomes Red U-2 this turn per Rules 23I & 12C, but is in general supply via the gsp’s in the Mosul hex.

1 x Ju 52 1T2 0/20 (LW) [operative]

  • Technically, becomes Red U-1 this turn, but is in general supply via the gsp’s in the Mosul hex.
  • At the beginning of the Allied movement phase the Axis player does a non-phasing extended range air transfer mission of the LW Ju 52 1T2 type air unit at Mosul back to the 3-cap permanent airfield at the Rodi point city/standard port hex (20A:2230) on the South Aegean island of Rodi. Note that the LW Ju 52 T type air unit at Mosul must be in general supply via the gsp’s in the Mosul hex in order to do the extended range air mission, per Rule 23I.

2 gsp’s generated in the May II 41 Axis initial phase

  • In the initial phase both Axis LW air units at Mosul are in general supply via the 2 gsp’s in the hex.

Allied movement, end of turn dispositions, and commentary:

In Iraq:

In the Central Iraq region:

Rutbah (21A:5023):

1 cap permanent airstrip [Allied controlled]

22A:2725 [canal intensive secondary rail line hex NE of Baghdad; end of turn]:

1 x 2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind) [regular moved from 22A:2927)]

22A:2726 [clear terrain hex NW of Baghdad; end of turn]:

1 x 2-1-10* Mot Inf X Hab [regular moved from 22A:2725]

22A:2826 [clear terrain road/major rail line junction hex W of Baghdad; end of turn]:

1 x 0-1-4 Static II 1 As (Col) [regular moves two hexes from Habbaniya]

22A:2926 [canal intensive major rail/secondary rail nexus SW of Baghdad; end of turn]:

1 x 0-1-4 Static II 2 As (Col) [regular moved from 22A:3224)]

1 x 8* Inf XX HQ 10 (Ind) [regular moves from 22A:3224]

  • On its way northwards to 2925, this unit passes through Hila (22A:3125) and Hindiya (22A:3025), capturing for the Allies these two point city/secondary rail line hexes.

1 x 1-8 Inf X 20 (Ind) [regular moves from Habbaniya]

Habbaniya (22A:2828) [end of turn]:

3-cap permanent air field

1 x 2-8 Inf X 24 (Ind)

  • This Coup Turn 5/Jun I 41 Allied turn Iraqi Coup Reaction Forces Conditional Reinforcement disembarks at Basra (22A:4313) and is air transported to the Habbaniya airfield by the Bombay air unit, which stages from Nasiriya (22A:3919).

1 x Glad 3F3 0/8 [never moved]

1 x Bombay 1T2 1-2/15 [inoperative]

  • In the movement phase air transports the Ind 2-8 Inf X 24 to here from Basra, after staging to there from Nasiriya.

1 x Audax 1A1 1/8 [never moved]

In the Southern Iraq region:

Allied Conditional Reinforcements

Iraqi Coup Reaction Forces

Coup Turn 5/Jun I 41 Allied Turn

Near East:

Arrive:

2 x 2-8 Inf X 24, 25 (Ind)

  • The Ind 2-8 Inf X 24 disembarks at Basra (22A:4313) and is air transported by the Bombay 1T2 type air unit to the Habbaniya airfield hex (22A:2828).
  • The Ind 2-8 Inf X 25 disembarks at Basra and then admin moves north 12 hexes up the secondary rail line and ends the turn at canal intensive secondary rail hex 22A:3822

22A:3822 [canal intensive secondary rail line hex]:

1 x 2-8 Inf X 25 (Ind) [admin moved here 12 hexes from Basra (22A:4313)]

22A:3524 [canal intensive secondary rail hex; end of turn]:

one step of attack supply

  • Expends 5 SMPs moving up the secondary rail line from 22A:4021.

Basra (22A:4313) [dot city/major port]:

Allied standard Supply Terminal marker

one step of attack supply [never moved]

Shaibah (22A:4314):

3-cap permanent airfield [Allied controlled]

Commentary: This turn Allied player wants very much to attack the Iraq 1-6* Inf XX 1 at 21A:4704, 3 hexes NNE of Baghdad, but feels he cannot risk the Glad F type failing to shoo off the Iraq Mxd A type air unit on its likely DAS mission, which could pose an unacceptable risk of a 2 to 1 attack. Because a scrapped attack at 4704 due to a successful Iraqi DAS mission to the hex could lead to the flanking Ind 2-8 Inf X 20 being necessarily stuck at adjacent hex 21A:4604 (where it would move to participate in the attack), the somewhat less risky and undesirable end of turn Allied dispositions in the Baghdad zone done here is settled for instead. Indeed, it would be good to also have the Well 1C 4NB3 air unit, now involved in the first turn of the Syrian campaign region, base at the reference city of Ramadi (22A:2830) in the Combat Phase for a possible DAS air mission in the Baghdad zone next turn, but Ramadi is too far away from the western Syrian hex that the Well 1C NB type air unit is giving GS to this turn. It doesn’t even base at the Rutbah 1-cap permanent airstrip (21A:5023), and stays in Palestine, just in case its 2 tac factors are needed for DAS in the Syrian campaign.

Tension mounts for the Allied player to soon find the end to the Iraq campaign, which is the prerequisite for the invasion of Iran needed to secure the Lend Lease route to Russia. Note that the Iraqi campaign and the subsequent Allied invasion of Iran has some relevance even in reference to the presently discussed Advanced GE concept of a joint German-Japanese war with the USSR in the summer of 1941, which plugs up the Vladivostok route for Lend Lease. Because the Allied player really has no other choice, I believe, he opts to be cool and patient in the Iraqi campaign depicted in the special cropped WW ME Scenario demonstration. He counts on the Iraqi and Axis Intervention forces next turn playing prudent too, rather than “going for broke.”