Grande Fantasia Imperiale

The New Roman Empire vs. the British Empire, 1940

A Wavell’s War Hypothetical Historical Scenario
by John M. Astell
Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Do not distribute in any form without express permission of the author!

• Part 1: Introduction
• Part 2: Rules
• Part 3: Orders of Battles
• Part 4: Final Notes

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Grande Fantasia Imperiale Scenario Rules

This scenario covers a hypothetical campaign by Italy against Great Britain in the eastern Mediterranean, Near East, and northeastern Africa in 1940-41. The scenario starts with the Axis player turn of the Jul I 40 game turn and ends either upon the completion of the Dec II 41 game turn or upon one side’s in-theater surrender.

a. Starting Conditions. Use Wavell’s War rules booklet, scenarios and appendices booklet (particularly Rule 41A, which covers initial deployment), charts, maps, and counters, as well as War in the Desert maps and counters and some Balkan Front Italian counters. Use the Western Desert, Near East, and East Africa map groups. (The Balkan and Torch map groups are not used.) Where maps overlap, always place the East Africa maps on top of the Western Desert maps. Use the Mainland Europe and Rhodes off-map holding boxes (on Allied and Axis Game Charts #1).

Use the initial forces and reinforcements listed in the accompanying Grande Fantasia Imperiale orders of battle.

Various transportation lines start the scenario in the following conditions (use railhead and roadhead markers as necessary to show this):

• The transportation line from hex 19A:0319 to Sidi Barani (19A:0718) is a track, not a road. (Note that this can considerably affect Axis operations in Egypt until it is upgraded to road status.)
• The southernmost of the two transportation lines from Matruh (19A:1218) to Tobruch (18A:4817) does not exist (is neither a road nor a railroad).
• The transportation line from Suez (19A:3718) to Aqaba (19A:4817) does not exist (it is a track at this time).
• The transportation line from Maan (19A:5014) to Aqaba (19A:4817) is a road, not a low-volume railroad.
• The transportation line from Haifa (19A:4305) to Tripoli, Syria (20A:4005) is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Zenjan (32:0922) to Mianeh (32:0525) is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Mianeh (32:0525) to Maragheh (32:0629) does not exist (is neither a road nor a railroad).
• The transportation line from Maragheh (32:0629) to Tabriz (32:0229) is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Samnan (32:1404) to hex 32:1000 is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Qum (32:2013) to hex 32:2510 is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Basra (22A:4313) to hex 22A:4011 does not exist (is neither a road nor a railroad).
• The transportation line from Baqubah (21A:4802) to Kut-al-Imara (22A:3220) is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Zubair (22A:4413) to Umm Qasr (22A:4513) is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Qena (WW20:1619) to Port Safaga (WW20:1416) is a road, not a low-volume railroad.
• The transportation line from El Mudawwara (WW20:0404) to Medina (WW17:1503) is a fair weather road, not a low-volume railroad.
• The transportation line from Wadi Halfa (WW18:0411) to Faras (WW18:0311) is a road, not a railroad.
• The transportation line from Kassala (WW14:1515) to Tessenei (WW14:1714) is a road and may be upgraded to a railroad during play per the Kassala/Tessenei Railroad Construction section of Rule 14A1 (Construction).
• The transportation line from hex WW12:0808 to hex WW11:0223 is a track and may be upgraded to a fair weather road during play per Rule 14A1g (Road Construction), with the following exceptions:
  1) The fair weather road cannot be upgraded to a regular road.
  2) The fair weather road deteriorates in the rainy season of each year. The road in a hex deteriorates on the hex’s first mud weather turn in the period Jun I to Oct II and is treated as a track.
  3) After the rainy season, deteriorated fair weather road hexes may be repaired. A deteriorated road hex may be repaired starting with the first non-mud weather turn in the period Nov I to May II. A construction unit may repair the road in such a hex at a cost of 1 MP, whereupon the road in the hex is treated as a fair weather road again.

The Allied player controls the following commands and owns the following territory:

The Allied player starts with an on-map NTP capability of 10 NTPs, which are available for use in the Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean (see Rule 31A); he cannot use any other NTPs in this scenario.

The Axis player controls the following commands and owns the following territory:

The Axis player starts with an on-map NTP capability of 3 NTPs for the Mediterranean and 1 NTP for the Red Sea (see Rule 31A); he may also use his Malta Invasion NTP/ANTP capabilities, per Rule 33D3 and the scenario special conditions.

Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Transjordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and Vichy French (including the Levant, French Somaliland, and French Equatorial Africa) are neutral. Note that Rule 38 has a number of special conditions for these neutrals, including:

1. The Allied player owns the territory of Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, and Transjordan.
2. Egyptian forces may react to the presence of Axis forces.
3. Axis forces may enter Iran without violating its neutrality.
4. Iraq may have a coup, and Iraqi forces may react to the presence of Axis forces.
5. Allied forces may enter Saudi Arabia without violating its neutrality. Both sides’ air units may over fly Saudi Arabia without violating its neutrality.
6. Turkey may intervene.
7. The Axis may gain privileges in the Vichy French region of the Levant.
8. Allied forces may enter Yemen without violating its neutrality. Both sides’ air units may over fly Yemen without violating its neutrality.0.

Determine weather and sea conditions for the Jul II 40 turn per Rule 36. If the weather result is “N” for any zone, reroll the weather for that zone (only) until a non-“N” result is obtained.

First, the Axis deploys and plans any amphibious or airborne operations for the Jul II 41 and Aug I 41 turns. Then the Allies deploy. No Axis air units flew Malta bombing missions (Rule 37I2a) in the previous turn.

b. Special Conditions.

Greece, the Aegean, and the Balkans. Greece is neutral in this scenario, and neither side may violate Greek neutrality. There is no German intervention in the Balkans in this scenario. Do not use Option Rule 23J (from the errata) in this scenario.

British Somaliland (Rule 3D1). For this scenario, British Somaliland is part of British East Africa, not Italian East Africa.

Somalia (addition to Rule 3D1). What the Wavell’s War rules refer to as “Somalia,” as a sector of Italian East Africa, and what the WW’s Axis order of battle refers to as “Italian Somaliland” is the same as what the maps label as “Somaliland Province”. This scenario uses “Somalia” for this region.

Allied Eastern Commands (addition to Rule 3E1). For this scenario, the Middle East, Near East, and East Africa Commands (but not the Malta Command) are collectively known as the Eastern Commands. (Various reinforcement activities on the Allied order of battle are allowed to occur in “any Eastern Command” rather than a specific command.)

Allied East Africa Subcommands (Rule 3E1). The Allied East Africa command begins the scenario split into three (instead of WW’s two) subcommands:

• The Sudan Subcommand: Land: The Sudan section of British East Africa, Amhara and Eritrea provinces of Italian East Africa, Yemen. Sea Zone: The Red Sea.
• Kenya Subcommand: Land: Kenya, Tanganyika, and Uganda sections of British East Africa, Belgian Congo, French Equatorial Africa, Galla & Sidamo and Somalia provinces of Italian East Africa. Sea Zone: The Indian Ocean.
• Somaliland Subcommand: Land: Aden, British Somaliland section of British East Africa, French Somaliland, Harar province of Italian East Africa. Sea Zone: The Indian Ocean.

The Allied player treats these subcommands as separate commands until they merge. Any two subcommands merge at the start of the first Allied initial phase in which the Allied player can trace a road-element supply line from a standard supply terminal in one subcommand to a standard supply terminal in the other subcommand. The East Africa command is created when all three subcommands have merged.

Axis Near East Command (Rule 3E2). The Axis Near East command also contains Palestine and Transjordan (both of which also remain in the Axis Med/North Africa command).

Supply Terminals (Rule 12C1 and other rules). Standard supply terminals may be cut off from their national sources of supply. Track the number of turns in which a standard supply terminal has been cut off, as follows: In the owning player’s first initial phase after standard supply terminal has been cut off, mark the supply terminal as being cut off (with some convenient marker) and increase the status number marker total by 1. If the supply terminal has no status number (as is the case with any supply terminal that has never been cut off), place a 1 status number marker there. In each following owning player’s initial phase, increase the status marker total by 1 if the supply terminal is still cut off, until it reaches 7. As long as the supply terminal has a status number of 6 or less, it functions as a standard supply terminal. Once the supply terminal reaches a status number of 7, mark the supply terminal as being exhausted (again with some convenient marker). An exhausted supply terminal is treated as a limited supply terminal.

All Axis standard supply terminals are cut off if the Malta Status Number is 0 or 1. In addition, Axis standard supply terminal in ports on the Eastern Mediterranean sea zone or anywhere in the East Africa command are cut off if the naval status number for Axis naval transport in the Eastern Mediterranean sea zone is 0 or 1. Also, all Axis standard supply terminals in the East Africa command are cut off if either of the following applies:

• The Suez Canal is Allied owned or closed.
• The naval status number for Axis naval transport in the Red Sea sea zone is 0 or 1.

Finally, Axis standard supply terminals in ports on the Indian Ocean are always cut off, due to Allied naval control of the Indian Ocean.

Allied standard supply terminals in ports on the Central Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean, and Aegean Sea are cut off if all of the following apply:

1. The Suez Canal is closed or the Axis owns any canal hexside.
2. A railroad-element supply line cannot be traced from the supply terminal to Suez (19A:3718).
3. (The following is a supra-scenario rule and is ignored for the Grande Fantasia Imperiale scenario.) An Allied “secure” all-water route cannot be traced from the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Gibraltar to the supply terminal. All Atlantic Ocean hexes are secure for the Allied player. All Mediterranean Sea hexes are secure for the Allied player except in places of Axis domination: the Central Mediterranean, the Adriatic, the Tyrrhenian Sea, and, if mainland Greece or Crete is Axis owned, the Aegean Sea. In areas of Axis domination, all Allied-owned coastal hexes are secure for the Allied player. (Notes: 1) “Secure” doesn’t mean completely safe but instead means not as dangerous as the run to Malta. 2) Coastal shipping along friendly-owned territory was difficult to interdict. Note that this rule means the Allies would have to gain ownership of at least part of French North Africa, particularly Tunisia, in order to avoid the Axis-dominated Central Mediterranean.)

Note that other Allied standard supply terminals, such as in ports on the Indian Ocean, cannot be cut off.

In the owning player’s initial phase, if a supply terminal is no longer cut off, remove the cut off marker and the exhausted marker (if any). Do not remove the status number marker, however. Instead, in that initial phase and in each following owning player’s initial phase in which the supply terminal is not cut off, decrease the status marker total by 1, until it reaches 0 at which point the status number marker is removed. If such a supply terminal is subsequently cut off again, note that its status number increases from its current status number and not from 0. Example: A supply terminal is cut off and its status number increases to 6 over time. The terminal then becomes not cut off, and its status number decreases from 6 to 3 over several turns. The terminal once again gets cut off, and its status number starts increasing from 3.

A player may not open a supply terminal in a hex that is cut off. The Axis player may open supply terminals in ports on the Red Sea if they would not be cut off (unlike the WW rule on this).

In the accompanying OB, note that two Italian supply terminals in East Africa are standard supply terminals, rather than limited supply terminals as in the Wavell’s War scenarios. Both start the game cut off. Note that this means the Italians in East Africa have several turns in which they are in general supply. Once these supply terminals become exhausted, supply problems set in. When this occurs, it would be easier to track the overall supply status of the command and just mark Italian units whose supply status differs from this.

Axis Standard Supply Terminal Restrictions (Rule 12C1d). Do not use this rule.

Optional: Air Interdiction and Supply Terminals (Rules 12C1, 20G, and other rules). The Red Sea has a number of choke points where sufficient air power could effectively prevent shipping from passing, which would affect supply terminals. Here are some guidelines (not formal rules) on how to handle this:

• If Axis air power interdicts the Gulf of Suez (the portion of the Red Sea from Shadwan island to the port of Suez), then Allied standard supply terminals at Suez (19A:3718) and in ports on the Central and Eastern Mediterranean Sea are cut off.
• If Allied air power interdicts the Gulf of Suez, then Axis standard supply terminals in ports on the Indian Ocean or on Red Sea south of the gulf are cut off. (Axis terminals on the Indian Ocean are cut off anyway per the rule above, but this provision is included for fantasy scenarios in which Allied naval power may not control the Indian Ocean.)
• If one side’s air power interdicts the Gulf of Aqaba (the portion of the Red Sea from Trian island to the port of Aqaba), then the other side’s standard supply terminal at Aqaba (19A:4817) is cut off.
• If Axis air power interdicts the Mandab Strait (around the junction of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean on the WW maps), then Allied standard supply terminals in ports on the Red Sea and the Central and Eastern Mediterranean Sea are cut off.
• If Allied air power interdicts the Mandab Strait, then Axis standard supply terminals in ports on the Indian Ocean are cut off.

Air interdiction is handled in an air operation that the owning player flies in the initial phase of the other player’s turn. Air units with bombing strengths may fly special naval interdiction missions to some central hex in the area to be interdicted. Escort missions may also be flown. The opposing player may intercept these air ops. In the mission resolution step, resolve bombing attacks as if the air units were bombing enemy NTPs (i.e., AA fire occurs and torpedo bombing may be used), although for game purposes no NTPs are actually sunk. If a player achieves 12 or more hits, that body of water is interdicted.

(The following is a supra-scenario rule and is ignored for the Grande Fantasia Imperiale scenario.) Other choke points that could use this rule are the Dardenelles, the Bosporus, the Straits of Otranto (between Italy and Albania), the Straits of Messina (between Sicily and southern mainland Italy), the Straits of Bonifacio (between Sardinia and Corsica), and the Straits of Gibraltar.

SMPs: SMP Deterioration (Addition to Rule 12H2). If during a movement phase a player uses SMPs from an SMP pool in a command that contains only limited supply terminals or exhausted standard supply terminals, the SMPs are subject to deterioration. At the end of the player’s movement phase, the player must eliminate 1 SMP from that pool for every 8 SMPs (or fraction thereof) he used in that command. (See Rule 37J1c for an example.)

Allied Anti-Shipping Aircraft (Red Sea added to Rule 23H). Allied anti-shipping aircraft may be placed at any Allied-owned airbases with 7 hexes of any Mediterranean Sea or Red Sea hex, in either the Middle East or East Africa commands.

Suez Canal (Rule 28C1). The following rule replaces WW Rule 28C1 on the Suez Canal. The existing rule is fine for the needs of Wavell’s War, but requires expansion for scenarios in which the Axis may seriously attempt to link up their North African and East African territories. Changes involve:

1. Expanding the rule to allow both sides, not just the Allies, to use and close the canal.
2. Changing the rule on permanent closure of the canal to one where the canal can be blocked and cleared.
3. The rule on the Allied player declaring a temporary closure of the canal is moved from the Suez Canal rule to its own rule, Rule 34H, Eastern Mediterranean Emergency, as it involves aspects outside the scope of the revised Suez Canal rule.

1. The Suez Canal. The Suez Canal is the canal and lake riverine hexsides running from Port Said (19A:3413) to Suez (19A:3718). Naval groups may move along any of these hexsides that are friendly owned. However, a naval group may not enter or leave a canal hexside that is blocked (as covered below). (All other rules on riverine movement are in effect, including the effects of ground units on riverine movement per Rule 28C4.)

A side owns a Suez Canal hexside if it owns both hexes adjacent to the canal hexside or was the last to do so.

A Suez Canal hexside may be open or blocked. If any canal hexside is blocked, the entire canal is closed.

The entire Suez Canal is open to a player if:

• The canal is not closed.
• The player owns all land hexes adjacent to its canal/riverine hexsides.
• No enemy unit is preventing riverine movement along the canal (per Rule 28C4).

If the canal is open to the Axis player, the Axis Med/North Africa and East Africa NTP capabilities are merged and may be used in the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea as the Axis player wishes. If the canal subsequently is not open to the Axis player, the Axis Med/North Africa and East Africa NTP capabilities are separate again.

Instead of the Wavell’s War rule that allows the Allied player to permanently close the Suez Canal, use the following rule instead. (Optional: Both players may agree to use the standard WW rule on permanently closing the canal, which is simpler but gives players fewer options.)

A player who owns a Suez Canal hexside may block the canal hexside if there are any enemy units within 7 hexes of any hex adjacent to the canal. (Exception: For this purpose (only), do not count pro-Axis Egyptian units as Axis unless they have begun an Axis initial phase as pro-Axis. This prevents anomalous effects from occurring when an Egyptian unit revolts.) A player owns a Suez Canal hexside if the player owns both hexes adjacent to the hexside. A Suez Canal hexside may be blocked using ships or resource points.

To block a hexside using ships, during a player’s naval movement or naval exploitation phase, the player traces an all-water route (Rule 27B4) from a ship source to the canal hexside. The ship source for the Axis is 1) any port (other than minor ports) in Libya or Sicily, and 2) the mainland Europe off-map holding box. Ship sources for the Allies are 1) any port (except minor ports) on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea if the Suez Canal is open, 2) any port (except minor ports) on the Red Sea or Indian Ocean, and 3) off-map from the Indian Ocean (i.e., from any Indian Ocean hex along the south edge of WW maps 1-4 or the east edge of WW map 5. If any of the route is along riverine hexsides and enemy units are present on the route (per Rule 28B4), the player cannot attempt to block that canal hexside. For each blockage attempt, the player traces the route from ship source to canal hexside, and enemy air units on naval patrol may attempt to bomb the ships attempting to block the canal hexside. Any bombing hit on the ship negates the attempt (by either sinking the ships or causing them to turn back). If the ships reach the canal hexside, they are scuttled there, and the hexside is immediately blocked.

To block a hexside using resource points (which represents obstacles, debris, and mines being used to block the hexside), the player must have a construction engineer unit adjacent to the hexside. Blocking the canal takes one turn, similar to how other 1-turn construction tasks take. See Rule 14A for details. The canal hexside is blocked immediately when the construction unit completes its canal blocking action.

When a hexside is blocked using ships or resource points, place up to 3 blockage markers on the hexside. A hexside can have a maximum of 3 blockage markers. (Example: A Suez Canal hexside currently has just 1 blockage marker on it. A player uses a resource point to block hexside, but can only place 2 blockage markers, bringing the total up to 3.)

A canal hexside is blocked if it has 1 or more blockage markers present. If any hexside of the canal is blocked, the Suez Canal is closed.

When blocking a canal hexside with ships, the following limits are in effect:

• The Allied player may attempt to block no more than 12 hexsides in any Allied initial phase. The Allied player may attempt to block no more than 24 hexsides in any calendar year.
• The Axis player may attempt to block no more than 3 hexsides in any Allied initial phase. The Allied player may attempt to block no more than 6 hexsides in any calendar year.

Blockage markers in a hexside may be cleared by a construction unit. To clear a blockage marker, the player must own both hexes next to the canal hexside and must have a construction unit in one of these hexes. Clearing a blockage marker takes one turn, similar to how other 1-turn construction tasks take. See Rule 14A for details. No resource points are spent when clearing blockage markers. When all blockage markers are cleared, the Suez Canal is open again.

Note that several game effects can occur when the Suez Canal is closed to the Allied player, in addition to the ones listed above:

• Allied standard supply terminals (Rule 12C1a) on the Eastern Mediterranean, Central Mediterranean, and Aegean Sea are cut off cut off from their national sources of supply (see Supply Terminals Rule 12C1 above).
• The Axis player cannot fly naval harassment bombing missions (Rule 20G1c) against ports along the canal.

(Note 1: Ship-blockage limits per calendar year represent the resources a side is able and willing to use to block the canal. It’s assumed that the ships found for blocking the canal are other than those represented in the game.)

(Note 2: It was well known that the Suez Canal could be blocked fairly easily, as occasional ship accidents in peacetime led to it being blocked temporarily. In times of war, the British occasionally had scares that the canal might be blocked. In May 1940, there was a concern that neutral but pro-German Italy planned to block the canal by scuttling the Miraglia, their seaplane carrier, there, but this did not occur. Soon, the British goal of keeping the canal open was matched by planning to deny Axis use of the canal should Egypt be overrun. American observers were allowed to view the preparations and estimated that the planned damage would close the canal for at least 6 months. In the actual event, the British did not have to block the canal. See The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean, Volume 2, G.A. Titterton.)

(Note 3: If players modify the scenario to include Axis TFs, Axis TF points can also be used to block canal hexsides if the above optional rule is used. Each Axis TF point used for this incurs a -1 VP penalty. If players modify the scenario to include Allied CGs, Allied CGs cannot be used to block canal hexsides, as it is extremely unlikely the high command would allow these valuable ships to be used for this purpose.)

Red Sea Naval Transport (Rule 31D8). Ignore the special rule prohibiting Axis naval transport in the Red Sea if the Allied player has owned Massaua (WW14:2204).

Axis Special Forces Pools (Rule 33D1). Ignore all mention of operations in the Balkans. The Axis player may plan special operations from the start of the game. The Axis has special operations force pools for 1940 and 1941. For each year’s pool, use the force availability listings per the Axis order of battle. Note, per the Axis OB, that the Italian 1941 special forces differ depending upon whether Malta is Axis-owned or not.

The Italian 1940 special operations forces are only available for an invasion of Malta and cannot be used for any other special operation. If Malta is not Axis owned by the start of 1941, then the Italian 1941 special operations forces are only available for an invasion of Malta and cannot be used for any other special operation. If Malta is Axis owned by the start of 1941, then the Italian 1941 special operations forces can be used for any special operation.

Given the importance the Axis has assigned to the objectives of this scenario, it is assumed that special operations planning and cooperation between Germany and Italy and within their respective armed services are given high priority. Accordingly, the planning requirement for these operations is reduced from five turns to one turn in advance.

Italian Amphibious Invasion of Malta (Rule 33D3). Rather than 5 REs, the allowed size of the assault wave is listed in the Italian special forces pools on the Axis order of battle.

Eastern Mediterranean Emergency (Rule 34H, new rule replacing the temporary closure of the Suez Canal rule from WW Rule 28C1). The Allied player may declare an Eastern Mediterranean Emergency during any Allied initial phase in which at least one Axis unit in regular general supply (Rule 12C) is present anywhere in the Egyptian Delta or anywhere within 7 hexes of any hexside of the Suez Canal. Once this emergency is declared, it remains in effect until the Allied player ends it in a subsequent Allied initial phase. To end the emergency, the Suez Canal must be Allied owned. (The Allied player may declare and end this emergency multiple times in a game, as circumstances allow.)

When the emergency is in effect, Allied naval forces are automatically evacuated from the Eastern Mediterranean. Several game effects occur while the emergency is in force:

• The “affected naval area” consists of the Eastern Mediterranean, Central Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Aegean Sea, Corinth Canal, and Suez Canal.
• Allied TFs, CGs, and naval transport that normally could be used the Eastern Mediterranean cannot be used in the affected naval area. They may be used on the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. (Note that while this restricts some of the operational area for the RN-1 task force, it also adds the rest of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean to its operational area.)
• Allied standard supply terminals (Rule 12C1a) located at ports on the affected naval area function are cut off from their national sources of supply (see Supply Terminals Rule 12C1 above).
• The Axis player cannot fly naval harassment bombing missions (Rule 20G1c) against ports along the Suez Canal.
• The naval status number for Axis naval transport shipments in the Eastern Mediterranean or Aegean Sea (Rules 31D2 and 31D6) is automatically 12.
• The Allied Port Bombardment and Blockship Abilities (Optional Rules 34F and 34G) cannot be used in the affected naval area.
• The Allied player may not declare a Naval Interdiction Zone in the Southern Aegean Sea (Rule 31D7).

On the turn an emergency is declared, only, the Allied player may not activate the RN-1 TF and may not use half (round fractions up) of the Allied Eastern Mediterranean/Indian Ocean NTPs and ANTPs. (These ships are assumed to be evacuating the Eastern Mediterranean and transporting naval base personnel, equipment, and supplies out of the region.)

There is a victory point consequence if the Allied player does not declare an emergency and certain events subsequently occur (that would result in the potential loss ships and the near-certain loss of naval base personnel, equipment, and supplies). See the victory rule below.

Kufra (Advanced Rule 37C2c). Use this rule. However, given the greater priority the Axis has placed on Africa in this scenario, it is assumed they defend Kufra better. Accordingly, Kufra remains Axis owned for the duration of the scenario.

Garrison Penalties Rules 37D and E). The WW victory point awards are not used for this scenario. Some players could use this situation to avoid various garrison requirements. If this might happen, then use the following rule: If it is discovered in an initial phase that the phasing player is missing a garrison somewhere, that player has until the end of his player turn to move his forces to meet the garrison requirement. If at the end of that player turn the garrison requirement is still not met, then the opposing player chooses which units must be used to meet the requirement. These units are immediately repositioned to proper garrison placement. The opposing player may choose any appropriate forces for this, with the following restrictions:

1. He may not choose forces that are fulfilling other garrison requirements.

2. He must choose forces from the same command, if possible.0.

Note that while this rule is unrealistic, it does enforce the garrison rules. Who wants to lose a key unit at the front to fulfill a garrison?

Axis Cyrenaica and Tripoli Garrisons (Rule 37D1 and 2). These garrisons are also released in an Axis initial phase if the Axis player owns Sidi Barani (19A:0718), Matruh (19A:1218), El Alamein (19A:2119), and Alexandria (19A:2416).

British Strategic Reserve (Optional Rule 37E5). Do not use this rule.

Surprise Offensive (Rule 37G). The Allied player does not receive a surprise offensive in this scenario.

Axis Limitations in East Africa (Rule 37J1). Do not use 37J1a (Supply Terminals). Do not use 37J1b (Axis Conservatism). Use the general SMP deterioration rule (above) in place of Rule 37J1c. Do not use 37J1d (Restoration of Supply). Use 37J1e (Italian Colonial Units) as normal.

British Empire and Commonwealth (Rule 38B). Allied units using naval transport may exit the map in the India Ocean. Units that do so go to India. These units may return to play as reinforcements in the second (or subsequent) Allied initial phase after they exit the map. They arrive in any Allied-owned ports on the Indian Ocean or Persian Gulf.

Germany (Rule 38F). Do not use Rule 38F5 (5th Leichte Division).

German Near East Corps (Rule 38J6). Use this new rule as a standard rule, in place of the optional Axis intervention in Iraq rule (38J6). Given the greater emphasis the Axis is placing on operations against Britain in Africa and the Near East, it is assumed the Germans would respond quickly to an Iraqi coup or an Axis breakthrough into the Near East. The Near East Corps conditional reinforcement in the scenario’s Axis OB is triggered when either of the following occurs:

• The Iraqi coup occurs. However, if the coup collapses (and the following triggering condition has not occurred), no more of these reinforcements are received, and any reinforcement already received must be withdrawn from play.
• In any Axis initial phase, at least three REs of Axis (German or Italian only) units are in regular supply in the Axis Near East command.

(If the reinforcements are triggered due to an Iraqi coup, are then withdrawn due to the collapse of the coup, and are triggered again by Axis entry into the Near East, they are received again.)

These reinforcements appear in the Rhodes Holding Box and may use naval and air transport, per the regular rules.

Optional but recommended: These forces may only operate in the Rhodes Holding Box, Cypress, the Eastern Mediterranean Sea Zone, and the Axis Near East command.

Iran: Allied Invasion (Rule 38I3). The Allied player is not required to invade Iran and suffers no penalty if he does not invade that country. Given British fears on German influence in Iran, if Axis (German or Italian, only) units are ever in Syria or Iraq, then the Allied player may invade Iran.

Iraq (Rule 38J). Check for the Iraqi coup per Rule 38J4. Start checking for the coup earlier that Jan I 41 if in any Axis initial phase there are any Axis (German or Italian, only) units in regular supply in Syria or Transjordan.

Use the German Near East Corps (see Germany above) in place of the optional Axis intervention in Iraq rule (38J6).

Italy (Rule 38K). The Italian 5th Army rule (38K2) applies to the Tripolitanian “Field Forces” section of the Axis OB. Units from these forces are released 1 per turn starting on Jul II 40, not Dec II 40.

Do not use the Italian disarray rule (38K3).

Vichy France (Rule 38V). For the Axis privileges in the Levant rule (38V3a), instead of the bullet point that allows the Axis player to use the Vichy Levant Table after a German intervention in the Balkans, use:

• Any turn after an Iraqi coup has occurred, as long as the coup has not collapsed.

For the French Somaliland rule (38V5), add the following: Axis forces may gain privileges in French Somaliland. Follow the provisions of Rule 38V3a, except that 1) the rule in this instance applies to French Somaliland, not the Levant, and 2) the Axis can only attempt to pressure Vichy France for privileges in French Somaliland if German (not Italian) units in regular supply are in Italian East Africa.

French Equatorial Africa (which has no rule in 38K) becomes Allied owned territory at the start of the Sep I 40 turn.

Gibraltar Convoys (Rule 41B1a). Use this rule.

Victory. WW victory point awards are not used in this scenario. Instead the Axis player earns VPs for achieving objectives.

All VPs are cumulative. For example, if the Axis player qualifies for both partial and substantial control of an objective, he earns both VP awards (3 points total).

The objectives are:

• The Delta.
• Upper Egypt. Upper Egypt is the territory within 3 hexes of the Nile River in Egypt, other than the Delta.
• Central Sudan: Central Sudan is the territory within 3 hexes of the Nile River in Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, in or north of the Sahel weather zone.
• Palestine and Transjordan (this is a single objective).
• Iraq.
• Kuwait.
• British Mediterranean Islands. This consists of Malta and Cyprus.
• Eritrea province of Italian East Africa.
• Ethiopia region of Italian East Africa.
• Somalia province of Italian East Africa and British Somaliland (this is a single objective).
• Kenya, Uganda, and Tanganyika (this is a single objective).

At the end of the scenario, total the victory points the Axis player has earned. Levels of victory are:

Part 1: Introduction   Part 2: Rules   Part 3: Orders of Battles   Part 4: Final Notes