Referee's Information
1. Vehicles and towed weapons may not cross either the contour lines, or the wadis, nor may they move along slopes. (Slopes are defined as any terrain above the first contour level.)
2. All personnel stands which are moving across contour lines, wadis or along slopes, will pay double movement costs while so moving.
3. The game starts at 1500, and ends at the conclusion of the 1945 turn.
4. Victory is determined by the following conditions:
- Decisive Commonwealth Victory: The Commonwealth holds Merdjayoun while the French are prevented from capturing both Col's Ridge and Balate Ridge.
Tactical Commonwealth Victory: The Commonwealth holds Merdjayoun while at least half of Balate Ridge remains in Commonwealth hands.
Draw: The French capture all of Balate Ridge, but do not take Col's Ridge or Merdjayoun.
Tactical French Victory: The French capture both Balate' and Col's Ridge, but do not take Merdjayoun.
Decisive French Victory: The French capture both Balate and Col's Ridge, and take Merdjayoun as well.
Historical Information
If this battle looks familiar to those of you who purchased The Sands of War, you're right. However, this action is one of several I had researched for the "Armies of the Mid East Booklet." When Frank Chadwick asked me if I had found any battles that I thought would be interesting for The Sands of War, this was one of several that I turned over to him.
The battle was a tactical French victory as the Commonwealth forces were pushed back into Merdjayoun, and during the night of the 15/16, evacuated the town. However, reinforcements moved up to plug the gap, and the chance of a French breakthrough into the British rear areas in Trans-Jordan was lost.
One of the Commonwealth problems with that this battle was a poor showing of the British Cavalry. The 1st Cavalry Division had been serving in Palestine as Britain's last mounted combat unit. Just before the start of the Syria campaign, the Scots Greys and Staffordshire Yeomanry turned in their mounts for light trucks, and took part in the campaign as truck carried light infantry. For play balance, consider allowing these two units to turn in their trucks for horses and let them serve as cavalry stands with a rating of Experienced; Morale: 9.
Bibliography
Our Enemies the French, Anthony Mockler, Leo Cooper, London 1976.
Greece, Crete, and Syria, Gavin Long, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1953.
More Invasion of Syria: June 15th, 1941: "Our Enemies the French"
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© Copyright 1993 by Greg Novak.
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