In a private conference at the beginning of April 1941, Hitler confers with Mussolini about the Axis debacle in the Balkans. He offers to send aid to bail the Italians out of their mess, and later unfolds preliminary plans for "Operation Barbarossa".

During the course of the discussion Hitler expresses his desire for the advancing Afrika Korps and Italian desert army to eventually link up with the other Axis forces near Baku in the Caucasus Mountains. He promises that if Mussolini will commit the resources to guarantee the success of this effort, he may include the entire Middle East in his area of influence. Enthralled by the prospect of creating a modern Italian empire even mightier than that of ancient Rome, Mussolini vows to commit the cream of his army and those additional supplies necessary to seal the fate of the Allies in the sands of North Africa.

Based on this chain of alternate events, the Corpo Spedizione Italiane in Russia (CSIR) is not dispatched to the Soviet Union as part of the anti- Bolshevik crusade, but rather refitted for desert fighting and then shipped to North Africa to fight the Brits. This variant can be used when playing War in the Desert by making the following additions to the Axis Order of Battle:

AXIS ORDER OF BATTLE

Jun II 41

Europe:
1x 5-8 Inf XX 3
2x 4-8 Inf XX 9,52
1x 1-8 Mot 11163 CCNN
1x 2-1-8 Art III 30C
1x 0-1-6 Cons 111 5
1x 1-8 It AA III 30C
1x MC.200
two steps of supply

Jan II 42

Replacements:
1 It inf

Europe:
1x 1-6* Inf III Cr Leg

Cnv. 1x 5-8 Inf XX 3 to: 1x 5-8 Mot XX 3

Jun II 42

Replacements:
1 It inf

Europe:
3x 4-6 Inf XX 2,3,5
1x 2-3-6 Inf X 23 Mar
2x 1-8 AT 111 10, 201
1x 6-4-8 Art III 9A
1x 4-3-8 Art III 2C
2x 1-6 AsIt Eng II2, 15
1x 1-8 It AA III 4
2 pts It AA
one step of supply

Jul II 42

Europe:
3x 4-6 Inf XX 6, 19, 53
1x 3-2-8 Art III 11C
1x 1-6 AsIt Eng 11 30
1 pt It AA
one step of supply

Aug II 42

Replacements:
1 It inf

Europe:
1x MC.200/2
1x Mxd B

Cnv., 1x 1-8 Mot III 63 CCNN to: 1x 2-8 Mot X 3 Jan

Sep II 42

Replacements:
1 It inf

Europe:
1x 3-6 Inf XX 47

OB Notes

1. During mid-1941 and early 1942 the Italian Army was in the process of transforming its Celere divisions into completely motorized formations. It is assumed for purposes of this variant that the 3rd Cavalry XX (one of the Celere group) is cavalry in name only, and thus is shown in the preceding OB as an infantry division. Use the 5-8 Cav XX 3 in play, but treat it as infantry until it is converted Jan II 42.

By the way, if you are using Ben Knight's optional motorization rule #5 from Europa #14, you may retain the 5-8 Inf XX 3, and instead increase the Axis SMP total by 12 SMPs on Jan II 42.

2. I assumed the 1-8 Ski II MC would not be sent to the sand dunes of Egypt for obvious reasons.

3. I decided that the three mountain divisions shown in the Scorched Earth OB would not be sent to Africa. Using Michael Parker's Italian divisional histories, I swapped them for three of the infantry divisions that were used for occupational service in the Balkans. The substitution of the 47th Infantry XX in the place of the 156th Security XX was handled likewise.