Introduction

Revolt in Iraq is a Europa scenario for The Near East covering the suppression of Rashid Ali's coup by British forces from India and Palestine.

Background

A pro-Hitler general named Rashid Ali el Gailani' supported by a group of four palace officers known as the "Golden Square", has overthrown the pro-British government of Iraq.

The British have redirected part of the 10th Indian Division toward the Iraqi port of Basra, where it will arrive shortly. Also, a mobile column called the Habbaniya Rescue Force, or Habforce, is to move into Iraq from Palestine.

The British objective is to safeguard their installations in Iraq and suppress the revolt before Axis support can build up.

Components

Most components needed to play Revolt in Iraq can be found in The Near East. Most other German, Italian and British units can be found in Western Desert. The German Ju 52 and He 111H counters can be found in the newer Europa games. Two Allied air units and one German air unit must be made.

Prepare for Play

Set up Maps 21 and 22. You can fold both maps in half and use only the southern portion of each. Both players set up their units using the Revolt in Iraq order of battle contained in this scenario. Play begins with the Allied player turn of the Apr II 41 turn.

The Allied player controls Kuwait and Transjordan. Turkey is neutral. Syria has a special status described in the special rules. At the start of the game, units in Iraq control the hexes they occupy.

Special Rules

Airbase and Port Control

Allied units may land at uncontrolled Iraqi ports. Axis air units may land at and operate from uncontrolled Iraqi airbases (and Iraqi controlled airbases), until the Iraqi coup collapses. The Axis gain control of a hex only when it is occupied by an Axis ground. unit. When the Iraqi coup collapses, all Axis air units occupying uncontrolled or Iraqi controlled airbases are eliminated.

Syria

German and Italian units may enter Syria freely, but air units based at Syrian air bases may only fly transfer, transport and escort missions. Inoperative Axis air units in Syria cannot be repaired. Consider them eliminated.

No Allied ground unit may enter Syria. Allied air units may fly over Syria and attack targets in Syria.

Iraqi Coup Collapse

At the beginning of each Axis initial phase, the Axis player rolls one die to check for Iraqi coup collapse. The coup collapses on a roll of '8' or higher. The die roll is modified as below:

-1 An Allied unit has occupied or attacked Karbala (22:3427) at any time.
-1 There is at least one RE of German ground units in Iraq.
-1 Habbaniya (21:5007) is Iraqi controlled.
-1 Shaibah (22:4515) is Iraqi controlled.
+1 Each Allied controlled Iraqi dot city.
+3 The first turn (only) that Baghdad is Iraqi controlled, but a supported Allied unit is adjacent to Baghdad.
+4 Baghdad (21:5004) is Allied controlled.

Supply

Normal War in the Desert supply rules apply except as modified below. The special The Near East supply rule is in effect (11 RE can draw attack supply from a supply counter without expending the supply step).

Axis Supply Problems

German or Italian units may not draw attack supply from the Iraqi supply terminal of Baghdad. They may draw attack supply only from a supply counter. They may draw general supply from Baghdad.

German and Italian air units that fly any air mission from a base inside Iraq, must roll for damage after the mission is completed. On a roll of 1 or 2 that unit becomes inoperative.

The Axis air repair roll for all Axis controlled air units (German, Italian, or Iraqi) is '1'.

Iraqi Half-Heartedness.

All Iraqi ground units have their combat strengths halved until 1 RE of Axis ground units and 1 step of supply are inside Iraq (this is the standard TNE rule).

Palestine

Palestine is an Allied air base and supply terminal. Consider Palestine to be 5 hexes off map, directly to the west of hex 21:5133. Optionally, set up map 19 or 20.

Basra

Basra becomes an Allied supply terminal the player turn after it is occupied by Allied troops.

Armor Effects

Units gain AECA and ATEC at a ratio of 1:7 REs, instead of 1:5.

Allied Order of Battle

Initial Forces Apr II 41

Habbaniya (21:5007):
1x 0-1-4 II Hab
1x Audax 2F2 0/8
1x Oxford0A2 1/10

Shaibah (22:4515):
1x 0-1-4 II Shaibah

Airfields
One airfield each in 21:5007 and 22:4515. SMPs: None

Supply Terminals: Palestine (off map to the west).
Air Repair Roll: 1, 2, 3

Allied Reinforcements

Apr II 41
Persian Gulf-
1x 8 Inf XX HQ10 (Ind)
1x 1-8 Inf X20 (Ind)

May I 41
21:5131: 1x 2-1-12* mot Inf X HF
Persian Gulf-
1x 2-8 Inf X 21 (Ind)
two steps of supply
SMPS = 5
Shaibah (22:4515):
1x Well 1C 4NB3 1-6/31

May III 41
Shaibah (22:4515):
1x Bien 1 3NB3 1-2/20
Withdraw:
1x Well 1 C 4NB3 1-6/31

Jun I 41
Persian Gulf-
2x 2-8 Inf X24 (Ind), 25 (Ind)
1x 8 Inf XX HQ 8 (Ind)
Palestine:
1x Hurri 1 5F5 0/8

Jun II 41
Palestine:
1x Bien IV 4NB4 1-2/24
Persian Gulf.
1x 1-8 Inf X 17 (Ind)
two steps of supply
SMPS: 10
21:5131: 1x 2-8* Inf X 5 (Ind)

Jul I 41
Persian Gulf-
1x 2-1-10* Lt Arm X 252 (Ind)
Palestine:
1x Hurri 2 5175 0/10
1x P40B 5F51/13

Axis (Iraqi) Order of Battle

Initial Forces Apr II 41

Kirkuk (21:3904):
1x 1-6 Inf XX 2

Diwaniya (22:3823):
1x 0-1-6 Inf XX 4

In or adjacent to Baghdad (21:5004):
1x 1-6 Inf XX 1
1x 1-2-6 Inf XX 3
1x 1-0-8 Lt Arm XMech.

Baghdad (21:5004):
1x Mxd 1A2 1/8

Iraqi Supply Terminal., Baghdad
German/Italian Supply Terminal: None
Air Repair Roll. 1
SMPs: None

Axis Reinforcements

All Axis reinforcements arrive at Alep (21:3231).

May I 41
1x Mixed (I-W) 2F3 1-1/16

May II 41
1x Ju 52 (LW) 1T2 0/20
1x It AA pt (LW)
1x CR.42 (Italian)3F31/8

Jun I 41
1x 2-5 Air Lndg III (LW) (a ny)
1x He 111H (I-W)4134 2-5/22
2x Ju 52 (I-W)1T2 0/20
one step of supply

Jun II 41
1x Ju 52 (LW) 1T20/20
1x 2-8 Inf III[any] (SV 287)
Convert.
1x Mixed 2F3 1-1/16 To:
1x Me 110C 4F4 2/12

Jul I 41
1x It AA pt (LW)
1x SM.79 1133 1-2/21
one step of supply

These units must be made:
Audax 2F2 08
Oxford 0A2 1 10
Mxd2F3 1-1 16

Victory Conditions

Revolt in Iraq begins with the Allied player turn of Apr II 41. Victory is evaluated at the end of the scenario. The scenario ends:

• after the completion of the Axis player turn of Jul II 42, or
• when the Iraqi coup collapses and there are no German ground units in Iraq.

A complete game is seven turns or less. Only the Iraqi/Axis player scores victory points, as outlined in the Revolt in Iraq Victory Point Schedule, below.

Victory Point Schedule

Upon occurrence:
+8 Iraqis gain control of Habbaniya (once only).
+8 Iraqis gain control of Shaibah (once only).
+4 Each Allied RE eliminated.
+4 Each Allied air unit eliminated except Audax and Oxford types.
+2 Each Audax or Oxford air unit eliminated.
-2 Elimination of German "Mixed" air unit.
-4 Elimination of other German or Italian air unit.
-6 Each German RE eliminated.

At the end of each turn:
+6 If the Iraqi coup has not yet collapsed. At the end of the game:
+15 If the Iraqi coup has not collapsed.

Levels of Victory
Victory Points Level of Victory
30 or more Iraqi Decisive Victory
25- 29 Iraqi Substantial Victory
19 - 24 Iraqi Marginal Victory
13- 18 Allied Marginal Victory
5 - 12 Allied Substantial Victory
4 or less Allied Decisive Victory

Optional Rules

Iraq Petroleum Company Pipelines. Rules for supply along the I.P.C.- pipeline and from pumping stations on the pipeline are given in TEM #18.

Tracks. Paths of desert tracks for TNE are given in "Tracks to the Orient", elsewhere in this issue.

Unopposed Movement. Although not repeated here, the movement rules presented by Duane Romfoe in "Forward March" of TEM #10 and used in Enter Rommel in TEM #15 are usable here.

Designer's Notes

Iraqi Coup Collapse

In The Near East, the Iraqi coup collapses when Baghdad falls to the Allies. This is nice and simple, but it motivates the Axis player to develop a "Fortress Baghdad" approach to the Iraqi rebellion. A major city bounded on five sides by rivers makes quite a fortress. This tactic occupies British troops for as long. as possible. Tying up Allied troops is a worthy objective for Germany, however, it was of little concern to the Iraqi leadership.

The Iraqi coup collapsed when the British troops merely approached Baghdad from Fallujah. Rumors of hundreds of British tanks sent panic through the Iraqi command and the army melted away. Rashid Ali, accompanied by the Golden Square generals, the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, and the Axis delegations fled Baghdad and slipped across the border into Iran.

The +3 modifier on the first turn an Allied unit is adjacent to Baghdad reflects the Iraqi loss of nerve upon the Allied approach. If you want better play balance (or a longer game), ignore this modifier.

Originally, I placed this modifier at +2 with additional +1 modifiers for destruction of an Iraqi ground unit and destruction of the Iraqi air force. The idea was that once their forces had met defeat in battle, the coup was more likely to collapse. In practice, this didn't work well; it motivated the Iraqis to once again bottle up in Baghdad and hope for a good die roll while evacuating the air force to remote air fields.

Karbala

The holy city of Karbala was and is an important Muslim religious site. The British feared that the occupation of Karbala would arouse Iraqi popular opinion and strengthen the revolt. This was one reason why the Allies preferred the approach to Baghdad from Palestine over the Basra route.

4th Flying Training School

No World War II historian that even mentions the Iraq revolt seems able to resist the temptation to list the motley collection of aircraft crewed by students and instructors of the 4th Flying Training School at Habbaniya. We feel thusly obligated to repeat it here: 32 Hawker Audaxes, 29 Airspeed Oxfords, 8 Fairey Gordons, 5 Hawker Harts, 3 Gloster Gladiators, and 1 Bristol Blenheim 1. The mixed air unit of the TNE order of battle works well in simulating this assorted array of crates, but I daresay there are very few Europa fans who enjoy mixed units. Revolt in Iraq substitutes an Audax and Oxford unit for the Mxd unit at Habbaniya. This arrangement lumps the Gordons and the lonely Blenheim in with the Oxfords, while combining the Harts and Gladiators with the Audaxes.

The Habbaniya ground crews rigged the Audaxes to carry two 250 pound bombs instead of the 20 pound bombs they were designed for. The Oxfords could carry eight 20 pounders. In view of this, bestowing a tactical bombing factor on the Oxfords is a little generous, but giving the Audaxes the TBF instead means there is little difference from the original OB. The Oxfords had no gun armament, hence the absence of an air attack factor.

Splitting the mixed unit in two increases the British air capabilities. The Audax still has a 1 TBF when attacking Baghdad Airport, plus interception capability. John Astell admits in the NE design notes that the Iraqi air unit may be overrated. Giving the British two units might even it out.

The reinforcement of Wellingtons on May I is somewhat questionable. It represents 10 aircraft of 70 Squadron and eight of 37 Squadron that arrived at Shaibah early in May. As such, it is specifically represented by the 1- 6/30 Well 1C unit of WD, and not the 2-9/28 rated Well 1C unit of the later Balkan Front. The Blenheim I unit represents miscellaneous bomber assets, including 244 Squadron in ancient Vickers Vincents.

Fliegerfuhrer Irak

In May 1941, the Germans gained permission from Vichy authorities to use Syrian airfields as staging bases for aircraft transferring to Iraq. A scratch unit under Colonel Werner Junck made the trip, arriving in Mosul about May 14.

The unit consisted of 14 Me110s of 4th Staffel, Zestrorergesch wader 76, and seven Hell1s. As was typical, the French were not as cooperative with the Italians as they were with the Germans; they successfully delayed the transfer of Italian aircraft, although 12 CR.42s (of Squadraglia 155a) did eventually arrive in Mosul. A light anti-aircraft battery and more planes and ground crew were to follow and expand "Special Unit Junck" to Fliegerfuhrer status, but the British reached Baghdad before they could arrive.

This ersatz force does not deserve a full Europa air unit. A squadron level unit, such as proposed under the naval rules, would be more representative (ignoring it altogether is also valid). Rather than complicate matters further than they need be (as if we haven't already) you can use either one of the following units as German coup reaction forces in a full WitD game. The mixed unit is probably closer to the truth, but I'm willing to call it an Me 110 since I think typed units are more pleasing.

The unit is drawn from European assets, not from Africa, so this addition would have no other effect if used in WitD. It should not be allowed to enter Africa.

Sonderverband 287.

This unit was apparently raised specifically for service in Iraq, but went to Libya after the coup collapsed. Its counter in Western Desert shows it as a motorized unit, a status that would be difficult to achieve in Iraq given air transport to Syria. The Revolt in Iraq order of baffle calls for a 2-8 infantry regiment of any type, since the unit identification is of no real significance. One other approach is to assume that the unit acquires trucks from Vichy forces in Syria, thus keeping its WitD motorized status and allowing it to enter Iraq by road.

Axis Supply.

The Axis faced a considerable problem in supplying even a token force in Iraq. The supply rule for air units is taken from Africa OrientaI6, where the Italians faced a similar problem.

Final Word.

To really do a simulation of the Iraqi revolt, one would need a time and unit-size scale of something like Narvik. Although the rules present the scenario as a standard two-player scenario, it might be best to look upon it as a puzzle or problem instead of a competitive game.

The uncertainty of Iraqi coup collapse admittedly reduces both players to hoping for a good die roll. This uncertainty, however, simulates the historical situation fairly well. The approach of a British force to the outskirts of Baghdad can topple the coup. If the Iraqis keep their nerve however, the probability of collapse goes back down.

Iraqi/Axis options are limited, as they were historically. The only real card the Iraqis had to play was German intervention and for this, the coup came at one of the worst possible times. The Germans were in the midst of the Balkan and Crete campaigns. By the time Crete was taken, the British were in Baghdad.

It is possible that with good play and a couple of good die rolls, the Iraqis can survive long enough to make things messy for the British. The purpose of the scenario, however, is not to provide a evenly balanced competitive game; there are plenty of Europa opportunities for that. The purpose is to provide a more in-depth look at the campaign in Iraq (made more interesting by recent and current events) and to get some extra utility from an underutilized, but exotic, corner of the Europa maps.

Europa as History: Play-by-Play Account 1941