110. WitD: Inter-theater Air Transfers

How do aircraft transfer between theaters or arrive? Naval transport rules don't allow the transport of aircraft. In particular how do transfers from East Africa make it to the Middle East -- I guessed (but the rules don't say this) that they are doing triple range transfers which means they can't do anything else that turn -- have I missed some rule out ?

A: It would seem so. Rule 25F says that transfers from a command you do not control to a command you do control are simply treated as reinforcements. Any air units transferring from the East African Command to the Middle East command would simply be placed as an operative air unit at any appropriate Middle East air base.

111. WitD: Transferring Units to/from Near East Command

When transferring Allied units between the Middle East and Near East commands, can the units go via the Pumping Station road that runs along the bottom of map 21A?

A: If you mean "transfer" as in an OB-specified transfer then remember:
• you ignore transfers between commands you control (you decide how the forces under your command operate, not the OB), and;
• an OB transfer to a command not under your control is the same as a withdrawal, just pick up the unit and kiss it good bye.

Of course, if you mean "transfer" as only "move" without any OB connotation, then you can, of course, use any road within play, including Transjordan-Iraq Pumping Station road.

112 W'tD: SMPs in Mud

Are SMPs moving by road subject to Mud combat/motorized movement restrictions?

A: No. Rule 12Hl: "It costs 1 SMP to move an SMP load one hex by road. It costs three times the c/m MP cost of terrain to move an SMP load one hex off-road." Moving off-road is affected by weather, since c/m terrain costs are used -- in a zone with mud weather, for example, c/m costs for mud would be used. However, as the rule states, this applies only to off-road SMP use. When using roads, it costs 1 SMP to move an SMP load one hex.

113. WitD: Embarkation Costs

Do Axis reinforcement units have to pay embarkation costs on the turn that they appear and are sent to Africa? Do they embark in Europe (such as in the off-map box) or are they assumed to be embarked when they appear and only have to pay to disembark upon arrival at their port of destination?

A: They have to pay embarkation costs. Note that reinforcements listed as "Available in Europe" are a different reinforcement category than reinforcements listed as "arrive," and only the latter may appear already embarked.

Per 40A1 (Reinforcement Concepts), reinforcements scheduled to "arrive" in play may appear already embarked on naval transports. As 40AI indicates and examination of the OB booklets confrms, for commands controlled by players in game, only Allied reinforcements "arrive."

Per 40A2 (Axis Reinforcements), Axis reinforcements listed as "available in Europe" are placed as indicated in the holding box (or on various Italian islands)."Available in Europe" is a different reinforcement category that "arrive", and thus "available in Europe" cannot use the provision of "arrive" to have these units already embarked when then are placed. While it almost always makes good sense to send them to Africa, you don't have to do it but you do have to embark them if you do decide to send them to Africa by naval transport.

114. WitD: Tracks

Where are the rules on the effect of tracks? The only thing I noticed was the one that allowed a road to be built on one if the British use Aqaba.

A: The only rule on tracks is that you can upgrade some of them to roads, whereupon they become roads. Tracks themselves have no effect on play.

115. WitD: Glider Engineers

Is the German Glider Eng II a combat engineer?

A: Yes.

116. WitD: Naval Order of Battle

The French Colonial unit counter "2-6* Inf X 7 TS" does not appear in any of the French OBs. What is this counter for?

A: The 2-6* Inf X 7 TS (sol) is an extra counter, probably an OB compilation error. Ignore it.

117. WitD: Exploitation Phase Repairs

Rule 14A1: There seems to be no restriction on repairing damage in the exploitation phase. Is this correct? (0-4 Cons X + transport counter = 0-10 mot Cons X)?

A: See the Master Sequence of Play, Exploitation Phase:"the ability of construction units may not be used."

118. WitD: Transport of General Supply

I regularly send 4 GSPs (general supply points) to Malta from the Eastern Med but as GSPs are 1/4 RE each the 4 GSPs only need 1 NTP for transport. Well, the Axis has stacks of planes on naval patrol so they only need 1 hit to sink the 4 GPSs/l NTP and I'm having big trouble getting the supply through. Are we doing this right?

A: While 1 NTP can carry 4 GSPs, you may also send GSPs over individually. See Rule 27B2, Cargo, 3rd paragraph: "An item of cargo comprises ONE ground unit (of ANY size), one resource point counter (any size), one attack supply counter (1 or 2 steps), one status counter representing general supply points (any size), or one replacement point." Note that "one status counter representing general supply points (any size)" means 1 GSP by itself is a valid item of cargo.

119. W7tD: Initial Sea Condition

What are the sea conditions in zones E and F for Dec I 40?

A: While the scenario rules specify the weather conditions for Dec I 40, you do check for sea conditions as usual.

120. WitD: W estern Desert Campaign Scenario -- Vichy Forces

When playing the Western Desert Campaign (using maps 18A and 19A only), where do the Vichy Levant forces that set up on maps 20A and 21A go?

A: Simply ignore off-map forces.

121. WitD: Westernm Desert Scenario

Rule 41BI: In the scenario Western Desert Campaign (without the Near East command), I assume that the Allied OB follows the No Coup in Iraq instructions or should one dice for the coup to see what the OB consequences will be?

A: In the Western Desert scenario, Iraq is in a command out of play and hence is ignored (Rules 3F and 38D). The effect of this is that no coup occurs in Iraq when playing the WD scenario. While of course historically the coup did occur on Apr I 41, note that having no coup occur has insignificant effect on the WD scenario: one British cavalry brigade hangs around the ME command until Jun I 41, rather than being converted to Habforce on Apr II 41 and immediately withdrawn to the NE Command.

If you do roll for an Iraqi coup while playing the WD scenario, even though this isn't the rules as written, it too will have no significant effect on the scenario.

122 Operation Torch Scenario Special Operations

Rules 41B2b and 32b2b: It states in Rule 4lB2b that no Axis units from the special forces pools have been used for special operations. Now Rule 32B2b says the Italian forces can only be used for Malta. There is no Malta on the map or this scenario, so what do you do here?

A: Well, you don't invade Malta because it's not on the map, and you don't get the Italian special forces because they're available only for a Malta invasion. Since Rule 41B2b is the November 1942 Operation TORCH scenario, the window of opportunity for invading Malta has long passed, so there's no problem with this situation.