World at War #104 - The Path to Victory: Middle East, 1941

From Decision Games:

The Magazine:

1941 in the Middle East From April to November 1941, the British won crucial victories in the Middle East. They did so first in Iraq, then in Syria and Lebanon and finally in Iran. With those campaigns, they consolidated Allied control of the Eastern Mediterranean, secured their oil supply and opened a land communication route to their new Soviet ally. Those wins were not foreordained. Here is our analysis.

Articles

Vitebsk 1943 Third Panzer Army’s Fight for Survival In the spring of 1943, the Germans concluded Vitebsk would be an important objective for the Soviets because it was the gateway to Daugavpils on the Dvina River, which ran to Riga. Advancing along that route was the shortest way to the Baltic, which would allow the Soviets to cut off all of Army Group North.

The Battle of Attu Island, fought from 11 to 30 May 1943, was the only engagement in which American and Japanese fought each other in a snowy environment. That fight, at the western end of the Aleutians, 1,100 miles from the Alaskan mainland, culminated with a banzai charge and hand-to-hand combat. It ultimately proved to be among the most costly island battles in the war.

The Doenitz Trial According to some, Grand Adm. Karl Doenitz was among the most brilliant naval commanders of World War II, while others view him as one of Germany’s worst war criminals. There has long been debate whether he was fairly convicted at Nuremberg, or merely served as a convenient scapegoat in place of the senior Nazi leaders who were already dead. Here is our analysis.

The Game:

The Path to Victory: Middle East, 1941, is a simulation of the operations in Iraq, Syria and Iran (Persia) during the Spring and Summer of 1941. In this game, both players must carefully use their limited resources (military and political) to try to wrestle control of the Middle East away from their enemies.

The game begins with the Iraqi coup in early April 1941. The Axis player may attempt a number of diplomatic/military actions: supporting the Iraqi coup, trying to take control of Persia, unleash an Arab revolt in Palestine, send aid to Iraq, Vichy Syria and possibly Persia. The Allied player must use their limited resources to assert control in Iraq, Persia, Syria and Lebanon as soon as possible to protect the rearguard of the Suez Canal and the Western Desert Front.

Each game turn represents about 10 days. Each hexagon is 37 miles (60 kilometers) from side to the opposite side. Units are army, divisions, brigades, regiments, and battalions or equivalent, and some specialized smaller units.

22 x 34-inch map and one counter sheet of 228 9/16-inch counters.