Iraq 1941 - Action at Rutbah (pic heavy)

[dadlamassu]

For some time I've been researching the actions and modelling the forces involved in Iraq 1941. 

Here is the first action of my miniature Kingcol on its way to raise the siege of Habbaniya.

The land campaign opens with Kingcol crossing the border from H4 and heading down the Haifa - Baghdad road.  The fisrt serious opposition is at Rutbah.  Here there is a village, a spring, a police fort, a pumping station and an airstrip.  It is vital ground for Kingcol.

For this game Kingcol's advance guard is No 2 Armoured Car Company RAF (2 x Fordsons) and the Arab Legion (1 x Utility HQ, 1 x Wagner Armoured Car, 1 x Scout car with MMG platoon, 6 x Scout cars).
Overhead patrol a Gladiator and a Lysander at the limit of their patrol.
The defenders have a police detachment in the fort and a strong force led by Fawzi al Qawukji himself (4 x cars and 4 x trucks).

The village and fort


The pumping station


Glubb Pasha intends to flank the fort on the right along the edge of the airstrip and cut it off from any reinforcement while the main force approaches using the village as cover.


All goes well though the Police spot the dust clouds of the approaching force.  As the Officer fires a green flare the Gladiator strafes the fort inflicting a few casualties.


The main body deploys as the Lysander flies in low to suppress the fort.  He has spotted the flare and intends to see what lies beyond the low hills.


Fawzi and his Irregulars roar into action and both they and the aircraft are surprised!


The forces get in to position.


A strong force of Irregulars races for the pumping station.  Only one Fordson is there to stop them.


The fighting picks up pace as the Legionnaires, Irregulars, police and armoured cars all engage.


The pumping station is under serious threat the second armoured car out of shot to the left also engages.


Both sides suffer heavuily in some serious fighting in the village.


Caught in the crossfire from the MMGs Boys ATR on the Fordsons the Irregulars at the pumping station suffer heavily.


The Lysander blows in the gate as the crossfire from the legionnaires decimates the police.


Glubb watches Fawzi's men retreat.


The attack on the pumping station is stopped.


The fort is stormed and surrenders.


The final action by the pumping station.


Fawzi flees to fight another day!


The way is clear for Habbaniya!

[postal]

very nice battle report enjoyed every pic.

[Helen]

Ditto from me! Love the report and photos of your game.

Do you have some references for this action and maybe for the conflict?

Ciao,

Helen

[odd duck]

Great battle report,what rules did you use?

[Wirelizard]

Cool game, nice change from the usual WW2 theatres!

[dadlamassu]

Helen,

I have many references.  Though the historical action was quite different.  The RAF (Blenheim bombers) failed to breach the fort and the Arab Legion without artillery could not get into the fort.  Fawzi's Irregulars arrived and entered the fort before the Armoured car and Arab legion cut them off.  So it ended with the Arab Legion besieging the fort and the garriso and Fawzi withdrew in the night.

The most available source is Osprey "Iraq 1941" (though it has errors). 

The ones I used are -The most useful are Five Ventures, The Story of the Arab Legion and the Household Cavalry at war:
Historical
Al-Marashi, Ibrahim and Salama, Sammy; Iraq’s Armed Forces; an analytical history, Routledge 1973
Buckley, Christopher; Five Ventures, HMSO 1954
Clark,Maj Gen JGW; Report on the Operations of Habforce Part 1, 12 May – 31 May Iraq (Unpublished) 
Cowper, Col Julia M; The King’s Own, The Story of a Royal Regiment Vol III, King’s Own Museum, 1957
De Chair, Somerset; The Golden Carpet, Bantam 1992
Dudgeon, AG; Hidden Victory, Tempus 2000 (Air war - Iraq)
El Solh, Raghid; Britain’s 2 Wars with Iraq, 1941 and 1991, Reading, Ithaca Press, 1996
Everett-Heath Col EN; The Flying Fourth, in “The Lion and the Rose” 1952
Glubb Pasha; The story of the Arab Legion, Hodder & Stoughton1948
Glubb Pasha; War in the Desert, Hodder & Stoughton 1960
HMSO, PAIFORCE, HMSO, London, 1948
Jacobsen, Mark; Only by the Sword – British Counter Insurgency in Iraq
Lumby, Christopher; Cook’s Traveller’s Handbook to Palestine, Syria and Iraq, 6th Edition, Simpkin Marshall, 1934
Lunt, James; The Arab Legion 1923-1957, Constable 1999
Lyman, Robert; First Victory, Constable 2006
Lyman, Robert; Iraq 1941, Campaign Series, Osprey 2006
Martin, Col TA; The Essex Regiment 1929 – 1950, Brentwood, 1952
Masters, John; The Road Past Mandalay, Companion Book Club, 1963
Mollo, Andrew; The Armed Forces of World War II
Playfair, General ISO; The Mediterranean and Middle East vol II, HMSO 1956
Porch, Douglas; The Other Gulf War, British Intervention in Iraq 1941, JFQ, issue 35
Prasad, Bishewar; Official History of the Indian Armed Forces in the Second World War 1939-45, Campaign in Western Asia, Orient Longmans 1957
Vanderveen, Bart H; The Observer’s Army Vehicles Directory to 1940, Frederick Warne, 1974
Vanderveen, Bart H; The Observer’s Fighting Vehicles Directory World War II, Frederick Warne, 1972
Warner, Geoffrey; Iraq and Syria 1941, Newark, 1974
Wavell, General Sir Archibald; Despatch on Operations in Iraq, East Syria and Iran from 10th April, 1941 to 12th January, 1942 in Supplement to The London Gazette – 13 Aug 1946
Westworth Sgt RA; 1st King’s Own 1939-1941 Karachi to Iraq; Account lodged in the Regimental Museum
White, Andrew; Habbaniya 1941, Miniature Wargames, May 2005 and in SOTCW Journal
Wyndham, Humphrey; The Household Cavalry at War: First Household Cavalry Regiment, Aldershot, 1952
Young, Peter; The Arab Legion, Osprey 1972

[dadlamassu]

The web is not particularly useful for this ignored war.

For members of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers 20 or more pages of my research and scenarios will be published soon in the "Journal".

The rules are our own.  They are "Old School" type written in the late 60s and updated regularly since.  PM me with an e-mail address if you want a set.

What I like about this period is that the heaviest (and only) tank in use is the Italian CV-33 and the reliance on bluff and aggressive action for victory.

Alan

[Poiter50]

That would make any armoured cars or armour plated trucks the equivalent to the CV33, I think. Lovely colourful side theatre of the Middle East period.

The web is not particularly useful for this ignored war.

What I like about this period is that the heaviest (and only) tank in use is the Italian CV-33 and the reliance on bluff and aggressive action for victory.

Alan

[Helen]

Thank you Alan for the list of references.

In your mind if you could please, what one book would cover the conflict and contained all the relevant detail required for a gamer?

Thanks again for an interesting period.

Helen

[dadlamassu]

Helen

The Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers are publishing about 20 pages of my research in the Journal soon.

However, if you can hold on a wee while there will soon (before Christmas) be a Wargamers Guide to this conflict for you to buy.  It contains just about all my research, guides on the comattants and a dozen scenarios.  The guide will have about 100 downloadable PDF pages and I'll get a small fee for every one sold.  Too Fat Lardies are going to publish it on their website.

If you PM me your e-mail address I'll send you a couple of bits to get you started.

So long as you buy the full version that is!

Alan

[Helen]

Helen

The Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers are publishing about 20 pages of my research in the Journal soon.

However, if you can hold on a wee while there will soon (before Christmas) be a Wargamers Guide to this conflict for you to buy.  It contains just about all my research, guides on the comattants and a dozen scenarios.  The guide will have about 100 downloadable PDF pages and I'll get a small fee for every one sold.  Too Fat Lardies are going to publish it on their website.

If you PM me your e-mail address I'll send you a couple of bits to get you started.

So long as you buy the full version that is!

Alan

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the offer, but I'll wait for the release of your publication through the Lardies.

Yesterday I had a South West Pacific game with Michael Broadbent using IABSM with me on the side of the Japanese and Michael the Aussies. I'm awaiting some photos from Michael so I can place a report.

Cheers,

Helen

[dadlamassu]

As far as a value for money book is concerned I would Recommend "Five Ventures" as an overview (and you get Syria, Madagascar and two others as well!).  The second I'd recommend id PAIFORCE.  Unfortnately you'll need to search second hand bookstalls for these.

If you are looking for something more readily available the Lyman's "First Victory" is far better than his Osprey though it lacks the colour maps!

For an amusing personal account go for the "Golden Carpet".

The RAF books tend to concentrate on the opening days and not the campaign as a whole.  Dudgeon's are really personal accounts and not histories as such.  Fascinating, none the less.

Alan

[Helen]

As far as a value for money book is concerned I would Recommend "Five Ventures" as an overview (and you get Syria, Madagascar and two others as well!).  The second I'd recommend id PAIFORCE.  Unfortnately you'll need to search second hand bookstalls for these.

If you are looking for something more readily available the Lyman's "First Victory" is far better than his Osprey though it lacks the colour maps!

For an amusing personal account go for the "Golden Carpet".

The RAF books tend to concentrate on the opening days and not the campaign as a whole.  Dudgeon's are really personal accounts and not histories as such.  Fascinating, none the less.

Alan

Thanks Alan for the recommendations.

Helen