THE JOURNAL Issue 68 – Winter 2009Subscription 11 – issue 4

Cover: Greg Potter

The Journal Team - Roles and ResponsibilitiesHonorary President:Jim Webster, Page Bank, Barrow-in-Fumess, Cumbria, LAT3 OQR., Tel. 01229-821561Secretary:Phil Gray, 4 Clarence Avenue, Balby, Doncaster, DN4 8AU, Tel. 01302-739271 (e-mail: phil@grayuk.clara.co.uk)Editor: Richard Baber, 364 Oystermouth Road, Swansea, SA1 3UL, Tel. 01792 463817 (e-mail r.a.baber@talk21.com)Treasurer: Mark Wheeler, 25 Buttermere, White Court, Black Notley, Essex, CM77 7UY (e-mail sotcwmarkw@hotmail.com)Publicity Officer & Advertising:Post covered by Richard and PhilInformation Officer: Neil McDougal, 101 Woodmill Crescent, Dunfermline, Fife, KY11 4AJ, TEL: 01383739634 (email fatman_bear1@yahoo.co.uk)Web Master:TBAEuropean & ROW Co-ordination, Membership, Distribution, Armoury Service Scheme: Mark Wheeler.N. America & Canada Co-ordination, Treasurer, Membership, Distribution: Position Vacant - currently covered by Mark Wheeler.Book Co-ordinator, Second Hand swaps and sales (not Osprey Special Offers): Position VacantRegional Co-ordination & Society Events: Richard Crawley - richard.crawley5@btinternet.com

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The Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers.

ContentsIssue 68 – Winter 2009

Page 1

Please note that the SOTCW considers that copyright to allmaterial (written or graphic) printed within The Journal isretained by the author/artist. The SOTCW reserves the right

to reproduce any material printed in the Journal in futurecompendia, which may be in electronic formats. However,

we will honour any requests not to include material in futurecompendia.

Editorial Page 3Core ArticlesIraq 1941 – Campaign Summery Page 4A brief history and authors notesThe Royal Iraqi Army Page 7TO&Es and organisationsThe Royal Iraqi Airfoce Page 10Information and organisationHabforce and Kingcol Page 11TO&Es and organisationsArab Legion & TransJorden Frontier Force Page 14TO&Es and organisationsGermans, Italians, irregulars and police Page 16TO&Es and organisations10th Indian Division Page 18TO&Es and organisationsRAF Habbaniya Forces Page 20Background and organisations Sinn el Dhibban Page 23Scenario - RAF HabbaniyaMay 6th 1941 The Jezireh Page 26Scenario - May 23, 1941Habib Shawi Page 29Scenario - Basra May 24, 1941 Kadhimain Page 33Scenario – Baghdad, May 28, 1941

FeaturesHere comes the Red Devils Page 36Helmand 2006 scenarioAmerican Blue-Jackets 1918 Page 39US Navy and the Mexican RevolutionWombat 52 Page 40Vietnam scenarioConverting Plastic figures Page 42Some modelling ideas from Alan PhilipsDick Hoori (Drop your rifle!) Page 441st Battalion Royal Australian Army in Somalia 1993Going Both ways Page 48WW1 scenarios for Through the Mud and the BloodMusee des Troupes de Marine Page 50Walk throughAuxiliary Gunboats, Drifters and a Trawler Page 51More things naval by Rob Morgan Germany’s minor Eastern Front Air Allies Page 52Airwar scenarios

RegularsLetters Page Page 47Small Ships Page 55Reviews of ship modelsBuildings and Bunkers Page 56Reviews of wargames terrain in all scalesRules of War Page 57Rules and Supplements reviewedLittle Warrior Page 58Reviews of 15 and 20mm figuresArmoury Page 60Reviews of 15 and 20mm wargames vehiclesBookshelf Page 62Book reviews from society membersRob’s Rearguard Page 64

Kelly`s HeroesAvailable from:

Grubby Tankswww.grubbytanks.com

20mm Late War US InfantryUSINF.1 COMMAND-7 figs.in total-inc.4 officers inc walkie-talkie,1 with sunglasses,1 with clipboard,1 MP,1 Radio op.1 guard wearing poncho £4.50 USINF.2 Pack of 4 GIs,various small arms £2.60USINF.3 Pack of 4 GIs various small arms £2.60USINF.4 Pack of 4 GIs,various small arms £2.60USINF.5 Pack of 4 GIs,various small arms £2.60USINF.6 Pack of 4 GIs,some with captured weapons,inc.Pzfaust £2.60USINF.7 Pack of 2 GIs, prone firing BAR £1.30USINF.8 Pack of 2 GIs, moving with BAR £1.30USINF.9 Pack of 4 GIs some with captured weapons £2.60USINF.10 Pack of 2 GIs,laying/crouching firing Bazooka £1.30USINF.11Pack of 2 GIs kneeling,firing Bazooka £1.30USINF.12 Pack of 2 GIs,moving with Bazooka,no 2 with Ammo bag £1.30USINF.13 .50 Cal. In firing position with 3 crew £2.50USINF.14 Pack of 2 GIs carrying .50 Cal £1.50USINF.15 .30 Cal in Firing position with 3 crew £2.50USINF.16 Pack of 2 GIs carrying.30 Cal. £1.50USINF.17 Browning MG in firing position with 3 crew £2.50USINF.18 60mm mortar,firing position 2 crew (a) £1.75USINF.19 60mm mortar firing position 2 crew (b) £1.75USINF.20 2 GIs on move with 60mm mortar (a) £1.30USINF.21 2 GIs on move with 60mm mortar (b) £1.30USINF.22 81mm mortar with 4 crew in firing position £3.00USINF.23 81mm mortar with 4 crew,on the move £2.60USINF.24 4.2” mortar firing position with 5 crew £5.00USINF.25 Pack of 6,Assault Engineers,inc.Flamethrower,pole charge,satchel charge Mine detector,GI lifting mine,GI with cutters £3.90USINF.26 GI firing Rifle Grenade £0.65USINF.27 Pack of 5-Heavy Artillery Crew £3.25USINF.28 Pack of 3-Anti Tank Gun crew,crouching £2.00USINF.29 One Sniper,laying with Sringfield M1903 £0.65USINF.30 Pack of 2 GIs surrendering £1.30USINF.31 “Medical” set-2 GIs running with casualty in Blanket, Medic applying dressing to casualty £3.25

BEF MiniaturesIAN CROUCH, 162 Middle Deal Road, Deal, Kent

CT14 9RLwww.befminiatures.co.uk

28mm figuresGERMinfantry 2 4 Heer infantry with K98 £6.50GERMinfantry 3 Wafen SS in early smocks (4) £6.50BEFinfantry 3 4 characters £6.50

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The Journal

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Minimi Miniatureswww.minimi.co.uk

New Releases20mm vehiclesAG23 Italian Fiat TL37 light truck £4.2528mm boatsSmall motor launch £12.50Large motor launch £15.00Cargo ship – Clyde Puffer £20.00Terrain28mm large sandbag emplacement £3.7028mm small sandbag emplacement £2.50Large shell crater £1.00Small shell crater £0.50Rock outcrop £0.75

Minimi offer 10% discount to SOTCW members

Elheim Figureshttp://elhiemfigures.com/index.html

New 1/72nd scale releasesRed Army Summer 1943 – 45RALS01 – Riflemen (8 figs) £5.60RALS02 – SMG infantry with PPSH41 (8 figs) £5.60RALS03 – SMG infantry with PPSH43 (4 figs) £2.80RALS04 – SMG squad PPSH41 box mag (4 figs) £2.80RALS05 – DP LMGs (4 figs) £2.80RALS06 – Red Army Scouts (8 figs) £5.60RALS07 – Soviet Field Commanders (3 figs) £2.00RALS08 – Maxim and 3 crew prone £3.00

Modern SovietsSOVNBC04 – LMG squad with PK, RPK and RPDSOVNBC05 – Specialists with Drugnov &Geiger counter

Rif Raf Miniatureswww.rifrafminiatures.co.uk

28mm Spanish 1920sSPA1 Spanish infantry advancing (4) £5.00SPA2 Spanish infantry firing/loading (4) £5.00SPA3 Spanish with Hotchkiss LMG (2 teams) £5.00SPA4 Spanish command (4) £5.00SPAH1 Spanish heads in Ros kepi (4) £1.75SPAH2 Spanish heads in pillbox cap (4) £1.75

Pithead Miniatureswww.pithead-miniatures.tk

10mm WW2 FrenchFs1 - French infantry (45 figures) £5.00Fs2 – Hotchkiss MMGs (2 guns and crews) £1.20Fs3 – 81mm mortars (2 mortars + crews) £1.20 Fs4 - 25mm anti-tank gun (2 guns + crews) £1.60Fv1 – Renault truck AGR £2.00Fv2 – Renault truck AHN £2.00Fv3 – Laffly scout car £1.80Fv4 – Laffly tractor £2.00 Fv6 – Hotchkiss H35 £1.80 Fv7 – Hotchkiss H35 with SA38 cannon £1.80Fv8 – Renault R35 £1.80Fv9 – Hotchkiss H39 £1.80Fv10 – AMR33 light tank £1.60Fv11 – Char 1 Bis £2.00Fv12 – Somua S35 £2.00Fv13 – Panhard 175 £1.60Fv14 – Renault UE tractor £1.60Fv15 – Lorraine Carrier £2.00 Fv16 – Laffly W15 TCC 47mm AT £2.20Fv17 – Laffly V15T £2.00Fv22 – Renault ADK 1.5 ton truck £2.00

Blitz7 Queensway, Knutsford, Cheshire, WA16 0NJ

www.battlefieldminiatures.co.uk

20mm Late War US InfantryBLA1 NCOs, 2-grease gun, 1 Thompson £2.40BLA2 Infantry with Garand (5 figs) £4.00BLA3 Rifles, 1 carbine, 2-Garand £2.40BLA4 Rifles, 3 – Garand £2.40 Sa

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The Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers.

EditorialWelcome to Journal 68, you may notice this issue is fatterthan usual, well that’s because there are 64 packed pages inthis issue! The main reason for this is our return to the“themed issue” format so I could publish Alan Hamilton’sexcellent Iraq `41 stuff all in one place. I honestly feel tohave split up this collection of articles and scenarios wouldnot have been right, so petitioned Mark Wheeler ouresteemed treasurer to have some extra pages in this issue,to allow me a little flexibility in providing a mix of stuff forthe rest of the magazine.

For the rest of this issue you get – A scenario set inAfghanistan 2006, another set in Vietnam 1968; aninteresting idea on WWI trench raids by the Toofatlardies,Richard Clarke; we finish off with some airwar scenariosinvolving Germany’s Eastern Front allies (with no less thansix (6) different actions!). So if your counting, includingAlan’s Iraq`41 stuff, that’s twelve tabletop scenarioscovering 1917 – 2006, not bad I think you’ll agree. On top of these we have a selection of interesting articleson subjects as varied as – US Naval crews at Vera Cruz,Mexico in 1914; Converting Plastic Figures and an accountof service in Somalia with 1 st Battalion, Royal AustralianArmy in 1993, a walk around the Troupes de Marinemuseum in Frejus, France and some more naval stuff offthat stalwart rob Morgan; plus all the usual review columnstoo.

Next issue will see us return to a mix’n match format,content depending wholly on what you submit.

Can I take this opportunity to thank everyone who hascontributed to The Journal throughout this year and wishevery member a Merry Christmas and peaceful New Year,Felix Navidad – Richard B.

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Barbarossa BooksZhukov House, 14 Maldon Road, Tiptree, near

Colchester, Essex, CO5 0LLTEL: 01621 810810

www.BarbarossaBooks.co.uk

QRF Models Limitedwww.quickreactionforce.co.uk

15mm Modern BritishMBI01 Infantry with SA80 advancing (8) £2.00MBI02 Infantry with SA80 firing (8) £2.00MBI04 Infantry with LSW (8) £2.00MBI05 Infantry with Minimi (8) £2.00MBRV01 Scimitar £5.00MBVR02 Spartan with GSR £4.50MBE01 Chieftain Bridge layer £15.50MBE02 Chieftain ARV £6.00 MBE03 FV180 CET £6.00MBE04 M2B Alligator £9.00MBE05 Chieftain AVRE £13.50MBE06 FV106 Samson £4.50MBIV01 MCV80 Warrior with Chobham armour £5.50MBIV02 MCV80 Warrior £5.50MBIV03 AT105 Saxon APC £5.00MBIV04 FV103 Spartan £4.50MBIV05 FV4333 Stormer £4.50

Pendraken Miniatureswww.pendraken.co.uk

10mm models for the collector and wargamerNew releases

Vietnam VV4 US Marine PBR mk2 £3.00WWII AmericanA53 D-Day paratrooper advancing w/rifle (10) £1.05A54 M18 Hellcat £1.75WWII GermanGR202 Jagdpanzer Elephant £2.50GR203 Panzerjager Ib £1.75WWII BritishBR134 Bishop SPG 25pdr £1.75BR135 Archer SPG 17pdr £1.75BR136 Valentine sandskirts £1.75BR137 Landing Craft Assault £2.50

Tiger Miniatureswww.tigerminiatures.co.uk

28mm Colonial German GC01 German command (5 figs) £4.50GC02 Schultruppen advancing at trail (5) £4.50GC03 Schultruppen advancing at port (5) £4.50GC04 Light gun with 3 crew £4.50GC05 Askari command on mules (2 mounted) £4.50GC06 Mounted Askaris (2) £4.50GC07 Regular Askari advancing in pack (5) £4.50GC08 German gunners (5) £4.50GC09 East African irregular Askari (5) £4.50GC10 Askari pack mule team (2 mules + Askari) £4.50GC11 Askari mountain gun + 3 crew £4.50GC12 Schultruppen camel corp (2 mounted) £4.50GC14 Pack camels (2) £4.50GC15 German infantry (late colonial) 5 £4.50GC16 Germans mounted in sun helmet (2) £4.50GC20 Hottentot (5) £4.50GC21 Hottentot with leader (5) £4.50GC22 Hottentot firing (5) £4.50GC30 Somoa fita fita (5) £4.50

Peter Pigwww.peterpig.co.uk

15mm Spanish Civil WarArmy Boxed sets

B1301 International Brigade £54B1302 Peninsular Army £53B1303 Moroccan Regulares £30B1304 Falange Militia £64

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The Journal

Iraq 1941 - Campaign SummaryDuring the 1920s, Britain held a mandate that covered parts of thebroken Turkish Empire. The Kingdom of Iraq was made up of thevalleys of the Tigris and Euphrates and the north western fringe ofthe Great Arabian Desert. The Hashemite, King Feisal, was pro-British and had been closely involved with Lawrence in WW1.

In 1930 Iraq became a full member of the League of Nations andthe Mandate ended and a treaty was signed. This gave Britain theright to maintain two air bases, one at Shaibah, near Basra andanother at Habbaniya on the Euphrates sixty miles west ofBaghdad. These were maintained as way stations on the air routeto India and the Far East and the base at Habbaniya includedaccess to a lake where the flying boats of Imperial Airways couldstage. In addition, and very importantly, Britain retained the rightto transit troops through Iraq in both peace and war. This treatydid not commit Iraq to become involved in any war on Britain’sside but it did require Iraq to give “all possible facilities” for themovement of the troops. There were no British garrisons in Iraq.The security of the air bases was entrusted to the RAF AssyrianLevies, mainly members of the Christian Nestorian communitywho were persecuted by the Muslim Iraqis.

In 1941 it was the American opinion that Britain would lose thewar and this was reflected in many of the other nation, particularlyin the Middle East. The Italians were active in East Africa, TheGermans in the Balkans after a string of victories across Europe.The Axis seemed unstoppable.

Iraq, therefore, had a strategic importance to the war effort. It wasthe major source of oil for Britain outside the USA. It alsocontrolled the route for Persian oil. Its importance seemed toescape both Britain and Germany. The oil pipelines ran from Iraqto Tripoli in Vichy controlled Syria and to Haifa in Palestine. Thenorthern route was uncertain. The whole war effort depended onthe oil reaching Britain and that depended upon there being nohostile action in Iraq.

In 1933 King Feisal died and he was succeeded by his son Gazi.He was not inclined to co-operate with Britain. When he died in aroad crash in 1939 he was succeeded by the 4-year-old KingFeisal II. The real power was in the hands of the Regent AmirAbdul Illah. Under his influence the Iraqi government, which wasnever very stable, broke off diplomatic relations with Germany.This was quite reluctantly done as anti-British feeling was runninghigh in some politicians. In 1940, this feeling had increased andIraq maintained its relations with Italy despite its entry into thewar as part of the Axis. The achievements of German forces inEurope, North Africa and the Balkans coupled with thepropaganda broadcasts in Arabic gave support to the anti-Britishcampaign. The anti-Semitism of the Nazis appealed those Arabswho resented British interference in Arab affairs and Britishsupport for Jewish settlement in Palestine. When Greece fell tothe Germans and the Afrika Korps advanced across North Africatowards Egypt, pro-German Iraqi army officers staged a coup inearly April 1941. This new Iraqi government did not declare waron Britain. They saw an opportunity to advance theirRepublicanism through the Nazis who looked, just then, to be thewinning side. Yet another influence was the Mufti of Jerusalemwho had taken refuge in Baghdad.

Britain was in a difficult situation and emphasised that it intendedto make full use of the Treaty provisions. On the other handBritain did not want to inflame the Middle East by any action thatmight be seen as heavy handed. Equally, another diversion of thescant military resources was to be avoided. A political solutionwas preferred and Sir Kinahan Cornwallis was appointed as

Ambassador but was not actually in post until too late to avert thecrisis by diplomatic means.

Before Cornwallis took up post the government in Iraq changed.Rashid Ali ei Gailani became Prime Minister at the beginning ofApril. His pro-German sympathies foreshadowed serious trouble.He was believed, by British Intelligence, to be subsidised if notactually in the pay of the Germans. He had the support of the“Golden Square”, four important Army Colonels, Salah ed DinSabbagh, Kamil Shabib, Fahmi Said and Mahmud Salman.

Rashid Ali announced that his government would re-establishdiplomatic relations with Germany while fulfilling itsinternational agreements and specifically mentioning the Treatywith Britain. The Regent was unable to prevent this movementtowards the Axis and German and Italian agents were active indrumming up support for Rashid Ali and the Golden Squareamongst the army, the police and the larger towns. However, thedesert tribes were more difficult to sway and mostly held loyallyto King Feisal II. With the increasing support Rashid Ali setabout arresting the Regent and gaining control of the young King.On 31 March the Regent heard of the conspiracy and escaped toRAF Habbaniya hidden in a car. Thence he was taken to Basraand accommodated on a British warship.

The National Assembly, packed with Rashid Ali’s supportersdeclared the Regent deposed. Then on 6 April the Germansinvaded Greece and Yugoslavia. It would be going too far tosuggest that Baghdad and Berlin were cahoots at this time as theGermans must have been concentrating their efforts on the plansfor the invasion of the Soviet Union. Nevertheless the new Iraqigovernment must have been encouraged by the German successes.

The deteriorating political situation led to some concentration ofeffort in London, Cairo and New Delhi. There were no militaryforces in or near Iraq to support the meagre forces in the two airbases. At Shaibah, 16 miles from Basra was a single squadron ofbombers and at Habbaniya was located No4 Service FlyingTraining School (SFTS).

RAF Habbaniya was an artificial oasis in the desert. It wassurrounded by a high, 7 miles long, steel fence with two storeyblockhouses at intervals around it. The main buildings, the sixhangars, fuel and ammunition dumps, water supplies, generatorsand the HQ were inside this fence but the runways were outside it.The whole base was overlooked by a plateau just 1,000 yardsaway. Defending the officers and men of the station, the civilianemployees and their wives and children was a battalion of levieswho were mainly Assyrians but also included Arabs and Kurdsunder Lt Col JA Brawn. Supporting the defence was No1Armoured Car Company RAF with 18 Rolls Royce armouredcars. Throughout the diplomatic crisis the SFTS continued to send uptraining flights while some junior officers prepared the aircraft foraction without any official permission. These preparationsincluded fitting bomb racks to carry real bombs rather thanpractice ones.

Britain declared that it would be exercising its rights under theTreaty and without saying anything to the Iraqis, 10 IndianInfantry Division from India was diverted before sailing and itsdestination changed from Singapore to Basra. The first brigade ofthe division arrived in Basra on 18 April. Then on 27 April, theIraqis broke their treaty by demanding that the British land nomore troops until the brigade already in Basra had left Iraq. TheBritish informed the Iraqis that they would ignore that request.The British took over the routes through Basra, thus protectingtheir airbase outside the city. The second Brigade of 10 Indian

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Infantry Division arrived in Basra on 29 April and on that dayRashid Ali allowed 240 British women and children to leaveBaghdad for Habbaniya. Another 350 sheltered in the BritishEmbassy and a further 150 were offered hospitality in the USEmbassy. Hundreds of others who failed to reach sanctuary wereinterned by the Iraqis.

Reinforcements in the form of 364 men of 1 st Kings Own RoyalRegiment were flown in to RAF Habbaniya from India in the firstwartime strategic airlift of British troops. This was none too soonas the next morning aerial reconnaissance showed Iraqi artilleryand troops on the plateau and more on the way from Baghdad.Strange as it may seem, the junior officers of this force had beentold that they were on a training exercise. Though just how manyactually believed it is debateable since the troops were issued withlive ammunition but very little water and food.

On 30 April, the Iraqis moved 50 pieces of artillery and 9,000troops to Habbaniya, as well as several times that number (nofigures are available) of tribal militiamen. The tribal warriors weretough, undisciplined and poorly led. The Iraqis had actuallycarried out a planning exercise with the RAF to take Habbaniyashould it ever be taken by a German coup de main and so they hada plan.

The Iraqis occupied the plateau, and warned the British that theywould open fire with artillery if any British aircraft took off. Atdawn on 2 May the RAF did precisely this and relentlesslyattacked the Iraqi troops. Over the next five days, the RAFlaunched 584 sorties, dropped 45 tons of bombs and fired over100,000 rounds of machine-gun ammunition. The Levies and1/KORR launched aggressive raids from the base. The Iraqiartillery and air force did some minor damage, but the Iraqiinfantry and tribesmen began to flee on 6 May and by the next daythe only Iraqi troops to be found were fleeing from the Britishwarplanes. Meanwhile, the rest of the 10th Indian division landedat Basra, secured the base there and at Shaibah and then beganadvancing on Baghdad. At the same time, the British organized amobile brigade (HABFORCE) and part of this force (KINGCOL)was despatched from Palestine. KINGCOL included about 360men of the Arab Legion, KINGCOL entered Iraq on 9 May,followed by the remainder of HABFORCE on the 15th.

The Iraqis requested German help and this arrived in the form ofweapons and ammunition from stocks captured at Dunkirk as wellas French equipment from Vichy Syria as well as warplanes flownin via Vichy French controlled Syria. The first Luftwaffe raid onHabbaniya took place on 10 May. A squadron of Heinkel He 111sflew into Mosul, as well as a squadron of twin-enginedMesserschmitt Bf 110 fighters and maybe some Vichy FrenchDewoitine fighters. The Italians sent 12 Fiat CR-42 biplanefighters.

The British responded by flying in reinforcements from Palestineand the Desert Air Force – Hurricane and Tomahawk fighters in.On 13 May, the Axis force flew more bombing missions but washampered by a lack of fuel. The air route from Syria was closedby RAF bombers from Palestine attacking the Vichy air fields.

Faced with mounting losses, fuel shortages and the British andIndians advancing on Baghdad, the Axis withdrew their aircraft.KINGCOL reached Habbaniya on 17 May. Then, afterconsolidating, the British force in Habbaniya moved out, crossedthe Euphrates river at Fallujah in a three phase assault thatinvolved crossing the river in boats, storming the bridge andflying troops in ancient Valentia transports behind the Iraqis to cutthem off from Baghdad. They then moved on Baghdad, after aseries of small but spirited actions where small British, Assyrian,TransJordanian and Indian forces defeated much larger Iraqi ones.The Iraqi resistance was weakened by bombing and psychological

warfare as they approached the city along three axes HABFORCEfrom the west and north and 10 Indian Infantry Division from thesouth east. On 30 May, the Iraqi resistance ended amid rumoursthat the British had 50 tanks and 50,000 men closing in. TheBritish did not enter Baghdad immediately because to do s wouldreveal their true strength. This valid military decision hadunfortunate consequences for the Jews in Baghdad who werepersecuted by anti-Semitic mobs until order was restored.

The Iraqi leadership, Rashid Ali, the Golden Square and the Muftiof Jerusalem fled to Iran. From there Rashid Ali made his way toGermany. There he spent the rest of the war making anti-Semiticand anti-British propaganda radio broadcasts to the Arabs in theMiddle East. When Germany fell in 1945, Rashid Ali escapedonce more this time finding refuge in Saudi Arabia. He remainedthere until 1958, when another army coup in Iraq killed most ofthe royal family and Rashid Ali was invited to return home.

This seemingly unequal campaign ended 30 days after it started.Britain’s victory against the odds in Iraq allowed her to continuethe war and led to eventual victory. In many ways the victorywas achieved by risk taking, propaganda and the shattering of theenemy’s will to fight as much as superior training and skill atarms.

Author’s notesI became very interested in the military operations in Iraq when Iwas mobilised in 2003 and then spent 9 months there. While Iwas there I read about the operations there in WW1 and it was notuntil after I came home that I became interested in the operationsthere in 1941. This was partly due to the Osprey “Iraq 1941” andthen I read the articles by Adrian White in the Journal of theSociety of Twentieth Century Wargamers and in MiniatureWargames.

Since then I’ve been collecting information in books, from the netand from a few veterans. What follows are my notes as they are atthe moment. This is very much a work in progress and will beupdated constantly. When I have anything new to add I’ll submitit to the SOTCW Journal and maybe publish it on the SOTCWforum and Group on the web. I’d also be very grateful for anyadditional information, corrections, additions that will improvethe information here.

What really attracted me was a strategically important campaignwhere the heaviest tank is the Italian CV-33, the armoured carsdate back to WW1 and the artillery is barely more modern.Where else could I have silver biplanes, ancient transports, yellowtrainers, modern and biplane fighters from Italy, Britain, Americaand Germany? Then there was the amazing variety of troops:regular, irregular and militia soldiers from Iraq, regulars fromIndia, Nepal, Britain, Australia, Palestine, Germany, TransJordan,Italy as well as Bedouin tribesmen from Arabia riding to war incars, trucks, busses, ancient biplanes, on horses and camels andsailing in river boats, rowing boats, sailing craft and steamers.Where else did improvisation and bluff count for more thanmilitary probability? If that strikes your fancy then read on.

The modelling notes that are included suit my style and budgetand if anyone has suggestions for my collection I’ll be pleased toreceive them. One point I will make is that my models have a bitof a “retro” look to them because most of my stuff dates back asfar as the late 60s and was influenced by the style of that period –Airfix Magazine conversions, Airfix Magazine Guides and thelike. That means that “look” is more important than absoluteaccuracy.

The rules that we use also date back to the late 1960’s and havebeen revised occasionally to improve play or expand into air andwater operations. The scale for forces is about 1/6 for both

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