"Remember, when the infidels
contrived to make you a prisoner or to murder or expel you,
they plotted, but God also planned;
and God's plan is the best."
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Battlefield Location: Iraq, 1941 Conditions: Clear Time of Day: Late Afternoon
Golden Square Order of Battle Loyalist Order of Battle *(Treat all of these as Wehrmacht squads in terms of composition) |
Morale All Golden Square units are Qualified. All Loyalist units are Qualified.
Terrain and Setup Lay out a desert terrain map. 5 MU on the Loyalist map edge will be Urban terrain, representing the Baghdad city limits. Several dirt roads should enter the city from the desert. Outside the city, Clear, Sand and Rough terrain should be scattered as the players see fit. Buildings, sinkholes, rusted vehicles, etc. may be added for verisimilitude. Loyalist forces may set up within the urban region, and may be dug-in or hull-down as the Loyalist player designates. Golden Square forces may set up anywhere outside the city, no closer than within 10 MU to its borders. Infantry in trucks are still carried as the scenario begins, and AT guns being towed must be detached and set up (a process requiring a full turn) before they can be used.
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The Middle East is a hotbed of intrigue, as agents of the Abwehr play cat-and-mouse games with British diplomats and spies for the control of the region's unstable political forces. Palestine, Trans-Jordan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia form a vital link between the African/Mediterranean Theater and the European Theater. The side that manages to secure control of this region will enjoy not only its natural resources, but an unbroken line of transport and communication between Europe, Asia, and Africa. The very war could hinge on the alliances forged (or destroyed) within these rugged lands.
For some time, the Germans have been nurturing anti-Jewish and anti-British sentiments among the people of Iraq, and they have secured a willing and determined ally in the form of Iraqi general Rashid Ali. He and his "Golden Square" of fellow army officers have long conspired to overthrow the regime of the pro-British Nuri Said Pasha. For several months, the Golden Square has drilled at a secret camp near the northern city of Mosul, with smuggled German arms and German "technical advisors." Now, at last, the time has come for them to strike their first blow against the "Imperialist infidels and their puppet Shah." The forces of the Golden Square roll toward Baghdad to stage a coup, intending to force the Shah's resignation or kill him.
Fortunately for Nuri Said Pasha, British intelligence has received some warning of the impending coup. The few loyalist forces in Baghdad (The Golden Square controls almost all of Iraq's military) have scrambled to the city's edge with minutes to spare, setting up hasty defensive positions. They are outclassed by their opponents, but the Golden Square expects little resistance. The hottest theater of the war is about to get a great deal hotter.
This scenario is Medium Mission Priority for both sides.
The Golden Square must roll back the Loyalist defenders and enter Baghdad. At least four Golden Square units must survive the engagement and exit the Loyalist map edge. If that happens, the coup will be successful. If not, the Loyalist guards at the Shah's palace will be able to hold off the Golden Square conspirators until more help can be summoned, and the coup will fail.
The Middle East, with all the intrigues of the Golden Square, secret diplomatic missions from both sides, the formation of the Orientkorps, and the shoestring military operations necessitated by the pressure of other fronts, is a fascinating place in the GK world. Pity that the sourcebook shuts most of that down in pretty much the same timeframe as the real world. Still, I hope that the space devoted to it within that book is indicative of a desire on DP9's part to expand upon and complicate the situation at a later date.
Some of you might have noticed that my scenario briefings vary between present-tense and past-tense. Someday I'll make an effort to be consistent on that front. Maybe. I guess. Don't quote me on that.