Germany - Iraq and Iran - 04 to 17 Sep 1941

The previous post concentrated on the campaign in Turkey so now the parallel campaign in Iraq and Iran.

04 Sep 1941: Iraq has called the Dutch East Indies into our war against Iraq. That means I can't get rubber from them anymore.

I can't attack Iran until 09 September but I can send part of 1. Panzerarmee along the Iraq-Iranian border.

07 Sep 1941: Another speech by the Führer preparing the people for the imminent war against Iran.

I need to transfer Luftwaffe assets from Turkish to Iranian air space.

I also plan upgrading the infrastructure in the Caucasus as well as more industry to support this new region of the Reich.

I also start construction of a new Heavy Cruiser.

I'm worried about high resistance levels because of a prolonged war therefore I have to plan beyond the current campaign. This war won't be over until Japan has been defeated so I need t send troops to the Far East.

I begin by moving my Armeegruppe East to the Japanese frontline in Siberia. First I must un-assign  Armeeschule Ost then cancel all the current orders for von Rundstedt's Armeegruppe.

I then assign them a new sector on the Russian-Japanese frontline.

They are on their way. I hope to capture a port there soon.

The situation in Iraq in the evening.

09 Sep 1941: We can now enter Iran.

I'm bypassing Tehran to gain Basra and Kuwait before Iraq capitulates.

I formally declare war on Iran....

....and publicly announce it.

Finally the plans for the campaign.

14 Sep 1941: Our forces have captured Tehran, Basra and Kuwait so now we can walk into Baghdad.

15 Sep 1941: The technology Advanced Fire Control System has been researched.

I select the Arado Ar 96 naval aircraft next.

Iraq is finished....

....while Iran is 69% towards capitulation.

17 Sep 1941: The capture of Bandar e'Abbas should be then end of the Iranian campaign.

But more in the next post.