I didn't say anything about a timeline. The only time I mentioned is 1941. Accusing me of getting a "timeline" wrong is a diversion from the topic.Peter89 wrote: ↑03 Feb 2020, 11:07The timeline is not right here. Rashid Ali came to power in march 1940, and putsched the government on 1 April 1941, asked for German military assistance on 17 April 1941. The Battle of Crete commenced on 20 May 1941.HistoryGeek2019 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2020, 23:03It was physically impossible for Germany to help Iraq and Iran in 1941. Germany had no physical connection to these countries. The British controlled both ends of the Mediterranean, and the Italian navy was too weak to challenge them. Crete decimated the Fallschirmjager and proved that they were ineffective for large scale operations anyway.Peter89 wrote: ↑02 Feb 2020, 21:52
Also, the pro-German Iraqi and Iranian leaders (Rashid Ali and Reza Shah) in 1941 failed directly as a consequence of Barbarossa and the German lack of strategy for the region. These two countries only controlled twice of the production of Romania and about 40% that of the SU - and they were ready to supply the Germans with intact industrial facitlities. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/72/5f/44 ... bcaf07.jpg A safe Mediterran sea could provide the cheap way to transport these materials to the German homeland from the terminals of Haifa and Tripoli. This was the reason why the British occupied these regions.
But you can name any raw materials of strategic importance; I can prove to you that the Mediterraneum/ME and the already Axis-held territories could cover the German needs for the war against the BE. Tungsten, chrome, manganese, bauxite, iron ore, crude oil, etc. If the infrastructure was not there, it was always cheaper to increase production or invest into mining / processing facilities than attack the SU and take it from them.
See:
https://books.google.hu/books?id=NZndfUnWC1IC
https://www.cia.gov/library/readingroom ... 0010-2.pdf
Germany simply had no physical ability to pursue a Mediterranean strategy in 1941.
Also, Vichy France supported the rebellion with arms, ammunition, airfields and whatnot. Turkey allowed these supplies through its territory.
Also, the British forces were no stronger than ~2-3 divisions. The crack Fallschirmjägers (7th Fliegerdivision and 22nd Air Landing Division) and modern aircraft arriving in numbers could have been a real help there.
see: Robert Lyman: Iraq 1941
But the Germans didn't really bother, because they built up their forces for Barbarossa.
see: Robert Lyman: Iraq 1941 The battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad
The Italian navy wasn't weak, just ineffective. Most of the German naval efforts were directed to the Atlantic shipping anyway.
The arrival of the Fliegercorps X alone caused considerable losses to the RN - but again, the main effort of the LW was directed to the SU.
Does Lyman specify what exactly Turkey allowed to pass through its borders? Was it by air, ground or their ports? Did Turkey agree to allow any German combat troops to pass through its borders? If not, then this conversation is pointless.
Not going to argue the difference between "weak" and "ineffective" ...