So, the Empire finally has some firepower and supplies and we're going to take Damascus because the rail line essentially doubles what can be brought up for supplies and the broader front should allow for more attrition which is -- like -- my only real strategy at this point facing the superior Vichy armor and artillery. Still, things will kick off with bombing and barrages and move on to messy infantry attacks -- which should burn a lot of supply but...might has well start the offensive with a bang!
Meanwhile as Vichy -- I'm pretty sure the main Imperial thrust will be against Damascus and the delays there might win the scenario if not the war.
But...back at Imperial HQ, the Imperial commander has said he will "whip Bobby Vuiellianac if it takes all summer."
It's taking all June at least. Here and in reality, the Vichy forces won a victory of sorts, though in a twisted way, cuz if they had just caved in then the whole attack on them would have been somewhat de-legitimized. As it was, the stiff fight they put up more-or-less proved it was a good idea to clear out Vichy forces when you could -- after all, from the Imperial point of view, would you want the Italians, Germans, Roumanians and whoever moving into Lebanon, Syria and Iraq again if you could avoid it?
In this case, around June 20, the Vichy forces stopped a thrust led by renegade Circassians in armored cars (yes, the highest quality troops available on that front until the available Australians get acclimated in July) the Circassians are under a DG marker (oops -- that's the motorized Circassian battalion -- I was wondering where they had gone -- disrupted but not forgotten):
