アングロ＝イラク戦争
The remaining Italian aircraft were evacuated at the end of May and used to defend Pantelleria.
Plans were drawn up to supply troops but the German high command was hesitant and required the permission of Turkey for passage. In the end the Luftwaffe found conditions in Iraq intolerable, as spare parts were not available and even the quality of aircraft fuel was far below the Luftwaffe's requirements. With each passing day fewer aircraft remained serviceable and ultimately, all Luftwaffe personnel were evacuated on the last remaining Heinkel He 111.
戦前、イギリスはバグダードで行われる小規模な軍事任務を通し、GGウォーターハウス少将が指揮したイラク王立軍(RIrA)とイラク空軍(RIrAF)の支援を1938年から行っていた。RIrAの約60,000人の兵士は、ほとんどが4つの歩兵師団と1つの機械化旅団に配属されていた。第1師団と第3師団はバグダードの近くに駐留しており、バグダード内には、L3 / 35豆戦車で構成される軽戦車中隊、クロスリー装甲車で構成される装甲車中隊、自動車化歩兵2個大隊、機械化砲兵、砲兵旅団で構成される独立機械化旅団があった。イラクの第2師団はキルクークに、第4師団はアルディワニヤのバグダードからバスラまでの幹線に配置されていた。この頃のRIrAの「機械化された」という用語は、現代的な意味とは異なり、大型トラックでの移動、徒歩での戦闘という戦闘方法を意味した。(地図上で、キルクークはティグリス川の西、アルディワニヤはバスラからバグダードへの道沿いに示されている町)イラク人は、囚人を殺害することを躊躇しなかった冷酷なアラブのゲリラ指導者、ファウズィー・アルカウジの下で警察部隊と約500人の非正規軍を擁していた。ファウズィは、シリアへの追放前、ルトバからラマディで活動していた。(ルトバは地図上で最も西に示されている町、ラマディはユーフラテス川沿いでバグダッドの東にある町)
During the late evening of 17 May, Kingcol reached the vicinity of Habbaniya. The next morning the column entered the RAF base and throughout the day the remainder of the 1st battalion The Essex Regiment were airlifted into the base. The force dispatched from Palestine to relieve the Iraqi siege of RAF Habbaniya arrived about 12 days after the siege was lifted.
In addition to Kingcol and the Habforce main force, there was available to Major-General Clark a 400-man strong detachment of the Arab Legion (al-Jaysh al-Arabī) in the Emirate of Transjordan. The Arab Legion consisted of three mechanised squadrons transported in a mixture of civilian Ford trucks and equipped with home-made armoured cars. Unlike the TJFF, the Arab Legion was not part of the British Army. Instead, the Arab Legion was the regular Army of Transjordan and it was commanded by Lieutenant-General John Bagot Glubb, also known as "Glubb Pasha."
Also on 1 May, Ambassador Cornwallis received a response giving him full authority to take any steps needed to ensure the withdrawal of the Iraqi armed forces. Churchill also sent a personal reply, stating: "If you have to strike, strike hard. Use all necessary force." In the event that contact broke down between the British Embassy in Baghdad and the air base in Habbaniya, Air Vice-Marshal Smart was given permission to act on his own authority.