Military Model Scene

Title: Syria and Lebanon 1941
Author: David Sutton
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-4728-4384-5

The Allied Fight against the Vichy French, makes it number 373 in the Osprey Campaign series. A 96-page soft-cover book in the usual style for this popular set of titles, with informed text, archive images, maps and some fine colour artwork from Graham Turner.
This one opens with an explanation to the Origins of the Campaign, along with a Chronology. Next comes background to the various commanders of the forces on both the Allied and Vichy sides, leading into details of the forces available to each side, which does include an Order of Battle for each side. There is then consideration of the Opposing Plans before we get to the largest element of the book, the description of the actual campaign. The fighting that took place involving not just the Vichy French forces but the various forces involved on the Allied side. These included not only British but also Australian, Indian, RAF and Royal Navy units. Many of the names we read will be recognisable from more recent conflicts, including Beirut, Damascus, Aleppo and even the ruins at Palmyra. Everything is of course rounded off with consideration of the Aftermath.
I found this really educational, every day is a learning day. I have been interested in the military history of WW2 all my life but I can't recall reading about Operation Exporter before. We hear very little about this relatively short campaign, overshadowed by other events in 1941 with the war in North Africa itself, along with Greece, Crete and the German invasion of Russia. Involving General de Gaulle and the Free French who suggested it would be easier than it turned out to be, hoping for the Vichy French forces of the Armee du Levant to come over to the Allied side. It didn't turn out to be so easy as we discover. Perhaps it is overlooked as we were effectively fighting one of our Allies, but Britain didn't want German forces to get help to put forces into the Middle East and disrupt Allied supply lines such as oil supplies from the region. My own father served in North Africa from February 1940 through to 1943. In his few photos from the war are pictures of Palmyra, so he was in the area, but he never mentioned being involved with fighting Vichy French forces. Great value for money as usual and in this case covering an element of WW2 in the Middle East that I for one was very much unaware of.
Thanks to Osprey for our review copy.

Robin