 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Muna Kubvumbi 1941, RAF Habbaniya yakatyisidzirwa nehutongi hutsva hweAxis hweRashid Ali. Nzvimbo huru iyi yeRoyal Air Force yaiva kumadokero kweBaghdad muIraq uye General Archibald Wavell, Mutungamiriri Mukuru weMiddle East Command, akanga asingadi kupindira, pasinei nokukurudzira kwaWinston Churchill, nemhaka yezvipikirwa zvake zvokukurumidzira muWestern Desert neGreece. Auchinleck, zvisinei, akaita zvine mutsindo, achitumira battalion yeKings Own Royal Regiment nendege kuenda kuHabbaniya uye kutumira Indian 10th Infantry Division negungwa kuenda kuBasra. Wavell akakurudzirwa neLondon kuti atumire Habforce, mutsara wekubatsira, kubva kuBritish Mandate yePalestine asi panguva yaakasvika muHabbaniya musi wa18 Chivabvu Hondo yeAnglo-Iraqirakanga rapera chaizvoizvo. 