Lost Syria to Germany Without Axis Coming Near?

[rkr1958]

I'm playing hotseat with fog of war and oil enabled. It's after the fall of France and Syria has been annexed by the U.K. It's 1941 and the Axis have crossed the Suez canal and are attacking the two Garrisons protecting the canal. (I've handled the British poorly in Egypt and now know what strategy I should use there in 1940 & 1941). The Italian navy sunk the UK BB based in Malta and forced the carrier based in Egypt to flee through the canal before it was closed. Prior to being closed I tried to reinforce Egypt through the canal with an infantry corp. An Italian BB and sub were at the transportation loop with the transport exited and nearly sunk it. I was able to save the transport and evacuate it along with a fighter air wing to Cyprus. I'm playing a mod where I've added the port Famagusta. In keeping "honest" in my hotseat play I sent an Italian sub and BB to "look" for the transport. The sub check the port at Syria and the BB checked the port at Cyprus and found the transport there.

Now here comes my question. Syria was not garrisoned by the U.K. As best as I can remember the Italian sub entered the port at Syria (if such a thing was possible given that Syria was annexed by the UK). Now Syria belongs to Germany? Does this make sense? By the way, the first unit across the Suez Canal was a German Armor (DAK) corps. Did this unit capture Syria even though it's still in Egypt? By the way, Palestine still belongs to the UK.