Month: December 1998 (Page 3 of 3)

INSURGENT OCT I 1937

Unseasonably early and heavy rains have turnd roads and fields in Aragon and Cataluna into a quagmire. This makes it even more unlikely that the long dormant front between Teruel and the Pyrenees will see any action for some time to come.

The Insurgents lost no time in taking advantage of having forced the Loyalists to abandon their attempts to restore communications with the Cartagena-Murcia-Alicante pocket. Franco’s main forces finally relieved the Kondor Flak regiment that had blocked the vital Jucar bridges at Alcira and widened the corridor to the sea to about 30 miles. The port of Gandia is operative and has already received supply shipments. The towns of Alcoy and Yecla, vacated by the Loyalists, were occupied without a fight. The line of the Jucar river has been secured except for a Loyalist bridgehead in the rugged country of the Reserva Nacional (23A:3805). All Nationalist Spain celebrates the Kondors’ valiant stand and eventual relief.

Faced with difficult terrain on the north front of the pocket, the Nationalists shifted their weight against the western flank, where the cities of Murcia and Cartagena are now in the front line. In determined attacks they broke into the perimeter both north and south of Murcia. Strong forces surged onto the Murcia-Cartagena rail line and are within striking distance of the coast. This has cut off the main portion of the pocket from Cartagena, its only major port. The only other remaining port, Alicante, is blockaded by submarines, and Murcia city with its industry is now threatened from the north, west, and south.

All other fronts remained quiet.

While signs of impending guerilla actions have become more ominous, security along vital rail lines and on airbases has been tightened. Further Falange, Carbinieri, and Colonial units were pull out of line, no doubt for such purposes in other rear areas. Also pulled out were the remaining Requete division, slated for a major refit under direct Army command.

While ground attack aircraft supported troops assaulting the pocket, Italian Savoia-Marchetti bombers raided industrial targets in Barcelona. Damage was slight, not enough to hamper production.

LOYALIST OCT I 1937

Faced with heavy losses in the pocket, the Loyalist command decided to shorten the front line in Valencia province in order to mount a stronger defense (now 14CF per hex in rough terrain). They evacuated Teruel as well as their Jucar brigehead in the Reserva nacional. Thanks largely to substantial factory deliveries of artillery, the new defense line is very strong (14CF per hex except in the high mountains and behind the Jucar river).

In the pocket the defenders pulled back to a perimeter that still includes Murcia, Orihuela, Elche, and Alicante. A desperate counterattack from both the pocket and Cartagena against the two Nationalist divisions that were blocking the Cartagena-Murcia rail line remained unsuccessful (AS on 2:1 odds). The defenders of Murcia are preparing for the worst, blowing up rail lines and the airport facilities.

The front between Terual and the Pyrenees remained quiet.

Meanwhile, disaster befell the remnants of the Republican Fleet. Caught at dusk off Alicante by waves of Nationalist aircraft of all types that zoomed in at low altitude, every vessel of any combat value was sunk or crippled. the Nationalists will now have full control of the seas.

COMMENTARY

The situation in the pocket has deteriorated decisively with the failure to reopen communications with Cartagena, the only major port. Supplies are beginning to run low, and only Cartagena poses more than an extensive mop-up problem for the Nationalists.

Having lost their superiority in the air some time ago, the Loyalists now can also no longer contest command of the seas. This put an end to their plans of evacuating at least some of the troops from the pocket.

Mop-up of the pocket can be expected to take no more than a few weeks. the Nationalists will then be faced again with having to slug it out against very strong defenses backed up by reserves to prevent breakthroughs. The only question is where they will launch their next offensive.

INSURGENT SEP II 1937

The battle of the Jucar continued full blast. Bypassing the Reserva nacional to the south, the Nationalist main forces pressed forward through the Enguera hills to Canals on the Albacete-Valencia highway (23A:3906) and reestablished contact with the hedgehog at Alcira, but were not yet able to reinforce it. A hapless contingent of Loyalist armor and artillery was caught and obliterated at Enguera between the Nationalist main force and the Kondor group. With naval gunfire support the latter also made short shrift of Loyalist cavalry attempting to screen them. Italian light tanks rumbled on to the coast and holed up in Gandia. The hold onto the Alcira hedgehog and the link to the coast are still quite tenuous, but the main force now sits firmly astride the road and rail links into the Cartagena-Murcia-Alicante pocket.

Although their main effort was at the Jucar, the Nationalists also launched a secondary operation against the weaker western flank of the pocket. The attack obliterated two Anarchist divisions, took Cieza, and threatens to outflank the Loyalist Segura river position that protects Murcia.

All other fronts remained quiet.

Nationalist airmen redeemed themselves for past failures. While a raid by Italian SM-79s on Barcelona’s factories proved futile, another massive attack on the Valencia airbase got through with only negligible losses, caused extensive damage, and destoyed aircraft on the ground. This now gives the Insurgents a clear superiority in the air.

Nationalist upgrading of infantry divisions proceeds apace. The first three of the requipped units saw action at Cieza.

In anticipation of guerrilla and sabotage activities, the Nationalist command continues to pull Guardia Civil and Falange units out of the front lines, allocating them to security duty at airbases, rail junctions, and along the main rail links in the rear areas.

COMMENTARY

The Kondors at Alcira may or may not be able to hold their position, but they have served their purpose: They have prevented reinforcements from reaching the coastal pocket and bought time for the main force to block the only road and rail link and gain good jump-off positions for a final dash to the coast.

The pocket still contains 3 connected supply cities and is well stocked with supplies (8ASP), so its defenders need not fear supply shortages. Two ports allow naval supply to be traced. However, the front already shows first signs of crumbling, and lack of reinforcements will make it hard to hold out for any great length of time once the trap has snapped shut completely.

LOYALIST SEP II TURN

Their defenses in the Murcia-Cartagena-Alicante area crumbling, the Loyalists abandoned their efforts to break the ring that isolates the pocket. Instead, the troops in the pocket pulled back into a tighter perimeter shielding the key cities of Murcia, Cartagena, and Alicante. No attacks were launched against the Legion Kondor’s blocking position at Alcira, still weak on the ground but with solid naval and air protection.

All other fronts remained quiet.

The remnants of the Republican Fleet sallied forth to give protection to the lone infantry division rushed into Alicante.

In the air, Loyalist fighters sortied from Valencia to attack a forward airfield on the approaches to Alcira. They were met by Italian and Nationalist Fiats and lost several obsolescent Ratas while inflicting minor damage to the target.

COMMENTARY

The decision to throw the troops in the coastal pcoket to the wolves cannot have been an easy one, yet was probably the best under the circumstances. Success of a breakthrough was highly questionable and would not have been durable even if achieved. Moreover, attacks even at rather high odds entail the risk of HX or EX results, which greatly favor the Insurgents, given their ample stock of InfRpls and the overflowing Loyalist pool. The Loyalists now pay dearly for having missed their chance to squash the Kondor Flak regiment while there was still time. What they have accomplished, however, is to keep the front forward of Valencia stable without drawing on more than a minimum of troops from the Aragon-Cataluna sector, which they obviously consider absolutely vital. Meanwhile, the Kondor’s standing firm until relieved is cause for joyous celebration in all of Insurgent Spain.

The Cartagena-Mucia-Alicante pocket itself appears doomed in the long run, but may still hold for some time. It has a general supply source as long as the three cities remain “connected,” and can draw supply through Cartagena’s major port. Cartagena itself is an improved fortress and, as such, will be hard to crack. Will that take another intervention by the Regia Marina??

INSURGENT SEP I 1937

The battle of the Jucar river is reaching a climax. In a determined effort the Nationalists pressed forward on the south bank and broke into the Republican lines, undeterred by defensive air support. The leading elements of the main force reached the confluence of the Jucar and Cabriel rivers (23A:3806) while mechanized units raced ahead through the wilderness of the Reserva nacional (3805), overrunning a Republican armored-car regiment. Italian and German light tanks continued on to reinforce the Kondors at Alcira. A continuous line has been formed along the river’s south bank, but is hardly strong enough to withstand the counterattack bound to come. The Kondors at Alcira also received air drops of ammunition.

As ashore the battle of the Jucar escalated, both navies maneuvered for position in attempts to join the fray. Italian submarines were first to arrive off-shore at the Jucar estuary. The remnants of both the Nationalist and Republican surface fleets, now about evenly matched, joined in later. The Nationalists attempted to exploit this opportunity to ferry troops (a construction regiment) from the Baleares to the mainland. However, just before sneaking into port at Palma de Mallorca the unescorted transport convoy was intercepted and sunk by the Republican fleet. However, to do so the latter had to give up their station at the Jucar estuary.

While fighting raged at the Jucar, all other fronts remained quiet.

In a massive effort to reduce their Republican counterparts the Nationalist airforce turned its attention to Cartagena, now serving as Loyalist bomber base. Once again the results were very disappointing. While Italian Fiats got the better of some obsolete Russian fighters, some Nationalist Ro-37 attack bombers fell to anti-aircraft fire, and no damage to speak of was done on the ground.

The French border was opened the previous week and remains open, but this has little effect on the overall situation.

LOYALIST SEP I 1937

In Murcia province the Loyalists stuck to their by now improved positions along their front forward of Cartagena, Murcia, Cieza, and Yekla while attempting to seal off and isolate the penetretion at Alcira. In a coordinated attack by armor from the south and infantry from the north across the Jucar against the weak patrols of Nationalist light tanks, the Reserva nacional (23A:3805) was regained, the Alcira hedgehog again cut off, and a tenuous new line of communications between the Murcia pocket and the Cataluna-Valencia heartland reestablished.

With Rebel troops now less than 30 miles from Valencia, a crash program has been initiated to fortify the city and its environs. Civil labor has been recruited and La Pasionaria is exhorting the denizens to do a job surpassing that at Madrid. Pick axes and shovels on all streets!

The Republican Fleet bestirred itself and ran a convoy ferrying an anti-aircraft regiment from Cartagena to Valencia. The fleet then put into Alicante and prepared to support the garrison should the city be attacked. The Nationalist Navy, intent on their task of protecting the Kondors at Alcira, did not try to interfere.

A raid on Madrid’s factories by Po-540 bombers remained unsuccessful.

COMMENTARY

The Loyalists’ failure to mop up the Kondors at Alcira has come back to roost. The position has been strengthened, and to eliminate it will now take a much stronger effort. While a line of communications to Murcia has been reestablished, the only rail link is still firmly blocked. The battle of the Jucar is not over, and the next few weeks will decide whether the Nationalist can manage to forge a firm corridor to the sea to cut off the Murcia pocket once and for all before poor campaign weather sets in.

If the transfer of anti-aircraft batteries is an indication, the Loyalists naval command has decided to give up using Cartagena as principal base and retreat the fleet to Valencia.

INSURGENT AUG II TURN

The battle in Murcia province escalated as the Loyalists are attempting to stem the swelling tide. The main thrust of the Nationalist offensive advanced along the Albacete-Valencia rail line and broke into the Loyalist lines. A Legion Kondor flak regiment raced forward far into the Loyalist rear and reached Alcira, where it formed a hedgehog at the Jucar river bridge, meanwhile blocking the only Loyalist line of communications between Murcia province and Valencia. A second, armor-supported attack north of the Cuenca-Valencia rail line also gained ground. Losses were heavy on both sides (two EX results).

While the airforces of both sides provided ground support in Murcia, the Nationalists staged another, smaller raid on Valencia’s airbase with fighter bombers. Escorting Italian Fiats gave intercepting Ratas (I-16s) a bad mauling, Valencia’s flak shot down some He-51s of the Legion Kondor, but the attack on the base did no damage.

All other fronts remained quiet.

The Nationalists have begun to pull Guardia Civil units out of the front lines, apparently out of concern about possible sabatoge activities in the rear.

LOYALIST AUG II TURN

In response to the Nationalist thrusts in Murcia province the Loyalists pulled back once again to shorten and strengthen their lines. They gave up Requenas (23A:3506) on the Cuenca-Valencia rail line and fell back to the Segura river at Cieza, which now is in the front line.

The Nationalist airforce went all-out to provide an umbrella for the Kondor regiment at Alcira. In the face of this support and because of a miscalculation, the Loyalists called off their planned attack, much to the jubilation of the beleaguered Legionnaires and their coherts at Albacete.

With the Nationalist airforce busy to protect the endangered Kondors, the Republicans took to the skies and raided the Albacete airbase. For want of the Kondor 88s, anti-aircraft fire remained dismally ineffective, and some aircraft were destroyed on the ground.

COMMENTARY

A crisis seems to be brewing. The failure to dislodge the Kondor flak regiment at the Jucar bridge is a major setback to the Loyalist cause. As the vital communication line into Murcia province remains interdicted, it will become even harder to contain the Nationalist offensive. If the Kondors can hold out until relieved by the main Nationalist forces, now scarecely 50 miles away, the Loyalist territory will be cut in two. To prevent that, at the very least the Loyalists will have to mount a serious effort against the Alcira hedgehog with troops pulled out from the Aragon front, a measure they obviously have been loath to resort to.

INSURGENT AUG I TURN

The battle in Murcia Province intensified as the Nationalist encountered stiffer resistance. Their thrust has narrowed and now follows the Albacete-Alicante axis south of the Jucar river. Ground was gained in heavy fighting and forward elements are within sight of Yekla. Losses on both sides were light (one HX at expense of 6 ASP). In the Requena and Cieza sectors to the north and south, the Nationalists contented themselves with following up the Loyalist tactical withdrawal. All other front remained static except for some reshuffling in preparation for reorganization and upgrading.

While the Republican airforce concentrated on ground support in Murcia province, the Insurgents took to the skies to hit the Valencia airbase with all aircraft within range. This time, however, despite lack of fighter cover the Republicans gave better than they took: Deadly accurate anti-aircraft fire (2 aborts on 2col) brought down twice as many planes as were destroyed on the ground.

Naval transport from Morocco proceeded unhindered.

LOYALIST AUG I TURN

New recruits and ample imports of materiel enabled the Loyalists to shore up their Murcia front (now 11CF per hex). As in recent times, the Fleet remained idle and the Airforce contented themselves with renewed attacks on Madrid’s rail yards with Po-540 bombers, this time with better success.

Although rumblings started again in the French parliament, the border remained closed so far.

COMMENTARY

With a relatively short front and few attacks per turn possible–Nationalist for shortage of attack supply, Loyalist for need to avoid losses–both sides are now stacked to the limit on almost every hex all along the line.

So far, Loyalist reinforcements, replacements, and imports have been able to offset attrition. However, this has been the last turn on which the Loyalists receive both infantry replacements from cities and factory production. Leaner times loom, and the only saving grace is the Insurgent shortage of attack supply (down to 4 ASP now, plus one on Mallorca).