Europa Games and Military History

Month: April 2014

Loyalist Dec I 36 player turn

Initial Phase

At the opening of the turn the French remain positively inclined towards the Loyalists and the French border remains open (1 rolled.)  As in the previous player turn, the Insurgents have 3 sections of the front out of supply, those east and northwest of Teruel (kept in fair shape via unit shuffling) and then the larger one north of Madrid.  As before, GSPs are used to feed most of the units in the center, while the ends use shuffling.  With 4 GSPs available this turn, 4 RE’s in 3 of the out of supply hexes are feed via GSP (so even the shuffling isn’t ‘necessary’ this turn, while the 2 Mad XX in the salient goes without at U-1 black.  For the Loyalists two 4 hex long sections of front are out of supply.  One NW of Teruel with units, three U-1 and one U-2.  The other is in SE Andalucia, with 3 units in the northern most hex of the section and 3 more in the other 3 hexes, all U-1.  As has been the case all game essentially, the PA units in the NGobs are isolated but in supply.  The PA generates 3 GSPs each in Madrid, Albacete, Lorca and Valencia.

All guard forces for Santander and Euzkadi are in place, with Asturias’ garrison having been released quite some time ago.  No pacification or purification efforts are undertaken.

It’s quite the reinforcement turn for the Loyalist, huge in fact, as they start getting full XX’s this turn, which along with the change in weather ensures that there won’t be a general collapse on the Loyalist side (Sam had indicated his previous fear of such after getting through this ini phase.)  Firstly, the 27 CM Inf XX shows up at Barcelona as does a Cat eng III and a Cat mtn X.  Two X’s of Internationals show up at Albacete, a rail Art X arrives in Madrid, and finally another X of Santanderos arrives in Santander itself.  Another such X is released, as is the 1st San Cons X.  Two Basque Inf X’s are released, the 9th & 10th.  A/S is imported at Bilbao, Valencia, & 2 pts at Alicante, and then 1.5Art at Bilbao and 4.0 Art at Tarragona are offloaded from Soviet ships.  The Soviets also provide a regiment’s worth of tanks (1 Arm RP.)  The 16th Bas is added to the garrison.  Then twenty XX’s enter the various form pools, 4 Asturian, 4 Basque, 8 PA, 3 Anarchist and a Catalunian.  By the end of the turn, the Loyalists will for the first time in the game outnumber the Insurgents (in terms of replacement value of troops, if not attack potential).  Also entering the replacement pool for formation are the 6th Tank II, the 4th Art, the 15th San Art & the 17th Bas Art.

Albacete goes into production for infantry points, so the Loyalists next receive 6.5 PA, 1 Ast, 1 Bas, 1 Cat, 0.5 San, 3 An, 1 POUM and 1 Int RP.  Factory production is equally large, with Bilbao producing 1 a/s, 1 res pt, 0.5 Arm and 0.5Art, and Gijon 1 res pt and 0.5 Art in the north.  In the south, Barcelona, Madrid and Murcia produce 3 a/s, 3 res pts, 0.5 Arm & 1 Art total.  The 12th Garabaldi Int X is replaced at Albacete, the new 6th Tank at Madrid, the 17th Bas Art at Bilbao, and the 40th Inf at Barcelona.  The new Cat Mtn X, the 130th, and the new 27 CM Inf XX are each equipped.  Next, using infantry units on map, the 6th Inf XX is formed at Barcelona, the 25th and 26th An XX’s in Murcia and Catalunia, the 30th Cat XX near Lerida, and the 3rd Ast XX in northernmost Santander province.  Finally, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Bas XX’s are formed in garrison.  Truly a massive turn for reinforcements for the left wingers, anarchists, communists and other such riff-raff.

Movement Phase

In the north, the NT-3 moves to Gijon, loads the 7th Ast X, unloads it at Santander and returns to Bilbao.  The LtTF sails for Bilbao and replenishes, while all other naval units replenish in place.

In Cataluna, the northern part of the line moves up a bit forming a straight line from Lerida into the mtns NE, rather than bending along the Segre and into the mtns.  Otherwise the section of the line running from the Pyrenees into Valencia, around to Teruel, remains fairly static.  The new 30th Cat XX and the 130th Cat Mtn X are added to this section of the line.  Between Teruel and Guadalajara the line is stable as well, though c/m units are used (along w/ some rail/SMPs) to move GSPs into the area needing some, circa 3105.  North of Madrid things remain stable.  To the NE of Madrid, the 27th CM XX is railed into sector 2512 while the Mtn XXX pulls back to Madrid, going into reserve.  From hex 2612 to 3113 nothing moves, but the front from 3112 to 3612 (the Alcazar front) gets a big influx of troops.  The defensive strength per hex essentially doubles.  Rather than facing 3 pt hexes, the 4 main hexes have 6 or 7 pt stacks.  To the south sit 3 pt stacks, while the northern flank is 5 to 4 pt stacks all the way to the mtns northwest of Madrid.  Pushing further along this axis just got a lot harder.  The line in Andalucia remains static, though some units are used to cartage GSPs forward.  To get all the new units into the line 1 res pt was spent to temp increase rail cap, and there was a lot of cartaging and SMP’ing a/s and GSPs about as well.  However, with the Mtn XXX pulled into reserve and the poor weather, it doesn’t appear that the Loyalists have any plans for attacking in the south.

Up in the NGobs, the new 3rd Ast XX enters the line, while 3 Ast X’s are pulled out, 1 from Asturias itself, and 2 from the Santander gap at 1504.  Into 1504 flow new Santander X’s.  Further south, the Basques get frisky.  Bilbao is essentially denuded of troops (with only the intrinsic garrison and a pos AA defending) and 1702 and 1801 are stacked to the brim for an apparent spoiling attack against the Nationalists in 1802.

Combat Phase

There doesn’t appear to be any combat planned in the south, and the obvious attack in the north isn’t within range of any a/c, so no Insurgent missions occur.  In the north the Vild flies GS to 1802.  There, the 11 L Art and 12GC Sec III defend against a hodge-podge of Bas Inf, Eng, Art, Mtr & Art units, along with a single PA Mtn II providing ‘leadership’ I’m sure.  The attack uses 1 a/s from Bilbao, and at a high cost in Basque lives the sector eventually falls, but not without the defenders giving as good as they got (5:1 -3, partial a/s, rough terrain plus mud, 3 rolled for an EX.)  The Nat Art & Sec III’s die, as do the 3rd and 4th Bas Inf X’s.  A single Bas X advances, the 6th, perhaps to lure the Nationalists into an attack north of the 19xx hexrow and thereby free up the garrison?

Exploitation Phase

At sea NT-3 replenishes, the BBTF in Gijon harbor preps for NGS, the LtTF moves to Guernica and does likewise, and all other naval units remain in place.  On land, c/m mov’t is limited, with the 6th Tk II carrying 2 GSPs into the mtns at 3106, and 1st Arm X moving into the 2nd line at 3011.  In the air, the I-16’s and Bre19 attempt to bomb the airfield at Valladolid but miss with a 3 rolled.  Thus ends the turn.

Insurgent Dec I 36 player turn

Initial Phase

Winter weather finally arrives in the south of Spain, when a 3 is rolled, resulting in mud across all of Spain.  A pair of 2’s at sea results in rough wx in the Atlantic and clear in the Med.  For the Insurgents the change in wx hasn’t made much impact.  The same sections of front are out of supply in the D wx zone, 2 hexes btw Teruel and the Aragon front (units kept at U-1 via shuffling), one hex NW of Teruel (U-1 again), and the dead zone north & NE of Madrid.  Here the edges of 5 hex section of front is kept at U-1 via shuffling.  GSPs feed 3 RE’s of the 5 RE’s in the central hexes, though one unfed unit is now U-3.  In the E zone, with better lines of communication, no part of the Insurgent front is out of supply.  Things are less rosy for the Loyalists.  They have better lines in the D zone so all units are in supply.  However, btw Guadalajara and Teruel 4 hexes go out of supply, unable to overland back to the Madrid-Valencia low volume rail line.  Likewise, in the eastern Cordillera Penibetica of SE Andalucia & NW Murcia 4 hexes go out of supply.  All these units are U-1, so now the Loyalists will have to start paying more attention to their supply situation and begin supply shuffles or sending in GSPs or both.  After the above supply calculus, the GSPs near the front are removed and 3 more each are created at Valladolid, Zaragoza, and Sevilla.

Pacification is completed at Osuna and Talavera, the latter helping to solidify the supply lines along the Talavera front.  Only two towns (off rail lines) remain unpacified in the Nationalist rear.

It’s a good turn for reinforcements, with the big Mov Inf XX arriving at Jaen, the Pos Inf XX at Valladolid, and the AGM Fal Inf X at Cordoba.  One pt of pos AA arrives at Cadiz, and 2 a/s each are imported at Sevilla, La Coruna, and Malaga.  4 Art RPs are imported to Vigo and then into the pool, while a new Arty III staff arrives (III to replacement pool for building.)  1 Res pt arrives at each of the two Insurgent factories, while 2 a/s is produced at Sevilla’s and one at Oviedo’s.  0.5 Arty is also produced at Sevilla.  Malaga and Badajoz both go into production for infantry, with a total of 9.5 Nat, 1.5 Col, 4.0 Fal, and 2.0 Req being added to the pool, as well as 1 NRP being produced at El Ferrol.  Using these and the accumulated points, the 1st LE Inf III, and 4th & 5th Lt inf II’s are replaced at Jaen, the 2nd LE Inf III, 1 Sev Fal X, & 6 GS Sec III at Valladolid.  The 2nd Cas Inf XX is then formed with the 2 LE Inf III, returning that III back to the pool.  The Mov, Pos, and 2nd Cas Inf XX’s are all equipped, and the new 1st Art III is built at Sevilla.  Finally, the sunk BBTF is returned at Ceuta with 2 hits using the 1 NRP just produced at EF.

In construction, +1 rail cap is permanently built at Sevilla using 2 res pts at Sevilla and 1 at LC, bringing the new rail cap total to 11.  Five entrenchments are begun, two SE of Talavera, two east of Guadalajara, and one at 4630 along the Aragon-Cataluna border.  No air declarations by either side are made.

Movement Phase

In naval mov’ts, the SS’s return to Ceuta and replenish, while the TF’s already at Ceuta replenish as well.  All these then wait out the phase.  The three NT’s in the Canaries load 1 AS, move it to Cadiz, then unload it, before moving towards the north of Spain, reaching a point about 60 miles west of Vigo before the end of the phase.

All along the Aragon, Teruel and Guadalajara fronts nothing much occurs beyond supply shuffling and one unit entering the line in Aragon.  To the rear, the 2nd Mech III slowly moves towards Zaragoza, with the Nats unwilling to spend rail cap on it.  North of Madrid, the east part of the supply dead zone remains fairly static, other than supply shuffling.  The Mxd T unit at Zaragoza air drops supply on the east side at 2407, with 1 of 2 pts landing undisrupted.  On the west side of this part of the line the 2nd Mad XX takes over the defense of the mtn salient at 2510, putting a stronger zoc on the defenders.  The arty moves out of the mtns and with non divs puts a 3 pt defense at 2410 at the edge of the salient.  The 2 Cas XX, 1 Sev Inf X and 6 GC Sec III at Valladolid move or admin to 2211, just behind Avila, cartaging 3 GSPs from the city as well.  The Pos Inf XX rails to 2211, then cartages those GSPs to 2311, which should feed the salient next turn.  The new 1st Art III at Sevilla rails to the lines at Avila, and the 7th & 8th Mtn II’s move into the line at 2313, thereby reconnecting a full line around the large Loyalist salient circa 2512 NW of Madrid.  SE of Talavera, some purposeful shuffling occurs, with some infantry type non divs entering the line, the big 2 P arty III pulling out of the line to the rails, and the two CTV units at 2714 remaining in the line but moving to 2613 along the rail line, where they can be moved easier next turn.

Btw Talavera and Ciudad Real the lines are fairly static, but very four very large stacks (btw 9 and 12 AS) form up btw 3213 and 3513 along the Alcazar front.  To the rear of these stacks, more units admin forward, not quite able to reach the front but forming a good reserve for any losses sustained upcoming.  South of 3513 the line is static, except for 2 units taking possession of two hexes evacuated by retreating Loyalists in their last turn.  One a/s pt is railed from Cadiz to the Alcazar front, while another is SMP’d from Puente-Genil (where it was previously moved to from Malaga).

Combat Phase

No DAS is flown by the Loyalists, though I’m not sure why.  Perhaps they didn’t wish to take on the CR32bis’s positioned for intercept at the 3414 field, though the I-16’s are better birds.  Regardless, with no Loyalist fighters in the area, bombers are free to fly GS unimpeded (by the enemy if not the weather.)  The Ju52’s and He51’s of the Kondor Legion fly GS to 3212, as does a Bre19 unit.  South of this, in the woods of 3414 Mxd float bombers fly GS over the heads of the Anarchist stack.

At 3213, just NW of Tomelloso, the 1 V Inf X and 1 Cab Art III are assaulted by two large stacks, a mixed bag of Nat and Col Infantry, the big Mov Inf XX, the Falanist VMS Cav X, the Colonial 2 O Cav II, machinegunners, Italian and German flak units and various other odds and sods.  After GS, the final odds are high but the defending loyalists still manage to retreat in good order, though retreat they do (6:1, -2, partial AS, 3 rolled for a DR.)  Thirty miles south, two X’s of Anarchists and the Anarchist CNT Art III are assaulted by more of the Army of Africa, including lots of Colonial Infantry and Cav, some Fal Inf, a pair of combat engineers, Lt Inf II’s and the O & E Art III’s, and even some German tankettes.  Despite this colorful group, the Anarchists also manage a fighting withdrawal (6:1, -3, partial AS, 4 rolled for another DR.)  The wx is definitely having an impact, but even so, after combat the town of Tomelloso faces enemy forces on 3 sides, and the Nationalists are just 30 miles from the critical Alcazar rail junction.  Whether it can be taken and held given the weather remains to be seen.

Exploitation Phase

The NT’s move to EF at night, replenish, then load 1 a/s and carry it across the bay to La Coruna (there’s no transportation line between EF and the rest of Spain, and I forgot to cartage the a/s point to the rail line on the first turn of the game).  They then head for Cadiz, making the port before the end of the turn.  The subs wait until the last substep, then moving along the African coast, then out to their patrol area off Cartagena at night.  The TF’s wait as well, moving to Cadiz at the end of the naval mov’t portion of exploit.

Ground mov’t is very limited.  The 2nd Mech III makes it Zaragoza.  The Bab Lt Arm II pulls out of the line SE of Talavera, joining the Nat 2 P arty III at 2514.  The German units on the Alcazar front remain where they are.  In the air nothing can occur as all planes have flown (the absence of expected DAS at 3212 allowed the 6:1 with heavy GS.  Had DAS flown, the 6:1 would have been 5:1 and a/c would have flown some exploit missions.)

Loyalist Nov II 36 player turn

Initial Phase

The phase opens with some good news for the Loyalists on the political front, as a change in government policy in France occurs, opening the border between the two countries (1 rolled.)  In supply, things remain much as they have since the wx changed in the north.  For the Insurgents, 4 hexes north of Madrid are OOS, with GSPs nearby limiting the worst of the difficulties.  North of Teruel one hex/unit is U-1, while east and a bit south of Teruel 2 hexes with unit each are U-1.  For the Loyalists, all units are in supply except northwest of Teruel where one hex/unit is U-1.  All the PA units in the NGobs are isolated but in supply via the various cities inherent supply.
All border guard forces facing the NGobs are in place.  Cuenca is pacified, ending the impact of the raid a month or two ago.  The 1 L Art III is replaced at Madrid, while the 21st Inf X is replaced at Albacete (supported.)  The 1 Car Bdr III upgrades to the 3 Car Inf X at Valencia.  Due west of Madrid at sector 2713 another fort is q.c’d, while in the north two Asturian Cons X’s q.c. a fort at Aviles (which will take some time to complete, as the weather is poor.)  No ini phase air missions are flown.

Movement Phase

In the Bay of Biscay NT-3 loads the 10 Car Bdr III at Bilbao, carries it to Gijon, unloads it, then returns to Bilbao for replenishment.  The LtTF moves to Bilbao from the coast of Guernica, then replenishes before waiting out the rest of the phase.  In the Med, NT-4 and the Catalunian NT-1 along with LC-1 move to Mahon, load the attack supply there, move to Cast. de la Plana, then via protected waters to Valencia, where the a/s is unloaded.  These ships then return to Cast. de la Plana via protected waters and on to Barcelona, all avoiding any reaction by the Italian sub group off Cartagena.
In ground movement, along the Aragon front there is some unit shuffling but nothing is remotely offensive at this point, thanks to the rain and mud.  Likewise, along the Teruel and Guadalajara fronts only a few minor tweaks occur in the line.  The POUM’s Maur X catches trains from near Alcazar and heads for the fort at 2609, north of Madrid.  This frees the 11th Th. International X to move into 2511.  The new 3 Car Inf X rails from Valencia to 2412, but the units south consisting of the Mtn XXX at 2512 and two strong inf X’s at 2612 don’t shift.  An assault against the wooded rough at 2513 seems unlikely, but the 2411 Mtn XX is threatened a bit, defended by single unsupported point, despite the terrain and weather.  West of Toledo some more shuffling occurs, but nothing offensive appears in the works.  Along the Alcazar front, PA units take over the defense of Tomelloso, while Anarchist units are send to the woods in 3412, sacrificial lambs I’m sure as there are more An replacements than anything else for Loyalists at this point, and the CNT Art III only costs 0.5 Arty to replace as well.  Still, there’s no reason to think the front will hold back the Insurgent Army of Africa pushing towards Alcazar at this point.  South of Tomelloso sectors 3301 and 3302 are given up without a fight, creating a straight line that runs from 3512 to 3407 just east of Almeria, before hooking to the sea at 3508.  Along this sliver of Andalucia no movement occurs other than the giving up of the two aforementioned hexes.
In the north, in Asturias units shuffle south along the narrow strip of Asturias still in Loyalist hands, allowing three Inf X’s to leave zoc by entering northern Santander.  They’ll surely form up a XX next turn.  Other than these units entering Santander, no mov’t occurs in that gobernito.  Similarly, all units in Euzkadi remain in place, relying on good terrain, weather and the apparent desire of the Insurgents not to release the garrison to hold the lines; a fair bet.
To the rear, aside from minor rail mov’ts of units to the front, mostly covered already, 1 AS is sent by rail from Tarragona to Madrid, while another pt is shifted from Albacete to Madrid via SMPs.  On the insurgent side, the Mxd B (f)’s at Almeria transfer back to Malaga to limit airbase bombing targets.

Combat Phase

There appears to be only one possible attack, at 2411, planned by the Loyalists.  No Insurgent DAS can reach the spot, so no Insurgent a/c fly.  No Loyalist a/c fly either.  At 2411, the Loyalists do attack the defending 6 GC Sec III.  One a/s is spent to put the main Mtn XXX (1 Mtn Art III, plus 4 Mtn II’s), plus the 11 Th Internat’l X, 3 Car Inf X and 1 GA Sec X into attack supply.  Other attacking units go without.  PA morale holds (the last such roll of the game, as militia affects end next turn), and the hex is carried easily (13:1 -4, mtns, mud, partial a/s provided, 4 rolled for morale for NE, 6 rolled for combat for a DE.)

Exploitation Phase

The BBTF prep’s for NGS inside Gijon harbor, while the LtTF moves to Guernica’s hex and preps for NGS there.  The transports used for the a/s move to Valencia replenish at Barcelona.
In ground mov’t, the AAC Lt Arm retreats back from 2712 to Madrid proper, and the 1st Arm II moves into a second line position backstopping the Alcazar front (in the woods at 3411.)  Similarly, 1st Arm X backstops the line NW of Alcazar at 3012.  In the air, the Vild and Bre bomb the rail junction at 1909, just NE of Valladolid, but miss with a 1.  The I-15/t5’s transfer from Albacete to west Madrid.  The D.371 transfers from France to Bilbao, while the I-15/t22 that had been at Bilbao transfers to Albacete.

Insurgent Nov II 36 player turn

Initial Phase

With a 3 rolled it remains mud in D and clear in zone E.  In the Atlantics storms roll in with a 6 rolled, while to the south and east in the Med, the clouds kick up rough seas (5 rolled.)
Supply issues remain much the same as last turn.  Five hexes north of Madrid are OOS, with 3 units going U-4 black but receiving supply via GSPs cartaged last turn.  Another unit is U-2 red, while ‘edge’ units and the cartaging XX are U-1 red.  In the south btw Teruel and the Aragon front 2 more hexes w/1 unit each are U-1 red, as is one hex NW of Teruel.  For the loyalists, just one hex NW of Teruel is U-1 black.  After GSPs are used to put units into supply the on map ones are removed, and 2 more generated at Zaragoza while 3 are generated at Valladolid.
A goodly number of cities are fully pacified this turn, including San Sebastian (which gains its intrinsic garrison thereby), Ubeda, Puertollano, Ciudad Real and Valdepenas.  To the rear, Osuna and Talavera have units begin pacification (Cadiz Fal X and 7th Cav respectively.)
In reinforcements and replacements, the 1st and 2nd LE Inf III’s are replaced at Caceres, having been used for XX builds.  They are each then used again to form the 1st and 2nd Avila Inf XX’s, which are in turn equipped, at all the cost of 5 Nat and 1 Art RP.  The 20 GC Sec III and ZMO Eng III, killed defending the airfield NW of Toledo in the Loyalist turn, are rebuilt at Sevilla and Valladolid respectively.
At 2714 the 2nd Soria XX begins entrenching.  No air declarations are made by either side.

Movement Phase

In naval mov’t, the 3 NT’s with an AS aboard at Sevilla unload, and then move to Ceuta, where they wait to join with other naval units.  The CATF uses the first substep to replenish, then waits.  The three CTV SS units all move to Ceuta and then replenish.  Twenty nmps into the 2nd step, the CATF and NT’s form one group, while the SS’s form a 2nd, both groups travelling together to 3111 at night, and then in the 3rd step running to 3511 at night, then towards Palma within reaction range of the enemy CLTF at Cartagena.  The Loyalists ignore this grand fleet (any reaction for combat would require the CLTF to fight the 6 pts of subs ‘screening’ the Insurgent surface units first, as submarine combat proceeds surface.)  The AS at Palma is loaded, and then the whole group proceeds to head back west, reaching 24:2409 before the naval portion of the move phase is completed.
In Aragon, ground mov’t is limited.  The weak 1 pt line along the Cinca remains in place.  Thirty miles west of Lerida, the ZC Eng III rails into 4429, allowing the 2nd Mech III to cross the Ebro in the mud to the rail line.  It can be railed back west later from this point.  3rd Mad XX moves into 4630, establishing a strong defensive unit at the bend in the line where the Insurgent line goes from running SW to W.  In turn, 16L Art & 10 GC Sec III’s shift 15 miles westward into the wooded rough, improving defense in that key piece of terrain.  An Eng III shifts west, and the 18th Inf III pulls out of the line for movement elsewhere in Spain next turn.  SE and NW of Teruel units do a supply shuffle, and while 5th Mtn II is added to the defense of 3303, by and large the area around Teruel remains static.  East of Guadalajara the Hue and 3rd Soria XX’s switch about, taking position in 2606 and 2706, where they can begin the slow process of entrenching next turn.  NW of Madrid, more supply shuffling goes on at the edges of the supply dead zone, while the ZMO Eng at Valladolid admin cartages GSPs forward (after the Mxd T attempts to drop GSPs from Zaragoza, with both again being scattered).  2nd Madrid XX moves into the line at 2410.  The mountains in 2410 are held weakly with a single point, while two mtn II’s rail into Avila from Santander province to join the 10th Cav already there.  Unfortunately they can’t quite reach 2313, so the mtns west of Avila are left undefended for the moment.  2nd Cav backs out of 2513 to defend the mountains at 2413, so the gap is at least limited to a single hex.  On the otherhand, 1st Madrid XX and the strong 1 P Art III move into 2513, while the 2nd Avila XX and 4 Lar Col Inf III are railed into Talavera and then move east a hex into the front line, joined by the 15L art from 2513.  7th Bdr III moves to 2614, and then 1stAvila XX is railed to Talavera, moving overland to 2714, where it is joined by the 26th III and the CTV’s Ter Art III and Bab Lt Arm II.  The PA salient at 2613 from last turn’s battle is pinched off and ready to be counterattacked next phase.  1 AS is already in Talavera, ready for just this purpose.
South of Talavera, 2nd Soria XX and some smaller units west of the Guadiana move up to re-engage the retreating Loyalist line.  The smaller units engage the PA’s 40th III, which couldn’t quite make the main line.  They are assisted by the Van Inf XX, which shifts north a hex into this area from Ciudad Real.  Along the Valdepenas front 4 strong stacks of attacking units form up for continued attacks into the Loyalist line that is constantly being pressured.  Two Loyalist stacks with hard to replace units are targeted, including one with the 12th Garibaldi X (an international X) and an Art III, and one with the 1st Mech III and the PA’s strong 1st Art III (a 1-2-6).  To the rear, a Sec and Col Inf III admin cartage some AS forward, while SMPs are used as well.  Only 2 AS can be moved to Linares or just east of that town, but they should be sufficient to feed the better units in the upcoming combat phase.  Down in southeast Andalucia, the line remains basically the same.  A temp airfield at Almeria is completed however.
In the north, the Nationalist line remains essentially the same.  Only some minor shuffling occurs to make up for the loss of the 2 Mtn II’s sent to Avila.  7 SMPs are used to move 1 res pt from Oviedo to 30 miles southeast of Leon.  The current plan is to move the res pt to Valladolid, for a later permanent rail cap build at the RMY there.  Of truly minor note, the 31st III continues gaining ownership of unowned hexes in northern Asturias.

Combat Phase

The phase starts with the PA air force flying DAS with Bre19s to 3513 to protect the Garibaldi group, escorted by I-16’s.  The CTV CR.32bis is in position to intercept, but I don’t wish to put the unit at risk of being damaged in air to air (or bypassing) since the DAS was presumed and accounted for.  The KL He51 and Mxd B floatplanes fly GS to the same hex, essentially canx’ing the DAS.
The first combat goes very well, east of Talavera.  The PA’s 21st X is smashed to pieces by a combined arms assault including CTV Arm and Artillery units, Nat Inf XX’s, Nat Art III’s and a Col Inf III (6:1 even, 6 RE’s supply plus the CTV inherent attack supply, no PA morale effects with a 5 rolled, 1 pt GS from Bre19, 6 rolled for combat for a DE.)  All Insurgent units west and northwest of 2613 advance, putting 7 pts of DS into the hex, no doubt sufficient to end the Loyalist offensive in this area.
Next, the 40th Inf III at 3014 is killed, albeit not without giving a good account of itself (5:1 -1, 2 rolled for morale, so no effect thanks to rough terrain, no AS provided, ½ pt DAS and 2 pts GS, 2 rolled for an HX, a shame since a DR would have resulted in a zoc kill.)  1st Sev Fal X is killed to absorb the HX, while three 1 pt unsupported units move into the hex.
The next attack goes in at 3513.  If cleared and then 3412 is successful, even with just a DR, another c/m raid can be launched in exploit.  The attack at 3513 is successful, eliminating the Garibaldi and the 1 L Art III, units requiring rare RPs to replace, albeit again at the cost of more Insurgent infantry, in this case, the 4th and 5th Lt Inf II’s (4:1 even, partial AS provided to the larger units, 3 rolled for no PA morale effect, a 2nd 2 rolled for combat for another HX.)  The 3rd Ceu Col Inf III, 2nd and 3rd Lt Inf II’s and E Art III advance into the hole in the Loyalist lines.  Unfortunately, the PA’s 1st Mech manages to fight yet another successful delaying action along this portion of the front (5:1 -3, no morale as both units are non-militia, partial AS provided to the better units, a 3rd 2 rolled, for an AS… the 2nd time this PA unit has been involved in a battle with an AS result.)  Unable to clear this hex, the KL c/m II’s that were poised to launch another raid behind the Loyalist line are stymied, as they couldn’t return to the lines by the end of exploit without this wooded hex in Insurgent hands.  This is indeed a shame, as Albacete had naught but a single pt of pos flak and an attack supply point in it.  The KL would easily have destroyed them both and then returned unscathed, while putting a crimp on the loyalist supply situation as well thanks to pacification issues.  Drat.
The PA I-16’s return to Albacete, while the PA Bre19 returns to west Madrid.  The Nat Bre19 returns to Caceres, while the He51 returns to the 3414 temp field and the Mxd B (f) to Almeria.

Exploitation Phase

In naval movement the CTV subs and CATF return to Ceuta and wait, with the subs eventually returning to station of Cartagena in the 10th substep.  The NT’s move to Sevilla, unload the AS point they are carrying, then move to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where they replenish and await their next opportunity to move attack supply to the front.
In ground mov’t the Dro Lt Arm II remains at 3313, unable to raid.  The 88th Lt AA does shift from 3313 to 3513, the hole in the Loyalist line that was punched in the first attack in this area.  This will bring the defense of the hex up to 6 pts and add some flak as well.  In the east the 2nd Mech III moves one hex along the rail toward Zaragoza, slogging through mud.
In the air, the CR32bis and the Ju52g4e launch airbase bombing raids against the Bre19 just returned to west Madrid.  Both get by flak, but neither manages to gain a hit.  This then ends the Insurgent turn.
This is as far as my current AAR carries me, even though we are currently playing the Loyalist Jul I 37 turn.  Now I’ve got my inducement to start writing again J  More to follow!

Loyalist Nov I 36 player turn

Initial Phase

The French border stays closed with a roll of 2.  In supply issues, all Loyalist units but one NW of Teruel are in supply, but those in the northern gobernitos remain isolated.  For the Insurgents, two hexes btw the Teruel and Aragon fronts remain OOS, filled with U-1 red units.  NW of Teruel another hex/unit is U-1 red.  North and northeast of Madrid, 5 hexes with a number of units are OOS.  The ‘outer’ hexes are U-1 red, thanks to unit swaps with in supply hexes.  The central hexes, plus the arty in the salient at 2510 are U-2 or worse, but GSPs feed the arty and 2 of the 3 remaining U-2 or worse units.  The Loyalists generate no GSPs.
All gobernito guard forces are in place (with Santander and Euzkadi the ones remaining, as the Asturians have been released for some time.)  The pacification of Cuenca is completed.
This is a huge Loyalist reinforcement turn, just in time.  Ten PA inf X’s arrive, 2 each at each of Madrid and Barcelona’s hexes, plus 1 each at Albacete, Lorca, Murcia, Cartagena, Alicante & Valencia.  A number of An X’s show up as well, including 1 each at Murcia, Valencia, Tarragona and 2 at Barcelona.  Two more An X’s are likely permanently delayed, and go into the delayed reinforcements pool. The 12th Garibaldi Inf X (Int) shows up in Albacete.  In the gobernitos, the 2nd Basque Eng III forms up in Bilbao and the 1st Cat Art II in Barcelona.  The 7th & 8th Basque X’s are released for frontline duty in Euzkadi, while in Asturias the 2nd Eng III, 13th, 14th & 1st Exp Ast Inf X’s arrive at Gijon.  The 13th & 14th San X’s go into garrison, as do the 13th through 15thBas X’s.  One AS each is imported at Gijon and Cast. de la Plana, while 2 more arrive at the docs of Tarragona.  Further east, a massive number of artillery tubes arrive from the USSR, with some 7.5 Art RPs offloading.  Another point arrives in Bilbao.  The Soviets send a large shipment of tanks as well, with 1.5 Arm RPs offloading at Barcelona.  They ship in a pairs worth of Soviet piloted air units too, with type 6 I-16s shipped into Bilbao and type 22 I-15’s at Santander.  The Spanish piloted N.52 unit withdraws and the Spainards begin training on the new Soviet aircraft.  A French provided bomber unit, the Po.540 with Polish aircraft, is stuck in the France holding box as it works up (6 rolled for this ‘inop’ unit, resulting in a 6 turn delay before it will be allowed to cross into Spain, assuming the border is open.)  Trucks are shipped in from France as well, with the SMP total going to 10.  The 1st Tank X and 3rd and 16th Ast Art III’s are added to the replacement pool, while the 1st Mech becomes a delayed removal from same.
Production is high as well, with 6 PA, 1 Ast, 1 Bas, 1 Cat, 0.5 San, 3 An, and 1 POUM Inf RPs generated.  The new 1st Tank X is built at Madrid’s factory, while the AAC Arm Car III and 8 L Art are replaced there as well.  The 16th Ast Art III is built at Bilbao.  A mass of units killed in the last turn are replaced at Madrid, including the 1 V Inf X, 4th Inf III, 3 Eng III, 1st & 2nd Mtn II’s, 1stBicycle II & 4th MG II.  Additionally, the 4th Cav is replaced at Valencia and the 19 GC Sec at Barcelona.  Artillery is given out to the 16th through 23rd Inf X’s, bringing them all to 1-2-6* status.  At Madrid, the 4th Inf III converts to the 4th Ch Inf X, while at Toledo the 2nd Inf III converts to the 2 Ch Inf X.  The upgrades to the 6 Ch, 3 Car and 5 Car Inf X’s are delayed.
No entrenching or fort building occurs, and no air declarations are made.

Movement Phase

At sea, NT-3 loads the 16th Ast Art at Bilboa, carries it to Gijon and unloads.  It then returns to Bilbao and replenishes.  The LtTF sails for Bilbao and replenishes.  NT-4 uses protected waters in the south to move from Cartagena to Cast. de la Plana, avoiding reaction by Italian subs off Cartagena.  It then continues on to Barcelona, replenishes, and waits out the turn.  The Cat NT-1 loads the 19th GC Sec III at Barcelona, moves to Mahon, unloads the Sec III, loads the 1 Car Bdr III at Mahon, and then moves to Valencia via Cast. de la Plana and protected coastal waters.
In the front line from near the French border to just shy of the pass south of Teruel, pretty much nothing happens or even moves.  In that pass, the An POUM Inf X rails into the pass hex at 3403.  The new 1st Cat Art II (rail) head there as well, strengthening the hex significantly.  The PA 4th Cav joins the line just west of the pass, allowing units to shift northwards and fill the gap in the line created by last turn’s Insurgent attack at 3204.  Further north, the 16th & 17th X’s join the line east of Guadalajara, allowing the gap at 2906 to be filled with other units already nearby.  North of Madrid, nothing much moves, but northwest and west of Madrid, units are massed for continued attacks.  The Mtn Art III, along with the 4 PA Mtn II’s and the 1stBicycle II move to 2512, joining the 1st GA Sec X already there.  The 2nd & 4th Ch Inf X’s and the AAC Lt Arm III move into 2612.  Sector 2713 is filled with an even bigger selection of units, including the big 3 P Art III and ZM Eng III’s, the 1st Arm X, 1st Arm II, 3 MG II’s and the 21st Inf X.  To the SW, 2813 is filled out as well, with 23rd Inf and the Cab Art III joining the 7th Eng & 13th Inf already in place.  From 2914 to Tomelloso, then southwest to 3301 next to the eastern part of the Cordillera Penibetica a new defensive front is created with all the new units, with a minimum of 3 and as many as 5 DS in each hex.  A few units form a partial 2nd line as well to keep the Insurgent c/m units at bay.  In building this line however, the east bank of the Guadiana river is abandoned, essentially giving up a 5 hex salient without a fight (one unit, the 40th Inf III, cannot make the new main line and is left as a rearguard in 3014.)  Even the Anarchists are pushed into the main line, with an all An stack guarding Tomelloso itself.  From 3302 in the mountains to 3508 on the Med, the line is pretty much stable, though the new 19th Inf X (a supported unit) does join the line at 3405, screening the gaps in the mountains some 45 miles west of Lorca.
Up in the northern gobernitos nothing dramatic occurs.  Some shifting to add new units into the line and add strength, but nothing that would indicate any sort of mud offensive.  Some X’s do start shifting southeast in Asturias, probably headed for northern Santander, the first hex without an enemy zoc in it, which would allow Asturian XX’s to form up.  At the end of movement, the Insurgent Mxd B (f) unit transfers from Almeria back to Malaga for safety.

Combat Phase

Based on Loyalist moves, it seems like they may be trying any number of combination of attacks northwest of Toledo.  They could conceivable attack both 2513 and 2714 (putting 4 hex frontage on my airfield at 2613), 2613 and 2513, or 2613 and 2412.  The southern 3 of 4 hexes seem the most damaging to me, so the CR32’s fly CAP over 2513 prior to the end of movement.  The new He51’s then fly DAS there, which will allow them to land at Salamanca if the 2613 temp airfield falls.  The Bre19’s at 2613 fly DAS above their own field, while the Ju52g4e’s fly DAS to 2714 (probably the least likely hex facing attack, but also the only one that the Junkers can reach.)  No attacks on the Valdepenas front are possible, nor are any elsewhere.
In response, the PA Bre19’s fly GS over 2613.  Had there been any flak units in 2613, I’m sure this would have made for a confusing air battle, with both loyalist and insurgent Bre19’s flying ground missions in the same hex at the same time.  The PA’s first attack is against 2412, with the Mtn units leading the way.  Defending is the lone 10th Cav, but it manages a successful fighting withdraw, with few losses.  (Full AS provided, 12:1 -4 odds, no PA morale with 5 rolled, 1 rolled for a DR with no zoc’s.)  It retreats away to Avila, with only the 1 GA Sec X advancing.  Further south, at 2613, things go a bit poorer for the Insurgents, as the mass of troops supported by armor cannot be held off from the field.  The ZMO Eng III and 20th GC Sec III bravely hold the field as long as possible, while the large 1 P Art III manages to escape as do all a/c.  Eventually they are overwhelmed by armor units however (nearly all units provided AS, no PA morale with a 5 rolled, final odds at 3:1 +1, 5 rolled for a DH, killing the two infantry type units and allowing the Arty III to retreat to 2514.  The 21st PA Inf X advances, destroying the temp field as it does so.  The He51 lands at Salamanca, the Bre19 at Valladolid, and the Ju52’s return south to the 3414 field.  On the PA side, the Bre19’s return to west Madrid.

Exploitation Phase

The new I-16/t5’s transfer to west Madrid.  In the north, the I-15/t22’s fly an airbase bombing mission along with the Vild that stages in from Cartagena to Bilbao, against Burgos.  A 6 is rolled, generating a hit on the airfield.
At sea, the Cat NT-1 unloads the Bdr III at Valencia, then returns via protected waters to Cast. de la Plana to Barcelona, where it replenishes.  The LtTF in the north heads for 2932, where it preps for NGS.  The BBTF at Gijon preps for NGS.  The rest of the naval units wait out the phase.
No ground movement occurs as all Loyalist armor is either in zoc, attacked or both.

Insurgent Nov I 36 player turn

Initial Phase

A 3 is rolled for ground weather, so it remains mud in D and clear in E.  A 3 for the Atlantic and 5 for the Med make for rough seas on either side of the Iberian peninsula.  In terms of supply then, 5 hexes with a bunch of units remain out of supply north of Madrid.  2 GSPs in 2309 pt the artillery in the salient and an Inf III in the main line north of the mountains back into supply before disappearing.  In the far south of Aragon, 2 more hexes worth of units are out of supply at U-1 red.  For the Loyalists, all units in the northern gobernitos are in supply, but PA units are isolated.  One Cav III northwest of Teruel, right in the middle of the mountains, is U-1 black.  3 GSPs each are generated at Zaragoza and Valladolid.
In political affairs, Martos, Velez-Malaga and Tineo complete pacification.  San Sebastian begins its second of 2 turns.  Pacification begins in Ubeda, Puertollano, Ciudad Real and Valdepenas.
In reinforcements the 1 Av, 2 Av, and 2 Cas Inf XX’s go to the form box, while 1st Mad, 2nd Mad & 3rd Mad XX’s go to Caceres, Valladolid & Zaragoza respectively.  The 1st Cons III forms up at San Sebastian, while the 2nd forms at Almeria.  The I-S Col Inf III arrives from Ceuta (from Ifni-Sahara) for mov’t to the mainland.  The first ground forces of the Kondor Legion are offloaded at Huelva, including a Lt Arm II, a lt AA II and a pos AA unit.  Two AS are landed at Sevilla, 2 more at Malaga, 1 at Cadiz, 2 at San Sebastian and finally 2 at La Coruna, while LC also gets a res pt.  Two Arty RPs hit the docks at Vigo, while the new KL He51 arrives at Almeria and the KL Ju52g4e arrives at Cadiz.  The brigade staff of the 1 RG [X] is ready ([X] is available for assembly, a good arty unit for efficient AS usage, assuming you can afford to give up an RE of arty to bring it on map.)
In production, 8.0 Nat, 1.5 Col, 3.5 Fal, 2.0 Req & 1 CTV ARP arrive (the first of the Andalusian cities taken early in the war are now in production, including Jaen, Jerez & Huelva).  The 2 O Col Cav III is then rebuilt in Ceuta, the O & E Mg II’s and 28 Inf III at Jaen.  The 1 LE Inf III is used to form the 2 Sor XX, and the 2 LE Inf III forms up as the 3 Sor XX.  2.5 Arty then equips these two, plus all 3 of the Madrid XX’s.  Unfortunately, a stray mine then finds its way into Ceuta’s harbor, striking the Espana and sending her down (12 rolled on random mine damage, so both sides have now suffered their mine damage fate.)  Neither side makes any naval patrol declarations, nor is CAP or harassment flown.

Movement Phase

Naval mov’ts begin first as always.  The 3 Nat NT’s load up the 2 O Col Cav III and the new I-S Col Inf III and carry them to Cadiz where they are unloaded.  They then return to Morocco, and using some friendly coastline, slip into Melilla unnoticed by the CLTF in Cartagena, where they load up an AS point, and make their way to Huelva.  The CATF replenishes in Ceuta and then waits out the turn, while the SS’s return from their patrol off Cartagena waters, replenish, and wait out the phase as well.
In southeast Aragon the front line forces remain mostly in place, while 3rd Mad XX cartages an AS point forward, reaching a point just 15 miles from the front line via admin mov’t.  In the eastern Cordillera Iberica, a few units do a supply shuffle to keep 2 hexes at no worse than U-1.  In the Teruel valley, units in Teruel, back up a hex, while the 1st Sor XX at 3203 moves into the town.  6th Req X is railed into 3203 with the units that departed the town, while 23rd Inf III rails and then moves into 3104, setting up for an 3 hex assault on 3204, which should eliminate the 4 hex frontage Teruel is currently facing.  1 AS is railed to 3103 from La Coruna to supply the planned assault.  East of Guadalajara the Hue and 3rd Soria XX’s move into the line, with a few non-div inf III’s and Fal X’s filling out the flanks and making for the first continuous Nationalist line of the game.  North of Madrid, at either end of the out of supply zone units do the supply shuffle, while 2nd Mad XX cartages 3 GSPs into the area just behind the main line.  West of Madrid (southeast of Talavera), having absorbed a Loyalist counterattack, the line is adjusted as new units enter the line to stiffen things.  Sector 2513 remains held by a cav and arty III, while 2613 sees the ZMO Eng III build a temp airfield.  1 P Art III remains in the hex as well, while the 20 GC Sec III is railed in to bring the defense of the rail line and new field up to 3.  2nd Soria XX moves into the line at 2714, allowing the CTV units Ter Art III and Bab Lt Arm II, along with the accompanying 26th Inf to occupy the empty 2715.  1st Mad XX admins in from Caceres to just behind the main line, while 7thCav moves toward the front as well, gaining zoc ownership of a mtn hex or two as well, ending its movement at Talavera, as yet unpacified.  An AS pt is railed from LC to Talavera.
The line running along the west bank of the Guadiana remains the same, but very large stacks (for the game so far) are formed up between Ciudad Real and Valdepenas, with 5 AS in Ciudad Real, 15 in 3314, and 9 in Valdepenas.  A three point AS stack sits in 3514, just to the southwest of Vald, so clearly the offensive along the Vald-Alcazar axis is still going strong.  The line from 3514 to the sea remains the same, with no unit’s shifting at all, though the new 2nd Cons III in Almeria does begin building a temp airfield, which it hopes to complete before mud arrives in the south of Spain.  To the rear in Andalusia, the KL c/m II’s and the 3 Lar and 3 ML Col Inf III’s cartage 2 AS from Sevilla to just west of Linares, with 2 SMPs used to get the points across the river and into town proper.  The c/m II’s continue admining forward, where they are positioned to join the main line in exploit.  The KL pos AA admins forward as best it can, while the Cadiz X continues its tour of rearward towns, moving to Osuna for more pacification duty (this unit should gain honorary police status, as it’s basically spent the whole war going from town to town searching out undesirable elements.)  Further to the rear, the 2 O Cav and I-S Inf III’s admin from Cadiz (where they were landed) to Sevilla, where they are positioned to cartage AS forward next turn.

Combat Phase

The PA air force sees what’s coming and flies DAS to 3313 and 3513.  Hex 3513 won’t be attacked, so that DAS is ignored.  However, the Bre19 flying to 3313 is unescorted since the N.52 is the only PA fighter available, so it’s easily intercepted by the CTV CR.32bis flying out of the temp field at 3414.  The CR32’s drive off the DAS, though damage is minimal (CR.32’s roll a 7 for an R, the Bre’s cannot return with their 0 AS.)  The first ground combat goes in NW of Teruel into the muddy mountains.  Shocked by the assault, the defending PA 4th Cav is routed (8:1 -4 goes to 16:1 -4, AS provided to most units, plus the Mxd T flies GS, PA morale of 1 for a halved result, combat roll of 5 for a DH.)  6th Req Inf X with the 14L Art III in support advance, securing the NW flank of the town.  In something of a surprise, patrol skirmishes from the Hue and 3rd Soria XX’s are fended off by the PA 10th Inf III in the wooded rough of sector 2806 (no AS provided, PA morale of 2 for no effect thanks to the terrain, 5:1 -4 attack, roll of 3 for an AS.)  Next, 30 miles west of Toledo in the wooded rough of 2814 the PA 4th Infantry is smashed by a multi-national, all arms attack (8.5:1 -2 planned, with 2nd Soria, 7 Bdr & 26th Inf attacking unsupplied, but the CTV’s Ter Art III & Bab Lt Arm II auto supplied via port, 1 rolled for PA morale, odds to 17:1 -2, 2 rolled for a DH.)  The two CTV units and the 26thInf attacking from 2715 advance.
Finally, the big attacks north of Valdepenas are launched.  Sector 3213, 30 miles due north of the town, is hit first, by everything in Ciudad Real and about ½ the units 3314, mostly Colonial troopers.  These veteran warriors easily slip around the militia Inf X defending, panic sets in, and then the Moroccans get in amongst the artillery, and slaughter the whole defending stack to a man (5:1 even attack, AS provided to about ½ the RE’s, including the colonial troopers, plus Bre19 flying GS, 3 rolled for PA morale, which is halved, resulting in a 7:1 even, 5 rolled for a DE.)  A large number of units advance, including 2 Col Inf III’s, a Sec III, an Inf III, 2 MG II’s, the Fal 1st Sev X and the E Art III.  The Van Inf XX is left behind to guard Ciudad Real, where it’s also pacifying the locals.  Finally, the remaining units in 3314 come out of the rough hills and assault 3313, along with the units in Valdepenas.  The PA here gives a better account of itself, managing to retreat in good order to Tomelloso (6:1 even attack, about ½ the units supplied again, no morale effects with a 4 rolled, 1 rolled for a DR.)  Two more Col Inf III’s, 3 Lt Inf II’s and the 3 L Art III advance, leaving 5 pts supported defending Valdepenas and 3 good col units in reserve back in the hills at 3314.  Moreover, a 2 hex gap is blown in the Loyalist line, through which the new KL c/m units can exploit and raid.

Exploitation Phase

The NT’s unload the AS point from Melilla at Huelva first, then return to Ceuta, replenish, then return to Melilla, load the 2ndAS point there and sail for Sevilla (using friendly coasts near Melilla itself).  The AS point remains loaded on the NT’s in Sevilla harbor.  The CATF waits out the turn, but the SS’s head back for waters off Cartagena per their current SOP.
In ground mov’t, the 88 Lt AA II shoots the gap in the Loyalist line, takes temp possession of 3113 and destroys the PA fort in the hex, then heads for Alcazar.  The Dro Lt Arm II heads directly to Alcazar, wrecking the rails in that important junction.  Joined by the 88th, the two KL units then possess the hex, leaving behind supporters of the Insurgent war effort (the town goes unpacified as it becomes temporarily Insurgent.)  They both then scoot back to Insurgent lines at 3313.  Alcazar goes back to being Loyalist owned thanks to zoc’s, but the damage has been done.
In the air, the Mxd B floatplanes bomb the Murcian rail yard, but fail to get a hit with a  4 rolled.  The new He51’s head up to the temp field at 2613, SE of Talavera, where the Bre19’s landed after combat.  The new Ju52g4e unit bombs Vild at the Cartagena airbase, but a 1 pt flak shot with a 3 rolled drives it off with an R.  Thus ends the turn.