Narrative
The game is now firmly divided into two parts; the Main front facing Barcelona “The Eastern Zone” and the diminishing resistance in Murcia “The Western Zone”.
The Nationalists have ramped up the offensive to fever pitch to try and deal a final death blow to the Republic. They launch 11 attacks; 8 in the East; 3 in the West; the most ever in a single turn. Most in the East however are against single divisional rear guards designed by the Republic to slow the attack and penetration depth of the fascists while the bulk of the front line retreats behind the Cinca/Ebro river line, as yet unbreached. So while the Nationalists are making many attacks most are single divisions at risk and the Republic anticipates they will have a very strong river MLR by mid-June. The Nationalists are not unaware of this tactic and have expended very few supplies this turn in the east and none at all in the Western Zone. This limits the odds which will cause them more exchange losses but they still have a few IRPs in the bank. Many of the Republican rear guards are surrounded so their elimination is assured. Only on the coast road from Valencia is there a chance of complete failure but this is only 1/6 and due to the narrow frontage so this thrust needs to be almost fully supplied, (The Nationalists are only 1 point short of the next odds column but unfortunately so many aircraft are inoperable following the earlier Harassment that there are insufficient machines left to get the one elusive attack factor even after adding in the two available points of NGS.)
The question in the West is whether the Republic will have any survivors by game end which is rapidly approaching. Possibly not.
In the East the Nationalists need to try and trigger the collapse of Catalonia, which will force the Republic to the negotiating table. To do so they must advance to within 45 miles of the city; but time is on the Republics side.
Jun I 1939, Murcia threatened
Nationalists turn
Weather; Clear skies across Spain both land and sea. D=C. E=C, A=CR, M= C
Supply: 6 RE in Murcia plus adjacent anarchists draw supply from draw from GSPs. Adjacent PA units are U1. Republic expends 1ASP for 12 more GSPs. All Republicans in Eastern Zone back in supply
Replacements: 4.5 SRPs, 0.5 SRPs (Col) received. 1-6 eng replaced.
Reinforcements; 154XX equipped on arrival.
Movement: 1 Res pt. spent to temporarily increase Rail Cap to 27 REs
Naval Activity: NT-4 Transports 9Arc (Col) from Morocco to Cartagena
Air Activity: Sortie 1: SM.79-1 flies night Factory Bombing to Barcelona. Feeble AA misses but so do the bomb aimers.
Western Zone;
Attack 1: 4007 (s of Yecia) Unsupplied 5-6 inf XX 84, 4-5-5 inf XX 55, 3-4-5 inf XX 16, 1-5 mech 1, 1-6 mg IMExp and 3-4-5 inf XXs 34,m 74 and 4-6 inf XXs 15, 106, 117, 1-8 arts 4L, 10L, 13L Attack U1 Isolated 2-3-5* inf XX9, 2-1-8 to 1 @ 5:1 (-1) = DH. All eliminated – no retreat path. Advance 34, 74 XXs
Attack 2: clear ( N of Alicante) Unsupplied4-6 inf xx 151, 4-8 cav XX 2, 1-6 mgs O, E and 5-6 inf XXs62, 105, 2-5 inf AGM (Fal), 1-2-6 art 42, 1-2-8 art 50 Attack U1 isolated2-3-5* inf XX36 @ 4:1 = DH. Advance XX 62, AGM (Fal), 42 art
Attack 3: : 4310 clear (between Cartagena and Murcia) Unsupplied 4-6 inf XX 107, 1-2-6* inf 32 and 4-6 inf XXs 14, 122, 3-4-5* inf XX 14, 1-6 inf 17, 1-6 bdr 7car, 1-6 inf 1MT (Col), 1-2-6 art 43, 1-6 art 16L and 3-4-5 inf XXs 19, 40 and 3-4-5* inf XX 72, 2-6 inf 9Arc (Col), 1-6 5MR, 2-8 mtn Pir, 1-6 inf 24, 1-6 sec 2GC, 1-2-6 art 46, 1-6 art 1, 15L Attack U1 Isolated 1-5 Muer, Isolated 3-4-5* inf 26 (All An) @ 4:1 = EX. Lose 40XX, 17, 24. Advance 14XX.
Valencia/Barcelona coast road
Attack 4: 3633 rough (on the Valencia/Catalonia boarder coast road) Supplied 6-6 inf XXs 52, 102, 7-6 inf XX 13, 406 arts 1RG, 3RG, 3-2-6 inf 3LE and Unsupplied 2-6 infs 6Xau, 2Mar (Col) attack 4-6 inf XX65, 2-6 nvl 56, 1-2-6 art 2 @ 4:1 (-1) = DR. Advance 52, 102 XX, 6Xau, 2Mar (Col).
Attack 5: 3634 Rough. Unsupplied 6-8 lt XX 150, 5-6 inf XXs 11, 52, 2-1-8 lt tks 2, 3, 2-1-8 cav1E (Col), 2-3-6 art 62, 1-2-6 art 46, transport and 3-4-5* inf XX 56, 2-6 infs4Lar, 8Rif (Col), 2-1-8 cav 2O (Col), 2-6 art 4P, Attack 3-6* inf XX 77 @ 6:1 (-1) = DR. Eliminated, as no retreat path. Advance 53, 56 XX.
Eastern Zone;
Attack 6: 3334 rough (E of Teruel) Unsupplied 3-4-5* inf XXs 12, 57, 1-68 eng GG, 1-6 bdr 8Car, 2-8 mtn Guaf,And 6-6 inf XX 5, 5-6 inf 54, 4-6 inf XX 85, 1-6 inf 28, 1-6 mg 2, 2-1-8 art E And 4-8 Cav XX 1, 2-6 inf 3Ceu (Col) Attack 2-3-5* inf XX 64 @ 5:1 (-1) = DE. Advance 57XX, 27, 8Car bdr, GG eng, Guad mtn, E art
Attack 7: 3232 clear/fort (S Zaragoza) Unsupplied4-6 inf XX 63, 3-4-5* inf XX 33, 1-6 23, 2-6 infs 7Lam, 5Ahl (Col) and 5-6 inf XX 82, 4-5-5 inf XX 50, 4-6 inf XX 154, 2-6 cadre 105, 1-6 inf I-S (Col), 1-6 art 11L, 12L Attack 2-3-5* inf 60 (Cat) @ 5:1 (-1) = DR eliminated as no retreat. Advance 50, 83 XXs fort destroyed
Attack 8: 3332 Clear (NW Tortosa) 6-6 inf XXs 1, 4, 63, 2-6 inf 10BT (Col), 3-1-2 sge art, Man (CTV), 2-10 AA 88 (KL), 1-8 AA 71m 2-6 art 1P Attack 3-4-5* inf XX 58 with 1 pt. GS.
AA attacks SB-2 GS with 6 pts. AA and Returns it. Attack is now 7:1 = DH Advance 1, 4 XXs, Man (CTV)
Attack 9: 3030 clear (MW Lerida) 3= Unsupplied 3-4-5* XXs 24, 75 and 3-4-5* inf XXs 19, 22, 58, 1-6 inf 33, 1-6 art 2, 1-8 cav VMS (Fal) Attack 1-2-5 inf4 (Cat) @ 9:1 = DE. Advance 22, 24 XXs
Attack 10: 3031 rough/fort (NW Lerida) Unsupplied 5-6 inf XX 61, Supplied 4-6 inf XX FV (Mxd) and 4-6 inf XXs FA, FM (Mxd), 5-8 inf XX LA (CTV), 1-8 art Ter (CTV), 1-8 mg Ard (CTV), 2-1-8 lt tk Bab (CTV, 1-8 mc B (CTV) Attack 2-3-5 inf XX 31 (Cat) @ 8:1 (-2) = DH. Advance FA, FM XX (Mxd)
Attack 11: 3231 clear (W Lerida) Supplied 6-6 inf XX 152, 4-6 art 2RG, 2-6 eng AM, 2-6 inf Tdi unsupplied 5-6 inf XXs 71, 51, 1-2-6 art 49, 1-8 AA 72 Attack 2-3-5* inf XX 69 1 pt GS. . AA attacks SB-2 Bis GS and misses. Attack @ 5:1 = DH. Advance 51, 71, 152 XXs, 2RG art, AM eng
Exploitation movement; 3-2-8 lt tk N, Transported 2-1-8 art, 2-10 AA 88 (KL) exploit to 3230 (Bend of Ebro immediately W of Lerida)
Jun I 1939: Outskirts of Lerida reached
Republican turn
VPs: Goberneto none collapse (R+5 VPs) None Surrender(R+10 VPs)
Guerrillas; Break the rail junction at Catalayud
Supply: Western Zone: Republicans feed of 12 GSPs from previous turn. (Underlying supply condition is now U2) The 3 6 and 5 strength XXs are put into supply plus 3 regiments at Murcia. The rest are U1. Due to the MSP any factory generated ASP will not be able to be used for supply till the Nationalists next turn.
Replacements; 2.5 SRP, 1.5 SRP (Cat) recovered. 1-2-6 sec replaced. SB-2 Replaced
Reinforcements: Arrive at Barcelona following Nationalists withdrawal of fleet to Murcia.
Moves: In the Western Zone; The Republicans in Murcia pull back for a last stand at the Factory.
In the Eastern Zone the Republic pull back to make a final stand behind the Ebro/Cinca rivers. Confined to a narrow frontage they still manage to defend with stacks of 13-14 points (Except at the extreme right flank in the Pyrenees) which is behind a river in all but one hex.
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