Narrative

After the collapse in Aragon the Republic have been shoring up the defences in front of Barcelona north of the Ebro. They have the Segre and Elbro to fall back on and some are counselling that they should do so now well ahead of a new Nationalist offensive. This would allow them to build up strong doubled positions far more secure than the flimsy fortifications and defences on the current front line. Furthermore it will prevent any flanking attack from the West via the Valencia/Barcelona road to trap units  in such a forward position. The counter argument is that the Nationalists will always be able to force a passage and a voluntary withdrawal giving them some 50 miles of territory is a price too high. The Republic have some 18000 tons of supplies arriving via France for the defences and time to build up due to Franco’s ill-judged diversion of momentum  from this front to Valencia. Conscription is extended and three fresh divisions are raised and preparing to take the field ranging from 16 year olds which the veterans call quintadel biberon (the babies bottle) to middle-aged fathers, Nationalist prisons of war and technicians were added to help in the factories, however due to the lack of rifles, not enough to go around, such measures were more effective as weapons of propaganda than substance The newly arriving material was more suited to aviation, special arms and machine gun manufacture the small arms doing no more than replacing those lost in the long retreat from the north and on the Mercian front.

Nationalist Turn

Weather;   Unchanged except for light squalls in the Med. (Rough). D=M. E=C , A= R, M= R
Supply:. Once again the Anarchist find their position at the far end of the line from their supply source to be a bad decision as they are cut off from their primary supply source and all become U1 because Barcelona is blockaded preventing the Naval supply element. .
Pacification; Gijon, Almeria
Movement: 1 Res pt spent to temporarily increase Rail Cap to 24.75 REs
Replacements: 1.5 SRPs, 0.5 (KL) SRPs recovered
CR.32Bis, HE111B replaced, 2-6 eng,  replaced.

Air Activity: Sortie 1. SM.81, 2B3 mxd fly to 3705 to provide GS. Intercepted by the I-15/t25 which eliminates the SM.81  (R+2 VPs)

Sortie 2 Do 17E flies airfield bombing to Murcia but is Returned by AA fire

R0 37, 1A2 mxd, escorted  CR32.Bis fly airfield bombing to Lorca. Intercepted by I-16/t5, I-152, GE,23. After swirling mêlée  I-152 in aborted and 1A2 mxd eliminated (R +2 VPs) . Bombs fall wide.

Naval Activity:  NTs shuttle 2 ASPs to San Sebastian from Bilbao.

Attack1: 3504 mtn (N of Valencia) Supplied 5-6 XXs 53, 54  , 1-8 mb B (CTV), 1-8 mot art L, 1-5 mech 1, 3-2-8 lt tk N with ! factor GS from SM.79-1, SM-79-1 (CTV).  Attack 1-6 eng 2 with 1 factor GS from R-Z @ 6:1 (-2) = DE. Advance all

Attack2:3603 rough (n of Valencia) Isolated U1 2-1-8 lt tk 2, 2-1-8 lt tk Bab (CTV), transported 2-6 art 4P with 3 points GS from HE111B,  HE111E (KL) attack 2-8 mot ACGA @ 4:1 (+2) = DE. No advance

Attack 3: 3604 rough (N W of Valencia) Supplied  4-6 inf XX 151 and 7-6 inf XX13, 6-6 inf XX 3, 5-6 inf XX 105, 1-2-6 art 48, 2-3-6 art 62 transport, 1-6 sec 20GC, 2-1-8 cavs 2O, 1E (Col) Attack 3-4-5* inf XX 17, 1-2-6 * inf 37 @ 5:1 (-1) = DE. Advance All except 20GC, 105XX.

Attack 4: 3705 rough (W of Valencia) Supplied 6-6 inf XX 52, 102, 6-8 lt inf 150, 3-2-6 infs 1LE, 2LE, 3LE, 1-2-6 art 42, 1-2-8 art 50 with 1 factor GS from 2B3 mxd Attack 3-6*inf XX22, 2-3-5* inf XX 16 @ 5:1 (-1) = EX. Lose 1LE, 2LE. Advance  3LE, 150 XX lt, 102XX, 42, 50 arts

Attack 5: 3910 clear (S of Hellin).  Supplied 5-6 infs 11,81, Unsupplied 5-6 inf 62, 1-6 mg O, 1-6 art 13l, 2-6 infs6Xau, 8Riff (Col) and 4-6 inf XX 112, 4-8 cav XX 2, 1-6 mg E, IMEXp,5-6 inf XX 84, 2-6 inf 4Lar (Col) Attack 1-5 infs AgL, Fan (AN) , 0-1-6 art CNT (AN), 2-6 nvl 1EO, 1-6 art 8L @ 4:1 = DH Lose  Fan, Agl, CNT. Advance 11,84 XX

The Nationalists resist the temptation to attack on the Zaragoza affront and continue to stock pile supplies and move attack formations into position ready for a massive offensive when the weather clears.

Mech Moves: Transported 62 art, AAA 88 (KL), lt tk 3. To 3603

Lt tk N, Mb B (CTV) mot art L (CTV), 1 mech to 3503

Advanced guard in 3703 holds.

For Whom the Bell Tolls – MAR II 1939

Valencia-Barcelona rail line cut by Nationalist lead elements

Republican Turn

VPs : Goberneto none collapse (R+5 VPs) None Surrender( R+10 VPs)
French border;  Open
Guerrillas; Ineffective
Supply:  Nationalist spearhead back in supply.
Anarchist U2. The Republicans trapped North of Truel become U2.
Replacements;  3 SRP, recovered.   I-152 repaired.,
The delayed 0.5 point of Art RP is landed in France.

Air Activity. Nationalist Harassment mission to 3905 (Alzera)  He 111E (KL),  mxd B, mxd 1A2, Do 17E escorted by ME 109E, Cr,32bis are intercepted by I-16/t10, 2X I-15/t25s which bypass the screen to engage the bombing force. The Me 109E Kills the I-16/t10. The rest of the engagement is without incident and 2 Harassment Hits are made  (N+2 VPs)

Sortie1: SB-2Bis out of Barcelona on Naval Patrol.

Sortie 2: R-Z hits rail line @ 3011.

Movement. Sensing the end is near in Murcia republic forces move towards Valencia to mass for a link up with forces moving from Barcelona. The government is Alicante slips out by night to set up  the government in  Barcelona (3624)

In the Zaragoza front the Republic initiate a ordered withdrawal from the northernmost positions south down the line of the Pyrenees

Attacks; None