Allied Turn

The weather roll is a ‘1’ for continued winter in zone D, clear in zone E, and calm seas. The permanent airfield at Port de Bouc upgrades to 9 capacity. The US rebuilds its 1st Arm XX to full strength. The British rebuild its Guards Arm XX to full strength. The British repair a fighter group and 3x heavy bomber groups. The withdrawal of the British 9th Arm X in the WitD OB is ignored. This brigade was stationed in Syria, Palestine, and Egypt until early 1944 when it was shipped off to Italy for the rest of the war according to Joslyn. Before the end of the Initial Phase the Allies fly 3x Spit V’s, a French P-40F, and a US P-38G into a CAP over the TF off the coast of Tunisia.

The Axis decline to make any patrol attacks on the British TF. The convoy from GB rendezvous with the convoy from the US just north of Mallorca. After 2 sea boxes in daylight and then 2 sea boxes at night, the convoy finds itself in hex 17A:4916 at dawn. From 16 hexes away in Lyon the only bomber in southern France declines to attempt contact. The Italian naval patrol stack at Genova declines to attempt contact, and the convoy arrives safely.

In Tunisia the Allies use the British 1st, 8th, and 10th Arm XX’s, 3x French Inf XX’s, a British Arm X, and 2x French Cav X’s to get AECA below 50% and achieve 4:1, -1 odds on the 21st Pz XX. They use the British 7th Arm XX, 5th, 50th, 51st, and 56th British Inf XX’s the 4th Indian Inf XX, the 2nd NZ Inf XX, 2x French Inf XX, 2x British Arm X’s, and 2x French Arm X’s to attack the 90th Mot XX in Tunis at 4:1 odds. Because the Axis have 9 fighter groups in range, the Allies fly in CAP’s of 9 fighter groups over both targets. Then the British add 4 more fighters to the CAP over Tunis. The Germans fly in a CAP of 4 fighters to Tunis, joining the 5 fighters based in that major city. At the start of the Combat Phase the Axis fly in a DAS mission, to which the Axis CAP and their fighters on the ground all escort. The Allies drop all 13 fighters out of CAP to intercept, 9 to engage the screen and 4 to bypass. The Allied engagers had 3 killed and 2 aborted, the Axis screen suffered 1 killed and 1 aborted. Against the mission force the Allies killed 2 and returned the other 2, for 1 aborted Allied fighter. The Allies roll a ‘6’ for a DE, and advance 3 XX’s, including a French XX into Tunis. Against the 21st Pz XX the Allies rolled a ‘1’ for an AS. During exploitation the Allies build a strong wall (average defense strength 17.8) around the remaining Axis units.

In southern France the Allies mass 4x Arm XX’s, 4x Inf XX’s, and 2x Mixed XX’s against the German stack intruding into their defense line, and manage 6:1, -2 odds. The Allies fly in 4x Spit V’s on CAP. The Axis respond with a CAP of 3x Fw190’s and a Me109. The Axis fly in 3 bombers on DAS, for which their CAP become escorts. The Allies intercept with 3x Spit IX’s, 3x P-38’s from nearby Port de Bouc, to which they add their CAP. In the combat against the screen the Allies killed a Fw190 for 3 of their own fighters aborted. Against the mission force the Allies kill 1, abort 1, and return 1. The Allies roll a ‘4’ against the offending stack for a DR, and see their defense line restored. The German stack of c/m units has no problem retreating thru Allied ZOC’s back onto friendly units. During exploitation the Allies build up the 4-hex line between the Rhone River and the Maritime Alps to an average defense strength of 32.8 pts.

Axis Turn

The only Axis reinforcement in Europe is an Italian AA II. The Germans use their last 2 ARPs to replace a Ju87D in North Africa and place it at Bizerte, their last airbase. The Italian begin quick construction of 2 forts along the northwest coast of Italy. Before the end of the Axis Initial Phase the Allies fly 4x Spit V’s and a French P-40F into a CAP over the British TF off the coast of Tunisia.

In North Africa the Axis retreat into a 3-hex perimeter around Bizerte, the average defense strength is 11.3 pts. They transfer out the Ju87D, and even begin emptying the airfield on Pantelleria.

The Italians worry most about an Allied amphibious landing between Savona and Livorno. Sicily logically should be the next target after Tunisia, but the Italian fear the Allies will bypass it and land on Calabria, the toe of Italy. The Italian also worry about a landing at Citavecchia near Roma.

In southern France the Germans can no longer give any thought to attacking, the Allied stacks are just too strong. They have to worry about where the Allies might amphibiously land along the Axis held southern coast of France as well as along the English Channel.