Allied Turn

The weather roll is a ‘4’ for continued mud. The only reinforcements are 2x US Arm II’s. The US repair 1 air group, and the British replace 4 air groups and repair 1. The destruction of Bordeaux’s port is repaired.

The NZ 2nd Mech XX arrives from Alger with no MP’s left. The Allies remain in place along the defense line in the Maritime Alps facing the Italians. The Allies have to shuffle units along the south bank of the Isere in order to pull the British 4th Mixed XX out of enemy ZOC’s for conversion next turn.

The first Allied attack is against a 21-pt stack 2 hexes southeast of Montlucon by the British 11th and Canadian 4th Arm XX’s, the US 101st and British 1st Abn XX’s, and the British 3rd Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 12 fighter groups. After the Allies have flown all their CAP missions the German fly in a CAP of 8 fighters. In the combat phase the Allies fly in a GS mission of 20 air groups, which 8 of the CAP escorts. The German CAP intercepts. The Allies kill 1, abort 3, and return 1 of the interceptors, who all choose to bypass. The surviving interceptors kill 2 and abort 1 of the GS air groups. The Germans then fly in a DAS mission of 8 air groups, which the last 4 CAP fighter along with 3x P-51B’s within range intercept. The Allies abort 2 and return 2 of the DAS air groups, at the cost of 1 of their own aborted. The Allied AA of 5 misses, while the German AA of 2 aborts 2 and returns 3 of the GS air groups. At 4:1, -3 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for an EX. The Germans reduce 2 Inf XX, and eliminate a Static XX, an Eng III, and an AA II. The Allies reduce the British 11th Arm XX and British 3rd Inf XX, and advance the US 101st Abn XX.

The next attack is against a 13-pt stack 2 hexes due east of Montlucon by the US 2nd Arm XX, the US 3rd Inf XX, and the British 5th and 78th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 10 fighter groups. In the combat phase the Allies fly in a GS mission of 12 air groups, which 6 of the CAP escorts. The German AA of 2 aborts 1 and returns 3. At 7:1, -3 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a DR. The Allies advance the US 3rd Inf XX and the British 78th Inf XX.

The third attack is against the 9-pt stack 2 hexes northeast of Montlucon by the British Guards Arm XX, the US 3rd Arm XX, the Canadian 5th Arm XX, and the British 1st Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 10 fighter groups. In the combat phase the Allies fly in a GS mission of 14 bomber groups against no AA, which 6 of the CAP escorts. At 10:1, -3 odds the Allies roll a ‘2’ for a DR. The Allies advance the British 1st Inf XX.

The fourth attack is against the Static XX that was unable to retreat back to the main defense line by the British 7th Arm XX, the US 9th Inf XX, and the British53rd Inf XX. The Allies fly in 2 fighter groups on CAP, not expecting much action. At 9:1, -3 the Allies roll a ‘2’ for a DR. The Allied ZOC’s eliminate the Static XX, and the British 53rd Inf XX advances.

The final attack is against the 14th Pz XX by the US 1st Arm XX, the US 82nd Abn XX, the US 5th and 34th Inf XX, the British 56th Inf XX, and the Indian 8th Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 2 fighter groups. In the combat phase the Allies fly in a GS mission of 12 air groups. The German AA of 3 returns 1, and at 8:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘1’ for a DR. The Allies advance the British 56th Inf XX. By the end of the turn the Allied line from the Atlantic to the Rhone River is 23 hexes long with an average defense strength of 24 pts.

Axis Turn

The Germans replace their 2nd Para-Inf cadre and convert it to a Para-Inf XX. The Germans replace their 26th Pz XX and convert it to a 16-10 XX. The Germans also replace an Inf XX and a Mixed X. The Germans choose not to transfer the LSSAH Pz cadre east. Note that the SE Theater is treated as a rigid garrison, and so it does transfer the 1st Pz XX east. The Germans replace 1 air group and repair 4.

The Italians hardly move a unit. Their defense line thru the Maritime Alps is as strong as they can make it, given the stacking limit of mountain hexes and the weakness of their XX’s.

Having completed 3 forts along the Lyon-Geneva line, the Germans move 3 pairs of construction units back 1 hex to start another fort line next turn. Note that this test is using WW Rule 14 which doubles construction times, so it takes 2 turns for 2 construction units to build a fort in poor weather. The Germans also rail in 2 more pairs of construction units to extend this 2nd fort line to 5 hexes long.

The Germans keep the same units in place along the north bank of the Isere River and on the west bank of the Rhone River. The Germans manage to slightly increase the defensive strength of their stacks thru the southern Massif Central. They increase the defensive strength of their stacks around the southwest, west, and northwest sides of Clermont and around the southwest and west sides of Montlucon. They gamble that a 9-pt stack with 2x Res XX’s can defend a bocage hex. From there they use c/m XX’s to defend 8 clear hexes all the way to the town of Cognac, which is held by a 17-pt stack composed of 2x Res XX’s, cadres, and assorted other units. By the end of the turn the German defense line is 23 hexes long with an average defense strength of 13.4 pts.