Allied Turn
The US rebuilds its 9th Inf XX. The British convert its 43rd Mixed XX back into an Inf XX, and upgrade the Guards Arm XX. The British also rebuild its 50th Inf XX. The US 5th Inf XX arrives from Iceland and the Indian 8th Inf XX finally arrives from the Mid East. The destruction of Sete is repaired, and 6 of 14 damage hits are repaired.
The Allies hardly move a unit and don’t make any attacks east of the Rhone. Their first attack is 2 hexes southwest of the town of Le Puy in the Massif Central against an 11-pt stack by the British 6th Arm XX, 43rd and 50th Inf XX’s, and the US 82nd Abn XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 12 fighter groups, and then in the combat phase a GS mission of 12 assorted groups, which half the CAP escort. The Germans intercept with 6 fighters, and attempt to bypass. The escort kills 3 and aborts 1. The surviving interceptors return 2 of the GS mission. Next the Germans fly in a DAS mission of 6 assorted groups, which the remaining 6 CAP fighter groups intercept. In a bloody air battle 4 of the DAS groups are aborted as well as 2 of the Allied intercepting groups. At 5:1, even the Allies roll a ‘5’ for a DE. The Germans reduce an Inf XX, and eliminate a Para III and an AA II. The Allies advance the US 82nd Abn XX into the hex.
The next attack is against the German 2nd Para XX by the US 2nd Arm and 3rd Inf XX’s, and the British 42nd Arm and 5th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 8 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 8 fighter groups, which half the CAP escort. The Germans do not react. The German AA of 1 returns 1 GS group. At 9:1, +1 odds the Allies roll a ‘1’ for a DE. The 2nd Para XX is reduced to cadre, and the Allies advance the US 3rd Inf XX into the hex.
The last attack on the northern side of the German perimeter is against a 10-pt stack 2 hexes due east of Toulouse by the British 11th Arm XX, and the Canadian 4th and 5th Arm XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 8 fighter groups, which 2 of the CAP escort. The German intercept with 2 fighter groups. The escorts kill 1, and the surviving interceptor returns a GS group. With 4 Allied CAP groups still available, the Germans decide not to fly in the 2 air groups available for DAS. At 8:1, +1 the Allies roll a ‘6’ for a DE. The 16th Pz cadre, a Mixed X, and an AA II are eliminated. The Allies advance the British 11th Arm XX and the Canadian 4th Arm XX into the hex.
The fourth attack is against the Inf XX and cadre in the wooded rough hex east of Carcassonne. It is surrounded by the US 5th and 9th Inf XX’s, the British 15th Mixed XX, the British 78th Inf XX, and the Indian 8th Inf XX. The Allies fly in just 4 bombers on a GS mission. The Germans do not react. At 11:1, -2 odds the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a DE. The German Inf XX and cadre are eliminated. The US 5th and Indian 8th Inf XX’s advance into the hex.
The fifth attack is against 2x German Inf XX’s in the foothills of the Pyrenees by the US 1st Arm XX and the British 7th Arm XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 10 bomber groups, which half the CAP escort. The German do not react. At 5:1, +2 odds the Allies roll a ‘3’ for a DE. The 2x German Inf XX’s are reduced to cadres. The Allies do not advance into this hex.
The final attack is against the German Inf XX in La Nouvelle by the British Guards Arm XX. The Allies fly in a GS mission of 7 bombers. There are no German air groups within range to intercept. At 7:1, +3 the Allies roll a ‘2’ for a DE. The German Inf XX is reduced to a cadre, and retreats down the coast. The Allies advance a 27-pt stack into the hex.
During exploitation the Allies breakout east of Toulouse when the US 2nd Arm XX reaches and secures the entrance to the breach. The Canadian 5th Arm XX secures the battlefield itself. The Canadian 4th Arm XX overruns 2x Cons III in the medium city of Toulouse, forcing 3x German air groups to escape. The British 11th Arm XX exploits past Toulouse on its northeast side. The British 4th and 7th Arm X’s, each on a Canadian Art X moved by a TC, link those 2x Arm XX’s back to the Canadian 5th Arm XX. Note that 3-RE TC’s are allowed to breakdown into 3x 1-RE TC’s. Along the front the US 1st Arm XX exploits to Castres, the British 7th Arm XX exploit into the hex southwest of Castres, and the British 15th Mixed XX, on a 3-RE TC, moves into Carcassonne. The British 23rd Arm X along with the US 5th Mot Art X and assorted c/m ants occupy the rough terrain southwest of Carcassonne. Assorted c/m ants on top of the US VI Art X, moved by a 1-RE TC, occupy another rough terrain hex. The Allies overrun the cadre that retreated from La Nouvelle at 9:1 odds, and gain ownership of the south coast of France down to the Spanish border. From there the British Guards Arm XX moves into the rough terrain hex northwest of Perpignan to complete the Allied line.
Situation map of the western theater of war on Sep I 1943 Allied turn in the SF42 game, showing the British Armour breakout at Toulouse
Axis Turn
The Germans receive 2x PzG XX’s, of which the 1 in the South Theater admin moves thru Savoy into southern France. They also receive 2x Static XX’s, which are quickly reorganized, and a Tiger II, which is quickly disbanded. The Italian receive 2x Coast XX’s which are placed in Sicily in order to move stronger units north. The Germans replace 3x Inf XX’s. The Germans replace 4x air groups and repair 5x air groups.
The Axis defense east of the Rhone, which appears to be working, is left unchanged. However, west of the Rhone a completely new defense line is constructed starting at Bordeaux, then along the Garonne River, and finally along the Lot River back to the Massif Central. All the German c/m units south of Toulouse are able to reach this new defense line. From the Rhone to Bordeaux the line is 21 hexes long and has an average defense strength of 11.7 pts. However, an Inf XX gets left behind adjacent to Toulouse as a roadblock, as well as 2x Inf cadres, which reach the town of Pamiers in the Pyrenees foothills.
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