Author: Alan Tibbetts (Page 2 of 5)

Weather roll = 2. Zone C no change, stays Snow. Zones D and E Mud. Atlantic is rough on a 4, Med is calm with a roll of 3.

Axis Player Turn

Germans rebuild 4-8* Para-Inf cadre to 9-8* and 2nd Panzer cadre to 17-10, both at Roma. Engineers again open a rail line across the Rhine and into central France. Some German units get to strat-rail almost to Paris. Shuffling takes place along the Gustav line. All hexes are at 14 DF or higher.

Allied Player Turn

US finds itself short the two new air units required to garrison the Middle east. With 51 ARPs in the bank there doesn’t seem to be any need to divert valuable air units to this mundane chore. Engineers clear up all remaining rail breaks behind the front and begin to QC two forward airbases. Three more hits removed from Taranto and rebuilding of Napoli’s port will be completed next turn.

Combined NZ, Indian, French and British forces heavily supported by GS assault the Gustav line. The Germans have two divisions (14 DF) in 26/2020 and at 4:1 -5 the Allies roll a 6 for an EX. Germans cadre their 7-8 Mtn and 5-7-6 Inf Divisions while the British sacrifice two 7-10 Armor Brigades. 2nd NZ, 52nd Lowland and some c/m non-divisional units advance. A port contsruction unit lands on Elba, along with two construction brigades, supplies and a resource point.

Allied air goes after German fighters and puts 5 hits on airbases. Only 12 rail hits this turn as so many air units were providing GS and bombing the Luftwaffe. RSI fighters shoot down a B-25 over the Rhine rail crossings.

Commentary

Thought this would be a slow turn, and with a 1/6 chance of success a fruitless attack. Axis will have a problem fixing their defenses if the weather turns back to winter weather, but otherwise should be able to fall back in a couple of hexes and form a straight line of equal or greater strength. Some AA in the defending hex would’ve both raised the DF above what the Allies could get a 4:1 against and probably driven off enough GS to drop the attack odds. If weather permits the Germans will do this in Feb II. It is only a matter of time before the weather changes and the Allies get to use GS that is only halved instead of quartered.

Axis Player Turn

Weather roll is a 6, mud in zone D. Atlantic and other sea zones are calm.

Anticipating a surrender roll, Axis forces withdraw from the Italian heel and break contact in the toe, destroying what they can as they go. Axis forces on Corsica are retreating north as fast as Allied ZOCs and weather permit. 10 REs of Italians are exposed and easy kills, that’s 1 RE more than needed for a surrender roll. The remaining Italians are out of easy reach or stacked with Germans in anticipation of an Oct II surrender.

With mud in France Axis engineers can only repair a couple of airfield hits. The rail net is a mess and units arriving in Germany have to admin move across rail breaks along the border. Should Italy surrender the coast of Southern France is going to look very bare. The need to maintain a strong presence in the Bay of Biscay (Yeu is set up as an LC ferry) and the Channel coast (19 LC, several TF and 2+ airborne divisions in England) takes a lot of German troops. Normandy and Brittany are weakly held. Italian troops provide the vast majority of troops along the French Med coast and down to Roma.

Allied Player Turn.

An SAS Bn lands on the Italian heel adjacent to Galipoli in gliders, and a US 1-8 Mortar Bn slides onto the beach from an LC in the exploitation phase, along with some supplies. A British naval TF stands off the beach ready to provide NGS. (Using a 16 pt TF sounds a bit extreme, but the Allied navy has yet to fire a single shot, better to use it than lose it.)

On the Italian toe Commonwealth forces regain contact along the 33/34XX line, eliminating 6 Italian and 1 German REs. Allied fighters stage into newly built airbases within intercept range of their TF and beachhead on the heel. Allied air forces conduct more railway bombing to inhibit Axis movement in what is expected to be the surrender turn.

US forces on Corsica kill another 3 REs of Italian (2-3-2 Coastal XX in the mountains) and force the 44 HuD Inf XX to retreat. In the air over Corsica a Fw190A2 is aborted and a MC.202 is killed. AA gunners from the 44th HuD abort a B-26B and return enough other Allied aircraft to avoid a 7:1 attack, saving the division from a DH (6:1 -4, rolled a 6).

Allied naval forces pour back into the MTO (2 TF and many LC) along with a few special operations troops ( British 2-5 Para X and 1-8 Mar-Cdo II). The ETO still maintains a sizeable threat with 7x LC, 2x 16 point TF, 2+ Airborne XX, many Commando units and an LC ferry at Yeu. The Luftwaffe has given up challenging Allied fighter bombers attacking the French rail net, and has no where near enough engineer assets to keep the net open. All border crossings between France and Germany are blocked and the nets within range of England and the twin airbases at Belle/Yeu are a mess. In order to preserve some kind of strategic mobility the Germans may be forced to station fighters to cover the Franco-German border.

The end of October I 43 finds 51 Italian REs toward surrender. Combined with Allied owned Sicily this means a surrender roll will come in Oct II. Two potential Italian units could change sides. A 0-1-6 Construction III is alone in Ajaccio (it stayed behind to complete the destruction of the port) and a 1-3-6 Lt AA unit is alone in Galipoli (acting as rear guard). The Axis didn’t expect the Allies to drop into 26/3511.

Axis Player Turn

Calm seas and clear weather, again

The Axis use every available night capable bomber and attack unit to strat-bomb the port at Yeu, managing to KO the port again. One Do217 was lost to a NF and a couple of air units were returned or aborted by the heavy flak (US 3-10 Mot Hvy AA III and 2 points of AA from the airfield). The Allies will be U-1, but have enough supply for their engineers. Scorched earth continues in Italy with a slow retreat to the 34XX hex row.

On Corsica the Axis elect to defend on a 2 hex front – 27/1003 and 27/1103. Engineers clear more rail in Italy and along the French Med coast, but movement between Italy and France still must go by strat rail via Germany. The ants shipped to France last turn move into place near Yeu and around Bordeaux. It is too risky to remove any forces from the Channel coast to cover Normandy, Brittany or the Biscay. Since there is no LC ferry at Yeu the large stack in 17/1721 is reduced to a single 12-10 PzGren division. Small Axis air forces stand by to resist any Allied invasion along the Biscay coast, but the bulk remain in Italy and Southern France. An invasion of France is still considered unlikely due mostly to the paltry Allied air forces in the theater.

Allied Player Turn.

Allied engineers clear 3 hits from Yeu, and a US 0-1-8 Construction Regiment is shipped in. The Allies call up both MTO and the RAF ETO strat air forces. Germany calls up her strat air and places most in France. A lack of bases in the Biscay means that several fighters are stationed in Paris and central France. Most of last turn’s heavy Allied air losses are repaired in the ETO. The Allies take advantage of their 12-cap airbase on Belle to stage fighters there and then conduct a series of airbase attacks. After a couple of lucky Allied air-to-air rolls the Luftwaffe stops contesting the fighter sweeps (one lucky A-36 shot down a Fw-190A2and lived to tell about it). The Allies then went after bombers and attack units, in the process worsening the Axis basing situation. Allied bombers in England studiously avoided the heavy concentration of fighters in Paris to cut rail links between Germany and France. Strat air forces took care of Paris and several other rail depots.

In the MTO allied aircraft took out two anti-ship units stationed at Marseille, but did minimal damage to the rail links between Italy and France. Allied ground forces took two hexes in Corsica, eliminating the 5-8 SS Pz Gren X and reducing the 12-10 PzGren XX. On the mainland they took both coastal hexes of the 34XX hex row but avoided attacking large stacks of German c/m in bad terrain. Another US TF and LC moved from the MTO to ETO, setting up for possible ferry operations at Yeu on Oct I. With the reinforcements to the ETO there are now 3 division equivalents of airborne, 16 LC, 4 TF and 42 air units in England or the Biscay islands. Seven more REs of Italians died, bringing the total to 41. The Axis should have no real trouble holding the count below 50 REs until Oct II, meaning a surrender roll is likely Nov I 43. 2 German air units are in the eliminated box; 7 German, 2 Italian and 3 US air units are in the aborted boxes. The Allies have not taken any ground or naval losses.

Commentary

Victory point count: The first count results in a +8 for controlling Sicily and Corsica. The slow but steady Allied strategy and the Axis accountant gambit both seem to be functioning. Knowing the victory point table rewards a cautious Allied player is some compensation for not getting to try what I know to be workable operations that would speed up progress, but the coast of France sure looks inviting. Having banked 3 months worth of NRPs and Infantry replacements may make some risk taking more likely, but time runs short n the weather calendar.

Axis Player Turn

Calm seas and clear weather.

The Axis call up their strat air and place it in France. Heavy air raids on Yeu KO the port (5 hits) and damage the airbase (1 hit). Air-to-air combat favors the Axis slightly. Weak AA (3 points) at Yeu is not effective. Engineers were unable to clear the rail lines leading from Italy into France, but did manage to clear the line up the east coast. This allowed several German ants to strat-rail into France, though not to the threatened part of the Biscay coastline. Axis reinforcements placed at Nantes and St Nazaire moved to put up blocking position opposite the Yeu ferry. The Allies rolled good dice to return two Fw190 attack units which should’ve sunk the ferry, then the Axis rolled poorly and failed to make contact with a group of heavily escorted bombers coming from Bordeaux. With the port closed and only a single 8-8 Inf XX and 2-3-8 Engr the 15 DF opposite the ferry site should be a significant deterrent to a British led crossing. On Sardinia the 12-10 PzGren (reinforcement) is place in Bastia and moves to help block the Allied bridgehead.

Allied Player Turn

Significantly, the Allies do not declare the Yeu LC as a ferry. With 15 LC sitting in the ETO the Germans don’t feel inclined to save Strat Air call-ups placing it in France once again. For the first time in several turns the Allies don’t call up any strat air. Axis and Allied air forces spar over the Biscay region, with few losses. The main event is a couple of unsuccessful attempts by Axis fighters to place harassment hits on Yeu (to hinder port repairs). Axis fighters again inflict more than losses than they take, and fewer Allied planes can make rail/airbase attacks in the Biscay. Rail from the Ruhr to Normandy takes a pounding from the increasing number of Allied air units in England. Allied forces advance to make contact on the toe and attack two hexes in Italy, killing a 4-7 Mtn XX, 2-3-2 Coastal XX, 1-3-6 LAA X and a 1-6 Penal II. Since the Germans get to replace one Penal unit per turn for free the Allies expect to see that unit a lot over the next few turns. An undamaged Crotone falls during the Allied advance.

Forward airbases now put the Italian heel within Spitfire range, but with only 5 LC in the Med there isn’t much of a threat. A well-escorted tactical bombing raid on Roma is answered by a hail of flak, but no fighters rise to defend the sky. The Allies net a single rail and airbase hit, with several aborts and returns. On Corsica the Allied air is oppressively strong. German Fw190 attack aircraft attempt to provide DAS to the 12-10 PzGren division, and manage to get one air unit past Allied fighters only to have it returned by AA fire. The Allies don’t attack the Panzer Grenadiers, going instead for a high odds +1 DRM attack on a mixed stack of German-Italian Infantry in 27/1104. They figure stretching the line will eventually force the Axis to give ground or pre sent weaker targets. More Allied units exploit from Sardinia to Corsica using the ferry.

Axis Player Turn

Axis forces retreat up the Italian toe, destroying rail hexes in their wake. A sacrificial 2-3-2 Coastal XX is left in the mountain hex at 26/3922 to delay any Allied advance. Rail damage and harassment prevent significant movement of German ants to WEST. Italian engineers are airlifted to cities in the north that sustained RMY hits in Aug I, and this should help clear the rail. No response is mounted to the capture of Yeu. With two engineers on the island any minor damage would be easily repaired, and a major effort is out of the question as Axis air needs to stay concentrated in SOUTH. With so many Allied fighters guarding their two LC ferries to Corsica the Axis decline to interfere, but prepare their NODL and beach defenses.

Allied Player Turn

The airbase on Belle is augmented, a new one on Yeu is built, and several are placed in northern Sardinia. Allied LC make a mass migration to the ETO and end with 3x TF, 15x LC and ample NTs in the ETO. One LC is set up as a ferry at Yeu. Four British and Canadian Infantry XX and an Armored XX are broken down in Britain. Eight REs of airborne including all the components of the British Airborne XX are in the ETO. A British 8-8 Inf XX is shipped to Yeu, ready to take advantage of that ferry. US troops from Iceland land in the UK. The only weak link is Allied air power (or lack thereof), a measly 14x F, 1x A, 6x B-types are in the ETO now, but all Sep I Allied air reinforcements can go to ETO. Everything with range 15 or better can transfer between theaters using Yeu and Sardinia, possibly during the Axis Sep I player-turn.

Allied attacks net a measly 4 REs of Italians, and that count stands at 27. Allied units attack into Corsica via ferries and advance up the toe, reaching a line 26/3619-3618-3718. Allied air forces continue their anti-rail campaign with both MTO and one ETO strat air forces called up. Tactical air units can now reach the East Coast of Italy from Sardinia and concentrate on breaking rails in the middle of Italy. Allied air in the ETO seems to be isolating the Biscay-Brittany-Normandy region and the limited number of German construction troops will be hard pressed to do much about it. Rail into/out of the coast from Belgium to Le Havre is also kaput, Paris has four rail hits and the lines leading between Italy and France have multiple hits.

Commentary

So far the accountant’s defense is working like a charm. This doesn’t seem to be hindering the Allies much, and has not enticed them into precipitous adventures. But what will the Axis do to meet the threat posed in their WEST theater?

Weather roll: 4 = mud in zones C, D & E. Atlantic is clear with a 1, Med is rough with a 4.

Axis Player Turn

Construction begins on more forts in Italy. Elsewhere engineers clear a few airbase hits. The division of labor slows rail repairs somewhat. Allied troops on Elba would be U-2 but for the supply points landed last turn. 2x British 9-8 Inf XX in 26/2020 go U-1. Two more points of rail cap are added to Western Europe, brining the total to 57. So many resource points and so little to do with them.

An Axis NT slips out of Genova at night and instantly makes contact with Allied patrol craft (rolled a 6 for the DZ). Luckily the Allies are slow to react and the NT escapes damage (Allies miss their damage roll). The NT goes on to lay mines and on the daylight return to port the Allies fill the sky looking for the NT, but fail to find her. (Allies missed 3 contact rolls with naval patrols from Corsica ad Sardinia.)

Allied Player Turn

Lots of new aircraft show up, a gain of 25 air units on the map. The damaged LC is repaired and the airbase on Elba is completed. Allied forces begin to shift back to the ETO. This turn 6 LC, 2 TF, a Brit 13-10 Arm XX, and the US Amphib Assault Engineers join the forces in England. There are now 2 Br, 1 Can and 2 US Inf XX broken down in the UK, with another 2 US and 1 Brit in the MTO. Italian TF sweep mines off the Dutch and Northern Italian coasts. No hits to either of these 2-pt TF.

Allied planes wreck further havoc on the Axis rails and make it a point to bomb RSI air units. Axis airmen quiver like scared children, they stay on the ground rather than risk air-to-air combat. LR fighters plaster northeastern Italy, there will be no quick train rides between SE theater, Germany and Italy. A small concentration of naval forces is held at Algiers (1x 12-pt TF, 9x NT and 3x LC loaded with US Infantry).

Commentary

Another slow turn playing in the mud. The Gustav line is still too tough to crack, and the Italian coast is well guarded. The invasion of France is still a few turns off (unless the weather cooperates) and it would not be wise to commit a bunch of LCs to an isolated beachhead in Italy. There will be no Anzio in this game.