Category: FWtBT AAR No 1 (Page 4 of 6)

INSURGENT SEP I 1937

The battle of the Jucar river is reaching a climax. In a determined effort the Nationalists pressed forward on the south bank and broke into the Republican lines, undeterred by defensive air support. The leading elements of the main force reached the confluence of the Jucar and Cabriel rivers (23A:3806) while mechanized units raced ahead through the wilderness of the Reserva nacional (3805), overrunning a Republican armored-car regiment. Italian and German light tanks continued on to reinforce the Kondors at Alcira. A continuous line has been formed along the river’s south bank, but is hardly strong enough to withstand the counterattack bound to come. The Kondors at Alcira also received air drops of ammunition.

As ashore the battle of the Jucar escalated, both navies maneuvered for position in attempts to join the fray. Italian submarines were first to arrive off-shore at the Jucar estuary. The remnants of both the Nationalist and Republican surface fleets, now about evenly matched, joined in later. The Nationalists attempted to exploit this opportunity to ferry troops (a construction regiment) from the Baleares to the mainland. However, just before sneaking into port at Palma de Mallorca the unescorted transport convoy was intercepted and sunk by the Republican fleet. However, to do so the latter had to give up their station at the Jucar estuary.

While fighting raged at the Jucar, all other fronts remained quiet.

In a massive effort to reduce their Republican counterparts the Nationalist airforce turned its attention to Cartagena, now serving as Loyalist bomber base. Once again the results were very disappointing. While Italian Fiats got the better of some obsolete Russian fighters, some Nationalist Ro-37 attack bombers fell to anti-aircraft fire, and no damage to speak of was done on the ground.

The French border was opened the previous week and remains open, but this has little effect on the overall situation.

LOYALIST SEP I 1937

In Murcia province the Loyalists stuck to their by now improved positions along their front forward of Cartagena, Murcia, Cieza, and Yekla while attempting to seal off and isolate the penetretion at Alcira. In a coordinated attack by armor from the south and infantry from the north across the Jucar against the weak patrols of Nationalist light tanks, the Reserva nacional (23A:3805) was regained, the Alcira hedgehog again cut off, and a tenuous new line of communications between the Murcia pocket and the Cataluna-Valencia heartland reestablished.

With Rebel troops now less than 30 miles from Valencia, a crash program has been initiated to fortify the city and its environs. Civil labor has been recruited and La Pasionaria is exhorting the denizens to do a job surpassing that at Madrid. Pick axes and shovels on all streets!

The Republican Fleet bestirred itself and ran a convoy ferrying an anti-aircraft regiment from Cartagena to Valencia. The fleet then put into Alicante and prepared to support the garrison should the city be attacked. The Nationalist Navy, intent on their task of protecting the Kondors at Alcira, did not try to interfere.

A raid on Madrid’s factories by Po-540 bombers remained unsuccessful.

COMMENTARY

The Loyalists’ failure to mop up the Kondors at Alcira has come back to roost. The position has been strengthened, and to eliminate it will now take a much stronger effort. While a line of communications to Murcia has been reestablished, the only rail link is still firmly blocked. The battle of the Jucar is not over, and the next few weeks will decide whether the Nationalist can manage to forge a firm corridor to the sea to cut off the Murcia pocket once and for all before poor campaign weather sets in.

If the transfer of anti-aircraft batteries is an indication, the Loyalists naval command has decided to give up using Cartagena as principal base and retreat the fleet to Valencia.

INSURGENT AUG II TURN

The battle in Murcia province escalated as the Loyalists are attempting to stem the swelling tide. The main thrust of the Nationalist offensive advanced along the Albacete-Valencia rail line and broke into the Loyalist lines. A Legion Kondor flak regiment raced forward far into the Loyalist rear and reached Alcira, where it formed a hedgehog at the Jucar river bridge, meanwhile blocking the only Loyalist line of communications between Murcia province and Valencia. A second, armor-supported attack north of the Cuenca-Valencia rail line also gained ground. Losses were heavy on both sides (two EX results).

While the airforces of both sides provided ground support in Murcia, the Nationalists staged another, smaller raid on Valencia’s airbase with fighter bombers. Escorting Italian Fiats gave intercepting Ratas (I-16s) a bad mauling, Valencia’s flak shot down some He-51s of the Legion Kondor, but the attack on the base did no damage.

All other fronts remained quiet.

The Nationalists have begun to pull Guardia Civil units out of the front lines, apparently out of concern about possible sabatoge activities in the rear.

LOYALIST AUG II TURN

In response to the Nationalist thrusts in Murcia province the Loyalists pulled back once again to shorten and strengthen their lines. They gave up Requenas (23A:3506) on the Cuenca-Valencia rail line and fell back to the Segura river at Cieza, which now is in the front line.

The Nationalist airforce went all-out to provide an umbrella for the Kondor regiment at Alcira. In the face of this support and because of a miscalculation, the Loyalists called off their planned attack, much to the jubilation of the beleaguered Legionnaires and their coherts at Albacete.

With the Nationalist airforce busy to protect the endangered Kondors, the Republicans took to the skies and raided the Albacete airbase. For want of the Kondor 88s, anti-aircraft fire remained dismally ineffective, and some aircraft were destroyed on the ground.

COMMENTARY

A crisis seems to be brewing. The failure to dislodge the Kondor flak regiment at the Jucar bridge is a major setback to the Loyalist cause. As the vital communication line into Murcia province remains interdicted, it will become even harder to contain the Nationalist offensive. If the Kondors can hold out until relieved by the main Nationalist forces, now scarecely 50 miles away, the Loyalist territory will be cut in two. To prevent that, at the very least the Loyalists will have to mount a serious effort against the Alcira hedgehog with troops pulled out from the Aragon front, a measure they obviously have been loath to resort to.

INSURGENT AUG I TURN

The battle in Murcia Province intensified as the Nationalist encountered stiffer resistance. Their thrust has narrowed and now follows the Albacete-Alicante axis south of the Jucar river. Ground was gained in heavy fighting and forward elements are within sight of Yekla. Losses on both sides were light (one HX at expense of 6 ASP). In the Requena and Cieza sectors to the north and south, the Nationalists contented themselves with following up the Loyalist tactical withdrawal. All other front remained static except for some reshuffling in preparation for reorganization and upgrading.

While the Republican airforce concentrated on ground support in Murcia province, the Insurgents took to the skies to hit the Valencia airbase with all aircraft within range. This time, however, despite lack of fighter cover the Republicans gave better than they took: Deadly accurate anti-aircraft fire (2 aborts on 2col) brought down twice as many planes as were destroyed on the ground.

Naval transport from Morocco proceeded unhindered.

LOYALIST AUG I TURN

New recruits and ample imports of materiel enabled the Loyalists to shore up their Murcia front (now 11CF per hex). As in recent times, the Fleet remained idle and the Airforce contented themselves with renewed attacks on Madrid’s rail yards with Po-540 bombers, this time with better success.

Although rumblings started again in the French parliament, the border remained closed so far.

COMMENTARY

With a relatively short front and few attacks per turn possible–Nationalist for shortage of attack supply, Loyalist for need to avoid losses–both sides are now stacked to the limit on almost every hex all along the line.

So far, Loyalist reinforcements, replacements, and imports have been able to offset attrition. However, this has been the last turn on which the Loyalists receive both infantry replacements from cities and factory production. Leaner times loom, and the only saving grace is the Insurgent shortage of attack supply (down to 4 ASP now, plus one on Mallorca).

INSURGENT JUL II TURN

The Nationalist offensive in Murcia ground on slowly but inexorably although encountering stiffer resistance (now 10 CF per hex) and tougher terrain. Troops advancing from Albacete took Hellin and begin to threaten the flank of Loyalist forces still holding strong positions south and west of the Segura river. A second thrust along and north of the Jucar river valley northeast of Albacete has reached Cabanas-Ibanez (hex 3607) and is approaching the border of Valencia province. Losses on both sides were moderate (one HX).

All other fronts remained quiet.

While merchantmen again transferred troops from Morocco, the Nationalist Airforce staged another major effort. A motley assortment of fighters and attack bombers struck the remnants of the Republican Fleet at anchor at Cartagena. Defending I-15 “Ratas” and heavy anti-aircraft fire (5col) forced most of the attackers to turn tail with some losses, but a flight of intrepid Nationalist He-51 fighterbombers got through at deck top and sank the cruiser *Libertad,* one of the last capital vessels under government flag. Another major air raid was launched against the Valencia airbase and inflicted some damage and destroyed aircraft on the ground.

Cartagena has proved anything but a safe haven for the Fleet but, unfortunately, no other port now is out of range of the dauntless Nationalist Airforce.

LOYALIST JUL II TURN

Reeling from the Nationalist onslaught and trying to preserve the integrity of their front, the Loyalists in Murcia staged a tactical retreat, falling back along the Cuenca-Valencia rail line toward Requena (hex 3506) and from the foothills of the Sierra de Segura toward Cieza. Although they gave up good defensive terrain, their front is still strong, however, and in no danger of collapsing.

All other sectors remained quiet.

While the Navy are still licking their wounds, long-range Po-540 bombers made another unsuccessful attempt to disrupt communication by bombing Madrid’s rail yards.

COMMENTARY

The front now extends in a narrow arc from forward of Cartagena, Cieza,Yekla, Teruel, and Lerida to the Pico de Aneto west of Andorra, at no place more than 100 miles (6 hexes) from the coast. The farthest protusions are in the mountains just west of Terual (hex 3305), at Fuentes del Ebro down-river of Zaragoza (3033), and at the National Park in the high Pyrenees (2927).

Play is now quite sluggish. The Loyalists have a surplus of attack supply, an overflowing replacement pool (62 RE), and practically no accrued Rpls except for Anarchists. They cannot really risk attacks because any HX or EX result would greatly benefit the Insurgents. The Insurgents, in contrast, have a superabundance of accumulated InfRpls (now over 100) and an almost empty replacement pool except for artillery, but have used up their reserves of attack supply. They don’t have to fear losses at all (in fact, they’d welcome them because the rebuilt units could be used to ferry attack supply forward from factories or ports), but they can’t afford to spend attack supply unless success is reasonably assured. Against the strong Loyalist line and with an average of only just over 4ASP arriving per turn, this restricts them to about two attacks per turn. Moreover, without motorized artillery their puny c/m forces remain unsupported if they exploit any gap created by an attack, and so can do no more than embark on suicidal missions that delay Loyalist reinforcements. As a result, in most turns nothing happens beyond a one-hex gain by the Insurgents in one or two places while all other sectors remain quiescent. At least in October an upgraded Madrid factory will come on stream and upgrading of Bilbao’s will be completed, but at that time ASP imports dwindle and good campaign weather will be at its end. Were it not for the ASP limitation, the Insurgents by now could stage “yellow jello” attacks all over and have the Loyalists collapse from attrition in no time at all.

The bugging down into 1918-style warfare is not ahistorical for 1937, even though the reasons for it are different in the game. Also, the only way the Insurgents can break the stalemate is different: only by constant and persistent attrition, not by a decisive victory followed by deep pursuit, which is an impossibility in the game.

Trench warfare is not entirely dull, however. It also requires tactical skills, though rather different ones from those in mobile warfare. But let me not give my worthy opponent ideas …..

INSURGENT JUL I TURN

At the central front the Nationalist juggernaut continued to inch forward. The main thrust along the Madrid-Cartagena rail line gained ground beyond Albacete with air ample support. Spearheads advanced beyond the important rail junction Estacion de Chinchilla (hex 3709), at which the lines to Valencia and Cartagena branch. This has severed the only remaining high-volume rail connection between the Cartagena-Murcia area and the rest of Spain. Casualties were high on both sides.

Farther southwest, another column is approaching Hellin. In this area, a Loyalist detachment consisting of four infantry brigades attempted to retreat from the northern foothills of the Segura mountains under the umbrella of almost the entire Republican airforce. However, Legion Kondor 88’s took a heavy toll of SB-2 and A-101 attack bombers, and the detachment was cut off and wiped out. Anarchists still hold one last position higher up in the mountains to the southwest (hex 3711), with only a tenuous supply line.

Farther north, Nationalist armor was active again, attacking in a pincer movement along and south of the Cuenca-Valencia road with massive artillery support. The Republicans suffered losses, including one armored brigade, and had to retreat.

All other fronts remained quiet. Nationalist merchantmen transferred fresh troops from Morocco to mainland Spain, unhindered by the Republican Navy.

Nationalist fighter bombers attacked the Murcia and Valencia airfields without success. Even so, the Republican aircraft losses south of Albacete have tipped the balance of forces in the sky back into the Nationalists’ favor.

LOYALIST JUL I TURN

The Barcelona revolt is over! Guardia Civil has restored order in all of Barcelona. Ultimately, the revolt has helped the Loyalists about as much as it hurt them. Military cooperation between the political factions has improved, recruiting for the Army in Cataluna has become easier, and even Catalan units are now willing to fight anywhere. For this, the loss of the POUM units in the field and the temporary tying down of a few Guardia Civil units for ideological repurification was not too heavy a price to pay.

Although by now their hold has been reduced to less than 15% of Spain’s area and little more than a quarter of the population (by count of hexes and cities according to their final VP values, respectively), the Loyalists managed one more time to field seven brand-new infantry divisions, if mostly of low quality, and to reconstitute several additional units from remnants and stragglers. They were helped in this by continuing generous deliveries of field gun components and tanks from the Soviet Union and the start-up of new armament factories in Valencia. However, The People’s Army is now scaping the bottom of the manpower barrel, with little hope for a repeat of any such feats in the foreseeable future.

While the Fleet continued to remain inactive at Cartagena, PO-540 bombers made a half-hearted and unsuccessful attempt to bomb Madrid railyards.

COMMENTARY

Although in the last two turns the Loyalists have suffered heavy losses (33 CF), these have been more than made up by reinforcements, replacements, and special replacements. Loyalist troop strengh is at an all-time high! In addition, the Nationalists will not be able to continue expending attack supply at the current rate (12 ASP in JUNE II-JUL I). However, Loyalist reinforcements will now slow to a dribble, and starting September InfRpl will accrue only every other month. It remains to be seen whether this will enable the Nationalists to wear down their opponents.

INSURGENT JUN I TURN

The Nationalist offensive in the central plain gained momentum with the arrival of additional combat divisions. The main axis of advance remained the Madrid- Cartagena rail line, but attacks were conducted on the entire front between Albacete and Cuenca and gained ground.

At Albacete, the Republican Airforce massed its fighters and ground attack aircraft to support the defenders. Some were driven off by strong anti-aircraft fire, but more than half got through. However, all they achieved was to enable the defenders to retreat in good order as the city fell to frontal assault. The Loyalist positions in the foothills of the Sierra de Segura to the southwest of Albacete now risk being outflanked.

Southeast of Cuenca. Nationalist and Republican tanks clashed head-on for the first time. Although one-on-one the light Nationalist tanks (mostly German Mk I and II of the Legion Kondor and Fiat-Ansaldo and Fiat Tipo 3000 of the Italian “volunteers”) are no match for the heavier Russion T-26, the better Nationalist organization and massive artillery support carried the day: Their retreat blocked, two Republican tank units were wiped out. Two Nationalist tank battalions then broke through and fanned out into the Green Fields Beyond. They are unlikely to survive for long, but will certainly wreak some havoc with Loyalist communication lines in the meantime.

Another strong attack by infantry halfway between Cuenca and Albacete also yielded a substantial number of prisoners. The front in this sector was left a shambles and will not easily be patched up.

All other fronts remained quiet. A new forward airfield was constructed on the approaches to Albacete, and the bulk of the Nationalist Airforce including strong mobile anti-aircraft units moved to it from Madrid. The new field was used as a springboard for a renewed air offensive against the fleet at Cartagena and the Murcia airbase. Cartagena’s anti-aircraft defense had been beefed up and succeeded in shooting down several Ju-52s. However, He-45s swooping down low sank or wrecked three destroyers and some smaller craft. The attack on Murcia remained ineffective.

LOYALIST JUN II TURN

In Murcia the Loyalists scrounged up whatever reserves they could get hold of to mop up in their rear, clear communication lines, and reestablish a semblance of front running from southeast of Cuenca to the eastern outskirts of Albacete. The strongest contingent was sent to the Albacete sector in an attempt to stop the Insurgent advance from that city. Some troops including heavy artillery were shifted from Aragon to Murcia, but the High Command still appears reluctant to weaken the northern front to any significant degree.

The Fleet remained inactive again. Even the energetic airforce chief slowed down: The only action in the air was an unsuccessful attack on a marshaling yard in western Madrid.

COMMENTARY

The Loyalist command’s benign neglect of the front in the central plain is now causing some headaches. The Nationalist now field vastly superior forces in this sector, and further set-backs must be expected.

The Nationalists are now using two tactics rather effectively. They have drawn all their cavalry and fast Italian units (except armor) out of the line for use as carriers of attack supply from ports to the front. They are also shielding both one front-near airfield and a key ground attack with massive anti-aircraft batteries (7-10 AAF), having the motorized 88s of the Legion Kondor shuttle back and forth between protection of attacking troops at the front and the airfield in the rear.

The Luftwaffe’s continued success against the Republican Fleet has now reduced the latter almost to a state at which the Nationalist surface forces can meet it on the open sea on even terms — if it ever leaves the protection of the Cartagena naval base. It certainly is no longer much of a threat to Nationalist merchant shipping.

In game terms, for the first time since the city count in JAN I, the second hit on the CA at Cartagena lifted the victory-point ratio to above 3:1 in favor of the Nationalists, as needed for a decisive victory. However, the loss of the Drohne tank battalion of the Legion Kondor has reduced the ratio again to just below 3:1, and the JUL I city count (38:14) will drop it even farther.

JUN I INSURGENT

Being now faced with forbiddingly strong defenses in Aragon (15+CF/hex), the Insurgents shifted their stance, railed their elite formations into Castilla, and started a strong offensive on a broad front in the central plain between Albacete and Cuenca. The main thrust developed along the Madrid-Cartagena rail line and penetrated to within a few miles of Albacete, apart from Teruel the only city once held by Nationalists and now still in Loyalist hands. The attack near Cuenca was once again spearheaded by the small but effective Nationalist force of light tanks and also included engineers to contend with enemy entrenchments. In Aragon the Nationalists pulled more troops out of the line, to be available for exploitation of any successes elsewhere. The fronts in the mountains between Teruel and Cuenca and between Albacete and the Mediterranean remained quiet. While the Republicans had kept their fighters and fighter bombers concentrated in Aragon, the Nationalists Airforce struck again at targets in Valencia and Murcia. Targeted were ships in port at Valencia and Cartagena and rail lines near Valencia and Albacete. This time, anti-aircraft fire proved ineffective, and Ju-52s from the Legion Kondor hit the cruiser Miguel de Cervantes at Cartagena in a low-level bombing run, causing her to blow up (in the words of Franco’s delighted press “avenging the slaughter of her officers at the hands of the mutinuous crew” a year ago). Except for this success, however, little damage was caused. (Historical footnote: Miguel de Cervantes was of course not the only vessel on which this happened, but by all accounts the massacre aboard her was the worst. Whether it can be called mutiny is debatable, however: The crews acted on instruction from the Loyalist-controlled Admiralty in Madrid.

JUN I LOYALIST

The Loyalist managed to field two new and well-equipped infantry divisions composed of International Brigades. Both were dispatched to Teruel to stop any Insurgent attempts to break through to the sea. Other reinforcements were raised in Murcia and used to patch up the teetering front in the central plain. The Loyalist Airforce kept busy under its new commander. An all-out strike was launched to damage Insurgent air power. A massive attack on Lorca remain without much success, however, and so did smaller excursions against Cordoba and Almeria. The Fleet remained inactive, but Cartagena’s anti-aircraft defenses were beefed up to guard against a repetition of last week’s raid.

STRATEGIC COMMENTARY

The Loyalists appear more concerned about Cataluna and a possible Natinalist breakthrough from Teruel to the sea than about the front in the central plain, where territory seems to be judged expendable. According to informed sources, the shift in Nationalist Schwerpunkt did not come as a surprise and was in fact quite welcome because it relieved the pressure on what is considered the most vital area. This tallies with the relatively small portion of reinforcements the front at Albacete and Cuenca has received.

INSURGENT MAY II TURN

Stalled at least temporarily in their drive on Lerida, the Nationalists now seem to be attempting an end run in the high Pyrenees along the French border. Mountain units assisted by strafing He-51 fighters stormed Republican positions at the Pico de Aneto, inflicting losses and seizing the summit. At the other end of the Aragon front, a new thrust was launched toward Teruel that broke the Loyalist front, inflicted losses, and penetrated to within sight of that city so well remembered from earlier fighting. This attack was the first in which the Nationalists made effective use of their small force of light tanks.

In central Aragon, troops were pulled out of the line in preparation for re-equipping.

At the Murcia coast, the Nationalists consolidated their hold on their newly gained positions east of Lorca, but made no attempts to continue their attacks into the range of the guns of Cartagena and the Republican Fleet.

All other fronts remained quiet.

The airforce undertook another major effort, again with very disappointing results. A motley assortment of Nationalist, Italian volunteer, and Legion Kondor aircraft targeted Valencia’s armament factories, port, and airfields. In air combat both sides took some losses, and Republican anti-aircraft guns brought down several SM-81 (snake eyes on the dice roll!). Meanwhile He-51 fighter bombers of the Legion Kondor attacked naval vessels at Cartagena, but also failed to inflict damage.

LOYALIST MAY II TURN

The Insurgent advances on Teruel prompted the Loyalists to conduct a limited retreat (1 hex row) in the …. between that city and Cuenca. At Teruel itself the front has been beefed up with reinforcements to stop seal off the penetration. Cuenca has been abandoned.

No activities at the other fronts.

The lackadaisical Loyalist airforce chief, General Lopez was sacked and replaced with a hotshot, General Sanchez de Vega. The new commander immediately ordered construction of five forward temporary airfields (four in Aragon, the fifth near Lorca) and a massive air strike against the Nationalist Zaragoza airbase in retaliation for the attacks on Valencia. Ratas gave Nationalists Heinkels a bloody nose, but the strike itself ran into heavy flak that brought down several lumbering Po-540s and drove off some of the attack bombers. Damage to the base remained negligible.

COMMENTARY

With their ample reinforcements the Loyalists have been able to beef up their front in central Aragon almost to parity with the Nationalists. Nevertheless, the latter still hold the upper hand because their methodically built-up rail capacity allows them to shift their hitting power of elite infantry and heavy artillery to concentrate on weak spots. Also, they finally succeeded in causing losses (two HX results, the best they can wish for because they have ample replacement points and can use rebuilt units to ferry attack supply forward).

At Teruel, though, Franco seems to have come a little late and missed the chance of breaking through the front before it was backed up by reserves.

In the air, the war seems to have heated up. However, neither side has much to show for their massive efforts.

INSURGENT MAY I TURN

With order completely restored in Madrid, General Franco triumphantly entered the traditional capital and established himself and his government in the largely undestroyed palaces in the western part of the city overlooking the Manzanares river.

The Nationalist steamroller continued on in Aragon. With concentration of force and under fighter cover to fend of Republican ground-support aircraft, Franco’s troops gained a bridgehead over the Cinca river north of Barbastro and reached the Catalan border. Although badly outnumbered, the Loyalists managed to retreat in good order. Also, the Nationalist attackers now face difficult terrain on their way to Lerida, supposedly their next objective.

At the extreme other end of the front, Nationalist forces took to the offensive at the Mediterranean coast east of Lorca. Thanks to massive gunfire support by the Italian Regia Marina, the second blatant intervention by Mussolini in this civil war, they broke into the heavily fortified Loyalists positions and made headway toward Catagena. The Italian fleet then broke up into three squadrons to blockade all the Loyalist port including Mahon on Minorca.

All other front sectors remained quiet. The Zaragoza airport has now been upgraded to a major base, well protected by AA batteries and within bomber and ground-attack aircraft range of juicy targets in Barcelona and Valencia. Nationalist, volunteer Italian, and Kondor Legion wings continued their raids, but now against stiffened anti-aircraft defenses. Targets were industrial installations and airfields in the Barcelona area, rail lines in Cataluna, and the port of Valencia. However, the results of this massive effort were very disappointing as no damage to speak of was done.

Meanwhile, the Nationalist merchant fleet kept busy as usual trans-shipping imports from Galician ports to Bilbao and S.Sebastian. Also, making good use of protection provided by the Regia Marina, transports ferried troops from Palm di Mallorca to Aguilas.

LOYALIST MAY I TURN

The revolt in Cataluna turned out more bark than bite. Guadia Civil moved into northeastern Barcelona to root out last die-hard POUMists. While the city is still under martial law, the Army barracks are firmly in Republican hands, so that new units can be outfitted without delay. Catalans and Anarchists are holding their peace and continue to flock to the recruiting stations.

The blockade by the Italian Navy proved only partially effective. Some ships with contraband (artillery pieces, tanks) from the Soviet Union were seized, some others met with mysterious mishaps, but many still got through to Barcelona, notably including a three freighters carrying new aircraft.

Despite the revolt in Barcelona and a shrunken population base (less than 20% of the country still held), the Loylists managed to field another seven new infantry divisions and four brigades, thanks in good part to Soviet arms deliveries. The new troops were rushed to the front in Aragon, now bristling with heavily manned entrenchments (15-16 CF per stack).

At the Mediterranan coast the People’s Army began to dig in under the umbrella of the heavy guns of the Fleet, which is still riding anchor at Cartagena.

The Airfirce abandoned its forward bases and concentrated fighters to protect Barcelona and Madrid from renewed Nationalist raids. Po-540 and new SB-2 bombers attacked rail yards in Madrid, doing a better job than their Nationalist counterparts in Barcelona and Valencia.

COMMENTARY

This is a trying time for the Nationalists. Massive reinforcements have enabled the Loyalists to strengthen their front to an extent that World-War-One trench warfare has developed. The Nationalist have numerical superiority, better units, no manpower shortage (empty pool and 80+ InfRpl accumulated), but shortage of artillery and supply severely limit offensive power. Even if they can assemble more “killer stacks,” there is little they can do with them for lack of attack supply. At this stage, the name of the game is attrition, and attrition does not become an effective weapon until the reinforcement and replacement rates start to dwindle. To add insult to injury, the Loyalists to date have been remarkably successful in avoiding losses (DR results one 1/3 chances).

The lopsided Loyalist reinforcement and ArtRpl rates for spring of 1937 probably reflect history pretty well as this was a time when the reorganization of the military bore some fruit. However, the Loyalists at that time still held Madrid, Bilbao, and a much larger portion of Spain than in our game. Whether they could have fielded so many new divisions when commanding only Cataluna, Valencia, Murcia, a small and scarcely populated part of Aragon, and a sliver of Castilla Nueva is open to question. Perhaps more of the reinforcements (of both sides!) should be listed as arriving in specific cities, so they’d be lost if the respective city is enemy-owned. But this is a delicate design problem: too much of it could destabilize the game, magnifying too strongly a small advantage once gained by either side.

APR II INSURGENT

With dry spring weather here to stay, the Nationalist Aragon offensive along the Huesca-Barcelona axis kept grinding on and reached the Cinca river at Barbastro. This time the Loyalists took heavy losses. However, the Nationalists failed to exploit the gap in the front they had created (only the Kondor Legion’s motorized 88AA had sufficient mobility to sally into Cataluna to wreak havoc, but was apparently judged too valuable at the front to send it on such a suicide mission). Near the French border, Nationalist mountain troops and cavalry made good use of their mountain savvy to bypass, trap, and wipe out the POUM Maurin Brigade on the slopes of Monte Perdido. All other fronts remained quiet. With no cargo to ferry, the Nationalist Navy took the week off. Their Airforce, however, made a determined effort launching strikes against factories, airfields, and rail lines. Barcelona experienced the heaviest attacks. Savoia-Marchetti-81 bombers caused damage to plants, and Heinkel-45s of the Legion Kondor sank several ships in port. Also hit were airbases in Valencia and Albacete. Aircraft were destroyed at both locations and the Albacete field is out of commission. Heinkel-51 fighter bombers damage the crucial Barcelona-Huesca rail line north of Lerida. However, another raid against Valenica’s rail yard failed to find the target.

APR II LOYALIST

The Barcelona government’s worst nightmare has become reality. Barcelona and much of Cataluna rose in open revolt, instigated by the Partido Obrero de Unification Marxista, Andreas Nin’s anti-Stalin communists. Reaction was swift. At the front, all POUM units were disarmed. Uprisings in Lerida and Tarragona were quelled by Guardia Civil. Negotiations eventually ensured an uneasy truce with Anarchists and Catalan separatists. However, parts of Barcelona are still held by die-hard POUM militia. The Loyalists marshaled all available reserves including two new infantry divisions to patch up their front in Aragon. A few units were withdrawn from Castilla to help out and to begin to reestablish order in Barcelona. To guard against any Nationalist breakthrough, security forces were deployed at some distance behind the actual front. Anti-aircraft units were moved to Barcelona in response to the devastating Nationalist air raids. While the Republican Fleet remained at anchor in Catagena, fighter bombers attacked rail lines in Aragon and caused damage between Zaragoza and Huesca.

STRATEGIC COMMENTARY

In Aragon the Nationalists have reached the Cinca river, a major obstacle. Whether they are strong enough to breach it remains to be seen. The success of the raids against Republican airbases have swung the balance of forces in the air back in the Nationalists’ favor. Although at this time their fighters are still outmatched by the Soviet “Ratas” (I-16s and I-15s), their bombers and ground attack aircraft now outnumber their counterparts about 2:1. Especially noteworthy is the destruction of the Albacete base and the Po-540 bombers it served. Until these are replaced, the Loyalists find themselves without a strategic force whereas the Nationalists can count on their SM-81s and Ju-52s.