Category: Second Front (Page 3 of 5)

The situation to date:

The cross channel attack has been launched by the US Army based in England. Despite getting ashore with minimal losses, damage to the Landing craft coupled with retention of several LCs in the Mediterranean for decepetion purposes critically weakened the amount of men and material that could be dumped ashore. German response to the landing is confounded by the developing break out into the Dordogne by the British Peninsula Army and Canadian 1st Army while the US forces in Italy are again threatening to break the German lines and flood into the Po Valley while Rome is being surrounded from the north, potentially trapping around a dozen good quality Divisions.

From the Allied point of view, everything is looking good and the only cloud on the horizon is the expected arrival of several high strength divisions in the Western Theatre and from the South East. Elsewhere the poor quality 4-5 XXs wait the opportunity to upgrade, but the race is on between the British and US to see which force can gobble up the most of these units before they can start making a pain of themselves.

Clear everywhere, calm seas.

German Player Turn

France – Reeling from the previous months battles, the German High Command reconstructs several PzG and Infantry units from its hoarded reserves. Luckily for the Germans is that May is a good month for reinforcements arriving in France and from other theatres. An SS battlegroup based around the fresh faced fanatics of the Hitler Youth Division marches along the Somme to threaten the central hex of the Allied beach head. Behind them, some PzG cadres and attached units try and destroy the paratrooper lodgement at St Quentin but to their frustration and joy of the Allies, they are only driven out of the town (DR). In the south of France, Perpignan is abandoned and a fall back towards the Massif Centrale is made while along the bay of Biscay the pull back to Bordeaux is continued and Bayonne is abandoned but the retreating XXs can’t fully break contact with the British.

Italy – The front line is mostly abandoned but Rome is held. The retreating troops slam into the US forces in their rear, destroying a Tank/motorised battlegroup in Sienna and flipping over an Armoured XX NE of Rome. At Perugia the US grunts hold off an attack by mountain troops. The Germans leave a lot of units looking vulnerable and can only shake their fists impotently at the overwhelming Allied air harrassment campaign.

Allied Player Turn

In the UK, dockworkers go out on stike, demanding higher rates of pay and conditions, with only two LC being repaired in the disruption that occurs. Despite this, the beachhead is built up with each corp containing an Armoured XX, two Inf XXs, Arty, AA and Eng units, ready for the breakout.

US units attack the Lehr and 21st Pz XXs with 2 Hvy AA regts attached. Massive air support is flown to help the yanks blast the Germans to pieces. In a deadly display of accuracy (loaded dice commented Whitehall) the AA proceeded to abort 400 and kill 100 GS planes, letting only 250 through to support the attack. In a sneaky attempt to force the odds more in their favour, American mechanised commandoes try to infiltrate the German lines – all are captured by keen eyed sentries (rolled F*). Despite this the Germans are pummeled for an EX result and forced back from the beach-head.

The lonely US paras march to Reims, occupying the city and wait, hoping they can hold out long enough for supplies and reinforcements to reach them. Either way it is agreed that a Spielberg movie will be made about their efforts to date (Saving lots of Privates). To slow any German attack on them, 1500 planes fly harassment around their hex to block the Germans. The HQ of the 101st remains on standby in a heavy glider transport to join the division.

In the south west the British continue their advance, the Portuguese size Bayonne and the canadians replace a Motorised Corp in the forests south of Bordeaux, allowing the British to swing south to assault a LW corp of paras, assault guns and odds and sods defending behind the Garrone River 80 miles south east of Bordeaux. The LW units are destroyed by superior armoured strength. On the Spanish border, French and British units lunge forward to attack the new German stop line at Sete (Port Fortification provides good base for defence). In Bezeirs a 5-8 XX is blasted apart by British infantry but the French assault on Sete is stalled due to lack of engineer and artillery support.

Italy – A US all arms Corp is added to the area to assist in the push up the boot. Rome is attacked by Poles, Kiwis, Indians and Brits but the city holds out (AS). North of the eternal city the US begins to chew up the German forces strung out around them. two mountain XXs are cadred and several high mountian units vapourised while Auezzano falls to a 1.5:1 attack.

Exploitation – Canadian armoured units advance to the centre of the Massif Centrale, the 1st Armoured and Recon forces arrive at Limoges while the 6th and 11th XXs enter Angouleme while the Guards Corp nearly swings the trap shut on the German forces around Bordeaux by entering Libourne on the Garonne estuary. The sound of high pitched shrieking is heard from Berlin.

Clear weather Zone C! Calm seas in the Channel!

Axis Player Turn

Offers are made via the Swedish Embassy for a surrender by the Third Reich who claim they are in an impossible position. The German commander is bribed by promises of a regular supply of scotch and cuban cigars to maintain the war by bloodthirsty Allied High Command. As an immediate downpayment a bottle is broached and detailed discussion held on how the Germans can salvage the situation which degenerates into a discussion of West Coast Eagles chances of making the finals in the Australian Football competition. The unanimous agreement is not much.

France – Using AA the HG Pz XX manages to struggle out of Tours and push south to Bordeaux. An attempt is made to squash the British bridgehead over the Adour but fails (AS). Troops try and sidle past the British along the coast but 5 XXs and many regiments remain trapped around Bayonne. Units in the Pyrenees begin to pull out and the armoured reserve stationed behind the line at Perpignan (Reserve Pz XXs) is switched to the Bordeaux region. All units in this area are still effectively lacking full supply due to the rail cuts behind them.

In Italy the fortuitous arrival of the SS LSSAH and DR XXs at Pesauro blocks the north option for the US over the Metauro River. Elsewhere in Italy, to the amazement of the Allies the Germans remain in their lines, despite the front now in serious danger of being encircled by the US drive up the Adriatic. Could be an unforeseen result of the Swedish scotch supply line…….

Norway – The three 7-6 XXs set sail for Kiel and arrive safely. Germany starts to build up a new strategic reserve.

Allied Player Turn

France – With England bursting with US forces a cross channel invasion is launched. Allied intelligence had watched with frustration over the past several months as the defences in Normandy and Brittany remained fully manned despite the irritations in Italy and Spain. It was noticed however that the Pas de Calais had several units shipped off to the south, and although the Atlantic Wall defences were quite strong, there were few units in the interior available to the Germans. In a daring gamble the finger was pointed at the space between Bolougne-sur-Mer and Le Treport and the order given -“Invade there!” Four US XXs are broken up, and with Engineer and Amphib tank support land at Le Treport and the two hexes to the north, bypassing the main defences in Normandy and the much vaunted and costly Seine fortifications (A dozen forts on the east side of the river). French naval units scour the minefields, lots of Allied planes take down the Coastal defences in Boulogne and Le Treport to a level that allows the Royal Navy and USN to effectively shut them down in a short engagement. The German Strat Air Force comes out to play again and tries to escort the LW Anti Shipping forces through to hit the fleet as it crosses the Channel. It is surprisingly effective despite massive RAF Spitfire cover and two code V units get though, only to be seen off by naval AA.

In a daring move, the 101st Airborne is landed deep inside France at St Quentin, some 80 miles from the planned beachhead. 5 regiments land, only one is disrupted. The depth of the landing was made to block off a rail line (recently restored) and it was felt that the US beachhead would be quickly expanded.

The landings go off rather well with troops landing unopposed between Boulogne and Le Treport. At Le Treport itself, the defending 4-5 Res XX is shattered by overwhelming Air Support and NGS. (7:1 +1AEC = DE). While the allied commanders are patting each other on the back, it is pointed out by the beach control officer that only 9 LCs remain serviceable following a higher than expected damage rate despite the good weather and unopposed landings. The follow on fleet is forced to land only HQs, Hvy AA and an Artillery brigade while the Armoured Division due to land is sent back to ports in Britain. The Allied commander begins to regret the 6 LCs he left as a deception measure in the Mediterranean. they would come in quite handy. In St Quentin, the US Paratroopers suddenly look very vulnerable and scared.

Southern France – An attack on some Eastern troops, a para cadre and a Reserve Mountain XX expands the breach in the German line (HX) while around Bayonne the pocket is crushed in three attacks on various stacks of German defenders – two 5-7-6 XXs are lost following a DH/ZoC retreat battle, a PzG cadre and attached artillery brigades and bike battalions are lost likewise. Only the units in Bayonne itself hold out due to the Port Fortification (AS). In the follow on phase, the 1st Armoured XX and attached recon units exploit through to reach the outskirts of Toulouse.

In Italy the US Armoured corp changes direction and heads west over the mountains into Tuscany – the German defenders force an EX result but the US shrugs off the minimal losses (one Armored XX cadred). In the exploitation phase the Armored/Motorised units flood into the clear terrain seizing Perugia and Sienna while a 16-10 XX heads south to challenge the German units remaining around Italy.

Analysis

It took me until the end of February to wake up and realise that I had to get moving. Despite forces in Italy and Spain, I wasn’t acheiving the desired results – not one hex of France captured and despite the early successes in Italy I was in significantly good position. The sally by the German Pz and PzG units in Italy really hurt and put me on the back foot. It caused the cancellation of an invasion of the Cote D’azur and diverted more troops to Italy than I wanted. It also sucked the guts out of the British replacement pool making any future losses hard to replace. For this reason D-day was a purely US affair and despite advantage taken of the Pas de Calais run down of defences and the good weather things were not looking good. The losses in LCs hampered an immediate build up and I was very lucky that the main German units were not in the area, otherwise a serious reverse could have occurred. The German player offer to give up was real, and he was very realistic about his chances – in trying to cover the whole western front including Spain is beyond German resources with the current counter mix. This game cost me an arm and a leg in scotch and beer bribing him to continue to play. Luckily the following turns gave him something to smile about. Norway looks weakened by the withdrawal of the 7-6 XXs. Might be time to attack.

S, M, M, C, C, C, C

Axis Player Turn

Hurried attempts are made to repair the rail network in Southern France. In Italy a further withdrawal is made to the line 16 miles south of Rome to shorten the line and allow the release of the HG Pz XX and attached HG AA regt to attempt to Strategically Rail through Austria to southern France. It can only get as far as Tours. In Norway, three 7-6 XXs are concentrated in Oslo with some Construction units to send to the main front. The KM heads from Kiel to escort them. The withdrawal to Russia of the 21st Pz and SS 10th F PzG XXs weakens the Franco-Spanish border defences and much rolling about on the bunker floor is done by the German commander who forgot these were due to disappear.

Allied Player Turn

Spain/France – Andalucia and Valencia are classed as “pacified” with Spanish Republican units forming up – these in turn are used to release other UK units in the Spanish interior who are sent to the front. In an effort to begin the liberation of France (still not one hex in Allied hands!) the British launch a major offensive aimed at the forts near Perpignan and around San Sebastian. To complement the fighting, harrassment is flown for a block 32 miles deep and 64 miles long behind the German front. Massive air support is flown and again the German Strategic Air force is called out to counter the Allied threat. This time the Allies are better prepared and despite heavy losses in the air for both sides, the defenders are mauled (4:1 = EX). South of this battle a LW Para XX is cadred by a UK/Canadian attack. The message is sent – Pyrenees breached! At Perpignan a French, Canadian and British army assaults the fortified defenders on the border and with several wings of fighter aircraft flying uselessly above as escorts in case of German Strat A/craft interception (which didn’t occur here!) the odds are not enough to force them back and an AS results.

Italy – US forces attack across the Trento river with heavy GS flown. The German Strat A/Craft appear to do battle but are unable to prevent the infantry defenders being bounced out of their positions in exchange for some infantry losses by the Americans. Again behind the German lines a belt of harrassment is flown some 32 miles deep, hopefully to delay the Germans in redeploying to meet the threat developing on the east coast and catch them if a sudden retreat is ordered.

France – The HG Pz XX and attached Hvy AA Regt is subjected to a swarm of Allied Fighter Bomber harrassment – 1000 planes fly harrassment for some 64 miles around the HG XX while in Normandy a Battle Group based on the 5th Para XX with Tiger tank support is likewise blocked in by RAF units. These two formations are the only likely units the Germans can use as a “Strategic reserve” in the western front without seriously weakening the Atlantic wall defences.

The above round of battles now leaves the Germans with more units in their replacement pool than the British, much to the Allied commander’s relief. Signs of stress are starting to appear in the German defences.

Exploitation Phase – in Italy a US Armoured Corp (two “heavies” 16-10 and a motorised Inf XX) swings inland past the remnants of the German coastal defenders and enters Ancona, only a single Italian 0-5 Construction blocks access to Bologna and the Po River. In France at last, the British push the San Sebastian/Bayonne defences and crosses the Adour River, effectively trapping a number of German Divisions in a pocket on the coast.

S, M, M, M, C, C, C

Axis Player Turn

In Italy a slight pull back occurs to the canal intensive zone south of Anzio. The German commander is confident that with a solid wall of two divisions per hex in Italy any Allied break through is minimal and can be controlled. In Spain all crossing points into France are securely defended. The region looks fairly strong, but will it be strong enough?

Allied Player Turn

In Italy an exploratory attack by US units on the Adriatic coast is called off when no result is seen to be likely (AS) and the Poles and New Zealanders advance cautiously to the new German line making sure their flanks are covered and ATEC available. in Spain, the chagrin of the previous fortnight’s debacle keeps the British to their barracks and instead actions in France are confined to a massive air campaign that targets the transportation network. The MTO and ETO strategic forces join in and around 17 hits are made, cutting off southern France from the rest of the theatre. These hits, along with the ongoing campaign being waged from England and Corsica, are crippling the German ability to move effectively by rail.

S, S, S, M, M, C, C

Axis Player Turn

The area around Barcelona is abandoned and a pull back made to the prepared fortifications along the French border. the Pyrenees high passes are garrisoned and the Germans thumb there noses at the British, daring them to try and take them on. In Italy the Germans remain at the Garigliano, much to the relief of the Allied commander who had visions of some wild dash to Taranto.

Allied Player Turn

In Italy the Polish form up and allow the US units to return to the east coast. Massive airstrikes are launched on the rail lines of Northern Italy, virtually severing it from France and diverting construction units from construction of the Po River defence belt.

At San Sebastian, the Allies feel cocky enough to try and get and early break in the defences. Four stacks of units attack the German stack 32 miles south of the town defending in wooded rough terrain. massive Air support is called out but they are stunned when the German Strategic reserve reacts and enters the battle. Caught by surprise there is insufficient escorts to prevent the Allied bombers and attack craft being torn to shreds by the Luftwaffe. The only saving grace is the fighter versus fighter battles puts a number of German fighters into the abort and killed boxes. The lack of Air support makes the defenders virtually invulnerable and the attack is stalled in the mud and woods of the lower Pyrenees.

S, S, S, W, M, R, R

Axis Player Turn

There is a movement of large numbers of PzG and assorted C/M units to Italy, along with a number of Infantry XXs. The Allies aren’t unduly concerned at this, suspecting that the Germans are merely countering ongoing Allied build up in the Mediterranean. This belief is rudely broken when Panzer Armee Tedesci launches a sudden winter blitz on the British Corp defending the west coast. The lax Allied planning for the region allowed 16 mile gaps to appear in the defences that allows the HG and 24th Pz XXs to slide into the rear of the British. With only three USAAF fighters able to intercept or provide DAS, the Germans win temporary air supremacy. A 2:1 attack results in an EX with the resulting ZoC interference results in the loss of three British Infantry Divisions and Artillery Division. London is outraged and sacks the regional commander. This is ineffectual as the Germans exploit south through the winter weather to retake the Garigliano, overrunning an Indian engineer unit and a Construction brigade. Only the motorised Italian brigade in Naples remains to block the German resurgence.

Allied Player Turn

Galacia is snapped up by Portuguese forces and British units redeploy to San Sebastian. At Barcelona, the last hex is taken by French troops who capture Franco and his cabinet. Republican agents, trained in Moscow, threaten Franco until he agrees to an immediate cessation of hostilities with the Allies and orders Spanish troops to lay down their arms. The few that remain however are mostly stacked with German forces and are convinced to join up the Waffen SS who set about forming two Spanish XXs for the reconquista of Spain.

In Italy US forces quickly redeploy westwards to put some strength behind the Garigliano and protect Naples. Plans for landings around Toulon and Marseille are abandoned by Allied high command and the Polish forces scheduled for the landings start to arrive in Italy.

S, S, S, M, W, C, C

Axis Player Turn

Defences are built up in the Pyrenees and Barcelona defences are shuffled about, stripping Germans out of the city and leaving it defended by the Spanish forces in the region. “The Valencian Republican” reports this as an example of how Franco is allowing Spanish youth to be sacrificed for Hitler’s ambitions, “The Barcelona Bugle” retorts that Spain must hold its own against Godless Communist sympathisers. In Italy the Germans hold their positions but a couple more units are sent from North France to the Cote D’Azur.

Allied Player Turn

The Royal Navy and Regia Marina arrive off Barcelona. In reponse the Spanish Navy sorties to see them off. In a very short and sudden battle, the combined forces fleet sink and destroy 12 strength points of Spanish ships for the loss of 1 aged Italian cruiser and a RN battle cruiser. Very satisfying results. The Fleets then prepare for NGS to aid the assault by French and British forces who attack and seize western Barcelona in a 4:1 HX result. The Republican Government in Madrid is very concerned at the use of NGS in a populated area but its protests are largely ignored by the British.

S, S, M, W, M, C, C

Axis Player Turn

In Spain and Italy there is little significant movement other than some shuffling of stacks. Rome appears to be preparing for a bitter defence as some C/M units enter the area.

Allied Player Turn

Polish and Czech forces land in North Africa and special forces begin to get married up to planes and LCs in the area. OKW in Berlin begin to look long and hard at the Southern French coast line and the head of the Adriatic.

In Galacia, Portuguese and Canadians finish off the Spanish defenders, putting them out of their misery – only La Corona and Ferrol manned by a couple of 1-6 units remain to wave Franco’s flag.

S, S, S, W, M, S, R

Axis Player Turn

Italy – The Germans pull out of Cassino and from behind the Garigliano and withdraw to their new positions of forts and trenches just south of Rome and to behind the Pescara River. The position looks grave……

Spain – Massive reinforcements enter the battle line around San Sebastian and much to the Allies joy a couple of units from Northern France are shipped south to help bolster the defences.

Allied Player Turn

In Spain a joint UK/Canadian task force fights a winter battle with a Spanish force guarding the passes leading north into Galacia and EXs the defenders. Franco calls for Spain to rise up, but it is too cold and the population remains in doors.

In Italy engineering units begin to try and repair damage to bridges and rail lines while the Allies advance north after the retreating Germans. The call is made – Rome by the beginning of Spring!

Elsewhere massive redeployment occur of the airforces as Airfields are fully used in Corsica and Northern Spain, no transportation network in Western Europe is outside the threat of Allied airpower. In the Shetlands and Orkneys the airbases are upgraded and this fact pointed out to the Germans by some unsubtle Allied propaganda (finger pointing at the map and stating “These are to help me invade Norway.”)

SSMM, Calm Seas everywhere.

Axis Player Turn

Spain – The withdrawal of the FH PzG XX from San Sebastian to Russia sends shivers down the German CinC spine until he can find replacements for them in the form of the 26th Pz Cadre that he has to spend valuable armoured RPs on to bring up to strength. In Extremadura, the remaining Spanish forces flee into the hills while Galacia asks for fighter protection and sea borne reinforcements. At Barcelona, Franco spends some of the RPs he has collected from the special replacements gained from massive losses and rebuilds a couple of infantry XXs. These are thrown into the frontline, much to the bitter disappointment of the Allied CinC. Barcelona is looking a tough nut to crack.

Italy – The sudden winter offensive of the US infantry causes the abandonment of the Adriatic coast. Units flee north to the next river line and a PzG cadre is sent from Rome to SE of Aquila de Abruzzi to try and ward off any further american adventurism. The Cassino sector holds on but looks increasingly over its shoulder to the happenings in the east.

Allied Player Turn

Spain – Irate at the poor press they got from the previous turns failure in battle, the Canadian tank boys with attached infantry slam into the pesky Spanish cavalry which had slipped into Navarre. The horseboys are wiped out, but not before running amok with the British infantry (EX result). The Canadians press forward and reach the entrances to the passes over the Pyrenees.

Italy – Two US infantry XXs attack and get an EX result on the PzG cadre SE of Aquila, much to the consternation of the German CinC. This attack puts the infantry astride the east-west transportation line outflanking the river line along the Adriatic, threatening Pescara and, more importantly, Roma. The Cassino line is now useless and the Allied CinC begins to see possibilities opening up.

Analysis

The addition of Spain was definitely been a two edged sword from the Allied point of view. It was fun at first over running and swamping the scattered Spanish defences but the key aim of breaking into the Pyrenees before bad weather struck failed. This was mainly due to my failure to get started on towards Barcelona early enough. The Tarragona force was meant to be a block on the Germans getting establish deep in Spain, it worked but I should have used it as a means of getting to Barcelona and knocking the Spanish out earlier. The home rules for garrisoning Spain were also a pain, too many units tied down well away from the fighting, but this is what the rules were meant to do so I guess from that perspective they worked. As to how “historical” they are is anyones guess.

In Italy the Americans at this date were lodged further north than as was the case historically, but the Italian peninsula has a lot lower counter density – Spain was being mainly defended by German units that were slated for the southern front. This allowed me to push further and faster without any amphibious landings (except for the initial one on the toe). The most disconcerting thing in the game for me at this stage was the German refusal to strip Northern France of units to defend Spain and Italy. I had been hoping for a cross channel lodgement by late 43, but the enemy just wouldn’t play my game. The fact that I had several US and British XXs and assorted special forces sitting in the GB holding box could have played a part to. Norway still sits pretty in the north, awaiting Allied liberation. The time is coming.16