Initial Phase: The Weather is clear in Zones D and E, Sea is calm in Atlantic and Mediterranean. All units are in supply. Spain generates 3 GSPs in Sevilla.

Germany spends 2 ARPs to bring back 2 aborted Me109Es. One appears at Tarragone and the other comes on at Lerida.1 ARP is left in the pool. The 667th Combat Engineer regiment is replaced (2 Inf RPs, 11 remain) and also appears at Tarragona.

Movement Phase: Germany embarks on a rapid airfield construction operation around Valencia, in order to provide air support capability for the coming assault on the city. First off the 512th Combat Engineer builds a temporary field in 33:3633. Then the 16th Construction regiment and 519th Combat Engineer regiment move to 3632 and combine their abilities to build a second temporary airfield in the area.

North of Valencia, two more airfields are built in Tereul and 3303 by the 604th and 674th Combat engineer regiments. In addition, the 7th and 71st Construction regiments abandon their airfields north of Madrid and use rail and admin movement to move onto the new airfields, freeing up the Combat Engineers for other duties. The 674th advances 2 spaces to 3502 and the 604th heads back to Tereul. From Madrid, the 108th Construction regiment is ordered to the Valencia sector, and it uses admin and rail movement to reach 33:3331. Nearby, the newly reformed 667th Combat Engineer regiment is sent forward via admin movement to join the RR artillery in 23A:3702.

Continuing rail regauging is the 4th RR Engineer regiment, which repairs a rail break and then regauges the line in Tarragona. The 1st RR Engineer regiment advances the northern railhead to 23A:1907. The 34th Corps moves two more hexes along the rail line to 3406 to complete ownership for the Germans. This allows the 64th Corps (and its siege artillery) to use admin movement to head southeast as far as 3605. The 34th then heads back west to 3510 and proceeds south through Albacete to 3910.

Near Madrid, the remnants of the Spanish defenders are about to be rounded up. The 66th Corps moves to 2912, flanked by the 12th Infantry division which occupies 2913. Any possible retreat is cut off by the 5th Infantry division which takes up a position behind the Tajo river at 2712.

A few miles to the northwest, the SS TK Motorised division sweeps around behind the two Spanish divisions in 2514, and it stops movement in Talavera de la Raina, The 22nd Air Landing division also joins in the operation, moving into the mountains at 2413. Finally the 7th Panzer division is joined by the 610th and 782 Artillery regiments which are detached from the 53rd Corps in Madrid. The rest of the 53rd Corps heads off down the road towards Gibraltar, reaching Tomelloso.

To protect the Madrid city airbases in 2710 against partisan attacks, the 604th Motorised Light AA battalion transfers from garrison duty at Valladolid. German position AA is moved towards Madrid, with 6 points leaving the Bayonne area. 4 points use rail and admin movement to reach 2512 while 2 other points can only reach as far as Avila (2312). 4 other points located deeper in France as railed up as far as the European gauge railhead in 1907.

In the Valencia sector, the 62nd Corps moves back down adjacent to the city at 3704. The present occupant of that hex is the 25th Corps, which shifts across the Jucar river to Alzira. It is joined there by the 4th Panzer division. An exception is the 133rd motorised heavy AA battalion, which only shuffles as far as 3804, where it is joined by the 15th Mountain Corps and the 98th independent Mountain regiment. Also in the area, the 12th Infantry division rejoins the 65th Corps.

In air missions, a major assault is made on the airbase in Valencia. Using newly constructed local airbases as staging posts, nearly every German air unit joins in the attack. The British have 5 fighters in the area, 4 land based and a group of Fulmars on a carrier off the coast. However, they are outnumbered almost 2 to 1 by the Luftwaffe. After an emergency meeting by local commanders in consultation with London, it is decided that the RAF will seek to take as many Germans down with them as possible, however the carrier planes will not take part in order to provide protection for the Allied fleet. Two Hurricanes are allocated against Me110s, a third goes up against a Me109E, while the Spitfires tangle with more Me109Es. Weight of numbers proves decisive. The British lose 2 Hurricanes and a Spitfire aborted, while the other Hurricane is shot down by Me110Cs. The only hit on the Germans is an abort on a Me110C4. The few AA guns that are stationed in the city are too far away from the airport to have any effect on the waves of incoming bombers. Valencia airport is obliterated under a downpour of bombs, with 6 hits reducing its capacity to 0. Many Spanish SM79 bombers and Mixed attack bombers on the ground are also reduced to burning wrecks. The German air units land at the temporary airfield ringing the city, in formations of 2 fighters and one bomber where possible.

Combat Phase: There will be two stacks of Spanish attacked this turn but the available Allied air support is not able to affect the outcome (save for chancing a very risky unescorted mission to 2514), so no DAS missions are flown. Force H in 3903 continues to send heavy barrages of gunfire towards the German assembly zones near Valencia. However the German units are well bunkered down and feel little effect apart from some headaches.

All the available Luftwaffe aircraft bombed Valencia this turn, so no GS missions are undertaken.

The 66th Corps, 57th and 5th Infantry divisions have surrounded the remnants of the Spanish 13th and 23rd divisions in Toledo. The Spanish can only muster 5 points, while the attackers are worth 36, which works out to a 5:1 even assault. 1 is rolled for a HX. The Spanish are destroyed but manage to cadre the 263rd Infantry division, in a Pyrrhic result for the Germans. The cadred division advances into Toledo so it can rebuild next turn. It is joined there by the 5th Infantry division which advances over the Tajo river.

Northwest of Toledo in 2514, the 21st and 41Exp Infantry divisions, augmented by the 1st Combat Engineers, face an armoured pincer movement led by the SS TK division and 7th Panzer division. The isolated defenders are worth 11 but the Germans have 34, including a +2 for AECA. A 4 comes up, modified to 6 for a DH. The engineers and 41Exp division are destroyed, while the 21st is reduced to cadre. This unit retreats into the mountains at 2414.

Exploitation Phase: The 604th Motorised Light AA battalion moves to Madrid 2711 to protect the single remaining air unit from partisan attack. In the south of Spain, the 34th Corps moves to capture Murcia, where it stops. Next to Valencia, the 35th Corps enters the swamps in 3904.

Losses

  • Spanish Unisolated – 0
  • Spanish Isolated – 9+5 = 14
  • Spanish Air – 2A
  • German Unisolated – 4 (1 Special RP received)
  • German Isolated – 0
  • German Air – 0
  • British Unisolated – 0
  • British Isolated – 0
  • British Air – 3A