Jan I 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

Seas turn rough in the Med., but otherwise the weather is unchanged from the latter half of December. Many Insurgent units head toward the northern Gobernitos area in preparation for the upcoming campaign. The continued good weather in the south prompts an attack along the rail line west of Madrid. A big air battle takes place as both sides call in air support, in which a Loyalist I-16 manages to kill a CR.32. The presence of a PA tank brigade disrupts the attack and causes a near rout of the Insurgents (3:1 -2 = AR).

Loyalist Player Turn.

The 2nd and the 3rd (Ast.) Div’s are formed. The PA high command orders units west of Madrid not to advance to take advantage of the Insurgent retreat there, rather they remain in positions where engineers will soon complete forts. (As an aside, I have not specifically mentioned it, but rest assured that engineers have been busy building forts in many areas. I have also not mentioned that there have been several air battles as both sides have, for the most part unsuccessfully, been attempting to bomb rail lines, airfields, and other targets. I generally won’t mention these unless there are air units aborted or eliminated as a result. And finally, I noticed a typo in Report Part 3’s summary of this year’s Loyalist campaign plan. The last line should of course say that operations against Estremadura and Andalucia will have to wait till 1938, not 1939. Hhmmm…, it occurs to me I’d best start putting the year in with the turn in these reports.) Otherwise, the front is quiet as the build-up for the drive on Burgos continues.

Jan II 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

The weather across the Iberian Peninsula worsens(Winter in Zone D, Mud in Zone E, Rough in both sea zones), leaving no openings for attacks. The territory lost earlier in the month is re-occupied.

Loyalist Player Turn.

The French border is closed. Three more Div’s are formed (3rd, 1st (Ast.), & 2nd (Ast.). Preparations for the upcoming campaign continue.