Initial Phase: Spain completes its 4th and final turn of mobilisation. Garrison units are also released for Asturias. Portugal completes turn 2 of mobilisation. Britain does not receive any additional reinforcements apart from 5 ARPs.
The 23rd Infantry division is reconstituted in Madrid from remnants of destroyed formations (5 inf RPs, 3 remain) All the German long range bombers (He111s and Ju88s) switch to Naval Patrol duties. From their new base in Bilbao, German torpedo bombers can now reach as far as the extreme northwest tip of Spain. In the Mediterranean, any naval movement past Alicante will be at risk of detection.
The British 3rd Engineer regiment begins constructing a fort in 23A:3726. These works are the first stage of an outer perimeter around Gibraltar. In Valencia, the 3rd Combat Engineer regiment constructs a fort with the aid of the local civilian population
Movement Phase: The embarked 1st British Armoured division and its Spanish escorts head out of Plymouth, carefully sailing outside the range of Axis naval patrol zones. The tanks disembark at Cadiz and the naval group heads back north towards England. Two Spanish transports pick up an Infantry regiment and a light AA battalion from Las Palmas di Gran Canaria, take them north east through the Straits of Gibraltar, and into Cartagena. They then head back to Spanish Sahara to end movement in Melilla. A third transport brings the 1st Light AA battalion from Santa Cruz di Tenerife to Malaga. The transports then head back towards the Canaries, ending up in Atlantic sea box SC:H2.
From Ceuta, a transport makes a round trip through the far Western Mediterranean. It moves to Melilla, embarking the 50th Artillery regiment. This unit is disembarked in Cartagena (where it will provide valuable supporting arms), and then the transports return to their starting point in Ceuta. Finally, the 1st Spanish Landing Craft rebases from Vigo to Gibraltar.
Portuguese forces remain on standby for the moment, no movement is performed.
Freshly arrived from England, the 1st Tank division races off the docks and heads west to take up a position behind the Guadalquivir river , just to the northwest of Jaen in 23A:3518.
Numerous artillery assets have now been mobilised across Spain. In Galicia, the 48th Artillery regiment that has just mobilised in La Coruna heads down to the mountain pass at 1013. 4 points now guard this important transport line. The defenders of Gijon, who are a motley bunch of leg infantry, welcome the arrival of the heavy guns of the 47th Artillery regiment. This unit boards trains at Medina Del Campo and heads to through Leon before arriving at the Asturias capital.
Further south, the 63rd artillery regiment retreats in the face of the nearby German 53rd Corps. It falls back to the city of Valladolid. Close by, the 41st Artillery regiment administratively moves through the Cordillera Central into the main city hex of Madrid. On the Mediterranean coast, the 50th Artillery regiment gets onto the rail system at Cartagena and heads forward to the units screening Valencia at 33:3633. Last of the artillery units to move is the 64th, which heads by ground from Ciudad Real to Madrid hex 2711.
Over to the Pyrenees, and the 82nd and 32nd Infantry divisions have realised that both their northern and southern flanks have been turned by the Axis invaders. This is despite the repulsion of the attacks of the 15th Mountain Corps. To avoid being surrounded, they head south as quickly as possible through Spanish territory, thus allowing them to administratively move. The 86th XX makes it as far as 33:3632, while the 32nd is not far behind at 33:3532. Consideration was given to bolstering Zaragoza but since close to half of the front line Spanish divisions are already destroyed or battered, conservation seems like a better call. The 82nd is joined by the infantry regiment detached from the broken down 71st division, which was watching the mountain pass at 2926.
At Barcelona, the remnants of the 23rd Infantry move forward to bolster the 1st Cavalry XX that holds the northwestern flank of the city. It has to be said however , that there are overwhelming German forces in the area. In the foothills of the southern Pyrenees, the remains of the 43rd Mountain move into 3225 to try and stop the German 28th Infantry XX from leaving Andorra. Due to terrain it will not be overrunable from that direction, though the adjacent 62nd Corps could probably wipe it out in normal combat if it so chose.
Back to Madrid, and the 1st Bicycle battalion rips up 2 more hexes of the rail line heading towards the city. It completes the turn in 2705. In Spanish Sahara, the considerable forces there make use of the Landing craft that are acting as a ferry across the Straits of Gibraltar. All units in the area make use of administrative movement. The 91st and 92nd Infantry divisions head across from Ceuta as far as Puente-Ganil in 3520. The 93rd Infantry division heads further south in the direction of Granada, to finish in 3721.
A truck pool is used to motorise the 2LE Infantry regiment. This unit heads across the straits accompanied by the 5th Light tank regiment. These two units move towards the British Tank XX and reach as far as Martos. A mixed bag of Engineers, Artillery, Cavalry and Infantry led by the 41Exp division in Tetuan cross the straits and head inland to 3622.
The 101st and 102nd Infantry divisions, along with the 1LE Infantry regiment, join the British Engineers that are constructing fortifications in 3726.In Spanish Sahara, the 4MG Colonial Infantry regiment occupies the International Zone of Tangier, advancing from Xauen. Finally the 86th and 89th MG regiments stationed near Larache head over to the mainland and take positions just outside Gibraltar at 3826. In Valencia, reinforcements have caused the stacking limit to be exceeded. The 3rd Construction regiment therefore rails out of the city westwards to Jaen. A similar situation exists in Barcelona hex 3625, and the 4th Construction regiment rails back into Madrid.
Opportunities for air missions are limited for the Allies. The SM79s in Zaragoza rebase southwards to Valencia.
Combat Phase: No combat
Exploitation Phase: The British transport contingent at sea on 0321 head back to Plymouth, where they refuel and embark the 1st Tank brigade. The transports and escorts remain at the Plymouth wharves until the end of the turn. Spanish NT-1 heads back to Las Palmas di Gran Canaria from Ceuta. LC-2 departs Larache in Spanish Morocco for Santa Cruz de Tenerife. NT-5 completes its Atlantic journey to arrive at Puerto de Cabras on the island of Fuerteventura.
End of Turn Summary
The Germans are beginning to penetrate into Spain further, but it is going to be a slog along the coast to Valencia. At least the Pyrenees are now cleared out. Spanish losses are quite high, with 7 divisions lost and 2 cadres so far. The forces from Spanish Sahara should be able to construct a decent perimeter for Gibraltar, along with the British units that are still arriving. Naval transport may soon become problematic as the Axis gains more forward airbases for their torpedo bombers.
Losses
- Spanish Unisolated – 0
- Spanish Isolated – 0
- Spanish Air 0
- German Unisolated – 0
- German Isolated – 0
- German Air – 0
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