Narrative
The Nationalists have clearly taken some bad strategic decisions. They now realise that the attack on southern Euzkudia was too little too late and they should have finished off the Madrid offensive first, rather belatedly they are planning to return to that focus to try to break the stalemate and relieve Aranjurez from the North. They should have maintained the pace of advance against Madrid and accepted that on points they were not going to win. However by diverting troops to the San Sebastian area they have achieved nothing other than bringing a few troops into supply yet the cost has been that the 1937 summer has been squandered for little gain. At this point in the game I considered Suing for an uneasy peace with a divided Spain ripe for a future war. The Nationalist situation in terms of VPs is a lost cause. They are haemorrhaging VPs at a rate of 15 pts turn with no prospect of reducing this in the near future (The problems of solitaire play – I never have much regard for VPs normally) However on reflection it occurred to me that this is not an historical game. It is the Variable rebellion version. With the uprising going differently this could well have coloured the thinking and strategies of the combatants. If for example Germany had not declared war on the US it is unlikely but in an alternate reality just possible that the administration may have pursued a Japan first policy. Likewise in this Spanish version the Nationalist have decided on a “People’s Army First” policy accepting perhaps that they may have to settle the dispute with some concessions of autonomous republics along the Northern coast. This works for me anyway so the game goes on!
FWtBT No 4 – SEP I 37. Picture (c) 2017 by Ken Newall
Nationalists Turn
Supply; Alanzuez pocket U1 Isolated, Northern Cordellera Iberica (SW Catalayud) U2 Isolated Left flank Nationalists in Aragon U4. Republican mountain redoubt at 2614 eliminated (1-6 inf 3)4 GSPs generated at Valilodid
Reinforcements: 112 XX inf deploys supported as 4-6 XX. Ju52G4e badly damaged in transit and needs 10 weeks of repairs.
Replacements: ½ SRP (Col), ½ SRP (CTV)
5×1-6 Inf III, 1-6 art III form 6-6XX inf 152 @ Jaen
Naval Activity: NT-5 transports Tdi to Seville and returns to Ceuta
Air Activity: Mxd T transports 4 GSPs to Aranjuez pocket. Mxt Republican fighter @ Madrid attempts to intercept and is Patrol Attacked by CR32Bis (CTV) @ Toledo and is Aborted. GSPs Airdropped . non Scatter.
SM.81 (CTV) breaks rail line at 3707 (Cureca )
Mxd B, He.51 Mxd A, CR.32bis (CTV) fly to bomb airfield at 3916. Intercepted by I-15/t22, I-5/t25. CR.32bis, HE.51 jettison payload and form screen. I-15/t22 engages CR.32Bis (CTV) and is aborted. I-15/t25 engages He51 and eliminates it (+2 VP) First air-air Kill of war! Bombers make 2x 1 pt attacks and score 1 hit.
Nationalist Capital ships and subs (CTV) withdraw to Ceuta.
Republican Po,540 out of Valencia contacts CATF-1 but bombs fall wide.
Republican R-Z x2 , A-101 out of Cartagena contact and sink 1 pt SS-1. (+4 VP)
Attack 1; 3816 rough/fort (NE of Guadix) Supplied 4-6 inf XX 112, 3-6* inf XX 2Sor , 2-6*PA (Mxd), 1=8 cav 1 and 6-6 inf XX 152, 1-6 sec 20GC, Unsupplied 1-6 sec 24Gc, 1-8 cav 5 attack 2-3-5* XX 25 (An) @ 6:1 (-2) = DR. Advance 2S0r XX, 112XX, Fort destroyed
Attack 2; 2707 rough (45 miles East of Madrid). Supplied 5-6 inf XX 61, 3-2-6 inf 3LE, 1-8 mtn 5, 1-8 aslt G (CTV), unsupplied 4-6 inf XX 63, attack 3-6* inf 7, 1-6 sec 16Gc, 1-0-8 AAC @ 4:1 (-1) = AS
Attack 3. 1935 wooded rough (NE Vittoria) Unsupplied 3-8 XX 23 Mar (CTV) and, 4-6 infs XX 1,3, (Req), Supplied 7-6 inf XX 13, 2-5 inf AGM (Fal), 2-5 inf 6 (Req), 3-2-6 1LE and unsupplied 3-2-6 2LE, 2-6 art 4P, 5-6 inf XX 4 (Req), 1-8 mbike B (CTV) 1-8 lt tk LE attack 1-2-4 infs 1,11 (Bas), 1-4 infs 3,12 (Bas), 0-1-4 cons 2 (Bas) , 1-6 eng 6 @ 6:1 (-2) =DH lose 1,11. Advance 1XX (Req), 6 (Req)
Republican Turn
VPs (+15) for lack of gobernetos collapse.
French border; Closed.
Supply; Nationalist Aranjuez Pocket feeds off GSPs.
Reinforcements: 1 pt supply delayed lands unopposed as do new arrivals.
Replacements; ½ SRP recovered, ½ SRP recovered (Bas). Replacements. 1-2-6 art 10 (Cat),1-6 art 17 (Bas).1-2-4 infs 1,11 (Bas) 3-6* inf XX 70. 2-3-4* inf XX (Cat) equipped. R-5 repaired.
Forts; Constructed at 3511, 3310,3010 and 2811. Largest single turn construction.
Air activity; Rail line at 2011 (Medina de Campo) broken.
Attack 1; 2632 mtn (NW Huesca) Supplied 4-7 mtn XX 43 (Cat), 1-8 mtns 1,2,3 attack 1-6 art 9L, 1-8 cav 6 (U4) @ 7:1 (-2) = DH. Lose 6 Cav Advance 43 XX (Cat)
Attack 2; 2803 mtn (SW Catalayud)Unsupplied, all surrounding forces totalling 5XX, 9 III/X attack 3-6* inf XX 2Cas U4 isolated @ 5:1 (-2) = DR. Eliminated – no retreat path. Advance 3-6* inf 19.
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