Narrative

The planes appeared as specs on the horizon. Almost as it appeared to late did they peel off from their formation and bear down on Antonio of the 2nd Armour regiment. He immediately shouted “el avion!” and dropped down into his 9.5 ton T26 from the cupola where he was enjoying the autumn sun.  For a week now they had been harried and pursued by enemy planes, strafing their formations,  bombing bridges, churning up roads and villages. The bottleneck going south was making progress but it was slow. It had taken Antonio and his column of T26s a fortnight to travel what should have taken a few days, The roads were clogged not only by military formations but multitudes of fleeing civilians all moving south down the Aragon valley to sanctuary in Catalonia. The troops were a mixed bunch, comrades and socialists from Spain, some from his home town, Internationalists from France, Russia and England, even some Poles.  He saw Catalans and  a number of Basque stragglers who had escaped the burning of San Sebastian. All now were moving in  slow columns south harried from the air and by occasional  shellfire exploding among them from the Nationalist formations to the east over the Aragon. There was little escape as their passage was confined to the narrow valley between  the Aragon to their right and the  foothills of the Pyrenees to their left.

At least Antonio had some protection with a few centimetres of steel between him and the bullets  unlike the poor unfortunates sheltering beside his small machine.   There were rumours of a counterattack being planned. He had received orders to move to an assembly point a few miles north of  Lerida.  However he still had many miles to go. Rations were low, fuel just about getting through but the air was chilling and damp and he knew that with the autumn rains the road such as there were would become quagmires.

His reverie was shattered by deafening thuds and ringing against the thin armour. Real rain would be preferable to the rain of lead pouring down on him now.

Nationalists Turn

Weather; Clear across land and sea
Supply:  Pamplona Pocket , U4 Isolated rolls elimination.. lose 4-5-5 to cadre,  3-4-5*, 2-6 inf (Col), 1-6 mg, 0-5 cons, 1-8 mtn ;
Many Republicans move back into supply.
Replacements: 1 SRP, ½ SRP (Col) ½ SRP (KL). Replace Mtn, Eng, cav (Col)

Naval Activity: Transports bring replacement from Ceuta to Malaga and return.

Attack 1:  2133 Rough (Outskirts Pamplona –  relief attempt.  Unsupplied 4-6 arts 1RG, 3RG, 3-4-5* inf XX (Over Mtnside) and 6-6 inf XX 3, 5-6 inf XX 82, 4-6 inf XX 85, 4-6 art 2RG, 3-6 inf cadre 13, 2-6 inf cadre 54, 2-1-8 cav 2O (Col) , 2-1-8 art E  and 3-4-5* inf XX 22, 2-6 inf 1Tet (Col), 1-6 mg 3, 1-8 mtn 4 Attack 5-6 inf XXs 4Ch, 11Ch, (U3) @ 4:1 (-1) = EX. Defenders eliminated – no retreat. Lose 2mg, 4mtn, OE cav (Col), 6-6 inf div to cadre. Advance 85 XX.

Attack 2; 2535 clear (Rail line south of  Logrono)  supplied  5-6 inf XX 51, 1-6 inf 33, 1-6 bdr 8Car, 1-6 mg E and 1-8 mtns 5,8, 1-6 inf 18, 1-8 inf VMS (Req), 1-2-6 art 48 and  3-4-5* inf XX 19 and 3-4-5* inf XX 33, 1-6 art 11L, 1-6 sec 21Gc, 2-6 inf Tdi (Col), 1-6 inf 1-S (Col)  Attack 2-3-5* 32 (Cat) @ $:1 = DR. Eliminated – no retreat. Advance 33, 18, 5, 8, mtns, E Mg, 6Car bdr 48 art

Attack 3: 2834 rough (W of Zaragoza). Unsupplied 6-6 inf XX 108m 2-6 inf cadre 1 and 6-8 lt XX 150, 3-2-6 inf 1LE, Supplied 2-10 AA 88 (KL) 1-10 lt tk(Dro) and 4-6 inf XX FA, FV (Mxd), Unsupplied 5-6 inf XX 51,  2-6 infs 7Lam, 9Arc (Col) Attack 2-3-5* inf XX 38 @ 8:1 (-1) = DE. Advance 150 lt XX.

Attack 4: 2832 clear/fort. E of Saragossa) Supplied (over river)2-6 inf 3LE, 6-6 inf XX 152, 5-8 inf XX LA (CTV), 3-1-2 sg art  Man (CTV),  4-6 inf XX FM (Mxd) and 3-2-6 inf XX2LE, 6-6 inf XXs 52, 63, 2-6* inf cadre 102, 2-6 inf 3 Ceu (Col), 2-6 art 4P Attack 2-3-5* inf XX 60 (Cat), 2-6* inf 4Ch, 1-6 inf 8 @ 6:1 (-1) = DH Lose 4Ch, 8.  Advance 152 XX, 3LE, 102 cadre, FM (Mxd). Fort destroyed

Attack 5: 3034 clear (SW Zaragoza) Unsupplied 6-6 inf XXs 4,5 2-1-8 lt tk 2, 1-8 mech S, 2-3-6 art 62, 2-1-8 lt tk Bab (CTV), 1-8 mc B (CTV) Attack 1-6 eng 2, 2-6 inf 129Eu (Int) @ 6:1=DR Advance  lt tk 2, Bab (CTV), mc B (CTV), mech S, 5XX

Exploitation : 2-1-8 lt tk 2, 1-8 mech S, 2-3-6 art 62 (Transported) , 2-1-8 lt tk Bab (CTV), 1-8 mc B (CTV)  to 3033

And 1-10 lt tk Dro (KL), 2-10 AA 88 (KL) to 3034

And 2-6 inf 9Arc (Col) Transported to 2935

For Whom the Bell Tolls Sep II 38

For Whom the Bell Tolls Sep II 38 Republic pulls back over the Aragon, (c) Ken Newall, 2017

Republican Turn

VPs : Lack of Goberneto collapse (+10 VPs)
French border; Closed
Guerrillas; Ineffective
Supply; Northernmost Republican spearhead now U4.  Hex 2132 Adj French Border NE Pamplona Isolated U1.
Pamplona relieved and in supply.
Basque XX4 U4
2934 “Zaragoza Pocket” U2 Isolated
Replacements; 4 PA , 0.5 (Int), 0.5 (Cat) SRPs recovered. I-15/t5 repaired. 1-6 Eng 2 replaced

Initial Phase Air Activity; Nationalist Harassment: 1 Hit 2633, 2732, 2 Hits 2632. (Aragon Valley)

Air Activity: Sortie 1; R-Z flies airfield bobbing to 3414 (W of Valdepenas) and is Returned.

Sortie 2:  . 2x SB-2 fly airfield bombing   to W. Madrid.  Intercepted by  2xCR.32Bis The CR.32bis(CTV) Kills one SB-2. The second is Returned by the CR.32bis which suffers an Abort.

Attacks : None