German Player Turn

France – Two SS Spanish XXs are formed up and sent to the southern French front to delay the British advance. The SS LSSAH and DR XXs switch from Italy to Lyon to support the front. A mass movement of 4-5 and 5-5 XXs in Britanny and Normandy occurs and troops are sent to the Loire River and the Le Put-Clermont axis to try and build something approaching a speed bump to the British. Bordeaux is abandoned as troops try and slip through the gaps in the allied line to the north. In a sop to Germanic pride, the newly formed 116 Pz XX slips through a gap in the harrassment shield around Reims and destroys the Para regiments in the city. Washington is outraged! Calls for the Divisional commander to be sacked are made in congress. The beachhead is surrounded with the mauled Pz XXs pulled back to Lille for R&R.

Italy – Rome is abandoned to the sound of clucking noises from the Allied lines. The Sienna line is strengthened but units are spread across the peninsula in penny-packets, disrupted by the allied air campaign. Things look grim.

Allied Player Turn

Cote d’Azur – Operation Anvil/Dragoon is launched by in theatre resources based in North Africa. Running on a shoe string budget of LCs, French Mountain Xs, US Eng IIIs and British Inf Xs land with Ranger, Commando and Royal Marine support at Cannes and Nice while the 1st and 82nd Airborne XXs with assorted French and US Special forces lands inland from the beachhead. Surprise is total and despite a short savage one-sided battle with KM ships based in Genoa, the allies land and destroy the German defenders in both areas, especially pleasing is the seizure of Cannes without damage by French and Canadian/US special forces. In the exploitation phase, British and Czech Armoured Xs, Indian 10th and Free French Infantry XXs land and the Czech push up to the Italian border in Sospel Roya (making sure no units enter Italy to avoid the 35 REs of Germans being released from the South East.)

SW France – The 1st Armoured XX attacks and seizes La Rochelle while Canadian tanks and the 7th Armoured XX attack the Clermont-Le Puy line, destroying or cadreing several German minor units. The Anglo-French attack on Sete seizes the port, but with heavy loss of life on both sides (EX). Bordeaux is seized and Canadian infantry quickly attack north out of the city destroying another German stack of units. The Guards Corp swings east to Limouges. Behind the main line, straggling German units are mopped up (although a healthy stack of isolated XXs squat miserably in the wooded swamps halfway between Bayonne and Bordeaux guarded by Portuguese soldiers). More British troops are shipped out from England to Spanish ports to form up two new corps for action in France. In the exploitation segment, the 7th enters Le Puy while the candian Corp seizes Clermont and the Guards Corp triumphantly enters Bourges, threatening the Loire line before it can patch the massive gaps in the river defences.

Pas-de-Calais – Troops head south from Le Treport to expand the beachhead towards Paris. Allied intelligence intercepts strange Axis signals that sound like sudden intakes of breath, similar to someone who has suddenly seen something occur in their favour. This intelligence is poo-pooed by the Allied CinC. Boulogne itself is attacked and falls to US Engineers and Seige artillery units landed especially for the job. The beachhead swells in size and defences eastward. The Allied CinC trumpets via the international press that the greatest landing in history is now secure and unbeatable. Cheers in Parliament from both sides of the house.

Italy – The Poles enter Rome and launch a concentric attack with British/NZ help on retreating German units 16 miles north of the city. All units are destroyed in a DE result. US units flood out of the mountains to assault those Germans unable to retreat – 3 XXs cadred, several cadres and minor units destroyed. An attack towards Florence destroys four cadres for the weakening of a US Armored XX. Mountain Artillery and Infantry battalions cross the mountains and seize a rough hex west of Rimini and breaching the last significant barrier before the Po River. In exploitation armored and mech units press up close to Florence, threatening the city. while the Polish 1st Armoured, NZ Mech and motorised 56th London XXs race up the west coast trapping more German units.