Initial phase: Weather rolls result in mud in D, clear in E, with clear seas in the Med. The Metaxas line garrison is met, so Greek units may now freely pass over the Strimon. Minor reinforcements arrive on the islands in the Aegean. The Allied high command again elects to call up the Well 1C out of the mid-east (-1 VP)

Mov‘t phase: Things are more eventful in the air and on the sea than in the mud of northern Greece, but only just. First, an unescorted air raid with British Blenheims is launched against the port of Rodi, out of Khania. The Italian Mxd F rises up to meet the challenge, but in air to air both units miss (F rolls 10, B rolls 6). Italian AA is equally inept, failing to drive back the aggressors (10 on the 1 column.) Fortunately, the British bombers are stricken by the sites of the ancient citadel of the Knights of the Temple, and fail to score a hit against the port while taking snapshots. Next, one rgt of Greek mountain troops loads at Khania, with the Greek AF flying CAP, and moves around to western Greece to the port of Amalias. (This port is later determined to be illegal for Greek shipping, as it sits on the central med, which the allies are not allowed to enter. We later declare these successful evasions of the the Italian fleet and press ahead.) A second loads on the island of Samos. This is in range of Italian air units on naval patrol at Rodi, so an air raid is launched to catch the Greeks just as they complete loading, but prior to their nighttime departure.
Unfortunately, the Italian bombers get lost in the deepening twilight and fail to make contact (1 rolled).

On the ground, units directly behind the main line of resistance move up, while those further back admin towards the front. The heaviest concentration of Greek troops is in the mountains northwest of Ioannina and 2 hexes just east of this position. Along the last row of mountain hexes before the valley of Phlorina the Greeks are weakest. This is the point at which the Italians are strongest, but there is little chance of any Italian success given Mussolini‘s lack of mountain troops and the poor terrain and weather. Admin‘d troops make up a second line along the length of the valley. Both sides appear to be settling in for a long campaign to come.

Combat phase: The Italians fly a number of DAS missions, mostly to ensure no surprises, though it is expected no attacks will be launched in the mud. Still, the Greek command could get one 3:1 -2, though it would be launched by the single largest stack of Greek troops which are blocking the road to the road juncture at Ioannina. Mussolini judges the risk the Greeks will launch such an attack as minimal, considering the one in three chance of an AR or the dreaded AH, which would be an unmitigated disaster for the Allied high command. Elsewhere only 2:1 -2‘s are available. As expected by the Italian high command, no attacks are launched.

Exploit phase: The called up Well 1C launches a another port raid, this time against Rodi, no doubt due to the distance to Albania and the poor weather in that region. Both AA and the bombing attempt are misses (9 and 1 respectively.)

Nov II Italian Player Turn:

Initial Phase: A pair of forts are begun in the mud, one at Koritsa and the other in the mountain hex along the road leading to Ioannina. 1 ARP is spent to bring back the aborted fighter from the Thessalonike raid.

Mov‘t phase: Little but some line shuffling is accomplished, in preparation for the possibility of winter/snow weather next turn.
Planes remain on stand-by in case of DAS.

Combat phase: The Allied high command launches no DAS, and no attacks are made by the Italians.

Exploit phase: Three fighters launch airfield attacks against Larissa , where the Greek bombers are currently based. AA misses all three, and the 2 0 pt fighters combine to make a single attack against the airfield and air unit, likewise missing. The MC.200 with 1 pt (+1, halved) however rolls a 6 and sends the Greek bombers to the boneyard (aborted.)

Another large air op is launched against Athenai, including all Italian bombers from all locations. Five bombers reach Athenai, and the 1 pt AA is insufficient to drive any of the offenders away (though they get very close!). Obviously the AA scared the Italian pilots, as their strategic terror bombing attacks result in only 1 hit (2 would have been average.)

At end of game turn: The Italians collect another 5 Vps for hexes, plus the one for the terror bombing hit against Athenai, bringing their total to 18. The Allies currently have -2.

Initial Phase: The Greek army mobilizes. Numerous reinforcements are poised to rush to the front and fill up the Metaxas line. The British Well 1C is called up at the cost of -1 VP for on-map use. Italian bombers fly limited harassment missions, intended to slow this Greek push to the front (1 along the western coast to keep a few units from the reaching the front along the coastal road, and one at Phlorina, which should prevent any significant reinforcement of hex 14A:4215, which the Italians decide might be a possible point of attack next turn should the weather prove supportive. The Mxd B on Rhodes is put on naval patrol.

Mov’t Phase: The British Expeditionary Corps moves to Khania, with the Italian Mxd B moving to intercept. No Greek CAP is flown over the hex, so the Italian bombers will be unopposed. They successfully make contact (+3 for calm seas, -3 for distance, 5 rolled), AA is ineffectual (7 rolled on 2 column); however, Italian bomb sites are inadequate and the bombs are lucky to find the earth (thanks only to gravity), much less the harbor with the British ships unloading the Brit 14th Brigade (1 rolled.)

In the East, the Metaxas line is more than fully manned. On the main front, all hexes in front of the Italian lines are retaken, with most held in strength. Along the western coastal road, only a single 2 DS rgt holds the coast. The hex just east of Koritsa, 14A:4215, is abandoned as untenable (Italian newspapers trumpet the success of Italian arms and the imminent fall of Athens.)

Of interest, Thessolonike is turned into a veritable AA fortress… by the end of the turn, both the British and Greek short range bombers will be based here (no fighter cover, as this unit remains in the south covering Athenai.)

Combat Phase: The two remaining Italian bombers fly DAS to the only hex where a 3:1 might be possible. The Greek high command finds no attacks at better than 2:1 odds (+0 however due to Greek mountain prowess.) Still, the conservative commanders choose to launch no attacks, apparently unwilling to risk the possibility of significant retreats on any “1”s.

Exploit phase: A single Wellington C stages a night raid on the port of Valona, no doubt hoping to find an armaments ship in the port (the massive damage rule is in effect for ports which are standard supply terminals.) 3 pts of AA is ineffective thanks to B and a night mission mods (which also prevents any intercept attempts.) Fortunately for Mussolini’s troops, the Wellington’s miss (2 rolled.)

Nov I 40 Italian player turn:

Initial phase: For the odd weather turn, a 2 is rolled, leaving both zone D & E in clear (with Mud guaranteed Nov II, this is seen as an excellent turn of events by the Italian high command.) Italian units arrive in Brindisi and Bari for transport to the front. The combined Allied AF flies no CAP or naval patrol. The Italian quartermaster is stripped of his rank and assigned to a penal company as he failed to notice that breaking attack supply down into resource pts occurs in step 8 of the initial phase, while fort building must begin in step 6… therefore a construction reg’t at Koritsa is forced to wait impatiently for the necessary cement and supplies until next turn, thereby losing the good digging weather.

Mov’t phase: In naval interference, the Allies manage some small success in impeding Italian reinforcements. Two successful contacts are made, with a 2-3-6 Art III resulting in no effect and a 3-4-6 Inf XX returned to port. Italian troops take advantage of the weather to improve their lines. Great fanfare is held when another hex of Greece is seized thanks to the retreat of the hated foe. (14A:4215, previously abandoned by the Greeks in their turn.) Many medals are handed out and Mussolini calls for a parade… Athens is just around the corner.

A possible attack is set up against a 5 pt stack that might lead to a breakout, though with bad weather coming it’s unlikely the attack will be launched. The attack would go in at 3:1 -2 at best, so in actuality it’s hoped that perhaps the Allied AF will be tempted to fly DAS, which might therefore be intercepted. Failing that, the Italians will be satisfied with adjusting their lines and waiting for mud to ensure any Greek counter-attack is thwarted.

The island of Kerkyra could have been cleared in the good whether, but it is determined that the tank battalion/artillery rgt combo, or a full division necessary for this action are better used elsewhere in the line. Let them eat rats…

Combat phase: Metaxas notes the weak Italian situation for what it is and declines to fly DAS. The combat phase passes without fanfare.

Exploit phase: Little occurs on the ground, other than the aforementioned tank II moving forward into the lines. In the air, the Italian AF commander decides to take advantage of the good weather and show the Greek AF whatfor, seeing as how it has impudently chosen to base so close to the front… AA be damned! A raid of 2 bombers with 1 tac pt and a fighter also with 1 tac pt sweep into the base unmolested by flak… bomb rolls of 2, 1, 1 however indicate that the Italian pilots may have been missed by flak due to their having dropped their loads prior to actually getting to the base! Not to be deterred, the Italian Goering sends forth 2 more fighters, with 0 tac bombing strength for another attempt at the Allied bombing force. Lucky flak catches one of these with an abort (2 rolled). The fighter that gets through rolls a 3 and misses, but at least these two found the base…

At end of game turn: The Italians collect 5 VPs for owning 5 hexes in mainland Greece.

Set-up:

The Greeks have chosen to defend Ioannina in strength, with both of their 5-6 Mtn XX’s in the immediate area, though a gap along the coast in the non-mountainous terrain exists. To the northeast of the 8th & 9th Mtn XX’s a line of border troops and mountain regiments exists all the way up to Yugoslavian border, with but a single unit in each hex, and most unsupported. Not wishing to get trapped along the coast (having seen similar things in various “alternate universes”), Mussolini chooses to ignore the bait of the coastal gap and instead sets up in strength in the northeast part of the line. Assaults on 3 hexes, each with 1 effective defensive point are planned. The lower line in Albania is screened with a single division in each hex, though one division will move a single hex into Greece (VPs are VPs after all). The northern Italian line includes Centauro, not typically a mountain asset, but with all 3 hexes along the border expected to fall, including Kastoria and its critical road junction, a modest exploit should gain an extra hex or two, plus with zoc ownership should generate a few extra VPs as hexes fall under the admittedly temporary sway of the new Roman legions.

Axis Initial Phase: Reinforcements arrive in Brindisi, awaiting transport to the Albanian front. Meanwhile, despite seeing the Italian buildup along the border, the Greek P.24F’s decide against flying any CAP and therefore will not be in a position to hinder Italian offensive air ops along the border (though they will remain a threat to any Italian ops against the capital.) The Greek Mxd bomber is placed on naval patrol to help fend off any Italian adventures in the Aegean.

Axis Movement Phase: The Italian 19 Vnz XX temporarily moves 1 hex to the rear, pinning the Grk 10th Inf rgt across the narrow straits of Kerkyra in ZOC’s, which will prevent any reaction attempts on that isle. The SM Marine II slips aboard its ANTP at Durazzo and heads south along the coast, attempting a landing at the town and port of Kerkyra. (The one house rule in effect gives the Italians a single ANTP in the Adriatic to use against Greek islands only. No landings allowed on the Greek mainland.) Greek interference is light, and the marines land without incident, surrounding the hapless 10th without supplies along the northern beaches. (Interference roll of 4 on 12 column) With luck, it will soon starve as it is now out of supply and isolated (will attack at ¼ strength should it choose to do so).

Following this, the 19th Vnz XX moves south again, leaving the defense of the straights to an Albanian brigade and crosses the border into Greece proper.

Finally, the Italian navy brings across 3 rgt’s of motorcylists, which land at Valona uneventfully (3 rolls on 12 column all miss). They wind their way forward to the front…

Axis Combat Phase: There is no possibility of Greek DAS, and there is no Greek AA along the frontier, so Italian GS ops occur along the border to make the 3 planned attacks go in at best possible odds. The first Italian attack goes in at 26:3601, 7:1 odds even (-2 mountains, +2 mountaineering.) Result is 3 for a DE, eliminating the 32nd Ev Mtn III. The 2nd goes in at 7:1 -2 against hex 26:3602, resulting in a 2 and an HX, killing the Grk IX Bdr X and the Italian 6 Ao Cav III. The final attack goes in at 7:1 -2 against Kastoria, in hex 26:3501 and results in a 3 for a meager DR, pushing back the XIII Bdr X along the road to Phlorina. Overall, the Italian attacks are a great success and Mussolini is well pleased… numerous medals are passed around and Italian newspapers declare that Greece will fall before the first snows fall!

Exploitation Phase: Centauro advances further into Greece, to gain ownership of hexes via ZOC as a VP scam, then retreats back to Italian lines, as Il Duce is feeling a bit conservative despite his public bravado. Italian motorcycles bolster the lines in critical locations, and the Italians look to their rear for reinforcements to continue the big push :) The bomber on Rhodes, lacking anything better to do and unwilling to risk air-to-air combat with the Greek fighters, chooses to strat bomb the port of Lesbos. A roll of 2 misses.

At end of game turn: The Italians garner 7 VPs for owning 7 unisolated hexes in Greece, though only 4 of these are on or behind Italian lines… heh, VPs are VPs!