Tag: Spain (Page 6 of 6)

Mar I 39

Insurgent Player Turn.

The weather, while still wintery in Zone D, clears in Zone E. A Nationalist SM-79 is rebuilt. Ground forces await the inevitable Republican spring offensive. With the shortage of artillery still a major problem, there seems to be no chance to regain the initiative.

Loyalist Player Turn

The French border is re-opened. With the clear weather in the south, 2 attacks in to northern Andulasia are launched. An attack on the 34 XX (hex 2924) leads to a big air battle in which an I-15 manages to aborts a Mxd A unit, but both sides get some air support thru. The air units seem to cancel each other out and have little overall effect on the outcome, as the Republicans destroy the 34 XX and take the battlefield at considerable cost (4:1 -1 = EX). Further to the east (hex 3020) GS helps the Loyalists overcome the 50 & FA XX’s fortified position, though losses are still heavy (6:1 -2 = EX).

Mar II 39

Insurgent Player Turn.

Weather in the south remains clear and a warming trend is seen in the north (Zone D now mud). A Nationalist He111B is rebuilt. With the Republican forces obviously deployed to make their major effort in the south, 2 XX’s and the 2 LE III are pulled out of line along the Tajo and begin heading north to the ports in Leon to be shipped to Andulasia. Their movement is slowed by damage done to the rail lines by partisans, who have gradually destroyed a great deal of track.

Loyalist Player Turn

Three separate attacks are launched. NE of Cordoba (hex 3219) DAS help the 57 XX hold on (3:1 -1 = AS) despite the fact the Republicans also had close air support and that the Nationalist XX had only a weak Art III supporting it. Directly on the rail line from Extremadura (hex 3021), only the Republicans get air support, allowing them to root out the 4 XXX from its fortified position (4:1 -2 = HX). To the west, Loyalist GS is also important in pushing the Rebel 58 XX out of its postion in rugged terrain (6:1 -2 = DR). Unfortunately, these attacks blow almost all the attack supply avialable.

Feb I 39

Insurgent Player Turn.

No improvement in the weather; in fact it worsens somewhat as the Med is again rough. An air raid on Madrid finally scores a hit, as a SB-2 is destroyed on the ground.

Loyalist Player Turn

The SB-2 is rebuilt. Still waiting for the weather to break.

Feb II 39

Insurgent Player Turn.

The Med clears, and the Atlantic finally settles from stormy to rough, but the weather over land remains bad. Renewed air attacks on Madrid are a disaster, as 3 Nationalist air units (a CR.32, a He111B, and a SM-79) are aborted by AA fire.

Loyalist Player Turn

The G.E.23 is rebuilt. Ground forces are still waiting for improved weather.

Jan I 39

Insurgent Player Turn.

The Med clears up but otherwise poor weather continues. A Nationalist Mxd A unit is rebuilt. Carceres is abandoned except for its intrinsic garrison. Another air raid on Madrid only results in a KL He111 being aborted by AA fire.

Loyalist Player Turn

An I-15 is rebuilt. Caceres is overrun. While some attack supply has now arrived at the front, it is decided to save it for spring, when better weather is expected.

Jan II 39

Insurgent Player Turn.

No change in the weather. The KL He111 is rebuilt. The pullback in Extremadura continues, with all units now north of the Tajo.

Loyalist Player Turn

An A-101 is rebuilt. The wait for good weather continues.

Jan I 38

Snow hits the north, and there are storms in the Atlantic.

Insurgent Player Turn.

A CTV SM-79 and a Nationalist CR-32 are rebuilt.
In an air raid on Aviles, a KL He-45 is aborted by AA fire.

Loyalist Turn.

The French border is closed. An I-15 is rebuilt.

Jan II 38

The snow in the north slack off into normal winter weather, and the storms in the Atlantic abate.

Insurgent Player Turn.

The KL He-45 is rebuilt.

Loyalist Turn.

A SB-2 is rebuilt.

Dec I 37

Winter weather hits the north, while the south finally turns muddy.

Insurgent Player Turn.

The 51st XX is formed.

Loyalist Turn.

The Po.504 is rebuilt.

Dec II 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

Nothing of note occurs, just more shuffling of the lines and some minor, ineffective air action.

Loyalist Turn.

No action to report; all quiet on the front.

Nov I 37

The weather remains muddy in the north and clear in the south, bu the Atlantic is now stormy and the Med calm.

Insurgent Player Turn.

The 105th XX is formed and the 5th(Req) XX is converted to the 5th XX. The SM-79 is rebuilt.

The front lines are shuffled around somewhat, but no attacks are launched. With the Loyalist air force severely degraded, the Insurgents take a break from bombing airfields to pound the rail marshalling yards at Madrid.

Loyalist Turn.

An I-16 is rebuilt.

With no good opportunity for attacks, the Loyalist command begins to plan the next spring’s campaign. It is decided to make the main effort along the low volume rail line running to Don Benito and Merida. A successful offensive here would cut the Insurgent held area in two. Then, in contrast to the previous year’s plan of focusing on the north, attack will be launched against Cordoba and Jaen. Attacks in the north will be forgone in order to preserves supplies, except that at the far end of the lines, an assault on Oviedo will be attempted if local air superiority can be re-established.

Nov II 37

Insurgent Turn.

The weather stays about the same, except that both sea zones are now rough. The 82nd XX is formed. The 1st, 3rd, and 4th Requeted Divisions are converted to regular Nationalist divisions, and 3 Cav III’s are upgraded to the 1st Cav XX. The Ro-37 is rebuilt.

Not much is happening on the ground. An air raid on Madrid results in the loss of a SM-79, killed by an I-16.

Loyalist Turn.

Another I-16 is rebuilt. Preparations continue for next year’s campaign.

Oct I 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

The Atlantic clears. The Mov XX is converted to the 63rd XX. Another successful air raid on Madrid; bombers destroy an A-101. With the lines to the north stabilized, the units west of Madrid are slightly reinforced and attack more successfully (hex 2415 again), mauling a PA XXX, which did’nt get any ground support this time (5:1 -2 = DH).

Loyalist Player Turn.

The French border is closed again. Enough reserves have been built up to close the gap near Talavera de la Reina, but not enough units reach the area to launch a counter-attack. However, enough supply has been accumulated to attack the 7 Cas XXX at the important rail junction of Palencia. Despite the presence of DAS, the risky attack succeeds at considerable cost (2:1 0 = EX).

Oct II 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

Bad weather returns to the northern half of the Iberian peninsula (Zone D = Mud). Oddly, the Atlantic remains clear, but the Med experiences rough seas. The bad weather causes the Loyalists some supply problems in mountainous areas, but all Insurgent forces are in supply. The 81st XX is upgraded to the 84th.

The gap in the line at Palencia is plugged weakly. It is hoped that the mud will slow down any PA attempt to exploit the situation. Concentration on plugging the hole in the lines to the north forestall any follow-up to the success west of Madrid.

Another successful air raid on Madrid! Escorting Italian CR.32’s abort an I-15, while the bombers destroy a Po.540. The ridicule previously directed at Insurgent air units now seems uncalled for, as the PA air force has been reduced to 2 units. It should be noted however, that several Insurgent air units are still in the replacement boxes.

Loyalist Player Turn.

The French border reopens. The units west of Madrid are still not strong enough or well-supplied enough to counterattack, and the muddy weather prevents any attempt to follow up the success at Palencia.

Sep I 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

All 3 CR.32’s are rebuilt, and the mixed “F” XX is formed. An air raid on Santander destroys an R-Z.

Loyalist Player Turn.

The R-Z and an I-15 are rebuilt. In contrast to recent successes in bombing airfield, raids this turn all fail badly. At Oviedo, a Nationalist CR.32 aborts an escorting I-16, and at Vallodolid, an Italian CR.32 aborts an I-15. AA fire at Vallodolid also aborts a SB-2. Both raids fail to score any hits.

Sep II 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

The Atlantic is rough this turn. The 102nd XX is formed and the 23 Mar X is upgraded to a division. Several other divisions are upgraded or converted to higher strengths (4 Lit to Lit, 1 Cas to 61, 2 Sor to 54, 2 Cas to 62, 6(Req) to 53).

An air raid on Madrid goes very well, as an Italian CR.32 kills an intercepting
I-16 and bombers destroy an R-Z. Troops west of Madrid belatedly launch their diversonary attack (hex 2415), but don’t accomplish much, partly due to Loyalist DAS, partly due to attacking a fortified position (4:1 -2 = AS).

Loyalist Player Turn.

The French border is reopened. An I-15 is rebuilt. An air raid on Oviedo gets mixed results. An escorting I-15 kill a Nationalist CR.32, but AA fire aborts an R-Z. (I realized about this time that I had forgotten the air replacement limits and rebuilt 2 PA air units the last turn. It didn’t really have any effect, since if I had only rebuilt 1 it would have been the I-15, and the R-Z was shot down again by flak before it ever took part in air combat or scored any bombing hits.)

Aug I 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

The 3 PN XX and some non-divisional CVT units are rebuilt. The success of the PA in attacking with out attack supply has convinced the Insurgents that they must establish a shorter, more defensible front line. It is not clear how far to pull back. Eventually, a limited withdrawl to the line hex 1606-Valladolid-Medina del Campo-Adaja River is decided on. This will only marginally shorten the line but will put a fair portion of it behind rivers. Also, all front-line units will be able to reach this line this turn, which would not be true with a deeper withdrawl.

Loyalist Player Turn.

An I-15 is rebuilt. Some new supply is recieved. An air raid on Oveido manages to destroy a CVT SM-79 on the ground. A raid on Vallodolid is also successful, destroying a Nationalist Ro-37.

The arrival of new supply allows 3 attacks to be launched. The 3rd XX is attacked successfully (hex 1907) (4:1 0 =HX). Just to the south (hex 2007), DAS is unable to prevent the 1 Mad XXX from being pushed back; worse, Loyalist troops advancing after their successful attack on the 3rd XX manage to cut off most of the corps retreat (3:1 0 = DR) (ZOC kill: 83rd XX and non-divisional eliminated, 52nd XX cadred). DAS also fails to prevent a successful attack on the 7 Cas XXX (hex 1707) ( 4:1 0 = HX). These attacks do burn up all the attack supply recieved this turn.

Note: Many of the attacks made in the game have been made with only part of the units involved being in attack supply. The Loyalist attacks in late July are the only large battles in which the attacker has been entirely without attack supply. (Some small battles against single regiments or cities defended solely by their intrinsic garrisons haven’t given any need for the burning of attack supply.)

Aug II 37

Insurgent Player Turn.

The 152nd XX is formed. The front line is patched as well as possible, basically by pulling the section between Vallodolid and the Cordillera Santabrica back slightly.

Loyalist Player Turn.

An air raid on Vallodolid destroys the Mxt T unit on the ground. There is no more attack supply and no longer any good opportunities to launch any attacks without it.