Jul I 37
Insurgent Player Turn.
Jul I ’37 Insurgent Turn. The Nationalist and Italian CR.32’s are both rebuilt. The arrival of some artillery allows some cadres to be rebuilt to full strength and for some unsupported divisions to recieve support. It is hoped that this will stabilize the front lines.
The 5 Ara XXX pulls back to 2107 where it will once again be in supply. It is also reinforced with a division. Italian fighter pilots finally redeem themselves, aborting an I-15. An attack on the 4th (San) XX at 1507 is more successful than the earlier attack on the Asturians. The Santanderos are forced back and the division disintigrates trying to withdraw (4:1 -1 =DR) (ZOC kill). The elimination of the Loyalist saliant at 1507 shortens the line. One of the divisions which took part in the battle will be able to shift toward Burgos to firm up the lines.
Loyalist Player Turn.
Jul I ’37 Loyalist Turn. The ideological re-purification of all cities in Cataluna is now complete, freeing up a swarm of PA non-divisional units. The I-15 is rebuilt. An air raid on Oviedo fails to hit the airfield there but an intercepting Italian CR.32 is abouted by a PA Mixed F. So much for the Italians redeeming their honor.
An attack is finally launched on the 5 Ara XXX. The People’s Army calls in GS & demolishes the corps in a hard-fought battle (3:1 0 = EX). Further north (hex 1805), an attack is launched on a force centered on the recently rebuilt 13th XX. Both sides call in air power. In the air, an I-15 jumps a Kondor Legion He-45 and aborts it, but the I-15 is itself killed. On the ground, the presence of enough armor (in the form of the Dro and Bab lt. armor II’s) to achieve AECD doesn’t prevent the capture of the position with heavy causalities on both sides (3:1 -2 = EX).
Jul II 37
Insurgent Player Turn.
There are rough seas in the Atlantic, but this should have no effect on operations. The 108th XX is formed. The KL He-45 is rebuilt, but the CVT has no ARP’s left so the CR.32 cannot presently be returned to service.
The Nationalist command had discussed the possibility of a withdraw, but noting an intelligence report that the Loyalists are now running low on supplies, Franco orders that there should be no pulling back. No attacks are possible, but an attempt is made to mount an air offensive against the PA air force. The bombers and attack planes manage no hits but in a raid on Madrid an escorting Italian CR.32 aborts an I-16.
Loyalist Player Turn.
Pointing out that no Insurgents are anywhere near enough to be a threat to Basque interests, Republican leadership lobbies the Basques to allow their units to be released for operations outside Euzkadi. Perhaps inspired by recent Loyalist successes, the Basques agree.
The I-16 is rebuilt.
The PA command is determined to sieze Burgos from the CVT. Enough supply is rounded up that about half the attacking force is in attack supply. Both sides mount major air operations to support their ground troops. The Nationalist CR.32 is aborted in a patrol attack on an R-Z. German fighter pilots seem to show better ability as the Kondor Legion He-51 kills an I-16. Italian pride takes another hit as Burgos falls (2:1 0 = HX). There is much gnashing of teeth in Rome as 3 divisions are eliminated along with their supporting units. Of the strong Italian ground contingent in Spain, only the 3 Lit XX, operating independently of the rest of the CVT, and a few scattered non-divisional units are left. To make matters worse, the remaining Italian CR.32, confident that Burgos would hold, had landed at the city’s airstrip and is aborted in escaping!
The Insurgents, already reeling from the loss of Burgos and the Italians, are dealt further shocks as PA units southwest of Burgos launch further attacks without attack supply. The 32nd XX (hex 2108) is destroyed but goes down fighting (4:1 0 = EX), while further west (hex 2210) the reinforced Ov XX is pushed back (3:1 -1 = DR).