Europa Games and Military History

Month: June 2017

MAR II 1938

Nationalists Turn

Weather;  Land; North (D)= Mud. South (D) =  Mud.  Seas;  Med = Rough. Atlantic = Storms
Supply: Madrid Pocket (U4 isolated) dices for elimination;  No losses
Replacements: CR.32 Repaired. 1-8 mtn 4 replaced
Air Activity: Sortie 1 Me108B (KL), CEr2bis (CTV) bomb Zaragoza airfield and are intercepted by the I-16/t10 which eliminates the CR.32bis for no loss

Attack 1: 2710 (Madrid East Major city) Supplied 7-6 inf XX 13, 1-6 eng ZMO,  3-1-2 sge art Man (CTV), 4-6 art 1RG, 2-6 inf 3ceu (Col), Unsupplied 5-6 inf XXs 54, 62, 2-6 inf 10BT (Col) and Supplied 4-3-6 art Leg (CTV), 1-8 aslt G (CTV),  4-6 art 2RG, 1-6 engs ZC, ZME, 2-6 inf iTet (Col), 2-1-8 cav 1E (Col), 1-8 mtn B, 1-6  mg E and Supplied 1-8 lt 3,4, 2-6 inf 7Lam (Col),  unsupplied 6-6 inf XXs108, 152 and 6-6 inf XX 4, supplied 6-6 inf XX 102, 1-6 art 13L, 2-6 art 4P, 1-8 lt 6, 2-6 inf AM, 2-6 inf 9Arc (Col) and unsupplied 2-3-5* inf XX Cac (over river) and unsupplied 2-3-5* inf XX 3Mad over river Attack U4 isolated 3-4-5* inf XX27CM, 2-6*inf2 2Ch,3Car, 2-6* inf 11Ch, 1-6 mg 4 cadre, 3pt Garrison @ 6:1 (+1 -3) = DH survivors eliminated as no retreat path 3Mad, 2Cac, 152, 3,4,6 lt inf. Garrison dispersed.  1RERailcap captured. Factory captured with 0.5 art RP suffering only minor damage. Available Next Turn!. MADRID CAPTURED!

Attack 2;  Supplied 3-2-6 infs 1LE, 2LE, 4-8 cav XX 2, 2-1-8 art ), 4-6 art 3RG, 1-6 art 9L, 1-8 cav VMS (Req), 2-1-8 cav 2O (Col)  and Supplied 5-6 inf XX82, 1-6 inf 26, 2-6 inf Tdi, unsupplied inf 19 and  inf 30, supplied 4-6 inf XX 86, unsupplied 6-6 inf 3 Attack 2-3-4* XX  infs 3,4 (San) @ 6:1 (-3) = Dh eliminated no retreat path. Advance 82, 85 XX, 3RG art.19, 26 infs.  SANTANER INVADED!

Republican Turn

VPs : Lack of Goberneto collapse (+15 VPs)
French border; Open.

Air Activity
Sortie 1: 2X SB-2, R-5 with I-16/t10 escort break rail line @ 2305   (woods north of Soria) ,Interception by  ME 109B(KL) which is aborted.
Sortie 2;  Airbase @ 4213.  A-101, R-Z fly bombing mission. Intercepted by CR 32 for no result, AA aborts A-101 and mission has insufficient strength to bomb.

Attack 1: 2332 rough (S of Pamplona) Supplied 5-6 inf XX 15 (Int), 5-6 XX inf 46ch,  4-6 inf XX 34, 2-1-8 cavs 3,4, 2-1-8 tk 3 attack U4 1-8 mtn 4, , 1-2-6 inf 42, U2 2-8 mtn Pir @  8:1 (-3) = DR  Advance 34 XX, 46Ch XX.

MAR I 1938

Narrative

(Skip ahead if you wish to see how events unfold first.)

The final days of Madrid were quick but not painless.  The remaining government in disarray still suffering in-fighting and a failed coup on the evening before the collapse flees South infiltrating where they can through the weaker holding forces over the Jarama river.

Nationalist columns pushing in from all fronts force the eventual collapse of the beleaguered defenders. There is no resistance as the “Reds” lay down their arms. The army of the West signalled at 2. p.m.  on the 25th “Many prisoners, including Russians”; On the 27th,” “Our artillery begins shelling at 0.50.0 No movement seen in Red lines . Infantry assaults at 0.600. The Reds have evacuated.  Only a few left in their lines the rest have run away.”

As the troops of General Espinosa move into the centre of the city many balconies fly white flags some with the addition of the flag of “Old Spain”.

Military police and Falange arrive next brandishing their own style of repression and yet restraint not present elsewhere is evident with patrols specifically ordered to prevent revenge killings. Priests are in the streets blessing the populace and fighters alike and civil guards appear in their old uniforms hidden for the last couple of years in attics and basements.

Peace, of a sort, returns to Madrid.

Nationalists Turn

Weather;  Land; North (D)= Mud. South (D) =  Mud.  Seas;  Med = Rough. Atlantic = Rough
Supply: Madrid Pocket (U4 isolated) dices for elimination;  No losses
Replacements: 1.5 SPR, recovered. 1-6 sec 8GC, 1-8 lt 1, 0-1-5 cons 1 (Req)

Air Activity;
Sortie 2; Ju52g$e, HE 111B (KL) breaks rail line at 3023
Sortie 2: 2X Cr.32 escort mxd A to bomb Lorca airfield (4212) Intercepted by i-16/t25. Aborts CR.32 and is aborted itself. Bombs miss.

Attacks;  None

Republican Turn

VPs : Lack of Goberneto collapse (+15 VPs)
French border; Open
Supply: Madrid Pocket checks for elimination (U4 isolated)  5-6 inf XX11Ch cadred
Air Activity;I-16/t10 escorts 2X SB-2, R-5  to Soria (2403) . intercepted by Me 109B (KL). Fighters fail to inflict damage. Bombs break rail line.
Attacks: None

June I 1917

When compared to recent carnage, the scale of replacement activities in early June 1917 demonstrated both the changing face of the Entente war effort and the failing strength of its Central Powers’ opponents. Saxon replacements, half of them from Prussia, rejuvenated a Saxon division’s rifle regiments. German policy from the very beginning of DJ05 continues to be spending half Prussian manpower for all Saxon, Bavarian, and Wurtemburger units so that the latter three armies remain in the field for as long as possible in the face of steep declines in their manpower production.

Entente replacements moved to a wider array of units. Italian pilots ferried planes forward to repair an air group while the mountain recruit training depot emptied for the month by filling a cadre back to division strength. Italian and French sapper trainees in equal numbers renewed a regiment each. French forces repaired three air groups, refilled a rifle division’s cadre with infantrymen, upgraded a flak battalion into a regiment, replaced a field artillery regiment, and “replaced” the final two regiments of heavy artillery placed directly into the pool more than two years earlier. The Royal Air Force repaired an air group while the Royal Tank Corps replaced an engineer tank regiment.

British forces in northwest of Lille assailed grid 0521, just inland from the North Sea coast, in early June. The Royal Air Force made a small effort, faced minimal opposition, and usefully observed the battlefield in its only roll after flak and fighters. British artillery pounded German positions with two 25-point, six 16-point, and one 12-point shots for eleven disruption hits and cut the defense from 72 to 33 points. Reserve commitment and defensive air support lifted the defense to 40 and the British salivated their way to incompetence. Odds of 4.3:1 rolled downward and the worst combat roll brought the usual Both Exchange result.

British losses: 2x RP, one air unit, and four field artillery brigades eliminated; rifle division to cadre; 4.16 morale points

German losses: RP eliminated; air unit aborted; machinegun brigade reduced to remnant; three divisions to cadre; 3.5 morale points

Petain’s French continued their intermittent battering of grid 1919 in early June. A huge air battle, including a British combat air patrol with terrible luck on all three sides allowed successful aerial observation. Two 25-point, 16 16-point, and one 3-point bombardment shots scored a depressing 20 hits and reduced the defense from 110 to 69.75 before defensive bombing bumped it to 73.75. Petain and the Hind/Lud team both failed to usefully govern events. French chemical weapons consumed valuable frontline trenches that could have been better used by almost any other unit type while German gas mortars suffered terrible disruption from the French bombardment and could not attempt their own craft. Entrenchments offset national will but two successful engineer escalades supercharged the assault. The French, with a 3.2:1 attack, rolled downward then squandered their +3 modifier into yet another BX result.

French losses: 3x RP and engineer regiment eliminated; one mountain and four field artillery divisions reduced to cadre; 5 morale points

German losses: RP and field artillery division eliminated; one Saxon rifle, one Prussian trench, and two Bavarian rifle divisions to cadre; 5 morale points

After a month of combat in May, with a whole summer to go, Italy’s General Cadorna already wailed his misfortune at the limits of his mountain recruit training depots. This fortnight emptied the depots without replenishing his elite formations and no more trained men would reach the front until July. By mid-July, Cadorna would be attacking without an elite bonus and probably entirely in mountains where his regulars would suffer an additional disadvantage.

Meanwhile, Cadorna would not pause the offensive while the Austro-Hungarian Army retreated eastward toward its next solid defense line. First on the menu, Italian forces chewed on grid 4606 in an attempt to break through and unhinge the Central Powers’ defensive plan for the Ljubljana Gap. A small air battle preceded successful aerial observation and a normal Italian bombardment (“normal” translates to “embarrassingly weak”) wherein two 16-point and one 12-point shots scored two hits. The subsequent vigorous attack proved the third opportunity missed after national will offset rough terrain, Eugene failed to intervene, Italian elites offset trenches, and a successful engineer assault improved prospects. Odds of 4.5:1 rolled upward and hearts raced at headquarters before the +2 modifier still achieved only a BX result.

Italian losses: RP, engineer and light regiments eliminated; cavalry and mountain divisions to cadre; 3 morale points

Austro-Hungarian losses: air unit aborted, RP eliminated, two rifle divisions to cadre

A pair of Austro-Hungarian units straggled in grid 4406, a salient jutting from the interim defense line and shielding it at great expense when the Italians made their next advance. Italian forces easily achieved the maximum 6:1 mobile combat chart but suffered from wooded rough terrain and amazing defending flak shooting that left national will as the only Italian advantage. The -1 modifier and then rule 9M transformed easy victory into first a Defender Retreat and then a Half Exchange result.

Italian losses: light brigade eliminated, .67 morale points

Austro-Hungarian losses: fortress brigade and heavy flak regiment eliminated, 1 morale point

At the conclusion of the combat phase, British engineers deemed the Trieste factory repairable. To Italian outrage, British managers would begin hiring Slovenes in July as building materials and the latest machine tools began to flow to refit the facilities. The Slovenians would deliver ammunition and guns to Entente armies in May 1918.

Italian and German strategic bombing operations continued in their usual pattern but with skewed luck. All nine zeppelin groups found their targets and dodged flak but all missed with their bombs. Two Italian fixed wing groups flew, one to its common disaster at the hands of Stuttgart’s expert flak defenders and the other to hit Vienna for the first time in DJ05.

Air corps generals responded to steadily increasing force levels and aircraft type variety by increasing their counter-air bombing missions during summer 1917. The British and German air arms each suffered a group damaged on the ground during the first week of June.

Many German generals expect, sometime during the summer or autumn of 1917, to evacuate or retreat from their empire’s positions facing Maubeuge and approaching Lille. In support of a shorter line across the base of the salient, Dutch engineers completed the first DJ05 hex devastation and moved to begin work in the next hex. As a longer-term prospect, German engineers began actual construction of the first four improved forts in DJ05, all on the north or east bank of the Rhine River in The Netherlands or Germany.

Replacements continued to trickle toward the front lines throughout the fortnight. French troops accepted new 75’s to rebuild a field artillery division from cadre and French NCOs accepted graduates to do the same for a mountain division. Austro-Hungarians from across the polyglot empire brought two rifle divisions and an air group upward from damaged states. Germany exerted itself to repair three and replace one air group, replace a field artillery division, and rebuild two Bavarian and one Saxon divisions from cadre.

Austro-Hungarian forces evacuated the battlefield of mid-month in favor of a straightened front. In the south, the defense now sits firm with mostly Germans in mountainous Fiume then bristles with German and Austro-Hungarian guns in rough terrain running northward to the wooded hills west of the Ljubljana Gap. The western approach to the Gap is the next obvious Italian target, a final place in which their rifle divisions can fight without much disadvantage. Mountain after mountain for hundreds of miles is a fine description of the front from the Gap to the Swiss border with only some impassable terrain and the fortress of Trient to break the beautiful monotony.

British forces reacted to this continued rearward deployment with surprising vigor to attack the Germans holding rough terrain between Fiume and Ljubljana. Aerial observation passed with bloodless interception and successful picture taking. That and elite status counterbalanced trenches in rough terrain. Exactly 4:1 odds with no modifier produced the almost inevitable BX result.

British losses: RP eliminated, Canadian and British divisions to cadre, 2 morale points

German losses: RP eliminated, two Prussian divisions to cadre, 2 morale points

Notably, the Prussian corps in Austria-Hungary retains too shallow a manpower pool at this instant to refill either of those two drained divisions. Whether or how this will influence the course of the campaign remains unknown.

Cadorna roused himself and his staff to work through a Saturday, normally reserved for staff day at the beach. The weakened Italian mountain corps marched northwestward into the mountains. From their central position they could either countermarch to attack to Ljubljana or press onward to try to burst through and force back the Austro-Hungarian position between the Isonzo and Innsbruck.

On the Western Front proper, German generals desperately shifted units to replenish the front and prepare the next wave of conversions and withdrawals. For the historical Germans, 1917 was a hard year in the West. DJ05’s Germans find the situation the same.

British forces tried to keep up the pressure and massed in reaction to attack Brugge, grid 0521. A meaningful German air patrol intercepted the British observation mission and the ensuing air combat proved bloody. On the ground, Haig declined to commit and air units suffered the only famous casualties from the non-event.

British losses: one air group destroyed, 0.5 morale points

German losses: two air groups destroyed, 1 morale point

Further air action claimed more casualties in several sectors. A zeppelin hit Nottingham for a morale point. A French Voi8 scored possibly the first night bombing hit by a fixed wing aircraft in DJ05, punishing Stuttgart for a morale point. Italian fliers suffered a group damaged by flak while burning half a group of Austro-Hungarian float planes in Fiume harbor. French Sopwiths torched half a group of German fighters on the ground in the Ardennes.

The most superficially interesting situation in DJ05 at the moment is Entente air superiority. The Italians have numbers and the British competitive quality in Istria. French units significantly outnumber and have rough qualitative parity against the Germans between Metz and Neu Breisach. British units slightly both outnumber and outgun the Germans and Dutch around Brugge. Of the Entente, only the French have a single air group in the eliminated pool after the initial phase of Entente II JUN; the Germans and Austro-Hungarians are both already oversubscribed to their ARP income for July. This is mostly tangential to the larger conduct of the war, a very occasional attack missing a +1 modifier and perhaps two decimal points per turn of ground support bombing being available or not, but details matter and player morale is a consideration.

FEB II 1938

Nationalists Turn

Weather;  Land; North (D)= Mud. South (D) =  Clear.  Seas;  Med = Rough. Atlantic = Rough
Supply: Madrid Pocket;  Madrid Feeds off GSPs.
Replacements: 2 SPR, recovered.  1-8 mtn 7  replaced.
Pacification;  Madrid West
Air Activity SM 79-1 scores Terror Hit on Madrid (East) (N +2 VPs)
Attacks; None.

Republican  turn

VPs : Lack of Goberneto collapse (+15 VPs)
French border; Closed
Supply: Madrid feeds off GSPs
Replacements ½ SRP, ½ SRP (Cat) recovered.
Pacification; Zaragoza
Guerrillas; Break rail line at 2822 (S of Almendralejo)
Air Activity; Sortie 1; R-Z, A-101 Break rail line at 2133 (Valdepenas)

Sortie 2; I-16/t10, I-16/t5 escort R-5, 2X SB-2 to bomb rail line @ Soria. Intercepted by ME 109B (KL), CR.32bis (CTV) eliminating  I-16/t10, I-16/t5 for no loss. Bombers return without inflicting any damage. (N +4 VPs)

Attack 1; 2433 clear (Nth of Zaragoza) Supplied 5-6 inf XX 15 (Int), 2-6 inf 152C, 2-6 nvl 151, 2-1-8 cav 1, 1-6 art 7L, 2-6 art 2P and 4-7 mtn XX43 (Cat), 2-3-5* inf XX 44 (Cat)  attack 3-4-5 inf XX 22 @ 5:1 (-2) = HX  lose cav 1. Advance 43 XX mtn  (Cat), 44 XX (Cat).

Attack2; 2432 rough (Nth of Zaragoza)  Supplied 3-4-5 inf XX 30 (Cat), 1-2-5 infs 1,4 (Cat), unsupplied 1-5 inf 6 (Cat), 1-2-6 art 16 (Cat) and 2-3-5* inf XX 31 (Cat), 1-6 art 11 (Cat), 1-2-6 mg Pos (Cat) and 2-3-5* inf XX 32 (Cat) attack U4 1-8 mtn 4, 1-6 art 12L, 1-8 lt inf 1 @ 6:1 (-3) = DR Eliminated as no retreat route.  Advance 30, 31 XX (Cat)

FEB I 1938

Narrative

Withdrawal under fire is considered the most difficult military manoeuvre as so it has proved here for the Republic.  Three of the stacks tasked with holding the line while the bulk of the troops move East were  overrun and three divisions falling back to Madrid were surrounded and succumbed to starvation before mounting any kind of effective defence. While the front has solidified in the South in the region of the line Albacete/Cuenca the Nationalists pursuing force have pressed on killing a number of stacks of Republican units fleeing through dreadful weather conditions to their supply lines along the Teruel/Catalayud rail line.

Game note: A Europa  e-mail exchange mentioned that Interventionalist units (CTV & KL) are automatically in attack supply if they can trace to a suitable port and do not need to expend attack supply counters. This I had missed.  Having examined the attacks to date involving these units there are a few instances where they attacked unsupplied and if supplied would have changed the odds. I have ruled this tough luck and do not intend to rerun these attacks. However I have also identified three instances where auto supply would have allowed the Nationalists to expend one less supply point.

 Because the Nationalists have never had spare transport capacity this has not had a bearing on the game  therefore by way of trying to redress the balance I have credited the Nationalists with 3 Attack Supply Points distributed one each at Seville, Malaga and Vigo.

The Nationalists will need to redeploy the CTV divisions from their current static defensive positions to more active duty in the normal course of play as a further penalty for their failure to read the rules of engagement more thoroughly!

Nationalists Turn

Weather;  (Unchanged )Land; North (D)= Mud. South (D) =  Mud.  Seas;  Med = Rough. Atlantic = Rough
Supply: Madrid Pocket;  Madrid Feeds off GSPs.
Replacements: 1 SPR, 1 SRP (Col) recovered.  1-6 sec 12GC replaced.
Naval Activity: NTs transport Colonial troops to the mainland.

Air Activity:
Sorties 1&2 SM.81 and SM.79-I fly Terror bombing to Madrid 2 Hits   (N +4 VPs)
Sortie 3; Mxd T , Ro 37 Hit rail line @ 3304 (Teruel)
Sorti e 4; Mxd A Hits Rail line at 3910 (S of Hellin)

Attack 1 3006 (Wooded rough)  Unsupplied 6-6 inf XX 108, 5-6 inf XX 53, 4-6 inf XX 151, 2-3-6 art 62 (transported), 2-10 AA 88 (KL), 2-1-8 lt tk Bab (CTV), 1-8 mg Ard (CTV) and 6-6 infs XX, 5, 63, 1-6 inf 18, 1-8 lt 5 attack U4 3-6* infs 40, 57 @ 6:1 (-4) = DR.  Advance 53XX, 18

Republican  turn

VPs : Lack of Goberneto collapse (+15 VPs)
French border; Closed
Supply: Madrid feeds off GSPs
Reinforcements;  New divisions deploy and equip.
1 ASP expended at Madrid to generate 12 GSPs.
Replacements:  I-16/t5 replaced
Pacification; Zaragoza
Guerrillas; Break rail line at 2722 (Almendralejo)

Air Activity: I-15/t25 escorts A101, R-Z on airfield bombing mission at 3916 (E of Guadix). Intercepted by  cr.32bis (CTV) which engages I-16/t25 and is eliminated (R +2 VPs)  CR.32 by passes to engage the mission force but fails to inflict any losses but bombs drop wide.

Attack 1: Clear (North of Zaragoza) Supplied 5-6 inf XX 15 (Int), 2-6 nvl 151, 2-6 inf 152C, 2-1-8 cav 1, Unsupplied 2-3-5* inf XX 33 (Cat), 3-6* inf XX72, 1-6 art 7L, 2-6 art 2P attack U4 3-4-5 inf XX22, 0-1-5 cons 1 (Req) @ 6:1 (-2) = EX. Loose  33 XX (Cat), 72 XX. Advance  15XX (Int), 7L art.

Attack 2: 2533 (north of Zaragoza)  Supplied 4-7 mtn XX43 (Cat), 3-4-5* inf XX30 (Cat), 2-3-5* inf XX31 (Cat), 1-5 inf 6 (Cat), 1-2-5 infs 1, 4 (Cat),  unsupplied 1-2-6 art 10 (Cat) and unsupplied 2-3-5* inf 32. Attack U4 1-8 mtn 7, 1-6 sec 8GC, 1-6 mg 2, 1-6 art 9L @ 6:1 (-2) = DR. Eliminated no retreat. path. Advance .  mtn XX43 (Cat), inf XX 30 (Cat), inf 6 (Cat), infs 1, 4 (Cat),  art 10 (Cat).

JAN II 1938

Nationalists Turn

Weather;  Land; North = Mud. South  =  Mud.  Seas;  Med = Rough. Atlantic = Rough
Supply: Madrid Pocket;  4-6 inf XX 6, 1 pt AA fails the elimination roll. Madrid expends 1 ASP to generate 12 GSPs.
Replacements: 1 SRP recovered. 0-5 cons 3 rebuilt
Naval Activity: NTs transport Colonial troops to the mainland.
Pacification Alcazar de San Juan
Air Activity Sortie 1 Mxd flies short range air drop to Cuenca and delivers 2 GSPs successfully.

Attack 1 2908 rough (Nth of Cuenca) Unsupplied 6-6 inf XX 5 and 6-6 inf XX 53 and 3-4-5* inf XX, 1-6 inf 18, 1-6 inf I-S (Col) attack U4 3-6* inf XX7 @ 5:1 (-3) = DR eliminated no retreat. Advance 33XX

Attack 2; 3108 rough (Nth Cuenca)  Unsupplied U4 6-6inf XX F (Mxd) and supplied 2-3-6art, 1-8lt tk LE, 1-8 mech S, 2-1-8 lt tk (CTV).1-8 mb B (CTV), 1-10 lt tk Dro (KL), 2-10 AA 88 (KL)  and 1-8 mg Ard (CTV), 4-6 art 1RG, unsupplied 1-6 sec 12GC, 4-6 inf XX 107, 5-6 inf XX 53, and 4-6 infs XX 15,151, 6-6 inf XX 108, 2-6 infs Tdi, 2Mel (Col) attack U2 3-6* inf XX 66, 4-6 inf XX47, 22-1-8tc 1,P, 1-6 art 2L @ 6:1 (-3) = EX lose 12Gc, 2-6 infs Tdi, 2Mel (Col), reduce 53XX to cadre. Advance 107XX

Republican Turn

VPs : Lack of Goberneto collapse (+15 VPs)
French border; Closed
Guerrillas; Break rail line at 2922 south of Almendralejo.
Supply; Isolated U4 in Madrid feed of GSPs.
Replacements; 1 .5 SRPs recovered. I-16/t5 repaired.

Air Activity. I-16 escorts R-Z, SB-2 to bombe rail line @ 2305 (woods north of Soria) Intercepted by Me109B (KL) which aborts the I-16/t5 but is Eliminated! In return fire. (R+2VPs)

Moves:  Lines pulls back East of Madrid  to the wooded slopes of the Codellera Iberica. Minor adjustments to line made in Western Andalucía. Republic is now defensive with 6-8 pt stacks along most of the front line.

Attacks: None

JAN I 1938

Narrative

The Nationalist VP situation is poor. They cannot hope to win on points unless they are able to force the surrender of the Loyalists. The conditions for surrender are any two of;

  1. Capture Madrid
  2. Capture all major city Hexes except one
  3. Force the collapse of all gobernetos
  4. Capture the loyalist government or force it to move overseas.

Because the government can be moved at will for very little penalty (half strength same Republican turn i.e. effectively few or no attacks in the turn it moves) and it can do so any number times Condition 4 is an inconsequential condition simply encouraging the republicans to keep it on shore.

[table id=3 /]

The Nationalists will capture Madrid. This leaves conditions 2 or 3 as the Strategic aim for 1938/9.

If Valencia is captured in an attempt to fulfil condition 2 this will still require one hex of Barcelona to be captured.  Therefore Barcelona is needed to fulfil option 2.

Barcelona is also key to fulfilling option 3. Catalonia will collapse with the capture of one Barcelona hex and may go earlier if Nationalist forces are within 3 hexes of a cut off Barcelona.  On collapse the capture of the remaining hex of the city is almost by default because Barcelona is usually declared an “open city”.

The Nationalists therefore will aim to capture Barcelona thus forcing surrender by fulfilling conditions 1 and 2.

However simply forcing a surrender will not be enough without reducing the loss of VPs from the continuing existence of all 4 gobernetos. The number of REs of all the Republican forces will barely cover the loss of points from all gobernetos remaining in existence for all the game. The worry is that there will not be enough time/resources to eliminate all gobernetos and Barcelona.  Therefore the Nationalists Strategy will be to establish a major offensive towards Catalonia with a secondary force tasked with eliminating Santander/ Asturias. Euzkadia is considered the strongest Goberneto and will only be attacked if time permits.

The Nationalists do not intend to repeat the mistake of allowing Madrid to last as long as Seville and forces will mass for a direct assault as soon as possible prior to redeployment. In the short term the strong forces moving north from the area of Cuenca en route to Madrid will climate any targets of opportunity from the  remnants of the Republic front line fleeing  East.

Nationalist Turn

Weather;  Land; North (D)= Winter. South (D) =  Mud.  Seas;  Med = Rough. Atlantic = Rough
Supply: 2 Res of “Cuenca pocket” feed off GSPs. Rep 1-2-6* inf in the mtns Nth of Madrid succumbs to U4 isolation
Reinforcements; 85th inf XX equipped on arrival to 4-6 inf XX 85.
Replacements:  1-6 sec 18GC replaced.  CR.32 repaired.

Other than the lt div and Cav div assemblies all Nationalist conversions/upgrades now completed and all Form options completed

Air Activity: Sortie 1; Mxd flies short range Airdrop to “Cuenca pocket”  3 GSPs survive drop.

Sortie 2; 2X CR.32, CR.32bis (CTV),  Mxd A (range 10), and extended Mxd B, Mxd A (range 6) fly airfield bombing mission to 4212 (Lorca). Intercepted by I-16/t5. 1x CR.32 and CR.32bis (CTV) jettisons bombs and engages I-16/t5. Both are aborted.  Mission force avoids AA and Hits airfield.

Attack 1; 2810 clear/fort. All adjacent unsupplied over river attack 2-3-5 inf XX (U4 isolated) @ 5:1 (-3) = DR. Eliminated no retreat path.  2-3-5* inf XX Cac advances.

Attack 2; Supplied 6-6inf XX 108, 4-6 art 1RG, 2-6 infs Tdi, 2Mel (Col), unsupplied 4-6 infs 102,151 and  2-3-6 art 62, 1-6 art 4L , Supplied 5-6 infs 53, 84, 6-6 infs 62, 4-3-6 art Leg (CTV), 3-2-6 inf 2LE, 2-1-8cav 2O (Col) and U2 isolated 5-6 inf XX11, 6-6 inf F (Mxd), U3 isolated)  2-3-6 art 61, 2-10 AA 88 (KL), 1-8 mb B (CTV),2-1-8 lt tk Bab (CTV) 1-10 lt tk Dro (KL), attack 6-6 inf XX 45 (Int), 3-68 inf XX @ 5:1 (-2)  = HX. 15 (Int) Cadre eliminated as no retreat.  Lose 2LE, 2O (Col). Advance 88 (KL) Dro (KL), 52, 53 inf XX, 62 art.

Mech Move;. 1-8 mech B, 1-8 lt tk LE evacuate Cuenca.

Republican Turn

VPs : Lack of Goberneto collapse (+15 VPs)
French border; Closed
Guerrillas; Ineffective
Supply;  Isolated U4 Republican 14, 37 and 65 inf XXs perish (Madrid area), Nationalist 23,74 inf XXs perish (Zaragoza).
Reinforcements; Inf XX 71 equipped on arrival as 2-3-8*
Replacements; 1/2 SRPs recovered. 1,5 SRP (Int) recovered.

Air Activity: R-5, SB-2 escorted by I-16/t5 attempt to bomb 2235 (Logro). Intercepted by ME 109B which aborts I-16/t5. Bombs drop wide.

Attack 1:  3008 rough  (West of Aranjuez)Retreating stacks all adjacent Republicans eliminate 2-8 mtn Guard @ 9:1. (This was a sacrificial unit which eliminated 2 Republican XXs by isolating them last move).

Attack 2: Supplied 2-1-8 cavs 1,3, 2-6 nvl 151, 2-6 inf 152c, 2-6 art 2P, 1-6 art 7L, unsupplied 5-6 inf 1XX 15 (int) 3-6 inf* 2 and 4-6 inf XX 34, 2-1-8 tk3, 1-2-6 art 3 and 2-3-5* inf XX 44 (Cat) and  and 2-3-5* inf XX 31 over river (Cat) and  and 2-3-5* inf XX 33 over river (Cat) and  over river 4-7 mtn XX 42 (Cat) , 1-5 inf 6 (Cat), 1-2-5 inf 2,3 (Cat), 1-0-R art 3 (Cat), 1-8 cav Buxo (Cat) attack 3-4-5*inf XX 72, 1pt Garrison @ 7:1 (-1) = DE. Advance 33XX (Cat). Garrison dispersed.