Allied Turn

The weather roll of ‘5’ meant continued winter in Zone D, mud again in Zone E, and rough sea across the Mediterranean.   The British replaced a Well1C and the 32nd Tank Brigade.   The Allies start an airfield at Toulon using 2x US Eng III that had arrived from the US the previous turn.

The Allied reinforcements from GB, joined by the CCA of the 2nd Arm XX, a mot Art X, and an Inf II coming from the US, start north of Mallorca and sail thru 2 sea boxes in daylight.   At twilight they are 2 hexes north of Menorca, 19 hexes away from Toulouse and 21 hexes away from Sassari.   The convoys sail 2 sea boxes at night, to arrive at dawn in hex 17A:4916, 12 hexes from Toulouse and 16 hexes away from Sassari.   Both German naval patrol stacks fail to make contact.   The Italian naval patrol stack at Genova declines to attempt contact knowing it would be within intercept range of no less than 12 Allied fighter groups.

In Libya the British send the 8th Arm XX and 2 Arm X’s to chase after the Italian Mot XX currently in Barce.   In the process they take possesion of Bengasi (historically recaptured November 20th).   They send 3 Arm XX’s and 7 Inf XX’s across the desert towards El Agheila.   During exploitation the British close up to the 21st Pz XX sitting in a fort at El Agheila with 2 Arm XX’s, 7 c/m X’s, and 5 c/m ants, while the 10th Arm XX closes up to the German 90th Mot XX behind the salt marsh.   Historically the British were held at this position from November 23rd until December 13th.

In French North Africa the French defend the ports of Tunis, Bizerte, Bone, Philippeville, Bougie, and Alger each with a division and a fighter group against possible enemy parachute drops.

Using 2 NT’s escorted by a French CL and a DD flotilla the French embark 2x 2-6* Foreign Legion regiments (using 1 naval step) at Oran.   The French use the same route around Mallorca, then night for 2 sea boxes, then skirting past Marseille and Toulon within range of the Allied fighters for 2 sea boxes in daylight, and then at night for 2 sea boxes to reach Ajaccio (travelling a total of 12 sea boxes using 2 naval steps), where they disembark the regiments (using 1 naval step), each with 2x MP’s left.   From Ajaccio the 2 Foreign Legion regiments rail to Bastia, while the 2 US units in Bastia admin back to Ajaccio.

In southern France the Allied defense line starts with a small French division in a swamp hex on the west side of the Rhone.   Then the British 78th Inf XX along with 2x AT II’s defend the town of Arles.   The components of the Guards Arm XX are disembarked at Port de Bouc and with a US artillery unit move up to the Rhone River opposite Nimes, where the division assembles.   The last component of the US 1st Arm XX also disembarks at Port de Bouc and assembles with the rest of that division in the minor city of Avignon along with 2 c/m ants.   The British 6th Arm XX moves into the rough hex next to Avignon.   Next to it the US 1st Inf XX defends a mountain hex.   Next in the front line are CCA and CCB of the 2nd Arm XX and a mot Art X in a mountain hex they accessed by transportation line.   Finally the US 9th Inf XX defends the town of Gap.   Small French Mtn XX’s defend passes thru the Maritime Alps.   The US 3rd Inf XX defends the fortress northeast of Nice, while a mostly French 12-pt stack defends Nice itself.   The Allied second line consists of 2x 5-pt stacks and a US 4-8* Inf III.   A US 4-pt stack defends Cannes just west of Nice.

In GB during the turn the supported components of the British 4th Mixed XX are embarked and transported towards the Mediterranean.

Axis Turn:

The German reinforcements this turn for North Africa, 2x Inf III’s, 2x mot AA III’s, and a Tiger battalion, are placed just inside the border of Germany a few hexes north of Strasbourg. The Italians place a Mixed X at Torino. The Italians also rebuild their 2nd Mot XX.

The Italian Mot XX at Barce, now U-1, can only move 1 hex in the mud of the Jebel el Akhdar. The rest of the Axis army continues retreating towards Tripoli, except the Italian 131st Arm XX which enters Tunisia. During exploitation the Axis army continues its run away. The trailing 21st Pz XX now 19 hexes away from its nearest pursuer. The Italian 131st Arm XX captures a deserted Mareth line and advances as far north as Gabes.

In Italy the Italians keep moving units out of Sicily, preferring the Allies land there than elsewhere in Italy. In northern Italy the Italians look at an attack on Nice but can get no better than 1:1 odds. The Axis player continues to move Italian units thru the northern Maritime Alps to defend in the mountain hexes along the Allied eastern flank.

The German units concentrate for an attack against the British 6th Arm XX and 3x French 1-8 mot Inf III. They use the 6th, 7th, and 26th Pz XX’s and 8 REs of assorted c/m units, including 4x AA III’s, which give each attacking stack 10 pts of AA. The odds are 6:1, -5 (+1 AECA, -1 winter, -1 rough terrain, -4 ATEC) which gives a 5/6 chance of a DR and a 1/6 chance of an EX. The Axis player rolls a ‘5’ for an EX. The Allies reduce the British 6th Arm XX to a cadre and eliminate the 3x French III’s. The Axis player eliminate 2x PzG X’s and an Aslt Gun II. The Axis advance all 3 Pz XX’s and 3 RE’s of c/m units into the hex. The Axis player could overrun the lone US 4-8* Inf III in a wooded-rough hex at 12:1 odds for 7 MPs (1 for overrun, 6 for hex), but decides not to because the denuded hexes the advancing stack left from could easily get overrun by Allied armor the next turn and leave the 3x Pz XX’s surrounded. Reluctantly the Axis exploit a Pz XX back into each hex it attacked from, leaving just a 25-pt stack in the hex it had captured.