Axis Set Up

In the West the Axis player has to set up all his c/m units on or north of the 17xx hexrow. All non-c/m units must be in coastal hexes, with only 6 divisions and 6 non-divisional REs in coastal hexes south of the 17xx hexrow. The Axis player places the 10th Pz XX in Nantes, and the 6th, 7th, and 26th Pz XX’s in downtown Paris. Also in this hex are 2 PzG brigades and a motorized AA regiment. The Axis player sets up a 5-8 Inf XX, a 6-6 Inf XX, a 4-7 Res Mtn XX, and 3x 4-5 Res XX’s south of hexrow 17xx, along with 2 Bic X’s, a Mxd X, an Art X, and 2 Pol X’s, all with a movement rating of 8.

In northern Italy the Axis player is allowed to set up only 3 divisions and 3 non-divisional REs in the border provinces of Piemonte and Liguria. He places 2 Alp XX’s and a 3-8 Inf XX in Piemonte and his only Mot XX, a 4-6 Inf XX, and a 3-8 Inf XX in Liguria. Sardinia and Sicily are set up almost identically to a normal SF Jul I 43 set-up except for 3 artillery regiments still fighting in North Africa. The Axis player has the San Marino marine regiment and 2 Para-Inf regiments in Livorno, and the 20th Inf XX in Citavecchia. The 20th XX was historically used to occupy Corsica.

Allied Nov I 42 Surprise Turn

Like other surprise turns in Europa, clear weather and calm seas are mandated. The Allied sneaked into the Golfe du Lion along the coast of Spain, just beyond the range of the 3 Italian naval patrol groups based at Cagliari on Sardinia. The US Massachusetts opens fire at long range on the level-2 CD at Port de Bouc and scores a hit. The CD fires back and misses. The 4 British capital ships open fire at long range on the level-2 CD at Sete, and only with their last shot score a hit. The CD fires back and gets a hit on Duke of York. The Allied capital ships with their escorting cruisers and destroyer flotillas advance into the same hex as these 2 major ports, and continue shooting until they reduce these CD’s. With their last shot neither CD’s hit anything. The landing ships moved in, and although the SoS naval rules allow c/m and units with HE to be amphibiously landed, these late 1942 landings ships could only land non-c/m units without HE. The US lands 4 infantry regiments, a combat engineer regiment, and a construction regiment at Port de Bouc, and 5 infantry regiments and a marine commando battalion adjacent to Sete. The British land the 3 infantry brigades of the 78th XX and 2 marine commando battalions at Sete itself. A reserve force including a regiment of the 34th Inf XX and the 34th HQ remained at sea hoping to land on Corsica.