Allied Turn

The weather roll of ‘6’ results in winter weather in Zone D, mud in Zone E, and rough sea across the Mediterranean. The US Eng III and Cons III begins quick construction of an airfield in Port de Bouc. In clear terrain but poor weather this previously took 1 turn. However, WW doubled the time to construct airfields, except in Zone F, and forts. Having seen the Axis player pair up 40 to 50 construction units and quick construct 20 to 25 forts along the eastern front and then retreat back 2 hexes to do the same thing the next turn, I agree with this basic rule change.

All the US ships are withdrawn. Historically the only US fighting ships left in the Mediterranean was a PT flotilla, too small to show up at Europa’s scale. Although the Allies withdraw the British capital ships and landing ships back to GB, they leave 2x CVE’s, 2x CL’s, and 2x DD’s as convoy escorts. The previous turn the Allied player replaced the 2 US units historically sent from GB with the CCA of the 1st Arm XX. He also changed the British units sailing from GB to the supported components of the British 6th Arm XX, the 33rd Guards Inf X, 2x AT II’s, and 2 resource pts. Joining this well protected convoy as it starts this turn at sea just south of Barcelona are an AA III and 2x Eng III’s from the US.

The convoy elects to start its first step moving 2 sea boxes at night. As dawn breaks the convoy finds itself in hex 17A:4916. The Axis naval patrol stack of 2x Ju88’s and 2x code-V He111’s at Sassari attempts a 1/6 chance of contact, and succeeds. The Allies intercept with 3x P-51’s from Toulon and a P-51 from Marseille. These kill a He111, abort a He111, and return a Ju88. In poor weather with its bombing strength rounded down to 1 bombing attack, the surviving Ju88 misses. The Axis naval patrol stack at Toulouse fails its contact attempt. The Italian naval patrol stack at Genova waits for the convoy to get closer and succeeds at contact. However, as it flies past Nice no less than 6 US fighters jump these 3 bombers with patrol attacks. They abort a Z.1007 and return 2x SM.79’s. There were still 5 long range fighter groups at Marseille and 2 fighter groups aboard the escorting CVE’s waiting to intercept if these Italian bombers had reached their target.

In the western desert the British army of 4x Arm XX’s, 7x Inf XX’s, and and 24 RE’s of non-divisional units take up the chase against the retreating Axis. The leading elements get to within 1 hex of Tobruk (historically recaptured Nov 12th). During exploitation 2x British Arm XX’s push thru Tobruk and surround the hapless Italian Mot XX at Gazala. The British send 2 armor stacks, each sporting an Arm XX, racing across the desert towards Agedabia. The Allies launch a bombing mission with 2x Liberators, 1x Halifax, 3x Wellingtons, and a Blenheim against Bengasi’s port. The Axis intercept with 4 fighters which shoot down a Wellington. The mission achieves 3 hits reducing this artificial port’s capacity to 6.

The Allies fill up the string of 7 airfields starting south of Tobruk and extending eastward along the coast of Egypt that the retreating Axis had no time to destroy. Into the El Adem airfield just south of Tobruk they transfer a code-V Bftr and a Sunderland of the anti-shipping forces, and a US B-25. To Malta they send another code-V Bftr.

In a surprise move the Allies in southern France abandon Sete and retreat to the east side of the Rhone River. They now have 1x British Arm XX, 4x US Inf XX’s, 1x British Inf XX, 2x small French Mtn XX’s 4x small French Inf XX’s, and 14x non-divisional RE’s in a shrunken perimeter. Surrounded by 3x Pz XX’s is a small French division in Lyon. The Allies make no attacks, and exploit 3x French 1-8 Mot III’s back into the defense line.

In GB the Americans load up CCC of the US 1st Arm XX, a lt AA X, 3x Art III’s, and a 4-8* Inf III substituted for the useless RR Eng X to arrive off the south France the next turn. Seeing the 4x Pz XX’s racing south to attack the Allied beachhead, the British load up the supported components of the Guards Arm XX to go to south France instead of the weak units historically sent.

Axis Turn

Of the German Nov II reinforcements for North Africa the 10th Pz XX is already in action and the Mot III and Pz II are placed just inside the German border a few hexes north of Strasbourg.   The Para III is placed at Palermo where the Axis player is still figuring out where his airborne units would be most useful.   The Italians place the 4-6 Superga Inf XX at Torino, and an Aslt Eng II at Savona.   The Germans replace a He111 and repair a He111 at Sassari, and repair a Fw190 at Dijon.   The Italian repair a Z.1007 at Genova, and replace a code-V SM.84 and repair a Z.1007 in North Africa that will transfer to Genova.

The Italians sail 7x NTs, escorted by a CA, a CL, and 3x DD from Taranto for Bengasi.   The code-V Bftr on Malta fails its contact roll.   Although the convoy enters daylight 1 hex away from Bengasi, the naval patrol stack at El Adem does not attempt contact because of 2x Me109G’s and a MC.202 that can intercept.   The convoys embarks 2 small Italian Inf XX’s and returns safely to Italy.   A single NT escorted by a DD flotilla sails to La Maddalena and embarks a Para-Inf HG, which it safely returns to Italy.

The Italian 102nd Mot XX squeezes out between the sea and the British 7th Arm XX to reach within 1 hex of Derna.   The Italian 136th Inf XX admins out of Bengasi and gets 6 hex past El Agheila.   The 21st Pz XX parks itself at El Agheila to stop any Allied pursuit, with the 90th Mot XX on the other side of the salt marsh to stop the Allies from going around El Agheila.   The rest of the Axis army, including 2x Italian Arm XX’s, an Italian Arm cadre, a Pz cadre, and an Italian Mot cadre admin back towards Tripoli.   The Axis fighters at Bengasi all transfer to the Tripoli area.   During exploitation the 102nd Mot XX gets to Barce, just 4 hexes away from Bengasi.

The Italians strengthen the defenses around the western end of Sicily.   On Sardinia they strengthen the defenses of the northern ports of that island.   On the mainland the Italians strengthen the ports along Italy’s west coast from Salerno to Genova.   In the north the Italian push units thru the northern Maritime Alps, reaching Grenoble.

In southern France the Axis mass 3x Pz XX’s against the single small French XX in Lyon, that is successfully blocking them from moving farther south.   The 10th Pz XX captures Sete, as a 6-6 Inf XX, the strongest infantry division in France, and a 5-8 Inf XX follow.   The Germans roll a ‘5’ to capture Lyon.   During exploitation they close up to the Allied line on the east side of the Rhone.   On the west side of the river the 10th Pz XX occupies Nimes.