Allied Turn

The weather roll of ‘4’ meant mud. The US 2nd Inf XX and 6th Mech Cav X arrive at Sete, while the 28th Inf XX arrives in Britain to double the US contribution to an amphibious threat to northern France. The US replace a Mot AA X and 2x Arm II’s, and the British replace a Mot AA X. The US replaces 4x air groups and repairs 1, and the British repair 1 air group. A US Port Con X starts repairing the destruction of the port of Bordeaux. East of the Rhone River the Allied stacks remain unchanged, too strong to be attacked, but not strong enough to make attacks.

The first attack is against a 10-pt stack 3 hexes southwest of Clermont by the British 6th Arm XX, the US 36th Inf XX, and the British 3rd and 15th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups, and then in the combat phase a GS mission of 12 air groups, which all the CAP escorts. The Germans do not react. German AA of 2 aborts 1 GS air group, and at 6:1, -3 the Allies roll a ‘2’ for a DR. The German stack retreats, and the Allies advance the British 15th Inf XX.

The next attack is against 15-pt stack 3 hexes ESE of Clermont by the British Guards and 11th Arm XX’s, the US 101st and British 1st Abn XX’s, the US 3rd Inf XX, and the British 5th and 78th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 10 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 12 air groups, which all the CAP escorts. After the Allies had flown all their CAP missions the Germans fly 10 fighter groups on a CAP mission over this target hex, and send them all to intercept the GS mission when it flies in. The Allied fighter groups intervene against the German interceptors, which all choose to bypass. The Allied fighter groups kill 2, abort 1, and return 4 of the interceptors. The German interceptors kill 1 and abort 2 of the GS mission. The Germans then fly in a DAS mission of 8 air groups. Allied AA of 5 aborts 5 DAS air groups, and German AA of 2 returns 1 GS air groups. At 6:1, -3 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a DR. The German stack retreats, and the Allies advance the British 5th Inf XX.

The third attack is against the German 1st Para-Inf XX 3 hexes due east of Clermont by the US 2nd Arm XX, and the Canadian 4th and 5th Arm XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 14 air groups, which all the CAP escorts. The Germans do not react. The German AA of 1 returns 2 bombers groups. At 9:1, -3 the Allies roll a ‘3’ for a DH. The German Para Inf XX is reduced to a cadre and retreats. The entire Allied stack advances into the hex. During exploitation the 1st Para-Inf cadre is overrun, with the US 2nd and Canadian 4th Arm XX’s advancing.

The fourth attack is against a 15-pt stack by the US 2nd Arm XX, the British 53rd Mixed XX, and the US 3rd and 9th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a token CAP of 2 fighter groups, and then no GS mission. The German do not react. At 6:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘6’ for a DE. The 7th Pz cadre is eliminated along with an AA II, and a German Inf XX is reduced. The US 3rd Arm XX and 9th Inf XX advance. During exploitation the German Inf cadre is overrun, with the US 3rd Arm XX advancing.

The final attack is against a 15-pt stack adjacent to the Gironde by the British 7th Arm XX and the US 5th Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 3 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 10 bomber groups (no AA in target hex). At 4:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a HX. The German reduce an Inf XX, and eliminate a small Res Mtn XX and an Inf cadre. The US eliminate 2x AA X’s and 2x Arm II’s. During exploitation the German Inf cadre is overrun and an Allied c/m stack advances.

Axis Turn

The Germans replace the 15th PzG cadre, the 29th PzG cadre, a PzG X, and an Inf XX. The Germans don’t have the RP’s to replace whole divisions and have to resort to self-supporting cadres to fill out the defense line. The idea of building a NODL is null, there is barely strength for a single line. The Germans replace 2x air groups and repair 4x air groups.

The Italians take over more of the Axis defense line north of Grenoble as the Germans shuffle units west along the line. While the German defense along the Isere River remains as strong as ever, and continues relatively strong into the Massif Central up to Clermont, west from that city the defense line has severe weaknesses. Southwest of Montlucon the defense line is held by single XX’s, the cadres of which the Allies have shown they can easily overrun even in mud weather.

Limoges is now held by a pair of Res XX’s railed down from northern France. The Axis player has no choice but to thin out the coastal defense in Brittany just to form a single continuous line from central France over to the Atlantic coast. Left behind are 2x Inf XX’s southeast and west of the town of Perigueux. The defense line ends in the intensive canal hex just south of La Rochelle with the pair of PzG cadres just replaced.