Allied Turn

The weather roll is a ‘5’ for continued mud. The US receive an Inf XX and 4x Art X’s. The French receive an Inf XX. The US rebuilds its 3rd, 4th, 30th, and 88th Inf XX’s and an Eng X. The British rebuild their 15th Inf XX. The US replace 1 air group and repair 12. The British repair 3 air groups and the French repair 2.

Again the Allies attack German airbases with their 3-strength fighter groups. Again it is successful as Allied P-47’s kill 5 and abort 1 at a cost of 2 killed and 1 aborted to themselves. With heavier AA at German airbases the Allies do not try to attack non-fighter groups.

The first Allied attack is against a 17-pt stack just west of the town of Lons-le-Saunier by the US 5th Arm XX, the French 1st and 2nd Arm XX’s, and the US 1st, 4th, and 29th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 2 fighter groups, and then in the combat phase a GS mission of 12 bomber groups. Axis AA return 3 air groups. At 6:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘6’ for a DE. The Germans reduce an Inf XX and eliminate the rest of their stack. The Allies decline to advance after combat as it would put them within 10 hexes of the westwall.

The next attack is against a 19-pt stack in the town of Le Creusot by the US 6th Arm XX, the British Guards Arm XX, the NZ Mech XX, the British 1st Abn XX, and the Canadian 1st and 2nd Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 2 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 14 bomber groups. German AA aborts 2 and returns 7 of the GS bomber groups. At 6:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘1’ for a DR.

The third attack is against a 25-pt stack 2 hexes west of the town of Auxerre by the US 2nd and 4th Arm XX’s, the British 11th Arm XX, the US 36th Inf XX, and the British 15th and 50th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 4 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 20 air groups. German AA aborts 2 and returns 3. At 5:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘2’ for an EX. The Germans reduce a Res Pz and 2x Inf XX, and eliminate the rest of their stack. The Allies reduce the US 2nd Arm XX and the US 36th Inf XX. The Allies advance a 61-pt stack into the hex.

The fourth attack is against a 17-pt stack across the Loire by British 1st and 6th Arm XX’s, the US 9th Inf XX, the British 3rd Inf XX, the Canadian 3rd Inf XX, and the Indian 10th Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 4 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 24 air groups. German AA aborts 2 air groups. At 6:1, -3 the Allies roll a ‘1’ for a DR. The Allies advance the US 9th Inf XX across the Loire into this hex.

The fifth attack is against a 17-pt stack just northwest of Orleans by the US 3rd Arm XX, the Canadian 4th Arm XX, the US 101st Abn XX, the US 3rd and 88th Inf XX’s, and the British 5th Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 4 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 6 air groups. German AA misses. At 7:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a DH. The Germans reduce an Inf XX and eliminate an Eng III.

The sixth attack is against a pair of German Inf III’s that could not retreat back into the main defense line by the US 45th Inf XX and the British 51st Inf XX. At 13:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a DE.

The seventh attack is against a 17-pt stack just southwest of Le Mans by the US 1st Arm XX, the British 7th Arm XX, the Polish 1st Arm XX, the US 34th Inf XX, and the British 1st and 78th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 2 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 10 air groups. Axis AA aborts 1. At 6:1, -3 the allies roll a ‘3’ for an EX. The Axis reduce an Italian Mot Inf XX and eliminate 2x PzG cadres. The Allies reduce the US 34th Inf XX and the British 78th Inf XX. They then advance a 60-pt c/m stack into the hex.

The final attack is against a 17-pt stack just northwest of Angers by the Canadian 5th Arm XX, the US 82nd Abn XX, the US 2nd, 5th, and 8th Inf XX, and the British 53rd Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 2 fighter groups, and then a GS mission of 10 air groups. German AA misses. At 6:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘5’ for a DH. The Germans reduce an Inf XX and eliminate an Inf cadre. The Allies advance the US 5th Inf XX into the hex.

During exploitation the Allies were able to overrun a pair of cadres trying to defend Le Mans and also an Inf cadre and an ant 2 hexes northwest of Angers. After all the advances after combat and exploitation the convoluted Allied front is 38 hexes long from just west of Geneva to the Atlantic coast and has an average attack strength of 27.7 pts.

Axis Turn

The Germans receive a Para-Inf XX, 4x Inf XX’s, and retain a PzG XX, a Jager XX, and 3x Inf XX’s from transferring east. They can not prevent a Pz XX from entering the rigid SE garrison. The Germans replace 3x PzG XX’s, a Para-Inf XX, and an Inf XX. The Italians replace an Arm XX, a Mot Inf XX, and an Art III. The Germans disband 2x Aslt Gun X’s and a Tiger II in the West and 2x Rkt Art RE’s, 2x Inf III’s, an Aslt Gun II, and a RR Art II in GG for a total of 16x Arm RP’s and 12x Inf RP’s. The Germans replace 5 air groups and repair 1.

Noticing that the Allies do not want to trigger the Westwall Restoration the Axis pull the southern end of their defense line to within 8 hexes of the Westwall even though it means giving up 8 forts. That defense line now goes in a straight line northwest for 9 hexes from the Swiss border. At that point the line jogs 1 hex east just west of Auxerre to get around a 47-pt Allied c/m stack, and then goes in another straight line northwest for 9 more hexes to the town of Chartres. From there the line goes due west for 4 hexes, jogs around a 28-pt Allied c/m stack sitting in Le Mans, and then goes northward to connect to the English channel east of St.Malo. Expecting clear weather the next turn, for the first time the Axis form a solid second line from the Swiss border up until the bocage terrain begins north of Le Mans. By the end of the turn the Axis defense line is 28 hexes long and has an average defense strength of 17.7 pts.