Allied Turn

The weather roll is a ‘5’ for winter weather. The US receives its 4th Arm XX. The US rebuilds its 36th Inf XX, and replaces an AA X and an Eng X. The British rebuild their 7th Arm XX and 78th Inf XX. The US repairs 4 air groups, the British repair 3 air groups, and the French repair their only P-47.

The Allied front changes very little from Nice on the Mediterranean, thru the Maritime Alps, along the south bank of the Isere River, the strong stacks southwest of Lyon, around St. Etienne, and then along the west bank of the Allier River up to Clermont.

The first Allied attack is against an 11-pt stack just northeast of Vichy by the NZ 2nd Mech XX and the British Guards and 11th Arm XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups. After the Allies had flown all their CAP’s the Germans fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups. In the combat phase the Allies fly in a GS mission using 8 air groups, which the Allied CAP escorts. The German CAP intercepts. The Allied escorts kills 1 and return 1 of the interceptors, which all bypass. The German interceptors return 1 and make 3 fighter bombers jettison their bombs at the cost of a Me109 aborted. The Germans then fly in a DAS mission of 6 air groups, which the 6 Allied fighter groups at Montlucon intercept. The Allied fighter groups abort 1 and return 1 of the DAS mission at the cost of 1 killed and 1 aborted to themselves. The AA on both sides return 1 enemy air group. At 5:1, -1 the Allies roll a ‘3’ for a DR.

Next the Allies attack a 15-pt stack 2 hexes northeast of Montlucon by the US 2nd Arm XX, the Canadian 4th Arm XX, the British 6th Arm XX, and the Polish 1st Arm XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups. The Allies then fly in a GS mission of 10 air groups. German AA of 3 abort 1 and return 4. At 7:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a DH. The Germans reduce a Para-Inf XX and eliminate an ant.

The third Allied attack is against a 7-pt stack that could not retreat into the main defense line by the British 3rd Inf XX and the US 8th and 88th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in 4 bomber groups on a GS mission against no AA. At 8:1, -1 the Allies roll a ‘6’ for a DE.

The fourth Allied attack is against the LSSAH cadre that could not make back into the main defense line by the US 1st Arm XX and 9th Inf XX. The Allies fly in a GS mission of 9 air groups. German AA of 1 abort 1 and return 2. At 7:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘5’ for a DE.

The fifth Allied attack is against an Inf XX now isolated on an intermittent lake hex by the US 1st Arm XX and the British 1st and 5th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a GS mission of 4 bomber groups against no AA. At 8:1, -1 the Allies roll a ‘4’ for a DE.

The sixth Allied attack is against a 15-pt stack 2 hexes due west of Bourges by the US 3rd Arm XX, 101st Abn XX, and the 3rd Inf XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 8 fighter groups. After the Allies had flown all their CAP’s the Germans fly in a CAP of 6 fighter groups. The Allies fly in a GS mission of 16 fighter bombers escorted by 4 fighter groups, joined by 2 of the Allied CAP. The German CAP intercepts, and the Allied escorts kill 2 and return 2. The 2 surviving German interceptors miss, but the 2x Typh1B they picked on, after they jettison their bombs, kill 1 and abort the other. The German think twice about flying in a DAS, and instead trust their AA. German AA of 6 manage to abort 2. At 6:1, -1 the Allies roll a ‘2’ for a DR.

The seventh Allied attack is against a 9-pt stack 2 hexes northeast of Poitiers by the British 7th Arm XX and the Canadian 5th Arm XX. The Allies fly in a CAP of 4 fighter groups. The Allies fly in 4 air groups on GS. German AA of 2 abort 1. At 9:1, -1 the Allies roll a ‘1’ for a DH. The Germans eliminate an Art X and an Eng III.

The eighth Allied attack is against an 11-pt stack in bocage terrain by the US 82nd Abn XX, the British 78th Inf XX, and the US 2nd, 5th, 34th, and 85th Inf XX’s. The Allies fly in a CAP of 4 fighter groups. The Allies fly in a GS mission of 10 air groups. German AA of 2 return 1. At 9:1, -2 the Allies roll a ‘2’ for a DH. The Germans reduce an Inf XX.

The final Allied attack is against a vacant port fort in La Rochelle by the British 53rd Inf XX, the Indian 8th Inf XX, and 6 RE’s of combat engineers. At 8:1, -1 the Allies roll a ‘1’ for a DR that destroys the port fort. Liberating its last city gives the Allies MR 18.

Axis Turn

The Axis player declares a ‘West Invaded’ emergency, meaning he will receive an extra 13x Inf RPs and 15x Arm RPs on each of the Feb I, Mar I, and Apr I turns. He also decides to claw back the 1st Pz XX, the 11th PzG XX, and the 4th PzG X which were transferred east from the Southeast Theater. With the Arm RPs from the previous turn’s disbandings the German Player replaces his 7th Pz XX, an Inf XX, and a PzG III. He also replaces 1 air group and repairs 3 others.

The Italian front changes very little. By the end of the turn the 8 mountain hexes the Italians defend had an average defense strength of 12.6 pts. The Italians also defend 2 rough hexes west and southwest of Geneva with an average defense strength of 18 pts.

The Germans remained in place facing south thru Lyon over to St. Etienne. North of St. Etienne the Germans gave up 3 hexes to shorten their line slightly. They still clung to 3 hexes along the east bank of the lower Allier River before it flowed into the Loire River near the town of Nevers. The German defense line ran within 1 hex of Bourges on its southeast, southwest and west sides, and within 1 hex of Tours on its southwest side. The German defense line was stuck in clear terrain except for 3 bocage hexes near the Atlantic. By the end of the turn the German held defense line was 29 hexes long and had an average defense strength of 15.9 pts.