Initial Phase
Rhodes goes to U-3 black, the Kalpaki pocket & Kerkyra are U-2 red. British units (the X up in the Metaxas line and the pos AA in Athenai) are U-2 black, but go into special supply by using GSPs generated from the Greek restricted full supply sources. All Italian ground reinforcements arrive at Bari for transfer to the Albanian front. 2 a/s are placed at Trieste, all replacement points at Taranto and the new MC.200 fighters are placed at Brindisi. Fort building continues at Koritsa. At the end of the phase, the MC.200’s fly a CAP over Kalpaki so they can be first on the scene. Other F’s in Albania will wait to see if the Greak AF wishes to commit.
Movement Phase
The turn starts with a series of naval mov’ts, reinforcements from Bari crossing over to Albania. First, the 3 C Art III travels to Egouminitsa (interference roll of 7, with only a 12 generating a contact) and moves directly into the line. 2 Tri Alp (6 rolled) and 8 C Art III (9) travel to Porto Edda and from there move east a hex to engage the Kalpaki defenders on their west flank. The two construction III’s then move to Valona (5 & 9), and with their two remaining mps left combine for some quick repair of the port, removing a hit and getting it’s available capacity up to 4 (2 used so far.) This nets me an add’l RE of capacity immediately, and then the 4 M Arm II (8) and one supported III of the 33rd Inf XX land (6), admining towards the southern front. Finally, the second III of the 33rd (10) and the 48th Inf XX (9) cross the Adriatic and land at Durazzo, both admining through the mud southwards to the road junction at 3919.
On the mainline in the east, the 51st XX withdraws a hex, and minor tweaks occur to leave the northernmost two hexes at 7 ds, the next two at 6 ds. Part of this process sees the big Julia Mtn XX shift a hex south so it too can participate in attacks against the Kalpaki pocket this turn. M/C III’s shift about to help out as well, and some unsupported units will be attacking from the northwest and northeast just to ensure that no cadre can retreat into Albania on a DR. Attack supply is moved a hex forward, though this isn’t really necessary.
Back in the main portion of Europe, 2 a/s is railed around through Germany and Hungary into a map edge hex in Rumania, should add’l a/s be required latter in that part of the world. I’ll have more than enough Italian attack supply given the limited Italian opportunities to attack, though I need to try and get more landed… just not enough port capacity in Albania, and I’d rather have units than a/s at the moment.
Combat Phase
No DAS flies. I fly the Z.506 & Z.1007 bombers with their 2 pt tac strengths against Kalpaki, bring the total attack strength up to 27 against the 4.5 effective defense strength of the Kalpaki encirclement (6:1 even, a/s to all Italian troops, rough, 1/10th AECA, defenders U-2). A 5 is rolled in combat and the Greek 9th Mtn XX, and VIII & IX Bdr X’s are eliminated to a man. A m/c unit from the northwest and the 2 Tri Alp XX and 8 C art III from the west advance into the hex.
Exploitation Phase
M/C III’s and the 4 M Arm II advance into the front lines in the south, bringing the defense at Egouminitsa up to 8 (rough), the 4619 hex up to 5 (rough) and the crook in my line at 4618 to 9 (1/2 or better AECD in rough terrain.) That hex and Egouminitsa are both assailable from three hexes, but the first is guaranteed a -3 mod regardless of the next weather roll and the port hex is a bit far away from the biggest Greek units, so I’m hoping for a stalemate to begin developing.
In the air, the SM 79-I flies another daylight terror bombing raid against Athenai, but improved flak defenses push them off after ineffective bombing runs (5 rolled on flak). It returns to Durazzo to open up space at the Valona airfield for the MC.200’s. The Mxd B on Rhodes then flies its own terror raid at Athenai, slipping by flak guns which were trained northwards (6 rolled) and putting cracks into the Parthenon (6 rolled for a hit.) It lands on Scarpanto, and the Mxd F transfers there as well. Greek civilians demand action of their government against these perpetual raids damaging their historically significant sites (+1 VP for Axis.) Lastly, the SM.81’s at Koritsa attempt to raid Athenai as well, but because of their range they must transit the patrol zone of the P.24’s at Larissa. The P.24’s do patrol attack, and a 6 rolled results in the SM.81’s being aborted.
End of Turn
Axis earn 8 vps for hexes in Greece, though one of these hexes will be lost next turn as I have abandoned it. If the Italian line benefits from nasty weather, we’ll be netting 7 per turn or thereabouts from this point forward. Current VP total is 26:0.
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