Narrative
The rump of the Murcian defence stripped of the anarchists who after supply difficulties and minimal help from the Peoples army have desolved their units and gone home. The reduced force left has been pushed back into a small perimeter and one more supply city needs to fall and the remainder are out of supply and Isolated. Their fate is sealed.
However the Nationalisrs realise that the main front is in Catelonia and here they have made their biggest and best supplied attacks and barely dented the Republican line. Their hopes of multiple eliminations proved ill founded as many attacks resulted in DRs or even the unfortunate AS. They cannot sustain attacks with this level of AS commitment for more than a few turns and the troops falling back from the west will be more than adequate to fill the gaps in the Republican line. The failure to trap significant numbers in the Cordilera Iberica and to eliminate many defending stacks in the opening round of “The Great Offensive”has allowed the Republic to consolidate their MBL to the strongest ever, confined as they are to the extream NE corner of the country. , so whilste the Reoublic comprises little more that Catelonea they are resolute and standing firm.
Nationalists turn
Weather; Clear skies across spain herald the arrival of Summer and the Nationalists final push to Barcelona.. D=C. E=C , A= C, M= C
Supply:. Other than the Anarchists in Murcia both sides are now in full supply. 26XX (An) Draws Supply from GSPs at Murcia. The following Anachists succumb to starvation: 2-3-5* XX, 2-5, 3X 1-2-5, 2X 1-5. Republic expends 1 ASP for 12 points GSP.
Replacements: 106 XX equipped on arrival. 1-6 Eng ZC replaced. SM.79-1 repaired
3 Cap airfield buit at 3808 (SE of Albecete) and 3033 (S of Zaragozza)
Movement: 1 Res pt spent to temporarily increase Rail Cap to 24.75 REs
Air Activity: sortie 1: 2B3 mxd, 1A2 mxd, He 111B escorted by CR.32Bis (CTV), CR.32Bis flying GS to 4110 (W of Murcia) are intercepted by I-15/t25, I-152, GE.23. The I-5/t25 is Eliminated by the CR.32.Bis (CTV). (N +2 VPs). The remaining fighters attack the Mision force. The Ge.23 Returns the 1A2 mxd but is aborted by defensive fire and defensive frire from the He 111B Aborts the I-152.
Sortie 2: Sm.79-1 flies GS unopposed to 3735 (Castllion de la Plana)
Sortie 3: He 111E (KL) flies GS unopposed to 3335 rough (foothills of Iberica 50 miles E of Teruel)
Sortie4: He 51, D0 17E fly GS to 2830 (SE Huesca) Intercepted by I-16/t5 who Eliminates the Do17E for no loss. (R +2 VPs)
Republican aircraft on Naval Patrol 2X SB-2, Sb-2B Spot the TF group and Attack. 1X SB-2 Aborted by AA fire.. Bombers miss.
Attack1: 4110 clear/behind river Unsupplied3-4-5* inf XXs 40,72, 73, 2-8 mtn Pir, 1-6 inf35, 1-6 inf 1BT (Col) , 1-6 arts 1, 16L and 4-6 inf XX 117, 3-4-5* inf XX 14, 1-6 inf 24, 1-6 inf 5MR (Col), 1-6 bdr 7Car, 1-2-6 arts 43, 46 and 4-6 inf XX 112, 3-4-5* inf XX 34, 1-6 inf 17, 1-6 arts 4L, 10L, 15L and 2 pts GS (Sortie 1) Attack 2-3-5* inf XX 171 @ 4:1 = DE. Advance 112, 117 XXs, Pir, 43, 10L art
Attack2: 3905 clear/over river (Alzira) Unsupplied 7-6 inf XX 13, 6-6 inf XXS 3,105, 2-6 inf 4Lar (Col), 1-2-6 art 42, 2-3-6 art 62 and 5-6 inf XXs 53, 62, 4-8 cav XX 2, 2-1-8 cax 1E, 2O (Col), 1-2-8 art 50, 2-6 art 4P Attack 3-4-5* inf XX 18 @ 3:1 = EX. Reduce XX 53 to Cadre. Advance
Attack 3: 3735 clear (Castllion de la Plana). Supplied 2-1-8 lt tk Bab, 2-1-8 lt tk3, 6-6 inf XX 52, 102, 6-8 ltXX 150, 4-6 arts 1RG, 3RG, (transported), unsupplied 2-1-8 lt tk 2 and 1Pt GS (Sortie2), Attack 2-3-5* inf XXs 39, 42, 1-2-6 art 20 @ 4:1 (+1) = DR. Advance 52 XX, 150 lt XX. (disappointing the Nationalists who were pinning hopes on another breakout along the Valenci/Barcelona coast road)
Attack 4: 3335 rough (foothills of Iberica 50 miles E of Teruel) Supplied 6-6 inf XX 5, 4-5-5 inf XX 50, Unsupplied 1-6 bdr 8Car, 1-6 inf I-S (Col), 1-6 art 12L and 3-4-5* inf 29, Supplied 2-1-8 art E, 2-8 mtn Guad, 1-8 mtn 8, 5-6 inf XX 54 and 2 pts GS (sortie 3) Attack 3-6* inf XX 1, 1-2-6 sec 7GA @ 5:1 (-1) = DR. Advance 5, 54 XXs, Guad, E art.
Attack 5: 3233 clear/fort (60 miles S of Zarragoza) Supplied 6-6 inf XXs 1, 108, 152, 3-2-6 infs 1LE, 2LE, 2-6 inf 3Ceu (Col) 2-6 art 1P, 2-1-8 art O and 6-6 inf XXs 4, 63, 5-6 inf XX 61, 3-2-6 inf 3LE, 2-6 inf 5Alh (Col) , 3-1-2 sg art Man (CTV) Attack 3-6* inf XX 19, 61, 1-2-6* inf 25, 1-6 inf 10, 1-2-6 art 25 @ 5:1 (-1) = HX, lose 1LE, 2LE. Advance 1,4, 61 XXs. Fort destroyed
Attack 6: 2830 rough/fort (SE Huesca) Unsupplied 3-4-5* inf XXs 19, 75, 4-6 inf XX 122, 1-6 inf 22, 1-8 mtn 7, 1-8 cav VMS (Req), 1-8 mtn art 2, Supplied 1-8 art Ter (CTV)and 5-6 inf XXs 61, 82, , Unsupplied 4-6 inf XX 85, 1-6 inf 28, 2-6 infs 10Bt, 7Lam (Col) 1-6 arts 2, 11L and 1 pt GS (sortie 4) Attack 3-4-5* inf XX 56, 1-5 inf 5, 1-6 art 11 (All Cat) @ 4:1 (-2) = EX. Lose 122 XX, 22,26. Advance 75XX, 2 mtn art, 7 mtn, 1-8 cav (Fal)
Attack 7: 3031 rough/fort (E of Zarragozza) Supplied 5-8 inf XX LA (CTV), 4-6 inf XXs FA, FM (Mxd), 1-6 mg Ard (CTV), 1-8 mb B (CTV), 1-8 mot art L (CTV) and 5-6 inf XX 71, 4-6 inf XX 60, 4-6 inf XX FV (Mxd), 2-6 eng AM, 2-6 inf Tdi, 9Arc (Col), 4-6 art 2RG, 1-2-6 art 49 Attack 3-4-5* inf XX 30, 2-3-5* inf XXs 21, 44 (All Cat) @ 5:1 (-2) = AS!
May I 1939 The Western Zone shrinks further
Republican Turn
VPs : Goberneto none collapse (R+5 VPs) None Surrender( R+10 VPs)
Guerrillas; Ineffective
Supply: Anarchists; at U4/Isolated draw on GSPs at Murcia. With 26 XX drawing Limited General supply from Murcia.
Replacements; 4 SRP, 1 SRP (Cat) recovered. I-16/t5 repaired
Reinforcements: 2 ASPs 1 Art RP landed at France.
Air Activity R-Z breaks the rail junction at 3917 (Guadix )
Attacks: None
Leave a Reply