Narrative:
Spoiler alert . (This reveals the outcome of the turn so skip ahead if you prefer to see the details first)
Pre combat; The Nationalist attack builds in fury as 8 attacks are launched this time right across the front. 3 of these are fully supplied and a further 2 attacks are part supplied for a total expenditure of 10 ASPs. The Nationalists are getting desperate for results and one of the fully supplied attacks carries a 1/6 chance of AS. Furthermore they are using up stocks fast and this “fire and thunder” attack will leave only 11 ASPs in the ammunition dumps. The last Factory Production cycle will give them 7 more plus some foreign aid means that only two more such turn are likely to be possible.
Post combat; After the disappointing results last turn this turn’s attacks offer more hope. The Republic lose 3 front line stacks and a small breakout and exploitation towards Tortosa threatens again to trap the refugee units from Teruel. Unfortunately the push along the coast road from Valencia to Barcelona only Retreats the defending stack giving a good stack of units the Republic can re-deploy and this will provide some of the fleeing units an escape route along the road to Tortossa.
In the West the fall of Cartegena spells the end of Republican resistance in the Western zone and only a moping up operation remains. This was achieved with very little AS expenditure as all Supplies are needed for the main drive to Barcelona.
At the beginning of the turn it seemed all was lost but perhaps, just, there is a glimmer of a hope for final Surrender but this is indeed a hope rather than an expectation.
Nationalists turn
Weather; Clear skies across Spain but Westerlies move over the Atlantic. D=C. E=C , A= R, M= C
Supply:.. 26XX (An) Draws Supply from GSPs at Murcia. Other Anachists draw from GSPs. Republic expends 1 ASP for 12 points GSP.
Replacements: 2.5 SRPs received. 1ME 109E (KL) replaced. SM.81 repaired
Movement: 1 Res pt spent to temporarily increase Rail Cap to 24.75 REs
Air Activity: Sortie 1: CR.32Bis, CR.32Bis (CTV) fly to Lerida on airfield bombing mission. Intercepted by I-16/t5 who aborts the CR.32Bis (CTV). Bombs Fall wide.
Sortie 2: CR.32, CR.32Bis (CTV) fly to Alicante on airfireld bombing mission. Intercepted by I-16/t5 who aborts the CR.32Bis (CTV). Bombs Fall wide.
Sorties 3-6: Unopposed GS to various attacks (See below)
Sortie 7: He 1118, SM.79-1 (CTV) fly Factory bombing to Murcia. Both evade AA and score 1 Hit.
Naval Activity. Nationalist surface and Submarine Groups move from Barcelona to blockade Murcia which is deemed safer due to the minimal Republican air cover in that zone. BBTF-1 and CATF prepare for NGS.
Attack1: clear/dot city (Cartagena) Supplied 4-6 inf XXs 112, 122 , Unsupplied 3-4-5* inf XX 14, 1-6 bdr 7Car, 1-6 inf 1BT (Col) , 1-2-6art 43, 1-6 arts 15L, 16L and 3-4-5* inf XXs 18, 40, 73 1-6 inf 24, 2-8 mtn Pir, 1-6 inf 5MR, 1-6 art 1. 1-2-6 art 46 and 2 point NGS Attack 3-4-5* inf XX 26, 1-2-5 infs 147, 149, 1-5 inf Muer (All An) , 1 pt garrison @ 3:1 = DH. Lose 147, 148, Muer (An).. Advance 18,73 XX.. Garrison dispersed. 1 ASP eliminated, The R-Z escapes to Murcia. ½ RE Rail Capacity captured. A significant victory because the Murcia Supply net is now eliminated.
Attack2: 4008 rough (N of Murcia) Unsupplied4-6 inf XXs 107,117, 3-4-5* inf xx74, 1-2-6* inf 32, 1-6 inf 35, 1-6 art 13L, 1-5 inf 1Cord (Fal) and 4-6 inf XXs 15, 106, 3-4-5* inf XX 34, 1-6 infs 19, 20, 1-6 arts 10L, 4L and 2 Factors GS = 4:1 (-1) = EX. Lose 19, 20, 35, 1Cord (Fal). Advance 34, 74XXs
Attack3: 4004 (SE Alzera) Unsupplied5-6 inf XXs 62, 105, 1-2-6 art 42, 1-2-8 art 50, 1-5 mech 1, Supplied 5-6 inf XX 11, 2-5 inf AGM (Fal), 1-8 mc B (CTV), And (over river) 2-1-8 lt tk Bab (CTV), 2-10 AA 88 (KL), Unsupplied 2-1-8 lt tks 2,3, 4-6 inf XX 151, 4-8 cacv XX 2, 1-2-6 art 48, transport Attack 4-6 art XX 34 @ 5:1 (-1) = DR. Advance 62XX.
Attack 4: 3734 clear ((E of Castilian de la Plana). Supplied 7-6 inf XX 13, 6-6 inf XXs 3, 102, 2-1-8 cav 2O (Col), 2-6 infs 6Xau, 2Mel, 4-6 arts 1RG, 3RG and 3 ptss GS Attack 3-6 infX 1, 2-3-5* inf XXs 39, 42 @ 4:1 = DR. Advance 3, 102 XXs.
Attack 5: 3234 rough/fort (60 miles south of Zaragoza) All adjacent uncommitted forces attack unsupplied at 5:1 (-2) = DR. Eliminated as no retreat path. Advance 50 inf xx, 8Car bdr , 8 mtn, 12LartI-S (Col). Fort destroyed
Attack 6 3333 clear (50 miles north of Tortosa on the Mediterranean coast) Supplied 6-6 inf XXs 1, 4, 108, 3-2-6 infs 1LE, 3LE, 3-2-8 lt tk N, 3-1-2 sge art Man (CTV), 1-8 mot art L (CTV), Transport and 2 pts GS Attack 3-6 inf XXs2,5, 8, 1-2-6 secs 10GA, 7GA @ 3:1 = HX. Lose 108 to cadre, 1LE. Advance 1XX, 3LE, 108 cadre, N lt tk, Man sg art (CTV), L mot art (CTV)
Attack 7: 3132 clear/fort (60 miles NW of Lerida) Supplied5-6 inf XXs 51, 61, 71, 3-2-6 inf 2LE, 2-6 eng AM, 2-6 inf 9Arc (Col), 4-6 art 2RG, 1-2-6 art 49and (over river) 6-6 inf XXs 63, 152, 2-6 infs3Ceu, 5Ahm, Tdi (Col), 2-1-8 art O, Unsupplied 4-6 inf #x’x 60, 1-6 art 11L Attack 3-4-5* inf xx 74 (Cat), 2-6* inf 13Dom (Int), 1-2-6* inf 20, 1-6 infs 5, 23, 1-5 mech 2 @ 4:1 (-1) = EX. Lose 60 XX, 2LE, O art, 9 Arc (Col) . Advance 63, 71 XXs fort destroyed.
Attack 8: 2931 clear/fort (E of Zaragoza) Unsupplied3-4-5* inf XXs 19, 75, 1-8 cav VMS (Fal) and 3-4-5* inf XXs 22, 58, 1-6 inf 22, Supplied 4-6 inf XX FV (Mxd) and supplied 5-8 inf XX LA (CTV), 1-8 art Ter (CTV), 1-8 ard (CTV), 4-6 inf XXs FA, FM (Mxd) Attack 2-3-5* imnf XX 44 (Cat) @ 8:1 (-1) = DE, Advance 19, 22 XXs.
Explitation: 3-2-8 lt tk N 1-8 mot art Ter (CTV), transported 3-2-6 inf 3LE move to 3432 overrunning the 2-1-8 tk P. (A mistake by the Republicans to leave such a weak second line unit)
Republican turn
VPs : Goberneto none collapse (R+5 VPs) None Surrender( R+10 VPs)
Guerrillas; Ineffective
Supply: Western Zone: Following the loss of Cartagena the People’s Army have no supply net in Murcia. They can only therefore rely on ASP conversions to GSPs. They have 12 GSPs already in situ from a previous turn so all Anarchists plus 6 REs of PA units clustered around Murcia are put in supply. The remaining PA are U1.
Eastern Zone: The ZOC exerted by the Nationalist breakout to towards Tortossa interdicts the Valencia/Barcelona road at 3532 so the units fleeing encirclement from Terul are U1.
Replacements; 7 SRP, 1.5 SRP (Cat, 1 SRP (An) recovered. 1-2-6 sec replaced. I-152 Replaced
Reinforcements: 2 ASPs, 1 Art RP landed at France the previous turn arrive.
Moves: The Perimeter in Murcia shrinks further
Air Activity: Nationalists mount a massive Harassment operation to prevent the Republican units pinned at the front from crossing the Chinca river, limit the march of those moving East along the coast road and any troops massing to attack their spearhead.
Nationalist Sortie 1: 3232 (S of Zaragoza) HE 111E (KL) escorted by a CR.32bis (CTV) is intercepted by a I-152 who bypasses the CR.32bis (CTV) and aborts the HE 111E (KL) but is itself aborted.
Nationalist Sorties 2 & 3 Unopposed place 2 Hits At 3613 (Coast road Valencia/Catalonia border) and 1 Hit at 3332 (S Zaragoza)
Republican Sortie 1: SB-2 escorted by I-16/t5 flied GS to 3332 Intercepted by CR.32bis whom attempts to bypass the !-16/t5 and is Returned.
Attack 1: 3432 rough (NW Tortossa) Supplied 3-4-5* inf XX 7 , 6-6 inf XX inf 35 (Int) , 1-6 eng 7 and (over mtn) 4-6 inf XX 47, 3-6* inf XX 7, 2-6 inf 222C and 2-3-5* inf XXs 39, 42 and 3-4-5* inf XX 27CM, 2-3-5* inf XX 21, 2-6 inf 211C Attack 3-2-8 lt tk N, 1-8 mot art L (CTV), transported 3-2-6 inf 3LE @ 5:1 (-3) = DR. Eliminated as no retreat path. This is a risky attack because it consumes most of the royalists remaining Attack supplies and there is a 1/6 chance of an AS but the gamble paid off and the Nationalist spearhead is eliminated.
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