Initial Phase
A 3 is rolled for ground weather, so it remains mud in D and clear in E. A 3 for the Atlantic and 5 for the Med make for rough seas on either side of the Iberian peninsula. In terms of supply then, 5 hexes with a bunch of units remain out of supply north of Madrid. 2 GSPs in 2309 pt the artillery in the salient and an Inf III in the main line north of the mountains back into supply before disappearing. In the far south of Aragon, 2 more hexes worth of units are out of supply at U-1 red. For the Loyalists, all units in the northern gobernitos are in supply, but PA units are isolated. One Cav III northwest of Teruel, right in the middle of the mountains, is U-1 black. 3 GSPs each are generated at Zaragoza and Valladolid.
In political affairs, Martos, Velez-Malaga and Tineo complete pacification. San Sebastian begins its second of 2 turns. Pacification begins in Ubeda, Puertollano, Ciudad Real and Valdepenas.
In reinforcements the 1 Av, 2 Av, and 2 Cas Inf XX’s go to the form box, while 1st Mad, 2nd Mad & 3rd Mad XX’s go to Caceres, Valladolid & Zaragoza respectively. The 1st Cons III forms up at San Sebastian, while the 2nd forms at Almeria. The I-S Col Inf III arrives from Ceuta (from Ifni-Sahara) for mov’t to the mainland. The first ground forces of the Kondor Legion are offloaded at Huelva, including a Lt Arm II, a lt AA II and a pos AA unit. Two AS are landed at Sevilla, 2 more at Malaga, 1 at Cadiz, 2 at San Sebastian and finally 2 at La Coruna, while LC also gets a res pt. Two Arty RPs hit the docks at Vigo, while the new KL He51 arrives at Almeria and the KL Ju52g4e arrives at Cadiz. The brigade staff of the 1 RG [X] is ready ([X] is available for assembly, a good arty unit for efficient AS usage, assuming you can afford to give up an RE of arty to bring it on map.)
In production, 8.0 Nat, 1.5 Col, 3.5 Fal, 2.0 Req & 1 CTV ARP arrive (the first of the Andalusian cities taken early in the war are now in production, including Jaen, Jerez & Huelva). The 2 O Col Cav III is then rebuilt in Ceuta, the O & E Mg II’s and 28 Inf III at Jaen. The 1 LE Inf III is used to form the 2 Sor XX, and the 2 LE Inf III forms up as the 3 Sor XX. 2.5 Arty then equips these two, plus all 3 of the Madrid XX’s. Unfortunately, a stray mine then finds its way into Ceuta’s harbor, striking the Espana and sending her down (12 rolled on random mine damage, so both sides have now suffered their mine damage fate.) Neither side makes any naval patrol declarations, nor is CAP or harassment flown.
Movement Phase
Naval mov’ts begin first as always. The 3 Nat NT’s load up the 2 O Col Cav III and the new I-S Col Inf III and carry them to Cadiz where they are unloaded. They then return to Morocco, and using some friendly coastline, slip into Melilla unnoticed by the CLTF in Cartagena, where they load up an AS point, and make their way to Huelva. The CATF replenishes in Ceuta and then waits out the turn, while the SS’s return from their patrol off Cartagena waters, replenish, and wait out the phase as well.
In southeast Aragon the front line forces remain mostly in place, while 3rd Mad XX cartages an AS point forward, reaching a point just 15 miles from the front line via admin mov’t. In the eastern Cordillera Iberica, a few units do a supply shuffle to keep 2 hexes at no worse than U-1. In the Teruel valley, units in Teruel, back up a hex, while the 1st Sor XX at 3203 moves into the town. 6th Req X is railed into 3203 with the units that departed the town, while 23rd Inf III rails and then moves into 3104, setting up for an 3 hex assault on 3204, which should eliminate the 4 hex frontage Teruel is currently facing. 1 AS is railed to 3103 from La Coruna to supply the planned assault. East of Guadalajara the Hue and 3rd Soria XX’s move into the line, with a few non-div inf III’s and Fal X’s filling out the flanks and making for the first continuous Nationalist line of the game. North of Madrid, at either end of the out of supply zone units do the supply shuffle, while 2nd Mad XX cartages 3 GSPs into the area just behind the main line. West of Madrid (southeast of Talavera), having absorbed a Loyalist counterattack, the line is adjusted as new units enter the line to stiffen things. Sector 2513 remains held by a cav and arty III, while 2613 sees the ZMO Eng III build a temp airfield. 1 P Art III remains in the hex as well, while the 20 GC Sec III is railed in to bring the defense of the rail line and new field up to 3. 2nd Soria XX moves into the line at 2714, allowing the CTV units Ter Art III and Bab Lt Arm II, along with the accompanying 26th Inf to occupy the empty 2715. 1st Mad XX admins in from Caceres to just behind the main line, while 7thCav moves toward the front as well, gaining zoc ownership of a mtn hex or two as well, ending its movement at Talavera, as yet unpacified. An AS pt is railed from LC to Talavera.
The line running along the west bank of the Guadiana remains the same, but very large stacks (for the game so far) are formed up between Ciudad Real and Valdepenas, with 5 AS in Ciudad Real, 15 in 3314, and 9 in Valdepenas. A three point AS stack sits in 3514, just to the southwest of Vald, so clearly the offensive along the Vald-Alcazar axis is still going strong. The line from 3514 to the sea remains the same, with no unit’s shifting at all, though the new 2nd Cons III in Almeria does begin building a temp airfield, which it hopes to complete before mud arrives in the south of Spain. To the rear in Andalusia, the KL c/m II’s and the 3 Lar and 3 ML Col Inf III’s cartage 2 AS from Sevilla to just west of Linares, with 2 SMPs used to get the points across the river and into town proper. The c/m II’s continue admining forward, where they are positioned to join the main line in exploit. The KL pos AA admins forward as best it can, while the Cadiz X continues its tour of rearward towns, moving to Osuna for more pacification duty (this unit should gain honorary police status, as it’s basically spent the whole war going from town to town searching out undesirable elements.) Further to the rear, the 2 O Cav and I-S Inf III’s admin from Cadiz (where they were landed) to Sevilla, where they are positioned to cartage AS forward next turn.
Combat Phase
The PA air force sees what’s coming and flies DAS to 3313 and 3513. Hex 3513 won’t be attacked, so that DAS is ignored. However, the Bre19 flying to 3313 is unescorted since the N.52 is the only PA fighter available, so it’s easily intercepted by the CTV CR.32bis flying out of the temp field at 3414. The CR32’s drive off the DAS, though damage is minimal (CR.32’s roll a 7 for an R, the Bre’s cannot return with their 0 AS.) The first ground combat goes in NW of Teruel into the muddy mountains. Shocked by the assault, the defending PA 4th Cav is routed (8:1 -4 goes to 16:1 -4, AS provided to most units, plus the Mxd T flies GS, PA morale of 1 for a halved result, combat roll of 5 for a DH.) 6th Req Inf X with the 14L Art III in support advance, securing the NW flank of the town. In something of a surprise, patrol skirmishes from the Hue and 3rd Soria XX’s are fended off by the PA 10th Inf III in the wooded rough of sector 2806 (no AS provided, PA morale of 2 for no effect thanks to the terrain, 5:1 -4 attack, roll of 3 for an AS.) Next, 30 miles west of Toledo in the wooded rough of 2814 the PA 4th Infantry is smashed by a multi-national, all arms attack (8.5:1 -2 planned, with 2nd Soria, 7 Bdr & 26th Inf attacking unsupplied, but the CTV’s Ter Art III & Bab Lt Arm II auto supplied via port, 1 rolled for PA morale, odds to 17:1 -2, 2 rolled for a DH.) The two CTV units and the 26thInf attacking from 2715 advance.
Finally, the big attacks north of Valdepenas are launched. Sector 3213, 30 miles due north of the town, is hit first, by everything in Ciudad Real and about ½ the units 3314, mostly Colonial troopers. These veteran warriors easily slip around the militia Inf X defending, panic sets in, and then the Moroccans get in amongst the artillery, and slaughter the whole defending stack to a man (5:1 even attack, AS provided to about ½ the RE’s, including the colonial troopers, plus Bre19 flying GS, 3 rolled for PA morale, which is halved, resulting in a 7:1 even, 5 rolled for a DE.) A large number of units advance, including 2 Col Inf III’s, a Sec III, an Inf III, 2 MG II’s, the Fal 1st Sev X and the E Art III. The Van Inf XX is left behind to guard Ciudad Real, where it’s also pacifying the locals. Finally, the remaining units in 3314 come out of the rough hills and assault 3313, along with the units in Valdepenas. The PA here gives a better account of itself, managing to retreat in good order to Tomelloso (6:1 even attack, about ½ the units supplied again, no morale effects with a 4 rolled, 1 rolled for a DR.) Two more Col Inf III’s, 3 Lt Inf II’s and the 3 L Art III advance, leaving 5 pts supported defending Valdepenas and 3 good col units in reserve back in the hills at 3314. Moreover, a 2 hex gap is blown in the Loyalist line, through which the new KL c/m units can exploit and raid.
Exploitation Phase
The NT’s unload the AS point from Melilla at Huelva first, then return to Ceuta, replenish, then return to Melilla, load the 2ndAS point there and sail for Sevilla (using friendly coasts near Melilla itself). The AS point remains loaded on the NT’s in Sevilla harbor. The CATF waits out the turn, but the SS’s head back for waters off Cartagena per their current SOP.
In ground mov’t, the 88 Lt AA II shoots the gap in the Loyalist line, takes temp possession of 3113 and destroys the PA fort in the hex, then heads for Alcazar. The Dro Lt Arm II heads directly to Alcazar, wrecking the rails in that important junction. Joined by the 88th, the two KL units then possess the hex, leaving behind supporters of the Insurgent war effort (the town goes unpacified as it becomes temporarily Insurgent.) They both then scoot back to Insurgent lines at 3313. Alcazar goes back to being Loyalist owned thanks to zoc’s, but the damage has been done.
In the air, the Mxd B floatplanes bomb the Murcian rail yard, but fail to get a hit with a 4 rolled. The new He51’s head up to the temp field at 2613, SE of Talavera, where the Bre19’s landed after combat. The new Ju52g4e unit bombs Vild at the Cartagena airbase, but a 1 pt flak shot with a 3 rolled drives it off with an R. Thus ends the turn.
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