C, C

Axis Player Turn

In Italy the withdrawal to the Po continues, Bologna is abandoned and Light, Mountain and cavalry units are sent over the Alps towards France.

The Seine line is strengthened and the defences around the US units in Flanders are shuffled about to try and spare some units for the south. Paris is declared a Festung and reinforced by more units while a screen is thrown up across the Marne river to prevent a rapid British breakthrough to the beachhead.

Allied Player Turn

32 Transports and Gliders gather in the UK, along with a bundle of special forces and paratroopers. The German High Command spits and dares them to land in Berlin. The Guards Armoured Corp is rebuilt in Spain and starts marching to rejoin the main battle line. The French endeavour to crush the Avignon pocket and courtesy of surrounded ZoCs are successful in destroying the Germans. A joint Canadian-British attack near Rouen over the Seine is able to push over the river but at heavy losses to themselves (HX rolled) while south of here another attack is blocked by the fortified defenders (AS). Elsewhere the British have a slight pause while it deals with rogue German XXs running about in their rear and wait while the slower moving support units snake their way up to the front line. Paris remains untouched, to the mortal indignation of De Gaulle who demands the city be liberated toot sweet! Churchill ignores him and swigs another brandy.

The US Army begins its delayed breakout by slamming into an SS Corp defending Abbeville and forces them out of the town for heavy US losses (EX) while at Bethune a corp of SS and Heer are forced out of the town (DR – despite 8:1 odds!!). The defence holds, but cracks are beginning to appear……….

In Italy, Brescia falls to an overwhelming allied attack while US units try and seize Ferrara but are repulsed by some SS police armed with truncheons. The big victory of the turn is the surrounding and capture of various units fleeing Bologna by US forces. AT Verona a British, SA, NZ, Polish attack fails to budge the defenders despite massive GS from the USAAF thunderbolts. In a rare show of defiance the LW actually try to intercept but are generally ineffective.