AAR v1.04 Italian Campaign

[Rasputitsa]

Turn 14 – 17 October 1943

Weather Clear
Air Priority Superiority – 9 / Ground Support – 10 / Interdiction – 5

Both attacks on the HG Mot. at SALERNO and 3rd Mot. at FOGGIA failed, but in both cases, either the losses suffered by the Axis units, or the threat of outflanking movements, caused them to withdraw.

AVELLINO is captured, BENEVENTO and FOGGIA are undefended and the Axis is setting new defence lines on NAPLES in the West and the river FORTORE in the East.

The capture of FOGGIA and its airfields is strategically important, as it extends the range of air cover and airdrops North of ROME.

Meanwhile, the Commandos are sitting on BARI ready for an amphibious raid, but the message box just says 'No Eligible' beach. I have sea transport points, the Commandos are in a working port and there are ample workers in the pool, so I don't know why the beaches are not eligible.

The AI seems to know when to hold on and just when to pull back, making use of interlocking ZOC to create a snare to trap the Allied units and kill free movement. Due to the simultaneous movement of WEGO, better quality units are able to move first and faster to evade the trap.

More Axis units are now appearing at the front, I guess the AI is finding more combat supply to bring them into use.



This is the position at the beginning of Turn 14, after the orders of the pervious turn have been executed.

In the West the Axis units have retreated from SALERNO and the port is safe, in the East FOGGIA is taken.

Supply lines have all been connected and the ports are up to full capacity.

Allied units were showing some losses with strength points shown in the lower left corner of the unit counter, first figure shows actual strength, whilst the figure in brackets is the potential full strength of the unit. I have provided replacements.

The preparations for the arrival of the US 1st Arm. Div. are completed, the sea transport is available and combat supply has already been allocated using the button in the 'Arrivals' panel. This unit will put some punch into the attack in the West.

It has been a lesson in strategy from the AI in how easy it is to use interlocking ZOCs to hold a line with so few units and it can only get worse in the mountains and winter weather.

This is a good time to take a breather and consider the next stage, as in Churchill's words - 'this is the end of the beginning'. [:)]

[Rasputitsa]

During the write-up of this AAR I have alluded to house rules, which I intend to use to get more realism and help out the AI.

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Landings North of Rome (above hex row xx,27)

This first House Rule came from earlier discussion on the on this forum, as the AI is likely to over-react to landings in the rear areas and tends to abandon its positions prematurely :

Forum quote,

After securing the airbase at Foggia, the Allies can Para Drop as far north as Livorno. Doing a drop here kills the AI, as it will then start pulling everything back north to deal with this threat, thus allowing the Allies to march steadily and unopposed up the boot. I haven't played a PBEM, but I could see this strategy being exploited (there are other choice areas to land as well). Has anyone else noticed/used this?

House Rule : maximum stack points permitted for landings = 1 (e.g. small unit raid only) , above hex row xx,27 (Rome)

I will try this restriction allowing only small landings, but if that still causes problems for the AI, then it would have to be no landings at all North of ROME.

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Combat Supply

It is possible to provide units with full combat supply (level 3), then allocate them to airdrops and amphibious invasion.

Airborne units, in particular, have to travel light and are vulnerable until connected to overland supply, as occurred at Arnhem, where the British airborne units were isolated for more than a week and could not maintain effectiveness.

House Rule : airborne units can only be supplied to combat supply level 1 (red triangle) prior to an airdrop and can only be supplied to higher levels when connected to overland main supply sources.

Units using sea transport for amphibious invasion are equipped for beach assault and will not necessarily be able to carry all types of supply for normal operations.

House Rule : units allocated to amphibious invasion can only be supplied to combat supply level 2 (yellow triangle) prior to an invasion and can only be supplied to higher levels when connected to overland main supply sources.

Exception : units may have been fully supplied, before it became necessary to allocate them to landing operations, it would be useful if the game had a facility to remove combat supply from units, but without this option, some units will not be able to comply with this house rule. However, most landing operations take place at the beginning of a scenario, when this house rule can be easily implemented.

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Invasion Planning

It is not realistic to be able select landing beaches, or airdrop hexes at short notice, taking advantage of empty undefended hexes. In reality all such operations needed a planning period, therefore, beaches and airdrop hexes must be selected in advance and cannot be changed, without a further planning period.

House Rule : landing hexes for amphibious invasion must be selected in advance, at 2 turns for each stacking point to be landed and the invasion must be made to the selected hexes, or re-planned after a further similar delay.

House Rule : landing hexes for airdrops must be selected 2 turns before the drop and the drop must be made to the selected hexes, or re-planned after a further 2 turn delay. (how long can the drop be delayed ?)

Airdrops can only be launched from MESSINA, or FOGGIA, (edit) this is already in the game system.

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Minimum Air Allocations

Not all aircraft are capable of all missions, in reality some ground support aircraft cannot be used to win air superiority and vice versa.

Within the game controls it is possible to set all air power to any one mission type, which is not realistic and permits total concentration, for instance, on ground support. There is the proviso that total commitment in the game to Ground support, or Interdiction, might compromise Air Superiority, but it is still not a realistic option.

House Rule : air power sliders cannot be selected below 5, there must always be at least this minimum level set to any missions types.


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If the AI has any vulnerabilities it is only sensible to mitigate these with house rules, otherwise the game becomes a series of gamey moves to an unsatisfying victory.

If more realistic features add to the challenge of the game, then that is an additional advantage.

I shall be using these house rules during the remainder of the AAR and in all subsequent games.

All comments gratefully received. [:)]

[Rasputitsa]

Additional House rule:


Port Restriction with Adjacent Enemy Unit

The 15 cm schwere Feldhaubitze 18 (sFH 18) had a range of 14,400 yds (13,325 m), or over 8 miles, which is more than the dimensions of one hex, meaning that when an enemy unit is adjacent to a port hex, the port could be brought under long range artillery fire. This would heavily restrict the operation of the port, meaning that it could not be brought fully into use.

For comparison the US 105mm M2A1 howitzer could fire over 7 miles, as could the British Ordnance QF 25-pounder, which is nearly the width of a game hex.

Historically, bringing a port under artillery fire is an effective way of closing the port, or would severely reduce the capacity of the port.

It is likely that only units of a certain size (division) would have heavy artillery available in their TOE.

Panzer (Armoured) and Pz Grenadier (Motorised) units had mobile artillery (AFV) available,
'Wespe' 10.5 cm leFH 18 howitzer – 11,600 yds (6.5 mls)
'Hummel' 15 cm sFH 18 L/30 howitzer - as sFH 18 above

House Rule : workers cannot be allocated to a port when an enemy unit with a stack value of 3, or more, is in an adjacent hex, any workers already allocated to the port must be removed, whilst a qualifying enemy unit is adjacent.

Exclusion : paratroops (FsJ) cannot restrict port operations, as they do not have heavy artillery available.

This rule does not apply to beach-head operations, as beach installations are more dispersed and unlikely to involve civilian workers.

Note: PFE hexes are 'roughly' 12 kms = 7.5 miles (PFE Manual)

[Rasputitsa]

Bump !

[Rasputitsa]

Bump !