Sicily to Brenner Pass Revised

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the strategic situation in T47. I've captured Salerno and Napoli and I'm working on connecting the two. Lots of heavy German
resistance up north. I'm getting close to the Gustav line on the West side. And I'm pressing units toward Foggia.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the West side in T49 and things are going well. I'm getting the separate groupings together slowly and the Germans are slowly
being pushed back and things are looking good.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Foggia area now ( T50 ). I'm doing mop up and will press north shortly.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the West side in T50. I'm struggling w/ all the heavy German resistance. This is more like a front line situation again.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Napoli area in T51. I'm surrounding what Germans I can and blocking those I can't. I'm sailing in more and more troops and
we're expanding where that's possible. I've connected w/ the rail line coming from Salerno and south parts and I've got engineers
working on the rail headed NW from Napoli. Things are going well.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the East side now. I've gotten to the mop up stage and once that is done we're going to press ahead and go north.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the big picture in T52. Lots of mop up going on. I've got my advanced recon elements out moving on roads and rail converting
hexes and peeking into strange places.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the West side in T53. I'm finding lots of Germans on the Gustav line so I'm thinking that it's largely already fully-staffed along the
entire thing. I may be wrong. I haven't been doing a lot of INT lately because I'm manually pounding the largest stacks of German units.
So they could have already scooted down from Rome to the Gustav line without me seeing it happen.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the strategic situation in T55. I'm running into more of the Gustav Line and I'm finding more Germans and the Free French are
going to take up positions on the front line just to block the Germans and not to try to push them back just yet.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a situation that has come up on the West side. I've blown a hole in the German lines and now if I had a horde to pour through
there I'd pour my horde through there. As it is I'm going to have to scrape up some units to stick into the hole to make a bulge or maybe
just a bump. I'm rapidly running out of formations to go around. I don't even have a reserve. Everybody is doing something.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Free French ( blue units ) roaming around toward the middle of the map. I'm trying to decide which way to send them. I'm
leaning toward the East coast. With somebody else driving north in the middle......maybe the New Zealand Division, they're not doing
anything important. I'm trying to find some formations I can use to invade at Anzio because I sailed a unit past there to get some recon
and the port at Anzio looks to be largely open so I'm scrapping up some units for that. I'm just about out of unemployed units.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the West side in T56. The whole advance has ground to a halt. No way to push back these hefty German units w/ the
equipment I have at hand. An invasion is called for at Anzio. But I'll have to make adjustments to gather enough troops for that.
That will give enough turns to advance the rail line somewhat meantime.

[larryfulkerson]

OK. Here it is T57 and the character of the game is changing. I'm running into the Gustav line across the width of the peninsula and
there's hefty German units along most of it and the going is slow. I'm going to use this situation to try to get better organized, lengthen
the supply rails, and refit the tired units. Plus find a division or two to invade Anzio with.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the West side in T58. Not much has changed. I'm still trying to exploit the bulge in the front lines but the terrain is poor for
that.

[larryfulkerson]

Here in T59 the Free French are holding the front lines on the East side. And you can see how the supply level is still okie dokie for a
slower form of combat. Say an attack every other turn. Something like that. It's rare to be able to move AND attack in the same turn.
But it's doable when resistance is low.

EDIT: It's only rare to be able to move AND attack in the same turn because I'm trying to maintain a supply level in the individual units
of at least 50%. It's a struggle to do that AND conduct operations. But I want to avoid desertion and that kicks in at
( 100% - ( proficiency level)). So that's around 50% for these units. Your mileage may vary.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the progress on the rail heading out of Napoli. I'm working at least three rails and it's slow going but I think it's important to do it.
Supply is the biggest problem the Allies have. But we're making do.

[larryfulkerson]

There's an action site that I want to remark on. Toward the middle of the front lines I've blown another hole and I'm pushing units
through it and wrapping around the ends of the Axis units. I'm making the hole bigger and its looking good. I may have just found
a way through the Gustav Line.

[larryfulkerson]

Channel 7 news on the TV just now said that the Allies have started invading Anzio and that three units were already ashore and that
there was a second wave still just offshore waiting for the all clear to go for it. The secret code phrase is "piece of cake" and when
they hear that over the radio they leap into action. The ones ashore found no resistance and everyone is optimistic about the rest of
the transports showing up next turn w/ a lot more units yet.

[larryfulkerson]

And here's the Anzio beachead in T62. I'm still mopping up at Anzio for some reason. The last turn ended abruptly after the first combat
round and I was expecting to have more than one. The final round was for the attack on Anzio and it never happened. So we have to
do it now and then scoot over to the front lines to hold off the raging hordes headed this way.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the strategic situation in T62. The landings at Anzio have dislodged a lot of Germans and the front has opened up somewhat.
After I grab Anzio the supply situation will be excellent and I may have the resources to find my way to the Gothic Line.