STBP 1943-45 devoncop (Axis) vs warspite1 (CW) - no devoncop please

[IainF]

An important point I think Larry missed re: sea landings and I'm not sure if you are aware of it. You can only land where there is a port symbol. So the enemy knows all of your potential landing points and will be waiting.

I am playing Ian in the same scenario too and am still around Mt Etna at the moment so looking forward to see how you do this bit!

[warspite1]

Turn 35
13th August 1943

I spend the turn bombarding one of the Italian ports across the straits - more for effect than anything else.

I am surprised to see the air superiority of the enemy (not that I know much about this campaign) and hope that as my air assets recover so that ratio can switch over....

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: IainF

An important point I think Larry missed re: sea landings and I'm not sure if you are aware of it. You can only land where there is a port symbol. So the enemy knows all of your potential landing points and will be waiting.

I am playing Ian in the same scenario too and am still around Mt Etna at the moment so looking forward to see how you do this bit!

warspite1

Well that's kind of important [:)] I guess I did not make my question clear and what Larry said wasn't wrong - I just wasn't specific enough. Thanks ever so much for the clarification.

[warspite1]

Turn 36 - 39
14th - 17th August 1943

Not too much happening at present. The Allies continue to bombard the port of Reggio di Calabria* (and had success in evaporating one unit) but otherwise its all quiet on the Sicilian Front.

* Its good to let my opponent think that this is where the attack will come [:)]

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: IainF
An important point I think Larry missed re: sea landings and I'm not sure if you are aware of it. You can only land where there is a port symbol. So the enemy knows all of your potential landing points and will be waiting.

I am playing Ian in the same scenario too and am still around Mt Etna at the moment so looking forward to see how you do this bit!

If you wish to land at a non-port hex just wait until next turn, disembark while still on the water
and move ashore.

[warspite1]

Turn 40 and 41
18th and 19th August 1943

Well I've no idea what I'm really doing so decide to sail a British task force over to Calabria to see how this amphib invasion malarchy works...or not.

First I embark the wrong HQ - 50th Division HQ embarks for a 5th Division operation...

I start with a round of bombardment.

For the attack I employ:

British 5th Division
13th Infantry Brigade
15th Infantry Brigade
5th Reconnaissance Bn.

8th Army assets
21st Tank Brigade
201st Motorised Brigade
8th Army Engineers

Plus 1st Canadian Artillery Regiment

[warspite1]

Turn 40 and 41
18th and 19th August 1943

Okay kids. Don't try this at home.

If you do this....

[warspite1]

Turn 40 and 41
18th and 19th August 1943

You get this...

[warspite1]

Turn 40 and 41
18th and 19th August 1943

Neither of the two infantry brigades made it to shore - nor did the 201st Guards Brigade or the Recon Bn. So I don't have a whole lot to try and defend with when the counter attack happens....

With only one port to sail from I'm not sure what I could do differently - which is a little worrying.....

[warspite1]

Turn 42 - Axis and Allied Turn
20th August 1943

Allied aircraft couldn't hit anything when trying to interdict escaping Germans, but that doesn't apply the other way around as I lose a infantry brigade, a recce battalion and and armoured brigade at sea. It gets better though as I lose four squadrons on hair-brained interdiction schemes in the teeth of the enemy (I subsequently re-set the ranges so hopefully that won't happen again.... but the lack of control over the air forces is really cheesing me off) - as is the fact that not all events are reported. Why would that omission be added into the game design??

I land more troops at Reggio but the place is totally surrounded and with only a port that can be landed in I don't see how I can survive let alone expand the bridgehead.

More troops have been withdrawn too - maybe this is for the historic landing dates? I've no idea. Ho hum.

In a desperate attempt to expand the bridgehead before reinforcements arrive I launch an attack south along the coastal highway. The Italian forces are forced to retreat but only one armoured brigade advances...

[warspite1]

Turn 43 - Axis and Allied Turn
21st August 1943

No attacks - although I thought I saw a unit evaporate in the playback. The enemy continue to pour reinforcements into the peninsular.

I land further Anglo-American forces south of Reggio and finally get the surviving British infantry brigade ashore - albeit with further loss.

The newly arrived 91st Cavalry Bn. then breaks out of the beachhead to the south, while the British 21st Tank Brigade does the same to the northwest.

[warspite1]

Turn 43
21st August 1943

By the time of the failed proficiency check, the British had managed to breakout north from Reggio and are heading toward the town of Galico.

[warspite1]

Turn 44 - Axis and Allied Turn
22nd August 1944

Little from the Germans except a lot of movement in central Italy as they prepare the ground. I have no reason to believe devoncop has given up Calabria at this stage and so have to remain vigilant.

The British continue to push out from their bridgehead northwards and the 7th Guards Brigade rushes ahead to Canntello - where its is somewhat exposed as other units were unable to reach Galico.

The Americans are ordered south along the coastal road toward Siderno.

[warspite1]

Turn 45 - Axis Turn
23rd August 1944

During the playback it states yet another of my fighter squadrons on Sicily evaporates??? Hopefully there will be something in the combat report to help me understand what that is about*. In the meantime there are a lot of mean looking black coloured units heading toward my lines....

*Edit: Nope nothing

[warspite1]

Turn 45
23rd August 1944

I get a message to say the RA and Italian Army disbands as I've successfully invaded Italy - Hussah!

Not much doing this turn. I see there are strong German mechanised forces heading toward the British. The British dig-in pending seeing what exactly the Germans have got. The Canadian 1st Division lands and provides support while more US forces head up the somewhat barren east coast - no ports - no airfields for some time.

The airfields in Calabria start to get filled up.

[DanNeely]

Huh. I wonder what the trigger for the Italian surrender is. The Italians have kept on fighting for a decent number of turns past the initial landings in Larry's game.

Makes me wonder if the trigger was Canntello (only named place that fell in your game but not Larry's yet) or is semi-random.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: DanNeely

Huh. I wonder what the trigger for the Italian surrender is. The Italians have kept on fighting for a decent number of turns past the initial landings in Larry's game.

Makes me wonder if the trigger was Canntello (only named place that fell in your game but not Larry's yet) or is semi-random.

warspite1

Now that is a very interesting question. Maybe something to do with ratio of German units to enemy landed? I've no idea but it would be great to get a response to this.

[larryfulkerson]

I responded in my thread about this but I feel like saying something here too just so it won't
be missed. Um....I thought the trigger for the surrender of Italy was the Allies landing on
the Italian mainland but you guys brought up the factoid that my game still has a lot of
Italian units hanging around and I'm not sure why. If Italy surrendered then they must have
switched sides or something. I'll look around for a news string to that effect. Meanwhile
I'm wondering if this is a scenario bug or what.

[warspite1]

Turn 46 - Axis Turn
24th August 1943

There appears to be something of a general withdrawal from the toe of Italy. I wonder how far this will go - or indeed if this is a trap to over-extend my forces so he can counter-attack?

I don't think this is the case as his aircraft seem to have been sent north too.

[warspite1]

Turn 46
24th August 1943

I was all set to dig-in then, but in light of events I send the 4th Armoured Brigade ahead to check on what the Germans are doing. They come across a battalion of panzergrenadiers of the 115th Regiment at Nicotera.

2 tank and 3 infantry brigades attack and force the enemy out of the town - which is occupied by the 9th Armoured Brigade.

To the east, the US force proceed along the ball of the foot. They come across some blown bridges which slow them down. Engineers are on the way.