Yet Another Sicily t BP Ian Allies me Axis

[devoncop]

16th February 1944

The Free French 9th Division overruns Foggia airfield and town hopefully removing any remaining Italian Air squadrons.

In the West the US 3rd Division takes Naples as the Ist US Armoured along the with Canadian and Indian troops engage in the destruction of German troops trapped in the "Salerno Pocket"

Ahead of me lies the Gustav Line and it's fortifications....I am expecting this to be defended but it will depend upon how many reinforcements Larry has got from Berlin. I remember when I played the Germans they seemed few and far between given the length of the front.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looked like just before I ended my turn.

[MikeJ19]

Larry and Ian,

Well done, this continues to be fun to read.

Have fun,

[John B.]

This is a very interesting AAR and seems like the Germans are in a tense situation. Does weather play much of a role?

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: John B.
This is a very interesting AAR and seems like the Germans are in a tense situation. Does weather play much of a role?

Hey there John B. Glad to hear from you again. Yeah, the Germans are really feeling it because a lot of them are still in garrison mode, especially in the Rome area so I'm guessing that of those I can move I should gather them all up, about 2 dozen units, near Florence, or at least somewhere up north and as reinforcements come in to move them to the "action group" my mobile defense units and see if I can't break most of the bridges between him and me and just wait for the final battle(s) toward the end of the game. I don't have the mobile forces to do much else.

The weather hasn't been a problem that I can tell, no cold fronts or mud, etc. I've seen scenarios that have some abstract way to make the weather a factor but so far I haven't detected any anomolies due to the weather.

Ian is one of the better opponents and I'm having a blast with this game.

[devoncop]

19th February 1944

The last of the Naples garrison is destroyed and mopping uop of the Salerno pocket continues.

The New Zealand 2nd Division makes good progress in clearing out the peninsular to the south east of Taranto near Cassino. I am learning belatedly to do this as Larry has an annoying habit of keeping units lurking in none occupied areas that have been by-passed by the front lines and then popping them out to cut my supply

An infantry regiment has just done that north of Bari and is now having to be dealt with to keep supply decent to Foggia.

The advance recon units of the 45th US and 3rd US Divisions are now within a few Km of the Gustav Line in the west but I neeed to rest and consolidate a short time once the fighting around Salerno is done and dusted as the boys have been going flat out.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T65 front lines at the end of the turn.

[devoncop]

22nd February 1944

The Flak battalions at Foggia are pushed back to the single airfield hex and the interloper who cut supply to Foggia has been despatched .

The US 34th and 36th Divisions begin a move towards Rome but are held up by a German Infantry Regiment the other side of the blown bridge in front of the Gustav line so the navy bombard it and cause a decent amount of damage. The Salerno pocket is reduced further and The London Division prepares to sail north from Taranto. For the first time the heavy bombers of the US air force bring down a bridge in the far north of Italy as the route from Brenner Pass is the one most German reinforcements will now come from.

[devoncop]

25th February 1944

The last Flak unit at Foggia tries to make a run for it but is engaged and should be finished off next turn.

The Gustav line has been reached at its western most extremity and the strong German Gerbigs Division is dug in in regimental strength along with the 714th Division as far as I can make out. In sailing to try and start a naval bombardment the Allied task force is repeatedly attacked by German Stukas causing damage for the first time in this game and to add insult to injury the Stukas then sink the Free French HQ sailing across from Corsica.

The Allied Heavy bombers took some decent sized losses last turn so are given a week off and the reduction of the Salerno pocket to its last hex is done by artillery and an attack principally by the 4th Indian Division.

It seems evident that Larry intends to defend the Gustav line in depth as artillery is seen behind the front lines so recon units from the US 45th Division head east to check out the defences along its length....

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like currently. Ian is doing a bang up job and I expect
him to be in Rome soon.

[devoncop]

29th February 1944

The last stand of the Herman Goering Division, trapped in the Salerno pocket at Avellino is finally conquered with sustained assault by the Indian Division supported by US tanks and the remaining 40 PanzerIV's and StuGs are destroyed. They performed heroically for Larry but at least that distraction has now gone, as has the last Flak battalion at Foggia.

Recon units continue to check out the coverage of the Gustav line and the Gerbigs Division on the western flank gets some artillery attention.

The problem with the western approach to Rome hugging the coast is the thin valley that needs to be forced...but this is counterbalanced by the ability of naval support...

[hingram]

Something to consider for way off into the future:

When you start your final run to Brenner Pass, your supply lines become stretched way out from Anzio and Taranto. That made me nervous so I started repairing rails from Trieste and Grenoble. Trieste is closer and easier to defend but I had already started Grenoble. Before I got them all connected, my supply went to 7 when the rails got cut in the mountains north of Rome. Luckily, I am within a few turns of connecting both.

BTW I am following the battle of Italy in my car via old WW2 CBS news broadcasts.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: hingram
Something to consider for way off into the future:

[ Ian, ] When you start your final run to Brenner Pass, your supply lines become stretched way out from Anzio and Taranto. That made me nervous so I started repairing rails from Trieste and Grenoble. Trieste is closer and easier to defend but I had already started Grenoble. Before I got them all connected, my supply went to 7 when the rails got cut in the mountains north of Rome. Luckily, I am within a few turns of connecting both.

BTW I am following the battle of Italy in my car via old WW2 CBS news broadcasts.

Great idea....I second that motion. And about the CBS news broadcasts....I found a bunch of music videos from the 40's and listened to a couple of hours of it and my favorite is "The Bogie Wogie Bugle Boy of Company C". And I started to watch a documentary about the war in Italy and it got to the part where the civilians were getting slaughtered and needed to switch it off. Way too much gore for my tired old brain. I went back to the music. Thanks for your report. How's your game going, btw.

[devoncop]

ORIGINAL: hingram

Something to consider for way off into the future:

When you start your final run to Brenner Pass, your supply lines become stretched way out from Anzio and Taranto. That made me nervous so I started repairing rails from Trieste and Grenoble. Trieste is closer and easier to defend but I had already started Grenoble. Before I got them all connected, my supply went to 7 when the rails got cut in the mountains north of Rome. Luckily, I am within a few turns of connecting both.

BTW I am following the battle of Italy in my car via old WW2 CBS news broadcasts.

Thanks hingram

Be assured I am keeping a close eye on when the French route becomes viable....I am aware though that this latest version has toughened up the defensive terrain from Trieste eastwards to match the actual terrain in the area so it will be easier for Larry to defend.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: devoncop

ORIGINAL: hingram
Something to consider for way off into the future:

When you start your final run to Brenner Pass, your supply lines become stretched way out from Anzio and Taranto. That made me nervous so I started repairing rails from Trieste and Grenoble. Trieste is closer and easier to defend but I had already started Grenoble. Before I got them all connected, my supply went to 7 when the rails got cut in the mountains north of Rome. Luckily, I am within a few turns of connecting both.

BTW I am following the battle of Italy in my car via old WW2 CBS news broadcasts.

Thanks hingram

Be assured I am keeping a close eye on when the French route becomes viable....I am aware though that this latest version has toughened up the defensive terrain from Trieste eastwards to match the actual terrain in the area so it will be easier for Larry to defend.

I'll try not to make it impossible for you. I'm wondering if I should stand down the aircraft or not. It's not like they are contributing much. I'm losing a lot of them because the Allied airpower is so overwhelming in numbers.

I've got all the units I can move gathered up north and I'm debating on where to send them and I'm thinking maybe it would be best to defend way up north given the shortage of units I have right now and how that far north would be a supply problem for Ian and I can trim the ranges of all the aircraft so that they service just the immediate area around the troops but I'd have to rely on the terrain for most of my defensive assets. I need to find places that would be difficult to get two units abreast and that sort of thing. I'm still weighing my options.

[devoncop]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

ORIGINAL: devoncop

ORIGINAL: hingram
Something to consider for way off into the future:

When you start your final run to Brenner Pass, your supply lines become stretched way out from Anzio and Taranto. That made me nervous so I started repairing rails from Trieste and Grenoble. Trieste is closer and easier to defend but I had already started Grenoble. Before I got them all connected, my supply went to 7 when the rails got cut in the mountains north of Rome. Luckily, I am within a few turns of connecting both.

BTW I am following the battle of Italy in my car via old WW2 CBS news broadcasts.

Thanks hingram

Be assured I am keeping a close eye on when the French route becomes viable....I am aware though that this latest version has toughened up the defensive terrain from Trieste eastwards to match the actual terrain in the area so it will be easier for Larry to defend.

I'll try not to make it impossible for you. I'm wondering if I should stand down the aircraft or not. It's not like they are contributing much. I'm losing a lot of them because the Allied airpower is so overwhelming in numbers.

I've got all the units I can move gathered up north and I'm debating on where to send them and I'm thinking maybe it would be best to defend way up north given the shortage of units I have right now and how that far north would be a supply problem for Ian and I can trim the ranges of all the aircraft so that they service just the immediate area around the troops but I'd have to rely on the terrain for most of my defensive assets. I need to find places that would be difficult to get two units abreast and that sort of thing. I'm still weighing my options.

Feel free to do your worst Larry [:)]

I am someone who would much rather get a good hammering than have someone go easy on me as that is the best way to try and get better. It may not seem that way but I am trying as hard as my limited brain capacity allows so I won't be upset if I get stopped at the Gustav Line for the rest of the game [:)]


Having said that I am taking steps to cut off the strong German formations defending the fortified line so we will see if that works !

[devoncop]

3rd March 1944

The force reorganisation to maximise effectiveness is finally complete after the chaotic fighting at Salerno.

The 1st Canadian Division is in decent shape and is moving to support the US 78th Division well to the east of the current artillery duel on the extreme west of the Gustav Line. The 4th Indian and Polish Divisions are almost at full strength and efficiency also and they will be relieving the hard worked US 34th and 36th Divisions soon.

The German units manning the line are strong but mainly infantry as far as I can tell and so I am trying to use a combination of artillery attrition, aerial bombardment and infiltration where I find gaps in the line as well as blowing supply route and eascape route bridges to their rear.

In that aim three bridges are dropped behind the Gerbigs Division this turn and the Luftwaffe suffered two furballs as it tried to intervene. I need the Luftwaffe out of the war as I cannot risk trying to ship troops off to Trieste if they are going to get sunk en route...

[devoncop]

7th March 1944

Gustav line breached !

North of Gaeta on the west coast a concerted attack by the US 88th Division supported by US Armour and the Divisional artillery of the 34th and 36th Division smashed through the unfortunate 71st Infantry Division manning the Gustav Line and starting to envelop the other regiments of the Division. It may be the approach to Rome is now open until the suburbs...

I noticed a number of Luftwaffe units being evacuated north so it may be Larry has indeed decided to "defend deep". It will be interesting to see if there is a serious attempt to defend Rome or not . Historically the Germans decided the city was indefensible....we shall see....

[larryfulkerson]

Hey you guys...I zoomed way up in my B41 game to get a screengrab and
then noticed that I had an email, checked it, discovered that it was
one of my PBEM++ games and thought I'd do that sooner than tinkering
with my AAR so without zooming back down to a normal level, while it
was still zoomed way up, I saved the game and closed the game which
brought me to the lobby where I went online to get my PBEM++ moves. I
loaded it and when the playback screen opened I saw what you see in
the image. I guess it's going to be this way for the entire plaback and
I'm wondering if I ought to kill this session and load it again while
I'm not zoomed up all the way first. So with your permission Ian dude,
I'm going to reload the file.

[larryfulkerson]

Ian finally broke through my Gustav Line and that means it's just a matter
of time before he's in Rome.