Kobiyashi Maru - 1943 GC rematch: kentkroeckel (Allies) vs Seminole (Axis)

[Seminole]

Merry Xmas, Hitler!

We've captured two divisions of Anglo-American infantry!
Next week we should be processing these gentlemen to POW camps.

Ground losses during the turn:



Unit Names in S Italy at the end of turn:



Unit CV in S Italy at the end of turn:

[Seminole]

Garrison values:



VP table.
Allies have been racking up points with their strategic bombing campaign, but the calendar change to '44 is going to introduce a new divisor for that scoring algorithm.
They need to start liberating cities to pad their score.

[EwaldvonKleist]

Great success, there may be a slim chance that the armoured formations from the Taranto landing can reestablish contact to the pocketed units but this would leave them exposed themselves.

How worried are you about the breakout near the Crati river? Another Allied landing from the East coast could cut off your forces near the toe, and the river would make counterattacking more difficult.

[Seminole]

ORIGINAL: EwaldvonKleist

Great success, there may be a slim chance that the armoured formations from the Taranto landing can reestablish contact to the pocketed units but this would leave them exposed themselves.

How worried are you about the breakout near the Crati river? Another Allied landing from the East coast could cut off your forces near the toe, and the river would make counterattacking more difficult.

We are mindful of our armored friends gathering at Arch Beach.
90th PzG Div is more than sufficient to keep them from being able to link up with the trapped infantry.

The Allies currently have 4 TFs devoted to maintaining the temporary ports at the landings.
I was told by my opponent that the naval interdiction around Corsica succeeded in forcing a TF to refit, and I believe they should be returning anytime now. Meaning we're still facing the potential for two more invasion sites.

While a landing around the mouth of the Crati river would compel an immediate withdrawal farther south, I think I have forces on hand to prevent any extra terrain flipping, so there should still be room to escape.

We have faith in General Hube:

[Seminole]

Turn 27
January 1, 1944

Weather report:



Allies make some advances, but can't free the trapped infantry.

[Seminole]

Setup ADs to attack the 3rd US Armored Division. Plan to shove this unit straight off the beaches.
Naval Patrols setup to try and interrupt supplies to Ankle Beach.



Starting the south, the Americans are chased back up the mountain to give more breathing space Hube's XIV Pzr Corps to escape.
You can see the Allied attacks in the south from last week as well.
If the 3/2nd FJ Rgt hadn't actually held out they'd be safe instead of facing capture.

[Seminole]

10th Army hands responsibility for compelling the surrender to the available infantry, brought together under Zangen's command for the task.



26th Pzr Div takes advantage of the American retreat to race north and participate in the counter attack against 3rd Armored Division.
The American tanks are forced to flee across the river, losing half their force.

The remaining mechanized forces are concentrated to hit the 11th BR Arm Div and the wounded 3rd US Arm Div.
The Allies lose 6 of 7 tanks committed to the battle when they're routed from the field.

[loki100]

well done on that counter-attack, hard to see how the Allies recover, they are going to be shedding VP for the losses and are nowhere near picking up the Italian VP sources - that really should be underpinning their 1944 battle in France

[Seminole]

As turn 27 draws to a close there is some more German housekeeping.

2nd Panzer railed from Poland to Vienna, will refit there for a week or two then go to N Italy.
I and II FJ Corps also available and railing to Switzerland and south Italy this turn.
Will try to rebalance Corps HQs and send less effective corps commanders to quieter sectors for now.

Next week will regroup deployed air to the north for winter refit.

Will evac south of Death Valley (Crati river) next week all remaining units and destroy the two depots so they can’t be captured.
This redeployment will allow the Allies to reposition one TF this week and begin prepping them for new landings.
Next week they can reposition the one at Ankle beach, but the Allies may choose to leave the forward depot on resupply until rail lines can be brought up closer.

Need to ensure that 188th and 5th Mtn are deployed at Death Valley to take advantage of their mountain mobility and also get in some fort building.

Next week we'll need to examine Army Group C mechanized formations and get all <50% TOE to Milan or SE France for refit.
Hope to rotate wounded mechanized forces with N Italy garrison for further operations against the Allies on the plains east of Foggia.

1st Army's first line of defenses are basically in place.

[Seminole]

News spreads fast of the captured and broken formations.



Somber New Years celebrations in the West as the toll mounts in the soft underbelly.



Almost no air activity in the Allied phase, this is from the Axis phase:

[Seminole]

Turn 28
January 8, 1944

Weather report:



With the dawn of the new year the strategic bombing points divisor increases, and the Allied points per turn thereby come down:

[Seminole]

[Seminole]

10th Army again batters back the Allies attempts to expand the Achilles and Arch beachheads.








I forgot to screen cap the last attack, but the NZ Mot were routed from the overcrowded beachhead.
They don't show up on the destroyed units list, so they survived the process intact.

[Seminole]

[Seminole]

[Seminole]

Turn 29
January 15, 1944

Weather report:
Bad weather for Allied bombers, but nicer for the battles in southern Italy.



Allies have been running recon in different sectors, apparently scouting ahead of the next set of landings.
Army Group C has begun gathering forces to dig in along the Adriatic coast as well.

[Seminole]

Air losses at the beginning of the turn are light for the Axis.



I've rested nearly everything this week.
The Luftwaffe in N.Europe is a very battered force, but my real problem at this point is the replacement pilot rate.
I have the misfortune of little game experience at this stage for the Germans, nor best idea of how to husband my remaining squadrons.
I wish they could be merged, or mothballed, not just disbanded. It feels final, and dangerous.
I've set the most battered units to get no replacements and hope to funnel what does come to flesh out some squadrons for D-Day.

Ground losses not too bad for either side.

[Seminole]

More counter attacks will be conducted before the organized withdrawal to a contiguous defensive line closer to depots.

The German infantry work over the Allies who have attempted to expand the beachhead perimeter.
The crowded beaches result in the routing of the 3rd Algerian FF Inf Div.

Attack 1 - Infantry holding Achilles Beach counter attack the 3rd Tabor Goums FF Mtn Rgt, forcing a retreat on the Allies left flank.
Attack 2 - 271st Inf Div from the Bari garrison hit the 1st Tabor Goums FF Mtn Rgt on the Allies right flank at Achilles Beach, forcing a retreat back to the beachhead with the 82nd US Airborne.
Attack 3 - 3/1st FJ Rgt and other German infantry rally together to hit the 3rd Algerian FF Inf Div from several directions, routing the unit from Achilles Beach’s vanguard position.

Intelligence indicates the unit was reforming in Crotone in the Toe, now under Allied control.




Attack 4 - The German escape from the Toe requires a counter attack against the 59th BR Inf Div and the 1st US Inf Div.
The 59th BR Inf Div retreats, but the American Big Red One routs and spies report them reforming at Catanzaro.



Von Schweppenburg's LVIII Pzr Corps presents a plan to isolate the British armor trying to link up with Ankle Beach from Arch Beach.

Attack 5 - 16th & 17th SS PzG Div join Schmalz PzG Bde and the 15th PzG Div and Italia SS Inf Rgt to overwhelm the 2nd and 3rd Rgts of the 3rd PO Inf Div.
Attack 6 -15th Pzg Div, 1st Schmalz PzG Bde, 16th SS PzG Div, and a few German infantry regiments swarm the 1/3rd PO Inf Div, forcing their retreat.
Attack 7 - 9th & 12th SS Pzr Div, and 90th PzG Div hit the 1st & 2nd Rgt of the 3rd PO Inf Div who had fallen back to positions manned by the 3rd CA Inf Div.

The Poles retreat again to the cover of the Guard BR Arm Div, while the 3rd CA Inf Div routs to Cosenza.

[Seminole]

Central Italy defensive positions at the end of turn 29 (Jan 15, 1944).



Kesselring orders transports to reposition into the Heel in preparation to airlift out of this sector next week and begin fighting from the hills to the west while the armor has a chance to refit.

[EwaldvonKleist]

Why do you have to rail units to the North for Refit, can't they refit on depots near the front?