Yet Another Sicily t BP Ian Allies me Axis

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T30 front lines just before I ended the turn.

[devoncop]

ORIGINAL: John B.

You are behind schedule but, OTOH, there are lots of Germans who won't be fighting you on the mainland as you mop them up in Sicily.

Thanks John...I need all the encouragement I can get [:D]

I did plan on trying to trap as much as I could on the island so I shouldn't complain but it would be nice to be ashore by now on the mainland !

[devoncop]

22nd October 1943

More progress in Sicily as the German performance falters through lack of supply.
In Rome a bombing raid catches the 356th Division entrained on its way down from Brenner Pass and the Division are bombed off their trains with a 10% loss.

More airfields are captured in Sardinia by the Free French but multiple Divisions including the 9th and 2nd US Divisions are withdrawn leaving the Allies with bare bones on Sicily given that 2 Divisions plus the 1st Airborne are now primed to try to get ashore on the mainland.

[devoncop]

25th October 1943

In the early morning mist parachutes were reported descending south of Palmi Bridge by German armour commanders on the bridge itself as heavy aerial bombardment by US bombers blew the bridge itself. Further Parachute drops were reported south east of Reggio di Calabria and landing craft stormed ashore to capture the northern most port complex around Reggio itself though the town centre was only subjected to naval and air bombardment.

Further encirclement of the now starving and dispirited Axis troops on Sicily took place and the remants of the once powerful Italian artillery contingent was obliterated by naval gunfire in the extreme north west.

More landing craft are now seen readying and it is believed further landings are imminent.......

[larryfulkerson]

Ian dropped some paratroops and then used the Indian Division to force his
way ashore and now he's on the mainland and my troops are out of position
and in trouble. There's only a few troops still on Sicily and they will be
gone soon. I expect Ian to get a lot of reinforcements now that he owns the
magic hex and will soon be set up on the west coast of the peninsula down
south. I expect further landings ln the near future.

[larryfulkerson]

The 2 Fallshirm Division is going to the Western European Front in two turns
and they were guarding Rome too. I'll have to replace them with someother
division just in case. I'm debating what to do about the east coast, to defend
it or not.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Messina area currently. I'm digging in and waiting for the hammer
blows to descend on Reggio and the other ports on the west coast down south.
I'm wondering whether or not I should start blowing bridges and how far north
I should blow them.

[devoncop]

30th October 1943

Firstly a moment of relief as the landings get ashore with minimal loss though it is a pity that due to the presence of a strong panzer Grenadier Regiment on Reggio itself I could only take the adjacent port so it is important for reinforcement and supply reasons that Reggio falls quickly.

I noticed that 1st Airborne was due to be withdrawn very soon which made the invasion a bit rushed so the initial force had to be scraped together from whatever was available. Once the last stubborn FJ battalion on Sicily goes under this turn (hopefully) I will have a decent number of US Divisions to ship over.

Just to be difficult the Italian commander on Sardinia has decided to be difficult and the lead element of the Free French Division found its supply cut off this turn. I need to keep an eye on this, though the remainder of the Division did eliminate the Italian Division that had been based around Caglieri was eliminated last turn.

The Axis put up more of its airforce last turn presumbably to try and impeded the landings but once again the Allied fighter cover did its job and losses were largely in the Allies favour.

Two new fresh Divisions are now in position to sail so a new target to split Axis defenders seems sensible...

[devoncop]

3rd November 1943

Huge relief in Allied HQ as Reggio di Calabria falls and the majority of the German 90th Panzer Grenadier Division which had been defending the area around the town is destroyed. There had been serious concern over the supply situation until the town fell but the landings now appear secure.

The last German resistance in Sicily is overcome and clashes continue in Sardinia where a concerted Italian fightback appears underway.

The air war continues to be bloody with large numbers of Gustav fighters downed this turn.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like currently. I've blackened out some areas for OPSEC
and I'll post one without the OPSEC on the next post below.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the image without the OPSEC, no Ian's please.

[devoncop]

6th November 1943

Progress at last.

Italian troops surrender en masse allowing the 82nd airborne to airdrop onto Olbia in the north of Sardinia seizing the port and airport and a Democratic Italian Division is formed on Corsica which takes control in Ajaccio and moves to secure the rest of the island.

On the mainland German opposition in the italian "toe" appears to have melted away as the Panzers garrisoning Palmi disappear before the arrival of 34th US Divn and reco elements of 36th US Division reach Nicotea moving towards the ports and airports around Pizzo and Vibo Valeria.

Messina port is heaving with troops waiting to ship north...

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like currently. Ian flew some paratroopers to Sardinia
and grabbed an airfield and flew some planes to it for a CAP and some offensive
power up north, within range of Rome I notice. There's some partisans in Rome
that I need to take care of.

I saw the New Zeland and 1st Canadian Divisions go around the horn on the far south
end of Italy headed for Taranto evidently. Not a lot I can do to stop him.

[devoncop]

9th November 1943

The arrival of 1st US Armoured Divn is a big morale boost and after briefly considering loading it all onto boats and hurling it at Salerno wiser heads prevail and it heads north where Allied troops have encountered what appears to be a resistance line running roughly west across the foot of Italy from the supply port of Catanzaro. Recon elements of the British 8th Army encounter German engineers trying to blow the bridge 50 km or so south of the port on the east coast and US 36th Division recon stop just south of Pizzo as they find German armour entrained at the southern most port and an airstrike is called in.

The reorganisation after the chaos of Sicily continues apace and the complete Indian and New Zealand Brigades are now operating at full strength on the mainland and the conversion of the ripped up rail lines is underway along with the repair of some blown bridges.
It is reported by sympathisers that the 16th Panzer Divn is packing up to leave Italy and this provides a further morale boost to the advancing allies.

[devoncop]

12th November 1943

Another major operation is foiled as a proficiency test failure after a minimum of moves causes the operation to be aborted.

Bridges were dropped south of Salerno and more Axis fighters were shot down but otherwise there was little action.

I am anticipating more developments next turn as time marches on and I cannot afford to get bogged down.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looked like at the end of my turn.

[devoncop]

17th November 1943

High drama as "Operation Flytrap" is launched .......

Para drops involving the US 82nd as well as New Zealand Paratroops are made around the Ports of San Marco just inland as well as to the north of Catanzaro in the west. All bridges along the route are targetted and an entire Free French Colonial Division is able to storm the central port near San Marco which only had a small Anti tank unit as its garrison.

The aim is to cut off all German troops south of this line from supply but this will not be easy and the 505th US Airborne Regt which dropped next to Catanzaro itself finds itself landing within a few km of a Panzer unit of unknown strength.

Elsewhere more troops are loaded on ships at Sicilian ports as phase 2 of the operation gets underway......

[John B.]

Noooo, now I have to wait to see what happens with operation flytrap!!!

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: John B.
Noooo, now I have to wait to see what happens with operation flytrap!!!

Yeah, I know what you mean. He's gotten ashore further north now and is sailing
all kinds of troops that way. Meanwhile the troops headed north on "the east coast"
have run into my roadblock and serious negotiations are underway.

I just this turn got three squadrons of Italian fighters and they are a welcome addition
since there's been a boat-load of squadrons being peeled off for the western europe front.
Several fighter units are down to half-strength remnants. The bombers are probably
going to be grounded for most of the duration.

Almost all the remaining Axis troops are in garrison mode and those that can move have
moved to the southern half of the country. Lots of the troops are guarding Rome.

[John B.]

It's the one downside to playing against a human player. Life gets in the way on both ends and sometimes you have to sit and wait.