Yet Another Sicily t BP Ian Allies me Axis

[devoncop]

1st January 1944

A turn of little progress other than moving additional forces forward to relieve the frankly tired 3rd,34th and 36th US Divisions with fresh troops. I am desperate to avoid a forced landing because as the defender in our last game I same the carnage that can cause if it is unsuccessful and Larry has 4 dug in strong regiments in the port areas with some artillery support.I may simply have to unload the fresh Canadian Divn for example on an Allied controlled none port hex and uses them to capture a port which can then allow other Divisions to steam in ......

The supply situation is not brilliant as i am only able to repair 3 or so rail hexes a turn and I have been moving much faster than that. Salerno and Taranto will help a lot in this regard.

[larryfulkerson]

Note to Ian:
There's a trick that you might be able to put to good use:
Float your infantry, armor, or whatever unit adjacent to the
land hex you want to land on and then NEXT turn disembark the
unit and walk ashore.

[devoncop]

Thanks Larry....yes that was what I was referring to in relation to the Canadians....I had to use that with 1st US Armoured in the east.....

[MikeJ19]

Ian and Larry,

Great stuff, thanks for sharing,

[devoncop]

4th January 1943

As the snow falls in the New Year the 4th Indian Division and 3rd Karrapitch Division storm ashore at the southern most port at Salerno covered by Naval guns and a simultaneous limited assault from the Americans already landside and the port falls giving the Allies a crucial foothold at the city....
Assaults also go in at Paestum which is still holding out slightly to the south and this should fall within the week.

Around Taranto the FJ positions just to the north of Taranto town itself are forced back onto the city and the New Zealand Division is ready to complete the capture of the city imminently...

These two cities are crucially important to help supply and I can then look at taking Foggia airbase in the east as well as readying the fight for Rome......

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like when I ended my turn.

[devoncop]

8th January 1944

Paestum is captured and the 71st Infantry Divn garrisoning it is destroyed whilst more ground is gained at Salerno. More would have been accomplished but for massed artillery in Salerno town itself which covered the adjoining port area and checked the Allied advance. This artillery concentration will need to be taken out as a priority. Taranto is in the process of being surrounded as the New Zealand Divn has started landing to its east.

No progress can be made on destroying 26th Panzer Division SW of Taranto until it can be surrounded and cut off from supply.Good progress is made on improving supply as more rail repair units are now available.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like currently. Ian is making progress.

[devoncop]

15th January 1944

Furious fighting around Taranto and Salerno continues.

The Herman Goering and Gerbigs Divisions are in particular putting up heroic resistance in Salerno to repeated attacks from the Canadian and Indian Divisions and this turn another port hex was gained only for a counter attack from the Herman Goering Division to immediately win the port back.

Taranto is almost secured with just two isolated garrisons in the outskirts of the city continuing to resist.

Thoughts are turning to the fight for Naples and Rome ahead and the toughness of the fights further south does not bode well for an easy time.

The air war still goes well and all Allied units are in good shape so they may need to do more of the heavy lifting going forwards.

To the south west of Taranto the 26th Panzer has been cut off and hopefully will start to wither away.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the Salerno area currently and the Allies are attempting an outflanking
maneuvor by going through the mountains and it worked...I need to pull back
and set up an MLR somewhere else.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's a look at the Taranto area currently. The fighting continues and it's
just a matter of time until the Allies own it.

[devoncop]

18th January 1945

Ferocious fighting at Salerno continues but at Taranto I am awaiting the arrival of more fresh units to finish off the job. Larry is committing the Axis airforce to both fights and the losses are high but it it having an effect on the bombing effectiveness.

Another port hex is gained at Salerno and more damage done to the supporting artillery and here the supply and troop situation is much better so I would not be surprised to see the Germans pull back.

The Free French Colonial Division is unloaded south of Taranto and it is hoped that will tip the balance there.

[cpt flam]

Hi Devoncop,
when you plan a battle, do you look at the integrity between your units
seeing if you are at 100% or lower
having many different color can change much of it [&o]

[devoncop]

Cpt Flame..

Thanks for the reminder on that one.

I do try and keep cohesion but there is more than an element of scraping together what I have to hand. I will try and be more disciplined (It doesn't come naturally[;)])

[devoncop]

22nd January 1944

Much better progress as despite a failed proficiency test towards the end of the turn only one port hex is still in Axis hands in Taranto and in Salerno fearsome slaughter was inflicted on the German defenders by the Indian Division and armour from the NZ Division. I am almost through to Salerno port itself now and have fresh Divisions arriving at both fronts. More German air squadrons were wiped out.

The supply situation is excellent on the west coast now which should help the drive to Rome and I am now hoping to extend that net across to the East.

[devoncop]

29th January 1943

With the capture of Taranto the supply in the east goes from a sickly 1 or 2 up to a positively healthy 33 and the troops get their mojo back [:)]

The Free French career off north east towards Foggia and also to cut off remaining German troops that can be seen down at Gallipoli. Meanwhile the New Zealand Division and the British engage in mopping up the Panzer Grenadiers still resisting.

At Taranto resistance continues to be fierce and further attempts to outflank the defenders are made. It was fortunate that the priority was put on repairing rail in the west as otherwise supply would be causing even more problems.

Attempts top blow bridges to cut off the defenders of both Taranto and Naples were started but as yet unsuccessfully.

[devoncop]

1st February 1943

Finally a small advance around Salerno and we are now only 10Km from the town.

The situation in the East is much better as the 9th Free French Division takes bari and races towards Foggia airbase whilst lead elements of US 2nd Corps are only 50Km away to the south.

large numbers of planes are rebased at the newly conquered airbases to the north and several bridges are blown around Naples to cut off rail travel.

The elimination of 26th Panzer Division has finally begun and I now need to think about whether I continue to head north after Foggia falls in the east or try to swing west in a grand encirclement of what are likely to be strong defences around Rome.

[devoncop]

7th February 1943

Salerno finally falls to the tanks of 1st US Armoured Divn with some Canadian assistance. This will be a big help as not only does it swing the VP's a net 10 pushing me from substantial loss to marginal loss...it gives me an advances supply source in the west and some more airbases.

Speaking of airbases US engineers are now on the airbase at Foggia though as yet the town itself has not fallen. The Free French continue to motor up from Bari and should take full control of the airbase within the week.

Larry gleefully points out I have gone as far north as I can with naval invasions so things will no doubt get even more sticky for me now !

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like before I've moved anybody. It looks like Ian is
breaking through my MLR and before too long he's going to be in Rome. Really
good progress since Messina.

[devoncop]

12th February 1944

Very busy turn as the remaining German troops around Salerno are almost totally encircled and Allied spearheads reach within 5Km of Naples.

In the East the French have got onto Foggia airbase and the small garrison in Foggia itself is down to 50% of its strength. North of Naples Allied air catch a strong German Division entrained and bomb it off the trains causing about 15% losses.

A cheeky Afrika Korps HQ popped up near Reggio in the deep deep south and started ripping up rails [:@]

It is being "dealt with".

I noticed much more Axis movement than of late so I suspect the fortified lines and the Rome defences are being toughened up.

The VP status now shows a marginal victory for the Axis.