Yet Another Sicily t BP Ian Allies me Axis

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the situation currently. I've got troops to move eventually and
the aircraft at Rome to move. Ian is doing really well.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T71 front lines at the end of my turn. Ian is inching northward.

[devoncop]

15th March 1944

I have now encircled both the RDHD Division and the 91st Infantry Division surrounded and being reduced by artillery though a communications mix up saw a premature assualt by a medal seeking commander of the 36th Divn Mechanised Recon battalion against the still powerful 91st....28% losses later he has been reassigned to Iowa

There are now 3 fresh Divisions pushing towards Rome on the coast and for now it seems clear until maybe I hit the static Panzer Divn on garrison duty ...

Larry has started railing the Gustav Line troops in the east way up north as the Free French approach.....

[larryfulkerson]

I just received some moves from Ian and I watched the playback just now and
I saw him pushing north toward Rome and I happened to notice quite by
acccident that the exclusion zone that was around Anzio is gone. Ian can
invade there now at any time.

[larryfulkerson]

The HQ unit for the 26th Panzer Division spawned just now
up north and it's missing a lot of it's equipment. I must be hurting more
than I thought. There's whole categories of equipment that I have only a
few of and that means I'm using it up faster than I'm building it. The units
on the front are trying to stay at peek strength by soaking up all the
replacements and that's a good thing but it leaves dregs for the freshly
spawned units. So far there's no way to designate individual units whether
or not to receive replacements. There IS such a way in WITE and
perhaps WITW, I'm not sure.

At any rate I have units that are hurting and the only fix is to hold them
out of combat somehow.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the expected reinforcements for the next several turns and as you can
see they are going to need some refit before they will be combat ready. I'll
need to park them somewhere safe and secure. ian doesn't have any paratroopers
any longer, I think, so there's no reason to expect any troops appearing in
the sky at any minute.

In my last game with Ian, I don't remember the weather being a problem for either
of us. So I'm guessing it won't be a problem this time either.

[John B.]

That's interesting that weather is not a factor since in the histories I've read of the Italian campaign rain and mud predominate in the winter time. By the way Ian, perhaps that regimental commander WANTED to be reassigned to Iowa. If you've never read it Catch-22 sums up the Italian campaign nicely. Only crazy people want to be in combat, but, if you apply to transfer out of combat that proves you're not crazy so you can't leave. That's the Catch-22.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: John B.

That's interesting that weather is not a factor since in the histories I've read of the Italian campaign rain and mud predominate in the winter time.

So according to your report the scenario needs to be changed to reflect the mud season effects...and I agree. That
would be more realistic. Maybe somebody should ask Rick or Steve, whichever one has priority for StBP, for a decision.

[John B.]

It's not the monsoon of Burma but, for example, here is the modern monthly average rainfall in Rome. Oct-January/February should see some reduction in flight effectiveness and movement supply due to rain snow and cloud cover.

https://weather-and-climate.com/average ... Rome,Italy

[John B.]

Or, here, the fact that there was delays of nearly a month at Monte Cassino in January - March 1944 due to flooding. The Allies were able to attack, there was just a reduction in movement and effectiveness.

https://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/w ... e-cassino/

[larryfulkerson]

All that works for me John dude.

[devoncop]

ORIGINAL: John B.

That's interesting that weather is not a factor since in the histories I've read of the Italian campaign rain and mud predominate in the winter time. By the way Ian, perhaps that regimental commander WANTED to be reassigned to Iowa. If you've never read it Catch-22 sums up the Italian campaign nicely. Only crazy people want to be in combat, but, if you apply to transfer out of combat that proves you're not crazy so you can't leave. That's the Catch-22.

Hi John

Good point [:)]

[larryfulkerson]

This is typical of the kinds of attacks that Ian has been doing and the results
reflect the carnage that's going on near Salerno and near north environs. Ian
is carefully mopping up while the rest of the troops move north. There's been
some experimental sea movement that occured without incident but that's a side
show at this point. I'm still deliberating where to send the little detachment
I've gathered together. Someplace in the far north to make the supply situation
the worst for Ian.

[devoncop]

18th March 1944

The drive on Rome continues though is slowed a bit as I want to reduce and eliminate the pockets of German troops I have surrounded.

To give you an idea I have 3 Regiments plus HQ and Div artillery of the 44th RDHD Division surrounded at Aquina, a Panzer Grenadier regiment plus the remnants of several battalions of the 71st Infantry Regiment north of Gaeta where the initial breakthrough at the Gustav line occurred, and the HQ of the 14th Panzer Korps at Terracina on the west coast on the run up to Anzio. The 91st Infantry Division is now cut off further east along the Gustav Line but again is dug in with 3 full regiments plus artillery.

The recon elements of 34th US Division (the 36th Recon being "unavailable" for reasons the US Army is "unable to comment on") has reached Littoria where it dislodges a battalion HQ from the town. US troops are now 30Km from Anzio and making decent progress towards Rome.

In the East progress is much slower due to supply constraints and the Free French Divisions are only now recovering to anywhere like decent strength after the fighting around Foggia.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the T73 front lines before I have moved anybody. I thought I'd post
the entire thing just oncw to give you an idea of the distance to go yet.

[larryfulkerson]

I found an HQ unit that just spawned and it's missing all it's trucks.
And the inventory says I don't have any on hand and we're only building
20 per turn and I imagine ALL the units are low on trucks by now. This
isn't the only one.

[devoncop]

22nd March 1944

The psychological warfare from Larry about possible Axis naval landings notwithstanding [:)] the offensive towards Rome continues and as a port adjacent to Anzio is captured the NZ Airborne Regiment sails in and it joined by the Free Italian Division. Anzio itself is defended by a dug in security unit but should be in Allied hands within the week.

The 71st Infantry Division is destroyed in totality in the pocket north of Gaeta along with a lot of its equipment and further heavy damage is caused to the artillery and HQ segments in the other two pockets to ensure the imminent assaults on the cut off infantry contingents are not impeded.


In the east the Allies have reached the other extremity of the Gustav line and work is underway to extend the repaired rail net in that direction to give the Free French Divisions some decent supply. Unfortunately both the British 56th and 45th Divisions are due to be withdrawn to N.Africa within a turn or so which is a nuisance but otherwise the target of taking Rome by the end of April is hopefully on course.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's the front lines currently and Ian is on the verge of reaching
Rome.

[devoncop]

26th March 1944

Terracina is taken and the Panzer Korps HQ is destroyed and another attack overwhelms the security troops at Anzio.

Republican Italian troops reach the Rome suburbs 20Km from the centre.

Further progress is made in reducing the size of the large pocket of the 91st Division and an OB West Artillery battalion is overrun and destroyed further west on the Gustav Line.

Contrary to my expectations US Engineers probing up the East coast reach the eastern edge of the Gustav Line to find it strongly manned by a full strength Infantry Division....it seems Larry still intends to hold the line in the East at least as long as he can.

Two fresh Divisions arrive and are immediately unloaded at Anzio to assist the capture of Rome.

No Axis troops now exist in the stretch from Salerno to the Rome outskirts which will free up a lot of the troops that have been mopping up.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's where the war is being fought right now. There's lots of blown
bridges leading north along both coasts.