War in the West Campaign 43 Allied AAR

[marion61]

Turn 39

7th Army managed a small break thru near Florence, but my armor ran into the next line of defense. At least I got across the river, but no further. Several attacks made my 5th Army and 8th Army were beaten back. When units of 8th Army finally achieved a break thru, there were no units left to exploit it. The bad weather isn't helping and the terrain is a huge factor.

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Turn 42

In Italy there have not been any significant gains the past few turns. I have taken 7th Army off the front and put them into ports for the upcoming invasion of Southern France. I plan for the Northern invasion to go in first and once the beach heads are established I will invade Southern France. Units of 5th Army have taken their positions and have made some gains. I managed to force a retreat on the unit that was in Florence last turn, but did not have the mp's to exploit it. I did take the city briefly and forced all the aircraft there to escape. 8th Army is having a tough time thru the mountains with just a small strip of beach to get the armor thru. With 7th Army being withdrawn along with most of it's armored units, I don't expect to see a great deal of gain in Italy for awhile. Airborne drops in Italy are most times a disaster and the only thing accomplished is the para unit ends up back in Ireland, otherwise I would be doing more.

Corsica sank several feet into the sea from all the Allied equipment that has been staged on it. I've moved the bulk of the Tactical AF to the island and have most of the airfields at size 3. I can conduct air operations anywhere along the coast now. I have set the bombers from 15th AF to strike the rail yards and ports in Northern Italy to try and slow down supplies to axis units.

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Turn 44 Invasion plans

I've included this to show my targeted invasion beaches. The Canadian's will be landing just south of Boulogne and north of Etaple. British I Corps will take the middle landings with the intention of cutting off both Etaple and Dieppe. I could use the extra ports this will provide if they are taken quickly. Dieppe is usually the toughest to take and twice as hard if the response is quick. I have my best ground commander in charge of VIII Corps which will hopefully take Dieppe. The British 1st Airborne will land behind Etaple effectively cutting it off, and the 101st will land behind Dieppe with the same intention. Everything is ready when the weather clears finally. I want to go in May so I have plenty of time to reach Germany before winter sets in. That's the plan any way.

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Turn 46
Allied Forces Invade The Pas de Calais! I'm sure Lafayette will be relieved!!!

The weather cleared this turn. My bombers have been pounding rail yards and fuel thru France and The Netherlands for the past month now. Most rail yards are red in France. I'll begin using bombers for ground support this turn. 8th AF is especially good at breaking up armored formations. I've also been targeting tactical air to rail ways and interdiction. The past few months I had them taking out the axis aircraft in range.

The I Canadian Corps got ashore without much of a fight. Out of all my invasion units these are the best, which is why they are going to hold that left flank. The 1st British Airborne accomplished it's mission of isolating Etaple and keeping reinforcements from getting to the beaches. I've set the northern most and a middle invasion beach for upgrade to a Mulberry. I do manage to get Canadian armor onto the beach, but not at the Canadian beach head. I British Corps landed to little opposition and took Abbeville on D1. Managed to land some armored units on British beaches. VIII Corps is having a tough time taking their objectives. Both US invasion beaches made it on, but the 101st was driven back onto the invasion beach itself and Dieppe is still not isolated. This is always the hardest part of invading Calais. I like spreading the beaches out so that the axis can't respond to all areas in force. Coming in on Normandy it is easy to plug up the allied advance. The key is to make sure you get armor on the beaches as fast as possible. I usually send them in the 2nd wave for sure.

In Italy the advance has stalled out. I'm hoping all those troops opposing me on the Italian mainland will be needed elsewhere soon.

[marion61]

Turn 47

Allied forces survived several counter attacks by axis armored formations. All counter attacks were defeated. The Canadian and British units start reducing the units trapped in Etaples and to consolidate the beach heads against count attacks. The north end of the axis line seems weaker than the southern end. The Canadians cut thru them very easily. British armored units came to the assistance of VIII Corps units trying to isolate Dieppe. The Americans are having a tough time getting off the beaches. There are several weak axis units all along their front and are ripe for attack.

During the air turn I moved several fighter units from Fighter Command, 9th AF, and 2nd RAF Tactical to the beach head airfields.

I also decided to invade southern France this turn since I have the capacity. Even if the southern invasion fails it will keep divisions there instead of being used against me in France. I invaded between Toulon and Cannes with three TF. They all got ashore without opposition and the airborne landing were just as successful.

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Turn 47 Southern Invasion.

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Turn 49 Breakout!

I managed to make some breathing room on the beaches and to get the beaches connected and have caused all the trapped units behind my lines to surrender. The Canadian's pushed back weak Axis forces and isolated the highest CV armor unit in that area of the front. The armor unit had ample opportunity to escape. I British Corps held their ground against several counter attacks. The armor assigned to XII British Corps made a significant break thru south of Abbeville. Now that I have the bulk of all three armies on French soil I'm here to stay. I have plenty of armor and the axis line is weak in several places for armor to exploit. Once the Canadian's have taken the channel ports they will make sure that the V-Launch sites are destroyed. British 2nd Army will push towards Lille and Amiens. I want to take the size 3 airfields in the area for my shorter ranged aircraft. The 1st Army will attack towards Paris once they get moving. I'll also send a corps to take all the isolated ports along the Atlantic coast. Once Le Harve is repaired that should help my supply situation further inland.

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Turn 49 South France

7th Army expanded the beach head and isolated Toulon. 3 Regiments have also been isolated behind allied lines. I need to take Toulon and Marseilles so that I can have plenty of supply further inland. I didn't move very many fighter groups to Southern France. Mainly just to maintain my shipping lanes and keep axis fighters off my beaches. Italy has become static for the moment with no movement on either side. I've tried several attacks with 8th Army but the defense is tough. I have destroyed the majority of the rail yards in northern Italy and I will continue ground attacks with 15th AF, which will concentrate on railway and interdiction to hopefully reduce the supplies getting thru.

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Turn 50 Northern France

British 2nd Army found several weak spots to exploit and made another break thru north of Abbeville. I was hoping to isolate the axis divisions around Abbeville and Amiens, but the British armored units had to assist 1st Army with breaking out and surrounding 3 regiments on the road to Paris. The Canadian's made little progress, but reducing those forts takes a turn or two.

Out of all the places to choose for an invasion of Northern France, the Pas de Calais area is by far the best. It is heavily defended, but your air power is sufficient to slow the response to the beaches. I also don't like to clump my invasion beaches right next to one another, especially if I want to isolate a port that I want to use. In this area it spreads the defenders out over a larger area and gives armored units a chance to break the weak spots before the fort levels become too high. There are no rivers to fight across in the area and plenty of open terrain for armor. I've tried invading into Normandy and around Brest, and against an AI the Calais area is the easiest and fastest way to Germany.

In Southern France I've made little progress. Next turn I should have Nice, but Toulon is being difficult to reduce. Finally got some armor onto the beaches this turn, as most of the freight was being used to get invasion units from England to Northern France.

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Turn 51 Northern France

Canadian I Corps isolated another group of high CV units in Calais, but lacks the mp's to cut them off completely. 2nd British Army pushed axis unit and took Amiens, but the axis units escaped being cut off. 1st Army managed to push out and reach Le Harve, and pushed all the way to Paris taking the city and cutting off an SS Panzer Division. It will take awhile for the rails to catch up, but I will chase the axis units until my supply runs out. I also want to cut France in two so that the Atlantic ports won't get land supply and to capture as many units as possible. Once 7th Army starts to advance north, I should have a consolidated front thru out France.

Southern France saw the isolation of Marseilles, but Toulon and Nice are proving hard to take. I also made a major blunder down near Toulon. I underestimated the mp's of an isolated axis unit and it took out one of my beaches, so now I'm down to two. I should be fine now since most of the axis units in the area withdrew north. Don't leave your beaches unattended is the lesson learned (rookie mistake).

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This is turn 51 on the Southern Fronts. Italy is still static.

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Turn 52

Most axis units that could escape are falling back to Brussels and Antwerp. The Canadian's captured the first strong point and isolated several units around Calais. One Canadian armor division took Bruges. Several objectives in 2nd Army were taken, especially the airbases so that I can start to transfer the bulk of Fighter Command, 2nd RAF, and 9th AF to France, once the rails are done. 1st Army started the attack on Le Harve and and caused the surrender of the SS Panzer Division after several attacks. British armor units also took Reims cutting off another axis regiment. Recon shows that the axis units are setting up their first defensive line behind river's.

In Southern France I'm reducing Toulon and Marseilles and I've sent II Corps north to cut the rails from Germany to Eastern Italy and France. I'm hoping soon that axis forces from Italy will be stripped to help defend Germany. The defensive CV's are very high and several attacks resulted in severe casualties.

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Turn 56 France

British 21st AG is still pushing towards Brussels and Antwerp, capturing airfields along the way. I'll be glad to have Antwerp open with it's large port to help with supplies. It took a turn or two to catch up with the axis units retreating and to move enough forces into place to break the new line. 3rd Army has been coming ashore and has taken positions in the middle where I do not expect a lot of action for now. 1st Army is south of 3rd Army, and 7th Army has the southern most flank to the Swiss border now. I did spread 1st, 3rd, and 7th Armies out and my lines are very thin. I wanted to give 2nd British Army and the 1st Canadian as small a front as possible since the axis forces here seemed weakest so far. It's payed off so far, but I haven't made much progress south of 21st AG. I do have several US armored divisions in the south part of the front in case of an axis break out. They are my quick reaction force to plug holes.

I cut France off last turn and stranded several units which will be handled by my extra Cavalry and Ind. Infantry. Le Harve is being very tough to crack. I'm doing ground support missions on the port and units every turn, but the CV is still high, and they aren't getting supplies by sea. Canadian I Corps and units from British 2nd Army are finally positioned and ready to take Antwerp and Brussels next turn I hope. I sure love those Canadian divisions, they cut thru axis formations like butter. The rail repairs are going quickly and I have moved the bulk of my Tactical and Air Superiority forces to bases in France. In the next turn or two I will be moving the Trans. Command and IX Trans. Command to France also so they have less travel miles to keep the units at the front supplied. Also in the next few turns I will move the majority of my Strategic Bomber Escorts to France so that I can reach anywhere in Germany with escorts.

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Turn 56 South France/Italy

The 1st FF Army has landed in Southern France and has taken over operations there. Lead units have reached the Italian Frontier in several places. I have more French reinforcements coming in the next turn or two.

Italy is still static at the moment. I have planned 3 air drops north of La Spezia, Italy hopefully in conjunction with the two amphibious assaults I have planned on that coast line. I'm hoping to break the stalemate that Italy has become since I'm not seeing the axis line being stripped yet. CV's are still really high, and I've even been pushed back in a few places. Getting past these mountains and hooking up with the forces coming from France are my main objectives down in this theater for now. I've been tracking the Russian advance more closely now and they are several hexes from Warsaw, and Luga is still axis. Depending on how long it takes to reach the Rhine and breach it will be whether I beat the Russian's to Berlin or not.

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Turn 57 France

Canadian I Corps managed to help British forces surround Brussels and attempted to flank Antwerp, but had run out of mp's to follow up. I also attempted to encircle the units around Charleroi, but used up too many mp's assaulting axis positions to finish the job. I'm sure they will withdraw now that it is obvious they've been flanked. I've also moved my airborne divisions into refit and onto airbases again in case I find an opportunity to use them. I'm sure that they will see action when I try to breach the Maas and the Rhine later.

Southern France has been slow going until I can get some more troops into the area. The line of mountains on the frontier is what is keeping me out of Italy for now. Since I lost a beach, the Naval TF will head towards the front to provide support from sea. Northern Italy is still stalemated, but I am hoping to launch paratroopers and the invasion at La Spezia soon. I'm still not seeing any significant withdrawals on the Italian Front.

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Turn 60 France

After taking Brussels and causing the surrender of several axis units, I had run up against a wall of higher CV units. On turn 59 I committed the 101st and the British 6th Airborne to drop just behind the axis lines. I moved the Canadian armored divisions into the breach created by units from the British 2nd Army, and the airborne units were relieved the same turn. The Front is stretched very thin in places and I'm betting the AI doesn't have the units to take advantage of it. I'm still letting 21st AG have the lead for now, as this part of the front is still the most weakly held, if you can believe all the recons.

I could have broken down my airborne divisions and surrounded most of those units, but it could have been easily breached, and it's a bit a historical. Plus I don't like to break down my divisions unless it is necessary. They fight way better as a whole, than as three different units. Plus by using ZOC's and terrain you can keep the front covered and prevent major break thru's, and having a mobile reserve.

[marion61]

Turn 60 South

In Italy I decided to drop the 82nd Airborne and two Para Regiments the turn before the invasion of La Spezia and the fort just behind the axis lines. I'm hoping to cut their supplies to a minimum by blocking the rails north of the invasion. I also made a mistake on the placement of the 82nd Airborne. I wanted to drop them into the eastern most hex so my ZOC would help interdict supplies. I'm worried about the divisions I'm using. Both of them are green and haven't fought in an engagement yet. Baptism by Fire. I'm also starting to see CV's drop, which means that axis units are being taken from Italy. I'm hoping that 5th and 8th Army can start moving again.

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Turn 63 France

Since I took the two armored divisions from the Canadian's, taking Antwerp has taken a little longer than expected. I've been expanding my bridge head's across the Maas with 2nd Army and next turn I'm hoping to encircle several axis divisions slowing me down. 1st Army made a small gain by breaching the river near Nancy. I just don't have enough units in the area to push further. The first units of 9th Army are starting to come ashore. I am still deciding if I want them to take up positions between 2nd Army and 3rd Army, or move them north of the 1st Canadian Army. I'm very weak west of Liege and I could use another corps there, but I also want to get the Canadian's back to work and reaching the Rhine and breaching it before the 1st of the year. That's my main goal right now.

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Turn 63 Southern Front

My invasion forces for the La Spezia area was a total disaster. Everyone of my airborne units were forced to surrender and both of my invasion beaches were repelled. The only thing that came out of this was that 5th Army managed to take two hexes up the coast due to axis units moving to meet the invasion. 8th Army is making some slow progress now. Ramini is almost in reach now and north of that axis forces only have open terrain to defend in till the Alps. My forces from 6th AG have pushed into Italy and most units are out of the mountainous terrain. Once this line breaches, 5th Army and 8th Army will have a much easier time.

[marion61]

Turn 64 Italy

Axis units around Ramini were finally weakened by axis withdrawal's, but it still cost me several assaults to breach the line and isolate Ramini temporarily, so I could not move into the hex north of the port. I'm hoping this will get 8th Army moving again. 5th Army made some gains this turn also. 5th Army has taken Florence and pushed most axis units towards their last defensive line in this mountain terrain. Now it will be a fight for the passes, but with 6th AG making some gains in Western Italy I'm expecting a general withdrawal by axis forces on the peninsula.