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

[Seminole]

End of turn in The Toe:



White - Static
Purple - Reserve
Blue - Refit
Orange - Withdrawing soon

Overall Med Strategic Picture, waiting for the next Allied landings:

[Seminole]

Turn 17
October 23, 1943

Weather report:



Allies stay grounded again. No attacks over the Straits, still two formations showing as routed.
At least 9 formations on Sicily.
Corsica still has at least 23 units on the island Not sure if any divisions are being broken down to ship out more easily.

[Seminole]

Turn 18
October 30, 1943

Weather report:



Allied landing in Catanzaro. 15th BR Inf Div storms the city.
The level three forts in the city were of little avail in this assault, but if it had been a fortified port city we likely would have come out the victor.



The Germans put together an immediate counter attack with 3rd PzG Div, 29th PzG Div, 2/15th PzG Rgt, 1/16th Pzr Rgt, 2/16th Pzr Rgt, and 26th ‘Assietta’ IT Inf Div that failed to punt the invaders.



This isn’t a natural port, so the Allies will need to keep a TF here so long as we pin them in place and prevent link up from the south or Crotone to the north.
As a bid to cut off forces defending the Straits, this invasion is not a concern at this time.
Waiting for more shoes to drop.

[Seminole]

Italians still haven't surrendered, although with the Allies finally on the mainland, that should happen anytime now.

[Seminole]

Unit level detail map of end of the turn setup.

Expecting more landings to follow soon.

[Seminole]

Turn 19
November 6, 1943

The Italians have surrendered during the Axis logistics phase, which means the Allies had to fight them one last turn.



Landings at Catanzaro are reinforced. Invading 15th BR Inf Div withdraws and is replaced by 78th BR Inf Div, 4th Moroccan FF Mtn Div and I BR HQ. They strike west, but fail in both attacks.

[Seminole]

8th Army again attempts to force its way over the Straits.



Ground losses aren't too heavy for the week:

[Seminole]

Garrisons are juggled, with FJs in Italy taking up coastal positions now with the Italians gone.
In N Europe new units are shifted south and we juggle in prep for withdrawals.
Feldherrnhalle Pzr Div will be sent to Italy to fight before disappearing in 5 weeks on Dec 11th, 1943.
16th Pzr Div helping contain the Catanzaro beachhead will be withdrawn next week.



Reformed 1/1st FJ Rgt and 2/1st FJ Rgt rail to Berlin to refit, will move south next week.
Reformed 3/2nd FJ Rgt rails to Vienna to refit, will move to N Italy next week.

Luftwaffe’s 17th Inf Div sent to take up positions in Death Valley. Will try to position static units next week.

19th LW Inf Div will be sent south next week to take up some coastal positions.

[Seminole]

Turn 20
Nov 13 1943

Rain in the Med and the Allies conduct new landings, an airborne assault, and another ferry attack in vain.
509th US Para Bn is lost trying to straddle the toe.
It landed amongst the entrenched 2nd Rgt of the 325th Sec Div, stationed as rear guard for the Luftwaffe units defending the ferry crossing.



3/15th PzG Rgt holds against an amphibious assault at Crotone conducted by the 101st US Airb Div.
This is actually a British led operation under the I BR Corps, General Bucknall.
The fortified port is a different story than Catanzaro, and the invaders are repelled.

[Seminole]

Schmalz Pzr Bde holds against a ferry crossing assault by 5th and 56th BR Inf Div supported by TF 85 under US command.




TF 81 and TF 545 (A) both support attempts by 4th FF Mtn Div and 78th BR Inf Div to break out to the southwest from Catanzaro.
Both attacks fail.

[Seminole]

Ground losses this week:



Air losses:



509th Para Bn's scalp is nailed to the wall:



German intel sees the recon activity around The Heel as a ruse. [editor's note: this is real time appreciation from my war diary]
Expect Allied landings to be conducted near Corsica.
We anticipate the Allies will cash in the value purchased in Corsican and Sardinian amphib ops.
Preparing rapid response units and setting up interior fortification lines.
We have been 'spoofing' interior defenses around Rome with Italian HQs and other fodder.
The Allies have been searching different potential landing sectors with recon, and we want to present a daunting picture everywhere.

Defending on the beaches is a fool’s errand. Must structure defense to allow time for mustering reserves at point(s) of attack and not allowing free roam, or cost free flipping of terrain.
Depots established last week are filled this week.

Italian SS Rgt formed and sent to guard Rome.
3/2nd FJ rails from Vienna to Nice to take up for the Feldherrnhalle PzG Div moved to Livorno Italy.
The 19th LW Inf Div rails from N Italy to take up fortifications near Rome.

[Seminole]

Luftwaffe and the weather continues to try and take a toll on the Allied shipping lanes.

[Seminole]

Turn 21
Nov 20, 1943

Rains dominate the map.
Weather report:




Both sides run recon in the Med.
The Allies concentrate their 5 available TF to try and effect a breakout, but fail.
Send one of the attacked regiments to refit at the depot, swap the other around to put fresh units defending the coastal hex.

[Seminole]

Plan to pull back the H.Goering Pzr Div and Schmalz Bde and replace with Security Units, I think he will stop trying to press here now and we can afford to feint our presence. If he comes through, we lose some security units in the worst case scenario.
H. Goering Pzr Div makes it all the way to N Italy to unload, but Schmalz Pzr Bde can only rail to Naples without being able to unload. We’ll use them as a fire brigade in the south and keep the Pzr Div in the north.
Will reposition units to man Death Valley and prevent units from being cut off here. Need to take possession of the mountain hexes for fort building now.
Rails busted leading to The Heel, will rely on sea supply from here on.
17th LW Inf Div (static) breaks down to help cover Death Valley
New 272nd Inf Div sent to Vienna to refit before going to N Italy.
Will need to juggle some units into France soon, maybe get weak infantry out for hill screens.

Overall unit detail of the Italian Theater:

[Seminole]

Turn 22
Nov 27 1943

Weather report:



Allies don’t attempt any breakouts and there are no further landings.
Air Forces stay grounded.
Hoping the ruse across the Straits of Messina keep the Allies from attempting anymore attacks.
Schmalz Bde moves to N Italy and unloads under command of 1st Army.

Reinforcement schedule
Panzer Lehr arrived this week.
Turn 23 - 17th SS PzG Div and 271st + 278th Inf Div arrive.
Turn 24 - Feldherrnhalle PzG Div will withdraw with 76th + 371st Inf Div
Turn 25 - 5th Mtn Div arrives with 100th + 1000th Sec Rgt
Turn 27 - I + II SS Pzr Corps HQ arrive with 2nd Pzr Div
2nd Pzr Div withdraws (1/1/44)
Turn 28 - 275th Inf Div
Turn 29 - LXII + LXXV Corps arrive with 276th Inf Div and Lehr Mot Bde
Turn 30 - 5th Panzer Army arrives with 91st AirL Div, 363rd Inf Div, 1027th + 1028th Mot Bde
Turn 31 - 9th SS Pzr Div withdraws

Likely Allied Landing in order expected.
8 more turns until penalty for not holding 10 hexes in Europe.
Expectation is the closest coastal area to Corsica. He will expect allied air to help after the rainy season, but it provides good space to expand.
Toe is safest, but only gains avoiding the penalty, basically gives up on northern Italy.
Heel is next safest, avoids the penalty easily. Can it be bottled for the winter, or fall back to Gothic Line? Potential counter attack trap?
Landings at the coast of Rome possible, but Axis should be able to bottle this for a bit.
Attacks south of Salerno offer no strategic leverage, and would be hard to expand, downside is unit density here is weak and reinforcement would take two weeks.

272nd Inf Div moved to NE France in Belfort, needs to be redeployed next week.

[Seminole]

Turn 23
Dec 4, 1943

The Allies have made three separate landings and a successful attack across the Messina Straits against a security regiment.
Over 7k American paras are captured when the 82nd US Airborne falls on top of the PzG Rgt.

Hitler orders Army Group C to contain the beachheads and not surrender any Italian cities.
“The battle for Italy will be a battle for the soul of Europe!”

We have communicated to our opponent that we intend to achieve the Feb beachhead bonus.

Weather report:



Two Task Forces are used to help cross the Straits.
3/325th Sec Rgt. is forced to retreat under the naval gunfire, and the Allies seize Reggio Calabria.

[Seminole]

The Catanzaro beachhead again tries to breakout to the west, but to no avail:



82nd Airborne Division drops attempting to cut The Toe in conjunction with a nearby landing, but instead comes down on top of the fortified regiment the 2/26th Pzr.

[Seminole]

The BR 7th Arm Div tries to exploit the ferry crossing, but the security forces rally and hold in spectacular fashion.



Losses on the ground this week:

[Seminole]

Units destroyed:



Air losses resume their brutal pace:



U.S. level bombers, particularly the B-17s have lost a lot of air frames relative to production in this timespan.



Commonwealth level bombers:



Axis powers, excluding Italian airframes.
5,478 losses among these nations against 11,072 Allied losses.
(rosy Axis glasses firmly affixed, our stein is half full!)

[Seminole]

The P-38 escorts continue to maul the German fighters.
American bombers have to love when they see these guys are on station:





The garrison on duty-needs:

SE France 48-45 76th Inf Div ( Lyon) withdraws in 1 turn
SW France 47-40 17th SS PzG Div newly arrived, needs refit, available to move
NW France 105-100 371st Inf Div withdraws in 1 turn, needs refit, available to move
NE France 69-60
Belgium 26-25
Netherlands 23-20 271st Inf Div newly arrived, , needs refit, available to move
Denmark 24-20

17th SS PzG Div and 271st + 278th Inf Div arrive this week.

Garrison setup at the end of turn: