Mistakes in the Baleares - Newbie vs Nationalist AI scen 6

[WingedIncubus]

In Mallorca, Capdepera has fallen and one of the coastal guns the nearest from the entrance of Palma harbor has been rendered inactive.

The heavy artillery is now aiming straight at Palma to cause as much casualties to the defenders as possible.

Casanalles has bypassed Calvia but no matter, we will disable the other guns on the coastal tip before the Jaime I battleship arrives. Exhausted, the Pajanero retreats northwest of El Arenal as Calero's men heads toward the remaining guns, before veering to enter the town by the rear.

[WingedIncubus]

September 4, 1936



The Lepanto's bombardment was... disappointing: Only one truck reported blowing up.



Let's find out how different the results are with the battleship Jaime I and the cruiser Mendez Nunez both added into the bombardment mix... the Spanish Workers' Navy is now in the Mediteranean.

[WingedIncubus]

September 5, 1936





That's more like it...

[WingedIncubus]

Son San Juan has been captured! The broken Fascists are taking refuge in Palma.

Viva la Republica!



We have captured intact the guns in Santa Ponza. While Palma is beyond range, any ship going and passing for Palma is target practice now.

[WingedIncubus]

September 6-7, 1936

Viva La Republica!!

A rag-tag militia of village volunteers have managed to capture Ibiza, left completely dried and empty. The Fascists are now nigh-on isolated.




Next step: Formentera.

[WingedIncubus]

September 8, 1936

Only Palma, El Arenal, and small coastal islands remain in the hands of the Nationalists in Mallorca.




After a swift bombardment from the Republican Navy, the bottled-in Italian light cruiser Muzio Attendolo has been damaged, eating two hits from our heavy guns. They might eventually try to make a run for it.

[WingedIncubus]

September 9, 1936

We have landed on Formetera on an empty Pilar de Mola. Forward infantry moving to scout San Francisco Javier.

Isolated and without supply, the Fascists on Ibiza start to falter...

[WingedIncubus]

September 10, 1936

Finally!! After weeks of ceaseless fighting, the Fascists have broken, they are routing toward the coast of Ibiza in utter panic.

They are all but encircled now, and we go for the kill. No mercy shall be given to the Rebels.





Discreetly, the Ciudad of Sevilla is relocating to Alcudia to allow the Gamisans-Oliver Column to embark to land on the remaining coastal islands to complete the liberation of Mallorca.

The harbor of Palma is cratered with holes and husks of cargo ships burning or sinking, its facilities disabled and useless for the Fascists. The coastal guns are no longer firing back at 10,000 yards.

We keep pummeling their supply but massive amounts of fuel are currently burning, their dark fumes engulfing the skies.

[WingedIncubus]

September 11, 1936

Several holes appear in the enemy lines in Palma, ready to be exploited by our overwhelming forces, over 6,000 strongs against the 3,000 Fascists holding out in the city.




In desperation, the Rebels attempt to flee into the town of Ibiza to escape the wrath of the people. We follow them in close pursuit.

On Formentera, we unexpectedly encounter a force over 1,000 strong defending the outskirts of San Franscesco Javier. Our 400 men are nowhere enough but perhaps they are lacking in supplies, so we probe their lines.

[WingedIncubus]

September 12, 1936

Ibiza has been completely liberated. Exhausted, without ways to escape, the Fascists on the island beg for surrender and for their miserable lives to be spared. Almost 1,500 men to be judged by our newly organized checa to pay for their crimes against the workers of Spain.

However, the Fascists on Formentera has inflicted us a severe defeat. We retreat toward Pilar de Mola while the Ciudad of Sevilla is hurriedly heading to rescue that expedition.

Oh, and Dragonera on western coast of Mallorca has fallen, too.

[WingedIncubus]

September 13, 1936

Casenovas' column is trapped in Pilar de Mola, taking enormous casualties. Thankfully, the troop transport arrives in the nick of time. Abandoning everything that is damaged to the enemy, we order the ship for Ibiza, where three of our Regiment are resting - ready to be redeployed in force onto Formentera.





Meanwhile, we steadfully progress in El Arenal, controlling now over half of the town.

Palma, however, still holds despite desperate fightings and constant shelling at point-blank from the coast from the Republican Navy, the defense guns completely unresponsive.

[WingedIncubus]

September 14, 1936

Cabrera has been taken. Formentera, Palma, and El Arenal remain as the sole Fascist holdouts to be pacified.

Time is running short... and we are making no progress in Palma despite the city being completely surrounded, the port blockaded and out of function, bombers destroying its industrial base, constant artillery shelling, and relentless assaults by half a dozen columns rotating in and out. The skies and seas around both islands are now completely under Republican control, the Italian aircrafts nowhere to be seen. But the Fascists keep fighting desperarely to hold the island's capital.

We managed to extricate the skeleton units of Casenova's Column into the port of Ibiza, having sacrificed whatever disabled equipment there was on the Pilar de Mola's shores for the lives of the men. Teniente Bernal, its commander, has been sacked and replaced by Capitan Fortes Aparcio. The Zapatero are loaded in the troop transport to land and respond by surprise in San Francisco Javier, in the Fascist's rear, with a small convoy of four cargos in Santa Euralia ready to serve as supply bridge for that second expedition.

[WingedIncubus]

September 15, 1936

Troops have landed into San Francisco Javier without a hit, taking over the undefended town. Convoys are quickly being assembled to power at maximum speed from Valencia and Barcelona and bring fuel and supplies.

Should the Fascists move to retake the San Francisco Javier, we shall land again on Pilar de Mola to pincer them once and for all.




Meanwhile, in Ibiza, after processing the prisoners, this is the final tally of all the loot and war material seized from the Fascists:




After the business on Formentera is concluded, unless something big happens, the rest of the AAR shall more or less be a tally of the deaths mounting in Palma and El Arenal until either falls, or the time allowed to me by Madrid expires.

Palma from the sea is utterly defenseless, the gun batteries unresponsive. The Republican Navy ship can shell the fuel and supplies reserves point blank from less than 5,000 yards.

[WingedIncubus]

September 16, 1936

With Pilar de Mola the only remaining functioning "harbor" still in Nationalist hands, our two submarines are ordered to patrol around it. Any cargo sunk is one less hulk used by the Franco and his goons, and thus a bonus for the Republic.

5 torpedoes fired on Troop Transport Rey Jaime I, but they all missed.




Palma, is another story. Whatever is still afloat and hasn't left harbor is thoroughly savaged by the Republican Navy under less than 3,000. They are not only shelled, but torpedoed in harbor.

[WingedIncubus]

Those Fascists fiends...



Thankfully, no ship has been reported to have hit a mine in Barcelona, but better be safe than sorry - the YMS Montcabrer is ordered to patrol around the harbor and sweep all mines that are found.



The sky now being empty of Fascist airforces, tomorrow the biggest air bombardment raid yet is to be organized to destroy Palma's industrial base. Everything that can drop bombs will be directed toward the city.

[WingedIncubus]

With complete aerial reconnaissance over Palma, Our air raids get more and more lethal each day. On the last pass, no less than 5 facilities were reported completely destroyed and 6 damaged.

If we could just destroy or disable enough light industries and resource centers to cripple their local supply production, compounded by the supply and fuel destroyed each day by our Navy, given the sheer number of Nationalist fighters bottled inside the hope is that in time they wont be able to rebuild and refit themselves fast enough.

[WingedIncubus]

September 17, 1936

The light cruiser Libertad and the destroyer Almirante Ferrandiz have docked in Barcelona, just in time to be added to the bombardment task force.



We finally make some further progress in El Arenal. 80% of the town is now occupied, but our troops there are dangerously short on ammunition and fuel : only the . The sheer demand in supply caused the battle of Palma has created a local shortage of supply. All available cargo and barge, even air transport we have available, are assigned to bring as much supply as possible to Alcudia.

[WingedIncubus]

Bye-bye Ray Rey Jaime I. Two torpedoes, including a coup de grâce. A cameraman aboard has caught the impact on picture.



The light cargo Hierro has also been sunk. having spent all its torpedoes and deck gun ammo, B-1 returns to Mahon to resupply.