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Playing as the WA vs the Axis AI, game turn #6 (7 Aug 43) of the 1943 campaign. I am running the 1.02.15 beta. The Italians just surrendered this turn.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that a 6-hex corridor of friendly hexes opened in the Taranto area immediately following the Italian surrender on GT6. I assume this was due to the void left by the Italian units that disappeared after the surrender, but I don't know exactly what factors go into determination of control of a given hex. Those 6 hexes to include Taranto are all Allied controlled, even though no Allied ground units have ever set foot there.



If you didn't know, historically the Allies launched Operation Slapstick on 9 September 1943, the same day as the Salerno landings. Slapstick went off with little planning in response to an agreement between the Italians and Allies where Italy agreed to open the port of Taranto to the Allies upon the formal declaration of surrender. The British 1st Airborne Division was transported to Taranto on several Royal Navy ships and entered the port unopposed, having already been vacated by the Germans.

In my game, upon discovering the 6 friendly controlled hexes at the start of GT6, I immediately launched my own version of Operation Slapstick. Since everything I had was either still in Sicily (Messina was still holding out) or committed to my toe operation or future amphibious operations, the only thing left was the Brit X Corps with 2 divisions that had been sitting in Tunisia basically as a reserve. They entered the port of Taranto on GT7 where they found the entire heel to the east of Taranto completely void of German units, and with the exception of a German regiment holding the port of Bari to the northwest of Taranto, they were able to go all the way to Foggia. This in turn relieved some of the pressure on the north side of my toe operation as the AI readjusted its lines and allowed me to break free from the toe to link up with the Slapstick units in the next couple turns.

Whatever it was in the game mechanics that caused this event, I got some great enjoyment out of exploiting it, mainly due to the historical parallel.

In section 18.1.2 it says this:

In the Allied logistics phase on the turn the Italians surrender, as well as every turn after that in which the below conditions are met, there is a chance that some hexes in Italy, Sardinia and Corsica will change to Allied control. Hexes with coordinates X>151 and Y>253 or hexes that are part of Corsica or Sardinia may change. German units in Italy or Corsica can prevent the switchover. All German units prevent a change in any hex that is within a number of hexes of the unit equal to 1+(unit CV/2). So a German unit with a CV of 9 would prevent a switchover in any hex within 5 hexes of the unit. Any hex that is not within range of a German unit has a 50 percent chance of switching to Allied control.


Glad you enjoyed the benefits of this rule, and were able to launch your own slapstick operation. [:)]

This is how I get Allied units ashore in Corsica without having to use and prep a TF to invade.

Cary

ORIGINAL: Joel Billings

In section 18.1.2 it says this:

In the Allied logistics phase on the turn the Italians surrender, as well as every turn after that in which the below conditions are met, there is a chance that some hexes in Italy, Sardinia and Corsica will change to Allied control. Hexes with coordinates X>151 and Y>253 or hexes that are part of Corsica or Sardinia may change. German units in Italy or Corsica can prevent the switchover. All German units prevent a change in any hex that is within a number of hexes of the unit equal to 1+(unit CV/2). So a German unit with a CV of 9 would prevent a switchover in any hex within 5 hexes of the unit. Any hex that is not within range of a German unit has a 50 percent chance of switching to Allied control.


Glad you enjoyed the benefits of this rule, and were able to launch your own slapstick operation. [:)]

So it does say that. A look in the book saves time.

All understanding comes after the fact.