With a new naval build, and alot of lessons learned, Przemek and I are starting a new AAR! This time we are switching sides: I will play the Republic, and he will take the Nationalists.
This game should see the Nationalists have a slower opening.....our first game was based on an early build with high experience levels for the Nationalist Militias (too high), and the ability to rapidly move the Army of Africa to Spain without needing air transport.
Przemek and I are TESTING a new build that dramatically changes the naval situation. I think the changes are really good, and many are ones that I advocated for. In the original build, the Nationalists could use German and Italian ships to take on the Republican Navy, clear the Strait, and start getting units over by ship. German and Italian warships were full belligerents, able to bombard, kill, and maim anything they wanted.
That's over.....and the purpose is to more closely model history. IRL, the Republican Navy closed the Strait for some time, enough that it was necessary to get Ju-52s and other transports to get the Army of Africa over. This will now be necessary in-game.
I'll detail the Naval Changes in the next post, but in the meantime we must rally all our Comrades to the barricades, to beat back the tide of facsism!
So, what are we testing? I'll let the author say, but I think these are really good and historical changes. We'll see how it plays out, that's the purpose of the test.
In the original build I was pretty vocal that the Nationalists had WAY more control over Axis warships than historical, and that the Nationalists could quickly control the seas....not realistic at all. The temporary nature of the deployments actually encouraged the Nationalist player to be reckless with Italian and German warships....which is the exact opposite of what would happen historically.
On the flip side, the Nationalists needed to have those Ju-52s sooner (in original build, they come later or damaged, and not usable). German and Italian pilots also need to be trained in NAVB to be a threat to Republican shipping (which they weren't). FInally, I was vocal that the CTV should be easy to transport to Spain, and not have to run a Republican gauntlett (historically, the Republic was reluctant to attack Italian ships which transported them)
So, there are pluses and minuses for both sides here.
There are some real strategic implications here, particularly around Mallorca which I'll get into. But first, the actual notes:
Introduction
All naval devices have been completely overhauled and rationalised to ensure consistency across the various nations based on real-world capabilities. Certain errors were addressed, for example short-barrelled landing guns on Spanish cruisers being reflected as naval guns. Where information on specific Spanish naval guns was lacking, informed guesses were made with reference to the capabilities of similar, contemporary weapons.
All warships have been carefully set up with their real-world 1936 weaponry.
One of the biggest changes is in how merchant shipping is dealt with. Over 500 merchant classes were created in an effort to accurately capture the real-world historical capabilities of individual merchant ships.
Tangier is now captured as the Tangier International Zone, which was neutral and governed by an international control committee (however, for game purposes, Tangier International Zone is part of the Nationalist faction).
The ability to convert fishing trawlers on both sides to improvised minesweepers has also been added.
Soviet Union
On 4 September 1936, the Republican player gets access to 28 Soviet merchant ships (22 in Odessa, 5 in Leningrad, and one in Murmansk) with total GRT of 106,320 tonnes. These ships withdraw on 1 June 1937, reflecting Stalin’s decision to no longer risk valuable Soviet hulls to carry arms to Republican Spain, and to focus on using Republican shipping instead.
USA
On 1 August 1936, the Nationalist player gets access to five large tankers in Canarias Islas. This represents the contribution of Texaco, whose chairman, Torkind Rieber, was pro-Spain and Germany, and in August 1936 agreed to provide the Nationalists with oil on credit until the war ended. Texaco ships ostensibly bound for Antwerp, Rotterdam, or Amsterdam were given sealed orders, which diverted them to Spain. These actions violated the 1937 Neutrality Act; under direct pressure from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Rieber eventually relented. These ships therefore withdraw on 31 January 1938. These ships are neutral for game purposes, i.e. cannot be sunk by the Republican player. However, Texaco continued supporting the Nationalists, and simply used Norwegian tankers instead. This is represented by five tankers appearing as Neutral German in Kiel on 1 February 1938.
Republican Spain
Total: 743 ships of all kinds, 1,237,404 tons total
The Republican player starts the game with an overwhelming majority of ships – 582 ships of all kinds (naval and merchant) with combined tonnage of 995,278 tons.
Over the course of the war, the Republican player receives a further 161 ships of all kinds, with combined tonnage of 282,126 tons. Most of these ships represent the blockade runners of various foreign nations that kept supplying Republican Spain. These have varied arrival dates and withdrawal dates.
The DD Churruca only appears in Cartagena on 20 July 1936. This is to represent the fact that the Churruca briefly served on the Nationalist side, until its crew decided to support the Republicans instead on 19 July. While in Nationalist hands, the Churruca assisted with carrying troops from North Africa to Cadiz on 18 July.
(Note: The Bandera that the Churruca moved to Spain now appears as a reinforcement in Cadiz on July 19th, and does not have to be moved from Morocco)
Nationalist Spain
Total: 663 ships of all kinds, 239,395 tons total
There was a massive mismatch in merchant shipping between the Nationalists and the Republicans once the coup was finished and the sides settled. However, the Nationalists in the following years managed to capture a staggering number of Republican merchant ships.
The Nationalists start the war with only three ships – the torpedo boat T-16, the gunboat Dato, and the passenger ship Domine (which was on its way to Cadiz from the Canary Isles and turned around before reading Cadiz, later joining the Nationalists).
On 18 July, a further 88 ships of all kinds totalling 63,918 tons become available to the Nationalists.
On 19 July, 100 more ships of all kinds totalling 48,354 tons become available to the Nationalist player, and on 20 July a further 16 ships with a total of 50,490 tons become available (these ships are mostly in Kiel and Napoli, reflecting Spanish ships interned when the war started, confiscated, and used to transport supplies to Nationalist Spain).
On 21 July 1936, 92 additional ships of all kinds totalling 36,114 tons become available (including the BBc Espana and the CL Almirante Cervera, and on 22 July 1936 they are joined by a further 26, mostly small, ships.
For the rest of the war, the Nationalists get an additional 63 ships of all kinds, totalling 51,008 tons. These include some very useful ships – the heavy cruisers Canarias and Baleares, heavily-armed Neptuno-class minelayers, and a number of older Italian destroyers and some submarines transferred to them.
“Neutral” Germany
Germany never formally declared war on Republican Spain, and for diplomatic purposes kept up the pretence of supporting Non-Intervention in the Spanish civil war. However, they did provide significant support in the form of shipments of supplies and volunteers, and the Kriegsmarine maintained a presence off Spain that not only was a show of force, but also provided intelligence to the Nationalists regarding Republican naval movements.
Shortly after the war breaks out – 24 July 1936 – “neutral” German warships Admiral Scheer, Deutschland and 6 torpedo boats become available to send to the Spanish coast. These ships cannot attack Republican shipping (however, their embarked air groups (He 60s) might theoretically carry out bomb attacks on Republican shipping) and cannot themselves be attacked by the Republicans. However, they provide “eyes” to the Nationalist player, identifying targets for capable, fast Nationalist warships like the Baleares and Canarias.
During August to November 1936, the Nationalist player gets access (in Kiel) to 28 German merchant vessels (combined tonnage 135,500) for purposes of carrying supplies and German volunteers to the Spanish mainland. These ships withdraw during the month of November.
On 20 August, Admiral Graf Spee and the light cruisers Nuernberg and Leipzig become available, along with a further six torpedo boats. Koenigsberg becomes available on 26 August 1936, Emden on 10 October 1936, Koeln on 23 December 1936 and Karlsruhe on 27 December 1936.
The heavy and light cruiser units all have specific arrival and departure dates to reflect their historical patrol movements. The torpedo boats are available throughout. It is up to the Nationalist player to decide how these units are cycled, bearing in mind the fuel expense involved if the entire Kriegsmarine force is committed.
Two German U-boats covertly sent to support the Nationalists by attacking Republican shipping as part of Operation Ursula are dealt with under the “Pirates” nation below.
During January and February 1937, the Nationalist player gets access to 5 Neutral German merchant ships totalling 11,470 tons – effectively German gun-runners supplying the Nationalists. Again, these ships are incapable of being attacked by the Republicans.
“Neutral” Italy
Italy never formally declared war on Republican Spain, and for diplomatic purposes kept up the pretence of supporting Non-Intervention in the Spanish civil war. However, they did provide significant support in the form of shipments of supplies and volunteers, and the Regia Marina maintained a presence off Spain that not only was a show of force,
but also provided intelligence to the Nationalists regarding Republican naval movements.
The Neutral Italian ships are unable to attack Republican shipping (but theoretically embarked air groups are able to bomb Republican ships), and they themselves are incapable of being attacked. However, they are capable of embarking “aggro” Italian units, such as the elements of the Corpo Truppo Voluntarie. In effect, then, the Italians are able to send supplies and troops unhindered, without fear of loss due to Republican attack. (This reflects history – the Republicans avoided any aggressive actions against both German and Italian ships.)
Three hospital ships become available on 19 July in Napoli, followed on 22 July 1936 by three heavy cruisers – Gorizia, Fiume, Pola – and the old scout cruiser Quarto. The same day, the Emilio Morandi, a cargo ship that regularly supplied the Balearics, becomes available.
The heavy cruiser Trento and light cruiser Muzio Attendolo follow on 28 July, and on 31 July five Turbine-class destroyers become available. On 1 August 1936, a significant number of Italian warships become available – the heavy cruisers Zara and Trieste, the light cruisers Alberico da Barbiano and Alberto di Guissano, and 11 Navigatori-class destroyers, the old destroyers Falco and Aquila, two Freccia-class destroyers, three old Sauro-class destroyers, and the old Audace destroyer. On 5 August 1936, the light cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere becomes available; during October, additional forces for deployment include two old Mirabello-class destroyers and the light cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni. Another freighter, Le Tre Marie, becomes available from 20 October 1936.
In December 1936, Mussolini takes the decision to send volunteer troops to Spain. From 15 December 1936 to 28 February 1937, the Nationalist player gets access to 19 liners and passenger ships (including Rex, Saturnia, Vulcania, Conte Grande, Conte Biancamano, Neptunia, Conte Rosso, etc) to transport the CVT to Spanish ports. In addition, the Italians get a further seven merchant ships for resupply missions to the Spanish, including the tanker Laura Corrado. (Again, these ships are basically impervious to Republican interdiction).
During the remainder of the war, other Italian warships become available – the heavy cruiser Bolzano, destroyers of the Folgore and Maestrale classes, and the light cruisers R. Montecuccoli, Armando Diaz, Luigi Cadorna, and Bari. Again, it is up to the Nationalist player to decide how and when to commit most of these units, bearing in mind the consumption of fuel by these units.
Aggressive actions by Italian ships against Soviet and Republican shipping is reflected in the “Pirates” nation – which is discussed next.
Pirates
A new nation, Pirates, was created. Italian submarines covertly attacking Republican and Soviet shipping in 1937 was specifically describes as “acts of piracy” by international observers.
Italian (and a limited number of German) ships under the Pirates nation are capable of attacking Republican and Soviet ships and other targets (and are themselves capable of being attacked!).
From early November 1936 (Topazio, Naiade) and right up until September 1937, the Italians have 42 different submarines that become available for offensive action against Republican shipping. The historical patrol dates for all of these submarines have been used to dictate arrival and withdrawal dates.
In addition to Italian submarines, from 21 November 1936 the Pirates also get two German U-boats, U-33 (Triton) and U-34 (Poseidon) – this reflecting Operation Ursula – with these two U-boats withdrawing on 15 December 1936.
Two Italian light cruisers, E.F. Duca d’Aosta and Eugenio di Savoia, also become available under the Pirates nation, for a short period from 10 February 1937 to 20 February 1937, to reflect the covert, high-speed bombardment runs conducted on Valencia and Barcelona.
Unfortunately, the Deutschland incident could not be modelled without some difficulty.
While the Republicans have a massive advantage in pure numbers and tonnage of merchant ships, it's important to bear in mind that the majority of the Spanish merchant fleet is old and relatively slow. The average age of the Spanish merchant fleet (for steamers above 300grt) was 25 years in 1936, and the average speed was 11 knots.
However, there were some newer, modern and fast vessels. Here the disparity between Republicans and Nationalists is less pronounced - there are 25 Spanish merchant ships capable of top speeds of 15 knots or higher, with 15 of those starting as Republican, and 10 starting as Nationalist. Below is a summary of these, most useful, merchant ships:
Ship Name Speed Faction Arrival Location
Vicente Puchol 17 Nationalist 360718 Melilla/El Atalayon
A.Lazaro 17 Nationalist 360718 Melilla/El Atalayon
Domine 16 Nationalist 360717 TF just outside Cadiz
Ciudad de Ceuta 16 Nationalist 360718 Ceuta
Rey Jaime I 16 Nationalist 360720 Napoli
Ciudad de Palma 15 Nationalist 360719 Palma
Mallorca 15 Nationalist 360719 Palma
Ciudad de Alicante 15 Nationalist 360718 Villa Sanjurjo
Ciudad de Algeciras 15 Nationalist 360718 Ceuta
Ciudad de Valencia 15 Nationalist 360718 Canarias Islas
Cristobal Colon 18 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Habana 18 Republican 360717 Barcelona
J.J.Sister 17 Republican 360717 Malaga
Uruguay 17 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Cabo San Augustin 17 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Cabo Santo Tome 17 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Marques de Comillas 17 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Magallanes 17 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Villa de Madrid 16 Republican 360717 TF in Alborian Sea
Juan S. Elcano 16 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Manuel Arnus 16 Republican 360717 Barcelona
Fernando Po 16 Republican 360717 Spanish Guinea
Ciudad de Barcelona 15 Republican 360717 Tarragona
Ciudad de Cadiz 15 Republican 360717 Malaga
Rey Jaime II 15 Republican 360717 Alicante
I posted a thread on this on the main forum awhile ago. Under the original build, taking Mallorca was really essential for the Republic, and also doable. Land some troops, take out the airbase and CD guns, lay siege to the port. Keep supplies out via surface ship blockade, as well as Vildebeest torpedo bombers. Eventually the garrison starves. My opponent ran this exact playbook in our last matchup, when he played the Republic.
Taking Mallorca was essential to secure the Eastern Med. That ensures supply flow for the Republic, and also denied the CTV use of the Med to get to Spain....necessitating a very long trip around Africa!
So, under the new build, some changes make taking Mallorca more difficult for the Republic.
1. MORE DIFFICULT TO STARVE OUT: There are a handful of "Neutral" Italian ships that can be use to run "Humanitarian Supplies to the Children of Palma". Oh, and food for the garrison! These ships cannot be attacked. So, I think he'll be able to keep Palma in supply. That makes the port nearly impossible to take; it would require something like 20,000 ground troops, which can't be spared from the mainland.
2. NO VILDEBEEST TORPS: This build has one important change: The Vildebeests do not carry torpedoes. That makes them much less dangerous to shipping, so to enforce a blockade the Republic would need ships not planes.
3. CTV: The CTV can now reach Spain in safe transit on Italian ships....so occupying Mallorca won't change this either way
So, what should the Republic do?
I still plan to invade, but my objective may change. I will try to starve it out still, but it may be impossible; there is no way I can last there once the CTV is active, because by then he'll have a large fleet of Italian shipping and plenty of ground troops.
Even if I have to withdraw, I can accomplish a few things by landing there:
1. Temporarily occupy the airfield: This will give me a few months peace in the Eastern Med, enough to move alot of supplies and fuel
2. Take out all the CD Guns: This is important....by taking them out, the airbase on Mallorca is vulnerable to shore bombardment. If he's ever active from it, I can use the Republican Navy to possibly quash it. But that's very risk if all the CD guns are there. Landing on Mallorca I can destroy all of them except for the ones in Palma itself.
A Nationalist Mallorca will be a problem; if the airbase is active, that will mean he can interdict shipping from Odesa to Barcelona and the coast. The Nationalist Navy will have a base there.
I think the Republican Navy will remain active enough, however, to mostly cover my merchant fleet. I'll have some losses, but I do have quite a few ships.
I will recount the first 3 days of action; if you've played the Grand Campaign, you know that there are many places contested. I won't show all of them, but will do a quick run down.
Naval Update:
The two cruisers, Libertad and Miguel de Cervantes, start right off El Ferrol; I moved them down to enforce the blockade of Morocco from the Atlantic side. They refueled along the way at Huelva.
One change in this build is that all the Nationalist CD guns start disabled; this is to simulate the fact that they were not operational Day 1, but rather had to be manned and brought back in service. With active guns the Strait of Gibralter is hazardous to transit, so have to take advantage of a few days peace here!
So, I moved 2 DDs through the Strait; along with the 2 Cruisers, and a few PBs, they will form the "Atlantic Squadron". I'll use Huelva for fuel and ammo as long as it lasts, which will probably be 10-15 days. After that, it's much harder to sustain a blockade from that side of the Strait, because anytime you need more ammo, you have to run the CD gun gauntlett.
I have DDs on the Med side of the Strait; their job is pretty easy
For now I will retain Jaime I up north; I need to be able to cover shipping to/from those ports, otherwise the Nationalists will hunt down transports with their cruiser
The Atlantic forces are already doing work, intercepting and sinking most of a transport TF.....I think they were trying to get to Africa:
Surface Combat at 64, 132 near Chiplona - 15:00
Weather in hex: Clear wind 0
Nationalist Fleet:
xAK Genoveva F.: Shell Hits: 12, Heavy fires, Heavy damage
xAK Cabo Creux: Shell Hits: 33, Heavy fires, Heavy damage
xAK Cabo Prior: Shell Hits: 3, On fire
xAK Cabo Corona: Shell Hits: 18, Heavy fires, Heavy damage
xAK Cabo Tres Forcas: Shell Hits: 63, and is sunk
xAK Cabo Menor: Shell Hits: 36, On fire
xAK Cabo Carboeiro: Shell Hits: 1
AKL Santa Urbana: Shell Hits: 1, and is sunk
AKL Toralla: Shell Hits: 1, and is sunk
AKL Tiburon: Shell Hits: 1, and is sunk
xAKL Guanchinerfe: Shell Hits: 1, and is sunk
xAKL Guadaira: Shell Hits: 1, Heavy fires, Heavy damage
1502: AKL Santa Urbana is observed to be abandoned by crew, sinking rapidly
1503: AKL Toralla is observed to be abandoned by crew, sinking rapidly
1504: AKL Tiburon is sinking by the stern while being abandoned by crew
1511: xAKL Guanchinerfe is sinking by the stern while being abandoned by crew
1513: xAKL Guadaira has lost all power and is drifting to a halt, on fire and listing to Starboa
1517: xAK Genoveva F. has lost all power and is drifting to a halt, ablaze and heeling to Port
TNTN Pastor D.I. of xAK Cabo Creux is killed !!!
1538: xAK Cabo Tres Forcas has lost all power and is drifting to a halt, ablaze and heeling to S
1539: xAK Cabo Tres Forcas is sinking by the stern while being abandoned by crew
Here is a quick map of us enforcing blockade; I am using both real warships, and also TBs and PBs, ships that are not very dangerous but will cause any transport not set to ABSOLUTE threat tolerance to flee. Anything that carries a gun has some use!
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Air Update:
Not much to report yet, other than we moved planes to Malaga; search planes to look for shipping, and some bombers, who bombed Ceuta last turn...going for the shipping there.
Madrid Area:
The Nationalists who started in Madrid are trapped; I hope to attack and destroy them next turn. I also have the Engineering unit NE of town trapped (though it starts Static). All the RR engineers did get away though, that's the price of focusing on the Madrid forces.
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Gijon:
I did not contest Oveido, but evacuated to Gijon, to kick him out of there. I am close to doing so, and he might just leave soon; the Jaime I is bombarding daily, and his troops are starting to lose. After that, I need to get more troops to Mieres to secure pathway down to Pajares; if I don't, the Pajares troops can easily get cut-off. If that's in danger, I will have to just abandon the road, and he'll be able to supply Oveido. This area is very tricky with Oveido in Nationalist hands......
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San Sebastian:
There is some danger here; I pulled out of Irun, and destroyed the Artillery units in San Sebastian. However, he has cut the road to the West, putting the position in danger. The Nationalists get alot of forces near here, so pretty soon I may have to decide to do a sea evacuation out of there! Pretty good job by Przemek, and this is a very tough area to hold as the Republic without risking your troops.
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Elsewhere:
We both made what I think are sensible choices elsewhere; there is no reason to contest a city when you know you're going to lose.
I pulled out of Cordoba, Grenada, and Caceres without a fight. He did the same at Malaga and Jaen. The Nationalist forces at Malaga are actually pretty strong, but without supply source it's a hopeless fight, so he did the smart thing and fled northward to safety.
Otherwise we're just knocking over empty towns on each side
We must celebrate the accomplishments of our comrades in the Submarine forces!
In two separate engagements, we took down several Nationalist Ships. While I don't yet have confirmation, they are all "Heavy Fires" in the middle of nowhere on the high seas....if they survive, it will be as a burned-out hulk in Ifni or a port in Mallorca.
A merchant convoy returning from Palma; sadly, they were able to deliver supplies, but I am more alert now:
[Sub attack at 169, 103 near Mahon - 09:00
Weather in hex: Clear wind 1
Nationalist Fleet:
xAK Mallorca: Shell Hits: 33, On fire
AKL Pacifico: Shell Hits: 1, Heavy fires
xAKL Cala San Vicens: Shell Hits: 1, On fire, Heavy damage
xAKL Carmelita: Shell Hits: 1, On fire, Heavy damage
TNTN Alvarez C.B. of xAK Mallorca is killed !!!
/i]
Subsequent engagements had more shell hits; 2 subs really emptied all their shells on these guys
One interesting thing, with the new rules Italian ships are "Neutral".......all this happened while a TF of 2 Italian Heavy Cruisers sailed by, as you can see. Under the new rules, those ships can only serve as scouts (though the Planes can do whatever)
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We also heavily damaged CL NAVARRA off the southern coast of Morocco; I guess she was heading to the safety of Ifni? Not sure, but I don't think she'll make it. (One change in this version BTW: You cannot start the REFIT of Navarra until 7/37, so that means she is not available until mid-1938...as historical)
Hurrah for the Navy!
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Blockade Update:
We continue to blockade the Straits; no combat or activity, and I don't think he's moved anything (though an AP did depart Larache heading south; I don't know if it had men on board, or just moving the ship).
The one thing I can't really prevent is movement from Canarias; he has 2 Regiments there, and is likely moving them through the Atlantic to Vigo (which is what I did in our last game early). I don't want to burn the fuel to move ships way out West to watch the ocean there, and I have no air search to help that far out.......so, will have to let it happen. Anything at Ifni can also be moved safely this way.
Last edited by Q-Ball on Sun Jun 07, 2026 1:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
We must not forget our brothers and sisters on land, right?
Madrid:
We forced the surrender of an Engineering Battalion near Guadalajara (this unit starts STATIC, so is an easy target), and with that the Madrid area is cleared.
We have many forces marching toward Toledo, to liquidate the Alcazar. In-game, I just don't see any way the Alcazar can actually hold very long into August. I hope to not only force them out, but destroy all the elements.
South;
I don't have alot of troops down here, so he's just liberating villages and expanding Nationalist territory. He's a little stuck on La Linea, the port right near Gibraltar; there's a strong garrison unit there. I've already emptied the base of fuel to support the blockade of the Strait, so would hate to lose the port. Huelva, btw, is also out of fuel.
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San Sebastian:
This is the biggest issue right now, is what to do here. The Republican player has to be careful, IMO, because the Nationalists are strongest on this part of the map at this stage......lots of reinforcements appear from Pamplona and Burgos, which historically was the Nationalist heartland. Lots of Requetes in particular, as Navarre was the center for the Carlists.
Anyway, you can see the danger; we don't want the garrison to get separated from Bilbao. I can easily sealift everyone out, but that means a delay in getting units redeployed.
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San Sebastian is doomed regardless, so the most important things here are:
1. Buying time
2. Not getting units cut-off and destroyed
3. Not letting him take any towns along the Ring of Iron
That last one is key; losing any town in the Ring of Iron would be disastrous at this stage, particularly on the Eastern side. Just can't let that happen.
For these reasons, I am thinking of abandoning San Sebastian very soon, even though it's only the first week!
The glorious liberation of Mallorca from the Fascists has begun!
FIrst, a Naval/Air Update
Naval Update:
We continue to keep position in the Strait, nothing new to report.......so far the Nationalists are sticking to port and flying over. Most of the best parts of the Navy are down here enforcing the blockade.
CL Mendez Nunez has arrived on the map from Spanish Guinea; we will need to get her refueled and a minor refit at Cartagena, then she can join the fleet
I transferred about 2/3 of the Northern merchant fleet down to the Med on Day 1. They are now in the Med, and wanted to get that done before invading Mallorca.
Air Update:
Using some planes based at Malaga, we bombed Sania Ramiel, the primary airbase outside Tetuan, destroying a couple planes on the ground.
I am NOT going to do any more airfield bombing of Tablada or Sania Ramiel; I personally think it's a bit powerful, and too easy for the Republic, even with terrible bombers, to disrupt the airlift. Not sure how to fix this, but IRL the Republic was nowhere near organized enough to move bombers to Malaga, then start bombing the airlift strips....
Mallorca:
So, we are invading Mallorca; the core forces will be the Regular Army Battalions that start in Barcelona, near Almeria, and Cartagena; I used 5 of them already to clear Ibiza/Formentera, and will have a total of 6 landing on Mallorca. I am mixing in 3 Militia Columns, plus 2 artillery units. I'm landing at two spots to clear the island faster; generally the Nationalists don't have many mobile troops at this stage, so he'll have to stick to Palma while I conquer the rest of the island:
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You can see on that shot a TF of 3 Italian Ships (which are 3 x AH Hospital ships that start in Napoli). These are no doubt bringing in "Humanitarian Aid" to Palma. Really, they are brining SUPPLIES. I can't sink them by orders of the Republican Government, otherwise it would create an incident.
In game terms, this means that starving the garrison out is probably not possible. In our other game, he wasn't making much progress against Palma until the supplies ran out, then it fell quickly. So' we'll see what we do here.
Elsewhere:
Nationalists are advancing in some areas slowly, but nothing major. We're both getting our forces gathered. He is taking villages in Andalusia, clearing Southwest Spain....I can't really oppose this.
Bonsai83 wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2026 7:21 am
Thanks for the AAR. I still have torpedos on my vildebeests though with latest version, so is it a non public build you have?
Yes, they are pre-testing the next beta, which highlights the revised naval OOB.
WITP Admiral's Edition - Project Lead
War In Spain - Project Lead
The VIldebeest thing was a happy accident, actually....it was a mistake to have them without torps in this test build. But further research indicated that although the Republican Spanish Navy had a "Torpedista Squadron", and probably aspired to aerial torpedo tactics, the planes themselves were not equipped for it. They didn't have torpedo hardpoints, or even bomb racks and sights, and nobody had practiced torpedo drops as a result. It's not clear the Republic had yet acquired aerial torpedos. There was no reccorded instance of an aerial torpedo drop at any time in the SCW. The real Vildebeests were eventually used in Ground Support (they were equipped with bomb stuff early). So we left it!
In-game, they were very powerful, as you saw from my prior AARs; best planes in the game, IMO. But that's not at all historical or realistic. And with the Nationalists losing the ability to use Axis warships a-historically, seems like a fair trade to nerf the Vildebeests.
They will still carry a 250KG AP bomb, which is gonna hurt if it hits a ship; for that reason, it's probably still the Republic's best anti-ship platform, but they are going to be much less effective than prior.
Speaking of Anti-ship, a change I advocated for in this build is to give the Italian and German bomber pilots some training in NAV B in advance. Historically the Republic was wary of Nationalist bombers in anti-ship mode. In-game, those pilots couldn't hit anything without extensive training. So I think it's fair to improve that capability.l
The calendar flips to August, and while workers and peasants rally to the Republican colors, the Nationalists press on!
Naval Update:
We are still maintaining a blockade of the strait; Przemek attemped to sneak a unit over in a couple ships from Ceuta to Algericas, but they were intercepted and sunk by a DD TF. Just trying, I guess....didn't work. I tried the same thing against him.
What will probably break the blockade, other than Nationalist bombers, is fuel and CD guns; it is starting to get hazardous to transit the Strait due to the CD guns. The problem is there is no fuel source on the Atlantic side for the Republic, except WAY up in Gijon. And transiting the Strait can be hazardous, as the CL Mendez Nunez found out:
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So, that damage won't just buff out. She'll be repaired by early October, which is better than sinking.
In other news, my opponent says he has moved the FIRST unit over the mainland via air. There are now some Ju-52 working, so he should be able to pick up the pace a bit. He gets some Italian transport planes soon (SR 81s, another change in this build; they have a transport version, which was historically how they were initially used)
San Sebastian:
This area is ultimately very indefensible for the Republic; the terrain is not favorable, it's easily cut-off, and the bulk of Nationalist forces appear nearby. The only upsides are a couple strong garrison units, and the fact that you can always sealift folks out, since I control the sea along this coast (for now).
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I am under pressure, and will likely abandon everything outside this side of the Ring of Iron, including Guernica. Kind of hate giving that up for Basque sentimental reasons, but can't be helped.....it's better to use the forts of the Ring of Iron than try to fight and die outside.
Santander:
This is another problem area for the Republic; I am defending the mountain at it's narrowest point, which is 2 hexes; but if he break that, which he will, it is very easy to roll-up everything outside Santander. This is very much a vulnerable point for the North.
Once he's broken through the passes and can get to the coast, Asturias also because a real problem, because he can advance along the coast in clear terrain. The big difference in troops quality makes it difficult to defend.
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Anyway, I saw this movie before in our last game; Santander is the vulnerable point, and once the passes are clear, you can basically roll up everything in the north pretty easily except the 3 holdout cities: Santander, Gijon, and Bilbao. Santander is the most vulnerable of the 3 Festungs.
Malaga:
The last point of vulnerability I'll highlight is Malaga. Malaga's problem is that it can be easily outflanked and cut-off. The approaches are rugged which helps, but it's WAY forward from Almeria, and that road down from Grenada is a huge problem.
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Again, worst case you can sealift everyone out of Malaga. I'll want to hold it to the last, because it's also my closest refueling point to the blockaders of the Strait.
This is also one thing the Nationalists can do to raise the blockade: Take Malaga....it means blockaders have to go all the way to Almeria for fuel and ammo.
I am NOT going to do any more airfield bombing of Tablada or Sania Ramiel; I personally think it's a bit powerful, and too easy for the Republic, even with terrible bombers, to disrupt the airlift. Not sure how to fix this, but IRL the Republic was nowhere near organized enough to move bombers to Malaga, then start bombing the airlift strips....
So HOUSE RULE - note !!!
@PITEAS !!??
WITP Admiral's Edition - Project Lead
War In Spain - Project Lead
Q-Ball wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2026 2:40 pm
The VIldebeest thing was a happy accident, actually....it was a mistake to have them without torps in this test build. But further research indicated that although the Republican Spanish Navy had a "Torpedista Squadron", and probably aspired to aerial torpedo tactics, the planes themselves were not equipped for it. They didn't have torpedo hardpoints, or even bomb racks and sights, and nobody had practiced torpedo drops as a result. It's not clear the Republic had yet acquired aerial torpedos. There was no reccorded instance of an aerial torpedo drop at any time in the SCW. The real Vildebeests were eventually used in Ground Support (they were equipped with bomb stuff early). So we left it!
In 1936, the Spanish Republic decided to modernize its air force. A torpedo squadron was created and, in June, 56 Hawker Fury aircraft were purchased in UK. They never arrived (only 3) because war broke out. The torpedoes also failed to arrive on time.
So the war began with obsolete fighters and no torpedoes for the torpedo squadron.
Q-Ball wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2026 2:40 pm
In-game, they were very powerful, as you saw from my prior AARs; best planes in the game, IMO. But that's not at all historical or realistic. And with the Nationalists losing the ability to use Axis warships a-historically, seems like a fair trade to nerf the Vildebeests.
Since most military pilots and their operative planes were republicans in July 1936, the skies were dominated by the republicans for the first few weeks, until the arrival of german and italian aircraft in August. The VIldebeests were used for ground attacks during these first days and their losses were few (when the Italian fighters arrive, they will fall like flies), but their successes were also few.
it seems that their success in the first weeks of WiS is not realistic... I have to think about it.
Q-Ball wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2026 2:40 pm
Speaking of Anti-ship, a change I advocated for in this build is to give the Italian and German bomber pilots some training in NAV B in advance. Historically the Republic was wary of Nationalist bombers in anti-ship mode. In-game, those pilots couldn't hit anything without extensive training. So I think it's fair to improve that capability.l
In the next patch, many nationalist and republican pilots will have improved (though not significantly) naval bombing and ASW skills. Now all of them have 0 or less than 12, which is far too low.
We have spotted a large Nationalist TF off the coast of Morocco, just north of Ifni. This looks like Cervera, Velasco, and a whole bunch of APs.....no doubt a major troops transport.
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My guess would be that this a lift of the 2 Regts that start in the Canary Islands. While not as useful as the African units, they are ground troops, and will certainly help the Nationalists. So, what to do about this?
My other guess is that this TF is NOT going to try to dock at Cadiz, where he knows he can be intercepted, but rather up at Vigo; that's the safest port in Spain for the Nationalists.
I am positioning some subs to hopefully take a shot. Should I mobilize my cruiser TF to intercept?
I can put 2xCL and 4xDD on this TF; that's what I have in the Atlantic right now. The problem is that while I am pretty sure I can bang up this TF, and maybe severely damage Cervera, it would leave my ships likely damaged, and certainly out of ammo and fuel; that would allow him to immediately lift the blockade and start moving stuff to Spain.
I think I'd rather let them through and keep the blockade up of the important troops, which are the African units
Last edited by Q-Ball on Tue Jun 09, 2026 2:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Q-Ball wrote: Mon Jun 08, 2026 2:40 pm
In-game, they were very powerful, as you saw from my prior AARs; best planes in the game, IMO. But that's not at all historical or realistic. And with the Nationalists losing the ability to use Axis warships a-historically, seems like a fair trade to nerf the Vildebeests.
Since most military pilots and their operative planes were republicans in July 1936, the skies were dominated by the republicans for the first few weeks, until the arrival of german and italian aircraft in August. The VIldebeests were used for ground attacks during these first days and their losses were few (when the Italian fighters arrive, they will fall like flies), but their successes were also few.
it seems that their success in the first weeks of WiS is not realistic... I have to think about it.
To be clear, I was referring to the torpedo-carrying Vildebeests. In our game they now just carry bombs, and I don't think they need to be nerfed further....they are just bombers now. In our game they haven't done anything yet, except miss a few ships.
I would recommend in the final build to just eliminate the TB version and make them all LBs, since that's all they did
As another note, we are also playing with the following HOUSE RULES, if you are looking at something to bake into a build:
1. No Mining of the Strait: IRL, this would've brought the RN down on you like a hammer
2. Spanish Troops can only be carried on Spanish Ships: This is prevent the abuse of the Neutral ships by making spanish troops immune to sinking, and would not have happened historically. Can also be abused by the Republic with Soviet ships transiting from Med to North.
3. Spanish ships and Neutral Ships cannot be in the same TF: This is prevent Spanish ships "hiding" in a Neutral TF and thereby gaining immunity
4. Neutral Ships cannot be formed into Amphib TFs: This would be a hostile act for sure.....I think an Italian landing on Mallorca is probably OK, but not on the Spanish mainland
I think the issue is one of concentration, there are only a limited number of airfields available, and the Nationalist player doesn't have any fighters for a while.
That being said the Nationalist player could shuffle the transports around between Larache, Sania Ramel, Tauima etc and not leave them all at Sania Ramel.
Militia everywhere are rallying to the Republic! Some updates!
Naval/Air:
That large convoy disappeared from my view; I think they are heading way out into the Atlantic, where I will not try to find them (which will burn alot of fuel, and without any search planes would be tough to locate them. I would also pull my ships away from the African coast). I would probably hunt that convoy if it was unprotected, but Przemek wisely did.
We still maintain a blockade of Morocco; the pace of the airlift is increasing, with over 15 transport planes
(Remember, this build the availability of AIR TRANSPORTS is accelerated)
Southern Front:
Here is the latest map of the Southern Front. He is advancing more or less everywhere; I'm sure relieving Grenada and taking Malaga are high on the list of what he wants to do (as they should be).
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Also high is clearing the rail line from Seville to Salamanca, which unites the two parts of Spain; I am trying to make this difficult. I still hold the area around Merida/Badajoz, and I have strong forces now on the rail line north of there in a little offensive; he has just a Cav and MG unit up there. We take Plasencia, and are sitting on the railway. He will need stronger forces to dislodge me.
Central Front:
Aside from the Placensia "Offensive", this whole map is pretty quiet; I think right now we are both content to take up defensive positions. He's concentrating his forces in the North for sure, where there is a ton of pressure in many spots.
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Northern Front:
Aside from the South, this is also where the primary offensives are. I am being squeezed on both ends of the Republic Del Norte. On this map, you can see dotted lines where I will likely fall back to, to compress the defense (hopefully). We'll do this as slowly as we can to buy time for troops builds.
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So far, I am trying to NOT be forced out of a hex, which usually results in alot of disabled elements during the retreat. I am generally withdrawing right when I think the place is going to fall anyway (except for the Static Garrisons of course)
I said earlier the thing that would break the blockade is fuel and CD guns, not Nationalist ships. I think that's coming true, as another cruiser takes a CD gun hit, this time the Cervantes, as she had to transit the Strait in order to refuel at Malaga:
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I don't have a repair estimate yet, but this looks like at least a month, maybe more.
That means the blockade is down to CL Libertad and a group of Destroyers.....enough to take on the Nationalist Navy, but if Libertad is damaged that might be it for the blockade
I am running an AO back and forth through the Strait to keep the ships fueled; I'm also not moving at all, just keeping station, but even that burns fuel. (Curiously the AO hasn't been hit yet, it will go up in smoke the minute a CD hit lands)
Air Update:
With few Nationalist ships at sea, I've been bombing stuff on land, which isn't fruitful. GROUND ATTACK is an underpowered mission IMO; mostly i'm just training crews, because the bombs usually hit a wagon or something but that's about it. Vildebeests raided El Ferrol and sank.....an LB. Yipee.
I've advocated for this before, but I think the engine should be adjusted to dial-down airbase attack effectiveness, and dial-up Ground Attack effectiveness....historically in SCW, Ground Attack was the primary mission (Port Attack seems fine)
Northern Front:
This is where the main effort is for the Nationalists, and it's paying dividends, particularly near Santander.
My forces south of Santander are about to crack; last attack on the western stack was 5-1, which is doom; I am pulling back a hex to buy a little time and find other units to throw in, but there aren't many. On either side of the road to Santander, there are several hexes of ROUGH terrain; not great, but not impassible, so he can flank me if he wants. I just don't see how I can hold this area (and if you read my last AARs, BOTH times this area fell pretty quickly to me as Nationalists). We've seen this movie before!
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So, the strategic implications are pretty clear; this will split the Republic del Norte in half, with Austurias on one side and Bilbao on the other. Bilbao can be defended around the Ring of Iron, and Gijon is a pretty tough nut (Heavy Urban, Level 5 forts). But everything else is pretty open terrain once he's close to Santander.
Should I defend the city of Santander? It is Heavy Urban, but with only 2 forts the least defensible city of the three. In our last game, I bagged 20,000 troops at Santander, forcing their surrender. I see that replaying again.
I have a few days to decide, as I think I can keep him out until the end of August, but at that point the city is likely to be under siege. I think I'll probably defend it, and sea-evac if it's getting hairy.
Note to Nationalist Players: IMO, the road south of Santander should be your #1 focus in August, because I think that's where you can make alot of progress. Playing as Nationalists, I would over-commit there and try to take Santander early. That provides a ton of benefits, including:
--Splits the Republic del Norte in half
--You'll end up taking out every airbase up north except Lamiaco (near Bilbao).....no more air resistance. The two airbases between Gijon and Santander are on the coast and open terrain, easy to roll over
--By moving West, you'll roll-up Asturias; no matter how well he defends the mountain passes south and west of Oveido, you'll be able to break through, because no matter what the Asturians cannot be cut-off from Gijon...it's better to be locked in the port
--Santander is key for your supply net; convoys from Germany can unload here, and that's closer to the interior of Spain, particularly for fuel
The inevitable result of rolling Santander is reducing the Republic del Norte to Gijon, and the Ring of Iron
I think Przemek is smart enough to know everything here I just laid out, so that's why he's making a priority of it IMO
Malaga:
The other pressure point is in the South; this is where there are a few African units now in play (I can see at least 3). He is pushing hard to Grenada and is going to make it; I don't have anything to stop him in open terrain.
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Malaga is strategically important because of the Strait; it's my forward-most seaplane base and refueling point. Without it, both those things head back to Almeria...which makes support of a Strait blockade more difficult. This is another reason why I think any blockade of the Strait isn't permanent, but rather temporary
