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Turn 1:

May
5/13-15/44 T1
Italy:
Pic.I-1: Beginning of operation Diadem.

The Allies began a major operation against the Gustav Line in Italy. They were able to capture Cassino and break through south of Pescara, but no major breakthrough was accomplished and reserves have been placed to plug the gaps.
The Anzio beachhead remains just a beachhead, but with the arrival of the 9th Panzer Division, attacks will soon commence to whittle down the beachhead.

Reserves from southern France have been brought in for anti-partisan duties.

France:
The Defences of northern France were re-organized over the last three days, with substantial manpower coming out of southern France to strengthen the defences for the impending Allied invasion.
Pic:F-1: Defence of France.


Theatre Report:
Casualties came in at about 8,000, with 10 tanks and 83 aircraft lost. We can safely estimate that Allied casualties were much higher.

Turn 2:
5/16-19/44 T2
Italy:
The Allies continued operations against the Gustav Line, and though they managed to force the 94th Infantry to surrender, they made no progress, except on the east coast where they moved through our rear-guard forces. Reserves, in the form of the 9th Panzer Division were put into the line and it will hold.
The 17th SS PzGren Division and 2nd SS Panzer Division both arrived from southern France.

France:
More divisions settled into their places along the coast.

Theatre Report:
Casualties are now just under 17,000, with 48 tanks and 212 aircraft lost. The Luftwaffe took a particular beating, unfortunately.

Turn 3:
5/20-22/44 T3
Italy:
The Canadian Corps attacked on the east coast and the fighting was so intense that the 5th Canadian Armoured Division ceased to exist as a fighting formation, perhaps these men are not as formidable as their fathers were in the last war.
The Allies have pushed to the Hitler Line right along the west coast, but that line is now held by both the 90th PzGren and the 71st Infantry.
Operation Ameise: With the newly arrived SS divisions an opportunity presents itself. The Americans and French are pressing hard on the Hitler Line, looking for a breakthrough. Well, we will give them that breakthrough. The 90th PzGren and 71st Infantry will give way to the Allied troops, leading them along the coast. When they have advanced far enough, the 2nd and 17th SS will cut their line of retreat and destroy them.
Pic.I-2: Operation Ameise.

This will help to curtail the Allied offensive in the area, and when their offensive is over I will divert the 2nd SS, 17th SS, 9th Panzer, and 26th Panzer to reducing the Anzio beachhead. (This plan is in stark contrast to my planning when I commanded the Allies. For with the Germans I carry out operations with divisions that as the Allies I would have been using whole Corps for.)

Theatre Report:
Casualties have risen to over 21,000, with 79 tanks and 323 aircraft destroyed. The current low tank losses will easily be replaced but the infantry and aircraft losses are far outstripping replacement rates.

5/23-26/44 T4
Italy:
The Italian front saw continued Allied offensive action, but they managed no gains. The 44th HuD Division was forced to retreat, however, and the 17th SS has now taken its place in the line.
The 2nd SS and Hermann Goering Panzer divisions await an Allied breakthrough to pinch off.
The Partisans are all but eliminated, with the last of them being rounded up north of Milano. With the Partisans eliminated divisions such as the 16th SS will be available for the Italian front line.

Theatre Report:
Casualties are over 25,000, with 107 tanks and 409 aircraft destroyed.

5/27-29/44 T5
Italy:
The Italian front saw a concentrated attack on the east coast, with the 71st Infantry Division evaporating, while the 44th HuD, 29th PzGren, 90th PzGren, 9th Panzer, 26th Panzer, and Hermann Goering divisions were all routed, and the Allies managed to widen their break in the Gustav Line to 30km. The 2nd SS holds the coast and the routed 90th PzGren and Hermann Goering hold the line 15-30km inland, of the Hitler Line.
The 188th Reserve Gebirgs Division joined the 1st FJ Division north-west of Cassino. The 16th SS PzGren, 148th Reserve Infantry, 157th Gebirgs, 162nd (Turk) Infantry, 242nd Infantry, and 244th Infantry have all just arrived as well, fresh from anti-partisan duties.
Pic.I-3: Pushed back to the Hitler Line.

The Partisan threat was also completely put to rest this week.

France: All troops are now in their positions.

Theatre Report:
Casualties are now at about 34,000, with 242 tanks and 478 aircraft lost, as this week’s fighting was particularly costly.

June
5/30-6/2 1944 T6
Italy:
Plans for Operation Ameise have been cancelled as the Americans and French have broken the Hitler Line, while all the divisions I had planned to use in the counter-offensive were reorganizing, except two: The 29th PzGren and 26th Pz, both of which failed to push back the US II Tnk Des Grp.
The SA 6th Armoured also broke through the Gustav Line north of Cassino and the 16th SS PzGren and 44th HuD divisions attempted a counter-attack, but had no success.
The Americans and British made an attempt to break out of the Anzio beachhead as well, but they were unsuccessful, though they forced the 20th LW Division to retreat.
The newly arrived divisions have been placed into the line at different locations. The 148th Infantry, and 157th Gebirgs went to secure the Anzio line. 162nd (Turk) Infantry, and 242nd Infantry went in west of Cassino.
The 5th Canadian Armoured is coming up to the front line on the east coast, so I expect renewed offensive pressure there, as well.

Pic.I-4: Failed counter-attacks.

The damn Partisans are back... I will be using predominately Flak Regiments to attempt to clear them up again.


France:
The troops wait.
Theatre Report:
Utter frustration as neither counter-attack succeeded in Italy, and the 14th Armee may have to fall back to avoid being encircled. Only luck will save the Gustav Line, if the Allies fail to make good on their breakthroughs.
Also, I gathered up and killed the remaining Partisans, but some cells have sprung back to life, threatening my supply line, and driving me insane.
Casualties are now just under 47,000, with 380 tanks, and 550 aircraft destroyed. This was a particularly brutal three days, with major Allied attacks and two counter-attacks.

6/3-5/44 T7
Italy:
162nd (Turk) Infantry was so completely routed that the division ceased to exist as a fighting unit. The 1st FJ Division, which was down to 34/243 Rifle Squads was withdraw from its salient next to Cassino, and the 653rd Sch PzJ Bn was left as a rear-guard. Out of the line opposite Anzio two divisions were removed in an effort to blunt the Allied offensive that was drawing near to the beachhead. The east line was also reshuffled.
Two initial counter-attacks were made on the first day, one against the II Tnk Dst grp, by the 2nd SS and 42nd Jaeger, which succeeded, and the other against the UK 7th Arm Bde, involving the 9th Panzer, 16th SS PzGren, and 5th Gebirgs, also successful, though the only unit that managed to advance was the 744th PzJ Bn, but it was enough to cut off retreat.
Over the next two days the SA 6th Armoured and NZ 2nd Infantry were corralled by the combined, bloody efforts of the 9th Panzer, 16th SS PzGren, 42nd Jaeger, and 305th Infantry. The 305th was almost completely destroyed in their attack, but they continued to hold the line, every other unit was unavailable, but with their last breaths, the men of the 9th Panzer managed a final attack, desperately and savagely attacking their enemy. In the end, the remnants of the NZ 2nd Infantry were either killed or captured, and only a few tanks remained of the SA 6th Armoured, but the line was thin and an Allied relief attack was expected very soon.
The 338th Grenadier Division and the 19th LW Field Division arrived north of Rome, quickly making their way towards the front line.
The front line is stretched to the breaking point and only skill and determination will hold it together now. In hindsight, I should have crushed the Anzio beachhead as soon as the 2nd SS arrived, but I thought the Gustav Line would be able to be held (foolish of me, considering the success I have had against it when playing the Allies, twice).
Pic.I-5: Counter Attacks and the destruction of the NZ 2nd Infantry.


France:
Boats have been spotted in the English Channel, all units have been put on alert, I fear invasion is at hand...
Theatre Report:
Casualties are about 60,000 now, with 529 tanks, and 696 aircraft destroyed. This has been the most brutal three days of combat on the western front since I took command. I can only hope that the Allied forces are incurring even heavier losses.

6/6-9/44 T8
Italy:
Fighting continued in Italy as the Allies made several attacks against the front line. The first was directed against the 305th Infantry, which was forced to retreat, allowing the Allies to link up with their cut off SA 6th Armoured Division. The second attack was against the line between Casinno and Anzio. The French and Americans forced the 2nd SS to retreat, but the gap was plugged and the line held. It is only a matter of time now, before they are able to breakthrough to the Anzio beachhead...
Pic.I-6: The line in Italy.

France:
INVASION REPPELED! NO MERE RAID!
Thousands of Allied troops have been killed in the last 4 days as they continued to make futile attempts against the defences of the Atlantic Wall. Following Rommel’s advice, all of my reserves were positioned directly in the hands of my tactical commanders. No central reserve was kept. The seven Panzer Divisions were spread equally among the different expected landing sites, save Brittany, which received only one, and was compensated by the presence of elite FJ troops.
The Allies decided to attack Brittany, the least defended of the suspected landing sites. They attacked four different beaches; Dinard, 15km west of Dinard, 30km west of Dinard, and St. Brieuc. The first attack fell on the beaches 30km west of Dinard, and the 11th Panzer and 3rd FJ were immediately summoned. They fought bravely, but were both forced to withdraw within days, leaving the 266th Infantry and two heavy Panzer Battalions to heroically fend off the Allies for the remaining day. The second attack fell on the beaches 15km west of Dinard, and the retreating 11th Panzer blundered directly into the fray on the second day, valuably assisting the infantry of the 77th and 343rd divisions, before it again withdrew, east, towards Dinard. The third attack was at the port of Dinard, itself, and the heroic, or hapless, 11th Panzer was again involved in the fighting, standing their ground when the Dinard garrison was forced to retreat. The fourth attack, at St. Brieuc was made by substantially smaller forces, which was the utmost of fortune, as the port was protected by only a single regiment of the 353rd Infantry. The brigade of the reserve 2nd FJ assigned to that sector immediately responded, but was forced back, leaving the 353rd’s regiment to fend for itself. Curiously, no airborne troops accompanied the invasion.
Pic.F-1: INVASION REPELLED!

During the week the 5th FJ Division was rushed from the beaches around St. Michel to assist in the defence, as well, the Lehr Panzer Division is now in coming into position around St. Brieuc. The 1st SS and 12th SS have also been rushed into the area via train from their beaches.
The Luftwaffe was able to get only four bomber wings into the air to assault the landing Allies, but all this produced was many flaming bombers, as Allied air supremacy was complete.
Fighting rages on...


Theatre Report:
Casualties are now over 69,000, with 593 tanks, and 813 aircraft destroyed. Italy is holding, but barely. France has held, but the Allies have a superiority in men that means this will not be their last assault.

6/10-12/44 T9
Italy:
Small scale attacks by the Allies, all of which were easily repulsed as the line takes on a more stalemated feeling. This is just how I want it.

France:
The Allies continued their desperate attacks against Brittany. They landed 15km east of St. Bieuc, forcing the 2nd Brigade/2nd FJ and the 12th SS to retreat, but failing to take the beach. They landed 15km West of St. Bieuc, with the Lehr Panzer Division arriving to push them back into the sea. They continued to try to get ashore at St. Bieuc, but failed. The fateful attack was made 30km east of Dinard, resulting in the evaporation of the 265th Infantry, and the wading ashore of the US 2nd Infantry. They continued to attack 15km west of Dinard, resulting in the 77th Infantry retreating, with the 343rd holding the beach valiantly. The hapless 77th retreated to Dinard, blundering into the foray of a continued Allied assault, this battle saw the 77th Infantry, 12th SS, and 5th FJ retreat east, but the 1st SS has plugged the gap.
A spirited counter-attack was spearheaded by the 21st Panzer Division, with the support of the 275th Infantry, three battalions of heavy tanks, 2 StuG brigades, and a brigade of French tanks, but they were unable to regain possession of the beach, and I fear that the Allies have a secure toehold in France...
The Luftwaffe was again cut to pieces attempting to sink Allied landing craft...
The 2nd Panzer and 5th FJ have both arrived in Brittany, while the 91st Airlanding and 243rd Infantry have formed the beginnings of a central reserve at Rennes, they will likely not stay in reserve for very long.
Pic.F-2:The Allies make it ashore.


Theatre Report:
Casualties are now at about 80,000, with 707 tanks, and 935 aircraft destroyed.

6/13-16/44 T10
Italy:
Several attacks by the Allies, but the line holds.
Behind the lines, troops were finally able to destroy the US/CAN SSF. When first airdropped behind my lines, I suspected that it would be their doom. In my opinion, my opponent has wasted a very valuable unit.

France:
Pic.F-3: Allied Progress Inland.


The Allies made good progress inland during the first day, with units reaching as far inland as 30km, destroying the 5th FJ Division, and a third of the 11th Panzer, but the territory the Allis captured was quickly eroded by the efforts of the 2nd Panzer Division. It ferociously counter-attacked, pushing everything except the US 2nd Armoured Division, back.

Pic.F-4: The Counter-attack of the 2nd Panzer Division.


Substantial forces have been withdrawn from Calais, Dieppe, and Normandy to attempt to hurl the invaders back into the sea, resulting in the arrival of the 17th and 18th LW Field divisions, the 325th, 331st, 346th, 348th, 363rd, and 711th Infantry divisions. The arrival of the 116th Panzer Division means that all seven Panzer Divisions in France are now in Brittany.


Theatre Report:
Severe combat in Brittany had cause casualties to climb above 105,000, with 1126 tanks and 980 aircraft destroyed.