Adventures in Italy

[devoncop]

18th February 1945

Aside from a few by-passed units in the south which are trying to make a nuisance of themselves blowing up rear area bridges and trying to interfere with supply lines the remainder of the turn is marked by the heaviest interdiction for several weeks and furious digging in by new arrivals in defensive lines 2 and 3 and a last ditch defensive position in Brenner Pass itself.

Sadly only a few Allied planes were shot down this turn despite all the interdiction which is concerning going forward. All units from the first line that have yet to reach the second (not many) are on "one dot" resistance so any attacks will hopefully push them back into the lines without too much damage.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like just before I ended the turn. I gained some hexes and
killed some Germans and progress is being made but there's only 22 more turns.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what Faenza looks like after we have liberated it.

[devoncop]

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

Here's what Faenza looks like after we have liberated it.

Well it was absolutely fine when we left......honest...[;)]

[devoncop]

21st February 1945

This is now the crucial phase of the endgame. Most of my remaining strength is put into my 2nd resistance line including all the German armour I have left and 90% of its artillery capability.

on my right the Allied push is led by 34th US Division and 2nd NZ Division but it is in the centre where 6th British Armoured Division is racing straight along the Trento to Bolzano Road that the main threat comes as 1st US Armoured are also in this area.

German artillery opens up on the 34th Division as it enters range on the German right but the rest of the artillery holds fire for now.

Another turn ticks by. Next turn the fighting is likely to be intense.

[larryfulkerson]

The union says that there's been so much attacking lately that all the sick leave,
annual leave, and administrative leave has been used up for the fiscal year and
that if there's to be any more attacking I would have to pay them time and a half
and I don't have that kind of money so I'm going to give the boys a day off this turn.

[devoncop]

25th February 1945

The turn was spent raining shells desperately down on the hordes of Allied Brigades preparing to assault the defence line in the midst of repeated and heavy interdiction strikes. Over 180 Infantry squads were destroyed along the front but the armour remains untouched as it is not cost efficient to hit armoured units with the sort of artillery the Germans have left.

There is a sense of doom as to the consequences of the imminent armoured strike on the lines....Kesselring has the removal vans packed....

[devoncop]

28th February 1945

The initial assault goes in along the line. Lots of artillery support....lots of air support and huge numbers of troops from a "United Nations" of Divisions. The British, US, New Zealanders, Indians,Free French and pro Allied Italians Divisions were all committed with many other Divisions waiting to be sent to the front.

Once again the story was that the line held and caused substantial casualties on Allied Infantry formations but barely scratched the Allied armour of British 7th Armoured and US 1st Armoured Divisions.

The line held due to reserve Divisions of 26th Panzer and small Kampfgruppes being committed to assist the beleagured FJ of 4th FJ Division and Panzer Grenadiers from 15th Division but entrenchments were reduced.

In total the Allies lost over 230 Infantry and Engineer squads during their offensive and a further 160 of the same type of units along with 53 heavy guns during the artillery bombardment from the Germans that followed.

Interdiction was heavy but only 30 or so aircraft were shot down.

We enter March prepared for more carnage..

[larryfulkerson]

This is what the front lines look like at the beginning of T179 with only 19 turns
left and I've still got two MLR's to get through. My boys are tired and are getting
worn down, losing their punch, loosing an interest in victory. I need to send Patton
around to the units to slap the soldiers faces until morale improves. Evidently that's
how he thinks it works.

I've got almost everybody on INT missions and I'm assigning the planes their missions
directly so I can specify specific targets to make sure coverage is adequate. I'm flying
all the green planes every combat phase so they are getting a workout several times per
turn depending on how many rounds I can obtain. I use the pending battles display to find
those too-long combats and cancel them before execution happens so that the fewest rounds
are expended.

I've found that a recon unit works wonders for the attacking stack and I have no idea why.
It's like adding a surfactant to your "Mr. Clean" solution for cleaning surfaces.
It's like using combined arms units for your attacks, taking advantage of the best weapon
for the job, in the most timley fashion without having to order every little detail. CS
missions will cover just about every battle within range unless the plane fails a commo
check or a morale check or whatever it is that determines whether or not the unit flies
for *that* battle. Ways to increase that probibility include posting an HQ unit at the
airfield, and by editing the scenario to always have clear weather.

[devoncop]

4th March 1945

The isolated garrisons in Trieste and Bologna are now under siege as the assault continues without let up on the Bolzano line.

Once again the Allies gain 10 km or so for the loss of 175 more infantry squads and 15 tanks but the Panzer III's and Panzer IV's of the Kampfgruppe battalions are no match for the massed Shermans and Crusaders they are pitched against.

In the German turn the necessity of avoiding the HQ Artillery being overrun reduces the ability to bombard the Allied lines so only another 40 or so infantry squads and a single Sherman are destroyed. Unless I can start causing damage to the armoured spearheads I think the Pass may soon be in Allied hands...

[larryfulkerson]

This is the front lines before I have moved anybody and as you can see my tank units
are orange tired and need some rest before I can use them again. That means I need
to replace them on the front lines and due to the difficult terrain it's probably
going to take the entire MP's of several units and there's probaby not going to be
an attack from several hexes on the front lines. Another turn down the drain and
there's only 18 or so of them left.

[hingram]

IIRC Some of the tank units have rail repair. 1st Armor especially which I think is gone but I never checked the others.

[larryfulkerson]

ORIGINAL: hingram
IIRC Some of the tank units have rail repair. 1st Armor especially which I think is gone but I never checked the others.

Thanks hingram dude. I'll take a look around and see what I can find out.

[devoncop]

7th March 1945

A better turn for the embattled German troops in Northern Italy as the absence of heavy armoured attacks meant they were more able to withstand the continuing assaults by Allied Infantry and artillery. 0ver 175 rifle and engineer squads are lost along with almost 30 Shermans from the few armoured attacks that did go in.

To boost German morale further, a battalion of 1st FJ Division holding Bologna resisted being overrun by the Folgore Combat Group and a battalion of 71st Infanty Div cut off in Fidenza also held off attacks from US armour and Indian Infantry.
The small Trieste garrison also stood firm for now as recon elements from 1st US Armoured Division tried to take the city.

During my turn only a small artillery barrage was possible but there was a bonus as some rail engineers and other US infantry were caught entrained and another 100 squads were destroyed.

The casualties sustained by the Germans are heavy, particularly in the smaller infantry battalions but the Bolzano line remains 10 to 15km deep along its length and the reserve Panzer units though small are in good shape.

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looked like just before I ended the turn. My attacks went nowhere
and I'm pretty sure Ian is going to hold me to this far and no further.

[devoncop]

11th March 1945

Maybe a false hope dawns?

This turn for the first time the fighting on the Bolzano Line was more even. In the most significant fight the 9th British Armoured Brigade with US support and Friuli Combat Group with the usual heavy CAS and artillery back up was rebuffed by KG Baumunk who drove to the aid of Panzer Grenadiers from 26th Panzer Div and Italian Blackshirts . The Allies lost 36 Infantry and Engineering squads,10 heavy guns and importantly 18 Sherman tanks with the Axis losing (mainly Italian) 27 Infantry Squads and 2 STuG's along with 2 75mm AT guns. This is the first time the Allied armour has been checked in the fighting over the defence lines of the Brenner Pass. Whether this is because of tiredness from the tank crews, lesssened effectiveness of air support or reduced artillery assistance isn't known but it gives German troops increased hope.

Elsewhere Firenze is unfortunately overwhelmed by Indian 20th Brigade and US armour but the real fight is far to the north.

During my turn only 3 rounds of artillery fire were possible with the majority directed at Allied heavy guns and a further 35 were knocked out.

Has the Allied attack been blunted ?

[hingram]

The narrowing of the attack lanes is to the benefit of the defender.

[devoncop]

14th March 1945

The pendulum swings back again as Larry's armoured strikes are renewed with greater force. Several depleted infantry units in their path are eliminated and the Panzer reserves are this time pushed back. German tank units are now starting to suffer from constant fire brigade duties as they rush to block multiple Allied breakthroughs....

Trieste and Bologna will fall this turn.I

Allied losses this turn were 180 or so infantry/engineering squads and 30 or so tanks.

German losses remain less than this but still at unsustainable levels...

[devoncop]

18th March 1945

Larry gains several more hexes and more German infantry units evaporate in the face of the onslaught.

Losses are heavy however and this time over 40 Allied tanks are destroyed which brings the VP score temporarily back to a draw though the imminent fall of Trieste....now just held by a battered Security battalion.... will tip the score back to a win for Larry barring further heavy losses.

Turns are running out but so are the German defenders. The final line north of Bolzano is now readied as the sounds of battle get closer.......

[larryfulkerson]

Here's what it looks like just before I ended the turn. I didn't get very far this
turn and it's looking like there may not be any more advances because my boys are
so tired, so worn down that they don't have the punch they once had.