The Villas of Tuscany

[MarcinD]

Opponent(s) wanted

Brief Description

The capture of Florence was entrusted to the British XIII Corp, whose original plan was to attack from the southeast down both banks of the Arno river. But the rugged terrain of the Chianti mountains coupled with stiff German resistance from the LXXVI Pz Corp made the advance a slow, costly affair. By mid-July the advance had grounded to a halt.

At about this time the French Expeditionary Corp, who was advancing alongside the XIII Corp's left flank, began withdrawing to prepare for Operation Dragoon, the allied invasion of southern France. This resulted in a shift of the inter-army boundary line, and an extension of XIII Corp's front by 15 miles to the west. This presented the Corp with an excellent opportunity to outflank the main German defenses arrayed along the Arno by attacking from the southwest of Florence, where units of the 6th South African armored Division reported the enemy's resistance to be much lighter.

To ensure success in this new drive Lt. General Sir Sidney Kirkman, commander of XIII Corp, brought up two additional divisions, the 8th Indian and 2nd New Zealand, from his reserves. Together with the South Africans these three divisions would now make XIII Corp's main effort in the advance on Florence.

On the German side the I Fallschirmjager Korp held the line west of the Chianti mountains with 3 divisions. Starting from west to east they were the veteran 29th panzergrenadier division opposite the 8th Indian, the 4th Fallschirmjager on both sides of Route 2, and the 356th infantry facing off against the South Africans. These units were backed up by the Tigers of schwere Panzer abtielung 508.

On July 23rd the new attacks kicked off. On the western flank the 8th Indian division attacked in a northwesterly direction towards Empoli and Montelupo, while to the east the 6th South Africans advanced up route 222. Finally, the 2nd New Zealand division, in between the two, would drive straight up route 2 and into Florence. This would take them into the wine country of Tuscany, a region of rolling hills and long, broad ridgelines covered with extensive vineyards, olive groves and wheatfields. It is also here that the New Zealanders would encounter the magnificent Villas of Tuscany

Author (Kingfish) Comments

Best played as H2H due to the large number of units and complex map.

Enclosed you can find PBEM file - I choose Allied; and Scenario in Zip.

I can play both - allied and axis - Your choise