Sicily 43 DAR (No peeking Herr Antoni)

[cillmhor]

Thanks for the kind words guys (a real encouragement) and now I see I have the added incentive of bonus points:).

Turn 4, July 13th 1943:

After making significant gains in the first three turns, supply is beginning to pinch in a little (as you may be able to see from the supply bubbles on some of the screen shots, supply is more favourable near the coastal roads and ports, out into the hills and it gets a bit stringy), so I will have to be careful about how I use my units, and nurse reserves for offensives. The good news is that the aggressive strategy has allowed me to all but destroy 3 of the better formations facing me: Herman Goering Division, Napoli and Livorno Divisions. This has also it appears, left a significant gap in the centre of Antoni's defence. His strategy appears to be to slow me down, at the expense of his men, but historically the Axis in Sicily fought a fighting retreat, and seldom fought to the last man. In fact from early on in the battle for the island, they had conceded defeat and were merely buying time for the preparation of Italian mainland defences. Let's see if Antoni's alternative strategy is going work.

Several news flashes come up on 13th July, again mirroring history, and perhaps linked to the game in some cases, hard to tell in one or two cases if they are context-sensitive events? Primasole seized is context based as I have taken the bridge, but then a news flash indicating that Bradley and Monty arguing over the use of the Vizzini road when I have American and Canadian troops camped on the road is a big coincidence. Certainly adds to the colour of this scenario.



In the west I have all but eliminated the Livorno Division (shown before their demise), and now I am poised to move the 3rd Infantry Division into a holding role on the coast while the 2nd Armoured moves north towards Palermo. Now that the Herman Goering has been eliminated, along with 17 powerful Tiger tanks, I will move the US 1st Big Red One to support the 2nd Armoured in their drive to Palermo and the US 45th Division will also move west to provide flank security and a reserve.



In the east meanwhile, the Commonwealth 50th Division has dug in north of the Primasole Bridge with Airborne elements, and I hope to push the 5th Division west to flank the Schmaltz group defenders and take the Gerbini airfield (marked X) which is allowing FJ reinforcements to arrive and shore up the defences at Catania.

I also hope to push the 1st Canadian and 51st Highland Divisions further west and then up the road east of Mount Etna to seize approaches to Messina and further threaten Catania.