rkr1958
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Turn 7. July/August 1940. Allied #1.
Naval Air.
(1) RN NAV2 (Belfast) to 0-box Bay of Biscay directly joining RN BB and 2 CA in the 0-box left over on patrol from last turn.
(2) RN NAV2 (Belfast) to 0-box Faeores Gap indirectly joining the RN CA in 2-box left over on patrol from last turn.
(3) RAF Blenheim (Malta) to 0-box of East Med to provide air support to RN forces of Operation SPLICE.
Operation SPLICE. Phase I.
The actual execution of phase I of SPLICE had to deviate slightly from the plan as outline above due to the very simple but very important reason of needing to keep a transport (1 of 3) in Plymouth in port for Phase II. This transport will be needed to move Wavell and his HQ-A from Malta to Southern France next allied impulse. This deviation also meant that the 6 pd A/T gun division also had to be held in Plymouth and won't be available this turn to LTG Quinan and his 8th army building in Egypt.
This impulse combine gave Great Britain two naval moves. The first was used to put the 5-3 London MIL on transport, out to sea in the 3-box of the North Sea and escorted by the RN BB Royal Sovereign, CA Kent (already on patrol from last turn), CVL Eagle and 5 destroyers (i.e., total ASW of RN force there).
The second naval move was used to move the BB's Malya, Warspite, CA Cornall and (empty) transport to the 0-box of the West Med. The transport then loaded Wavell HQ-A from Alexandra and the CA Cornwall loaded the 3rd inf div from Malta. In addition to being deployed to Egypt, the 2rd inf div had to be loaded in order to make way for Wavell's HQ-A at Malta (i.e., three div there before the 2rd was loaded).
Great Britain also had three land moves, two of which were used to disembark Wavell's HQ-A to Malta and 3rd inf div to Alexandria.
Air Rebase.
(1) RAF Harrow ATR wing from Ajaccio, Corsica to Malta
(2) RAF Beau fighter (FTR3) wing from Great Britain to Ajaccio, Corsica.
Phase II (next impulse) will require the NEI TRS in Halifax, Nova Scotia to load the XI Mot in Plymouth (Bay of Biscay) and deploy them to Brest. The remaining transport in Plymouth, with escorts, will be moved from Plymouth to the East Med to load and then disembark Wavell and his HQ-A into Southern France.
The only sticking point is if Mussolini decides to get in the war and deploy subs to attempt to intercept the transport force from Plymouth heading to the East Med. But, PM Churchill has been assured that Italian ambassador to Great Britain that Italy has no desire for war with Great Britain. Of course the Italian ambassador is unaware of the on-going operation to get a the 2nd BEF army into France and also unaware of a secret meeting taking place right now in Rome.
Rome, Italy. Adolf Hitler has just finished a very secret and high level meeting with Mussolini. Except for a select few of his inner circle and a select few of Mussolini's inner circle, as far as the world knows, Hitler is at his mobile headquarters somewhere on the German-Belgian border. The result of this secret meeting is that Italy will declare war on Great Britain, but not France. In return, Hitler has promised Italy aid in resources, oil and whatever tribute he can grab from a weakening Great Britain in the Med, Egypt and elsewhere.
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< Message edited by rkr1958 -- 1/14/2019 12:33:47 AM >
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Ronnie
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RE: Witness to World War 2. - 
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