xhoel
Posts: 3219
Joined: 6/24/2017 From: Germany Status: offline
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Italy Air The enemy hit 3 of our airfields in Central Italy this week (Tarquinia, Rieti, Marcigliana) causing damage to the infrastructure, destroying around 26 bombers on the ground and killing a high number of support personal (around 2k men from destroyed air support elements). Our bombers continue to be pulled back from Central Italy and are being relocated north where our fighters are able to guarantee their safety. Except for air recon, no other missions were conducted by our air forces in Italy, which continue to be on R&R. Map 1: Circled in yellow, battles where the enemy was held back, in red air field bombings and in black battles which we lost and were forced to retreat. Ground The enemy launched 6 attacks last week in an attempt to break out of the beachheads. All but one of them failed. Casualties are high. New infantry divisions are arriving in the theater and the arrival of the 14th Army HQ has improved administrative and logistic matters considerably. The enemy renewed its effort to break out of the beachhead in the north, attacking the positions held by the elite HG Panzer Division twice with overwhelming numbers (4 infantry divisions). In both cases the attack was stopped cold in its tracks and the enemy has suffered heavy losses. The first assault was repelled by a timely counterattack of the 12th SS PzGren Division which was in reserve north of Siena. The HG Panzer Division has been relieved by the fresh 189th (Res) Infantry Division. In the south the enemy has advanced 10 miles after pushing back the Feldherrnhalle PzGren Division. 3 other subsequent attacks have failed as the PzGren Division has defended stubbornly. The counterattack of the 16th SS PzGren Division managed to save the day however, as without their involvement, the Anglo-Americans would have been able to break through further inland jeopardizing the entire defense of the Piombino sector. The Feldherrnhalle PzGren Division has been pulled off the frontline and has been transferred to a more quiet sector in order to recover from the losses incurred during the hard fought engagements of last week. The spearhead of the enemy forces is made up of the 5th CA and 6th BR Armored divisions and intelligence reports that more armored formations have come ashore recently. Start of turn: See map 1, circled in black. See map 1, circled in yellow, first of the 3 holding battles. Feldherrnhalle PzGren Division TOE and new position. The sector north of the lake of Bolsena has been reinforced by the newly arrived LI Gebirgs Corps (dark blue) commanded by the experienced GL Hermann Balck. The 90th PzGren and the 2nd FJ divisions have been reinforced with independent AA and Panzerjager Battalions and are expected to hold back the WA assault in the area. The 16th SS PzGren Division and the 2nd Regiment of the 4th FJ division are acting in reserve. After German moves: The situation in the Bifena Line is unchanged. The enemy has yet to undertake an offensive so our troops are holding their positions at the moment. Fortified Zones have been build behind the Volturno river, as we prepare new defensive lines in order to allow us flexibility once the situation changes. In the northern sector, regiments of the 15th PzGren Division have conducted long range recon on the enemy forces in front of our positions. They have discovered the 2nd US Armored division (broken down into regiments) and 2 other units which our intelligence has failed to identify. Before and after: Casualties: Note that while German casualties may seem high, at least 2k of them come from destroyed air support elements and are not riflemen as is the case for the WA. Weather:
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< Message edited by xhoel -- 12/27/2018 5:21:44 PM >
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