Aiding Our Allies - Operation Husky

[aprof]

Aiding Our Allies - Operation Husky, HOI2 B/Sc, Beta AAR

Aiding Our Allies - Operation Husky, HOI2 Battle Scenario, Beta AAR​

--Portion of the game selection screen

I - The Plan

Scene 1: Washroom, L'Hotel Tunisie, Tunis
At Rise: General Harold Alexander is found at a washstand rinsing his hands, General Montgomery enters.

Monty: Ah! Harold, there you are. I've been wanting to talk to you about the Sicily operation. I've been giving it a good deal of thought and were the Americans to strike at Palermo as we take Catania, we'd knock Adolf and Benito's heads together in a tidy little battle that could smash a fair number of their divisions between us.

Alexander: Unfortunately, the Americans are quite eager to land in Italy proper and strike for Rome.

Monty: If I know Patton, and I'm sure I do, he'll be itching to get in the fight - but I'm sure you feel as I do, that we need to be careful with our limited resources and deliberate in our actions.

Alexander: Yes, of course, but we should be ready to take advantage of the opportunities that arise. That may mean following the Americans' lead. (Alexander pauses.) I know you may not want to follow in Patton's shadow, but...

Monty: If I thought I could control the Yanks, Harold, I'd be a happy man. But I know I can't. I'll go where I'm needed, of course. If the Yanks go dashing ahead, then that just gives me a chance to ride to their rescue.


II - OOB

--Army

15th Army Group HQ (Alexander)
8th Army HQ (Montgomery)
1st Airborne Corps: 1st Airborne Division (Browning)
1st Canadian Corps: 1st Canadian Division (TD) (Burns)
XIII Corps: XIII Corps HQ; 78th Motorized Division (Dempsey)
XIII Corps: 5th Motorized Division (AC); 50th Motorized Division (SP) (McCreey)
XXX Corps: 51st Motorized Division (AC); 231st Bde; Royal Marines; XXX Corps HQ (Leese)

--Desert Air Force

Air Transport Group (Hamilton)
1 RAF Desert Air Force: 239th 244th, 324th, 285th Fighter Wings (Ftr) (Coningham)
2 RAF Desert Air Force: 322nd, 7th South African Fighter Wings (CAS) (Cannon)
2 RAF Desert Air Force: 3rd South African, 323rd, 326th Bomber Wings (TAC) (Tedder)

--Armed Forces of the United Kingdom and Dominions at Malta; pastiche of two screens to show all forces at Malta

--Royal Navy

Mediterranean Carrier Fleet (divided into three task forces):
-TF1: carriers Intolerable and Formidable and escorts (Vian)
-TF2: battleships Nelson, Rodney, Warspite, Valiant, King George V, Howe and escorts (Ramsey)
-TF3: DD squadron 19-24 and seven flotillas of transports (Hamilton)


III - Chronology of the Italian Campaign (part 1)

Operation Husky, the Invasion of Sicily

July 10 - Elements of the Desert Air Force and US XII Bomber Command (Spaatz), and XXII Tactical Air Command (Dolittle), begin ground attacks and interdiction of Axis land units on Sicily. Fighters seek to establish air superiority over Sicily. Admiral Vian and TF1 move into the Tyrranian Sea to conduct convoy raids against the Axis.

July 12 - D-Day: XIII Corps, 1st Canadian Corps and 1st A/B Division land at Catania, supported by shore bombardment by TF2.

--Airborne and amphibious assault on Catania; pastiche of two screens to show all forces in the battle

July 14 - US 7th Army (Patton) begins amphibious landings at Naples.

July 20 - Naples secured by Allied forces.

July 21 - Catania secured by the the armed forces of the United Kingdom.


IV - A Change of Plan

HQ - 15th Army Group​

To: General Bernard Montgomery, 8th Army

You are directed to suspend further operations in Sicily and move your headquarters to Naples to take advantage of the allied beachhead there. Use XXX Corps and reinforcements at Malta to advance toward Foggia to cut the lines of supply of Axis forces in southern Italy.

Forces presently in Sicily will hold against the Axis armies at Palermo. Further operations by these forces will be determined by the developing situation.

Gen. Harold Alexander
Commanding General
Allied Armed Forces in the Mediterranean

* * * * *​

Notes on the Operation Husky battlescenario:

1. Technology screen is usable to review techs. No Tech Teams and no research possible in this battle scenario.

2. Production Screen is usable only to manage convoys.

3. Diplomacy screen is not available in this battle scenario.

 

[aprof]

Aiding Our Allies - Operation Husky, HOI2 Battle Scenario, Beta AAR​

Cue film:

Title card:

** Gaumont-Lion **​

** News of the World **​

Voiceover: Axis forces launch a counterattack against our troops in Sicily.

Visual: (B/W) machinegun fires from camouflaged position; Tommies firing Piat; burning Panzer III;

Voiceover: Elements of the Italian Sixth Army under command of General Guzzoni aided by the Nazi's Herman Goering and 3rd Panzergrenadier Divisions threw themselves at General Dempsey's XIII Corps, well dug-in around Catania. The week-long battle ends when the battered Axis forces break off their attack and retreat to Palermo.

Visual: (B/W) pair of Beaufighters do wingover; gun-camera view of tracers hitting line of vehicles - truck explodes as camera pans upward;

Voiceover: Air units from the Desert Air Force continued to harass the retreating enemy, allowing XIII Corps some well-needed time to recover from the attack.

Visual: (B/W) group of Tommies, laughing smoking, waving to camera;

Voiceover: Good show, lads!

* * *​

Operations of the Eighth Army in Southern Italy

- Naples-Foggia

Two days after the American landings at Naples, the British XXX Corps and 1st Corps (51st "Highland" Motorized Infantry, 201st Guards Infantry Brigade and 23rd Armoured Brigade) were inserted into the beachhead. Immediately, General Montgomery ordered XXX Corps to advance eastward toward Foggia, supported by the British 1st Corps. General Patton's 7th Army attacked toward Potenza. Both positions were weakly defended by Italian units.

The British XXX Corps met the Italian Mantova and Lupi di Toscana Divisions and after a brief fight forced them to retreat toward Pescara, while the 7th Army drove the Italians south into Reggio di Calabria.

The Canadian 1st Division and 15th Army Group HQ were withdrawn from Sicily and landed at the undefended port of Taranto where the US 9th Division arrived in time to greet the Tommies as they came ashore.

The rapid capture of Foggia by XXX Corps may well have been the most critical action in the course of the campaign. The creation of a solid line across the Italian Peninsula isolated several strong Axis formatons in the toe of the Italian boot. It was reported that the German 16th Panzer, 29th Panzergrenadier, the Italian Granatieri di Sardegna and four Italian Coastal Divisions were isolated in Reggio di Calabria. They remained on the defensive throughout the campaign apparently awaiting orders to move. They certainly were restricted in their supplies.

With Allied control of the seas, the Axis units in Sicily (including the German's Herman Goering Panzer Division, the 3rd and 15th Panzergrenadier, the Italian Livorno and Napoli Divisions and three Coastal Divisions) and in Sardinia (the German 90th Panzergrenadier and three Coastal Divisions), were unable to contribute to the defense of Italy. Some twenty divisions and headquarters units including the Axis' most powerful formations were rendered hors de combat by the simple expedient of bypassing them.

Nevertheless, the US 9th Infantry and 2nd Armored Divisions, Canadian 1st Infantry Division and British 1st Corps maintained defensive positions along the line Taranto-Potenza-Naples throughout most of the campaign.


- The Pescara-Cassino Battles

True to his reputation, the American General Patton went onto the offensive. Primarily using the American 1st "Big Red One" and 45th "Thunderbird" Divisions as his attack force, he passed through the XXX Corps to kick the retreating Italians out of Pescara. He then turned left toward the lightly defended mountainous province of Cassino. General Montgomery ordered XXX and 1st Corps to support the American attack.

--8th Army in support of Patton's attack on Cassino

The US 7th Army successful gained the Cassino position, but came under attack from Axis forces in Anzio and Perugia.

The Canadian 1st Division had arrived in Naples at this point, so General Montgomery decided that a spoiling attack against the Axis forces in Anzio would be the best way to relieve the pressure on the Americans, and the Canadians were successful in crossing the Volturno River and capturing Anzio.

However a counterattack by the Italian Ariete Armored, Piave Infantry and two Coastal Divisions drive the Canadians back across the river.

The Americans faced a similar fate in briefly advancing from Cassino to Perugia, before being driven back by the German 334th and 356th Infanterie Divisions.


- Second Battle of Anzio

The Axis forces in Sicily had become static, hunkering down in Palermo, so it was decided to withdraw the remaining British forces from Sicily. As the 1st A/B Division had been removed to Malta earlier to serve as a theatre reserve, so the two remaining formations, (three divisions and headquarters of General Dempsey's XIII Corps) were sealifted to Naples.

A second river assault across the Volturno was not something that General Montgomery accepted lightly, but the enemy would be outnumbered on the ground, and by this time the Allies had achieved almost complete air superiority - the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe were all but destroyed. Up to this point the Desert Air Force had been harassing the Axis formations in Sicily and Reggio di Calabria, but now a portion was given the assignment to strike at Central Italy. With all available forces in support, the XIII Corps began their assault on Anzio.

--8th Army attack across the Volturno River toward Anzio

The XIII Corps met the German 188th and 278th Infanterie Divisions, and the Italian Ariete Armored and Piave Infantry Divisions. The battle turned on General Dempsey's successful encirclement of the Axis units - which quickly destroyed the Piave Division and decimated the rest of the Axis force.


- Perugia-Rimini

The Americans were not idle during the British Anzio operation. Strong counterattacks by the Italian Mantova and Lupi di Toscana Divisions toward Pescara and Cassino were beaten back by the Americans.

The II Corps, (originally commanded by Bradley, now under Clark) began a second push toward Perugia, so General Montgomery ordered the XXX Corps to join the advance. The battle became an all-out assault as XXX Corps, along with the US 45th and 1st Divisions, drove back the German 305th Infanterie Division. This opened a chance for the British 2nd Corps (8th Indian Division, 2nd New Zealand Division, and 7th Armoured Division) to drive northward into Rimini which was defended only by weak Italian Coastal Divisions.

--XXX Corps support of the US attack toward Perugia

* * *​

The Times, London

"Rome Fell Today"

General Montgomery, the Hero of Alamein, made a triumphal entry into the first Axis capital to fall to Allied forces. To the northeast, Allied forces under General Patton continued their attack toward Florence.

The weary defenders of Rome put up a weak defense as troops of the British XXX and XIII Corps attacked from the east and south. It is reported that elements of the German 1st Fallschirmjager, 188 Infanterie and 278 Infanterie Divisions were opposing the British advance. Apparently the only Italian troops in the area were a token force from the 220 Coastal Division - a second-rate unit. This has confirmed the suspicions of Allied Leaders that Italy is effectively out of the war.

 

[aprof]

Aiding Our Allies - Operation Husky, HOI2 Battle Scenario, Beta AAR​

excerpt from General Harold Alexander's personal diary

Following our capture of Rome, a surprising development occurred. General Patton, who seemed to be attacking toward Florence, wound up taking La Spezia much farther north.

This little diversion allowed the Germans retreating from Rome to safely retreat to Florence. Patton's attempted encirclement was just too large to bag the Jerries. Had Patton done as we desired we'd not have had to deal with the 1st FJ Div. as much as we had to. He was appropriately contrite when I confronted him about this.

However, I didn't take him up on his offer to "bust his ass down to buck private and kick his butt into the frontline." Though I wanted to.


-- Patton Takes Off!

excerpt from The Big Red One in Italy, by Maj. Gen. Terry de la Mesa Allen

They call the 2nd Armored, "Hell on Wheels" but that should have been the name for the 1st and 45th Divisions in the campaigns in central and northern Italy in the fall and winter of 1943!

Generals Patton and Clark knew from reports that the Germans were stretched very thin across Italy and knew that if we keep at them, they'd never have a chance to reorganize. We cut across the peninsula from Rimini to La Spezia, leaving a pocket for the Brits to mop up in Florence. Then with support from the British XXX and 2nd Corps who had advanced from Pescara and Perugia to take Rimini, we turned back east to take Bologna. The Germans retreated into Milan, and this left Ferrara open and we took it.

By this time, General Alexander had brought up the British XIII Corps from Rome, and they, along with the Indians and New Zealanders of the British 2nd Corps, stormed across the Po to take Milan.

This clearly was the beginning of the end. Two weak and unconnected German forces faced the Allies in northern Italy, and this was now just the beginning of November, 1943.

General Patton pulled the 7th Army back out of Ferrara and passed through the British force in Milan to grab Turin, while the Brits under Alexander pounded the Germans in Genoa. We again switched direction east to go after the other German force in Venice who had abandoned their prepared positions behind the Po in a move to try and retake Ferrara. (Another lunatic order from Hitler, maybe?)

--XIII Corps attacks toward Genoa supported by 2nd Corps and 15th Army Group HQ

Our zigzagged progress up the Italian boot was marvelous! We caught and destroyed the German 1st Fallschirmjager, 188th 278th and 305th Infantry, the remnants of the Italian Mantova and Lupi di Toscana Divisions and several Coastal divisions. Our job was made that much easier by the British supporting our advances while holding the line.


-- The End of 1944 and the End in Italy

-from the Official Divisional History of the 78th Motorized Division, XIII Corps

November 3 - moved from Genoa to Milan to support the US 7th Army attack into Venice

November 6 - Americans defeat German force in Venice which begins retreat north

November 7 - entire XIII Corps (5th 50th 78th Divisions and XIII HQ) ordered forward to seize Trento which is undefended

November 12 - 5th and 50th Divisions ordered to take Lech, 78th to Innsbruck

November 13 - retreating Germans make a last stand in Innsbruck, 78th Division, supported by XIII Corps and 7th Army, destroys remaining German HQ in northern Italy.

--General Patton leads a portion of XIII Corps into Innsbruck in the final battle of the Italian Campaign

November 16 - 5th and 50th Divisions take Munich

* * *​

- excerpts from the BBC Radio Broadcast "An Interview with General Montgomery"
(first aired September 17 1949)

BBC: Can you give us your thoughts, your experiences, during the Italian Campaign?

Montgomery: I was quite pleased. All in all, it was a splendid little campaign. I must admit that General Alexander's insistence upon following our allies lead proved to be successful. I had had experiences before, where attempting to follow a preset plan - impervious to the actions of our allies - led to serious reverses.

BBC: What was the Allies' one advantage that lead to victory in Italy?

General Montgomery: We had an great advantage in our naval power, and immediately set Admiral Vian to gaining total control of the sea. Early destruction of convoys supplying Sicily and Sardinia, then patrol of the seas to prevent the movement of the forces trapped there from escaping to the mainland meant the Jerries had large formations sitting around contributing nothing to the defense of Italy. We also kept them occupied by bombing and strafing them quite a bit with the Air Force.

BBC: Do you regret having to pull out of Catania? Of not capturing the whole of Sicily?

Montgomery: I'm quite convinced that had we not landed at Catania, the Jerries would have had no reason to stay in Sicily. They'd have crossed to the mainland and we'd have simply had to fight them all the way to Germany. As it was, we had them trapped in their own little prison camp in Palermo. I do regret that once we left Catania, that Guzzoni retook it - but I suppose that was to be expected.

BBC: Was it difficult working with the Americans?

Montgomery: Well, yes and no. With Patton, you knew he was willing to go smack someone, so I made certain that our troops were always ready to support any American attack. At one point early in the campaign, Patton completely abandoned the Cassino position, leaving XXX Corps with its head stuck out in Pescara. I had to withdraw XXX Corps, for fear they'd be trapped and destroyed and we'd lose the solid control over southern Italy. That was frustrating, to say the least, but Patton quickly retook Cassino and we retook Pescara.

I have to say that, more often than not, the Americans directed their attacks well. I'm also certain, that had they not had our support, they would have made very little progress up the Italian boot and by 1945, we'd have been stuck along the line of the Po facing numerous German reinforcements.

* * * * *​

Notes on the game:

--end of the game showing areas held by Allied and Axis forces

There are still some twenty Axis units remaining, which are trapped on Sicily and Sardinia or immobilized in Reggio di Calabria. Despite their isolation, attacking them would not be easy as these include some of the best German units at the start of the scenario: Herman Goering and 16th Panzer Divisions; 3rd, 15th, 29th and 90th Panzergrenadier Divisions along with several HQ's and about a dozen Italian divisions of varying quality.

I know it's probably near to being an exploit to win this way, but I've played as one of the Allies in this scenario many times; playing SP you really have to follow your AI ally's lead to win. You need to cover the line and use "Support Attack" quite a lot. I suspect that in cooperative multiplay this would have been a slugging match much more like the historical Italian campaign.

Final score US - 46; UK - 3; Italy - 6; Germany - 0
greater than 44 points = US Strategic Victory