Panzer Corps VS – Operation Husky

General Parrino (Axis Forces) VS General Cobb (Allied Forces)

This AAR will be told by both Parrino and Cobb, with Cobb in bold text and Parrino in regular.

Objectives for the Allies – Capture at least 1 objective on the Italian mainland

Objectives for the Axis – Hold all 5 objectives on the Italian mainland

Link to Part 1

Turn 6

Turn 6 Start 

Better. My air force is coming back and I reinforced my outposts. I didn’t lose much and took out some Italians and Germans. I feel good.

 Allied naval forces surround Messina

I watch as James retreats his navy from Italy and seems to concentrate it on Sicily. His assault on the toe of Italy continues, with the beleaguered Italians holding it the best they can, using the terrain to limit any attacks on them.

Toe defense 

My concern now is turning to Sicily as sea power is wearing down on my defenses at Messina. The US’s air force is starting to make its return, with my only offensive air unit in Sicily is one 190. I do however have some strong anti-air units to maintain my mountain defense line south of Messina and prepare for a counter-attack. While I do have a core slot open, my prestige is low from reinforcing my current units. At this point I don’t consider it important about not filling out my core slot, for now.

Sicily's position 

My counter-attack force in Italy to re-take Salerno continues to build up as I bring over units from Foggia. If I can capture Salerno, I’ll get some much needed prestige points.

Salerno counter-attack buildup 

Turn 7

 Meat grinder in Sicily

Scott is obviously pushing toward Messina. The northeast of Sicily is a meat grinder. Even if some Axis troops make it out, my navy should make them pay. My air force is back with a vengeance and the Axis is feeling a supply pinch.

Enemy toe assault continues 

James’ assault on the toe of Italy continues, which is giving me worry since if that falls, any forces he has hiding down there can race right up and link up with the forces to the north. To make matters worse he brings in his incredible air force to Sicily and hits my artillery, which I’m sure is going to make it tough to either push him off the island or hold back anything he throws at me.

Withdraw of grenadier unit 

I pull back some of my forces on Sicily to allow them to recover while I decide to take out his Crocodile tank to give me some breathing room.

Enemy armor destroyed 

Up in Italy I start to put pressure on Salerno. My prestige is at 0 from constantly trying to keep my forces supplied and equipped, some of my men do not get any supplies. Salerno MUST be captured.

Pressure on Salerno grows 

Down south at the toe I try my hand at making a counter-attack to see if I can keep James back. It fails miserably and does nothing but make the position weaker. I ponder moving to attack Taranto for the air field and the city for prestige points.

Precarious toe position 

Turn 8

British infantry and naval forces surround Messina to the east 

Tired of the stalemate, I embark the garrison I had on the toe of Italy to north of Messina. I’ve reinforced so much I can’t even buy infantry.

Allied forces buildup at toe  

James continues his intense air attacks on Sicily and on the toe of Italy. At this point I am strongly considering retreating from the toe to more defensible terrain north, but I’m worried it may cause a breakout that I would have trouble containing.

German forces capture Catania 

The pressure James is putting on Messina is driving me nuts. With his navy right at the doorstep I’m worried that if Messina falls then I’ll have no way of getting enough prestige points to keep my armies supplied, not to mention the rear of my counter-attack force safe. While I do manage to down a Spitfire unit in Sicily, I realize that just downing air units isn’t going to win the ground war. Luckily my anti-air units are making it a nasty day for enemy air units. If I can destroy the US forces in Sicily that might just get me a victory in Italy by choking them with my gained prestige points. I start my counter-attack by taking Catania and pushing out the Allied units there.

I must work fast or else James air will come back to wreck me.

Enemy Brit Para spotted! 

Up in Italy I see that James almost sneaks in a British para unit! I make it my number one priority to take down and I succeed. My JU-88 continues to harass the light cruisers off shore.

I make my move on Salerno.

Salerno surrounded 

With combined arms my tanks and grenadiers move in and take out the British units stationed there. I give credit to the Panzer Corps system of surrounding enemy units with forces to increase chances of victory. With Salerno secured, I decide to take a shot at Taranto and its airfield. My Panther unit and JU-87 discover it is guarded by a cruiser.

Salerno captured by German forces! 

Turn 9

Gela and Syracuse under threat of German attack 

Things have gone pear-shaped. With the help of the Luftwaffe, one of my Italian cities have been lost as well as a Sicilian one. My air force is creamed and I can’t reinforce my units completely.

Messina becomes a weak position 

Although naval attacks on Messina force my unit to retreat, I move it back into the city to hold on to it until the death. I can’t afford to lose Messina.

Salerno fully secured 

Up on Italy I am faring a lot better. I have destroyed the last of Salerno’s remnants and consolidate my position to continue southward to help out the toe of Italy. With my tanks heading south towards Paestum I notice that there have been landings to the north of the Italian forces on the toe! I can’t waste any time and begin to make more plans to prevent any other landings. My JU-88 conducts an attack on the LST forces off shore to weaken any invading units if they plan on touching Italian soil.

Allied landings north of German toe defense 

In Sicily things are starting to look up. I am continuing my counter-attack, destroying a few armored enemy units. My ultimate objective in this counter-attack is to take Gela and Syracuse and to completely dominate the island.

Turn 10

The overall situation at Turn 10 

Frankly, things seem bad. I lost everything in Anzio and the German armor runs rampant. One German flakwagon makes mincemeat of my air force. However, I’m poised to take Messina.

Messina falls to Allied forces while Allied air control the skies 

Well it looks like James finally got Messina. Combined sea and ground attacks forced out my beaten unit out of the city. His air force continues to pound on me in Sicily, with Catanzaro and Consenza under the heaviest of air attacks. I can’t let up. Messina is a minor setback after the damage I have done to the Allied forces in southern Sicily.

Syracuse captured by German forces 

My 190 and AA units attempt to form a combined air superiority force with success. I finally take Syracuse and its air field, with my eyes on Gela next. Allied forces in Sicily are little more than just shooting practice.

In Italy the situation is continuing to swing my way. My JU-88 continues its terrorizing attacks on Allied naval forces by bombing the cruiser at Taranto. Eventually Taranto is taken as my forces move in and the cruiser runs.

The toe situation is looking to be stabilized. I consolidate my air force from Italy to help with the counter-attack and defense. I doubt I’ll be pushed from the skies.

German air superiority in the toe of Italy 

Turn 11

The end of the campaign 

I would say things are hopeless but I wouldn’t want to sugarcoat things. I lost Syracuse and other Sicilian ports; my navy is being whittled down by the Luftwaffe and I have no way to reinforce.

The battle ends here. The fight comes to an end after a version update wipes James and I’s game but we decided it ended in German victory. Our debriefs follow:

Version update wiped out our game before I could be wiped out. However, I learned lessons. First of all, I must protect my air force better by flying in twos and threes. Second, my inferior armor must be massed and backed up with more artillery. I handled my navy well but made a mistake of dividing my focus. I kept the same emphasis on Sicily and Italy. Since the objectives are in Italy, I should have landed many more forces there.

I would like to think I fought well, but I didn’t fight hard enough for important cities in the beginning which cost me prestige points that I would need late for resupplying and buying core units. I did learn the importance of saving forces aside from attacking needlessly as I consolidate my forces for counter-attacks, especially for Salerno, Catania and Syracuse. I should have also paid more attention to scouting with my air to track James’ LSTs as they made landings on Italy in my fog of war areas. All in all James definitely made me sweat in the situations he put me in, especially with his navy around Messina.

AAR written by: James Cobb, Staff Writer

                           Scott Parrino, Editor in Chief