This is a new Play By Forum for GMT’s The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 between @Navaronegun as the Nationalists and @Juan_Raigada as the Republicans, after the Nationalsist were mishandled in an earlier, abortive start by me which can be found right here The quote in the title is from George Orwell about the Spanish Civil War. All optional rules decided in the previous thread (which is all of them) will be in effect for this game.
More to Follow!
REPUBLICAN SETUP
It seems the Nationalist generals have gotten hold of our plans. But it is a good plan, as the previous success indicates, and I like the pressure it generates on the Nationalists. Thus our setup offers little change from the initial one.
It’s time to see what the Nationalists decide to do.
El pasado día 15, a las 4 de la mañana, Elena dió a luz un hermoso niño.
On the 15th, at 4 o’clock in the morning, Elena gave birth to a beautiful child,
–Coded telegram sent by General Emilio Mola Vidal to the other conspiring Army commanders communicating the date and time of the Coup d’Etat against the Republic
Well, it’s one thing to signal a Coup, but the Military Situation is a mess…Hey I said all this already…
Well, nothing changes in my goals for the first turn.
Area 1 - The North
We need to relieve the Oviedo Garrison and contain Basque country and seize advantageous terrain for the long haul.
Colonel Aranda, in command in Ovieda, seen here hoping his belt can be loosened a bit.
Area 2 - Aragon
The same problems exist in Aragon…
Soldiers in Teruel rush to repel a reconnaissance in force by a Republican Column of Carabineers and Assault Guards led by Colonel Fernández Bujanda of the Carabineers.
Area 3 - The Prize
The prize is still the Alcazar. (The Alcázar of Toledo is a stone fortification located in the highest part of the city and is the military academy for infantry. It has been used as a Roman palace in the 3rd century and was restored under Charles I and his son Philip II of Spain in the 1540s).
Colonel José Moscardó Ituarte and a few hundred cadets, paramilitary forces
and volunteers. are still isolated here, bravely holding out while under siege by Communists and other atheist rabble.
Colonel Moscardó Ituarte takes time out to entertain the youngest cadet at the Academy.
Area 4 - The Veterans
These are still the Fuerzas Regulares Indígenas, “Regulares” who help comprise the Army of Africa commanded by General Juan Yagüe y Blanco. These men, from the Army of Africa, were ferried from Spanish Morocco to Sevilla by German transport planes on the express orders of Adolf Hitler and at the request of General Franco, in command in the South. There the Army of Africa (the Brown 5-5-5 unit) joined other troops under the command of General Gonzalo Queipo de Llano. These men are fantastic, but must secure these areas infested by Anarchist, terrorist rabble before moving on to, likely Toledo and maybe Madrid. And they must actually do it this time
This is still Hermann Göring’s taxi service.
Move coming any minuto.
Turn 1: Nationalist Operational Movement Phase and Combat Declarations:
The Nationalists play it very safe. No attacks declared.
Over to Largo Caballero.
End Turn 1 Cleanup
The Alcázar roll is…oh yeah, it falls on a “1” but the roll gets a +2 because the Republicans have no units in Toledo…so no roll…
El Alcázar Resistan!
Turn 1 (July, 1936) Has officially ended.
Turn 2 Begins-August, 1936
A) MUTUAL ADMINISTRATIVE PHASE (MAP)
(Nationalist, then Republican in all segments)
I. Event Chit Segment (6.0)
a) Draw chit
b) Add new chits (if appropriate)
II. General Mobilization Segment (Republican only, 7.10)
III. Resource Point and Reinforcement Segment
a) Withdrawals & Conversions
b) Receive RPs and Rebuild Units
c) Reinforcement Entry
IV. Strategic Movement Segment (11.0)
a) Sea Movement (11.5) & Paradrops (PB 17.5.5.12)
b) Rail movement
V. HQ and Reserve Formation Segment (12.1)
a) Flip all in-supply HQs to available side
We’ll go through the end of Nationalist III Segment. The The Republican rabble will go then,. Segment II, General Mobilization, cannot occur unless Republican Morale is 20 or less, which it is not. It is at 40.
So:
I. Event Chit Segment (6.0)
a) Draw chit
b) Add new chits (if appropriate)
Premier Raiaga drew his chit and it’s event was:
Event 1: Balearic Landings
This chit must be played when drawn. Treat it as “No Event”
if pulled on Turn 7 (Mar – Apr 1937) or later. Effects: The Republican
player must remove from the map any three columns
deployed in Aragón or Catalunya, and any one column deployed
at Valencia. The Republican Player may use reinforcements
scheduled to arrive that turn in either of those provinces; or, if
there are not enough columns in those provinces to satisfy the
requirements of this Event, the Republican player may substitute
any on-map column(s) to replace the unavailable column(s).
The units removed return to play as reinforcements two Game
Turns later through the coastal cities of Barcelona (hex 3023)
and Valencia.
The Nationalists drew, yet Again:
Event 8: “Victory” Convoy
This chit must be played when drawn. If pulled during Game Turns 1 (Jul 1936) - 3 (Sep 1936), the Nationalist player may select one of the Colonial Army columns scheduled for entry during a later turn and immediately place it on the map as a reinforcement.
This is good news! I don’t have to make any new art, or even change any of the wording below, because my opponent still moved into the hex 1307! Yay! Less work for me!
It shall be the Ceuta Regulares (from Turn 4) who are placed adjacent to Cadiz in hex 1306 (They should go in 1307 but that hex is out of supply, from the reinforcement rules, “If this hex is under enemy control, fully stacked or is not fully supplied (9.0), the unit must instead set up in any friendly controlled, fully supplied hex within two hexes of its scheduled hex for entry”).
Franco still decides to risk sending a convoy from Spanish Morocco to Spain with troops. Spanish Bombers (aided by German and Italian Bombers, as well as the presence of the German ships Admiral Scheer and Deutschland) counter the Republican Blockade of Spanish Morocco and secure the safe landing in Cadiz of the Ceuta Regulares of the Army of Africa. The Republican Destroyer Alcalá Galiano is damaged and 29 sailors are killed or injured.
Now for:
III. Resource Point and Reinforcement Segment
a) Withdrawals & Conversions
b) Receive RPs and Rebuild Units
c) Reinforcement Entry
There are no withdrawals or conversions.
The Nationalists receive 1 Resource Point which is added to our pool…
In the South: General Sáenz de Buruaga’s Colonial Column arrives in Cadiz,. The colonial Asensio and Tella Columns arrive in Sevilla along with the Buiza Column.
In the North: The Nevado Column arrives in La Corunna. The Lafuente and Merlo Columns were supposed to arrive in Leon, but it is out of supply, so they arrive 2 hexes SE in Palencia. The Iruretagoyena Column arrives in Pamplona (hex 3515 in the NE, on the French border.
Near Madrid: The Angulo Column arrives in Avila (2709) and the Santa Pau Column arrives in Valladolid (3010).
Here is the Map at the end of Nationalist Resource Point and Reinforcement Segment. I now hand over to the President leading the radicals bent on destroying Spain.
Republicans deploy units scheduled to arrive.
There’s no unit to spend RP on, so we have now 1 Northern RP and 1 regular RP.
Turn 2 (August, 1936) Strategic Movement Segment
Nationalist Strategic Movement Segment
IV. Strategic Movement Segment (11.0)
a) Sea Movement (11.5) & Paradrops (PB 17.5.5.12)
b) Rail movement
Firstly, since supply is checked for every unit of both sides at the moment of combat resolution and at the start of every…
• Strategic Movement Phase (A-IV);
• Operational Movement Phase (B-I and C-I);
• Exploitation Movement Phase (B-III and C-III); and
• End of Turn Phase (D-II-a).
The Nationalists have no sea movement capability this turn but may rail move 4 Column/Brigade sized units (or use 2 moves for one Division).
In the North: The Ávila Column rails from Ávila to 3207 (Astorga).; the Cayuela Column rails from Pamplona to Astorga; the Lafuente Column rails from Palencia to Tudela (3216); the Gistau Column from Segovia to Palencia.
The Map the end of the Nationalist Strategic Movement Segment
This is awesome, please continue.
Thanks, your praise aids our motivation.
This is like that episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where they’re caught in the time loop and everything repeats itself except slightly different. I’m looking forward to seeing what you guys change this time around.
Guys, we are also editing past posts when we catch a mistake, so the time-travelling shenanigans are even more intense.
Like just now…issue with how we were interpreting Rail Movement.
Indeed. Many caveats as we described in the previous thread. In general they make sense, though.
Units from Catalonia and Ciudad Real rally to the south.
Note that Córdoba is still OoS even of not marked. consecuences of the time travelling.
Turn 2 (August, 1936) Nationalist Operational Movement Phase
Many movements. The line in the north is straightened. Leon is brought back into supply and holes near Huesca/Zaragoza are sealed. In the South, a strong force garrisons each hex from Cadiz through Sevilla to Cordoba; bringing it into supply, preventing the cutting of supply, and preparing for any sneaky attacks from those columns in the mountains West of Malaga who I know want to cut supply.
After Nationalist Operational Movement, the map looks like this:
How things change. Last game was won with only one attack, but this one will require a more aggressive approach.
I’m not sure this is wise, but let’s see:
There are two attacks, each of them will use one of the 2 available air support chits.
Attack A:
Republicans attack Huesca (another repeat). 8+1 : 3 factors. -1drm for attack into capital town, -1drm for attack into rough terrain.
Attack B:
Republicans attack Segovia: 7+1 : 1 factors. -1drm due to capital town, one odds shift left due to mountains.
We are waiting for the Nationalist player to declare his use of air support.
Then, realize these attacks might not happen due to Republican columns.
Air supports Segovia.
Ok, resolving Segovia first:
Republicans attack Segovia: 7+1 : 1 + 1 factors. That’s 4:1 shifted to 3:1 due to mountains and a -1drm (or -2 if the attack materializes and I don’t roll a 6).
Motivational roll is a 4. Minus 2 that’s a 2, or a -1drm to the attack.
Attack roll is a 6. minus 2 that’s a 4, or a 1/2 on the 3:1 CRT. Segovia falls and some units advance into it. We have 1MF of breakthrough and one brave (and probably soon to be killed) unit advances forward.
