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Agreed, although losing Libya is sad, Suez is better. Hopefully you have time to prepare for any attack on the Soviets.

Good updates.
 
I agree with Arilou, closing the way into the Mediterranean Sea for the allies would make your job a lot easier.
 
All in all, things are going well for Italy... :)
 
@Cyrus, Maj von Mauser: Yep.. update coming shortly, you are about to have a surprise ;)

@Funkatronica: Big problem, indeed. As soon as my Marines serial ends I will launch one more CL serial.

@Murmurandus: Cannot complain, indeed :)

@Deus: Yes, the divisions are too few for all the fronts, but that's quite accurate with the historical situation.
Viva l'Italia is the correct version, but that article gets often forgot.
 
9.1. Suez is ours!
As soon as the meeting between Cavallero and Mussolini ends, the Italian troops receive new orders.

They immediately begin launching distress attacks on the Ethiopian Allied lines. Primo Tattici, lead by Mecozzi, is sent to Adwa, to damage retreating divisions.

diredawa.png


However, Allied troops begin attacking Adwa itself. Despite 2 immediate counterattacks launched by the Italians, the troops holding Adwa cannot hold for long. A few defending units are sent towards it. Will they arrive earlier than the Allied troops? And will Mecozzi bombers be enough to weaken the advancing Allied troops?
adwa-1.png


New troops arrive in Adwa. Will they manage to hold down the attackers? Mecozzi did a pretty good job in stopping most and we hope the Italian defenders will manage to hold the position.

Dodecanese is back in Italian hands.​

dode-1.png


Fm Badoglio attacks Gallabat to distract the Allied troops.

Gallabat.png


A blueprints trade is carried out with Germany.

trade-1.png


British forces try to break Italian resistance once more. Italian retreats, as the defence is clearly impossible. Mecozzi bombers scramble to destroy as much attackers as possible.


adwa2.png


In the meanwhile, Italian troops unloads on Suez in a combined Amphibious/Airborne assault. The Regia Marina loses one CVL and one CL while protecting the transports, but the operation is successful.
Mj Scattini Paras are immediately attacked by Port Said garrisons. However, just as the morning comes, the Italian marines arrives, resolving the battle to Italian side.

Suez is Italian, the channel open once more!​

Suez.png
 
9.2. Another front opens.

A bit earlier than expected, Germany declares war on Yugoslavia. Romania and Bulgaria joins the Axis, strengthening Axis position overall..

However, such an early dow (should have been in April) means that Italian troops aren’t properly positioned yet.

Yug2.png

Il Duce decides to promote Umberto Albini to minister.. his skills will allow Italy to have more ICs to use for producing one more serial of Abruzzi-Class CLs with Fire control brigades.

alb.png


Vercellino is the first to engage hostile armies in Skopje, defeating them with ease.

skopje.png


As an effect of the early DoW, a lone Gar unit is taken by surprise in Tirana.

tirana.png

Gambara engages yugoslavian defenders in Rijeka.

rijeka.png

Yugoslavian reserves reach Rijeka on 11 March and prevent the Italian troops from advancing in that province. At the same time, Caracciolo di Feroleto units take part in the Pristina offensive, under German command. His unit will be the first to reach Pristina, claiming it for Italy.

Pristina.png


Caracciolo di Feroleto takes part in the Nis assault as well, trying to claim it for Italy (would be very useful with his rich iron mines).

nis.png

As soon as Trezzani Quarto Motorizzato sneaks up Lubjana, another attack is tried against Rijeka.

rijeka2.png

Trezzani reaches Rijeka and tries to push towards Split, but he’s halted by a lone unit first, and forced to retreat by a counterattack shortly after..
In the same day, 2 new 41 Infantry divisions are ready and deployed to Venice.
The day after, Nis is secured for Italy by a Romanian mountaineer unit.

split.png


Italian research is still strong.

ricerca24.png

 
9.3. Africa and Vicino Oriente wars.

The African front sees Guzzoni troops engage a lone division while moving to el-Arish.
At the same time, Lt.Gen Di Benedetto attacks a MOT division in Gallabat, hoping to allow Mecozzi to annihilate it.

gabbael.png


Lt.Gen Caruso engages a defending unit in Eilat.

eilat.png

Briganti bombers manage to sink a British CVL. The route for more reinforcements is changed, as the British fleet may intercept the Italian transports before they reach Suez.

cvl-1.png


Mecozzi manages to destroy the MOT-AA division which was defending Gallabat, opening an hole in the Allied frontline

ann.png

General Nasi puts some heavy pressure on Eilat. The Italians are trying to encircle British units in Gaza. To do that they need to take Eilat and Tel-aviv. Once the pocket is close, march towards Iraq is almost granted. British commanders, knowing this, try to hold Eilat with all forces at their disposal, but without any success.

eilat2.png


Mecozzi annihilates one more unit, in order to maintain Gonder left flank clear.

ann2.png

As soon as General Nasi reaches Eilat, the Allies try to repel him. An immediate counterattack on Gaza is launched to prevent this from happening, but it’s not enough. The counterattack is called off immediately to save supplies and organization for the next day, when Lt. Roatta will reach Eilat.

eilat3.png


This time the Italian counterattack allows Roatta (and Caruso arriving to support it) to hold Eilat for good. At the same time 1 Air Base is deployed in Suez.

eilat4.png


Lt Caruso manages to route Tel Aviv defenders.

telaviv.png

Taking advantage of the absence of any troop left of Gonder, Badoglio brings the whole Gonder and Adwa garrisons to Adwa, in order to defend it from the ongoing Allied assault. Will the Italians be able to old Adwa against a superior force?

adwa4.png
 
the situation in Africa is looing grim, try to hold the Suez for as long as possible, but don't lose your troops like the Germans did in Tunisia.
 
Situation all arounds looks good, other than Libya.

Nice job stealing the Suez! :D
 
I think the Middle East is gonig to be very easy for you to hold. Just a lot of beaches to guard, unfortunately. I am sure that you can win the North African campaign, especially with the strategic flexibility advantage you hold over the Allies.
 
If It weren't for Libya, you'd be doing a great job. :D
 
Nice, that should solve any oil problems you may face later. ;)
 
@rcduggan: no, I don't want to lose any troop for sure... watch out for the next update ;)

@cyrus, Inkana, Maj von Mauser: The choice was between Libya and Suez.. Suez is much more important. I plan to retake Libya asap (when I'll annex Yugoslavia I'll have 10-15 free divisions to use)

@germanpeon: General Nasi is working on a "network defense" for those beaches, stay tuned.

@Romanius: ah! That's the whole point of this AAR.. I usually don't care about Ethiopia, but it's making a fun game to hold it. and, btw, 20+ Allied divisions are bogged up there (2 already got destroyed)

@General Jac: Venezuela is your friend :) Begin trading in day one and you can get an hell of tons of oil!