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In my game, I pocketed the exactly British as you did, but I was unable to destroy the pocket - they were too many and had too big advantage of urban terrain in Rome.

So I captured Gibraltar and Suez, and thus encricled everything the Allies had in the Mediterranean :D Fortune favors the bold ;)
 
LIFO - Coincidentally, I was looking at the situation of China shortly before your reply, and I thought indeed the same thing. Hengyang in Japanese hands would mean around forty Chinese divisions encircled, but I don't expect the AI to do anything clever. It's being too much clever already.

Deus - Thanks. Progress is quite an illusion as you will see soon, as my own troops are to be threatened by those very same British that I am attacking. Also, I found out that they are slowly sending in some more divisions in Reggio Calabria. Those ships will not sink, my bombers are not tasked for fleet bombing and they will not be able to scratch them. My hope was to drive them away, at least.

Winner - I am experiencing the same problem. With huge risks, as they then can retaliate against your tired troops, if you fail to encircle them properly. Also Gibraltar and Suez are way off my range unfortunately.

Enewald - Now don't blame them too much :)

Update.
 
Operation Boot shiner

1000 November 26th 1944
Taranto, Italy

The fleeing Allied divisions from Foggia seeked security in Taranto, and they found it.​

043-1-TarantoNotOutran.jpg

They would not be pursued as Ringel was stretching his troops too far to allow such riskful operations for a couple divisions.​

043-2-NaplesAttacked.jpg

This left the Bulgarian division in Naples exposed to enemy attack, and it would be forced to retreat temporarily.​

1000 November 26th 1944
The skies above Thyrrenian Sea

The Luftwaffe was quite busy once again.​

043-3-TyrrenianAir.jpg

This air clash gave almost no damage to either side.​

043-4-FleetBomb.jpg

Spruance's fleet was being bombed to no avail. Luftwaffe bombers were not suited for fleet bombing, and they would not try to attack the fleet again; Ringel would have a very hard time at breaching Anzio.​

043-5-SalernoAir.jpg

Some good news came from another air clash, this time against woefully unprepared Allied bombers. One entire bomber squadron had been destroyed, and several others now only existed on paper.​

0600 November 27th 1944
OKH Reserve, Florence, Italy

The Allies had set up another supply route again, but the damage inflicted while they were out of supply was too much for them to be able to defend Perugia like they did before. Wünnenberg was not far from beating the last efforts at resisting the invaders.​

043-6-Perugia.jpg

Anzio, however, was another story. Three divisions and a fleet were keeping fifteen divisions unable to occupy that strip of land that was Anzio. This left Ringel extremely worried as, had the British wanted to retreat from Perugia, Anzio would receive many more troops, leaving the British with two extremely well fortified positions, Anzio with even more troops, and a weakened Ringel unable to push and complete the encirclement, which could even lead to the British counterattacking and making the whole plan crumble.​

1700 November 27th 1944
The skies above Gulf of Salerno

The Luftwaffe would not be so lucky this time.​

043-7-SalernoAir.jpg

Several Allied escorted bombers were enough for the few German fighters to not face them directly. The battle saw almost no casualties.​

2300 November 27th 1944
Naples, Italy

As Ringel feared a possible British counterattack, he ordered Fromm to bolster the frontlines by abandoning his southern advance in Italy.​

043-8-NaplesAttack.jpg

Therefore, he commenced attacking Naples after the Bulgarian division was forced to withdraw.​

0500 November 28th 1944
The skies above Ligurian Sea

In the early hours of November 28th, one American squadron had been annihilated.​

043-9-TyrrenianAir.jpg

The others were escorted squadrons, but an almost destroyed squadron was almost one less thing to worry about.​

1100 November 29th 1944

With three more divisions under Fromm's command, Naples was to switch owneship once again.​

043-10-Naples.jpg

The outcome was clear.​
 
Operation Boot shiner
continued

Ringel needed Fromm, and Fromm answered back.​

043-11-NaplesWin.jpg

The British retreated from Naples, and the battles of Perugia and Anzio were still ongoing.​

043-12-PerugiaWin.jpg

That of Perugia, however, finally saw an end after one month of bitter fighting. This was not really good news for Ringel: while many of the twenty British divisions had retreated to Rome, some were retreating to Anzio, thus making his fear become reality. Ringel would have liked to take Anzio, Rome and finally Perugia so to also avoid a possible Dunkerque escape from either Rome or Anzio. Either way, however, the fall of Perugia freed up many German tired divisions.​

043-13-Anzio.jpg

Ringel's prediction proved to be true. Now eleven divisions were stationing in Anzio and they threatened Ringel's troops endurance. If the attack was to be canceled, British troops would be free to counter-attack aswell; while they had been hammered by one month of constant fighting, they could've been able to disrupt the whole plan anyways, as they had some divisions in Rome that had not seen battle for months, and that were now coming to the defense of Anzio. Ringel's tired troops would not be able to deliver the final push against two well entrenched positions - Rome and Anzio - and he would be probably forced to fall back.

Ringel, however, had a plan that involved the Kriegsmarine, the Luftwaffe, and also canceling, albeit temporarily, the attack on Anzio. It was risky, but it could probably, with a bit of luck, put things to an end to this precarious situation.​
 
Visions of my attack on Moscow in 1941......surrounded and cut off, but more and more Russian Militia and Infantrie being pumped out.....I had them surrounded by almost 50-60 Div's (All infantry except for a few Panzer Korp being used to "support attack") and after a month no luck....by then the Russians were up to 75 Div's!!! Pounded them with Log and Inter strikes...but they just kept growing and growing....

I gave up ground to get them to come out of their rat holes....nothing worked....

Hope you have better luck.....

KLorberau
 
KLorberau said:
Visions of my attack on Moscow in 1941......surrounded and cut off, but more and more Russian Militia and Infantrie being pumped out.....I had them surrounded by almost 50-60 Div's (All infantry except for a few Panzer Korp being used to "support attack") and after a month no luck....by then the Russians were up to 75 Div's!!! Pounded them with Log and Inter strikes...but they just kept growing and growing....

I gave up ground to get them to come out of their rat holes....nothing worked....

Hope you have better luck.....

KLorberau

If you completely surround them they normally move their capital to Gorsky or soemthing, then the Divisions in moscow will be cutt from reinforcements ans supplies. It worked that way for me. After letting them starve in there for a month with almost constant air attacks.
 
Enewald said:
A new dunqerque would be a disaster after all this.... :(
Do you have a Kriegsmarine in the Mediterranean?

Disaster?

Cracow was a disaster.

The escape of some 20 Allied divisions would be not.
 
Well, those brave german soldiers fought nearly a month to get the foes trapped and then an allied navy would come and rescue all of them? :(
If the enemy is allowed to escape, they might try an other landing in Italy soon....
 
Enewald - Well, sort of a Kriegsmarine. But they will be _really_ useful.

Klorberau, trekaddict - Who said that I will ever arrive at the gates of Moscow? :p Bloody battles will surely follow even after the capture of Moscow. Whether I will arrive to Moscow or not, I will surely try to encircle it before assaulting it directly.

Deus - This update shows the outcome of this precarious situation :)

EvilSanta - Indeed that would not be a disaster, though it hardly pays the efforts of wasting so much manpower. But surely not a disaster.

This update highlights a serie of issues, but before I tell you which I suggest you first read it, then I will explain things in a separate post right after the update.
 
Operation Boot shiner

0000 December 1st 1944
La Spezia, Italy

Bormann was not going to have a cabinet meeting this day, as with Operation Boot Shiner being at its most culminating and decisive point, Ringel was needed in the battlefield more than as Chief of Staff.

Nevertheless, Ringel did organize a little meeting, and an unusual one. Rear Admiral Bonte of the 9. Unterseebootsflotte and Admiral Bachmann of the 8. Unterseebootsflotte have been called by Ringel, who had now met them in La Spezia.

Each of them commanded one single U-boot flotilla, one based in La Spezia and one in Venice.

"Gentlemen, you might ask why, in the middle of an operation that involves fifty German divisions, did I want to talk with the commanders of a mediterranean Kriegsmarine that consists of only two U-boote flotillas.

Well, surprisingly as it may sound, your two lone flotillas may well prove decisive for the ultimation of Operation Boot Shiner. As you may know, Allied fleets led by Admiral Spruance are harassing our troops attacking in Anzio."

"You don't want us to engage that fleet, do you...?"

"Exactly my point, my brave Bachmann. I want you to sail to the Tyrrhenian Sea and engage that fleet, so that they will be busy chasing submarines instead of bombing our troops, till we can definitely crush the resistance in Anzio and eventually close the pocket."​

044-1-Kriegsmarine.jpg

The two admirals thought that was utter madness. But, as Field Marshal Ringel was in control of the Italian theatre, they were his subordinates in a certain way and could not say one word against his plan.

"Field Marshal, might we ask..."

"I know it is a suicidal mission. But you have underwater boats with you, don't you? Find a way to have half of the Allied Navy chase you with the fewest losses possible and for the longest time possible. That's it. Order your sailors to set sail immediately; their families will mourn them as national heroes."

As Ringel ended his meeting with the two admirals, he immediately started another one with the many commanders of the various air squadrons based in Florence. Since Ringel had given up the naval bombing idea, the Luftwaffe now had to come back to bomb troops and chase Allied squadrons as usual.​

044-2-Luftwaffe.jpg

Hundreds and hundreds of Interceptors and Bombers would soon fly over the skies of Central Italy, once again, in the early hours of 1st December. With the Kriegsmarine - what was left of it - and Luftwaffe now busy in carrying out their orders, Ringel could turn his attention back again on the ground forces.​

0800 December 1st 1944
Anzio, Italy

Ringel was now in his exhausted headquarters of Cassino again. First reports of this new month about the battle of Anzio were usual routine, but this would be a bit different.​

044-3-Anzio.jpg

"Darn U-boote, I should've thought about them earlier!" Ringel was really upset about the current situation. Six divisions retreating from Perugia - or most probably coming from Rome - aided by the usual Allied fleet were all of a sudden smashing the Germans' endurance to a point they would be forced to abandon the attack completely. Before the Allies could inflict even more damage to the German troops, Ringel ordered the attack to a complete halt.​

044-4-AnzioDefeat.jpg

The British had stopped Ringel with a fleet and some divisions, but Ringel swore this would be just a hiatus. Even if German divisions were badly tired from previous battles, the same was for the British, and few were the divisions that could afford to counter-attack. Therefore, it was unlikely that any attempt at breaking the encirclement would be performed by the British; neither could Ringel attack against such odds, however. Therefore, the only hope to break this apparent stalemate the fastest way possible relied on the two U-boote flotillas.​

0900 December 1st 1944
The skies above Anzio

Meanwhile, Luftwaffe bombers resumed their usual bombing missions and identified the reason of such a sudden defeat in Anzio, after days of stalemate.​

044-5-AnzioBomb.jpg

Three perfectly equipped British divisions were responsible of stopping the tired Germans in Anzio. This explained everything, but also explained that they could not come from Perugia, but rather from Rome; this also meant that Rome only possessed those very same tired British troops that had previously retreated from Perugia.​

1200 December 1st 1944
Ligurian Sea

A radio message informed Ringel that his attempt was going to be a successful one.​

044-6-KriegsmarineEngaged.jpg

Rear Admiral Bonte had spotted the Allied fleet - or better, it was them who spotted him, and his task was now to survive against a hell made of steel flying USN flags. It was really good news for Ringel indeed, and he decided to wait for the following day before renewing the attack on Anzio - and start another one on the Eternal City.​

0700 December 2nd 1944
Rome, Italy

Minutes before the imminent attack, Luftwaffe bombers swarmed once again over the skies of Italy, this time over the city of Rome. Its defense consisted of three well-equipped divisions, probably the last ones in British possession, and three badly mauled divisions.​

044-8-RomeAir.jpg

While it was a similar force that stopped Ringel at Anzio, this time the British could not count on the presence of heavy shore bombardment. Thus the attack order was issued, and the result was indeed amazing.​

044-7-RomeFallsBack.jpg

The British did not want to put up a fight: as soon as the first bullets had been thrown, the British left the city en masse towards Anzio, which was being attacked too.

"Lieutenant, were those divisions stationing in Rome French?"

"Negative sir, why?"

"Nothing, just asking."​

044-9-AnzioRenewed.jpg

In the very same minutes the British decided to abandon Rome, Ringel started attacking Anzio again against twenty-three British divisions, three of them were well equipped, and the rest came from Perugia. Six were retreating from Rome, so Ringel hoped to pocket twenty-nine divisions. Now that the British had been temporarily deprived of their formidable fleet support, even the extremely tired German troops were breaching the last resistance from the British.​

044-10-AnzioWin.jpg

Once again, they surprisingly decided to fall back towards soon-to-be-occupied Rome, after just eight hours of fight. This led to an interesting situation: German troops marching in both Anzio and Rome, British troops retreating to both Anzio and Rome. Further combats would follow, and the risk of an impending Dunkerque was always looming.​
 
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Operation Boot shiner
continued

1500 December 2nd 1944
Naples, Italy

An attempt was made from the British to break the encirclement, but it was being easily repulsed by General Fromm in Naples.​

044-11-Naples.jpg

Even if they could win, that would be too late for the Allied troops in Rome and Anzio.​

044-12-Rome.jpg

Chaos ensued as British divisions were moving back and forth from Anzio and Rome and viceversa. One of those divisions found impending hell.​

044-13-Anzio.jpg

Those three divisions that were in Rome now found themselves defending Anzio; viceversa, Rome was being defended by five divisions that were previously in Anzio.​

044-14-AnzioAir.jpg

Amidst this chaos, the Luftwaffe gained its own part of attention by continuing its daily effort in mauling the Allied Air Force.​

044-15-KriegEngage.jpg

Bonte updated Ringel about his U-boote. Few of his submarines had been sunk, but the alarming news was that the number of ships increased from fifty-nine to sixty-six - and some of them were transport flotillas.​

0900 December 3rd 1944
XIV. Panzerkorps, Anzio, Italy

General Harpe was the first to enter the beachead of Anzio.​

044-16-AnzioOccupied.jpg

Many British divisions were still retreating from it.​

044-17-RomeAttacked.jpg

As thirty-three German divisions were now fighting against the last defenders of Rome, several questions arose: why were they fighting against ten, and then eight divisions? Where have the twenty-three divisions retreating from Anzio retreated? The USN seemed to know the answer.​

044-18-Naples.jpg

Meanwhile, the British were struggling to attack Naples; they would not oust General Fromm from his position for the moment.​

044-19-Rome.jpg

On December 4th, the number of British divisions stood at 8. The battle was clearly almost over, but it was really unclear whether how many divisions would or have been already captured amidst the confusion that raged only shortly before the last fighting in Rome.​

044-20-RomeWin.jpg

Two day after, December 6th, the eight divisions finally surrendered to the advancing Germans. Ringel had now completed his great plan of encirclement, but the number of divisions allegedly captured ranged from 8 to 25; the U-boote being chased in the Tyrrhenian sea did report that the USN had some transport flotillas present in the area, but not so many to justify the disappearing of seventeen or twenty-one divisions.

All in all, however, it still was a strategical and tactical success for Ringel: two thirds of mainland Italy were now free from the British occupation; at least eight divisions had been captured and, while it was unknown whether the other twenty-one found safety or not, their strenght was badly that of ten divisions overall. While the whole operation had been costly for German manpower too, it stil was worth it and Ringel could now advance unopposed towards the liberation of southernmost Italy, thus freeing up many divisions for further garrisoning in France and, most importantly, the awaiting Barbarossa II.​
 
Now, as you can see, I surely captured eight divisions; however, the USN has nowhere close to twenty transport flotillas in their fleet in the Tyrrhenian sea. Therefore, I'm almost sure I captured twenty-five out of twenty-nine divisions though I never noticed my divisions overrunning them.
 
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nicely done advances!
 
congratulations!!! :D
The boot is almost cleaned! :)

Maybe a better name for the eastern operation? Barbarossaa II sounds too much like Barbarossa.... maybe some other german king from the mediaval or even Bismarck, the german hero of the last century... or something else... :)
Barbarossa II tells too much to the enemy of what is coming.... :(

But I don't know... this is just my meaning..... :rolleyes:
 
Congratulations indeed. Enewald does have a point, though... wouldn't want the Reich's enemies able to deduce too much, would we? ;)
 
TheHyphenated1 said:
Congratulations indeed. Enewald does have a point, though... wouldn't want the Reich's enemies able to deduce too much, would we? ;)
Just call it Operation Kick-the-door-in. Everyone knows what's coming. :)