From: William Sariego Subject: Italy in ETO Hollow Legions? Italy in E.T.O. By Guglielmo Sariego MILITARY FORCES Starting Force Pool= 6x4-3 inf, 1x4-5 arm, 1x4-4/1 ftr, 4xBB, 7xCA, 3xCL, 4xDD, 1xSS, 3xHQ, 2x AF, 3xSTP. 1939 FP: 2x4-3 inf, 1x6-12 bmbr. 1940 FP: 1x4-3 inf, 1x4-5 arm, 1x4-4/1 ftr, 1x6-12 bmbr, 2xBB. 1941 FP: 1x4-3 inf, 1x5-5 arm, 1-3 Para, 4-4/2 ftr, 1xBB. 1942 FP: 1x4-3 inf, 1x5-5 arm, 1x4-4/2 ftr. 1943 FP: 1x4-3 inf, 1xBB. 1944 FP: 1x5-3 inf, 1x5-5 arm, 1x4-4/3 ftr, 1x8-12 bmbr. 1945 FP: none Initial Deployment: Air Force: 1x4-4/1 ftr in Naples. 1 AF in Tobruk, 1 AF in Tripoli. Navy: 2xBB, 3xCA, 1xCL, 2xDD, 1xSTP in Naples. Fleet, 2xBB, 4xCA, 2xCL, 2xDD, 2xSTP, in Taranto. 1xSS in Palermo Army: Eastern HQ, 1x4-3 inf in Albania. Africa HQ, 1x4-5 arm in Tobruk. 1x4-3 inf in Tripoli. 1x4-3 inf in Messina. 1x4-3 inf Rome. Italy HQ in Genoa, 2x4-3 inf on Franco-Italian border. GENERAL: Italy finds itself in an unenviable position in a war she should not be in. Her offensive capability is limited to the air and sea. On land, Italy is more vulnerable than powerful. With a weak pre-war economic base, Italy must build as large an economic reserve as possible before declaring war. The Axis powers simply must cooperate. Pursuing an historical, uncoordinated strategy will lead to defeat. The Axis fortunes will depend ultimately on Germany, but a smart Fuhrer will recognize the worth of a strong Italy. When the Barbarossa begins and the rest of the world holds it breath, Germany would be greatful for a couple of infantry corps to help garrison the Eastern Front. You might even substitute an armored unit in return for more Luftwaffee aid in the Med. If it is Germany's war aims to pursue England instead of Russia, the transfer of a bomber/fighter air fleet to Northern France may be in order. The key is to cooperate and make all exchanges as even as possible. A good German player will recognize the value of his Italian ally and treat you accordingly; hopefully with ep grants during seasonal turns. AIR: Due to its small size, the Regia Aernotica will be supportive, not decisive. Always keep a fighter on standby to protect the naval bases. The initial airfields should be placed at Tripoli and Tobruk. If an offensive strategy is in order, building an airstrip on a captured Crete would have a positive effect. As soon as the MC 200 fighters become available, remove the CR 42's back from the front lines. Other than supporting ground offensives, the main role of the air force will be sea denial and suppression of Malta. Cagliari is a good bomber base, it can cover Malta and cause the Gibraltar fleet problems. Capture of the latter is the ultimate goal, but may not be possible until the Folgore airborne unit arrives. Air units can be expensive to replace, a fact which must be kept in mind before committing them. Do not overlook the value of ATP's in keeping the island bases in supply. NAVAL: Little can be done by Super Marina until France is out of the game; otherwise the fleet is wasted to no good purpose. Even after, a historical, cautious strategy is best. A Jutland mind set will accomplish little except wasting fine ships. The fleet should be committed only when a tactical advantage is present. I favor splitting the fleet between Taranto and Naples. The reason is simply the reason the Italian Navy exists; sea denial of the Central Med and the protection of the vulnerable west coast. Keep your convoy routes open!!! If a seasonal turn passes without having built an STP, ask yourself why you are throwing the game away. If other fronts become available, do not delute the home fleet. The Black Sea would demand only a token force. Commit to the Atlantic only if Sea Lion is a possibility. Always use the sub aggressively and station it off one of the key British ports for interception purposes. An amphibious invasion can be decisive if it furthers a strategic goal, but if the fleet is wrecked in the process your offensive capability could be ruined. Crete and Cyprus are good stepping stones to the Middle East, and will provide the air bases to cover any naval moves in the area. It will only take one lesson in naval aviation by the British and you will never sail without air cover again! Get a German Me 110 for Sicily if nothing else! Naval losses could be devastating, so husband the fleet accordingly. With the initiative, the Axis should always make the Allies move first so that their intentions will be seen. Always rebuild depleted CL and DD units before they are lost; it will be too expensive then, and the CL/DD transport combination will be used more than once. The SS unit is also a must replace commodity and will give you many bangs for the buck. LAND: France is likely to offer more resistance in ETO than the 3rd Republic did in real life. If Germany is bogged down in Flanders an Italian invasion across the Alpes could provide needed pressure to break the stalemate. Don't overlook the possibility of a complete conquest rather than automatically declaring Vichy. If the British Navy is caught largely in the Atlantic it may prove beneficial to go for broke. Italy is capable of executing little more than a holding war in Africa. Even with limited German aid (which is all you will get) Suez will remain out of reach unless you get lucky. The goal should be the destruction of the Allied forces before they can retreat and entrench at El Alamein. A flanking move into Palestine could be the decisive stroke. It may not be out of the question to adopt a defensive attitude at the beginning. Fortify the Libyan-Egyptian border and make the British come to you. A string of border forts, two fighters at Tobruk and a bomber in Bengahzi will cause the British to work hard indeed! If Mr. Churchill's commitments elsewhere allow it, you can move across the border in force. But it is usually better to wait. Do not get German help in Africa proper, unless naval ascendency is yours. Of course, if the Germans provide Guderian and a 10-5 panzer, don't argue! Supplying your African legions will be hard enough without the added strain on the merchant fleet to feed the Krauts. By all means get a few 6-3's for defense in Italy proper. An Me 110 (or two) would be useful, as Marshal Goering should realize. Regardless of the front in question, the Axis must be in a position to win the game prior to U.S. entry. Otherwise, look for a second front to open up in Africa in late 1942. When this happens grab Tunisia and as much of Algeria as possible, even though this may be the swan song of a proud fleet. Hold out even after it is helpless to avoid the special surrender provision. But don't neglect the defense of Italy, otherwise the Allies may forget about Torch and go straight to Italy! Seize Malta early, if possible, and Corsica once Vichy has been violated by the Allies. Cyprus can be a useful stepping stone to the Middle East, but you won't hold it unless you have achieved naval superiority. The creation of forward air bases which you will subsequently fortify is the goal. Yugoslavia and Greece represent resource areas for Italian conquests. Try and avoid German support which will mean sharing the ep's gained. It may be possible to acquire one without provoking a larger war under rule 47.1. However, this may not be to the good of the Axis war effort. It may prove impossible to get Greece, however, with British reinforcements. Thus a pre-war invasion may be in order. The value of Crete as an air/naval base cannot be overstated. Yugoslavia is an easier conquest. The Slavs simply cannot defend a three pronged attack from Italy, Albania, and the coastline. In addition to seizing Corsica and a part of French North Africa when Vichy has become useless, seize Marsailles. The Germans will gladly content themselves with Lyon and give you the responsibility of protecting the coast. Don't overstretch your meager supply of ground troops. A 4-3 and a coastal fort will be all you need to cover the former Vichy ground. Let Hitler worry about the interior. When it comes to the defense of Italy, Sicily is the key. A fort at Messina is minimum, build others if possible. Do not evacuate, fight to the last drop of Fascist blood. After all, it could be the last drop of Fascist blood if Sicily falls. Forts will be a key to any defensive strategy, not just Fortress Sicilia. Coastal forts are called for in Albania and Sardinia. Forts in Tripoli and Bengahzi will help insure Libya remains the jewel in the new Roman Empire. Try to get German aid in building the Gothic Line and other defense posts. He should be willing as it will be more German blood shed if he doesn't. POSTSCRIPT: The Axis simply must be in a position to win no later than mid-1942, else the game will be played for pride and little else after that point. If the Soviet Union is knocked out, the massive Axis ground forces will eagerly await Operation Overlord. For Italy, if your collapse is immanent the biggest weapon will be the fleet. If intact, do you concentrate and hope for a good dice roll (which IL DUCE lost historically) or scatter? A kamikazes sortie against the allied invasion fleet may be the best way to go out. I recommend the latter, which could be devastating if the BB's are intact and air cover exists. The most important point to stress is to have a strategic goal in mind. Decide this before the war and do not vacillating to chase different rainbows. Do not be inflexible but do not violate your strategic goals; whether they be defensive or imperialistic; European or African. Despite the limitations imposed by a weak ground army and poor economy, Italy can be a lot of fun to play in ETO and not just as a Nazi lackey. After all, nobody expects you to win so wouldn't they be surprised if the Mediterranean Sea (or Mare Nostrum) really did become an Italian lake?