Sturm-Abteilung Rhodos: September 10, 1943

Started by MengJiao, April 27, 2021, 01:42:16 PM

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MengJiao

  So for some reason, the Germans had a modest mechanized division on Rhodes in 1943.  8000 troops, sp artillery, PZKWIVs the works -- under Kleeman (who had been held up at Bir Hacheim the summer before).  The Italians had 34,000 men, lots of artillery and not much else.  It was officially (since 1913?) their Island, but when Italy surrendered to the Allies in September 1943, Sturm-Abteilung Rhodos sprang into action and took over the island in a few days.  Why the Germans needed Rhodes is not very clear.  On Crete, the Italian section was peacefully occupied by the Allies under an informal truce, but on Rhodes, things were different.  The Italians surrendered, thinking they were getting a deal to be repatriated (how that would work without some kind of a truce to at least inform the allies of the evacuation -- nobody figured out).  Of course surrendering did not go all that well and of the Italian troops who did not join the Germans (not many did) or escape or go into hiding (about 2000), about a quarter died (shot after surrendering, sunk by allied subs, plain old shipwreck or starved in POW camps).  So as many Italians thought at the time, why not just fight?
  Anyway...suppose they had.  The Sturm-Abteilung had tanks  and the Italians did not.

  So I decided to try it out with southern France standing in for Rhodes and a German Luftwaffe field division standing in for the Italians.  The attack (on a map of modern Rhodes -- runs from Psithne (where there is WI-Fi according to the Taxi tour map), through the Valley of Butterflies to Paradise where there is an airport and there probably was one in 1943:


 

MengJiao

Quote from: MengJiao on April 27, 2021, 01:42:16 PM

  Anyway...suppose they had.  The Sturm-Abteilung had tanks  and the Italians did not.

  So I decided to try it out with southern France standing in for Rhodes and a German Luftwaffe field division standing in for the Italians.  The attack (on a map of modern Rhodes -- runs from Psithne (where there is WI-Fi according to the Taxi tour map), through the Valley of Butterflies to Paradise where there is an airport and there probably was one in 1943:


  Okay, 7:30 or so, Sturm-Abteilung Rhodos is pushing into the Valley of Butterflies.  Lots of artillery fire disorganizes the lead infantry column and the Italians deploy their bicycle-mounted engineer battalion to try to block the German armor:


MengJiao

Quote from: MengJiao on April 28, 2021, 07:12:18 AM


  Okay, 7:30 or so, Sturm-Abteilung Rhodos is pushing into the Valley of Butterflies. 

   9am...Soon the Germans will be attempting to sturm the Italian line.  Could work:


MengJiao

Quote from: MengJiao on April 29, 2021, 04:40:36 PM
Quote from: MengJiao on April 28, 2021, 07:12:18 AM


  Okay, 7:30 or so, Sturm-Abteilung Rhodos is pushing into the Valley of Butterflies. 

   9am...Soon the Germans will be attempting to sturm the Italian line.  Could work:

   9:30...first two German attacks were routed (a nice mechanic in this game) by artillery and mortar fire.  Everybody calls for reinforcements.  The Germans get more tanks and a heavy weapons battalion.  The Italians get more bicycles, a recon group, some light recon vehicles and General Courbiere.

   Maybe 11 am will go better for the Sturm-abteilung.

MengJiao

Quote from: MengJiao on April 30, 2021, 10:52:56 AM


   9:30...first two German attacks were routed (a nice mechanic in this game) by artillery and mortar fire.  Everybody calls for reinforcements.  The Germans get more tanks and a heavy weapons battalion.  The Italians get more bicycles, a recon group, some light recon vehicles and General Courbiere.

   Maybe 11 am will go better for the Sturm-abteilung.

   Or maybe not.  Here at 10:45, here are the Italian reinforcements:


MengJiao

#5
Quote from: MengJiao on April 30, 2021, 02:09:24 PM
Quote from: MengJiao on April 30, 2021, 10:52:56 AM


   9:30...first two German attacks were routed (a nice mechanic in this game) by artillery and mortar fire.  Everybody calls for reinforcements.  The Germans get more tanks and a heavy weapons battalion.  The Italians get more bicycles, a recon group, some light recon vehicles and General Courbiere.

   Maybe 11 am will go better for the Sturm-abteilung.

   

   Or maybe not.  Here at 10:45, here are the Italian reinforcements:

   
   Nope.  As the Italians observed at the time, there was plenty of effective Italian artillery near the main airport  (and the administrative centers in the ancient fortresses of the Knights of St. John Aka Hospitalers, AKA Knights of Malta) and the old harbor of Rhodes.

   So...maybe something less hypothetical for a change.