*Dive Bombers in the Dodecanese*
Scenario ver. 1.4
Designer: Ben Turner; please send comments and suggestions to maldenhill [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk
TOAW-3 ver. 3.0.0.0
:: PBEM ::
:: Allied PO, German PO ::
The German re-invasion of Leros, 1943
Date: Dawn 12th November 1943 to 16th November 1943
Location: Island of Leros in the Aegean Sea
Map Scale: 1/2 mile per hex*
Time scale: 6 hours per turn
Unit scale: platoon/company
Length: 18 turns
*: The island of Leros is too small to represent acurately on 2.5km scale (it would be about 4 hexes long) and as such the map scale in the scenario is actually 2.5km/hex. I have partially compensated with force movement bias, but movement is still considerably slower. Fortunately this quite accurately reflects the difficulty units had in moving around Leros historically.
Colours:
British: White on Brown
Italian: Yellow on White
Greek: Beige on Tan
Wehrmacht: White on Grey
Luftwaffe: White on Light Blue
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Significant events:
Chance that the Italian troops on the Island will aid the British.
Chance that the local population will aid the British.
The British have the theatre option of abandoning Samos. This gives the German player an immediate Victory point bonus. The Luftwaffe then have a 50% chance of destroying the Samos Garrison in transit, but if this does not happen then the battalion will arrive five turns later at Parteni Bay (hex 8,5)- it is considered illegal for the Germans to take this hex when the arrival of the 2nd Royal Kents is still possible.
German sea transport is only available in the day time, since at night the Luftwaffe is unable to prevent the Royal Navy from sinking German ships. In addition, German sea transport falls by 20 every night as the vessels are hunted down amongst the smaller islands by British destroyers.
Note that units do not reconstitute.
The British suffer decreasing shock for the first two turns.
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Background:
Ever since they were first pushed out of the Agean in 1941, British staffs had planned landings on the various islands, first and foremost, Rhodes, which is the largest of these islands and has airfields which make it the key to the entire archipelago. While the battle in the desert was raging, there were never any troops spare to launch an attack in this subsidiary theatre, and when the Allies pushed the Axis first out of Tunisia, then out of Sicily, then almost up to Rome itself, the British staffs once again prepared an invasion of the Aegean, but to do so they had to have enough assault transport for a full infantry division and, even though the position in Italy was secure, and Overlord six months distant, General Eisenhower and President Roosevelt refused to grant the necassary assault ships. Despite this, the British proceeded with part of their plan and successfully liberated Samos, Cos, with a small airbase, and Leros, with strong coastal defences. But without Rhodes the position was untenable, and the Germans quickly re-took Cos, easily overcoming the lone battalion garrisoning it, and then prepared 4000 men of 16. and 65. Grenadier regiments (well experienced in mountain warfare in Greece) and a small airborne contingent to re-take Leros as well. It was at this crucial point that the long range fighters, based in North Africa, were withdrawn to Italy, leaving the Germans, for one last time, with air dominance and a chance to use it.
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Historical battle:
Early on the 12th of November 1943 the German seaborne troops landed in the extreme North-East of Leros, and in the bay to the South-East of Leros town. They tried but failed to take the town, but in the evening 600 German paratroopers dropped to the north of Leros town and cut the North of the island off from the rest, and all attempts to retake the isthmus failed. The garrison of Samos was sent to aid the defence, but was crushed by the Luftwaffe. The British troops fought on against crushing air strength until November the 16th, when they could fight no more. The British lost their foothold in the Aegean, which they could have held so easily if they had only had the resources, but the cost in men was equally high for the Germans as it was for them.
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Forces:
German:
Two battalions of 16. Grenadier Regiment
65. Grenadier Regiment minus one battalion
I./2. Fallschirjaeger regiment
I./JG4
I./StG3
British:
1st King's Own Royal Regiment
2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers
4th Royal West Kents
(these are from Malta, and are still recovering from the seige rationing there)
2nd Royal West Kents
An Italian Battalion
Local militia
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Important notes:
The Allies have only ONE supply point: Leros town. Do not let the Germans take it.
The island of Leros is dominated by the bays which divide it into three. The Germans used this to full effect in reality, cutting off the northernmost battalion.
The Italian and Greek troops are *very* poor quality.
The Germans only have air transport from the third turn onwards (afternoon of 12th November).
Version Notes:
1.2: TO&E improved.
German force reduced.
Shock penalty added.
Reconstitution prevented.
Map made more rugged.
1.3: Shock reduced
German force supply reduced
Beach defenders spread out
1.4: various cosmetic improvements
Scenario Design Ben Turner 2000-6
please send comments and suggestions to maldenhill [at] yahoo [dot] co [dot] uk
or visit http://www.tdg.nu