Operation Felix. Crushing the Rock. Jul/Ago 1941.
This turn was one of these that made me love WIF many years ago.
The Pedestal Operation.
After fall of Suez my game enemy was a little raged so he gave up his natural caution. Winnie launched everything he got to save Malta, including one of the two corps that garrisoned Gibraltar. The English fleet based in Gibraltar was sent to the western Mediterranean sea and one transport with a cruiser was sent to Malta.
When my impulse came I was tempted to commit a near suicide attack to the rock but I had just one Italian infantry corp and one div, ready in La Spezia. With not many planes to support the invading fleet I decided to wait next impulse. I supposed that Winnie will reinforce GIB the next impulse and if this happened, I will launch a second assault to Malta. Another decisive air naval combat was fought and the weak CW carrier planes were swept away from the blue blue skies! Clearly with a cloudy mind by the demoralization, my opponent stayed on the fight without any air support. One carrier and two cruisers sunken later the combat ended but the English fleet remained at sea and Malta was supplied and reinforced.
The Felix Operation.
In the second impulse, Allies priorities were clear. Reinforce Gibraltar and defend Malta but soon the things began go bad to them. The Gibraltar reinforcements were a corps and one div, totaling one transport and three cruisers. I had some Italian submarines at the Gulf of Cadiz. I don´t like too much submarines in Wif. I use to build them from time to time to intimidate CW more that to fight but sometimes, like this time, the possible victims were a good prize. My subs intercepted the fleet (with a 1 dice roll) so my enemy was in big trouble. If he chose stay at sea, their troops were assured by other naval units and even a naval bomber but Gibraltar was vulnerable to my attack next impulse. By other side, if the convoy fought through to get the Rock could suffer damages. And then, what a glorious day! He chose to fight and his roll was 10! I chose surface combat and blanks, the transport was damaged, and the div was aborted.
Now I got a real chance to assault the Rock but wasn´t easy. I needed luckier die rolls or like I prefer to think, more generalship talent exhibition. First, I had to evade the English fleet blockade; second, I had to get the rock with my brand new marines.
The Baleares Naval battle.
he unique option for British Admiralty was a surface and devastating combat but it was not the day. After the first combat round Winnie ordered withdraw the CW ships. Keep fighting was very risky (the fleet could be trapped in Mediterranean Sea) and near useless (without air naval factors).
German rock to the rock!
Simply, I had one to one odd, I needed 17, 18, 19, 20. I get 18!
Epilogue of this turn:
Franco, like the opportunist that was, celebrated the victory and offered his allegiance to the axis.
The german marines get the Iron Cross and the honorific name “Felix”.
After the fall of the rock, my opponent was pronned to surrender. The truth is that until that moment, the war was going very bad for me but after the conquest of the Rock, Suez and the terrible losses of the CW (including 3 CVs, two transports and some cruisers, planes and corps) sun brightened over the axis side. That day, the session ended sooner than usual. [:'(]
Here a scheme picture of the operations:
