[BnW- Ita vs Byz] 6- The Royalists

[StuccoFresco]

The fall of Tirana and the reinstatement of King Zog as a (puppet) sovereign of Albania has stirred the royalist sentiment among the Valona region's defenders. The Byzantines and the local Albanian troops are struggling to keep control of the region in front of the incessant Italian pressure, but the heavily fortified front resists.

The Royalists however are planning a decisive uprising if we manage to reach their positions. I have to force my way through the enemy lines and make contact with them so we can collapse the whole enemy defensive line and take Valona.



8/9/1941
As per briefing, I only need to take one of the fortified towns in the enemy defensive line. They are all heavily protected, so a direct assault could be costly. I have several Limitanei Divisions that I can use to gauge the enemy line and spot some weak points against which I can drive the I and II Coorti Corazzate. I don’t have much maneuvering space (I should have made the map bigger), so it will be a bit chaotic at first.

Sukht and Fier are probably a big no-no, since they guard the most direct route to Valona. I’m not even gonna try in that direction, so I order the 20th and 21st Limitanei to shift further east.

The 22nd Limitanei spots a possible weak point in the enemy line between Sukht and Peshkopi: the 30th Hoplitai Division seems to lack anti-tank cover. I immediately send the I Coorte Corazzata toward the area, tasking the 12th Clibanarii Division to attack the weak point, and indeed there are only light AT guns supporting the enemy units. The advancing tanks don’t spot any dedicated AA Regiment nearby either, so I order three Bombardieri Wings (7°, 13° and 20°) to bomb the enemy unit. Aerial reconnaissance during the bombing runs, unfortunately, spots several AA units all around the bombing corridor, as well as two HQ units with SPAA vehicles. I expect those to close on the corridor and start firing at my bombers, but such is life.

The 5th Centuria Division “Veio” attacks near the same point, inflicting heavy casualties on a Regiment of the 31st Hoplitai Division. I move the entire II Coorte Corazzata toward the same spot: if I achieve a breakthrough I want to exploit it with all my might.

To avoid the enemy simply redeploying units to the breach, I order the VI Coorte to close in on the enemy line and feint some attack. The 42nd Limitanei advances east of Peshkopi, stopping right in front of the entrenched 36th Hoplitai Division. The 44th and 48th Limitanei shift west to threaten the same area, supported by bombing runs of the 19° Bombardieri Wing.





9/9/1941
I expected the enemy to respond to my bombing runs but boy, did it respond: at least four Anachaitistis Wings pounce on my Bombers as the enemy’s HQs unleash their british-made SPAA guns on them. Losses are incredibly high: the 20° Bombardieri is virtually wiped out, and the 13° loses half its planes. My own fighter cover doesn’t cut it, downing only a few attacking planes. What’s worse is that despite my own SPAA cover, enemy CAS planes have ravaged the 12th Clibanarii Division: the enemy Peltastes performed an alarming amount of bombing runs with their incendiary bombs, turning dozens of tanks into burning wrecks, or attacking them from behind with their 30mm cannons. 20 planes has been downed by my AA guns, but it’s not enough.

They are too dangerous: I have to concentrate my efforts to eliminate them, so I focus my Caccia on them. A furious furball starts as the enemy Interceptors try to defend the Peltastes, but despite considerable losses I manage to destroy an entire Wing. Another one is wiped out by the concentrated efforts of the X Legion HQ and both my Coorti Corazzate’s HQs.

I pull back the 20° and 13° Bombardieri, but I leave the 7° and 19° behind Fighter cover.

On the ground, the 5th “Veio” takes the lead of the offensive due to the losses suffered by the 12th Clibanari, breaking through the enemy lines and engaging the AT and Artillery guns behind.

The II Coorte Corazzata is forced to divert the 7th “Arretium” Division and the 24° Arditi Brigade to save the 42nd Limitanei from an enemy counterattack, led by the 8° Varangian Brigade. The “Arretium” manages to crush a Regiment of the 36th Hoplitai that was supporting the counterattack and isolate the 8° Varangian. The cut off Brigade is then engaged directly and suffers the loss of most of its assault infantry. Another attack from the 24th Limitanei forces the surrounded enemy unit to surrender.

Further east the 70th and 74th Hoplitai similarly counterattacked the VI Coorte, and on the western part of the battlefield the 25th Hoplitai tried to flank the III Coorte’s 22nd Limitanei Division. In both cases, my artillery support allowed me to push the enemy back relatively easily. Surely the enemy doesn’t play around, and concentrating my forces at Peshkopi has left other sectors open to enemy’s counterattacks.



10/9/1941
The enemy counterattack on the right flank has been beaten back soundly, but there is a Varangian Brigade near Burrel that prevents me from trying to counter-push the enemy in that sector. The enemy’s 38th Hoplitai Division that was defending the front just west of the fortified town, however, suffered high casualties during its attack. maybe it’s possible to break the front there.

At Peshkopi, the enemy has thrown the 5th Katafraktoi Division in the fray, destroying a Regiment of the 24th Limitanei and threatening our artillery. I have to focus my big guns on them, order the 19° Bombardieri Wing to bomb them, and then send the 14th Clibanarii to push them back. The armored clash starts as the artillery barrage is lifted: the heavier Italian tanks rolling beyond the remains of the Byzantine light tanks disabled or outright destroyed by the bombardment and engaging the bulk of the enemy armored force. Once more, the superiority of the Italian design forces the enemy to try and close the distance, which is easier said than done on a grassy plain. As its losses mount, the 5th Katafraktoi Division is eventually routed, two of its Regiments almost wiped out.

West of Peshkopi, the 5th “Veio” leads the penetration and with the help of the 12th Clibanarii Division and the 25° Arditi Brigade it manages to break through and destroy an enemy AT and Artillery Regiments. The IV Thema’s HQ is almost completely overrun as well.

In the air, the Byzantine pilots are proving to be much fiercer than expected: another Bombardieri Wing is decimated despite my Fighter escorts, and my own Caccia have to fly at their limits to chase and bring down the aggressors. With the Byzantine CAS withdrawn, the battle is entirely fought for air superiority. Fortunately, it is being fought right above my SPAA concentration, so every time our Fighters force the enemy to dive, it is welcomed by a barrage of anti-aircraft fire.

[StuccoFresco]

11/9/1941
The enemy in Sukht seems unwilling to flank my penetration east of the town, so I’m extending it to try and encircle Peshkopi’s defenders. The 5th “Veio” has reached the enemy heavy artillery positions and has already captured or destroyed roughly half of their batteries. Our tanks are rolling through the gap in the enemy lines, supported by the Arditi and by the 13th Divisione Motorizzata. Our artillery lags behind, but our HQs are keeping up, providing crucial coordination to the push.

East of the town, the 7th “Arretium” is threatening another breakthrough against the weakened 36th and 38th Hoplitai Divisions. The 21° Varangian Brigade is trying to patch it, but it probably won’t be able to.

The enemy counterattack at Burrel has ended in disaster, and my troops are now free to advance west of the town.



12/9/1941
The 5th “Veio” supported by the 12th and 14th Clibanarii Division completes the encirclement of Peshkopi, linking with the advancing 7th “Arretium”. An enemy counterattack against the III Coorte led by a Varangian Brigade is beaten back with the help of two Artillery Regiments.

In the east, enemy infantry counterattacks west of Burrel, halting our advance and inflicting devastating casualties to a Regiment of the 49th Limitanei. Despite this setback, it seems the enemy lines between Burrel and Peshkopi have been shattered.



13/9/1941
The enemy’s 12th Koursorses Division leads a counterattack against the ring encircling Peshkopi. Supported by the remaining Regiment of the 5th Katafraktoi Division, the Byzantines charged relentlessly for the entire evening and even launched several night assaults against my lines. A Regiment of the 12th Clibanarii Division is utterly annihilated in the battle, but the encirclement holds.

Our forces reorganize, then I push forward my HQs to coordinate an armored offensive against the advancing enemy. The 14th Clibanarii Division takes the front and with the help of the 25° Arditi Brigade shatters the 12th Koursorses Division. Left without enough infantry assistance, the 5th Katafraktoi Division’s last Regiment is bombed by my air force and its vanguard companies are crushed by an armored push.

The enemy is still fighting hard around Burrel, so I stopped any advance toward the town. More ground is gained west of it, where I think I have cleared the forested hills from enemy presence.

An effort is made near Sukht to silence the enemy artillery: the 22nd Limitanei Division launches a valiant attack that leads to the destruction of circa twenty enemy heavy guns. Enemy presence near the town is still too strong for a direct assault, but the constant fighting is preventing the Byzantines from interfering with the breakthrough around Peshkopi.

A lone Peltastes Wing is destroyed above Peshkopi by my SPAA units.



14/9/1941
The 14th Clibanarii advances toward Tepelene and the Royalists supported by the 25° Arditi Brigade and various attached units, followed closely by the X Legione’s HQ. The rest of the units have surrounded the last Byzantine units around Peshkopi, and the artillery is amassing in range of the town. The first of those Regiments begins firing after midday. The 24th Limitanei Division is chosen for the task of conquering the town after the artillery has softened up the enemy fortifications.

The VI and III Coorte keep the enemy on the flanks occupied. The last Regiment of the Byzantine 5th Katafraktoi Division is destroyed by the 7th “Arretium”.

Aerial reconnaissance spots the 4th Katafraktoi and 11th Koursorses Divisions at Vore. They apparently form the XIII Thema.



15/9/1941
I push my artillery toward Vore, ready to engage the XIII Thema.

The enemy is now pushing again against the III and VI Coorte. My line holds, for now. Varangian Brigades are spearheading the attacks, but I have plenty of artillery in position to support my infantry.

The 24th Limitanei has started engaging the Peshkopi garrison, penetrating in the outskirts from three different directions under heavy artillery cover.



16/9/1941
The XIII Thema sends a Katafraktoi Regiment to flank my III Coorte, but two of my own armored Regiments chase it and engage it in the open, leading to the loss of 35 Byzantine tanks for only 9 losses of my own. My entire armored force attacks toward Vore, crippling another Katafraktoi Regiment, which loses 29 tanks at the cost of 8 Italian tanks destroyed.

The 5th “Veio” and 7th “Arretium” are marching north toward the Royalist positions around Tepelene.

Heavy attacks push back the III and VI Coorte. The infantry is suffering the Varangian shock troops’ assaults. The supporting artillery is trying to hit the enemy Brigades to disrupt them.

Peshkopi is about to fall now that combat engineers have cleared a path to downtown.



17/9/1941
The 40° Varangian Brigade has pushed the III Coorte back almost entirely on its own, but now has overextended: way ahead of the rest of the Byzantine troops, the Brigade finds itself under a constant barrage of two Artillery Regiments. Hours of bombardment leave the Byzantine elite unit in tatters, ripe for the Italian infantry’s counterattack: the 21st Limitanei, with the help of the 22nd and 20th, finally manages to shatter the enemy Brigade and force the remains to surrender in the evening. The defeat will likely put a halt to the Byzantine push on this flank.

The enemy XIII Thema proves to be a hard nut to crack, so I order the 5th “Veio” to support the offensive against Vore. The Division performs excellently, inflicting severe losses to an enemy armored Regiment in the forests near the town. My own armored forces focus their attacks on the 11th Koursorses Division, which is decimated in a series of battles in the plains northwest of the town.

The 7° Varangian Brigade is pushed back at Burrel.

Peshkopi falls to the 24th Limitanei.

[StuccoFresco]

18/9/1941
The fall of Peshkopi has secured the breakthrough, and now my objective is to put at least three units in a range of three hexes from the Royalist HQ at Tepelene.

While my forces eliminate the XIII Thema, enemy troops push suddenly from the northeast toward Peshkopi: the 66th Koursorses Division launches a daring advance against my advancing infantry, threatening to retake Peshkopi. Fortunately, the advance is not very coordinated, and the 24th Limitanei Division with the help of the 13th Divisione Motorizzata manage to encircle the enemy’s leading Regiment.

Despite the loss of the 40° Varangian Brigade, the enemy’s VIII Thema is still pushing against the III Coorte. I’m limiting the amount of supplies and reinforcements going to this Coorte because it’s a secondary front, but the constant fighting is wearing its units down, even though I’m cycling them out of combat as necessary. The artillery Regiments supporting the Coorte are exhausted and low on ammo.



19/9/1941
The aviation is helping the III Coorte resisting the enemy attacks; a daring flanking attempt of an enemy Hoplitai Regiment is met with disaster when the 22nd Limitanei closes its ranks behind it and our artillery starts shelling it. The following desperate battle leads to the surrender of the enemy unit.

The 66th Kourorses Division’s advance has been stopped cold: its surrounded Regiment has surrendered after a full day of infantry assaults from all sides, and the rest of the Division is facing superior numbers and/or entrenched units.

The XIII Thema is all but destroyed, and I’m starting to move troops closer to Tepelene.

A recon flight by the 44° Stormo Caccia spots another enemy armored formation in the northeast, near Puke.



20/9/1941
The X Legione’s Consul has met General Xhosa of the XV Thema in Tepelene. As per secret negotiations, General Xhosa has declared his allegiance to King Zog and ordered his troops to assist the Italian allies. In the west, the Royalist 27th and 88th Hoplitai Divisions opened fire against the Loyalist 89th Hoplitai Division; the latter is soon joined by the 114th Hoplitai Division. Prrenjas’ garrison declares for King Zog, as well as the 77th Anachaitistis Group based near Tepelene.

The XVI Thema, part of which was spotted yesterday by the 44° Stormo Caccia, is seen moving southwest. Fearing an advance toward Peshkopi, I send the 7th “Arretium” southeast to intercept a possible offensive. It’s supported by an Artillery Regiment and by the II Coorte’s HQ.

The 5th “Veio” and the 14th Clibanarii Division are sent southwest, to shield Tepelene by the multiple Byzantine infantry units concentrating in the area. The I Coorte’s HQ is coordinating the maneuver.

In the north, the 112th Hoplitai Division is attacking the Royalist troops north of Tepelene. The Royalist positions here are supported by the X Legione’s HQ, the 12th Clibanarii Division, the 24° Arditi Brigade, and two Artillery Regiments.

My Caccia Wings help the Royalist aviation wipe out what’s left of the Loyalists’ aviation.




21/9/1941
The Byzantines are furious about the Royalists’ treachery, and they are focusing all their forces against the traitor units: the 6th Katafraktoi Division moves straight for Tepelene, and I have to intercept it before it hits the Royalist lines. After a preliminary artillery barrage, the 12th Clibanarii Division engages the leading enemy armored Regiment and pushes it back with high losses. The loyalist 112th Hoplitai Division has started its attack through the heavily forested areas north of the town, but it’s meeting stiff resistance from the Royalist’s 90th Hoplitai Division.

The 21st Hoplitai Division previously defending Sukht moves north to help the 89th Hoplitai Division. When linked, the two loyalist units cut off a Regiment of the Royalist 27th Division, compromising the Royalist defenses around Prrenjas. I send the 5th “Veio” Division and the 25° Arditi Brigade to help them, and they immediately link up with the cut off Royalist units after beating back an Hoplitai Regiment.

It seems the enemy push toward Peshkopi has been vanquished. I advance the 13th Divisione Motorizzata northeast toward Rreshen. The 7th “Arretium” is then sent north to help with the defense of Tepelene. A single Regiment of the 25th Hoplitai Division tries to advance toward Peshkopi from the northwest, but it’s promptly intercepted and cut off from its supply lines.

Once again I use the 44° Stormo Caccia for reconnaissance purposes, and it spots an entire Thema (XVI) moving against Tepelene from the east. It comprises two Koursorses Divisions (15th and 67th) as well as the 6th Katafraktoi Division that I already engaged in battle. The decision to pull the 7th “Arretium” north was the right one. I double down by sending the 14th Clibanarii Division there as well.

[StuccoFresco]

22/9/1941
The Byzantine assault on Tepelene fires up: the enemy tanks and motorized infantry isolate a Regiment of the Royalists’ 95th Hoplitai Division and prepare an all-out assault on the town. The 12th Clibanarii Division takes the brunt of the first attack since it was guarding the eastern outskirts of the forest, and I’m forced to retreat one of its Regiments. However, the combined counterattack of the 7th “Arretium”, the 24° Arditi, and the 14th Clibanarii catches the enemy unprepared. The overwhelming firepower and numerical superiority shatter the enemy units, routing two Regiments of the 6th Katafraktoi Division, a Koursorses Regiment, and crippling another two.

In the north, the 112th Hoplitai Division’s attack is faltering.

At Prrenjas, the Loyalists have decisively defeated the Royalist 88th Hoplitai Division, but the 5th “Veio” and the 25° Arditi Brigade have beaten back the 24th Hoplitai Division’s attempt to attack the town from the south. The Royalist 27th Hoplitai Division is still fighting, so I’ll assist it as much as possible.

In the southeast and southwest, the few remaining Byzantine units have established defensive positions, too weak to further threaten the III or VI Coorte.



23/9/1941
The Byzantine offensive on Tepelene is failing: my counterattack has shattered almost all enemy units, with only a few Regiments still in fighting shape around an anti-tank Regiment. The 112th Hoplitai Division is still pushing in the northern woods, but the Royalists are holding well.

The 5th “Veio” is advancing toward Prrenjas, pushing aside the Byzantine units in the area. The Royalist 27th Hoplitai Division is still resisting.

The rest of the front is stabilized: local attacks in the southeast by the 17° Varangian Brigade have failed to become a serious threat. The 13th Divisione Motorizzata takes Rreshen, but the nearby bridge is mined.



24/9/1941
The 5th “Veio” links up with the 27th Hoplitai Division, cutting off the entire area around Sukth and Fier.

The Byzantines launch the last combat-worthy Regiment of the 6th Katafraktoi through the woods northeast of Tepelene, trying to rush toward the Royalist HQ. The Royalist 90th Hoplitai Division is holding the line, but has been fighting the 112th Hoplitai Division as well and is being worn down quickly, being reduced to only roughly half of its combat strength. I intensify the operations in the plains to finish off the rest of the Byzantine XVI Thema, starting with the encirclement of the remaining troops of the 15th Koursorses Division.




25/9/1941
The Byzantines are desperately pushing toward Tepelene; they have almost overrun the airfield, and the 95th Hoplitai Division is cracking under the pressure. The 24° Arditi Brigade forces the encircled 15th Koursorses Division to surrender, the 7th “Arretium” clears the field from the last stragglers, and I send the 14th Clibanarii around the woods to flank the enemy troops advancing on Tepelene.

The 5th “Veio” is still pushing toward Prrenjas, defeating the various Byzantine infantry units on the way.

In the southeast I decide to engage the enemy’s III Thema HQ, and to beat back the remnants of a Varangian Brigade that were positioning themselves in front of Burrel.



26-27/9/1941
The last assaults on Tepelene manage to overrun the airfields, but our mechanized troops are quick to seal the gap, and the flanking move of the 14th Clibanarii dooms the Byzantine units in the area.

The Byzantines start pulling out their troops from the area, giving up the battle. With the Royalist uprising in full swing, the defense of Valona is doomed. The battle wasn’t very difficult, I’ll probably add some more minefields and Hoplitai Divisions to strengthen the enemy’s first line of defense and force the player to focus more on a single attack vector.