[BnW - Byz vs Ita] 5- The Kheloné Protocol

[StuccoFresco]

The Livorno Raid has been disastrous for the Italian Kingdom both from a military standpoint and a political one: the King is furious for the loss of his prestigious Battlecruisers and has ordered Pergamon, the port from which the raid was launched, to be conquered immediately.

Pergamon is a border city of incredible importance for us: it has numerous war industries, the biggest port of the Eastern Coast, and a population numbering 5 million people. Two full Tagma are protecting it: the Athenian Tagma and its own Pergamon Tagma. Until now, the border has been dormant, but after the Raid the Italians have ramped up their presence massively.

Two full Legions are ready to storm the city. The assault will probably be overwhelming, and we don’t have much ground to cede before they reach the outskirts of the city, but that’s why the Kheloné (Tortoise) Protocol was developed years ago. Should the enemy forces come too close, we will have the opportunity to evacuate many of our war industries and supply depots north of the Xyphos River. Some of them can’t be evacuated, so they will be destroyed, but it would still be much better than losing them to the enemy.

The decision whether to evacuate or not will be yours to make: if you are confident you can keep the southern part of the city, do so.



10/6/1942
The Italian attack starts with an oppressive artillery preparation along the entire front, followed by waves of infantry. Engineers and assault troops clear some of the minefields, opening gaps for the rest of the invading forces. The strongest attack seems to be directed at Kamatero, in the Athenian sector of the front, where two Arditi Brigades (31° and 32°) leads the way followed by two Centuria Divisions (4th “Velcal” and 5th “Perusna”).

The Italian aviation bombards the XXXI Thema’s positions, so I send both Pergamon and Athenian Groups’ Interceptors to attack the bombers, wiping out a full Wing.

In the east, the 65th Hoplitai Division has been crushed by the 113th Clibanarii Division, so I have to send the 50th Katafraktoi Division to seal the breach, decimating one of the enemy’s armored Regiments.

The X Coorte’s HQ advances way too far and it’s shattered by the 59th Hoplitai Divisions’ counterattack. The same happens to an Artillery Regiment further north, pushed back by the 32nd Hoplitai Division.



11/6/1942
More minefields are removed. The 128° Brigata Arditi breaks through the ranks of the 54th Hoplitai Division, pushing it back and opening a gap between the 59th Hoplitai and the 39th Hoplitai. I move forward a Regiment from the 10th Katafraktoi to stop the enemy assault troops, supported by an anti-tank Regiment.

Enemy artillery forces the 50th Katafraktoi to step outside of their range, but I manage to decimate another enemy Clibanarii Regiment before retreating. The 11° Varangian Brigade takes up position next to a fortified area near the lake, inflicting heavy losses to the advancing 220th Limitanei Division.

Enemy bombers hit the 50th Katafraktoi as well, but I pounce on them with my Interceptors and almost annihilate the attacking Wing. My Peltastes Wings enter the battle, destroying more Italian tanks.

In the west, the attack on Kamatero has intensified: the Italian troops are on the town’s outskirts and are decimating the XIV Thema. The XIII Thema is doing better, pushing back the Italian infantry, but I fear it’s just a diversion to keep it from helping with the much more important positions at Kamatero.


12/6/1942
Kamatero has fallen: the Athenian Tagma is almost split in two. The Italians try to infiltrate the 101st Divisione Motorizzata through my southern flank, but the 50th Katafraktoi Division counterattacks and cuts off the leading Regiment. The rest of the Divisione Motorizzata is stuck in front of the 59th Hoplitai Division, under artillery fire and constantly pressured by my troops.

The 10th Katafraktoi Division has stalled the enemy advance on the former 54th Hoplitai Division’s positions; the decimated Regiments of which are being reconstituted behind the first line.

Further east, the 32nd Hoplitai Division is under considerable pressure but it’s holding on to its position in the dense woodlands east of Vissilia.

Enemy Fighters try to down my Interceptors but to do so they have to fly in range of my numerous AA units, and thus suffer heavy losses.


13/6/1942
The Italians keep pushing in the southern sector of my defensive line, but the 50th Katafraktoi Division has an easy time cutting the vanguards off again. The last Regiment of the 54th Hoplitai Division gets pushed back from the first line, but the rest of the Division has been reconstituted and gets back into position. The front is still resisting the attacks, albeit at a considerable cost in resources to keep the units’ strength up.

I’m considering pulling back the 73rd Hoplitai Division from the coast; they are facing the 182nd Limitanei Division, which hasn’t moved yet.

The Athenian Tagma is worse off: the Italians have wiped out our units around Kamatero and the Tagma is split in two. The 89° Katafraktoi Division has been called up to defend the river crossing, supporting the entrenched 158th and 243rd Hoplitai Divisions already there. The XIII Thema is trying to attack the II Coorte d’Assalto’s right flank as well to slow their advance.


14/6/1942
The Italians bring up their artillery and start shelling the 12° Varangian Brigade. The suppression this barrages can bring to my troops is too heavy, I have to pull back out of range or be destroyed in place. Enemy bombers add to the damage despite my AA guns taking down five of them.

In the west, the II Coorte d’Assalto sees the XIII Thema’s attempt at a flanking attack and brings down its armored forces on it, shattering several units.

Worst of all, an Italian fleet shows up on the battlefield. It seems the Italians have learnt from the Livorno Raid, because they brought up torpedo Corvettes, probably towed by their Destroyers. Pergamon is well defended from the sea, but I planned on using my cruisers and battlecruisers’ guns to shell the enemy should it advance too much. Let’s see if I can beat the Italian ships back…

The 12° Varangian has to pull back. I use the reconstituted 54th Hoplitai Division to form a new defensive perimeter closer to Vissilia, which is under considerable pressure from several Limitanei Regiments, and use the 78th Koursorses Division to prop up my strongpoint further south.

The Italian vanguards cut off from supplies try to rush forward but the Koursorses stop them dead in their tracks. The enemy units are already short on fuel, ammo and food and will probably surrender in a couple days if I manage to keep them isolated.

I retreat my fleet behind my naval minefields and in range of my coastal batteries. If the enemy wants to attack me, it will be on my own terms. This will considerably restrict my maneuvering, though.


15/6/1942
The enemy keeps pushing against my defenses, slowly pushing them back. I counterattack whenever and wherever possible, this time encircling a Regiment of the 113th Clibanarii Division. Enemy infantry is slowly advancing toward Vissilia, and I keep rushing reinforcements to the Hoplitai Regiments I’m forced to pull back from the front.

In the south the Koursorses are performing admirably plugging gaps around the III Hetairoi Thema’s lines. I pushed the XLIV Thema’s HQ up along the coast because the 73rd Hoplitai Division has been attacked by the 182n Limitanei Division, and the enemy seems to be enjoying superior training and equipment. Almost all Limitanei Division on the front seem to have those.

In the west, the II Coorte d’Assalto is trying to ford the Xyphon River, but the 89th Katafraktoi Division is counterattacking every beachhead and crushing them. I send my Peltastes Wings there to thin out the enemy armor: the burning husks of dozens of Italian tanks left on the field as a reminder of the effectiveness of our incendiary bombs.

Unfortunately, it seems the enemy has completely wiped out the XIII Thema’s attempt at a flanking attack, and it will now be free to employ more units toward the fording attempts.

The Pergamon fleet has eaten some torpedoes from the Italian MAS Corvettes, but I’m retaliating. The coastal batteries severely damage the first Italian light cruiser that tries to enter the port, the Lerici. Three enemy Destroyers are damaged by our minefields.

[StuccoFresco]

16/6/1942
The Lerici cruiser and two MAS Corvettes are sunk in the Pergamon harbor. The Italian fleet is trying to press the attack, but the coastal batteries are showing remarkable precision and the damages start to add up on the Italian fleet.

The 1st “Velathri” Centuria shows up at the front south of Vissilia, causing a shift in the combat and forcing me to pull back a couple kms all around. Further south the 220th Limitanei Division does the same, forcing the III Hetairoi Corps to redeploy several units. Despite considerable losses, the Italian are still pushing me back day after day.

In the west, the Athenians are still holding the river line, but the XIII Thema is being ground down by enemy armor southeast of Kamatero. My CAS Wings are still destroying tanks left and right, the enemy Fighters nowhere to be seen, fortunately.


17/6/1942
The Athenians are still fiercely holding the river crossing, helped by the fact that the II Coorte d’Assalto seems much more focused on crushing the XIII Thema on the southern side of the river itself.

The 1st “Velathri” Division has definitely tipped the balance on my front, opening a way for the 64° and 128° Brigate Arditi’s attack. The enemy punched a hole between the LVI and the III Hetairoi Corps and I have to commit all my frontline reserves to plug it. The same goes for the southern flank, where I have to separate the 50th Katafraktoi Division from the rest of the Corps just to finish off the encircled Italian units before their brethren can free them, now that the III Hetairoi Corps is shortening its front.

The battle in the Pergamon harbor is not going well, but it’s not terrible either: the enemy is pressing its attack hard, but our guns keep hitting them with salvo after salvo. The Italian light units are sinking one after another, but there are three heavy cruisers on the eastern side of the harbor that are about to descend into battle, and it won’t be pretty for us. The Attica, one of our Battlecruisers, has suffered a torpedo hit and has retreated back, still firing its main batteries at the enemy.


18/6/1942
The 9th “Tachluna” Division shows up on the southern flank, putting the III Hetairoi Corps in disarray. I have to reorganize my defensive perimeter to account for the new threat, and now the entire front risks being flanked from the south. The 1st “Velathri” is doing the same near Vissilia, with the 32nd Hoplitai Division split in two and retreating. The 73rd Hoplitai Division has been beaten back too, and will retreat toward Pergamon as soon as possible.

The Italians are still stuck south of the Xiphos river in the Athenian sector, because they have committed a lot of units toward the elimination of the XIII and XXXI Thema on their flank. This will mean tens of thousands of inevitable losses, but will also give us more time before they can ford the river and threaten that entire flank.

In the Pergamon harbor, more ships sink or go up in flames: the Italian fleet is getting shelled to hell and back by the coastal batteries and my Battlecruisers’ guns, but keeps pressing on. My Agia Marina II and the modern Rethymnon cruisers are badly damaged, only the old Kroton is still in perfect condition. All my Destroyers are also in various states of disarray. The three Italian heavy cruisers and a Mediterraneo-class Battlecruiser are starting to add their batteries to the battle and it’s not pretty. Their heavy guns can and will sink my remaining ships if I don’t sink them first, but they are well armored and it won’t be easy at all.



19/6/1942
Our time is up: enemy armored and mechanized troops are swarming around the III Hetairoi Division while carving up the LVI Thema. Vissilia is almost encircled and the 73rd Hetairoi Division risks being encircled on the beaches by the sudden advance of the 181st Limitanei Division. The southern flank is wide open, with only the 50th Katafraktoi Division fighting a rearguard action against overwhelming numbers. The 11° and 12° Varangian Brigades are holding the center, but for how long? Our Voitho (Support) Regiments are busting vehicles hour after hour, but they find themselves exposed as the frontline infantry gets crushed, forcing a withdrawal every day.

The Athenians are also slowly losing the battle on the river: the Italian artillery has taken up firing positions south of the river and has shelled the Athenians for a day straight. The XIII Thema has been annihilated, and the XXXI Thema is isolated southeast of Kamatero. The 89° Katafraktoi Division is still bravely counterattacking every beachhead but it’s exhausted.

In the port, the devastating attack of the Italian Heavy Cruisers backed by their Battlecruiser has sunk all our remaining Destroyers and crippled the Kroton. The Italian Cruiser Ancona has been badly damaged, and they lost another Destroyer, but they are winning the battle. Unless my Battlecruisers turn the tide, our fleet will be annihilated.



20/6/1942
The Italian pressure on the front is too much: I decide to retreat what’s left of the LVI and III Hetairoi Corps back toward Pergamon and Kalamaria. This will allow the enemy to deploy all its units, but also to run out of its artilleries’ range. If they overextend, it may also give me the possibility for some armored counterattack, since the 10th and 50th Katafraktoi Divisions are still in fighting shape. The 32nd and 73rd Hetairoi Divisions are unable to extricate themselves from the front yet, but they are still fighting bravely against the tide. The XLIV Thema is now trapped among them and it’s going to be hard to withdraw it in time. I use all my aviation to strike at the enemy armor: now that they are in open terrain they are an even bigger threat.

The Athenians' defenses on the Xyphon are dwindling, but the enemy is still unable to gain a bridgehead north of the river. The Italian XV Coorte is starting to close on the XXXI Thema’s positions, slowly encircling it.

In the Pergamon harbor, the Italian heavy cruisers push forward and blow my fleet into smithereens, sinking all my cruisers and Destroyers except for the old Kroton light cruiser. The Attica Battlecruiser is a flaming wreck, barely floating, but the Eubea is still fighting back, crippling the Ancona and the Pesaro with its guns.


21/6/1942
The battle in the Pergamon harbor is ending, and it’s ending badly for us: the only surviving ship is the Eubea Battlecruiser, that defiantly sinks another Italian cruiser before salvo after salvo reduce it to a flaming wreck. The Byzantine flag still bravely hoisted high, the pride of the fleet stubbornly refuses to sink and keeps fighting, hoping against hope. The restless gunners of the coastal batteries keep firing as well: the Italians may have won the sea, but they will pay for it.

The worst news is that the defeat of our fleet has given the enemy the opportunity to land an invasion force north of Pergamon: an unknown amount of units has landed east of the town of Ilio. Among them we can see a powerful assault brigade: the infamous Lagunari. I immediately send the 43rd Hoplitai Division, the 8° and 18° Varangian Brigades north to establish a line of defense far from Pergamon. The 66th Hoplitai Division departs from Evosmos and will set up another defensive line at Ilio. The Pergamon Tagma HQ will coordinate the new front and has assigned an artillery regiment to the task force.

The Italians roll forward, and their units manage to cut off the remnants of the 32nd, 39th and 73rd Hoplitai Divisions retreating along the coast. The 12° Varangian Brigade with them manages to break out and tries to cover their retreat. The XLIV Thema’s HQ is among the retreating units. A single Voitho Regiment has retaken Vissilia, trying to slow down the enemy advance.

The III Hetairoi Corps has withdrawn south of Kalamarina, establishing a solid defensive perimeter. All the other survivors of the border battles are now concentrated around Pergamon’s outer defensive perimeter.

In the west, the 89° Katafraktoi Division is still valiantly fighting off the enemy’s fording attempts. Meanwhile, the XXXI Thema is fighting furiously against the encircling Italians, keeping many units away from the main offensive.

[StuccoFresco]

22/6/1942
The situation is BAD.

North of Pergamon our task force is facing two assault brigades because alongside the Lagunari, another famed Italian unit has shown up: the San Marco. They lack battle experience, but they enjoy the latest weapons and advanced tactics.
South of the city, the Italians have split their numerous forces in two, immediately attacking the III Hetairoi Corps before it could fortify its positions. I’m already hard pressed by the sheer number of units pushing toward Kalamarina.

The Hoplitai units retreating along the coast have been caught up again, and this time it may be the end since there is a Centuria Regiment separating them from safety. The XLIV Thema’s HQ has reached the defensive perimeter, but opening the lines to accommodate it could shatter the perimeter’s integrity…

In the west the 89° Katafraktoi has been pushed back, and a single Regiment of the 65th Koursorses Division, the last remaining, has joined the battle at the fording sites. The XXXI Thema is stubbornly resisting the Italians attempts at annihilating it, but is fundamentally doomed. Its sacrifice may have bought us several days, though.

The Italian fleet fails to finish off the Eubea, and it’s still taking fire from our coastal brigades. A combination of a torpedo run from the Eubea and the northern battery’s fire sinks the Ancona heavy cruiser.



23/6/1942
The III Hetairoi retreats further north under the Italian pressure. The Pergamon defensive perimeter fights off the first probing attacks.

The situation north of the city is dire: the enemy swarms our positions with the 188th and 189th Limitanei Divisions after the San Marco and Lagunari make short work of the 43rd Hoplitai Division. A single Regiment of the Division holds on, deep into a jungle patch. Our artillery and Varangians hold the line, but I have pulled back a Regiment of the 10th Katafraktoi Division and a Voitho Regiment because I desperately need anti-tank capabilities to stop the Lagunari and San Marco. The 66th Hoplitai Division is advancing from Ilio, trying to cut off the Italians’ supply lines.

The Athenians are slowly losing the battle at the river line. An Italian Fighter Wing wipes out the remnants of a Peltastes Wing, but the numerous AA positions in the skies of Pergamon annihilates it as well.


24/6/1942
The Eubea is finally sunk. The city wails the loss of our mighty Battlecruiser, but his eulogy is another salvo from our coastal batteries which cripples yet another Italian heavy cruiser. The enemy fleet is triumphant, but the longer it stays in range the smaller it gets.

Our aviation is sent north to pound the San Marco and the Lagunari. The former tries to flank what’s left of our blocking task force, but the 8° and 18° Varangian Brigades outmaneuver it and cut it off from supplies as well as crippling a Limitanei Regiment. The Pergamon Tagma’s HQ retreats into the city, where another hastily cobbled together line of defense is being assembled. The situation is dire, but the 66th Hoplitai Division has advanced toward the beaches; the invasion force is supplied from Italian ships unloading their cargo directly on the beaches, so if our infantry manages to get there it can strangle the whole invasion force.

Kalamarina and Pergamon are now under assault, and the LXIV Thema’s HQ has been shattered, unable to find a place behind the defensive perimeter. Our line looks solid, though, and more probing attacks are repulsed.

In the west, the first Italian troops have started crossing the Xyphon river.


25/6/1942
Pergamon’s defenders push back more and more attacks from the Italian infantry; Kalamarina front, instead, is silent: the enemy seems to have stopped its advance south of the city. This frees up some reserves, namely the 50th Katafraktoi Division, that immediately counterattacks the Italian units trying to put a wedge between Kalamarina and Pergamon. In a furious battle, the 50th Katafraktoi coordinates with the 46th Hoplitai Division from Pergamon to inflict heavy losses to a Regiment of the 1st “Velathri” Division, the 128° Arditi Brigade and the I Coorte Meccanizzata’s HQ.

More Italian troops ford the Xyphon near Kamatero, but the Athenians are still fighting tooth and nail for every inch of ground. The XXXI Thema has been almost entirely wiped out: only a handful of troops are still operational, and the Thema is functionally lost.

The Italian fleet celebrates the sinking of the Eubea with a half-assed bombardment of the port, then sails north. Our coastal guns salute their departure by sinking two heavily damaged Destroyers.

The 66th Hoplitai Division finally cuts off the invading force’s supply lines. The Gruppo da Sbarco’s HQ and a Support Regiment hurries north to re-establish the connection, but are soundly beaten back. This may reverse the success of the assault troops that have advanced dangerously close to Pergamon despite suffering considerable losses. I have brought two Katafraktoi Regiments into battle, and now the enemy’s progress have slowed down.


26/6/1942
The battle is turning slowly more in my favor: cut off from supplies, the invading troops north of Pergamon are much less threatening. The 10th Katafraktoi leads the counterattack after the third day of CAS bombing runs, shattering the San Marco and the Lagunari. In the north, the 66th Hoplitai Division keeps the supply lines cut off and encircles a Support Regiment.

The Pergamon and Kalamarina defensive perimeter hold their ground and inflict considerable losses on the Italian troops surrounding them. The 45th Hoplitai Division, however, is being slowly worn down by the sheer mass of the attacking troops.

In the west, the 89° Katafraktoi Division has been almost wiped out. The Italians have reached the 158th and 243rd Hoplitai Divisions’ defensive perimeters.


27/6/1942
The 45th Hoplitai Division at Pergamon gets shattered by a renewed infantry assault led by the 9th “Tarchuna” Division, so I have to shuffle my units around to cover the gap. A successful counterattack between Kalamarina and Pergamon wipes out the remnants of the 128° Arditi Brigade and a Regiment of the 1st “Velathri” Division, so I can shift the 46th Hoplitai Division further east and restore a continuous defensive perimeter around Pergamon.

Kalamarina is now facing a motorized offensive from the 102nd and 103rd Divisioni Motorizzate from the XIX Coorte Meccanizzata, but the defenses hold.

The invading force north of Pergamon is struggling to survive now that I’ve gone into a full counteroffensive. If they don’t restore their supply lines, and it doesn’t seem likely, the invasion force is doomed.