Let’s dive into the scenarios coming in the CAOS: Operation Husky free update! Some of these scenarios will receive their own deep-dive dev blogs closer to release, but today we’ll take a look at each of the scenarios, their scope, and victory conditions. We have a lot in store for you!
Sicily:
Axis forces hold a tenuous perimeter ahead of the Allied advance on D+5. The 1st Fallschirmjager Division will stabilize the line south of Catania, but it won't hold forever.
Operation Husky – Historical Allied Invasion of Sicily
Date: July 10-August 16, 1943.
Background: The Allied Invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky, was one of the largest amphibious invasions in history, consisting of seven assault divisions followed by two full Allied armies. After determined Axis counterattacks on July 10 failed to crush the beachheads, Allied reinforcements poured into Sicily unabated and any chance of containing the landings quickly faded. By July 18, Patton’s 7th Army had completely broken out of the landing zones, overrunning western Sicily in a mere five days while Axis forces retreated toward the Etna Line. Meanwhile, Montgomery’s 8th Army faced the unenviable task of clearing German fallschirmjager, panzergrenadiers, and armor from the river lines of eastern Sicily and then the slopes of Mount Etna. Even after the twin allied armies brought their full might to bear against the Etna Line after the fall of Palermo on July 22, progress remained slow in the face of Axis delaying actions and the implacable mountainous terrain of northeastern Sicily. After over three weeks of bloody combat on the slopes of Etna and the Messina peninsula, Allies forces finally entered the port of Messina itself, only to find that Axis forces had already completed their withdrawal in good order. Operationally, the Allies failed to annihilate Axis forces in Sicily, but the invasion was still a valuable Allied strategic victory. Operation Husky precipitated the collapse of Fascist Italy and the subsequent diversion of German forces into Italy and the Balkans, troops sorely needed on the Eastern Front. Operation Husky was an imperfect Allied victory, but a victory no less; the question is, can you do better? Can you lead Allied forces to a decisive victory in Sicily? Or perhaps you’ll turn the tables and defeat the invasion entirely at the head of Axis forces on the island?
Victory Conditions:
Axis: Highest victory point score accumulated through controlling objectives for as long as possible and by withdrawing units to the mainland.
Allies: Control Palermo, Syracuse, and Messina, and possess higher victory point score than the Axis at the end of the game.
Operation Husky – Dynamic Allied Invasion of Sicily
Date: July 10-August 16, 1943.
The Dynamic variant of Operation Husky allows the Allies to choose their invasion beaches and allows the Axis to deploy their mobile forces freely before the game starts. Likewise, instead of following a fixed historical reinforcement schedule, both sides purchase reinforcements from a unit pool, much like the custom scenarios. With total control over the Allied landing beaches or the Axis mobile forces can you do better than your historical counterparts? Can you create a perfect invasion or infallible defense?
All of the selectable initial invasion beaches in Dynamic Husky marked in blue above, versus the historical landing zones of the US (in green) and Commonwealth (in red), below. Go nuts! You've got plenty of options!
Victory Conditions:
Identical to historical Operation Husky.
Sardinia:
Operation Brimstone – Hypothetical Allied Invasion of Sardinia.
Background: The concept of an Allied Invasion of Sardinia, later dubbed Operation Brimstone, was originally proposed at the January 1943 Symbol Conference as a smaller May 1943 alternative to the massive Operation Husky. The concept was revisited again as an alternative to the September 1943 Operation Avalanche landings at Salerno by US 5th Army. In both cases, Operation Brimstone enjoyed the advantage of attacking a softer target than Sicily or the Italian mainland. However, all incarnations of Brimstone also called for much smaller invasion forces than Husky or Salerno and were further from existing allied air bases. Historically, Operation Brimstone was turned down in both its May and September variations, and Sardinia subsequently came under Allied control regardless following the Armistice of Cassibile. In CAOS, Operation Brimstone presents an exciting historical what-if scenario to enjoy in three different forms!
The basic Brimstone (May) selectable landing beaches are marked in blue, additional July beaches in green, and additional September beaches in purple.
Operation Brimstone: May
Date: May 21-June 21, 1943.
Background: Brimstone (May) models a hypothetical Allied invasion of Sardinia consisting of one corps landing and one corps in reinforcement. While Axis defenses in Sardinia are comparatively light in May, Allied invasion forces face several limitations that make the battle surprisingly evenly matched. First, many veteran Allied divisions in North Africa are unavailable because they are absorbing replacements in the aftermath of the Tunisia campaign. Second, the Allies have a more limited selection of invasion beaches in May than later months due to lighter air cover. Third, the smaller initial landing force is unlikely to overrun the island before significant German reinforcements arrive. In a May Brimstone, both sides are relatively weak and a well led Axis defense can create a bloody stalemate.
Victory Conditions:
Axis:Achieve highest victory point score by controlling objectives for as long as possible or by withdrawing units to Corsica. Or control 51% of objectives on the map at the end of the game.
Allies: Control Cagliari, Oristano, and Olbia, and possess higher victory point score than the Axis at the end of the game.
Operation Brimstone: July
Date: July 10-August 10, 1943.
Background: Brimstone (July) assumes the Allies chose Sardinia instead of Sicily for the Operation Husky landings, and three corps drawn from the US 7th Army/UK 8th Army are tasked to overrun the island. The Allies must move quickly to secure airfields and ports to bring in additional reinforcements because the longer the Axis holds onto these key objectives the more reinforcements they will receive. If the Allies delay too long, they may find themselves facing formidable SS, Fallschirmjager, and Alpini units shipped in from Corsica and the Italian mainland.
Victory Conditions:
Identical to Brimstone (May).
Operation Brimstone September:
Date: September 9–October 9, 1943.
Background: Brimstone (September) presupposes Operation Husky was a success, but the Italian Fascist state has not collapsed. Thus, the US 5th Army consisting of US 6th Corps, a UK 10th Corps, are tasked to invade Sardinia instead of Salerno in September 1943, and all Italian units on the island remain combat ready. Allied forces enjoy firepower superiority and a wide selection of potential invasion beaches, but these advantages are tempered by Sardinia’s geography and the Axis ability to gain victory points by withdrawing units from the northern ports. The Axis defender’s primary objective is to delay as long as possible and then withdraw to Corsica in good order; they don’t need to hold the island to win the game.
Victory Conditions:
Identical to Brimstone (May).
Case Axis (Sardinia): German Evacuation from Sardinia
Date: September 9-18, 1943.
Background: Following the Armistice of Cassibile and the final collapse of the Italian Fascist state on September 8, 1943, German forces in Sardinia withdraw first to Corsica, and then to the Italian mainland. Historically, the Germans were able to withdraw from Sardinia with little difficulty due to prior agreements between German and Italian commanders on the island, and the limited mobility of Italian forces present. This scenario simulates a German withdraw from Sardinia in the face of staunch Italian resistance from the start. The German player must utilize their high mobility and armored superiority to punch through the Italian lines, secure an evacuation port, and withdraw from the island before time runs out.
The rough positions of the German 90th Panzergrenadier Division and the various German fortress battalions at the start of Case Axis, versus the Italian mobile units opposing them. The German player will have to make tough judgement calls about which fortress battalions to save and which to sacrifice while planning their retreat.
Victory Conditions:
German: Evacuate majority of forces from the island.
Italian: Prevent German evacuation.
Corsica:
Operation Firebrand – Hypothetical Allied Liberation of Corsica
Date: September 20-October 4, 1943.
Background:Operation Firebrand was a proposed follow up operation to the September variant of Operation Brimstone, to be executed primarily by French forces following Sardinia’s capture. Historically, Operation Firebrand was never enacted, instead Corsica was liberated by French forces operating in tandem with the former Italian garrison against the retreating Germans on the island during Operation Vesuvius in September/October 1943. This scenario assumes that Operation Brimstone was completed in mid-September, and the Free French Expeditionary Corps has been tasked to wrest control of Corsica from the Axis. Corsica’s rugged terrain naturally favors defenders, and French forces will need to leverage every advantage of their Moroccan Mountaineers and air supremacy to dislodge determined Axis resistance.
Moroccan and Algerian mountaineers of the French Expeditionary Corps slog their way through lower Corsica after successful landings at Ajaccio and Propriano, but even more rugged terrain awaits them further north.
Victory Conditions:
Axis: Achieve highest victory point score by controlling objectives for as long as possible or by withdrawing units to the mainland. Or control 51% of objectives on the map at the end of the game.
Allies: Control Ajaccio and Bastia, and possess higher victory point score than the Axis at the end of the game.
Development Marches Onwards:
We look forward to seeing these new scenarios in action when CAOS: Operation Husky releases later this fall! And remember, the orders of battle for most of these scenarios will also be available to play in custom scenarios, so in addition to the new scenarios you’ll get plenty of chances to put historical force compositions to the test in head-to-head matches with other historical orders of battle. For now we’ll get back to hammering away on the new scenarios and we’ll bring you another order of battle blog for Axis forces in Sicily soon!