Salerno 43

^{The Allied landing forces are ready for the assault on the beach.}

At the end of July, Sven and I had a friendly game with Salerno ’43 by GMT. The game is about Operation Avalanche, the first Allied attempt to take the German lines of retreat in southern Italy by surprise. We both like the Simonitch ‘4X non-series games and were curious to see how ZOC bonds would work in mountainous terrain. I played the Allied side, aka US General Clark’s 5th Army. Sven took the German side, i.e. German Colonel General Heinrich von Vietinghoff’s 10. Armee.

^{British commandos have taken Salerno, and the Allies have the beachhead well established.}

The Allied landing goes smoothly, only the Uncle landing section poses dangers. However, the landing is without casualties and the British Commando Brigade captures Salerno in a coup de main.

^{As more German divisions arrive on the battlefield, Allied progress is minimal.}

Allied progress is slow, mainly because of the lack of artillery ammunition. The British 56th Division makes its first successful breakout from the landing bridgehead. They capture Battipaglia, a key position.

^{The British take Battipaglia, the Americans push up along the Sele Valley.}

After the supply of artillery ammunition has improved, the Allies go on the offensive. The US 45th Division advances along the Sele-Calore valley, protecting the right flank of the British attack on Eboli. The Americans stage an airlanding with a battalion from 101st Airborne Division to take Avellino. This puts pressure on the Germans to recapture the town, but turns out to be a rash move, as the paratrooper have no chance of support.

^{The Germans stage several counterattacks in an attempt to recapture key positions.}

In turn 7, and after capturing Eboli, the Allies control 10 victory points. The Germans must attack or lose the scenario. In a desperate attempt, the German 10. Armee concentrates all forces to prepare for several counterattacks. These are almost successful as the American and British forces are partially overstretched.

^{The British just manage to hold Eboli in deperate defence, thus securing the 8th VP.}

The Hermann Göring Division recaptures Avellino from the US paratroopers. The 16. Panzer-Division makes a strong attack on Eboli and is almost successful. Only a desperate defence by the British 56th Division thwarts the recapture. This secures the important 8th victory point for the Allies.

Conclusion

What initially looks like a clear result in favour of the Allies turns out to be a close affair. In particular, the large-scale coordinated counterattack by the Germans in turn 8 causes the Allied troops to reel. Since the Allies have to achieve a victory point goal in each round, they are under high and continuous pressure to succeed. The game thus proves to be balanced and it remains exciting until the end.

Evaluation

Salerno ’43 is perfect for a game with a limited time budget. Since each side has only a few troops to move and the objectives are clearly visible through victory points, all moves are quick. Once players are familiar with the rules, even the longer campaign should be manageable in one day. We both think that this title is worth playing.