A Greek Setup to Upset the Italians

The Greek player in a game of Balkan Front faces a mountainous problem at the start of the Italo-Greek War: He has a Spartan force of six units to deploy along the Albanian border to meet the Italian invasion, and he must set these up before any Italian units set up.

How can two divisions and four brigades protect a border eight hexes wide against an Italian force of eight divisions and ten or more regiments? Not very well - if the Greek player tries to protect everything. But he can surmount his problem and perhaps harvest some of those light gray-green Italian units if he uses the following Nov I 40 setup.

In this defense of the Albanian border, the Greeks refuse their left flank and hold their right flank firm. Think of it as an Olympian wrestling match: The Italians will (hopefully) lunge down the coastal plain, using up their initial energy to grab territory they can not reasonably hold for long. This will leave them off balance when the Greeks push hard against the opposite flank.

This defense also deprives the Italians of good attack opportunities. The Italian player will need to commit nearly his entire ground and air force against hex 4316 or 4617 (defense 9 each) just to achieve a 3:1 -2 dm surrounded.

As the Greek player, you should hope that your opponent will make such a pinhead attack, for he risks an AH result with the bulk of his units while you only risk three units. Alternatively, you could place the two border brigades from 4414 in Kastoria and place the border brigade from Kastoria in 4617. This would give both hexes a defense of 11, which no Italian player would dare attack (odds of 2:1 - 2 dm). But such a deployment in effect makes the Italian player's decision for him, and I personally would rather tempt my opponent into making poor decisions.

On the coastal flank, the Italian alpine division and cavalry regiments can race south on the first turn to attack the 2-1-15 Art III at Missolonghi (0418). This unit functions as a Siren, enticing the Italians to come take it.

If your opponent extends his line that far south, act surprised and say, "I didn't think your units could reach there!" Make him feel real smart. Then, during your portion of the turn, utter something laconic about olives and start infiltrating and/or attacking in the area of Ioannina (4618) to pinch off this dangling branch full of Axis units. Note that if poor weather occurs next turn (a likely possibility), any Italian units south of the 5000 hex column will be out of supply.

To reword one of Lincoln's famous remarks to General Hooker: "If the head of their army is at Agrinion (0318) and the tail of it at Koritsa (4216), the animal must be very slim somewhere. Could you not break him?"

On the island of Kerkyra, your opponent will expect you to defend 4522, so he will probably preplan an amphibious landing against 4621 to capture the port and cut off your unit's retreat. By defending 4621, you should foil his plans and force him to move units across the narrow straits in order to attack, thus drawing them further away from the main front.

The Greek units east of the Axios cannot move west of the river on Nov I given the rule on the Metaxas Line garrison. However, these units should provide a powerful reinforcement on Nov II or Dec I.

Meanwhile, use your naval transports and rail lines to help get the units of A Corps up to the front this turn. For example, ship the unit at Nauplion to Patrai or Volos and then march it forwa rd.

The fighter at Athenai will frustrate enemy terror bombing attempts against the capital until such time as you can build up the AA defenses there. This is an important point to consider given the range and strategic bombing values of the Italian bombers.

Although the above Greek setup temporarily abandons some Greek point cities to the Italians, this will have minimal impact on any activation rolls for Yugoslavia and Bulgaria that the Italian player might care to make. More importantly, this setup could lure the Italian player (who momentarily holds the initiative) into forming a salient from which his units will be hard-pressed to escape. An aggressive Greek player can seize the initiative from his opponent and start olive picking.  The Greek Setup Nov I 1940

Albanian and Yugoslav Borders
14A:4617: 5-6 Mtn XX, 1-2-6* Mtn III, 1-2-6 Border X.
Kastoria (14A:4316):5-6 Mtn XX, 3-2-8 Mtn III, 1-2-6 Border X.
14A:4414: two 1-2-6 Border Xs.

A Corps and Air Force
Athenai (15B:09111):2-6 Mtn X (to be withdrawn Nov II), 2-6 Mtn cadre, 1-8 It AA III, 1 position AA, both air units, capital.
Patrai (15B:0517): 2-6 Mtn cadre, 1 position AA.
Nauplion (15B:0915): 2-6 Mtn cadre.
Levadia (15B:0612): 3-2-8 Mtn III, 2-8 Art Ill.
Missolonghi (15B:0418): 2-1-6 Art III (used as a "Siren").

B Corps
Larisa (14A:4913): 1-8 It AA III.
Phlorina (14A:4314): 3-6 Mtn X.
Kozane (14A:4515): 3-6 Mtn X, 2-1-6 Art Ill.
Trikkala (14A:4815): 5-6 Mtn XX, 2-6 Mtn III, 1-6 Art Ill.
Karditsa (14A:5015): 3-6 Mtn X, 1-8 Cav III.

Crete (any port): 5-6 Mtn XX 5 (broken down).

Kephallenia 15B:0421: 1-4 Static X.

Kerkyra 14A:4621: 1-2-6* Inf III.

D, E, G Corps and Bulgarian Border
Veroia (14A:4513): 2-6 Mtn cadre.

All other units deploy east of Axios River per OB.