GRD's "Spanish Torch' scenario, contained in the Europa Accessory Kit #5, explores what might have happened had the Allies chosen Spain instead of French North Africa as the target of their Nov 1 42 Operation Torch. The following report covers a solitaire playing of this scenario. I used the standard War in the Desert rules, the 23 February 1988 "Spanish Torch" errata (also published in TEN #2), and percentile dice for combat (e.g.: if the odds were 2.45:1, there was a 45% chance of rolling on the 3:1 column instead of the 2:1 column).

As the first step in invasion planning, I compared the opposing forces. The table below accounts for units at start and all reinforcements. 'Spanish Torch' lasts 12 turns, ending on Apr II 43.

Comparison of Forces Allies vs. Axis"Spanish Torch"
Type	Allies	Axis
Ground Strength
Attack	191	265
Defense	186	298
REs
Armor	14	4.5
Lt Arm	0	5
Para	1.5	1
Air Units
Fighters	25	16
Bombers	13	13-15

Note that the Allies, who must attack to win, have a 2:3 disadvantage in ground strength points. Six REs of Spanish units must remain in Spanish Morocco (i.e., out of the fight), and about 28 strength points of others will be sunk in transit from Morocco to Spain.

The Axis defense figure includes 17 points of intrinsic Guardia Civil for Spanish cities. The Allied force is about onequarter armor, and the Allies have air superiority both in terms of quantity and quality (Spanish and Italian air units, which comprise a large portion of the Axis air contingent, have low repair rates). But rainy weather, mountains, U.S. Inexperience (rule 28135), and Axis engineers (read forts) greatly hamper the Allied effort.

As the second step in invasion planning, I had to choose the best landing site. Due to Axis antishipping forces, the Allies can only land in the following three areas of Spain:

1. the northwest corner around La Coruna;
2. the southern corner around Gibraltar;
3. the southeast coast around Cartagena.

Of these, the northwest site is least favorable. The Axis can easily contain it, and it is too far removed from the Rock and Spanish victory-point cities. (To win, the Allies must gain at least 15 VPs of Spanish cities.) For this particular playing, the Allies chose the southeast coast for their major landings and risked early Spanish mobilization by stacking Gibraltar full of British troops.

Allied luck held and Operation Torch caught the Spanish in siesta. The Americans landed in strength at Alicante and Cartagena (with a minor landing at Almeira) and captured Valencia (a Spanish supply terminal) by coup de main on the regular turn. The British easily broke out of Gibraltar and secured Sevilla and Cordoba.

By Nov II the Allies had linked up and were moving on Madrid. They controlled 8 VPs of cities and many Spanish mobilization sites, and the Americans and Free French had established a good defensive position in the mountains northeast of Valencia.

Meanwhile, the Axis gathered their forces to defend the river in front of Madrid and to attack the U.S./Free French position northeast of Valencia. Minor skirmishing occurred in the Caceres region west of Madrid near the Portugese border.

A change of weather by the end of December brought a dramatic reversal of fortunes as the Axis firmly seized the initiative on all three sectors of the front. The Allies fell back from Madrid and Caceres, and the once- imposing Allied mountain defense line fell to pieces. The Axis were determined to recapture Valencia, and with the German 10th Panzer Division in support, the Spanish fought their way to the outskirts of that city by Jan I 43.

A sudden clearing of the weather on Jan II (a 1 in 6 chance) allowed the Allies to redress the situation. Because most of the Allied armor was fighting in the Madrid sector, the Allies pushed hard there to relieve the pressure on Valencia. Some American armor bypassed the Axis attackers southeast of Madrid and with maximum air support defeated the line- of-communication units and captured the Spanish capital (worth 5 VPs). This indeed took pressure off Valencia.

The Axis railed forces around to assault Madrid before the Allies could reinforce the victorious American armor. Rain quickly returned and the main British/U.S. force could not cut through the Axis 'Stalling Line' with sufficient speed to rescue their isolated friends (who were supplied by air).

Axis forces assaulted Madrid in February, using combat engineers, commandos, and the "once per game" +2 dm for U.S. inexperience (which the Axis had heretofore been saving for an attack on Valencia). They recaptured the entire city.

I quit the game at that point. Although Axis troop losses greatly exceeded Allied losses, the Axis held enough cities for a decisive victory, and it was highly doubtful that the bloodied Allied force could capture any more cities in just two months. The victory conditions in "Spanish Torch" consider cities only and not troop losses.

The Axis had scrapped many eliminated Spanish units (at 1/4 rate) to provide replacements, and the Allies had scrapped most of their position AA and a few eliminated units for the same purpose. Incidentally, the "Spanish Torch' rules nowhere say that the Spanish may scrap units. I assumed they could because the only nationality in "War in the Desert" that can't is South Africa, and the rules specifically say the South Africans can't. However, scrapping units affects victory in War in the Desert, whereas it doesn't in "Spanish Torch."

Judging from the outcome of this game, "Spanish Torch' seems to favor the Axis side. Even if handled boldly, the Allied force is simply too small a bull to throw into the Spanish arena against an Axis matador who is not afraid to stand his ground and use his sword. Of course, the introduction to "Spanish Torch" includes a caveat stating that the scenario *has not been exhaustively playtested, and it may be unbalanced in favor of one side.' Try using the Allied "Additional Forces" per optional rule 33J to give the Allied player an extra 31 attack and 33 defense strength points of British non- c/m units. These should help balance the fight.

One other conclusion may be drawn: The Allies would make a big strategic mistake to invade neutral Spain in Grand Europa. It appears impossible to "kill" or "fatally wound" the Spanish army by amphibious invasion in one turn. Because the Allies cannot accomplish this on the invasion turn, they must then fight a protracted battle in difficult terrain against a sizable Spanish army. The Allied priority during World War II should always be to fight Germans. Fighting the Spanish, who would otherwise be neutral, will hurt the Allied cause more than help it.

Ben Knight is well known to Europa veterans as the former editor of Europa and perhaps the leading expert on the desert games of the series.

"Spanish Torch' is contained in Europa Accessory Kit 6-Spain which is available from GRD for $7.96.-- RG