"Play Notes" in TEM #16 was a description of one of the playtests of Balkan Front. In it, the "all-conquering" Axis player (who demands anonymity to maintain his reputation) saw his Italian Army get hammered and surrounded turn after turn by the Greeks. The Axis player from the previous game, seeking to restore his honor, convinced the Allied player to play the Plan G scenario in a rematch. Plan G allows the Italians to invade Greece with a more realistic amount of forces-not enough, though, according to the Allied player.

Nov I 40 (Clear Weather)

Italy. Facing the few Greek forces on the border, the Italians deploy 14 divisions (instead of eight) plus supporting forces and air units. The Centauro group--the 131st Armored Division, three motorcycle regiments, and a tank battalion-- starts intact, rather than arriving in dribs and drabs. The Greeks do not detect the Italian buildup and thus fail to react. The Italian plan is to strike heavily on their right flank and grab the coast while trying to clear the road to Thessaly. The left flank is to make limited advances.

The Italians pour across the border, smashing the Greek division at Ioannina. The Centauro group breaks through at Egoumenitsa and exploits all the way to Arta-an objective they never reached in the previous game. Corfu falls in an exchange against strong forces. On the left, a limited advance from the .valley of death" secures the Kastoria area.

Greece: Greek forces mobilize and march toward the Pindus Mountains. The situation on the west coast looks so bad that Greece decides to abandon it, garrisoning Patrai against any attempt to cross the Gulf of Corinth. Fearing a complete Italian breakthrough in the center, the Greeks send construction troops to Thermopylae (1513:0415) to prepare to fortify the road to Athens. Forces at Phlorina launch a limited attack toward Kastoria.

Nov II 40 (Clear Weather)

Italy: With fortune favoring the Italians, the weather stays clear. The Centauro group bounds forward, taking Karpenesion, the narrow spot in the mountains separating the west coast from southern Thessaly. Centauro is now about 50 miles from Thermopylae, and bersaglieri regiments wheel even further south, taking the north end of the Patrai crossing on the Gulf of Corinth.

In the central Pindus, the Italians break the sole Greek division blocking the road to Thessaly. Only isolated mountains separate them from the lowlands. The Kastoria forces regroups defensively, so that a Greek counterattack won't turn their flank as it did in the previous game.

Greece: The Greeks begin fortifying Thermopylae and Patrai, while divisions rush to block Centauro at Karpenesion. Forces around Trikkala counterattack and seize a vital mountain hex, severely constricting the road to Thessaly. The Kastoria sector is quiet; in the face of a strong defense, the Greeks siphon off troops there to more critical areas.

Dec I 40 (Poor Weather)

Italy. The weather turns poor, and a problem with the Italian plan becomes clear: supply. A breakout from Karpenesion would turn the Greek flank, but the nearest supply base is at Valona, over 200 miles to the rear. In the poor weather, this is just too far, and the Italian spearhead is stalled, out of supply.

Another drawback also is evident: lack of contingency planning. With no break out possible from the west coast, this route is a dead end. Elsewhere, however, the Italians are almost but not quite out of the mountains. The Greeks hold the last mountains in front of the lowlands, and it looks to be a tough fight to push through halved and at -3.

Unwilling to face a stalemate, the Italians swallow their pride and ask for German aid. Germany responds, sending a 7-8 mountain division plus artillery and engineers. The Germans land at Valona and march inland. It will take them some time to reach the front, but they will significantly strengthen the Italians when they arrive.

At the front, the Italians consolidate their gains. Prevented from concentrating due to the mountainous terrain, they cannot muster the strength in any one place to push back the Greeks. The Italian navy lands supplies at beaches on the west coast of Greece, beginning runs that would last the rest of the winter. By this expedient, portions of the Karpenesion line will be supplied--too late to dislodge the Greeks.

Bulgaria: Italian envoys point out Italy's impressive gains in Greece (eight cities had been captured by the end of November) and urge King Boris to stake his claim to Thrace. The Bulgarian government agrees and declares war on Greece!

Bulgarian forces mobilize and move on the Metaxas Line. The Line is held by minimal forces, most of which are concentrated to block the road to Thessalonike. The leading Bulgarian corps bypasses the road, hitting a weak spot in the Line. With crucial Italian air support, the Bulgarians attack across a river, through fortifications, and up a mountain, taking the position in a half exchange. The Line is ruptured.

Greece: The Bulgarian intervention causes serious problems. With the Metaxas Line broken, the Bulgarians could roll up Greece from the northeast and link up with the Italians. However, no significant forces can be spared from the lines facing the Italians, else the Italians themselves will break through. With a trickle of units from central Greece, plus the small garrison of eastern Greece, the Greeks reform the Thessalonike front. The Metaxas Line east of the Bulgarian breakthrough is abandoned. The new line holds the northwestern sector of the Line, the west bank of the Strimon River, and a bridgehead across the river at Serrai. Pessimistic at his chances of holding the Strimon line, the Greek player begins work on a backstop position, sending engineers to fortify Thessalonike and integrate it into a defense line with the Axios River.

Dec II 40 (Poor Weather)

Italy: Figuring there's no sense in buying half a loaf, the Italians call for more German aid, receiving another mountain division and an Me 110D fighter-bomber. In the Pindus, the German mountain division arrives and joins the alpini there. A joint German-Italian attack fails to open the road into Thessaly. So much for the reputation of German arms!

Bulgaria: The Metaxas Line before Thessalonike remains too strong, so the Bulgarians slowly infiltrate forces through the gap they made. An attack on Serrai fails, but major forces will be in position to attack next turn.

Greece: On the ground, an attack from the Trikkala sector gains another mountain, improving the Greek line. In the air, RAF Wellingtons damage the port of Valona. Over Bulgaria, a combined Greek-British strike on Sofiya fails due to AA, but the Greek P.241's shoot down the intercepting Bulgarian B.534 fighter force.

Jan I 41 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy., The Axis player once again requests German aid, obtaining the services of an 8-6 infantry division plus more artillery and engineers. The Italian CR.32bis fighter flies to Sofiya, to replace the downed B.534. Without Axis fighter defense present, the Allied air possibly could take out the Bulgarian airbases.

The two German mountain divisions form the 18th Mountain Corps. With the Italian mountain troops, they attack and retake the mountain lost last turn.

Bulgaria: Bulgarian forces face the Struma line in force. An attack carries Serrai, compromising Greek positions.

Greece: There are no offensive possibilities anywhere. The Greeks shore up their lines and began to sweat. The Greco-British air arm strikes at Sofiya again, to no effect.

Jan II 41 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy: Yet more German aid goes south: a light infantry division and an Me 109E fighter. The Messerschmitts transfer to Sofiya, instantly making the city unattractive to further Allied raids.

On the Pindus front, German and Italian reinforcements reach all parts of the lines. Axis forces threaten to ooze around the Greek southwest flank, while an attack and an exchange on the Greek northeast flank gain the last mountains in front of Kozane.

Bulgaria: An attack across the Strimon results in an exchange. The Bulgarians lose important forces but break the Greek defense line.

Greece: The Greeks patch up their lines as best they can. A new division is sent to fight the Bulgarians, while forces on the southern Strimon stream back to Thessalonike. Against the Italians, Greek forces spread out to block the "ooze." Greek lines start to thin.

Feb I 41 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy. It is obvious that the Italians are going to request all the German aid they can get. This turn, a 7-6 division and supporting troops sail to Albania. Attacks from the Kastoria sector suffer mixed results, but the Greek flank there is still crumbling.

Bulgaria: The Bulgarians mop up the lower Strimon and regroup to attack Thessalonike.

Greece: Engineers finish fortifying Thessalonike, and the Greeks stuff the city with troops and AA. The few available units reinforce Phlorina, trying to stiffen that flank.

Feb II 41 (Poor Weather)

Italy: German aid this turn is another infantry division and a Ju 87B dive bomber. A major Italian offensive in the north takes Kozane and partially encircles Phlorina. Elsewhere, Italian-German forces mass for attacks along the line.

Bulgaria: The Bulgarians are stalled in front of Fortress Thessalonike, having lost too many troops earlier to assault this reinforced stronghold.

Greece: The Greeks plug all their holes--but just barely. Things look grim.

Mar I 41 (Poor Weather)

Italy: Another infantry division and a Ju 88A join the German expeditionary force. The northeastern offensive rolls on, smashing its way up the mountains overlooking Edessa and the western road to Thessalonike. In the center, a botched attack fails to open the passes into Thessaly.

Bulgaria: Bulgarian forces continue to mill futilely about Thessalonike.

Greece: The Allied player admits defeat in Thessaly. The Phlorina forces begin falling back to the Thessalonike perimeter. Rather than defending on west bank of the Axios River against a Bulgarian attack from the east, it looks like the Greeks will defend the other side of the Axios from an Italian attack from the west. Forces in Thessaly withdraw to the line Mt. Olympus-Karditsa, clearly planning a staged retreat to Thermopylae.

Mar II 41 (Poor Weather; Clear in Zone E)

Italy: Ever more German aid flows south. Pursuit forces clear rearguards out of Edessa and cut the Athens- Thessalonike railroad. Only a thin corridor along the coast remains to connect Thessalonike with the rest of Greece. On the Karpenesion front, Axis forces await clear weather and renewed supply to launch their offensive.

Bulgaria: Bulgarian forces also await clear weather.

Greece: Greece forms the "Thessalonike Redoubt," consisting of the forts at Thessalonike in the south, the Axios River on the west, the remnant of the Metaxas Line to the north, and the central Struma River on the east. The 2nd New Zealander Division and British artillery arrive to defend the city itself, while Greek forces (two infantry, one motorized, and one cavalry divisions; two mountain cadres; ten miscellaneous brigades and regiments) hold the rest of the redoubt in force. Elsewhere, Greek forces in Thessaly continue to fall back toward Thermopylae.

Apr I 41 (Clear Weather)

Both players agree to extend the game. The Axis player may either continue to take German aid or call for German intervention (with Yugoslavia remaining strictly neutral), his choice. After thinking for a long time, the lure of the panzer divisions and the Luftwaffe apparently sways the Axis player, and he has Germany intervene.

Germany/Bulgaria: The German invasion forces for Greece appear in Bulgaria and smash into the Thessalonike Redoubt. Parts of the Metaxas and Strimon lines fall, while other forces force open a thin corridor near the Yugoslav border. In exploitation, the panzers rush through the corridor into Thessaly, leaving behind the slower troops to clean out the Redoubt.

Italy/Germany. Italian forces pierce the Axios River from the west and link up with the Axis force out of Bulgaria. In Thessaly, German-Italian attacks apply heavy pressure to the Greek line, pushing it back and inflicting losses. The Centauro group at last breaks out of Karpenesion and reaches the upper Spherkios River, compromising Greek defense plans there.

German paratroopers deploy to southern Italy.

Greece: British emergency naval transport arrives to save many troops from certain destruction. Except for minimal rearguards, surviving troops in the Thessalonike Redoubt evacuate to Athens and head for Thermopylae, while garrisoning important rear area cities. In eastern Thessaly, Greek troops in danger of encirclement evacuate through Volos, joining the forces streaming in from Thessalonike. Elsewhere, Greek and British troops man the Spherkios River and Thermopylae line.

Apr II 41 (Clear Weather)

Axis: Italian, German, and Bulgarian forces are no longer divided into fronts separated by the Greeks.

The Bulgarians clean out Thessalonike.

German paratroopers drop at Patrai and Korinthos, in an attempt to blast open the back door (via the Peloponnesus Peninsula) to Athens. The Korinthos attack succeeds against a minor garrison. At Patrai, massive air support and an Italian assault across the Gulf of Corinth join the paratroopers' assault. Even so, it is a risky attack, but the Axis prevails as both sides suffer losses in an exchange. Italian light motorized forces exploit to Korinthos, reinforcing the paratroopers. Axis forces are now 50 miles from Athens, with no Allied troops before them.

On the main front, the Axis pounds the Allied front line. Thermopylae holds, but the Axis pushes into the mountains adjacent to the pass.

Greece: Facing the inevitable, the Greek government and British forces evacuate, and Greek troops on the mainland surrender. The Axis halts its operations.

The Axis player gets his victory, but with a much stiffer fight than he expected. He speculates that he would have done better had he pushed through the Pindus Mountains at the start of the game (rather than going for the west coast), but he declines the Allied player's offer of another rematch to try this.