This is an excerpt from the Axis Order of Battle, detailing the forces defending the "Soft Underbelly of Europe" at the time of the invasion of Sicily, Operation Husky.

The situation of the Axis troops in Sicily was not favorable. Most units of the Italian 6th Army were ill armed and poorly motivated. The World War II Encyclopedia describes the dilemma of the Italian Comando Supremo:

"No reliance could be placed on the so-called 'coastal' defences which, as their name indicates, were to offer an initial defence against the enemy landing on the beaches. These units had only local recruits, all in the top age-groups, and they were very poorly officered. The weapons and equipment of these formations were even more deficient than those of any other divisions. Finally, the units were strung out along the coast like a line of customs posts. In Sicily there were 41 men to the mile."

Indeed, the situation was so dire that on 14 June 1943 Mussolini is reputed to have groused, "He who defends himself dies!"

Hitler, however, was much more upbeat. Despite misgivings about Italian reliability, he proclaimed with his customary over-optimism that the Allies "by neglecting to attack Sicily immediately after their landings in North Africa had virtually thrown away the war in the Mediterranean!"

The 6th Army was supported by two German mobile divisions: 15th Panzergrenadier and the Hermann G6ring Panzer Division. It was soon discovered, however, that this contingent was woefully inadequate for the task at hand when the Allied 15th Army Group waded ashore 10 July 1943.

INITIAL FORCES, JUL 1 43, SOUTH

German:

Place anywhere in Italy.
1x 16-10 Pz XX 16
1x 1-2-8 Police X Wolff (SS-Pol)
1x 5-8 Art X 451
1x 2-10 PzG III 382
1x 2-3-10 mot hv AA III AA=5 HG (LW)
1x 2-10 mot hv AA III AA=4 5 (LW)
1x 0-6 RR Eng III 7
1x 1-8 Bicycle II 402
1x 1-2-10 mot AT II 525
2 pts pos AA
25 pts pos AA (LW)
8 resource pts

Place anywhere in Italy, Sicily, Sardinia, or Corsica:
1x 14-10 Pz XX HG (LW)
1x 13-10 PzG XX 15
1x 3-1-8 Rkt Art III 1 Lehr

South, Forming:
1x 12-10 PzG XX 90

Italian:

Place anywhere in Italy:
1x 4-8 Alpine XX 6 AG
1x 4-6 Inf XX 21 GdS
1x 3-4-6 Inf XX 12 Sas
3x 3-8 Inf XX 103 Pcz, 104 Mn, 105 Rvg
3x 2-3-5 Inf XX 152 Pcn, 157 Nv, 159 Vn
6x 1-3-2 Coastal XX 201,211,212,220,221,222
1x 2-3-4 Art X 11 GaF
4x 1-3-6 It AA X AA=6 3, 4, 140, 195
1x 1-8 Arm Cav III 15 Lodi
1x 2-6 Marine III SM
4x 1-6 lnf III 100 Tr, 101, 202 Se, 336
1x 2-8 Bicycle III 19 B
1x 1-8 Cav III 4 Gnv
1x 5-4-8 Art III 9 C
1x 4-3-8 Art III 2 A
1x 4-3-6 Art III 17 C
1x 3-2-8 Art III 8 A
1x 3-2-6 Art III 6 A
1x 2-3-8 Art III 5 C
1x 2-3-6 Art III 3 A
8x 1-6 It AA III AA=2 1, 5, 8, 11, 14, 15, 20, 21
10x 0-1-6 Cons III 2, 3, 9, 10, 11, 15, 17, 22, 24, 31
1x 0-6 RR Eng III 1
1x 1-5 Para Cmdo II 1 ADRA
1x 2-1-2 Siege Art II 11 GaF
1x 1-2 Siege Art II XV GaF
6x 1-8 hv AA II AA=1 4, 505, 506, 550, 551, 552
2x 1-8 Asit Eng II 5 G, 31 G
88 pts pos AA (CCNN)
10 resource pts

Place in Italy in any hex on the Italian-French border.
1x 2-3-0 Art X 11 GaF
2x 1-3-0 Art X I GaF, XV GaF

Place in Italy in any hex on the 1939 Italian-Yugoslav border.
1x 2-3-0 Art X V GaF
1x 1-3-0 Art X XI GaF

Place anywhere in Italy, Sardinia, or Corsica:
1x 8 Para-Inf XX HO 184 Nm
1x 2-5 Para III 185 Nm/184 Nm
1x 2-8 Para-Inf III 184 Nm/184 Nm

Place anywhere on Corsica:
2x 3-4-6 lnf XX 20 Fri, 44 Crm
2x 1-3-2 Coastal XX 225, 226
1x 2-8* Alpine X 3
1x 1-2-6 lnf X 2 GdS
1x 1-6 lnf X M (CCNN)
1x 2-3-8 Art III 7 C
1x 0-1-6 Cons III 7

Place anywhere on Sardinia:
2x 3-4-6 Inf XX 30 Sab, 31 Cal
1x 3-6 Inf XX 47 Bari
2x 1-3-2 Coastal XX 204, 205
1x 2-8* mot Inf X 10
1x 1-2-6 Inf X 1 GdS
1x 1-2-6 Inf X 30 (CCNN)
1x 2-6 Tank III 32
1x 1-8 Cav III Sard
1x 1-2-4 Art X 24 GaF
2x 5-4-8 Art III 5 A, 13 C
1x 0-1-6 Cons III 13

Place anywhere on Sicily,
1x 4-6 Inf XX 4 Liv
2x 3-4-6 Inf XX 26 As, 28 Ao
1x 3-6 lnf XX 54 Nap
6x 1-3-2 Coastal XX 202, 206, 207, 208, 213, 230
1x 2-1-8 Assault Gun X 10
1x 4-2-8 Tank III 131
2x 1-6 Inf III 124 Ch, 303
1x 1-8 Cav III 30 Pal
1x 5-3-6 Art III 10A
2x 2-3-8 Art III 12 C, 16 C
2x 0-1-6 Cons III 12, 16
1x 1-5 Para Cmdo II 2 ADRA
1x 1-8 hv AA II AA=1 26
1x 1-8 Asit Eng II 11 G

Place on Pantelleria (27:3805):
1x 0-2-4* Static X Pant

Place on Lampedusa (27:4506):
1x 0-1-4 Static X Lamp

Italy, Forming:
2x 9-8 Arm XX 134 Fr, 135 Ar
1x 4-5-6 Para-Inf XX 183 Ci

Replacement Pool.
1x 5-8 mot Inf XX 3 ADdA
1x 5-8 Alpine XX 3 Julia
2x 4-8 Alpine XX 2 Tri, 4 Cun
6x 2-3-5 Inf XX2 Sfor, 3 Rav, 5 Cos, 9 Pas, 52 Tor, 156 Vi
1x 1-6 Inf III 350
1x 6-4-8 Art III 9 A
1x 4-3-8 Art III 2 C
1x 3-2-8 Art III 11 C
1x 2-1-8 Art III 30 C
2x 1-8 It AA III AA=2 4, 30