TEM #38/39 presented a "Plan Y" replay in which the Axis player managed a marginal victory in spite of the fact that Yugoslavia detected the Italian preparations and mobilized before the outbreak of the hostilities. The same Axis player claimed that had this not happened he would probably have achieved a major victory. To prove the contrary the Yugoslavian player agreed to a new game where he would not be allowed to try to detect the Italian build up. Here is the result of that game. The only exception from "rules as written" is that percentile dices determined final odds.

OCT II 40

During October, Italy builds up its forces along the Yugoslavian borders, both in northern Italy and in Albania. The Yugoslavian government, fearing that a mobilization will provoke Italy to attack, chooses not to mobilize.

NOV I 40 (Clear Weather)

Italy: An infantry division goes by sea from the mainland to Zara and attacks and takes Split. Two other regiments are transported to the same port and attack and take Sibenik.

An infantry division lands on the island Mljet, advance towards the port in Ploce and attacks across the River Neretva supported by air. The attack is successful.

5thAA-regiment lands at the same island and marches into an undefended Dubrovnik.

The Italian 8th Army Corps has concentrated in northern Albania. From here it overruns three border regiments, taking Podgorica and Bar. It also eliminates an infantry cadre when it takes Cetinje.

In northeastern Albania the 6th Army Corps moves east and eliminates three infantry regiments, but in the battle of Novi Pazar the Centauro division takes heavy losses and is cadred.

On the northern front, three Army Corps attack into Yugoslavia. All Yugoslavian forces in Slovenia with the exception of three hopelessly isolated border regiments along the German border are eliminated and all cities fall. Thanks to an overrun west of Ljubljana the motorized 11th Army Corps takes Zagreb but the force of Hurricanes and Me 109 fighters in the city manage to escape. The corps exploits to the line Bjelovar-Sisak.

A total of 19 Yugoslavian cities fall to this initial Italian attack, the prize paid by Italy is two cadred divisions - one cavalry and one light armored.

Yugoslavia: The initial results of the mobilization vary from region to region. The mobilization is most successful in Serbia, Macedonia, and Bosnia-Hercegovina where 4, 4, and 5 units mobilize. The units from Serbia and Bosnia-Hercegovina move into Croatia and create a defense line opposing the advance of 11th Corps, partly behind the Sava and Una rivers.

From Sarajevo a mobilized infantry division moves west through the mountains to meet the enemy as far from Sarajevo as possible.

Along the Bulgarian border a thin line is created to meet a probable Bulgarian attack.

There is no good opportunity for a ground counterattack but the Yugoslav Air Force scores two hits on the port of Durazzo.

NOV II 40 (Clear Weather)

Italian envoys in Sofiya and Budapest have no problems convincing those governments that it is in their interest to declare war against Yugoslavia.

Italy: From eastern Kosovo the 6" and 8" Corps attack northward and cut of the southern road to/from Sarajevo at two different places. The remnants of the Centauro division begin to regroup to Croatia and move north along the Adriatic coast.

In northern Yugoslavia, Italians forces attack along the railroad to Beograd at two locations. These attacks eliminate two Yugoslav divisions but no significant breakthrough occurs.

Slovenia is cleared from Yugoslavian forces. Italy's biggest problem here is that now all the cities must be garrisoned.

A construction regiment begins to repair the port in Durazzo.

Hungary: Hungarian forces advance into the Backa region and eliminate one division, one brigade and five border regiments.

Bulgaria: Bulgarian forces smash several Yugoslavian regiments along the southern part of the border and the Pt cavalry brigade occupies an undefended Skoplje, but no attack is executed against the thin defense line along the road to Nis.

Yugoslavia: Now the Yugoslavian mobilization begins to give results. In the important Serbia region the mobilization is completed and the forces move towards the front.

In Macedonia, two newly mobilized divisions counterattack against Skoplje and retake the city, eliminating significant Bulgarian forces. Further east, a powerful defense line is created in the mountains along the border to Bulgaria.

Another large portion of the newly mobilized troops move into the mountains around Sarajevo. It appears as if the Yugoslavs plan to hold out in the mountains for as long as possible.

80 miles south of Beograd the Yugoslav tank force together with strong artillery and a cavalry regiment counterattack at Rankovicevo. This attack eliminates an infantry division to the price of the tank battalion and the cavalry regiment.

The air force flies harassment missions in the area around the Littorio division.

DEC I 40 (Poor Weather)

Bulgaria: The Bulgarian 1st Army Corps forces the Yugoslavians to retreat 20 miles north along the road to Nis with losses to both sides.

Hungary: In the Backa region the Yugoslavian army is forced to retreat to the southeast comer of the region.

Italy: Both the Italian Alpine divisions and two infantry divisions attack in the mountains along the western road to Sarajevo, both sides loose a infantry division.

In northern Yugoslavia the Italian forces advance to the outskirts of Slavonski Brod.

The port in Durazzo is now repaired.

Yugoslavia: The mobilization is now completed. Newly mobilized troops attack and eliminate the isolated 8 1h Italian army corps (two divisions and two artillery regiments). The road between Nis and Sarajevo is now open again.

Between Sava and the Hungarian border, abreast of Slavonski Brod, a strong defensive line is created which probably should be able to hold the enemy back for a month. Between Sava and Danube Yugoslavian engineers start the construction of a fort.

At the Bulgarian front Yugoslavian troops voluntarily fall back to shorten the front and release troops for the defense of the road from Nis to Skoplje.

In the north the Yugoslavs decide to abandon the Backa.

The air force breaks the railroad west of Slavonski Brod.

DEC II 40 (Poor Weather)

Italy: The new Alpine division is shipped to Yugoslavia where it joins the battle west of Sarajevo. A supported regiment is eliminated and the Italians are now just outside Sarajevo.

In the north the Italian 3rd, 5th, 11th, and 14th army corps supported by the bulk of the Italian air force break a 60 miles wide hole in the first Yugoslavian defense line, but the second line still remains.

Bulgaria: In the south Bulgaria attacks down the mountain towards Nis and eliminates a cadre and a brigade to the price of a cadred division.

Hungary: In the Backa region Hungarian forces crush the last remaining Yugoslavian defender. The region is now completely in Hungarian hands and the Hungarian government declares that Backa has been incorporated into Hungary. Their forces will now halt operations unless they are attacked.

Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia regroup its defense lines south of Nis, around Sarajevo and along the road to Beograd. There is no good place to counterattack.

In the air the Me 109E escorts two bombers to attack the airfield at Lagosta. A furious air battle is fought and the Me 109E and a MC 200 is aborted, with no damage to the airfield.

JAN I 41 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy: In a daring attack outside Sarajevo three Alpine and one infantry division conquer the mountains south of the city.

Along the road to Beograd the northern part of the defense line at Osijek is crushed and motorized units exploit 20 miles along the road.

Bulgaria: Bulgarian troops fail to take the area east of Nis.

Yugoslavia: In the south Yugoslavian infantry forces regroup to avoid that Bulgarian forces have cut the railroad between Nis and Skoplje. The only attack is a spectacular fiasco when two infantry divisions fail to eliminate the lone Bulgarian tank battalion in the mountain east of the road.

In Croatia the few defenders fall back to a new defensive position around the fortified area between the Danube and the Sava.

The whole air force flies DAS to Sarajevo.

JAN II 41 (Poor Weather)

Italy: The area north of Sarajevo falls to an attack by the Alpinis.

The Italians continue to knock out enemy units along the road to Beograd and they are now only 60 miles from the city.

Bulgaria: Enemy units along the road to Nis are eliminate with only small losses to the Bulgarian forces.

Yugoslavia: Yugoslavia decides to give up the hope c keeping the road to Skoplje open. Only a minimal garrison is left in the city and the other forces regroup to the area around Beograd and Nis.

In the north the army can do no more then to regroup in a way which prevents Italy from attacking Beograd until late in February.

FEB I 41 (Poor Weather)

Italy: Skoplje falls into the Fascists' hands.

Alpine forces takes control of the last road from Sarajevo an, the city is now cut off.

Initially, the Italians make only small progress in the attack along the road to Beograd. During the exploitation phase the Littorio division moves around the defense and cuts off the eastern road to Beograd. The remnants of the Centauro divisiol take control of the western road to the city and there are no longer two connected cities in Yugoslavia. This mean that all Yugoslavian units are now out of supply.

Bulgaria: New attacks towards Nis make limited gains.

Yugoslavia: By regrouping all available troops to the Beograde area the Yugoslavians manage to open the eastern road between Beograd and Nis, critical for supply purposes. The whole air force flies DAS for the troops in Beograd.

FEB II 41 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy: Sarajevo finally falls to an Alpine attack and the road to Beograd is now totally cleared. The city is totally surrounded and there is no hope that any further help would reach the city.

Bulgaria: Bulgarian forces move so that they cut off the railroad north of Nis.

Yugoslavia: There is no more to do than let the air forces fly DAS for Beograd.

MAR I 41 (Poor/Winter Weather)

Italy: Beograd falls and the game is over.

Analysis

Despite the fact that Yugoslavia didn't discover the Italian preparations and mobilized in time Italy took Beograd only two weeks earlier than in the last game and therefore only won a marginal victory. The Italian player, for good reasons, regarded this as a failure. But how could it happen?

The Yugoslavian player was rather successful with his first mobilization-die rolls (4, 5 and 5) which is a little better that could be expected. This allowed a small non-overrunable line to be created in Croatia that prevented Italy from reaching Slavonski Brod in the second turn. Now the relatively strong Croatian force could begin to mobilize (die roll: 5) in central and eastern Croatia. In the next turn the rest of the Croatian force could man a strong line of defense and start to fortify the road to Beograd.

The Yugoslavian army counterattacked much more in this game and some early losses west of Nis resulted in that Italy lost a lot of attack power and speed at this front.

On the Bulgarian front Bulgaria lost much of its punching power when two brigades were unnecessarily lost in the Yugoslavian counterattack at Skoplje.

To sum up the Yugoslavian player was very satisfied with the result of the game.