I am really enjoying Salerno ‘43 from John Tiller Softwar e. The battlefield is interesting, the German defense spirited and the challenge for the Allies is considerable. I am almost done with a play-through of the German side vs the AI and I am starting an Allied play-through tonight. These are 80 turn scenarios and I have not regretted one minute spent playing them.

As I play the Salerno beachhead scenarios, I am also thinking about what came next historically because the game does not include the fighting for the mountain passes east of Naples, the advance on Avellino, Acerno and the long campaign in the fall and winter of 43-44 as the Allies drive on Rome. Salerno ‘43 owners are given the Anzio landing but not Cassino, Foggia, etc. Gaming some or all of these battles is interesting to me.

Consequently, “Road to Naples” is a free scenario I setup covering the British X Corps’ efforts to force open the mountain passes through the Sorrento Mountains to the Plain of Naples. Chronologically this comes after the Salerno beachhead is established and involves many of the same and now exhausted units.

My Naples scenario is only 24 turns long. It covers the first 2+ days of fighting for the passes. Achieving a victory minor or major for the Allies by scenario’s end would be a real accomplishment. I hope you enjoy it.

The Allies have a numerical advantage, but the German positions in the passes are a tough nut to crack. When the attack begins, X Corps troops are already exhausted from the fierce fighting inside the beachhead.

Scenario description: "Road to Naples:" The main effort against Naples was carried by the British X Corps, which shifted forces from the Salerno beachhead to the drive on Naples. X Corps Commander Maj Gen McCreery placed his infantry divisions (46th in Vietri and 56th in Salerno) in position to attack through the two major passes of the Sorrento hill mass--the Vietri-Nocera and Salerno-San Severino roads. Once the infantry divisions were through the Sorrento mountains and on the Naples plain, he hoped to pass the 7th Armored Division through the 46th at Nocera for the final strike toward Naples. The reinforced U.S. Rangers under Colonel Darby on the left were to assist. This scenario is best played as the Allies against the AI. It also makes a tough HtH scenario for the German player. Historically, the attack bogged down after days of heavy fighting and it was only after the Germans planned withdrawal on the 27-28th towards the Volturno, that the plain of Naples opened to the Allies.