(05-25-2020, 03:33 PM)Greyfox Wrote:      As for Operation Anvil/Dragoon - There are a number of great things about this campaign.... Just saying.

1) Troop list is varied -
     a) Germans - Some of really good (11th Panzer) and really bad formations (a number of ost battalionen)
     b) US Army - VI Corps (3rd ID, 36th ID, 45th ID)
     c) French Army - 1st Army - 11 total divisions including three armored divisions organized and equipped along U.S. Army lines.
     d) Unusual units
          1) 1st Special Service Force (Devils Brigade) a combined U.S. Canadian Force
          2) French Commandos
          3) French Maquis
          4) Jedburgh Commando's (OSS)
          5) ADHOC 1st Airborne Task Force - combined British/American Airborne Division which included a small Nisei Detachment.
          6) ADHOC Combat Command - U.S. Task Force Butler based on the 117th Mechanized Cavalry Squadron - a reconnaissance unit.

2)  Types of Missions
     a) Amphibious Landings
     b) Airborne Drops
     c) Exploitation/Pursuit (at the operational level)
     d) Seizure of Towns
     e) Escape (maintaining avenue of retreat) along one major route
     d) several pitched battles (Marseille, Toulon, and Montelimar)

3)     There are a number of good works that can be used to provide background on the campaign -- I own several of primary sources and unit histories in English (almost all American POV).

4)  A book size treatment might be good with the inclusion of some counters, but a specialty map or two might be good.  For some of the smaller fights I think several of the maps in the inventory would work.  The high ground and the rivers around Montelmar might require a special map.  I haven't really read up to much on the battles of Toulon or Marseille.  That seems like it would be an interesting research project.


Mike