The British Mission:

• Following the successful landings nearly two weeks earlier, significant progress had been made in pushing back Axis forces on Sicily. However, enemy forces remained strong and there was a chance of their being reinforced by troops from the mainland. It was therefore imperative that a decisive defeat be inflicted on the enemy before additional troops arrived.

• It was also likely that the enemy would begin to evacuate forces from the island in the very near future, and it was vitally important that they were destroyed or captured before they could leave Sicily. This would ensure that any subsequent invasion of the Italian mainland would be faced by far fewer Axis troops.

• Due to constraints of supply and terrain, it was only possible to commit two divisions to action on any given day, although sufficient fuel was usually available for other units to conduct road marches.

• Finally, there was talk among the troops that they were engaged in a ‘Race to Messina’ with their American Allies. This was (officially) emphatically NOT the case!

Intelligence of Axis Forces:

• 15. Panzergrenadier-Division

• Panzergrenadier-Division 'Hermann Göring' (which includes some tanks)

• Unidentified Motorised Division (just arrived from Italy)

• Four Italian Infantry Divisions – Livorno, Aosta, Asietta, Napoli

• Various support units

The American Order of Battle included:

• US 7^th Army

  • 1st Infantry Division

  • 36th Infantry Division

  • 2nd Armoured Division

  • 46th (South Midlands) Infantry Division (British)

  • 17th Field Artillery Group

  • 77th Field Artillery Group

The American Mission:

• Following the successful landings nearly two weeks earlier, significant progress had been made in pushing back Axis forces on Sicily. However, enemy forces remained strong and there was a chance of their being reinforced by troops from the mainland. It was therefore imperative that a decisive defeat be inflicted on the enemy before additional troops arrived.

• It was also likely that the enemy would begin to evacuate forces from the island in the very near future, and it was vitally important that they were destroyed or captured before they could leave Sicily. This would ensure that any subsequent invasion of the Italian mainland would be faced by far fewer Axis troops.

• Due to constraints of supply and terrain, it was only possible to commit two divisions to action on any given day, although sufficient fuel was usually available for other units to conduct road marches.

• Finally, there was talk among the troops that they were engaged in a ‘Race to Messina’ with their British Allies. This was (officially) emphatically NOT the case! (But hey! What the hell ...)

Intelligence of Axis Forces:

• 15. Panzergrenadier-Division

• Panzergrenadier-Division 'Hermann Göring' (which includes some tanks)

• Unidentified Motorised Division (just arriving from Italy)

• Four Italian Infantry Divisions – Livorno, Aosta, Asietta, Napoli

• Various support units

The Axis Mission:

• Allied forces landed on this outpost of Festung Europa on July 10, and despite a number of successful counter-attacks, Axis forces were slowly being pushed back.

• It was expected that the Italian 6^th Army could hold Sicily for at least ten more days, in order that the evacuation of personnel and equipment could proceed in an orderly manner.

• From D+3, the Axis could ‘evacuate’ D6 stands per game turn from Messina.

Intelligence of Allied Forces:

• British 8^th Army

  • 1st Infantry Division

  • 5th Infantry Division

  • 15th Infantry Division

  • 50th Infantry Division

  • 2nd (New Zealand) Infantry Division

  • At least two armoured brigades

• US 7^th Army

  • 1st Infantry Division

  • 36th Infantry Division

  • 46th Infantry Division (British)

  • 2nd Armoured Division