Operazione C3 (Malta)(v2) - The Matrix Games version of East Front II

[Best played as PBEM or H2H Multi play] : As November 1942 dawns, the Axis powers stand poised to strike a decisive blow in the Mediterranean. The Italian high command, in coordination with German forces, has finalized plans for Operazione C3 full-scale amphibious and airborne invasion of the British-held island of Malta. Long considered the "unsinkable aircraft carrier" of the Allies, Malta has been a thorn in the Axis supply lines to North Africa, its airfields and naval bases enabling relentless attacks on convoys bound for Rommel's Afrika Korps. Now, with the tide of war hanging in the balance, the Axis is ready to eliminate this strategic obstacle once and for all. The operation is set to unfold with staggering complexity and scale. Over 70,000 Italian troops, supported by German paratroopers and elite units, are to be ferried across the Mediterranean under the cover of a massive naval and air bombardment. Italian battleships and cruisers will provide fire support, while Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica squadrons aim to neutralize RAF defenses on the island. Gliders and paratroopers will descend on key positions airfields, radar stations, and coastal batteries paving the way for beach landings at Marsaxlokk and Mellieha Bay. The goal: to overwhelm the British garrison before reinforcements can arrive, and to secure Malta as a forward base for Axis operations in the central Mediterranean. The stakes could not be higher. Success would sever the lifeline between Britain and its forces in Egypt, potentially tipping the balance in North Africa. Failure, however, would be catastrophic sacrificing thousands of troops and exposing Italy's naval vulnerability. Yet, with Rommel pressing toward El Alamein and Allied supply lines strained, the Axis believes the moment is ripe. Malta braces for impact, its defenders on high alert, as the Mediterranean holds its breath for what could be one of the most audacious invasions of the war. [2.04 UPDATE]