Month: May 2019

Narrative

Reuters Moscow 20^th October 1942:
Report from front STOP Jubilant crowds in Moscow suburb of Istra STOP 1^st Shock Army recaptures NW of city STOP Soviet forces claim advance N eliminates 5 enemy divisions STOP Peoples Commissariat For Information reports huge advances against Finland STOP Expect Helsinki by March 43 END

Turn Report

Partisans: 4 rail hits inflicted

Finnish Front:  Resource points arrive at the neck of the Kola peninsular ready to push back West towards Salla against the mixed German/Finnish forces. However the Soviets decide to wait until all forces are in place to maximise the effect of the precious resource points so no attacks are made this turn.

In the south the drive north from Lake Ladoga continues eliminating two cadres and the Finish armour brigade.. A full strength division is eliminated in its entirety as its cadre is pushed back against the unfrozen lake and has nowhere to retreat.

The destruction of the Finnish Army

Leningrad/North Moscow Front. A Soviet push West along the Vologda/Leningrad rail line removes the Germans from the rail hex they so recently captured (cadering a Panzer xx in the DH) and relieves the out of supply section of front. Still two hexes of the line remain firmly in German control approx. 100 miles further west.

At the Leningrad/Valdai railhead under cover of darkness two tank corps (one a 9-7-8) joins the 11-8 mech xxx already in theatre as forces are built up for a surprise offensive designed to drive south towards Kalinin and capture the vital rail junction at  Vyshniy Volcheck which supplies the entire German drive to Vologda.

East of the German schwerpunkt newly arriving troops reinforce the defence and release more tank units into reserve.

SE AAR Oct I Soviet

Army of Moscow: The new army group strikes simultaneously north and south as it comes up against stiff German defences to the west. The northern hook cadres an infantry xx and a mot xx and eliminates a construction unit and light flack battalion, captures an airfield and traps a further 7-6 inf xx against the lakes to the north.

The southern attack achieves an even more successful result as lead tank elements bolstered by Guards infantry and an impressive battery of Katyuskas drive into the NW suburbs of Moscow recapturing the hex after 10 months of occupation.

Voronezh Front. All quiet here.

Rostov Front: Unimpressed by the single German pz holding onto a narrow 16 mile strip east of the Don near Stalingrad the soviets contain the unit with infantry and AT units and transfer all armour south. These units join others and drive into the eastern edge of the German bridgehead south of the Don driving it back 16 miles and eliminating two stacks of units with cadres fleeing back across the don and west. Meanwhile an NKVD regiment enters the southern defensive ring just one hex short of the city. It is hoped it can provide ideological resolve before the Axis can mount a major assault – It may be too late.

Don bridgehead under pressure.

Air War: An airfield building program around Moscow starts to tip the balance of fighter air cover over this area. The northern attack goes in unmolested with GS raising the odds one level.

The southern Soviet attack into Moscow however is heavily contested by 8 German fighters (a mixed force of 109s and 110s) who attempt to bypass 7 Soviet fighters of Laggs, Miggs and Yaks

Of the 8 German units 1x ME109m is aborted, 1 Returned.. The 6 survivors attack the bomber stream inflicting 1 Kill, 2 Aborts and 2 Returns suffering no losses themselves thus only one of the engaged bombers gets through.

The Soviet bomber commitment however is more than sufficient even with these losses to raise the attack to the viable 4:1 (-1) needed and a HX captures the hex.

Battle Report

Diced Combats: = 7

Losses:
Soviets = 7, Air = 2

Axis: German = 42,
Eastern = 1,
Finns = 12,
Rumanian = 3 (Tk Reg)

Weather Roll: No change still clear except Zones A and B = Mud.

Finland & The Army of Norway: In the far north German forces lead by SS Nord and with air support retreat a Soviet division and advance to within 16 miles of the rail loops at the neck of the Kola peninsula.

The centre remains quiet.

In the south Finish forces struggle to retreat ahead of the Soviet advance and escape total annihilation. The Soviets are taking no chances and keep sufficient density to prevent any intervention by the 9^th Panzer which is not prepared to risk an exchange.

Northern part of East Front

AGN: Troops mass to engage the section of Soviet line which has had its supply cut but being themselves out of supply cannot get sufficient odds for a viable attack, so the Axis await the full effects of the Soviet supply difficulties to hit home. Lets all be out of supply together!

In the main drive German forces mass and push back a Soviet stack gaining a further hex towards the ultimate objective of Vologda, still 70 miles away. They also nip off a one hex bulge to the south of the main advance.

Against the Soviet drive north of Moscow the German forces are not yet sufficient to muster a counter attack but reinforcing reserve divisions and rebuilt Panzers move into the line as engineers start fortifying the current defensive positions. The fight-back will begin later.

AGC: No action

Southern part of East Front

AGS: Axis units attempt the destruction of the Soviet troops in the great bend of the Don.  The mech division however survives an assault but is surrounded in exploitation.

The German panzer trapped near Stalingrad battles back to the main lines but remains east of the river. This move is intended to discourage the Soviet tank forces from moving south where they could strike against the main bridgehead east of Rostov.

That bridgehead does some tidying up, operating against weaker Russian stacks and consolidating their firm hold in the South.

Meanwhile to the north of the river Italian forces arrive from the Stalino assault and join a mainly Rumanian assault on the last remaining Soviet forces north of the Don. Except for the city itself, surrounded now on four sides, no Soviets remain North of the river in this sector.

The brave defenders of Stalino fall to a Hungarian assault bolstered with some German Rail Gun support (including Dora)

Air War: In the south Soviet fighter defenders achieve a rare victory when a large flight of Yaks lead by a Lend Lease P40E. Intercept a raid by Ju88As escorted by a ME110. Two of the mission force are eliminated and one aborted. The fourth turns for home. No soviets squadrons are lost although 2 return for extensive repair. (Aborted)

In the north Soviet fighters mob selected German DAS flights eliminating three more JU88As for the loss of two Laggs.

Overview over the Eastern Front

Battle Report:
Combats: Auto = 3, Diced = 9
Losses: Forts = 2, Soviet Un-Isolated = 47, Soviet Isolated = 6, Air = 2
German= 7, Rumanian = 2, Eastern Troops = 2, German Air = 5