Narrative

“The Undiscovered Country”
Soviet forces in Rumania report a baffling and frightening phenomenon. Tankers are perplexed when they encounter a strange energy barrier a few miles west of the Dambovija River. The news is passed up the line. The fledgling Soviet Atomic Research Establishment has learned of Nazi Heavy Water experiments and surmises this is an, as yet, unknown Nazi Superweapon. Tankers report that their out of supply condition means they cannot move further west. At other points along the front advanced units report meeting similar phenomena but in places progress would seem possible because the barrier offers only light resistance. However STAVKA orders that no unit should move west of the line until a full assessment can be made. Steppe Front mobile units are therefore ordered to swing North and push up into Hungary as soon as they have dispatched the few remaining pockets of resistance in Rumania.”

The mud and consequential deteriorated supply condition now ensure that no matter how well their forces perform Map Exit from Rumania is now impossible due to lack of supply and there are insufficient supplied forces in Hungary.

With only four turns left and a force ratio of 3:1 assured but no map exit shift possible the Soviets are now battling to reduce the Axis city point count to improve the Victory level in their favour. Narvik appears out of their grasp, Danzig per errata is not included so only Warsaw remains as a potential prize.

With the mud hampering their operations as much as the Axis the advance mech and armour units are obliged to hold the line as the slower infantry try and push past the isolated pockets of Axis resistance. The pockets interlink in the centre and progress is slow with weak points between the Soviet advanced guard and the main body of troops.

Not withstanding the above the Soviets are able to increase the number of attacks to 26 this turn.

Arctic Front: (1 attack). The Soviets launch a 4:1-(-1) attack from Bardufoss against the line in front of Narvik but the marines are unable to make progress (NE).

Turn Report

Belorussian Front:
(9 attacks); Pushing along the coast the Soviets continue their steady, relentless advance cadreing a 6-8 Mtn and eliminating a bypassed FA. They also gain another advance at the furthest point West moving to within one hex of the map edge and cutting off from the south, temporarily, the forces defending Danzig. Of the next 5 attacks however no less than 3 result in NEs. Crucially however they do manage to eliminate a stack in the corridor linking the large pocket NE of Warsaw with the city. Attacks against the two isolated Panzer Divisions in separate pockets are mixed with one elimination and another NE.

Ukraine Front:
(8 attacks); The main aim here is to widen the bridgehead over the Vistula and use this as a springboard for a move north to Warsaw. At the same time this will sever communications to the powerful Panzer units falling back north from the Lvow sector. As a precursor a 16-10 isolated panzer unit is eliminated north of Lublin and the 4-6-6 infantry unit defending the city is also removed from active service. At the southern end of the line the push north from Lvow hits the fort line again but 2 more NEs dampen the Soviets’ ambitions and only one completed fort is eliminated.

Steppe Front:
(8 attacks); Most of the Hungarian front is now active with a lone Tank Corps complimenting a cavalry/Infantry advance in the north of the country. The Corps reaches the western limit of possible advance and turns directly south having cut off Hungary and the south from Germany/Poland to the north. However its U1 supply condition and the weather prevent any significant advance or roll up of the Hungarian line.

Along the mountain ridge the steady Soviet attacks and infiltrations push the Hungarian and German defenders off the ridge and they now cling precariously onto the Western slopes. The fort on the road to Stu Mare is eliminated and Soviet forces advance along towards the city.

In an unopposed move a Cavalry xx captures Pleven, the last remaining on-map Axis owned city in Bulgaria.

In Rumania Basov is taken and with it the last airfield in Rumania. A returning Ju87 ditches in friendly territory to avoid capture. The last vestiges of resistance are quelled with two auto attacks eliminating a pocket miraculously clinging on SE of Bucharesti and the southern tip of the defending line West of the Dambovija river. Only three occupied hexes remain on the southern plain, a 6-10 Rum mot XX, a pair of 7-8 pz cadres and a 14-10 pz xx all clustered around the railroad West.

Air Combat:
While battles rage across the front on the ground it is no less active overhead. GS, Harassment and DAS missions are all patrolled and intercepted and the FW190 in its various marques reigns supreme. 7 Soviet units are lost but a Spit 9 interceptor brings down a Fw190a with a snakes eyes roll.

 

Combat Report

Attacks = 26
Losses: Soviet = 21, Air = 7.
Axis; Forts = 5 (incl 1 half built); German: FAs =2, Pos AA = 1, Isolated = 20, Un-isolated = 62, Air = 3
Eastern = 2, Hungarian = 7, Rumanian Isolated = 3, Un-isolated = 2, Air =1 (crash landed).
Axis Total = 96

Combat Ratio: Nov I ’44 Axis/Soviet = 96/21 = 4.57:1