The Red Tide races across the North Ukrainian plain. With nothing to slow or dull its movement West it crashes against the German defenders around Lwow. The line like a string of sandcastles on a beach dissolves in the face of the advancing tide. The spume washes around the city and beyond. To the south the tide is stronger still and swirls between, around and over the border defences washing them away; barely stopping until its energy is spent as it laps against the Rumanian foothills.
Only in the North of the front where the terrain is more difficult, and the tidal range dimmed by prolonged contact with the enemy does the German defensive line hold. Some erosion occurs but no significant breaches are made other than a tiny trickle over the Western bug.
Artic Front:
(1 attack) The push along the coast continues aided by the Russian Arctic fleet stationed in Kvænangen pounding the German position while bombers from above add to the agony. The attack eliminates another German regiment and the advance grinds forward. Meanwhile the Marines are withdrawn to Murmansk to plan a further landing.
Belorusian Front:
Six attacks take place in this sector at various points along the Front. Most noticeably in the extreme north where Königsberg falls to a 4:1 (-1) attack. The defenders have a choice; do they retreat intact onto the peninsular? or do they risk escape through the narrow connection with the main front under fire from Soviet attackers and almost certainly being reduced in number? In the end they decide to retreat onto the peninsular. They hope that transports can move them off to safety.
The attacks further south are quite bloody for both sides with two full exchanges and a 1/2 exchange. The line gives but does not break north of the Western Bug but around Brest-Litovsk the Soviets do manage a breach of the river and two hexes of Tank Corps and supporting troops make a hesitant advance towards Warsaw.
Breakthough at Lwow: Soviets smash the Axis defensive line in Galicia, August 1944
Ukrainian Front
(3 attacks) Difficult terrain in the Pripyat marshes limits the strength of Soviet forces confronting the German line and prevents any assault in this area.
It is a completely different matter in the Lwow area where Guards infantry, Cavalry and in particular waves of armoured and mechanised formations concentrate to the north and south of the city. Supported by rocket and artillery divisions they smash holes in the newly formed German lines. In exploitation mobile units surround the city isolating it from supplies. This same advance straddles the direct supply train from Germany that feeds the forces to the south of the city including SS Panzer xx 3TK.
Steppe Front
(7 attacks). The thin screen of Axis, mainly Rumanian, forces trapped and positioned at the frontier to stem the Soviet advance are annihilated by the Army Group. Most attacks are at overwhelming odds and surrounded so the dice is not needed to determine the defender’s fate. Only Odessa remains defiant. The Soviets make no move against the city other than to rush Combat Engineers to assault the city next turn.
Air Combat: As the Luftwaffe falls back on its bases its fighters are concentrated and most are now upgraded to the fearsome FW190 variants, with a few Me109Gs. The longer range aircraft are generally being phased out as their greater range has become less important than fighting strength.
The Soviets become aware of the limited airbases available and the limited depth of the battlefield reducing the Axis’ ability to stand off out of the shorter range of the Soviet fighters. They thus launch raids on airbases and the north/south rail connections. This however ends in a bloody nose. In one day a massed raid on the airbase at Gdynia results in the loss of 7 Soviet Aircraft for no enemy losses and NO airbase Hits. The Luftwaffe refers to this as Sea-Eagle Day.
Combat Report
Attacks = 17 of which (7 are Automatic Kills).
Losses:
Soviet = 28, 7 Air.
Axis: Forts= 5 including one abandoned.
German = 42 (un-isolated), 7 (Isolated), 3 pos AA (un-isolated) 2 pos AA (isolated), 2 Air (captured on the ground).
Rumanian = 1 (un-isolated), 16 (Isolated), 3 air (on ground)
Eastern = 1 (Isolated)
Total = 67 Aug II ’44
Loss Ratio: Aug II ’44, Axis/Soviet = 67/ 49 = 1.37
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