Weather: Snow to Arctic, Mud in B&C, Frost in D, Clear in G.

Axis forces have not given up on their comrades trapped NE of Warsaw and launch a second breakout attempt aided by more arriving troops. In the centre replacement infantry move into Warsaw reinforcing the massive garrison unit. They may be down but the Axis are not yet out.

Army of Norway:
A precious Res Pt is spared and shipped north and troops manoeuvre to prepare for a further attack against the Marines next turn. The centre of the main line is reinforced and a further Luftwaffe fighter arrives to ward off the Soviet GS which they rely on for successful attacks.

AGN:
All available units and aircraft concentrate both inside and outside the pocket NW of Warsaw to breakout the trapped units. The breakout force is fully stacked with a cadre remaining behind to man a fort at the eastern end of the pocket which will be useful to split the Soviet tide much as a groin in a breakwater limits the power of the waves.

They hit a 12-8 Gds Mech/2-1-8 eng tk/1-2-6 AA and this time are more successful than last turn. At 5:1 (-2) with GS they manage to DR the defender who is cadred in the retreat. The trapped units advance to safety and mobile units pour through the breach in exploitation. This will add considerably to the Axis ability to resist in this area.

Outside Warsaw a lone 2-6 Gds cadre has reached the eastern suburbs but its artillery support has failed to keep pace due to the dreadful ground conditions and so it is now exposed to attack. A sally by the Warsaw garrison and a newly arrived 5-8 Jager division wipe out the puny defenders and allow the light infantry to advance and occupy the hex direct to the East of the city. This is a suicide mission but will delay the inevitable attack against the city by at least two weeks.

AGC:
In the centre a trapped 14-10 pz unit aided by GS risks a 4:1 attack against a 5-6 guards infantry and is rewarded with a DH allowing the Panzer unit to advance and then, in exploitation, reach the SE outskirts of Warsaw and supply further limiting Soviet access to the city.

The bridgehead over the Vistula is too powerful to attack so the defensive ring around the bridgehead is reinforced to try to limit any advance.

AGS:
Hungarian forces grudgingly give up ground to maintain a coherent front. A 3-5 Hungarian Security division is rebuilt and moves to contain the Soviet tankers north of Stu Mare.

In Rumania with nothing to defend the remaining troops (14-10pz xx, 2×7-8pz cadres and the sole remaining Rumanian unit a 6-10 Mot xx) exit the map and begin to rail north.

Air Combat. The Luftwaffe assemble the largest concentration of air power for perhaps the last 6 months to aid the breakout attempt in the AGN sector and a Mission force of 15 bombers carpet bomb the defenders. Two are Patrol Attacked away, one is removed by combat and another two by AA fire but in total 21 effective points are delivered bumping the odds to 5:1. The two other Axis attacks are also well supported. The Luftwaffe is present in extreme concentration and the short range and pitiful patrol attack range of the Soviet fighters means that their response is muted. One notable event is that the Me262 is Returned by a Patrol Attack and plays no part in any combats this player-turn.

Combat Report:
Attacks = 3.
Losses; Axis; Air = 1; Soviets; = 23, Air = 3.