Narrative

Surrender or Defection? With the fall of Galati the trigger for Rumanian Surrender or Defection has been achieved.

The Rumanian army is a shadow of its former self. It comprises only a few border troops that were guarding the coast against an amphibious invasion and which are now moving inland to defend the capital plus 2 divisions; one of which is isolated north of Galati. The other division and some AA occupy Bucharesti.

The Soviets consider the two options; Surrender – all Rumanians are removed and the German forces will be out of supply for a turn before they can secure a supply route. This will also reduce the Axis ability to resist a move off map in the south.

OR

Defection; This gives all the above and it may give the Russians some extra troops but crucially it will hand them Bucharesti on a plate.

The Soviets therefore demand Rumanian defection. Hardliners in the Rumanian government who may have been persuaded to surrender cannot swallow the bitter pill of turning on their erstwhile German allies. The Soviet demands are rebuffed and with renewed determination Rumanian forces remain loyal and committed to continue the fight.

There will be no easy conquest for the Soviets.

Turn Report

In other news the German forces north of Hungary unleash a series of tactical armoured counter attacks. All are at low odds featuring the possibility of Exchanges or NEs but the Fates favour the attackers and a series of 5s and 6s smash 3 Soviet spearheads consigning 5 Mobile/Artillery corps to cadres or complete Annihilation.

Army of Norway: (Zero attacks) German forces reach their river fronted mountain redoubt and prepare for the inevitable Soviet attack. Another regiment arrives from the Fatherland to bolster the Narvik defences and other Troop Transports make the reverse trip home for more re-enforcements.

AGN: (3 attacks) Any illusions the Soviet Army may have had that the Germans had been broken is shattered as two major armoured thrusts smash the spearheads. The Fuhrers “No Retreat” directive demands this because the German forces are rapidly running out of space in which to retreat. The counter attacks are directed against a weak 4-8 Tk cadre being used to isolate a 3 hex group and this was expected to be lost. However the Soviets were not expecting their 17-8 Mech corps lead stack to be annihilated.

Nor did they expect the 19th Army moving West out of the Western Bug Bridgehead towards Warsaw to be attacked. Here a 12-9-8 gds Tx, 9-8 Foreign contingent Mot xxx and three other cadres/artillery units are pushed back with heavy loss. The morale of the FC unit is so shattered it does not rally until over 30 miles behind the front lines.

AGC: (1 Attack) Not to be outdone by their northern comrades AGC concentrates on attacking the Soviet thrust which resulted from the swirling battles around the Lvow pocket. Here a classic pincer attack pushes back the second echelon, consisting of a 12-9-8 Tk corps and 14-6 Artillery Corps, reducing them to cadres and isolating the lead Corps’ in the forests NW of the city. The German Panzers now face a dilemma; do they close in behind the lead stack and try to replicate the success of the earlier Bialystok counterattack or do they simply form a ring around the salient allowing a ZOC screen to perform the isolation. Unfortunately they no longer possess the troop levels necessary to form a suitably strong screen and yet still hold the line elsewhere. The other difference to the earlier operation is that the Soviets have far stronger follow up forces in the area with 4 or 5 rocket and artillery corps fresh from the conquest of Lvow. Reluctantly therefore the German force falls back and forms a tight ring on 4 sides of the Soviet advanced elements isolating them but leaving an escape route.

AGS: (Zero Attacks) A defensive stance is demanded here as fresh troops march and rail to bolster their Hungarian allies defending the mountain borders of the country. The Rumanians also get more support following their show of loyalty to the National Socialist cause. The two panzer cadres and the Rumanians Mot xx manage to reach friendly lines. Only the fort north of Galati remains as an isolated breakwater against the tide off the Soviet advance that is held up as much by its own extended supply lines than active enemy resistance.

Air Combat: The Luftwaffe is now able to rebase to new airfields constructed by engineer regiments removing much of the over-stacking which has plagued them recently. Concentrated in a small area this gives them great defensive flexibly. Axis airpower is as strong and effective as ever in resisting the Soviets and denying them airspace over the front.

Combat Report

Attacks = 4.
Losses: Axis: Air = 2
Soviets; Isolated = 4, Un-isolated = 69
FC = 6,
Air = 2
Total = 79