Fall Weiss II - Barbarossa AAR

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August 19, 1944 - Beginning of Turn

The Axis are being overrun in France, with most of our offensive units taking significant losses and unable to counter attack. Our defensive positions are overstretched, southern France is only lightly defended and there has been no attempt to try to match the Western Allies dominance in the air.

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August 19, 1944 - Beginning of Turn

In Finland the Soviets continue to slowly advance southward where our defense consists of only a few garrison units as the country lack the manpower to cover every front. A few additional units are in production and hopefully we can stabilize the situation soon. While the Finns have had some success pushing back the Red Army immediately east of Leningrad the Soviets are beginning to feel like they are closing a noose around Finland, with significant forces building up South of Leningrad.

The Red Army has finally had some success in breaking our strong defensive positions in Central and South USSR, in fact 4 Axis HQ became front line units but luckily none were damaged. We will not retreat and will fight to hold onto these positions as long as possible.

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Turkey surrenders, an economic boom for Germany who is desperate to increase MPP at this point and will next attempt to capture the various Allied oilfields. 4 Allied units were stranded in Turkish territory, all of which were captured in this screenshot.

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Despite losing Egypt, the Allies are still prepared to defend the Suez. With Turkey now occupied, once the Suez falls the Middle East will be wide open for the Axis.

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In France it is expected that Bordeaux will soon be liberated and with it a major supply source for the Allies. The British have also made inroads in Belgium where our front line defenses are the weakest along the front.

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In late October 1944 with the weather about to turn, the Axis are very pleased with their defensive efforts in both France and the Eastern Front in particular. Paris has been defended, and the Soviets advance stalled. We have also made great inroads in our effort to capture the Allied Oilfields but still have a long way to go.

The Soviet Black Sea fleet has been destroyed, the Suez has been captured, and the Soviets and Americans have only made gains in recapturing Eastern Turkish territory.

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Numerically the Axis can not compete with the Allies, but our strongest and most experienced forces have not been destroyed giving us the upper hand in battle.

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The biggest risk for the Axis right now is losing a war of attrition, our MPP is constantly dwindling. The Allied bombing is relentless, we have lost Belgium albeit momentarily (hopefully) and our supply lines with Portugal severed (no more MPP). The income from occupied Turkey has supplemented some of the loss. If we hope to draw the war out 2 and a half more years to broker a peace deal we will need to capture Allied oil to sustain our war effort.

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Cold weather has settled across Europe, allowing time to reinforce on both sides, which is of much more benefit to the Allies than the Axis given our MPP disparity. In the East the Axis have stubbornly held their positions through the majority of 44' and are withering the Soviets morale.

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In the West the Axis refuse to retreat from our positions in France, though the Allies are slowly bending around our defensive lines having established control of Belgium and marching through Vichy French territory. It is questionable how much longer we can hold Paris.

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Our dreams of conquest of the Caucasus oilfields has been laid to rest, a joint effort by the Soviets and Americans is certain to force the Germans out of eastern Turkey. Rommel will still be tasked with capturing oil in the Middle East.

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The Red Army is slowly overrunning Finnish territory and in the the situation is now dire in the Leningrad region. The Finnish and German defenders south of the city are cut off at 2 supply, and our defense of the Baltic states withering against the Soviet offensive. With the prospect of being overrun and no reserves to send to the front the Northern Army Group will retreat behind the Daugava river near Riga to shorten our defensive lines and Finland will have to retreat to Leningrad.

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The Finnish as well as a German Infantry Corps have retreated to Leningrad after a full withdrawal from the areas south of the city, the Finnish were successful in relieving the early mentioned cut off forces as part of the fighting retreat.

The German Army Group in the North has also retreated to Riga where we are able to re-establish our defensive positions.

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Finland will lose another NM objective, and the last opposition to the Red Army in the far North after the Soviets forced the Finnish garrison to retreat. With the besieged German expeditionary division at 0 supply except for the port which will soon be reduced to nil, the decision is made to abandon and both German and Finnish forces evacuate by sea.

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Rommel continues to successfully sweep across the desert, this turn having liberated Syria.

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The Western Allies have severed the connection between the Vichy and Northern France, essentially creating separate fronts. The Italian Army is seemingly on their own to stop the Allied advance in Vichy territory.

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The DAK has nearly wrapped up the campaign to clear the Allies out of the Middle East except for Iraq, but with the Axis abandoning their offensive against the USSR through Turkey it is unclear what the next move for the DAK will be. The Allies are advancing through Turkey at a rapid pace.

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Minsk has be re-captured by the Soviets, exposing a clear path to Warsaw as the German Army tries to hold the Soviets back near Riga. In the South our defensive positions still hold but the Soviets are creating havoc near Riga, our attempt at a counter offensive will surely crack our defensive lines.

Farther North the Finnish are in all-out battle for survival, they could capitulate if they lose additional NM objectives.

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In the West the Allied advance from Belgium risk cutting off our forward positions west of France and we are left with no choice but to retreat. What is significant about this turn is that it is May 8, 1945 and the Axis would have won a Tactical Victory at turn end (Axis hold Berlin, Rome, Paris & Warsaw) representing achieving much better than historical results and perhaps drawing peace terms. However I had extended the game, with now an end date approximately 2 years longer in which the Axis will win by holding any of Berlin, Munich or Rome. I expect things to begin unraveling soon, let's see how long this can go.

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Another reference shot of the victory conditions that I had just referenced.