Soviet Winter Opperations Dec41 to March42 (Manstein63 V Sveint) NO SVEINT PLEASE UNTIL TURN 30

[Manstein63]

A view of the front line from Tula to Voronezh.
Western Fronts 1st Shock Army is Consoladating its position around Tula
Bryansk Fronts 43rd Army is bringing fresh divisions forward in preparation of an attack toward Orel with support from the Fronts 21st & 32nd Armies.
Southwesten Fronts 26th Army & the STAVKA reserve 40th Army will remain on station around Voronezh ready to exploit any breakthrough that may be acheived

[Manstein63]

Southwestern Fronts 5th Army & Southern Fronts 18th & 50th Armies continue probing attacks toward Stalino

[Manstein63]

Finally the Crimea perhaps its time to withdraw back to the fort line

[Manstein63]

Turn 32 Soviet Production my KV1's that were relocated from Lenningrad have just come back on line

[Manstein63]

Production of Armements & Heavy Industry also Manpower

[Manstein63]

Air Losses 15,000 planes lost to date the majority were old plane types but I have still lost at least 3,000 modern fighter planes as well as 1,500 modern bombers

[Manstein63]

Lenningrad Front no advances have been made still reorganising managed to remove the remaining factories from Lenningrad all factories in the area should finally be removed next turn

[Manstein63]

Moscow area limited attacks, Konev's 4th army is finally in position & the Bryansk Fronts 34th army is now refitting behind the lines. Axis defences in this area appear to be too strong so I may have to change the direction that I am attacking

[Manstein63]

The other parts of the Front are quiet there is a gap in the Axis front opening up around Tula but it seems to be a little bit to conveinient & I suspect that it may be a trap of some sort. Just downloaded & installed patch 1.05.40 which I understand will soften the fort degridation. Also here is the current order of battle 6 million men under arms

[Manstein63]

Turns 33 & 34 the front line remains the same I am having limited success in my attacks but I am losing at least 3 times as many men as the Germans. I have also been hampered by the withdrawing of my SAD air bases but hopefully I will start getting new ones soon. I am not sure if I should continue attacking or consolidate my front line in preperation for his counter offensive. I might get better combat results if he commits to a Mobile war. I am still shipping factories to the Urals & will probably continue doing so until the clear weather arrives.

[Manstein63]

Turrn 35 Soviet Air Losses. The Geman Airforce seems to have been sent back into reserve . That may be a good thing because when the Luftwaffe starts to re enter the air war it should give me advance warning of the Axis summer offensive
if not where it will take place at least I will know to expect an attack.

[Manstein63]

Soviet ground losses 3 to 1 in his favour for infantry & about 5 to 1 in his favour for artillery & tanks. I don't think that the winter offensive has been as productive as I had hoped it would be.

[Manstein63]

Finally created a hole in the German front line in front of Orel, but it seems to easy. almost as if he wants me to advance into the gap.

[Manstein63]

More success in the Crimea the 9th Army has managed to force both the Itallian & Rumanian forces facing it to retreat

[Manstein63]

Finally the Railway line to lenningrad has been repaired & repairs are still continuing behind the lines

[Manstein63]

Upgraded to 1.05.42. Finally some good news a 30mile hole has been opened in the Axis front line & the way seems clear for an advance on Orel. Unfortunately the blizzard will be ending soon & I could be putting my forces into a noose if I continue to advance.

[Manstein63]

The Crimea Front has launched a limited attack in front of Rostov as has the Southern Front another small gap has appeared in the Axis line

[Manstein63]

Down in the Crimea proper Southern fronts 9th army continues to make progress against the Axis minor nations

[Manstein63]

Only one turn of blizzard left. It might be be prudent to consider falling back into defensive positions & await the Axis attack

[Manstein63]

Situation 1st week in March 1942

The Panzers which had been absent during the blizzard are back & unfortunately with very high combat values. They appear to be massing in both the Lenningrad Area & North of Rehzev (at least 2 Panzer Armees). There is at least 1 Panzer Korp being held in reserve near Vitebsk as for the rest recon has thus far failed to spot them but I am sure that they are out there somewhere waiting to strike. I have withdrawn some of my forces back into their defensive positions as the initiative seems to have passed back to the Axis.
I am however confident that my forces will be able to give a better account of themselves then they had done in the previous year. Still hampered by the lack of new air bases but I think that I have managed to sort out why ( I had only air 5 units per air base & I believe I should of had 6 air units). There is one air base belonging to the Trans-Caucasus Front which is still frozen & it only has 5 air units but I am hoping that that base will not count.
More to follow later with pictures (of a sort).
Manstein63