Sledgehammer

[hugh04]

Turn 7 agn. Strong attacks made on the soviets. Line is weakening and many routes are appearing. Critical crossing of the volkov is made that isolates Novograd. Panzer division with 49 mp's was able to move through zoc's and river to take unoccupied swamp nex east of Novograd. This really opens up soviet line for attacks in the future.

[hugh04]

Turn 7 agc. Again strong attacks launched across the line. While advance is modest, deliberate attacks are causing more routes. Supply is poor.

[hugh04]

Turn 7 ags. Advance to the dnieper continues. Some attacks are launched to cause attrition and advance to d town and z town continues. No river crossing made.

[hugh04]

Turn 8 agn. Soviet line begins to break.

[hugh04]

Turn 8 agc. Strong attacks continue along the line. One stack of 3 div isolated many routes caused. Soviet counterattack at end of turn with free isolated soviet units. The combination of attacks in center and north must be putting severe pressure on soviets.

[hugh04]

Turn 8 ags. 6th army continues to try and cross river. Mainly to cause attrition as no armor is committed here to exploit any gains. Advance continues to d and z town. Soviet remains in complete strategic control down here.

[hugh04]

Turn 9 agn. Agn pushes soviets back across entire volkov and begins to turn its attention to leningrad. At the very end of the turn, Model in command of I corp 16th army launches a 2 div attack across the neva. Goal is to reduce fort level, but luck intervenes and soviet stack is retreated. Earlier the northern approaches to leningrad were not fully garrisoned and a finnish division was able to infiltrate. While I did not realize it at the time, I think this turned out to be critical as it made it impossible for reserve activations to help the soviet defense of the neva hex.

[hugh04]

Turn 9 agc. Strong attacks actoss the front. 3 stacks of 3 inf divs are isolated and many successful deliberate attacks made. Supply is poor and plans are being made to rest armor. But no rest this turn.

[hugh04]

Turn 9 ags. Soviet withdraws from dnieper and begins to checkerboard. Panzers are exhausted and simply rest. They will rest for next 2 turns.

[hugh04]

Turn 10 agn. I failed to mention that agn's panzers began rail trip to AGC on turn 9. 16th army presses east as soviet withdraws from volkov. 18th army concentrates on leningrad. Plan is to rail the entire 18th army to agc once leningrad falls.

[hugh04]

Turn 10 agc. Pockets eliminated and panzers begin to rest. Only infantry attacks this turn to keep pressure on soviet.

[hugh04]

Turn 10 ags. Panzers rest, infantry advances into checkerboard. Little pressure applied.

[hugh04]

Will post information about orders of battle. Soviet has been hurt but nothing decisive.

[hugh04]

Would love to know soviet truck losses.

[hugh04]

Soviet oob stays around 4.1mm at end of german turn for rest of the summer.

[hugh04]

Turn 11 center. Panzers continue to rest for start of turn 12 offensive. Infantry continues to apply pressure.

[hugh04]

Turn 11 south. I notice that Kharkov is full of industry. Panzers charge in. Unfortunatley, soviets launch a 5 hex counterattack against 2 axis armor divisions in light forest and win and save the industry. One for the soviets.

[hugh04]

Turn 12 center. 35 inf divs and 21 panzer divisions between Ryzhev and Briansk launch their attack. Nothing sublte but straight for moscow.

[hugh04]

turn 12 ags. Operations continue around kharkov. Goal is to surge north and link up with agc around orel.

[hugh04]

Turn 12 north. Last screen shot of action in the north. Leningrad is falling, 18th army redeploying and 16 th army and finns driving east.