The Blitz is on!

[carlkay58]

Soviet Game Turn 20:

The random weather is definitely slanting to favor the Axis at the moment. GENL Mikhail Khozin's, commander of the Southern Front, political rating improves to 7.

Z-Town: The reserve Coastal Army is sent forward to help contain the 14 PD holding the bridgehead just north of Z-Town. An attempt to force the PD to retreat fails.

[carlkay58]

Crimea: The pocketed 34A helps the 51A force back the 9 PD and reopens the pocket. Southern Front's 50A is forced to try and hold the flank for Z-Town as the reserves were sent to the defense there.

The BP count remains at four. If the weather continues to be clear or snow in the south, things are going to be very difficult. We have talked and will try and see if the upcoming update with the mild winter option can be used by us. So this may continue as an AAR beyond Turn 25.

[carlkay58]

Axis Game Turn 21:

MUD everywhere except the North Soviet Zone which is only touched in the area north of Smolensk. As this is the last mud turn (most likely anyways) I will detail the front again.

Finland:

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AGN:

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AGC:

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AGS:

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Romania:

[carlkay58]

Soviet Game Turn 21:

Ivan Maslennikov (29A) has been killed. He is replaced by GENL Filipp Gorelenko. Mikhail Potapov (5A) is promoted to GENL. GENL Vasily Morozov () admin rating improves to 5.

The areas of note are:

Leningrad: Worth two BPs and a whole lot of propaganda value. I see only one MD in the area despite heavy recon. But the weather and terrain could be hiding the rest of the Panzer Army, or even more.

[carlkay58]

Smolensk: Included mostly because of the fighting that has gone on in the area over the past few game months. I don't really expect a drive here, but I could be wrong.

[carlkay58]

Gomel: The intriguing part of this picture are the PDs on the rail road. This could be either extra units coming in or going out. Not sure which.

[carlkay58]

Kiev: The Panzers behind the line worry me. Are they heading to this area or further south? It may depend on the weather.

[carlkay58]

The Bend: I have both bridgeheads guarded as well as I can, but that will probably not help me in snow.

[carlkay58]

Crimea: I have tried to leave a minimal line and pull as much of the 34A into better positions where they will be less likely to be surrounded. This area could yield a large amount of captured Soviets and these RDs are not coming back for free.

The current BP count is four. He needs ten to make a victory shift. Leningrad is two. Kiev is another one. These are probably easily taken during the snow turns. Kharkov, Rostov, and Vorenezh are one each. That would give him the six he needs but they are pretty long shots. Moscow is worth three BPs by itself but I am pretty sure it is safe for now.

The MUD turns have slowed down the Axis casualty rate. The Axis have lost (682,739/8,125/2,897/2,478) while the Soviets have lost (2,604,942/39,842/14,492/9,719). The current OOB is Germany (3,351,057/34,843/2,470/2,969) vs the Soviets (5,366,434/44,412/4,781/5,001).

[carlkay58]

Axis Game Turn 22:

Leningrad falls so the BP count increases to six.

Finland: The usual of continuing to dig deeper.

[carlkay58]

AGN: Leningrad and Shlisselburg fall. The Axis are now preparing to launch attacks across the river.

[carlkay58]

AGC: A massive thrust by the Panzers breaks out to the east of Gomel.

[carlkay58]

AGS: The Axis get closer to Kiev and continue to expand their bridgeheads near D & Z-Towns.

[carlkay58]

Romania: The 34A is cut off again, this time it looks for real.

[carlkay58]

Soviet Game Turn 22:

We have Snow everywhere but in North Soviet Zone where it is Blizzard.

Uncle Joe continues his purge on Air Commanders as he takes it easy on Southern Air Commander Fyodor Michudin is only dismissed. Fyodor Falakeev is promoted into his place and has his Political rating reduced to 7. Vasily Sokolovsky, commanding 16A, is promoted to GENP.

Leningrad: I don't have too much I can do here. I just can't get the concentration of troops in a single hex to do anything. So I play for time and to keep the area north of Leningrad in naval supply.

[carlkay58]

Gomel: Additional reserves are committed to the area and counter attacks are made. Some ground is picked up and the Panzer supply is on a narrow thread.