timmyab (Sov) v Smokingdave (Axis)

[timmyab]

Turn 111

German armor successfully counterattacks 3rd TA, saving the division trapped next to Lake Ilmen.
Another attempt to pocket two more German divisions this week ends in failure. This attack however was poor odds and likely to fail. Its primary purpose is to distract attention from preparations further North.

There is such a strong German force South of Lake Ilmen now that Zhukov starts to ponder a change of strategy in the North. Soviet intelligence reports that part of the Volkhov river line just North of Novgorod might be vulnerable to an attack. This is precisely the opportunity that Zhukov was hoping for.
Preperations begin immediately with Rokosovsky's 21st army being positioned as the main assualt force and 6th army, extracted from the bogged down Don bridgehead, available as reinforcements.
4th SA, 1st TA and 3rd TA are also well positioned to support the attack.

Start and end of turn.

[timmyab]

Tolbukhin's 5th SA liberates Vyazma with help from the newly formed 5th TA.

[timmyab]

Turn 112

Our buildup East of Novgorod is undetected and the river assault goes well. Two Guards tank corps from 1st TA cross the river and turn South to attack Novgorod. This attack is more hope than expectation, but tank ace Rotmistrov is Johnny on the spot and Novgorod falls.

[timmyab]

End of turn

Elements of 6th army and 3rd TA assemble to the North for a planned attack next week of the weakly held Finnish defenses there.

[timmyab]

The Wehrmacht is showing the first signs of stress. The cracks are very faint but I feel them. Next to drive the wedges in.

[timmyab]

Turn 113

German armor arrives to shore up the Novgorod area.

Further North the Finns surprisingly abandon their Volkhov river defences without a fight and are pursued by 6th army and 3rd TA.

The now inappropriately named Southern front maintains as much pressure as possible South of Lake Ilmen.

[timmyab]

Another failed attempt to take Tula by dirrect assualt this week.

[timmyab]

Turn 114

An overview of the front with locations of the elite units of the Soviet Union and my modest plans for the rest of the Summer.

[timmyab]

The Germans stubornly hold on to Tula, but they will have to give it up soon or be cut off.

[timmyab]

Turn 115

Some progress in the North this week with 1st TA threatening to roll up the Finns defending the Volkhov and 3rd TA breaking out South of Lake Seliger. This small breakout is exposed and vulnerable though and Katukov refuses to commit 3rd TA's reserve tank corps for fear of losing it.

[timmyab]

The finns North of Lake Ladoga retreat to a stronger shorter line, presumably so as to send reinforcements South.

[timmyab]

Tula is mostly evacuated by the enemy and falls.

[timmyab]

The assualt on Tula is an example of forced routs causing way too low casualties.
Sensibly the German 1/212 should lose about a third of its men here and most of its artillery imo.

[GabrielBora]

Since your HQ is usualy very close to the front line , I am curios on the number of leaders KIA you got so far .

[timmyab]

Just a couple I think and none in the last year or so.
It probably helps that neither of us use our airforce very much in the ground attack role. I usually adopt a 'you don't bomb me and I wont bomb you' approach. Maybe this favors the Axis player but I find the air war needlessly time consuming and fiddly.

[timmyab]

Turn 116

The cracks are becomming more obvious now. The German army is still a long way from breaking, but there are encouraging signs.

A Finnish division is surrounded by 1st TA and a German division avoids encirclement by a whisker.
Further South the guards rifle corps continue to pound the German lines. The power of these corps is starting to overwhelm even well dug in panzer divisions.

The exposed tank corps from 3rd tank army was routed. I'm just happy I didn't to lose it.

[timmyab]

Turn 117

Good progress being made towards Leningrad. The finnish division surrounded last week surrenders. 1st SA is stripped from the Tula area and railed North to add more weight to the big push.

[timmyab]

1st and 2nd SA have finished clearing the East bank of the Oka river in their sector. 2nd SA will now assist Western front to do the same South of the Ula.

Western front is becomming quite a force of its own.

[timmyab]

Turn 118

1st TA reaches the river Neva.
1st SA will be available next week and 3rd TA has also moved back up North for the big push. The good weather will only last three more weeks and I would like to at least cut off Leningrad from the South before the Summer is over.

[timmyab]

Turn 119

24th army patrols report that the Neva river defenses are weaker than expected so Zhukov decides to abandon the planned push Westwards in favor of an attempt to force the river and push 1st and 3rd tank armies into the Karelian Isthmus. If they can turn behind the Neva then the Finnish position will be difficult with most of their units to the South of the river.

The river assault went well with so many powerful rifle corps to choose from. The attack shown below was the crucial one and had to succeed first time which luckily it did. The Finnish regiment circled at the bottom got a couple of holds which prevented 3rd TA from going any further.

The end result isn't quite what I had hoped for but the Finns may have problems recovering this.

Position at start and end of turn.