Europe Aflame Solo Run

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18 MAY 1941- SOVIETS NOW SPLIT INTO THREE SEPERATE POCKETS - STALIN ORDERS THE EVACUATION OF ODESSA TO REINFORCE SEBASTOPOL

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25 MAY 1941: ODESSA HAS FALLEN AS THE LAST OF THE SOVIET SHIPS LEAVE HARBOUR BOMBED ALL THE WAY BY THE LUFTWAFFE

THE CAMPAIGN IN THE WESTERN UKRAINE REACHES IT'S FINAL STAGES.

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BERLIN 22 JUNE 1941 - HITLER ISSUES ORDERS FOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF CASE BLUE - THE DRIVE ON BAKU.

INITIAL OPERATIONS WILL BE TO ADVANCE TO THE RIVER DONETS AND SECURE A DEFENSIVE LINE THERE.

FURTHER SOUTH THE CITIES OF AZOV, TAGANROG AND ROSTOV WILL BE TAKEN WITH THE LATTER GIVING ACCESS TO THE CAUCASUS

THE CRIMEA IS TO BE SEALED OFF AND WILL BE DEALT WITH LATER.

DEADLINE IS THE FALL OF BAKU BY 1 DECEMBER 1941

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STALIN SENDS GIFTS TO THE GREEKS

With the southern route open with Persia now in Anglo-Soviet hands 'Volunteers' from the Soviet Armed Forces have arrived in Greece to assist the Greeks in their fight against Fascism.
They are a mix of Regulars and exiled communists that have been armed and trained by Moscow.
If war with Italy breaks out again the Marshal is ready to commit them to Battle.

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UKRAINE 27 JULY 1941

GERMAN ADVANCE ACROSS THE UKRAINE CONTINUES APACE

ARMY GROUP NORTH UKRAINE & ARMY GROUP SOUTH UKRAINE HAVE NOW LINKED UP EAST OF THE DNIEPER RIVER BUT ARE MEETING STIFFENING RESISTENCE AS STALIN THROWS THE LAST OF HIS RESERVES INTO THE FIGHT.

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UKRAINE 31 AUGUST 1941

GERMAN ADVANCE IN THE UKRAINE IS MEETING INCREASING SOVIET RESISTENCE AS STALIN COMMITTS YET MORE RE-INFORCEMENTS TO STEM THE AXIS ADVANCE.

THE AIM OF REACHING BAKU BEFORE WINTER SETS IN IS LOOKING LIKE A DISTANT DREAM...[>:]

GOOD NEWS FOR HITLER AS STALIN'S PLAN TO EMBROIL ITALY INTO ANOTHER WAR IN GREECE GATHERS DUST AS FRANCE AND BRITAIN VETO ANY ACTION ON THAT FRONT UNTIL SPRING 1942 AT THE EARLIEST.[:-]

THE ATTITUDE OF FDR AND OF THE USA IS CRUCIAL TO RENEWING HOSTILITES WITH NAZI GERMANY.

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UKRAINE OKW PLAN OF OPERATIONS SEPTEMBER 1941

THREE PANZER ARMIES [4TH,7TH & 1ST] ARE NOW READY TO STRIKE AND CARVE UP THE SOVIET DEFENSES IN ONE FINAL PUSH TO BREAK THE SOVIET LINES AND CROSS THE DON AT ROSTOV TO DRIVE SOUTH TO THE OILFIELDS...

TO DO THAT THE DONETS LINE MUST BE ESTABLISHED AND SECURED WITH THE CITIES OF KHARKOV,IZYIUM,STALINO & TAGRANOG CAPTURED 1ST.

A TALL ORDER BUT MORALE IS HIGH AND THE PANZERS ARE READY TO ROLL....

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UKRAINE 21 SEPTEMBER 1941

Soviet Armies pocketed at Izyum & Stalino as the Panzers role East...

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UKRAINE 5 OCTOBER 1941: MUD & RAIN BRING OFFENSIVE OPERATIONS TO A HALT

HITLER ACCEPTS THAT BAKU CANNOT BE REACHED THIS YEAR

NEW OPERATIONAL DIRECTIVES ISSUED BY OKW FOR WINTER/SPRING 1941/1942

1. TAKE THE CITY OF KHARKOV

2. SECURE A DEFENSIBLE LINE ALONG THE DONETS TO REPEL ANY SOVIET COUNTER ATTACKS

3. INVADE THE CRIMEA AND TAKE SEVASTOPOL

4. ESTABLISH BRIDGEHEADS OVER THE LOWER DON AND OCCUPY ROSTOV.

5. CONCENTRATE AS MANY PANZER FORMATIONS IN THE SOUTH FOR OPERATIONS TOWARDS THE CAUCASUS

TARGET DATE 1 MAY 1942 TO START THE DRIVE ON BAKU

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26 OCTOBER 1941

ADOLF HITLER OVERULES HIS GENERALS AND ORDERS ALL AVAILABLE FORCES TO STRIKE SOUTH ACROSS THE DON BY THE END OF OCTOBER.

'KHARKOV CAN WAIT' HE TELLS THEM.

IN A BRILLIANT MARITIME MANOUVRE ARMOURED UNITS ARE FERRIED ACROSS THE GULF OF AZOV BY HUNGARIAN FERRYMEN TO THE RUSSIANS FROM THE REAR.

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26 OCTOBER THE INVASION OF THE CRIMEA BEGINS

AN ATTEMPT AT AN AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT IS MADE BY A GERMAN MOUNTAIN DIVISION ON THE WEST COAST OF THE KRIM

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7 DECEMBER 1941 - JAPANESE ATTACK PEARL HARBOUR - USA DECLARES WAR ON JAPAN, NAZI GERMANY & FASCIST ITALY

Britain & France ponder their next move...

In the Crimea Axis Forces are approaching Sebastopol but they will have a fight on their hands to take the City. The amphibious assault at the opening of the campaign was a huge failure as the boats carrying the Gebirgsjägers were almost wiped out by the Sebastopol flotilla & attacks by Soviet bombers. However the breakthrough into the Krim was accomplished with lower casualties than expected.

The Germans broke through the defenses around Rostov after heavy fighting and are clearing up pockets of resistance on the south bank of the Don as Soviet units attempt to flee the area...

Further south the German Panzers are now loose and advancing south towards the Caucasus mountains rapidly and are at the gates of Maikop and its vital oilfields.

The head of the NKVD Lavrentiy Pavlovich Beria has been tasked by Stalin with overseeing the defenses of the city of Grozny. He personally assures the First Secretary that he will not return to Moscow unless the job is done and the Marshal agrees with him...

The Cossacks have now risen in Revolt at the prompting of Abwehr agents to rise against the Godless Communists.

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MOSCOW 14 DECEMBER - STALIN SUMMONS THE BRITISH, FRENCH & US AMBASSADORS TO THE KREMIN AND DEMANDS A SECOND FRONT BE OPENED ASAP. HE STATES THAT THE SOVIET VOLUNTEERS IN GREECE WILL BE WITHDRAWN IF NO ACTION IS TAKEN AGAINST THE FASCISTS WHO HAVE INVADED THAT COUNTRY.

THE BIG THREE - BRITAIN,FRANCE & THE USA AGREE TO A SUMMITT TO MEET IN ONE MONTHS TIME IN BERMUDA ON 14 JANUARY TO DECIDE A COURSE OF ACTION.

IN FRANCE GENERAL CHARLES DE GAULLE IS ELECTED PRESIDENT OF FRANCE BY THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WITH FULL EMERGENCY POWERS.

YUGOSLAV COMMUNISTS TO THE NORTH AND GREEK COMMUNISTS TO THE SOUTH ARE CHALLENGING FASCIST ITALY AND ARE THE ONLY FORCES IN ACTION AGAINST THEM.
DISCONTENT GROWS IN THE GREEK ARMY WHO ARE EAGER TO TAKE THE FIELD.
WINSTON CHURCHILL [HEAD OF UK MILITARY MISSION TO GREECE] URGES LONDON TO DECLARE WAR IMMEDIATEDLY.

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NORTHERN FRONTS 28 DECEMBER 1941

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SOUTHERN FRONTS 28 DECEMBER 1941

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CRIMEA AND CAUCASUS FRONTS 28 DECEMBER 1941

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BERMUDA 18 JANUARY 1942 - THE BIG FOUR MEET AT HAMILTON BERMUDA TO DECIDE HOW TO COMBAT FASCIST AGRESSION

IN ATTENDENCE

Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, 1st Earl of Halifax PRIME MINISTER OF GT BRITAIN

Charles de Gaulle PRESIDENT OF FRANCE

Franklin Delano Roosevelt PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov FOREIGN MINISTER OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS.

THEY DECLARE THE OCCUPATIONS OF DENMARK,NORWAY,POLAND, THE SOVIET UNION,ALBANIA AND GREECE TO BE ILLEGAL AND AGAINST INTERNATIONAL LAW.

THE USA COMMITTS ITSELF TO MATERIALLY HELPING THOSE STATES IN ARMS AGAINST GERMANY AND ITALY WITH ALL MEANS AVAILABLE.

MOLOTOV PRESSES FOR A SECOND FRONT NOW BUT BRITAIN AND FRANCE DEMUR FOR THE MOMENT UNTIL THE US DISPATCHES MILITARY FORCES TO EUROPE.

SECRET PROTOCOLS ARE AGREED BETWEEN THE POWERS OVER FUTURE COURSES OF ACTION.

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THE BATTLE FOR GROZNY IS ABOUT TO COMMENCE

BERIA IS APPOINTED A FULL MARSHAL OF THE SOVIET UNION

HE HAS MADE HIS HQ IN A BOMB PROOF BUNKER BENEATH THE CENTRE OF THE CITY.

THE SOVIET FORCES HAVE FORTIFIED ALL URBAN AREAS AND ARE PREPERED TO DEFEND THEM TO THE DEATH

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ARMY GROUP C - THREE PANZER ARMIES STRIKE FOR TBLISI,GROZNEY AND THE ROAD TO BAKU

FROM WEST TO EAST 1ST PANZER ARMY; 2ND PANZER ARMY AND 3RD PANZER ARMY.

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1 MARCH 1942 - THE FALL OF GROZNY AS 2ND PANZER ARMY PILE DRIVES THROUGH THE SOVIET DEFENSIVE LINES AND SEIZES THE CENTRE OF THE CITY

BERIA HAS FLED AND IS BELIEVED TO BE HIDING BY THE BANKS OF THE TEREK RIVER TO THE N.E. OF THE METROPOLIS.

TBLISI HAS BEEN TAKEN WITH RELATIVE EASE BY 1PZ ARMY AND THE ROAD TO BAKU IS NOW OPEN

TO THE EAST UNITS OF 3RD PANZER ARMY HAVE FORDED THE TEREK AND ARE READY TO STRIKE SOUTH.

ITALY IS REPORTING THE BUILD UP OF FRENCH FORCES IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE AND THE ARRIVAL OF US FORCES IN THE REGION.

IT NOW LOOKS INCREASINGLY LIKELY THEY WILL ATTACK ITALY -BUT WHEN?

HITLER ORDERS THE RETURN OF ROMMEL'S UNITS TO THE WEST AS A PRECAUTION.