Nirosi (Axis) vs PL1 (Allies) PL1 welcome now

[Nirosi]

In Egypt, the first Axis counterattack pushed back the British IV corps. In view of the British resolve in the sector, Italy sent in another infantry corps to Tobruk. Italian operatives in Alexandria are sending information that many Canadian soldiers can be seen around the city.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of September 26th, 1941

In Egypt, a British offensive pushed back the IV and XIII Italian corps, but the Axis counteroffensive trapped an enemy infantry corps. The following days will show if the trap can be maintained closed or if a German corps might itself be shattered during the obviously coming British counteroffensive.

[Nirosi]

With nicer weather coming back, OKH ordered a renewal of the offensive but the army might have overextended itself. First, Vitebsk was taken, and the front was breached East and North of the city. However, the XIX panzer is in bad shape and might not survive its push North despite being helped by the 2nd Cavalry sent in to cover its Eastern flank.
Further South, Kaluga was taken without a fight and the front stabilised at the Ugra river.

[Nirosi]

In Ukraine, an opportunity to shatter the Soviet 8th Red Star Tank Corps and cross the Seym failed, leaving German Panzers in the area exhausted. OKH is disappointed at the failure and reorganised command in the area.

Further South, the Italians reached Stalino are besieging the city for now with German help. An assault might be planed soon depending on the weather.

In a brilliant maneuver planed by General Student, German paratroopers captured Kerch and Tamanskay while a Bulgarian division landed in the Caucasus to take Novorossiysk. The Romanian navy is trying now to protect the supply lanes to those ports. However, Romanian infantry failed at crossing the Perekop Isthmus and make contact with the German paratroopers limiting the potential disruption effects on the enemy.

[Nirosi]

In Finland, Axis troops are still pushing West toward Leningrad trying to cross the Volkhov.
Overall, soviet loses where two corps (an infantry and a mechanized one). It is also believed that no more Soviet subs are left to operate in the Baltic.

[Nirosi]

Bulgarian soldiers digging-in near Novorossiysk.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of October 10th, 1941

In Africa, the XLII corps was pulverized by a combined-arm assault from the British to free the trapped corps that managed to escape the encirclement. Both sides seem exhausted from the latest battles, but the destruction of the XLII corps means that it is only a matter of time before the British can resume their offensive. This time, Italian aeronaval operations against the British fleet had little success for heavy loses.

[Nirosi]

In Finland, the Axis pushed even deeper in the hope to cut all supply lines both to Murmansk and the Leningrad area.

[Nirosi]

In the USSR proper, the rain stopped most operations except in the area of Vitebsk where the hole in the Soviet front was modestly enlarged.

[Nirosi]

In the Southern part, an ill-prepared assault on Stalino failed while the rest of the front stabilized. The rain in the region also removed the last hopes the Romanians had to push into Crimea and link with the German paratroopers.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of October 24th, 1941

In Egypt, Canadian troops showed-up at the front and pushed back the XXX Italian corps. Axis troops did not counterattack as it was deemed more appropriate to let the Allies exhaust themselves more before doing so.

[Nirosi]

On the Finnish front, a German push toward Kabozha failed despite what were believed to be good odds of success. Soviet cavalrymen where clearly ordered to stand and die rather than risk losing the supply line to Leningrad.

Further North, two Finish corps were cut from their supply line by an enemy cavalry corps. They are trying to get back toward Finland before the weather turns for the worse.

[Nirosi]

In the South of the USSR, the rain kept the front stable with only minor redeployments been observed. However, no less than three armies are now deployed in the Caucasus to try to push back the Bulgarians back to the sea.

[Nirosi]

In the North there was much action. Velikie Luki and Rzhev were both taken by two local pushes of panzers. The Northern push could probably have reached much further toward Kabozha, but with the upcoming weather, OKH decided not to risk it. Upon hearing the news, OKW was furious as an opportunity to cut-off from their supply lines quite a few Soviet armies was lost.

A smaller local success was also achieved East of Lake Peïpous. It will probably force a retreat and redeployment of Soviet forces there.

Overall, the Soviet loses amounted to two infantry corps and three armies in this period.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of November 7th, 1941

In Finland the situation remains tense and chaotic, and two Finish corps are still trying to stabilise their back. After sustaining an assault, they counterattacked a surrounded cavalry corps but with no success for now. The Soviet cavalry corps South-East of Lake Lagoda are also worrying OKH because their relatively good mobility could be threatening the already overextend supply lines. A more defensive redeployment was therefore in order.

[Nirosi]

In Northern Soviet Union, after a strategic Soviet withdrawal, rain stopped most operations, except those made for cleaning up or enlarging the wedge in the Soviet Front pointing toward Kabozha (and potentially threatening about 15 or so armies of encirclement). However, German supply in the wedge is also overextended.

[Nirosi]

Further South, Axis troops continued to slowly flank Stalino trying to encircle the city and maybe even take it before the end of the year. In Crimea, a Romanian division was sent to help the 1st Fallschirmjëger Corps while in the Caucasus Bulgarian troops are now poised for the inevitable Soviet attempt at taking back Novorossiysk. Germany managed to rush in more modern equipment and some advisors to help with the siege.

In other fronts, the situation remained stable in Africa while U-boat are in general having successful patrols in the Atlantic and sinking quite a few 100 000 tons a month after a slower start in 1940. There is a lot of catch up to do before the Allies will feel the pain, but if they take no serious measures, in six to eight months or so, their merchant marine could be severely depleted. Therefore, German and Italian operatives in New-York are trying to figure out if the United States is building more cargo ships as expected to indirectly help the United Kingdom and keep it in the war. No reports have been received yet neither in Rome nor Berlin.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of November 21st, 1941

In Finland, German troops East of Lake Lagoda had to retreat to shorten the supply line. The worsening weather made supply in the area very difficult. The two Finish corps partly isolated in East Karelia managed to destroy the Cavalry corps impeding their supply line. However, the most important success in the area was the cutting of the rail junction from Murmansk to the rest of the country. OKW is very confident that this could greatly reduce Allied aid to the Soviet Union during the upcoming winter.

[Nirosi]

In the Northern part of the Soviet Union, were almost all of the German mobile corps are now deployed, limited operations are still trying to enlarge the wedge North of Rzhev and isolate the whole Soviet North-Western and Northern fronts. Local commanders are almost requesting a small pause in the operations, but OKH is adamant that one last push is needed before.

[Nirosi]

In the Southern part of the country, German paratroopers reached Sevastopol but found the port well defended, while across the Kerch Strait, Bulgarian troops, now equipped with state of the art German equipment, heroically resisted a few Soviet assault to retake Novorossiysk.

The Italian expeditionary force has already started the expected and planned withdrawal with the XX armor corps going back for now to the Balkans in Dubrovnik for rest and recuperation before been sent to its next assignment.