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

[Nirosi]

Further North, the German retreat continues. Overall, with the soon to come Summer 1944, the Eastern Front is, more or less, around where the original Soviet borders were in 1939. Estonia has even been reoccupied by the Soviets.

[Nirosi]

Snowing on the Western front prevented any large-scale action.

In other news, the Kriegsmarine, left Norway for the Atlantic high seas…

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of April 21st, 1944

Soviet forces keep pushing South toward the heart of Romania. Axis troops are trying to hold back the main line of advance while withdrawing in good order.

Further North, the retreat continues with one notable exception. Riga is still occupied by an up to strength infantry corps and OKW required OKH to try to hold the city for a while depending on the weather.

OKW believes that the heavy rains over much of the fronts slowed down or canceled much of the Allied planned operations.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of May 4th, 1944

In Italy, US tanks continued to push through Calabria and, after five days of violent fighting, shattered the 20th Coastal Corps.

The battleship Revenge, in the fleet supporting the fighting in Calabria with shore bombardment, was damaged by specialised dive bombers of Regia Aeronautica. Comando Supremo asked the Regia Marian to intervene as well and try to finish the job, but no submarines where in position to attack at the time.

In Germany, the planed Spring Blosom II offensive, this time targeting the British to push them back across the Rhine as well, was postponed. When OKH inquired about the preparations, Marshal Rommel answered that in discussion with Guderian, they agreed that the concentration of British tanks in the sector would put them at risk of a bloody counterattack even if the offensive would succeed. It might then be better to wait and see if the British would try first to attack and then German tanks, numerous in the sector, could then counterattack after the British exhausted themselves on our defenses.

When OKH inquired if such a counterattack would still be possible even if both the British and Americans made gains at the same time, Rommel simply answered that “this might be more complicated”.

[Nirosi]

In the East, the Soviets made some small progress in Romania. Stava’s priorities seem to have shifted slightly as up to seven mobile corps have been detected in North of (or in) the Pripyat Marshes to about twelve South of it. This seems to indicate that the Northern sector might now be taken more seriously by the Red Army. In view of the situation, Riga was therefore evacuated to have all possible troops available to defend Poland and East Prussia.

In the Southern sector, for now at least, it seems that Soviet mobile corps might be split about even or close between those continuing West toward Hungary and Poland and those going instead South deeper into Romania.

[ncc1701e]

ORIGINAL: Nirosi

In the East, the Soviets made some small progress in Romania. Stava’s priorities seem to have shifted slightly as up to seven mobile corps have been detected in North of (or in) the Pripyat Marshes to about eleven South of it. This seems to indicate that the Northern sector might now be taken more seriously by the Red Army. In view of the situation, Riga was therefore evacuated to have all possible troops available to defend Poland and East Prussia.

In the Southern sector, for now at least, it seems that Soviet mobile corps might be split about even or close between those continuing West toward Hungary and Poland and those going instead South deeper into Romania.

Don't worry, the Red Army will stop at the border...

[Nirosi]

Don't worry, the Red Army will stop at the border...

Well our embassy in Sweden contacted the Soviet government and offered to pretend nothing happened and just go back to the statu quo ante of 1941. We are still waiting for the answer...[&:]

Maybe the message did not reach Moscow yet?

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of May 19th, 1944

In the Mediterranean theatre, the 31st Coastal Corps held its own against US troops for now. Comando Supremo ordered its best unit, the veteran XXI Motorised Corps, as reserve unit in Northern Calabria.

At sea, Italian submarines attacked the supporting fleet off the coast of Calabrian and almost destroyed the York squadron for moderate loses in submarines. In view of the results, Italian bombers joined the battle. Italian loses were very high, but they almost destroyed the Ramillies squadron and did moderate damage to the Nelson Squadron.

Crete was evacuated to repatriate the troops to Italy and rumors are saying that whenever ships will be available, the Rhodes garrison might also be brought back.

In the Netherlands, a Canadian offensive through the river combined with landings from the North Sea took Amsterdam after bombarding the 10th VolksGrenadier Corps for over 14 days. The corps retreated, but American tanks and mechanised troops followed and destroyed the 215th Security Division acting as rear guard before finishing the 10th VolksGrenadier Corps itself.

Two US airborne corps, the 1st and 2nd, were also dropped afterward north of the Ijsselmeer to extend the depth of the breakthrough, and maybe even to serve as a buffer for the US mobile units. German counterattacks dispersed both airborne corps. However, the mechanised corps used for this counterattack had to be replaced at the front with weaker infantry corps in front of US tanks ready just across the Rhine.

[Nirosi]

In the East, the German XIV Corps had received conflicting orders in the chaos of retreat last week and found itself alone at the front. It was therefore easily encircled by Soviet troops. A counterattack was put together with available resources to set it free, and the successful offensive even managed to disperse the 8th Red Star Tank Corps. However, the XIV Corps will not be able to not catch-up with the rest of the front and will probably be lost in the coming few days.

Further South, Soviet tanks keep going deep into the Balkans and will eventually take Hungary and split Romania, if not taken before, from the rest of the Axis.

The front between Warsaw and Krakow is however the most worrisome now for OKH. Although stable for now behind the Vistula, the troops had no time to entrench, there are no reserves and Soviet tanks, and mechanized troops, are already quite close and ready to pounce hard.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of June 2nd, 1944

In Italy the 31st Coastal Corps was opened South of Crotone, but overall, the situation remains stable. Rhodes was finally evacuated. Both Crete and Rhodes are now occupied solely by Italian police forces.

[Nirosi]

In the Netherlands, the 11th Coastal Division was destroyed in combat. The Americans then turned their attention to the 30th VolksGrenadier Corps, formerly defending Amsterdam and still badly mauled from recent combat. After twelve straight days of bombing, including seven days of combat, the Corps was deemed completely lost.

German troops mounted an offensive, but they lost the CI Infantry Corps during the first waves of the attacks. The offensive managed to eventually disperse the American 3rd Armored Corps but left German troops in bad shape.

[Nirosi]

In the East, the totality of what was left of the Hungarian army was destroyed and Soviet tanks dashed to Budapest and occupied the undefended city, prompting the Hungarian government to agree to as ceasefire soon followed by a formal surrender.

With no troops between the Soviet tanks in Hungary and the South of Germany, OKW ordered reinforcements from Romania and Germany to be sent to Austria and Slovakia. Operation Spring Blossom II was therefore postponed until further notice.

Italy also agreed to sent three corps in Austria and Yugoslavia to help the Germans but also try to protect their own Eastern border.

[Nirosi]

Further North, the XIV Corps still lagging behind was encircled again and this time forced to surrender.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of June 16th, 1944

In the Balkans, Soviet troops liberated Zagreb and are closing-in on Trieste, Vienna, and Bratislava. Except for Yugoslavia, only police forces are left in the occupied territories in the Balkans. Isolated and still in Hungary, the 12th Fortress Division was destroyed.

The front is stable in Romania, but the last German troops evacuated, leaving the country to fend for itself. It is expected that trade with Romania will probably be cut of in the next few days.

[Nirosi]

In Poland and Prussia, the front is stable except near Konigsberg where the LXIV Corps was destroyed, and Soviet infantry is advancing.

[Nirosi]

In Western Germany, American and Canadian troops broke through the front near the Dutch border. This allowed the following US armored corps to destroy the battered 2nd and 10th PanzerGrenadier Corps. German counter attacks managed to push back the XXII Infantry Corps, isolate and destroy the 2nd Armored Corps and then encircle the 4th Armored Corps. But OKH has no illusion on the fact that the still intact 4th Corps will easily free itself soon. However, OKW estimate that only one US armored corps (the 4th now encircled) and one, weakened, US mechanized corps are left operational in or near Germany. Another one seems to be in Italy. The British seem to have at least three armored corps, but they have been inactive for a few months now.

In other news, Norway is now mostly evacuated, with only two German divisions in the country.

[Nirosi]

In Calabria, the XIII Corps was still holding the front against US attacks, but a landing on its flank, partly weakened by Italian bombers, makes the defense of the area too hazardous now. General Messe ordered the corps to retreat a few miles back on an easier to defend position.

[Nirosi]

Axis turn of June 30th, 1944

In The West, the LII and LX Corps and the 20th VolksGrenadi

OKH ordered an offensive against the 4th Armor Corps. The offensive was a success, but reports diverge as whether the corps retreated in a disorganised manner or if it was actually destroyed.

Further South, British armors that had been on standby for months finally mounted an offensive and broke through the German lines dispersing the 38th VolkGrenadier corps and taking Munich.

With the situation getting worse by the days, Stuttgart was abandoned, and the front re-established farther East and North. The last divisions still in Norway were repatriated and the country is now only occupied by police forces.

In the East Königsberg taken when the Red Army annihilated the 12th division defending the city.

[Nirosi]

In other fronts, the German 14th Division East of Triste was destroyed by advancing Soviet Tanks Corps and Mechanized Corps in difficult battle in the Slovenian Alps in their slow advance in Austria and toward Italy.

In Romania, almost now cut off from Italy and Germany, a small retreat was ordered to solidify the front.

In Yugoslavia, Soviet troops reached the vicinity of Belgrade defended by Bulgarian troops. It is not expected that the city can hold for long.

Further South, Crotone’s defenders, in Calabria, resisted US assaults, but the defenders are exhausted and will probably not hold much longer. However, Comando Supremo is ready, and the second line of defense is much more solid with experienced and motivated troops.

Athens was liberated by British troops that then advanced North toward Bulgaria. In an unrelated action, the San Marco Marine Division was repatriated from Corsica to Eastern Italy.

[Nirosi]

Axis strategic situation mid-year 1944. Of note, Hungary has surrendered leaving only three countries in the Axis Alliance in Europe. In terme of losses, Axis loses are staggering and are Soviet ones, but the Western Allies certainly did not have an easy war either.

On the Map, with the exception of some contact through sea lanes, the Axis has been cut in two with Italy/Germany on one side and Romania/Bulgaria on the other. Western Allies troops are now in Bavaria and Soviet ones will soon be as well.