Defending Greater Germania 1942 - Includes combined WitW and WitE2 AARs

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Germany
Situation Report June 20th 1943
OKW Headquarters Berlin

After leaving Italy FM Rommel arrives at his HQ to consult FM Gerd von Rundstedt ( OHL ) on the state of the evacuated Axis Forces from North Africa and his provisional plans on the Fortification of The Atlantic Wall against Western Allied Invasion.

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Western Front
Situation Report June 22nd 1943

FM Rommel begins a tour of inspection of German defences along The French Coast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBhb3of ... L&index=16


back up Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5iLdGF2RtQ

[EwaldvonKleist]

Will you edit in divisions saved from NA in excess from historical campaign for your WitW 1943-45 campaign?

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Will you edit in divisions saved from NA in excess from historical campaign for your WitW 1943-45 campaign?

Hi
Its a very tempting idea but a couple of things prevent me from doing such a thing.

1. Officially at the end of the campaign there was somewhere between 250 000 to 300 000 men ( about 10 to 15 Divisions ) left in North Africa, given that through the course of the final weeks I stated about the equivalent of about 6 Divisions were evacuated, it hardly seems fair on the poor AI which had a tough time during the whole campaign in the first place. To ad more troops than I announced would be unfair, well that's my thinking anyway.

2. Even if I did decide to do such a thing I have never edited campaigns or scenarios in my life, and would be worried I would mess the data up trying to play around inside the editor, so that is the biggest reason why it wont happen, only ever played official 2 By 3 scenarios / campaigns so i will play it safe.

3. As for the follow up campaign for WITW the good people have made it easy for me without having to use the editor as there is already a campaign for the Western Front, I have not played any Western Front campaigns in very long time and when I did I never got as far as the D Day invasion so this will be uncharted territory, with this in mind the settings will be the same as I had for NA campaign at least for the start which were normal settings, if its looking to easy I will upgrade the AI settings to a higher level. At This time the Eastern Front looks safe for The Axis I'm hopping playing 43/ 45 Western Front can balance it out and give the AI some chance to make a decent fight or the AAR is going to get to boring for people reading it when I'm just playing the AI.

regards

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Eastern Front
Situation Report June 24th 1943 Turn 32
AG North

Operation Nordlicht (German, 'Northern Light')

18th Armee launches an assault that breaks through the last defenders holding out at Leningrad, the city falls, Germany now has complete control of The Baltic Sea, only the fortress at Oranienbaum holds out.
On the Volkhov river line the Armee launches a direct frontal assault against the enemy defenders, a second drive by part of Kempf's Armee swings North towards Tikhvin hoping to trap a large part of the Volkhov Fronts troops against Lake Ladoga.

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In the Kalinin region 16th and kempf's Armee's push further East, Soviet resistance in the North appears to be collapsing as FM Kuechler's Army Group North advances towards the Rybinsk Reservoir and Yaroslavl, German PZ Gren spearheads crossing the Northern estuary of The Volga River taking Kalyasin without any opposition to oppose them.

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation ... cht_(1942)

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Eastern Front
Situation Report June 24th 1943 Turn 32
AG Centre

Operation Zitadelle week 4

After weathering the Soviet storm in the Borodino / Mozhaysk area 3rd Pz Armee tightens its grip on the pocketed troops, 4th Armee goes back on the offensive and once again pushes North crossing the Oka River threatening the remnants of The Moscow Fronts 6 defending Armies.
On the Northern front Kalinin still holds out but 9th Armee pushes on and retakes Klin, recon units operating from the captured town of Rogachevo detect an enemy HQ believed to be The Northwestern Font only 10 miles from the front line. Soviet forces on the Northern flank appear to be thin in numbers.

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South of the Moscow battle 2nd Pz Armee claims a major victory as Tula falls, most of the rear area enemy pockets are destroyed freeing up much need Inf units to cover the flanks of our advancing Pz troops, as enemy resistance continues to crumble before the advancing Axis forces Gen Von Salmuth reports his 2nd Armee is preparing for the final push against the defenders at Voronezh. The General believes that once the last pocket in front of the city is removed freeing up his Pz troops the city can be encircled.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report June 24th 1943 Turn 32
AG South

On the Belgorod / Kharkov front another massive battle begins as the enemy tries to punch the through 2nd Hungarian Army lines, a number of Axis units are forced back as Soviet forces launch relentless attacks. A counterattack at Valuyki on the Oskol river traps 2 Guards units and helps to stabilise the line.
The Soviets seem for now to have abandoned there plans to retake Voroshilovgrad giving the defenders some much need rest and respite.

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Gen Woehler ( AG South ) receives reports that enemy attacks are now centred around the towns of Shakhty and Sverdlovsk (s) as the enemy tries to break our lines, 62nd inf is redeployed and ordered to move forward towards Shakhty with 93rd in support on its right flank. XXXXVIII Pz Korps halts the enemy attack.
East of the Rostov battles 6th Armee faces a Red Army counterattack , Paulus orders a temporary halt to the advance to contain the enemy push, heavy fighting with both sides attacking and counterattacking as Soviet Mech forces try to breakthrough the Romanian Cav and push forward.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report June 24th 1943 Turn 32
Army Group A

After the defeating Soviet Armoured forces at the Terek River Mackensen's Panzer's swiftly advance on Grozny encircling the city, the rapid speed of our forces completely taking Maslennikov ( North Caucasus Front ) by surprise, with himself and his entire HQ staff now surrounded inside the besieged city. While covering the left flank Gen Eugen Ott LII ArmeeKorps Infantry force back enemy troops from 67th Army.

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At Zugdidi 4th Gebirgs Division ( XXXXIX GebirgsKorps ) destroys the Soviet Tank Corps which pushed to far forward and founds itself isolated by the mountain unit. further along the coast line batumi is captured leaving only the besieged enemy troops at Sochi the last enemy controlled Port on the Black Sea.

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German Gebirgs troops pose in front of a destroyed Tank after there victory at Zugdidi

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Eastern Front
Situation Report June 24th 1943 Turn 32
Stats reports

Soviet Forces again take massive losses both in the Air and on the ground.

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Our production figures continue to climb, and we continue to improve our manpower numbers as the enemy troops in the field reduces from sustained battle defeats.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 1st 1943 Turn 33
AG North

After the success of Operation Nordlicht (German, 'Northern Light') German forces push Northward and capture Tikhvin as Red Army defences crumble as there supply lines continue to be cut by advancing German units, all rails links to there Northern troops cut, 18th Armee now pushes towards the Finnish / Soviet front line in the Olonets Karelia region which could cut off almost 300 000 Red Army troops defending the lake ports.

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The situation is even worse for The Kalnin Front with virtually no resistance 16th Armee's Pz units drive toward and capture both Yaroslavl and Rybinsk without any fight.
Kempf's troops turn Southeast and threaten Nogorye against little opposition, enemy forces appear to be in a state of confusion as the Soviet capital is under attack on 3 different fronts.

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While attending a military ceremony Head Of State Gen Beck and Armed Forces Chief FM Witzleben receive official conformation of Leningrad's capture

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 1st 1943 Turn 33
AG Centre

With no chance of escape or rescue the Borodino / Mozhaysk pocket is destroyed as 3rd Pz Armee pushes closer to the Soviet Capital, on its right flank 4th Armee forces passage across the Oka river again threatening to encircle enemy troops stationed along Moscow's fortified defence line. In the North 9th Armee and parts of 16th Armee drive Red Army Troops back as Axis troops cross The Moscow / Volga Canal.

The destruction of the Borodino / Mozhaysk pocket

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iuc9MbV ... L&index=21

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South of Moscow 2nd Pz Armee heads towards Ryazan sweeping aside shattered and demoralized enemy units,while this takes place 2nd Armee crosses The Voronezh River at several locations trapping several enemy units and encircling its primary objective the city of Voronezh itself, with enemy forces completely routed and only the city garrison is left to defend it.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 1st 1943 Turn 33
AG South

After weeks of heavy fighting in the Kharkov sector the enemy is fought to a standstill, Red Army units go over on the defensive having exhausted there troops from repeated failed attempts to break the Axis line and retake key cities there combat units depleted from attrition and lacking supplies the front stabilises. Seeing a opportunity Gen Karl Adolf Hollidt XVII ArmeeKorps launches a Infantry assault and traps 42nd Guards Rifle Corps and begins to move into the rear of 3 Soviet Armies facing the 2nd Hungarian Army at Belgorod.

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Here to in the Rostov / Manych sector things seem quiet the enemy has halted launching attacks and begins to dig in as 6th Armee mops up any enemy troops trapped behind its lines, the battles inflicting huge casualty numbers against the enemy and weakening there own lines and leaving it vulnerable to Axis envelopment attacks.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 1st 1943 Turn 33
Army Group A

1st Pz Armee tightens its grip around Grozny as Red Army units are thrown into battle piecemeal hoping to force an opening and relieve the defenders, the Infantry of LII ArmeeKorps push North making steady ground against little opposition.

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With the defeat of the last major enemy forces in the Georgia region the enemy appears to have fallen back towards The Caspian Sea virtually surrendering the territory,XXXXIX GebirgsKorps makes steady progress towards Tbilisi.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 1st 1943 Turn 33
Stats Reports

General overview air / ground and unit losses.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 1st 1943 Turn 33
Stats reports 2

Overall view of the Production and Supply.

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Western Front
Situation Report July 3rd 1943 Turn 1
Army Group B

With the arrival of FM Rommel in Western Europe to take command of both the Western Front ( Westheer ) and the Italian Front the Field Marshal announces new staff appointments :

Hans Speidel becomes Chief Of Staff OKW

Albert Kesselring takes over as C-in-C OKL

Erich Hoepner C-in-C Army Group B Western Front

Kurt Zeitzler C-in-C Army Group C Italian Front

Also unit deployments :

15th and 21st Panzer Divisons to be stationed on the Western Front.

5th Pz Armee to be stationed on the Italian Front

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westheer

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At this time the Western Allies main focus of operations in France and the low Countries is there continued bombing campaign :



Netherlands and Northwestern Germany Kiel, Hamburg,Bremen, Bremerhaven and Wilhelmshaven, targets were U-Boat, fuel and oil factories.

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Frankfurt, Cologne and the Rhur industrial cities, targets being resource and heavy industries hit hard.

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In the Normandy region the enemy conducted large scale reconnaissance flights but little in the way of bombing attacks.

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Western Front / Italian Front
Situation Report July 3rd 1943 Turn 1
Stats Report

A general overview of ground and air losses

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[EwaldvonKleist]

As things are going on the Eastern Front, troops returned from Africa will be the last of Western Allied worries in 1944 because 3 million men are going to sit on the beaches.

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Eastern Front / Western Front / Italian Front
Strategic Situation Report
Germany

With the withdrawal from North Africa and the successes on the Eastern Front there was a sense of hope of a quick victory over The Soviets and a chance of a early negotiated peace settlement with The Western Allies.
However The Soviet Government refuses to accept German surrender terms despite there Armies collapsing, Stalin demands The Western Allies to honour the Anglo Soviet Pact.
Stalin chooses to fight to the bitter end !

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The German Government holds a Cabinet meeting and decides to continue with its original two fold plan :

Hold the line in the West
Defeat the Soviet Union and force a negotiated peace settlement.

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Gen Beck leaving the cabinet meeting

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 8th 1943 Turn 34
AG North

18th Armee begins the encirclement of The Volkhov Front, taking advantage of the rapidly disintegrating cohesion of the enemy and moving quickly through harsh terrain Gen Lindemann's Infantry units advance towards the town of Sviritsa which sits on the River Oyat close to the Soviet / Finnish border. Further to the East kempf"s Inf Units push Northeast towards Cherepovits encountering Tank and Guards units.

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On the Kalinin front advance Axis forces are ordered to halt there drive and dig in until enemy pockets are eliminated and the surrounding troops can move to the front line for a final drive on the Soviet Capital and to also form a Infantry screen for the advancing German armour, the remnants of 3 Soviet Fronts ( Northwestern, Kalinin and Moscow ) are all that is left guarding the Northern approaches to Moscow.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report July 8th 1943 Turn 34
AG Centre

Panic and chaos ensures as 2nd Pz Armee turns North after its victory at Tula and smashes through The Western Front Armies, leading the charge 2 SS PZ Korps, the enemy defences collapse as the Southern pincer reaches The Capital, another arm of the pincer links up with 3rd Pz Armee cutting off parts of the Soviet 6th Army and 3rd Guards Tank Army, with only two functioning rail lines out of Moscow news comes in that Stalin has ordered the evacuation of his Government.

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On the Tula / Voronezh front 2nd Pz Armee and 2nd Armee go over on the defensive and starts to fortify there positions until all enemy pockets are dealt with, at Voronezh the Red Army 46th Guards Rifle Corps refuses to surrender. In this sector Axis forces now outnumber the enemy easily repulsing there attacks.

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