Defending Greater Germania 1942 - Includes combined WitW and WitE2 AARs

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 7th 1943 Turn 47
Army Group North

The Front line here remains static as the enemy forces trapped in the Babaevo pocket make no attempt to escape and there seems to be no major relief force available , the 31st Tank Corps the only unit that could possibly assist in any breakout of the besieged Soviet Army, estimates put the numbers of encircled troops at between 50 to 80 thousand men.
Intelligence reports from intercept radio traffic signals have identified 3 new Soviet Army HQ's have been moved into forward areas of the front line, however no troop buildup has been detected, the 51st Army HQ also seems to have been withdrawn out of the line, German Intelligence now believes that the trapped troops have now come under the command of one of these new HQ's possibly the 33rd Army.

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Unconfirmed reports gathered may possibly indicate that the 51st Army commander was executed on orders of Stalin for his failure.

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On the Yaroslavi / Moscow front 16th Armee supported by 8th and 9th Armee's remain ready as more reports coming in indicate another Red Army buildup, 4 Soviet Fronts ( Western , Volkhov, Leningrad and Northwestern ) moving there units towards our front line, with a large number of Tank formations supported by Mech and Rifle Corps Northwest of the Soviet capital, FM Von Kuechler ( Army Group North ) is supremely confident his forces can deal with this new threat.

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[EwaldvonKleist]

Even if the first assaults fail, you will drop the fort levels and damage the Soviets. They are encircled with dwindling supplies, you can move your units out of contact for recovery without attrition. With the troops you have there, it should be over in at most 8 turns of all-out attack.
Make sure to move recovering attackers out of contact and always have at least one unit in contact with the garrisons to cause attrition and reduce enemy fatigue reduction.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 7th 1943 Turn 47
Army Group Centre

This week the Moscow / Oka River front line remains quiet Aerial Reconnaissance reports that Soviet troop formations are advancing forward, the Soviet Central Front appears to be rebuilding its shattered armies. Although this buildup could indicate a new enemy offensive, OKH Command is quietly confident The Ostheer forces can deal with any new threat, our forces are dug in along a heavily fortified line with many mobile units in reserve.

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On 2nd Armee front there was some minor action but the enemy failed to make any serious damage to our defensive positions with our line holding strong, its estimated up to a 100 000 men are cutoff in the pocket.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 7th 1943 Turn 47
Army Group South

The front line in the Kursk / Kharkov area remains static, the enemy continues bringing new forces forward as we fortify our front line waiting for supply lines to catch up, the mud weather is making hard work for repair units to lay down the new gauge tracks for supply trains to use.

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Quiet too along 4th Pz Armee's line the enemy disengaging its forces allowing most of the Armee a brief respite from the fighting.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 7th 1943 Turn 47
Army Group A

Right across the entire Eastern Front Soviet Forces seem to have stopped any and all there ongoing offensives and seem to be regrouping here in The Caucasus the case seems to be no different however the enemy has seemed to have stripped almost all if its armour from the front and redeployed it to other areas, apart from a few Inf units manning there own lines our recon flights spotted a complete absence of any Tank Corps in the 1st Pz Armee/ 17th Armee sector, the enemy has completely abandoned the German / Romanian positions in the Stavropol region.

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With the situation so quiet FM Von Manstein decides to convene a conference for all Army Group Commanders at OKH Headquarters to discuss the current situation.

FM Von Kleist leaves some hours earlier than the other AG Commanders as the FM is invited to the Hun 2nd Army HQ for a formal lunch and military troop inspection.

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Western Front
Situation Report Oct 9th 1943 Turn 15
Army Group B

This week see's enemy air activity is at a reduced level on the Western Front but still enough to keep our already exhausted and fatigued fighters units overstretched as they combat RAF Bomber Command and US 8th Air Force, to make matters worse for the Luftwaffe the numbers of long fighter escorts for the bombers continues to increase.

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Western Front
Situation Report Oct 9th 1943 Turn 15
Army Group B

Hannover Industrial Region

This region has become a major target by the enemy along with The Ruhr regions industrial complexes, fuel and oil facilities have taken the brunt of the Allied assaults, all seven cities and towns hit with five of the centres factories almost destroyed outright.
Air defences unable to stem the the devastation by enemy raids.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 9th 1943 Turn 15
Army Group C

Air activity in Southern Italy increases as Axis forces make there way up the tip of Italy, intense air battles continue as the enemy attacks our withdrawing forces, despite the enemies superiority in numbers our air units offer dogged resistance, Luftflotte 2 and Italian Luftwaffe Command throwing every available unit in the air to counter the Allied advance.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 9th 1943 Turn 15
Army Group C

II / JG 27 Operations

With the rapid advance of The Allies up the Southern Italian peninsula occupying most of the Puglia region after pushing out from there Taranto beachhead and with Foggia and surrounding airbases threatened, Command has ordered the unit withdrawn from San Severo Airbase and placed under direct OKL Command the unit is now brought up to full strength.

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New orders are issued and along with 3 other air units JG 27 are to be now sent to Perugia airbase, ground support staff already there preparing for the arrival.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 9th 1943 Turn 15
Army Group C

The Allies overrun almost all of The Puglia region taking control of the vital Ports of Bari and Brindisi, Taranto still remains in German hands, US II and VI Corps as well as The Brit X Corps cross The Ofanto river in force advancing on two fronts towards Foggia.

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15th Panzer Div only just barely arrives at Castellucci by rail and is attacked by US VI and Brit X Corps and is forced back to Foggia, 90th Pz Gren is also attacked but contains the initial assault but is eventually forced back. More Allied attacks occur as 159th Res withdraws from Potenza to link up with other units of LI Mountain ArmeeKorps, as more units of 10th Armee continue to arrive to form a cohesive line Von Arnim's 5th Pz Armee continues its long retreat from Sicily.

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The first of 5th Pz Armee units arrive in the Campania region linking up with 10th Armee some units arrive by rail while others force march to the area under heavy air attack, a defence line is formed to guard the last remaining operational rail line operating through Naples. The Allies launch an assault but the enemy thrown back by units of 3rd Pz Gren and 164th Pz Gren.

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While the situation looks heartening for The Axis 5th Pz Armee still remains in danger of being trapped against the coast line and destroyed, 10th Armee's defence line must hold in the Molise region.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 9th 1943 Turn 15
Army Group C

Messina is captured as Gen Balcks rearguard cross the strait, the units are ordered to hold Calabria for as long as possible then withdraw by rail to Naples and link up with the rest of the Armee.

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Elements of Straube's ArmeeKorps holdout at Taranto

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The Allies enter Messina


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clQoB4K ... L&index=21

[tm1]

Even if the first assaults fail, you will drop the fort levels and damage the Soviets. They are encircled with dwindling supplies, you can move your units out of contact for recovery without attrition. With the troops you have there, it should be over in at most 8 turns of all-out attack.
Make sure to move recovering attackers out of contact and always have at least one unit in contact with the garrisons to cause attrition and reduce enemy fatigue reduction.

I need to take the city its tying down valuable troops needed elsewhere, I will see if can find some pioneer units from somewhere, even if I have to transfer them from other Army Groups.
And rotate troops in and out of battle, I will have to look and see if i have any Flamepanzer's but its 1943 not to confident I have any left at this stage of the war, if I do i will add them also.

Thanks for the tips

Regards

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 14th 1943 Turn 48
Army Group North

With the OKH High Command Conference at Smolensk producing excellent proposals and planning for the current situation on the Eastern Front,the respective Army Group Commanders return to there HQ's.

For Army Group North a new operational decision made will be for 18th Armee to be transferred to The Caucasus and to come under operational control of Army Group A , one ArmeeKorps will remain under direct control of AG North itself.
The trapped forces North of Babaevo are to be destroyed, 8th Armee will deploy part of its forces to reinforce 16th Armee while the remainder will continue to hold a defensive line in the Cherepovets area.

Preparations begin at once for 18th Armee's redeployment South with the requisitioning of rail transport and flat top carriages for the heavy equipment to be transported.

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As units of 18th Armee disengage from the surrounded enemy troops 8th Armee launches an attack and the Soviet 1st Rifle Corps surrenders quickly.

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On 16th Armee's front enemy activity is minimal, Red Army troops reluctant to engage our forces despite there growing numbers, FM Von Kuechler orders no offensive action at this time.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 14th 1943 Turn 48
Army Group Centre

While not under AG Centre control 9th Armee is tasked with guarding the Moscow zone, XXXXVI Pz Korps launches an assault the Soviet 28th Rifle Corps defending Izmaylovo air base after a short battle the defenders collapse. The Moscow defence perimeter is slowly being reduced as our forces inch closer.

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With 9th Armee taking over the siege of the Soviet Capital more of 4th Armee is now freed up to move to the front line, IX ArmeeKorps pushes forward 10 miles towards Spas-Klepiki on The Pra river the enemy offering little resistance.


Further South 3rd Pz Armee attacks Red Army units trapped in the Lipetsk pocket while 2nd Armee attacks towards Tambov and encircles four enemy units including Guards troops and two Artillery Div's, The Voronezh Front already weakened from there own previous attacks against our troops offers little opposition and falls back, Axis Forces are now just 20 miles from Tambov

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 14th 1943 Turn 48
Army Group South

As The Hun 2nd Army rests at Belgorod German forces advance and capture Rossosh and in the process cutoff and encircle 6th Mech Corps forcing the rest of the Soviet 34th Army back to Kantemirovka. South of this drive Axis Forces push forward, there objective to capture The Voronezh / Rostov rail line which is defended by Steppe Front's 1st Guards Army.

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In the Rostov sector 4th Pz Armee conducts a lightning drive catching enemy Mech forces by surprise, Soviet 4th Mech Corps is trapped while 2nd Mech Corps is stopped by our Inf units from assisting the cutoff troops. In the 6th Armee sector Gen Paulus attacks and overruns 5th Tank Corps, The Northern Front goes onto the defensive.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 14th 1943 Turn 48
Army Group A


The situation seems to be very fluid from week to week on the Eastern Front particularly in The Caucasus as now the enemy moves its forces into position for another assault against our lines. aerial recon has identified no less than 8 Tank Corps massing for appears to be new offensive in this sector, two enemy units advance to far forward allowing 1st Pz Armee the chance to cut them off before they can react. The North Caucasus Front has deployed 6 Armies in and around Cerny Rynok.

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A Losses 48.jpg (386.29 KiB) Viewed 944 times

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Western Front
Situation Report Oct 16th 1943 Turn 16
Army Group B

Heavy rain now covers Great Briton and Western Europe hindering air operations on both sides, still The Allies launch major bombing operations against four industrial targets, five raids over the course of seven days including three massive raids of over 200 hundred aircraft , despite this Luftflotte Reich is able mass over 500 aircraft to counter the attacks, even so the enemy is able to inflict heavy damage.

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Western Front
Situation Report Oct 16th 1943 Turn 16
Army Group B

Air Activity in France has also greatly reduced with The Allies bombing Airbases in and around Paris and in the Northeast areas,The 2nd Tactical Air Force launching small raids mostly under 20 aircraft which cause little or no damage however two major raids on airbases near the centre of French capital did cause some loss of life to German personal.
In the English Channel RAF Coastal Command has all but stopped anti shipping raids on our Coastal Convoys except in the Gulf of St Malo.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 16th 1943 Turn 16
Army Group C

Operating from Sicily and Southern Italy The Allies conduct heavy air raids throughout Central and Northern German controlled Italy, the Ports of Anzio, Lido Di Rroma come under heavy attack.
While Rome and its surrounding air bases also become a major target for enemy bombers, on The Adriatic Coast the Ports of Pescara and Ancona are targeted, the enemy flying sorties as far as Florence in Tuscany, our air units concentrating there defence around the Italian Capital, units also engaged the enemy in the Umbria region.

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In The Southern tip area the enemy has also launched attacks against airbases and rail lines causing substantial damage forcing our retreating ground units to make the there journey by road transportation slowing down and delaying our withdrawal from the Campania region.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 16th 1943 Turn 16
Army Group C

II / JG 27 Operations

This week sees the unit engaged in four major air operations against enemy bombers and fighters doing air sweeps in the Umbria region.

Day 1.
The unit along with 3 other units from luftflotte 2 intercept a bomber raid numbering 75 enemy planes, the enemy takes heavy losses but presses on and Bombs Perugia airbase, 34 bombers reach there target destroying 6 Bf 109's on the ground for 2 more bomber losses.

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Day 3.
Another 75 enemy planes are intercepted this time only 7 enemy planes shot are down, the enemy hits Brolio airbase with 80 casualties but with only 1 plane destroyed on the ground.

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Day 6.
With planes damaged and pilots wounded only two units including II / 27 are in any state to offer any resistance to Allied bomber forces, the enemy has twice the number as our units but our forces manage to shoot down 14 planes for the loss of one of our own, the enemy presses on towards Arlena Di Castro airbase but fails to do any real damage losing another bomber in the process.



II / JG 27 in action

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypvzo6i ... L&index=12

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Day 7.
II / JG 27 along with IV / JG 3 rise once again to do battle, with only 45 combat ready BF -109's aircraft the two units once again face twice the enemy numbers, JG 27 shoots down 8 while JG 3 downs 5, Marcigliana airbase suffers casualties but no plane losses

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