Defending Greater Germania 1942 - Includes combined WitW and WitE2 AARs

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 30th 1943 Turn 18
Army Group C

This week sees Allied air operations against our ground forces intensify as both Army's fall back towards The Volturno /Biferno Line, the Adriatic Coast road was bombed repeatedly as the troops withdraw to the Port town of Termoli.

Rome also came under heavy Allied attention, the enemy conducted massive air reconnaissance throughout central Italy as far as Florence, our Luftwaffe units concentrated there defence around Rome and the main airbase at Perugia.

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Five Axis air bases were abandoned as the Allies advance North, in the rush to withdraw valuable AA batteries were lost.

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As our Armee's withdraw German engineer units prepare defensive fortifications along two major rivers running across Italy where Army Group C will make its stand.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 30th 1943 Turn 18
Army Group C

With our forces under air constant attack as they withdraw Gen Maximilian Von Pohl ( Italian Luftwaffe Command ) has order his air units to go on the operational offensive the hope being to disrupt enemy air operations against our ground troops.
Air Units have now been ordered to attack enemy bomber formations operating out of Sicily out at sea before they reach the Italian mainland , with fighter sweeps being conducted over the Tyrrhenian Sea, the new tactic having some success.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 30th 1943 Turn 18
Army Group C

After accessing the reports and recommendations from both Von Arnim and Von Vietinghoff Gen Zeitzler has conceded that the Campania and Molise regions cannot be held and confirms permission for both 5th Pz Armee and 10th Armee to withdraw behind the Volturno / Biferno Rivers defence line, the Army Group commander had hope his forces could maintain some control of both areas including the vital ports of Naples and Salerno however the deteriorating state of both Army's attempting to hold the current front line against superior Allied forces could lead to the total destruction of both Armies.

Several major assaults by Allied forces towards San Severo and Lesina pushed back our forces with ease, some German units facing up to and over a 100 000 enemy troops, with virtually no Panzer support Infantry units were completely overwhelmed, in the centre where the Allies began to push towards Campobasso here to most of our forces simply could not hold, only troops from the LI Mountain ArmeeKorps managed put up solid resistance.

Further South 5th Pz Armee made steady progress back towards Salerno some units already crossing The Sele River, the good news is the Salerno / Naples / Caserta rail line is still intact and operational, some troops can be railed out of the danger area.

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Brit XIII Corps launches an assault hoping to punch through our lines but Gen Feuerstein's 159th Res Inf hold the line allowing troops from 164 Pz Gren to redeploy to a better defence position.

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On the right flank of the 159th Gen Balcks men along with more from the 164 Pz Gren are driven back, facing over 75 000 men from the Brit V and XXX Corps as well as the 1st Can Corps, despite this our troops made the enemy pay for ground taken.

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As the Allies push north towards San Severo LI Mountain is once again in action but now facing The Brit V , VIII and XXX Corps numbering almost 70 000 the unit is hopelessly outnumbered.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 30th 1943 Turn 18
Army Group C


The battle for San Severo continues throughout the week Balcks LXXXX ArmeeKorps which had been positioned just South in hurriedly prepared defences is driven back into the town itself, facing 3 Allied Corps again numbering over 65 000 men against the shattered and depleted 242nd Inf number just over 3 500 men the outcome was inevitable.

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While Gen Balcks troops were being driving back Straube's 319th Inf was suffering the same fate also, the battle started with a massed artillery assault then an armoured attack by over 600 Tanks supported by over 100 000 men, the 319th was completely overrun within hours of the battle.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 4th 1943 Turn 51
Army Group North

For the troops in the far North the continual rain makes life difficult, 18th Armee's I ArmeeKorps the last unit not to have withdrawn back to the rail centre at Volkhov maintains a defensive stance in and around the town of Babaevo where Red Army troops remain trapped, at Volkhov itself XXVI ArmeeKorps begins preparation to depart , heavy equipment and vehicles loaded first .

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Not much happening on 8th Armee's lines but Belozersk is occupied as 1st Inf DIv moves to the Northern sector of the line.

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The weather is a common enemy for both sides as troops from I ArmeeKorps slog through the mud which was once a road, the town of Babaevo behind them.

UPDATE
The above picture indicates the troops identified as part of the XXX ArmeeKorps but it is in fact I ArmeeKorps, while The XXX was part of 18th Armee that unit transferred to 2nd Armee some time earlier.

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Some of the more luckier units from 18th Armee loading equipment at Volkhov for its journey South















Despite the enemy buildup in the 16th Armee's sector FM Busch feels that his Armee is capable of dealing with the already demoralised Red Army and orders a limit advance, his troops push forward 10 miles without any opposition from enemy units.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 4th 1943 Turn 51
Army Group North / Army Group Centre

With most of the attention centred around the assaults on Moscow's outer Fortresses the enemy was able to retake Shatura from 4th Armee, however when news broke that our forces had pushed into the Soviet Capitals outer suburbs Russian forces withdrew and town is now back under our control.
At Ryazan the enemy remains reluctant to attack giving our troops time to rest and recuperate.
The rain continues to pour down across the whole of the Soviet Union making offensive operations difficult although it has allowed Gen Hansen's X ArmeeKorps ( 8th Armee ) to redeploy out of the front line and be replaced by Gen Carl Hilpert's XXIII ArmeeKorps ( 9th Armee ) without to much enemy opposition.

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As troops begin to move through outer Moscow suburbs clearing out any pockets of resistance the streets remain deserted of civilians the first light snows fall, reports from early interviews with captured Red Army officers indicate the Soviet leader Stalin may still be holed up in The Kremlin however this has not been confirmed.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 4th 1943 Turn 51
Army Group Centre

As 3rd Pz Armee continues to mop up enemy troops forcing them into an ever smaller pocket Gen Von Salmuth issues a halt order for 2nd Armee, Commanders in the field are reporting supplies and munitions of all kinds are running drastically low, fuel and trucks are dangerously low also, The Axis advance is now almost a hundred miles from the major supply rail heads and the Armee cannot continue its advance until supply lines move closer.

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The Soviet weather has managed to stall Axis operations far better than The Red Army with the ground turning into a quagmire.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 4th 1943 Turn 51
Army Group South

As elements of 2nd Hun Army advance towards Boguchar the Soviet Coastal and 1st Guards Army's attack Romanian forces, the German VI and XXIV ArmeeKorps advance on the left flank while XXIX ArmeeKorps ( 4th Pz Armee ) push North on the right flank, both Soviet Armies are now threatened with encirclement.

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In The Don region the line is quiet despite the presence of a number of Tank Corps near our forces the enemy does not attack.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 4th 1943 Turn 51
Army Group A

On the Caspian Sea coast 1st Pz Armee launches an assault and cuts off 16th Tank Corps, the weather here is still clear enabling the Panzer's better mobility. Further inland The Soviet 38th and 40th Army's launch an attack to try open a corridor to the trapped 30th guards Inf Corps, two enemy Inf Corps push through a gap in our lines and attack the pocket defenders supporting Cav units on the flank while a Mech Corps moves behind 17th Armee positions.

There seems to be little activity by North Fronts 51st Army against 6th Armee the weather is also affecting the enemies ability to mount any kind of major assault.

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Western Front
Situation Report Nov 6th 1943 Turn 19
Army Group B

This week The Allies launched several raids throughout Germany, the two biggest numbering 500 hundred aircraft were aimed at Berlin, our air defences were scrambled right across the Country in a effort to disrupt the raids and while a number of enemy bombers were shot down the raids inflicted major damage on Heavy industry as well as fuel producing factories.

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WITW Air battles WF 19.jpg (102.77 KiB) Viewed 1150 times

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The enemy also returned to bombing our U - Boat manufacturing facilities at Kiel, Hamburg and Bremen, damage was major in all 3 centres.




Hannover region was also struck by 8 major raids with enemy bombers numbering around 200 in each wave, our air defences struggling to counter the attackers.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 6th 1943 Turn 19
Army Group C

With our forces finally reaching our new defence lines the enemy has now switched to bombing rail centres trying to disrupt troop and supply movements from the North, Rome was targeted again though mostly the enemy was just performing recon missions, further North of the Italian Capital there was more enemy air activity as the Allies continue to recon our air bases.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 6th 1943 Turn 19
Army Group C

The Volturno Line

With 5th Pz Armee and 10th Armee now behind our hurriedly formed defence line which runs from Termoli on the Adriatic Coast to the Grazzanise Air base on the Tyrrhenian Coast our troops begin to fortify in the rough and Mountain terrain running through the centre of Italy, Commanders are hoping the combination of the increasing bad weather together with good defensive terrain will halt the Allied drive.
The enemy captures Naples while this was inevitable as our forces withdrew from the City, it seems the enemy has decided to halt any further advance in this sector leaving Caserta still under German control even though the closest friendly troops are 10 miles away on the North side of The Volturno river.
The Allies begin to probe our lines on the Adriatic, the first attack directed against the Defenders of Termoli itself this is beaten back.

Just South of Termoli a much larger attack takes place again our forces are able to deal with the attacking forces and push them back to there starting point, the enemy finding it difficult trying to break our lines having to attack across the river. Allied forces operating South of Campobasso as well enemy troops at Benevento launch 5 major attacks against the defenders there, supported by Panzer's our troops contain the enemy assaults.
So far the new line is holding.

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Brit XIII Corps launches an armoured assault supported by Inf but Feuerstein's LI Mountain supported by units from LXXIV and XIV Pz Korps are able to stop any breakthrough.

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CAN 1st Corps attacks Feuersteins men again with support from Hube's Panzer's and Balck's Inf our forces drive the Canadian's back inflicting large losses for no gains.

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In the first battle this week in the Southern sector of the line Brit XXX Corps Inf try to force a crossing of the river from Benevento, this fails and the enemy takes large losses.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 6th 1943 Turn 19
Army Group C

Brit V Corps launches an attack on the right flank of Balck's men but this is easily repulsed with enemy losing a number of Tanks.

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The Allies launch there biggest assault by units of the US II and VI Corps which managed to cross the river North East of Benevento attacking directly against Balck's troops, there is heavy fighting but our forces hold with both sides taking heavy losses.

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The full list of Allied bombing against Germany and Axis controlled territory.

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Italian Front / Western Front
Situation Report Nov 6th 1943 Turn 19
Stats reports

Ground and Air Losses

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WITW A Losses 19.jpg (199.1 KiB) Viewed 1144 times

Production

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Weather

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1943 Turn 52
Army Group North

The Red Army troops trapped are finally destroyed freeing up our forces in the Far North, 18th Armee units at Babaevo will now march back to Volkhov for embarkation to the Southern front rather than wait for weeks for rail services to be built. units of 8th Armee will like wise move to front to reinforce the line for the winter.

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The daily routine for the troops in the extreme North







After there limited advance Northeasterly blizzards have finally began across the Soviet Union, 16th Armee has been ordered to halt 40 miles from Ivanovo and once again begun to dig in for winter quarters.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1943 Turn 52
Army Group North / Army Group Centre

Moscow
The situation in the Soviet Capital is chaotic as remnants of the outer defence forces flood back into the inner fortifications, with Gen Hansen's X ArmeeKorps advancing through the Northern suburbs, Gen Hans Zorn's XXXXVI Pz Korps pushes through West Moscow, it is estimated that there is about 60 to 70 thousand defenders holed up in central Moscow, Heavy snow is falling along with high winds the winter weather is about to take hold right across Eastern Europe, the Soviet Capital has been under siege for close to 3 months, confidence is high and that now is the time for a direct assault, both Hansen and Zorn feel Operation Nordpol (ii) will be successfully concluded and are urging FM Von Kuechler to grant them permission to attack before the weather gets worse.

With the 4th Armee / 3rd Pz Armee front line stable and no sign of a Red Army attack Von Kuechler gives the order and both ArmeeKorps begin the assault on the evening of the 11th starting with a huge 1800 gun artillery barrage which lasts all night and into the early morning hours of the 12th, just after 7 am 11 Divisions fielding 138 thousand men attack the Soviet Capitals defenders, after a bitter bloody fight for the first few days the enemy is overwhelmed and our forces advance through the city street by street, by day seven troops from both ArmeeKorps link up in the city centre. Its estimated about 55 000 enemy soldiers have laid down there arms and surrendered.

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NOTE

Just for those with a keen eye of this video, as I am not a You tube creator I use what material I can find so far I have been lucky with right time and place historically but now I have to improvise,so I hope you allow me some leeway with posting clips
regards



The battle for Moscow

Operation Nordpol (ii) in its last weeks

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t80UWsO ... L&index=22

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18th Pz Gren Div ( X ArmeeKorps ) advances cautiously through the streets of the outer Moscow suburbs , the ever present danger of sniper attack coming from every house always a constant fear.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1943 Turn 52
Army Group Centre

As the Battle for Moscow is taking place, along the main front line the situation remains static apart from Shatura changing hands for the third time in as many weeks. Intelligence reports gathered from captured prisoners and radio intercepts also bring curious news to German High Commands attention, reports indicate there has been a major re designation of Soviet Fronts possibly a prelude to a major offensive and possibly to boost the morale of the demoralised Red Army.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1943 Turn 52
Army Group Centre

Here to in the Tambov region the area is quiet with no enemy action, 3rd Pz Armee continues to mop up the last of the troops in the Lipetsk pocket while 2nd Armee made a small gain and captured the town of Ertil.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1943 Turn 52
Army Group South

As The Ostheer advances towards the town of Boguchar with Axis forces driving North to link up with the 2nd Hun Army, Panzer units capture Chertkovo while Rom troops and Inf from 4th Pz Armee capture Millerovo closing the trap on 5 Red Army units.

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As the Boguchar battle takes place, on the main 4th Pz Armee front line Gen Hoth receives reports of a major enemy build up, the newly renamed 2nd Ukrainian Front has deployed 7 Tank Corps against his Armee for a possible counter offensive in the Don Bass region.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1943 Turn 52
Army Group A

More alarming news in The Caucasus this time as reports reach Von Kleist in what appears to be a second major offensive by the enemy, The North Caucasus Front has massively reinforced its Armies, what was first believed to be just a counterattack to relieve 30th Guards Inf Corps and allow this unit to escape destruction, however it now seems likely the Soviets aim to try to retake the Daghestan region as well as Stavropol.

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Despite bad weather aerial recon has identified massive concentrations of Tank and Mech Corps bearing down on Army Group A's front line, with the bulk of 1st Pz Armee some 50 miles behind the front line performing mopping up operations and with only a few Panzer units at the front Axis Inf of 17th Armee and 3rd Rom Army must hold until 1st Pz can reinforce it.

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