Defending Greater Germania 1942 - Includes combined WitW and WitE2 AARs

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 2nd 1944 Turn 103
Army Group South

With Soviet forces moving south towards the Volga, the Directive from the Wintermärchen II operation for Kleist are twofold cover the northern Axis operations and destroy the advancing Soviet forces.
The Feldmarschall receives a communique that the OKH commander is en route to his Headquarters at Rostov.

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Ground and air losses on the Eastern front this week

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The OKH chief catching up on some sleep before arriving at Army Group South HQ.

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Western Front
Situation Report Nov 4th 1944 Turn 71
Army Group B

The build up and redeployment of Axis forces continues, 6th SS Pz Armee units begin to take up defensive positions along the coastline of Seine bay and The Cotentin Peninsula while 7th Armee consolidates its position along the Normandy coast.

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In the Paris region more reinforcements arrive :

XIV SS ArmeeKorps

4th Panzer Div
50th Inf Div
59th Inf Div
101st Jaeger Div
553rd Volksgrenadier Inf Div
577th Volksgrenadier Inf Div

These units will be sent to Brittany to become part of the new Army Group forming up.


The winter weather begins to spread across Europe

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Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 4th 1944 Turn 71
Army Group C

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The beginning of November sees The Allies launching massive assaults across almost the entire front line, the enemy throwing just about every available unit against Axis defences, in The ligurian Sea close to Corsica a series of air battles took place as air units attempted to intercept bombers heading to southern France.

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Attacks on the southern end of the Axis line by enemy forces were concentrated against 14th Armee positions, a huge armoured assault attempted to breakthrough LXXXXVII ArmeeKorps fortified emplacements, on either flanks of 14th Armee General Von Arnim's 5th Pz Armee also came under heavy pressure from attacks.

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In the north 10th Armee also faced heavy attacks with support of naval forces off the coast of Termoli, Brit 8th Army, US and other Allied units launched a large armoured assault along a 20 mile front with over one thousand AFV's together with around 110 thousand men, the enemy launched five attacks throughout the week.

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Germany
Situation Report Nov 4th 1944 Turn 71

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OHL Command has authorised the release of more reserves and units transferred from the Eastern Front, these units will come under the Command of the newly formed Army Group.

Under the command of General Guenther Blumentritt
Army Group H

5th Panzer Div
155th Inf Div
180th Inf Div
526th Res Inf Div
11th Inf Div
31st Inf Div
72nd Inf Div
102nd Inf Div
121st Inf Div
170th Inf Div
262nd Inf Div
294th Inf Div
302nd Inf Div
270th Inf Div

This command will be tasked with the defence of North Western France.

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Supply situation

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Losses across both fronts

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 9th 1944 Turn 104
Army Group North

Operation Wintermärchen II

Walter Weiss's northern offensive commenced with 16th Armee's II ArmeeKorps crossing Ilet river advancing northeast as 4th Armee began its own eastern drive into the Tartarstan region, advancing forward from the Volga line defences towards the town of Arsk XII ArmeeKorps linked up with II ArmeeKorps trapping the Soviet 6th Tank Corps just on the edge of the Mari Forrest.

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Further south XLIII ArmeeKorps pushed directly towards Nurlat crossing the Mesha river against little opposition, the Soviet 1st Rifle Corps is encircled within days with support from a Panzer Regiment from the 19th Panzer Div, the Red Army Unit caught by surprise from the speed of the advance now trapped between the Mesha and Kama rivers.

At Kamskoe-Ustye LVI Pz Korps advanced on 50 mile front with 19th Panzer Div spearheading the drive, Kuybyshev ( n ) was captured without a shot being fired as the Panzers moved towards Nurlat, the first real enemy opposition came in the form of Red Army HQ troops 20 miles south of the town but here 1st Ukrainian Front and the 28th Army were in no position to hold off German armour, both units were routed quickly the 1st Ukrainian Front commander barely escaping with his life while others were not so lucky with the Soviet 28th Army commander Mikhail Filippovsky killed.
From here 19th Panzer push forward taking the town and moving towards Chistopol Intel had reported this was where five enemy Headquarters were centred including 3rd Ukrainian Front, while part of the 19th sealed the pocket containing 1st Rifle Corps the remainder of the Division sped towards the town catching the enemy in the throes of evacuating, as Axis troops moved through the town against little opposition Red Army Troops and Command Staff alike could be seen desperately trying to flee, reports coming in indicate Front Commander Nikolai Vatutin was killed when his command car was hit by HMG fire.

Just north of Ulyanovsk IX ArmeeKorps began its drive east for the Sok and Kondurcha rivers to cover 3rd Pz Armee's northern flank,18th Panzer Div spearheading the advance pushing 60 miles and supporting the capture of Melekess as bad weather closed in from the east.

Army Group North's operations in the first week had taken all but one of its primary objectives despite the winter weather affecting the advance.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 9th 1944 Turn 104
Army Group Centre

Operation Wintermärchen II

In the early hours of the morning 3rd Pz Armee launches its offensive across the Volga advancing on a 150 mile front, pushing towards Melekess VII ArmeeKorps faces the remnants of the three Soviet Armies, resistance is short there defences collapsing Vasily Novikov ( 47th Army ) and Foydor Bakunin ( 49th Army ) are killed in the ensuing retreat from the town by Red Army forces.
Infantry pushing east capture Zhiguli which was undefended as Friedrich Kirchner's LVII Pz Korps begins its advance towards Kuybyshev, at Chapaevsk the Panzers brush aside feeble resistance from whats left of the Soviet 5th, 53rd and 65th Armies with 1st and 14th Panzer Div's attacking from the south and 27th Panzer attacking on the northern flank capture the town of Kinel encircling the city and trapping 1st Rifle Div.
With Stalin's stronghold isolated 3rd Pz Armee Inf units push out to secure the north and south flanks of the Panzer's as well as the vital rail line.

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Tigers of the 505th Heavy Panzer Battalion advancing through the Samarskaya Luka forrest northwest of Kuybyshev

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As 3rd Pz Armee attacks towards Kuybyshev Von Manteuffel and Brandenberger's own offensive's begin, both armies advancing along a 250 mile front from Pugachevo in the north to Palasovka in the south, as 2nd Armee's Inf and armour moves out from behind there fortified line pushing easterly 1st Baltic Front forces offer virtually no defence and melt away into the Soviet landscape, at Ershova 25th Panzer Div attacks 3rd Guards Tank Army HQ as its in the process of abandoning the town its commander Pyotir Lyapin is killed.
Von Manteuffell achieving all his objectives within the first week against little or no opposition with minimal casualties.

9th Armee striking out from Saratov capture Urbakh then moving southeast quickly trap two Soviet Tank Corps east of the town Krasny Kut further south Inf units cutoff another tank corps opening the way for the Bandenburg PzGren Div to advance unhindered southeast to secure the rail line and link up with 4th Pz Armee.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 9th 1944 Turn 104
Army Group A

Operation Wintermärchen II

The Stalingrad holdouts continue to remain a thorn in the side for Feldmarschall Lindemann but 4th Pz Armee is needed for the new offensive, Nehring is instructed to hold back two Armeekorps while the rest of his Armee is to begin operations with the rest of the Army Group.
Despite the snow Loch's XXVII ArmmeKorps advances towards the Khara river against no opposition since the soviet armour is now facing 4th Pz Armee and 18th Armee, Infantry beginning to engage enemy positions as once again XXXXVIII Pz Korps using the same tactic previously of crossing the Volga at Lugovaya moves with speed behind the enemy lines and begins pushing towards Elton, Red Army units slow to react to the armoured push and tied down by attacks from Nehring's as well as 18th Armee's Infantry are unable to pull back quickly enough, linking up with both 6th Armee and 17th Armee troops five Soviet Tank Corps are neatly cutoff south of Lake Elton.
At Elton itself part of 12th Panzer Division attacked the HQ of 1st Guard Tank Army, surprised the few combat units that were stationed there were easily defeated with reports that the Army commander Peko Dapcevic was killed.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 9th 1944 Turn 104
Army Group South

Operation Wintermärchen II

The enemy forces on the Caspian front had shifted once again towards Army Group A's front line, the enemy troops fewer in numbers now facing Kleist and were far to spread out to support each other, at the conference with Von Manstein the plan would be simple Infantry would advance on a wide front and engage Soviet forces while Kleist's armour would advance behind the enemy cutting off any escape, once trapped they would be annihilated if they refused to surrender.
With the meeting over at Rostov with Kleist the OKH chief flies to Astrakhan for a second conference with Hermann Breith and to witness the operation.

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Von Manstein with 1st Pz Armee Commander Hermann Breith


With clear weather on the Caspian front all three German Armies launch there attacks, in cooperation with Stemmermann's 18th Armee Paulus advances north towards Orda trapping 2nd Mech Corps and 3rd Tank Corps, resistance is light as the enemy is pocketed, German forces continue pushing to within 10 miles of the town before the halt order is given.
17th Armee drives directly north with only one enemy unit opposing the Axis advance, with German forces sweeping both flanks of the enemy the Soviet 7th Mech Corps is quickly encircled and cutoff, on the coast 1st Pz Armee begins its attack and with only one tank corps to offer any opposition Infantry units are able make large territorial gains enabling them to cutoff the Soviet unit, Breith orders his Panzer's to hold back to save his armour and support the Infantry as the enemy is quickly overwhelmed.

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Western Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1944 Turn 72
Army Group B / Army Group H

With the Allies expelled from Western France the pace of the buildup quickens along the French coast with fortifications under repair and munitions and weapons brought forward to replace those destroyed in battle, Rommel reinforces Army Group B's forces in the Normandy area.
While defensive reconstruction along the coast take shape Guenther Blumentritt and his staff arrive at there new Headquarters at Rennes the arrival of the new Army Group Commander is followed up by the redeployment of over a dozen Divisions transported by rail to the Paris region, the units will then move to Northwestern France within the week.

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Production WITW 72.jpg (94.41 KiB) Viewed 438 times

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Western Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1944 Turn 72
Army Group B

The ground war in Western Europe may be over for now The Allies recommence there strategic bombing operations in earnest, Belgium and Holland are struck by massive raids targeting both countries Industry, Infrastructure and military installations.

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France also comes in for heavy attention with the Paris sector and Normandy taking the brunt of the raids, Luxembourg was also bombed extensively with Axis air defences under pressure to counter enemy raids.

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WITW Losses 72.jpg (116.51 KiB) Viewed 438 times

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Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 11th 1944 Turn 72
Army Group C

Despite the overall strategic situation now favouring the Axis in the Western and Mediterranean theatres the Allies continue to attack on the Italian Front, the US 1st and 5th Armies begin more assaults on the southern and central sectors of our lines.

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US 5th Army launches a series of attacks along the coast hoping to dislodge the defenders at Grazzanise however General Balcks veterans again blunt the enemy push, after a weeks long battle Allied forces gain no ground and are forced back.

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Allied armour concentrated further inland once again attempt to break 14th Armee lines, but the combination mountain and river barriers halt US 1st Army, the enemy gets bogged down attacking on a narrow front.

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In the central sector Hube's XIV Pz Korps with only 35 AFV's in action withstands a combined arms attack south of the main supply centre at Isernia, on the northern sector of the line enemy action against 10th Armee is relatively quiet.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 16th 1944 Turn 105
Army Group North

Operation Wintermärchen II

On the northern front Axis forces move steadily eastward there advance continues despite the bad weather, east of Morki the Soviet 6th Tank Corps is destroyed by II and XII ArmeeKorps both units then push towards Arsk which is quickly captured as the city's defenders offer little resistance, however 20 miles south Red Army forces resist our attacks 4th Armee launches two assaults against 1st Rifle Corps, General Heinrici ( 4th Armee ) orders his forces to bypass the surrounded enemy troops and continue the advance.
After securing the west bank of the Kondurcha river 18th Panzer Div crosses then turns south and drives to the town of Sershevsk taking it without a fight as the Infantry of Hans Schmidt's IX ArmeeKorps move northeast to cover the left flank of the Panzers and link up with LVI Pz Korps which is securing the surrounding region south of the town of Chistopol.

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In the far north where the enemy has remained relatively quiet the area devoid of ground activity for months with only the occasional air raid against the garrison at Konosha, the situation changing with town now coming under attack from units of the Soviet 58th Army, LXVIII ArmeeKorps and 1st Mountain Div have been sent to reinforce the garrison.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 16th 1944 Turn 105
Army Group Centre

Operation Wintermärchen II

With Stalin's Reserve Capital surrounded 3rd Pz Armee Infantry push further forward on both the left and right flanks of Kirchner's LVIII Pz Korps, 27th Panzer Div captures Krotovka then advances towards Kinel-Cherkassy taking the town before finally halting to await for VII ArmeeKorps Infantry.
At Kuybyshev itself Kirchner was preparing to assault the city, reports indicate about 13,000 defenders were entrenched and in heavily fortified positions, the attack commenced with a heavy bombardment by over 600 hundred Artillery pieces then the armoured assault began led by the 14th Panzer Div infantry which broke through Red Army defences. Axis forces advancing street by street through the city as the enemy defence collapsed with Soviet soldiers retreating to the city centre before surrendering.
At this time the whereabouts of the Soviet leader is unknown.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QNJyrR ... L&index=99

3rd Pz Armee offensive and the battle for Kuybyshev

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 16th 1944 Turn 105
Army Group Centre

Operation Wintermärchen II


On 3rd Pz Armee's right flank 2nd Armee makes modest ground moving towards Ozinki but for the most part Von Manteuffel is content to consolidate ground already taken.

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Further south 9th Armee momentum continues as Brandenberger advances eastward XVII and XXIII ArmeeKorps destroy the 5th Tank Corps then push towards the Aschiozek river and Kaztalovka where the remnants of the Soviet 11th Guards Army and 18th Army have retreated, east of Krasny-Kut the two trapped Tank Corps are destroyed piecemeal and XIII ArmeeKorps swiftly sweeps forward capturing the strategic towns of Novokuznetsk and Aleksandrov Gai the main bases for 2nd and 4th Ukrainian Fronts,18th SS PzGren Div routing the enemy easily.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 16th 1944 Turn 105
Army Group A

Operation Wintermärchen II

In the early hours Nehring and Stemmermann with support from units of Paulus 6th Armee begin the destruction of the northern pocket, parts of four Soviet Armies ( 1st Polish, 4th Tank, 67th and 1st Guards Tank ) about 50,000 men at arms which had attempted to dig in came under heavy artillery fire, after several hours of bombardment Axis Infantry began attacking enemy positions with assault pioneers breaking through Red Army defence lines and squeezing defenders into smaller pockets, German commanders refraining from using armour, due to the success by Axis Infantry action, fresh enemy reinforcements rushed to there aid however the Soviet pocket collapsed and the enemy relief force itself cut off within two days.

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4th Pz Armee now redeploys its units to begin preparing for the assault on Stalingrad, nothing can now stop the Soviet 2nd Rifle Corps from being annihilated.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 16th 1944 Turn 105
Army Group South


Operation Wintermärchen II

With the weather still more or less dry in the Astrakhan and Caspian regions allowing both Infantry and armour to move with speed against enemy forces cutoff in the southern pocket, Kleist's own attack on the enemy pocket started at the same time coordinating with Lindemann's Army Group operations, German artillery rained down on the enemy positions smashing there makeshift fortifications, unlike attacks on the northern pocket Kleist's armour began attacking in force and quickly routed Red Army tanks in one sided fights, with no support the enemy collapse happened within days. German Infantry pushing out to consolidate ground taken and create to an extended buffer zone along the Volga line.

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Western Front
Situation Report Nov 18th 1944 Turn 73
Army Group B

Towns and Cities across The low Countries continue to come under heavy attack by Allied bombers, Military Installations, Road, Rail and Industrial complexes, despite the bad weather Axis air defences were also out in force conducting large scale intercept missions against enemy raids.

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In France the country came under intensive bombing as the enemy attempted to interdict the reconstruction efforts by forces along the coast line, Paris was also hit by several massive raids throughout the week targeting our command and control centres, air bases in the surrounding areas of the French capital were also hit as the Allies attempted to destroy Axis air units on the ground.

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Western Front
Situation Report Nov 18th 1944 Turn 73
Army Group H

In Northwestern France General Guenther Blumentritt command begins to take shape as several Divisions and ArmeeKorps commands begin to arrive in the Brittany region, the units will deploy along the coast and defensive positions on the Gulf of St Malo. While the units take up there assigned sectors another dozen Divisions arrive in the Paris region for a brief stop before moving on as FM Rommel continues his plans to reinforce the Atlantic Wall defences.

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Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 18th 1944 Turn 73
Army Group C


This week Intel reports lead elements of the US 15th Army has arrived in southern Italy at Taranto along with a number of Divisions that were formerly part of the failed Normandy invasion force, the Allies now pinning there hopes of advancing up the Italian peninsula and push through into southern Germany, Zeitzler sends an urgent communique to Kassel and Paris requesting reinforcements be sent immediately. The 572nd Volksgrenadier Div is dispatched by rail and is en route, OKW promises more units will follow.

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Volturno Sector

On the coast an assault by the US 2nd and 7th Corps from US 5th Army has the defenders at Grazzanise being pushed back as the enemy advances within 700 metres of Balck's main defence line, a second push by US forces is halted and the attack fails,
as fighting for the coastal town rages US 1st Army launches another massive armoured assault on 14th Armee positions trying to force there way across the river and dislodge the defenders holding Mountain strong points.

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Biferno Sector

At Campobasso Montgomery's 8th Army attacks north towards Isernia in what seems to be smaller in strength than the enemies usual attack, General Hube easily blunts the Infantry assault, however the attack seems to be a faint as 8th Army's main blow is directed at 10th Armee in particular Straube's defenders at Termoli, three Allied Corps assault with over 75,000 men and 500 tanks LXXIV ArmeeKorps is hard pressed to contain the attack, regrouping Montgomery relaunches the assault after a massive Allied artillery barrage with US Assault Engineers leading US 19th Corps which smashes our field defences and almost takes the town, Straube's front line is almost broken only a counter attack by 16th Panzer Div holds the enemy at bay.

The situation at Termoli is now critical another assault like this and the town could fall.

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Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 23rd 1944 Turn 106
Army Group North


Operation Wintermärchen II

The Axis advance towards the Vyatka river continues with some units already crossing and setting up forward defence positions as the bulk of 16th Armee pushes forward through bad weather, Shurma is captured the enemy abandoning the town.
II Armeekorps Captures Vyatskie Polyany as Soviet forces retreat through the Udmurtia region offering no resistance.

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Southern operations continue without any real opposition other than the encircled 1st Rifle Corps tying down a number of units, with XLIII ArmeeKorps troops entrenched around the isolated enemy while the main elements of 4th Armee advance forward, a Red Army Tank Corps attempts to slip between our lines and cross the Sulcha river and link up with the trapped enemy Infantry corps, detected by recon units the enemy quickly finds itself cutoff by the advancing IX ArmeeKorps.

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