GER push the Leningrad defenses back and moved 20 miles north and east to the outskirts of city. The bulk of AGN is in position to directly assault the close in Leningrad defenses next turn and is making no attempt to go south of Lake Ilmen at this time.
AGC moved east about 15 miles with infantry but the GER mechanized units headed 100 miles south to split the SOV defenses in half and pocket 13 SOV units. Some AGS mechanized units moved north to join AGC and complete the pocket, encircling another 3 SOV units. The remainder of the GER units that were north of Kiev last turn moved east about 40 miles and captured Kiev uncontested.
Further south, 4 GER mechanized units breached the Dnepr at Cherkassy and are followed by heavy infantry support just west of the river. Odessa was attacked and taken resulting in 1 SOV rifle division becoming isolated. The rest of the GER southern front made little advance towards the Dnepr or D’town.
SOV Response:
The Leningrad defensive line was moved back 10 miles just north of Lake Ilmen and the rest held fast. The number of GER troops in the Leningrad vicinity portends a direct assault on the city and the defenses are mostly F0s and F1s. The line may hold up 1 turn before the city is isolated except for port supply. A few reinforcements were added south of Ilmen because of general weakness in the area.
Since the main attack force of AGC moved south to pocket SOV troops it is expected that the main thrust on Moscow will come from that direction. The defensive line was shifted southward and reinforcements were added in this area. The majority of the SOV screening forces between Vyazma and Bryansk were pocketed last turn but there were no reinforcements available to add to this area. The line at Bryansk held fast with some reinforcements. Further south, between Novgorod Seversky and Cherkassy, the SOV screening forces fell back about 70 miles and formed up in a check board.
The Dnepr river defenses held fast from Kremenchug south.
A total of 17 SOV units with 136k men were surrounded this turn in 3 separate pockets. The largest pocket, with 13 units and 108k men was broken - at least temporarily. So far, 18 armor, 9 motorized, and 35 infantry divisions have been destroyed.
All on map units - morale mean 49, experience mean 36. Rifle divisions - 6 out of 214 have experience > 49.
Battles – 11 holds, 29 retreats, 3 surrenders, 1 scout, and 4 routs, with 28 airdrops
Casualties GER/SOV – 90.3k/985k men, 626/12.6k guns, 677/7.8k AFVs, and 232/1867 aircraft (including GER 81 recon and 31 transport).
Comment added at Posting:
I wish I had not reteated the SOV troops south of the straight at Leningrad. These well entrenched troops would have slowed the fall of Leningrad by at least a turn and maybe 2 or 3. I looked at getting these troops (maybe 75k men) out or pocketed with the rest of Leningrad and I decided to retreat. It would have been much better to remain in place. At T9 some of the panzer units from the north have shown up at the northern defenses of Moscow and it would have been much nicer if it was T10-T12.
