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[center]Kriegsmarine support for Operation Barbarossa[/center]

The Oberkommando der Marine (OKM) is still in shock over the sinking of their prized pocket battleship Bismarck late last month, May 27, after it had just sunk the HMS Hood. Bismarck was one of the few capital ships already constructed as part of Plan Z. Plan Z was approved by Hitler in January 1939 and called for a massive naval buildup. The blueprint called for approximately 800 ships to be completed by 1945. There will be 4 aircraft carriers, 10 battleships, 12 battlecruisers, 3 armored (Panzerschiffe), ships, 5 heavy cruisers, 44 light cruisers and 249 submarines. If we only had built one of these aircraft carriers to support Bismarck during her encounter with the aircraft carrier, Ark Royal, she may still be afloat today. What a lucky shot their torpedo bombers made to damage Bismarck's steering! This steering damage allowed the British Navy to catch and sink her. Of course, our having a german aircraft carrier is wishful thinking.



So now Hitler will not risk another naval sortie into the Atlantic to challenge the English. Our Atlantic operations will be restricted to the U-Boat campaign to starve England into surrendering. Our Baltic fleet will support Operation Barbarossa by blockading the Gulf of Finland. This blockage will keep the Soviet Navy locked up in their main base of Kronstadt near Leningrad. It is essential to our war effort to maintain free access to Sweden's iron ore shipments across the Baltic Sea. The blockade plan includes use of thousands of sea mines, torpedo boats and anti submarine nets. The Tirpitz, sister ship to Bismarck, will join our Baltic fleet for this blockade operation.

[center] AGN TURN ONE[/center]




Initial reports from the 16th and 18th Army confirming they broke through Soviet border defenses. 41st Panzer Corps takes Riga. Totenkopt Motorized SS Division takes town of Ventapils. 39th Panzeer Corps, 3rd Panzer Group crosses Daugava River at Daugavpils to create a large pocket containing many Soviet units from the Northwest Front. 56th Panzer Corps, 4th Panzer Group bypasses Vilnius and isolates if from the Northeast. All initial objectives for AGN have been achieved.

[center]AGC TURN ONE [/center]


Here is the initial report for AGC. Karl Adolf Hollidt, new commander of 4th Army, captured the fortress of Brest Litovsk. Clever Hans, General VonKluge, is proud of his old command. 9th Army captured Kaunas and forms north edge of the pocket. Both the 47th and 57th Panzer Corps closes the pocket around the Western Front by reaching the outskirts of Minsk. There are many Soviet units trapped in the pocket.

[center]AGS TURN ONE[/center]



Initial Report from AGS is good. 17th Army broke through the border defenses. 6th Army opened up the breach for elements of 2nd Panzer and 1st Panzer Group to exploit. 3rd Panzer Corps, 1st Panzer Group reached the Romanian border isolating many units of the Soviet Southwestern Front in the vicinity of Lvov. Elements of 2nd Panzer Group, 24th and 46th Panzer Corps isolate many soviet units southwest of Rovno. The pocket probably will not hold as there is no blocking force near Tarnopol to prevent the Soviets from escaping the pocket. Anticipate a Soviet armor relief force from Proskurov will help their comrades escape the pocket.

Hi Pitaman

I cannot see the images on your last three posts.

[center]Initial Ground Casualties Report[/center]


Our initial casualty report is very good. We have inflicted 10 to 1 losses on the Soviet forces. If we can maintain this loss ratio, we should be able to break the back of the Soviet Armed Forces.

[center]Initial Kriegsmarine Report[/center]

Our blockade operation begins to take effect. This week, June 22- 29, several Soviet ships struck our minefields and sunk. Confirmed losses include a destroyer, minesweeper, two cargo ships and a tug boat. Our U-Boats take their toll as well. They report sinking three cargo ships, an ice breaker, and amazingly 4 soviet submarines. Our ground forces help us by overrunning their naval bases. At Riga, the Soviet Army scuttled a cargo ship. At Leipaja, the Soviet Navy scuttled two destroyers, six submarines and an ice breaker. (Data provided by Wikipedia- ship sinkings in June 1941).

[center]Intel Summary AGN Turn 2[/center]



AGN reports many Soviet units remain trapped. 18th Army will assign one Inf Corps to mop up these units. Rest of the Army will move to cross the Daugava. All elements of the 16th Army will move to cross the Daugava. 4th Panzer Group and 39th Panzer Corps, 3rd Panzer Group will proceed to cross the Velikaya River and try to take Pskov.

[center]Intel Report AGC Turn 2[/center]



There are two pockets of Soviets units trapped in AGC sector. One Inf Corp, 42th, of 9th Army, supported by 50th Corps, 18th Army and Security Divisions from both AGN and AGC will be assigned to mop up these pockets. Both Panzer Corps, 47th and 57th, will take Minsk and push towards the Dnepr river north of Mogilev.

[center]Intel Report AGS Turn 2[/center]



Security elements of the Soviet Southwestern Front were able to break the Lvov pocket. 17th Army will be tasked to reestablish the pocket and mop up the Soviet units within the pocket. 6th Army will support the Panzer Groups, 1st and 2nd, exploit into the Soviet interior towards Proskurov and beyond.

[center]Romania joins the fight against the Soviets[/center]



Romania officially joined us in our fight against the Soviets. Supporting the Romanians is 11th Army, AGS. Together they move east to take Kiskinev. The 14th Panzer Corps, 1st Panzer Group, was railed down to support the efforts of the Romanians who will proceed towards the Dnestr River and have an objective to take Odessa. AGS Rail Repair unit was also railed down to the border.

[center] General Plan Ost - Eastern Plan of Occupation[/center]

An integral part of Operation Barbarossa is the effective colonization of occupied lands into the Third Reich. The eastern plan was developed to coordinate these Lebensraum efforts and the plan is the responsibility of the Reichssicherheitshaupfamt, Reich Main Security Office. This office is under the supervision of Heinrich Himmler. They have recruited members for the Einsatzgruppen, a security force to prevent partisans and enforce the assimilation into the Reich.

Soviet resources captured



Labor Volunteers - Hiwis



We are getting a warm welcome in the Baltic region from many of the local people. They see us as liberators from the Soviets who occupied their country in 1940.

[center]OKW Intel Report - Week of June 22 - 28, 1941[/center]

North Africa Status:

The British counterattack, Operation Battleaxe, has stalled. The latest attempt to rescue the 7th Australian Division trapped inside Tobruk has failed. General Rommel has managed another minor miracle. The Afrika Corps and our Italian allies have beaten back the British again. Rommel set up a defensive perimeter at Halfaya pass, near the Egyptian border, using mines and anti-tank positions to channel their tanks into a killing zone. Initial casualty reports indicate the British lost about 100 tanks while Rommel lost 12. Personnel losses were approximately 1,000 on each side. I wonder how many miracles Rommel still might have up his sleeves. The future fate of the Afrika Corps may depend upon one of those miracles.



Atlantic Operations:

Our supply and prison ship, Alstertor, was captured and sunk by the British on June 23. There were over two hundred British, Chinese, Malaysian and Indian prisoners of war rescued from that ship.

[center]AGN Turn 2 Summary Status[/center]


Lead elements of both 4th and 3rd Panzer Group cross the river near Pskov. II Inf Corps, 16th Army crosses the Daugava as well as lead elements of 9th Army. Russian units trapped in the Baltic pocket were mop up by elements of 18th Army.

[center]AGS Turn 2 Status[/center]



6th and 17th Armies with the assistance of the Romanian 3rd Army reseal both the Lvov and Rovno pockets. 1st and 2nd Panzer Group elements proceed east towards Kiev, captures Proskurov and isolates two strong Soviet Armor Divisiions..

[center]Luftwaffe Status - Turn 2[/center]




The Luftwaffe mission changes from destruction of the Soviet Air Forces to close air support to the Army which includes aerial re supply.

[center]Casualty Report Turn 2[/center]



Our casualties remain low, approximately 15K vs 250K for the Russians.

[center]Turn 2 Air Losses[/center]



Our air losses remain light, 20 planes, mostly recon.

[center]OHW Intel Summary Week of June 29 - July 5[/center]

Further details are arriving regarding our victory at Halfaya Pass. It appears our miracle victory was due to a large extend on one person they are calling the Pastor of Halfaya Pass. Obersletenent Wilhem Bach was a Lutherian Pastor before the war and he was personally responsible for our defenses at the pass. He effectively used our 8.8 Flak guns and tank mines to channel and destroy the British tanks. British prisoners taken in the battle call it "Hellfire Pass" due to the murderous fire the Pastor brought down on the enemy. Perhaps Rommel can continue his victory streak in North Africa so long as he has men like the Pastor who can provide him with the miracles he will need in the future.




But all the news is not good. The British continue their advance into Vichy Syria and Lebanon. Their invasion of these neutal Vichy colonies was prompted by our use of their airfields and rail system to support the failed Arab rebellion in Iraq against the British this past May. They have recently captured Damascus but the Vichy French forces continue to resist the British. The latest skirmish was on July 1st when a Vichy light cavalry unit surrendered to the British at Palmara. Our Luftwaffe has supported them by attacking British shipping over the coast of Syria. These attacks resulted in damaging two destroyers. The French intend to made their final stand to stop the British advance on Beruit at the Demour River which is about 30 KM south of the city.



Our Baltic Sea operation to blockade the Soviet Navy continues to have successful results. This week our sea mines sunk a minesweeper, submarine, transport and a cargo ship. Most of the Soviet Northern fleet has evacuated to Tallin.

[center]AGN Turn 3 Intel Status[/center]



Russians remain in Pskov, Fuel shortages hamper panzer operations. They will wait for the Infantry to catch up but 4th Panzer Group will move to isolate Pskov.