The Zhukov-less Memoirs - GC41-45 M60 vs smokindave redux

[M60A3TTS]

18-24 May 1944 (153rd week of the war)

Mud has returned across the front.

Fighting has died down as the Germans have put stronger units into the line. Better conditions are expected soon, so the opportunity to properly organize armies of various fronts this week is not wasted.

Rear area services have confirmed the Red Army now has approximately 90% of its truck needs. This is expected to exceed 100% in early summer, which will facilitate offensive action.

Promotions since last reported:

11th Army commander, General-Maior Ivan Galanin, was promoted to General-Leitenant
31st Army commander, General-Maior Vladimir Sviridov, was promoted to General-Leitenant
32nd Army commander, General-Maior Mikhail Kazakov, was promoted to General-Leitenant
33rd Army commander, General-Maior Kirill Moskalenko, was promoted to General-Leitenant
5th Guards Army commander, General-Leitenant Ivan Chistyakov, was promoted to General-Polkovnik
11th Guards Army commander, General-Leitenant Vasily Khomenko, was promoted to General-Polkovnik
2nd Shock Army commander, General-Leitenant Dmitry Lelyushenko, was promoted to General-Polkovnik
3rd Guards Tank Army commander, General-Leitenant Semyon Bogdanov, was promoted to General-Polkovnik of Tank Troops

General Armii Ivan Chernyakhovsky, was commended by Comrade Stalin for his success to date as commander of the 3rd Belorussian Front (political rating was increased to 7)


Leningrad and 3rd Baltic Fronts




2nd Baltic Front




1st Baltic and 3rd Belorussian Fronts




2nd Belorussian Front and Polish 1st Army




Ukraine




Front strength

[M60A3TTS]

25-31 May 1944 (154th week of the war)

Clear weather again.

In the north, the Red Army advances in the direction of Pskov.

Velikie Luki is liberated by Marshal Budyonny's 2nd Baltic Front.

Attacks in the center against German positions on the western bank of the Dnepr are successful as Orsha is taken.

In the south, the city of Zhitomir is liberated by Konev's 1st Belorussian Front. Meretskov's 2nd Ukrainian Front advances towards Vinnitsa. Farther south the fascists hold their positions along the Yuzhny Bug.

4th Army commander, General-Leitenant Kuzma Galitsky, was promoted to General-Polkovnik
13th Army commander, General-Polkovnik Maksim Purkaev, was promoted to General Armii
38th Army commander, General-Maior Vasily Shvetsov, was promoted to General-Leitenant



North




2nd Baltic Front




Attacks along the Dnepr




Zhitomir




Vinnitsa

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: STEF78

always impesses with the effect of russian snowball!!

you really did a very good winter 43/44 campaign

and after Finland, Romania will be the next to surrender

I wonder if S Poland is a better target?

looks like smokindave has really committed to defend the road to Romania so there might be a weakness around Lvov that is worth going for?

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: STEF78

always impesses with the effect of russian snowball!!

you really did a very good winter 43/44 campaign

and after Finland, Romania will be the next to surrender

I wonder if S Poland is a better target?

looks like smokindave has really committed to defend the road to Romania so there might be a weakness around Lvov that is worth going for?

Yes, he may be trying to prevent a flanking action that might pin his Rumanian friends against the Black Sea. An interesting defense with strong mobile divisions that far south. Lvov is a city that will need to be taken in the march to the west.

[M60A3TTS]

1-7 June 1944 (155th week of the war)

Clear weather again for this week.

Mogilev is liberated by Zhadov's 10th Army.

Northwest of Vinnitsa, a series of attacks results in the encirclement of three German divisions.

In the far south, the Rumanians are ejected from Nikolaev by Nikolai Gagen's 46th Army.


OOB




Mogilev liberated




Attacks in the south










Nikolaev is freed from Rumanian occupiers.

[M60A3TTS]

8-14 June 1944 (156th week of the war)

Mud again returns, but the clear weather of summer is coming soon enough.

Rather than risk the Germans breaking through to relieve their comrades in the south, two attacks are launched which forces the surrender of those in the pocket.






02:45 hrs. 15 June 1944

Inside the Kremlin, General Antonov of the STAVKA informed Comrade Stalin that General-Armii Vasilevsky, Chief of the General Staff was on the telephone.


Stalin: Good morning, Comrade Vasilevsky. Is there any change to the situation?

Vasilevsky: Greetings, Comrade Stalin. By all accounts the Germans remain completely unaware of our intentions. Front commanders are awaiting orders to begin.

Stalin: Very well, let us proceed with the operation.

[M60A3TTS]

Preparations for summer

During the period of the raputitsa from 6 April-4 May 1944, a thorough review by the STAVKA was conducted on the strategic balance of forces and prospects for a successful summer offensive in the coming months. It was determined that the Germans and their allies would be ejected from the USSR but that problems would develop over time. The chief problem that could be anticipated was that in three years of war, das Ostheer had not suffered significant manpower losses and indeed was in some respects at the peak of fighting power. As the Germans fell back, their large manpower, currently 3.8 million would fall back in to prepared positions again and again. This would enable them to eventually slow any advancing Soviet forces to such an extent that the war might drag on for another two years. Prospects of an upcoming Anglo-American invasion somewhere in northern France might shorten that period to a degree, but Stalin feared that by the war’s end the British and American forces could be hundreds of miles east of Berlin and threaten his future plans of an eastern Europe dominated by governments friendly to Moscow. The Tehran Conference held in November 1943 had laid the groundwork for this, but these commitments might be thrown aside by London and Washington should their armies by reaching the German-Polish borders.

It was for this reason that Stalin’s instructions to the Soviet High Command and the STAVKA was to identify the best opportunity for destroying as large a part of the German forces that would be tightly holding onto their defensive positions rather than withdrawing westwards as the summer season arrived. The conclusions of the STAVKA intelligence sections indicated that the German forces north and south would likely give some ground where fighting had been constant. The center was somewhat of a question. Generals Tyulenev and Chernyakhovsky of 2nd and 3rd Ukrainian Fronts were confident that their forces could be expected to reach the Dnepr before June. Malinovsky’s 1st Baltic Front would be in a position to assault the Dnepr land bridge to the north of 3rd Belorussian Front.

In early April, the 1st Polish Army had been activated and added to the Red Army Order of Battle. Through sheer happenstance, it had been decided to put this army in a quiet portion of the front, in the area of Gomel and to the north of STAVKA’s 35th Army, also recently activated. The original intention was that these two armies should provide a screening force across the hundred mile-wide Pripet Marsh as the Red Army advanced westwards in the summer. By mid-April, the 1st Polish Army was reporting enemy forces in their sector consisting of four or five German infantry divisions.



Chief of Staff Vasilevsky and Chief of Operations Antonov over the next several weeks discussed the strength of the relative forces and agreed that there might be an upcoming opportunity in the Mogilev-Gomel area provided that the German defending forces did not change their dispositions in any significant way. Near the end of May, Front commanders were summoned to Moscow to receive the briefing for the upcoming summer strategic offensive.

In order to set the stage for such an opportunity, Malinovsky and Chernyakhovsky were given orders to push their forces in the area of Orsha and Mogilev respectively. By the beginning of June, the critical gains had been made, with Zhadov’s liberation of Mogilev and the Dnepr cleared of enemy forces along the western bank north of the city up to the land bridge. Strong German forces opposed a further advance westwards in this area. To the south around Rogachev, 1st Polish Army was over the Dnepr along with rifle corps from 35th Army now south of the Berezina. A single rifle corps from 2nd Belorussian Front was also over the Dnepr in this area. Defending Rogachev and 40 miles southwest were just four German divisions.

During the first two weeks of June, the 35th and 1st Polish Armies were west of the Dnepr south of Rogachev and still the opposing forces remain unchanged. This was sufficient evidence to go forward with the operation, codenamed Operation Bagration. 3rd Army was transferred from 3rd Belorussian Front and General Armii Chernyakhovsky received Pavel Rotmistrov’s 1st Guards Tank Army. Meanwhile two armies of Bagramyan’s 3rd Ukrainian Front: 1st Guards Cavalry and 2nd Shock Armies along with STAVKA's 3rd Shock Army, rested and refitted, were transferred from the area south of the Pripet and moved into wooded staging areas east of Rogachev. Five rifle corps also moved into position behind 35th Army and into woods southeast of Rogachev on the Dnepr's eastern bank. Supporting artillery and air units were brought into range of the area planned for the breakthrough.

As the buildup continued, the STAVKA deception plan called for minimal air recon in the Rogachev area, accompanied by strikes on airfields west of Mogilev containing German recon planes. Red Army troops immediately facing the four German divisions were not directly reinforced and ordered to be only modestly active in the area, so as not to arouse suspicions. The attack date was set for June 15. The only remaining question was how many German divisions would still be on the west bank of the Dnepr and south of Mogilev on that date.

[M60A3TTS]

15-21 June 1944 (157th week of the war)

Operation Bagration

Belorussian partisans were active in the hours preceding the opening of the offensive in the area of Bobruisk. Rail lines were dynamited to prevent German reinforcements from entering the battle. Air recon showed no unexpected enemy forces in the planned area of operations.

In the early morning hours of the 15th, launching the first attack, 35th Army of GM V.I. Baranov supported by 1st Polish Army pushed back 11th Infantry Division of General Oberst R Roman’s I Corps.



35th Army then followed up with an attack on the 78th Sturm Division and 3/21 Inf of Roman’s I Corps.



111th Rifle Corps of 62nd Army commanded by GM A. Beloborodov pushed back 3/21 Inf.



49th Army of GL I. Zakharin supported by 111th Rifle Corps further pushed back 11th and 78th Sturm Divisions of I Corps.



Tank and SP-ATG units passed through the newly created gap to limit the enemy retreat from Rogachev. This was a vital part of the operation to ensure the exploitation forces in this zone had ample room for movement.

62nd Army supported by 43rd and 49th Armies then struck the 292nd Inf Division and 1/21st Inf Div at Rogachev. This was the lynch pin of the enemy defenses and was surrounded by natural defensive water obstacles of the Dnepr and Prut Rivers. The town had to be taken at any cost. Despite a brave effort, the attack failed as the defenders held tenaciously to the town.



A second assault was called for. If this second attack failed, it could have serious consequences for the operation as the exploitation forces would have to be thrown into the fight for Rogachev, if that could even be managed.

[loki100]

great stuff, well planned and executed. Suspect that if Dave does manage to block this off it will weaken his lines somewhere else?

[M60A3TTS]

Bagration continues

Vasily Volsky’s 1st Guards Army was sent in. The Luftwaffe hurled 200 fighters and 15 bombers to support the defenders in the second battle of Rogachev. Volsky’s cavalrymen carried the day by the narrowest of margins, forcing the 292nd Infantry Division from the town. It was done, the way now clear to advance two shock armies to the northwest. It was also the signal for Rodion Malinovsky’s 1st Baltic Front to begin its own assaults. Ivan Chernyakhovsky’s 3rd Belorussian Front would follow suit soon afterwards.



11th Guards Army of GP V Khomenko opened the attacks of the 1st Baltic Front against the 267th and 339th Infantry Divisions of Generaloberst J Freissner’s XX Corps. Again, Luftwaffe support was very active but the VVS was managing to contest the skies overhead.



31st Army of GL V. Sviridov then struck westwards against 12th and 263rd Infantry Divisions of Generaloberst KA Hollidt’s II Corps in addition to 282nd Division. A subsequent attack by 31st Army now supported by Zhadov’s 10th Army pushed back 32nd Infantry Division of II Corps and 256th Infantry Division from XX Corps.



29th Army of GL I Maslennikov with the support of Khomenko’s 11th Guards Army was next on the attack, forcing back the 131st Infantry Division of X Corps along with 110th Infantry Division of Generallieutenant G Matzky’s XXXXII Corps to the west. Now it was time for Chernyakhovsky to commit his armies.

[M60A3TTS]

Bagration continues- end of the first week

GA Maxim Purkaev’s 13th Army supported by guards rifle corps of 1st Baltic Front which had now arrived north of the River Drut, forced back 255th Infantry Division of II Corps along with 112th and 129th Infantry Divisions, one of which at least assigned to Generallieutenant F Schultz LIII Corps. With this step complete, Chernyakhovsky was ready to drive his tank forces south to perform a link up with the 2nd and 3rd Shock Armies. Within hours, the T-34s of 5th Shock and 1st Guards Tank Armies were racing westwards from their staging areas.



GL KK Rokossovsky’s 5th Shock Army supported by A. Zhadov’s 10th Army of 3rd Belorussian Front drove back the 252nd Infantry Division of XII Corps Generaloberst H Recknagel, along with 267th Infantry Division of XX Corps and 88th Infantry Division of Generaloberst Traugott Herr’s LVI Panzer Corps.



While this last battle was being played out, frantic messages were being sent to the headquarters of German Army Group Center that enemy elements of what was believed to be 3rd Shock Army had advanced from Klichev and were in the process of linking up with Rokossovsky’s 5th Shock Army. The specter of encirclement and disaster loomed over the German forces still under orders to hold their positions along the Dnepr. Moreover, there were no longer any communications from the towns of Bobryusk and Osipovich, west of the Berezina and equally worse, the latter town some 80 miles west of the Dnepr!

11th Guards Army which had opened the attacks of 1st Baltic Front now were in at its conclusion, assisted by the timely arrival of Pavel Rotmistrov’s 1st Guards Tank Army. Together they drove back 30th Infantry Division of II Corps along with 252nd and 88th Infantry Divisions. The door on the Germans in the area of Mogilev along the Dnepr was slammed shut as Rotmistrov maneuvered his tank troops into the necessary blocking positions.



It had been expected by the STAVKA planners that if the Germans gave ground in the center before Bagration began, that it might be possible that a rearguard screen force left by them along the Dnepr might be surrounded and yield a pocket from 75,000-90,000 men. The reality was different. In fact, 250,000 were cut off. Nineteen infantry divisions. The 5th Panzer Division of Herr’s LVI Panzer Corps. And they were cut off by 20 miles of Soviet tank, cavalry and mechanized forces in highly defendable terrain.

[sillyflower]

Impressive, but did no one tell you that the Spirit of Christmas Giving is about presents that the recipient will enjoy, not death blows?

[M60A3TTS]

22-28 June 1944 (158th week of the war)

3rd Belorussian Front assaulted the Germans in the northern portion of the pocket this week while 2nd Belorussian smashed resistance in the southern portion. Total losses for the Germans within the pocket consisted of 238,633 men, (over 220,000 of whom were prisoners) 2,922 artillery and 265 armored vehicles. 90,000 of these prisoners were sent to Moscow to be paraded through the city streets. Soviet losses were 5,354 men, 80 artillery and 14 fighting vehicles. It was Tannenburg in reverse, one and a half times over. More Germans surrendered in the pocket during this one week than had done so in the entire three year campaign.

The bridgehead over the Berezina was still held by Bagramyan's forces at Bobryusk. The Germans predictably brought in reinforcements to plug the potential breach. Still, the significance of what had been accomplished was not lost on either side. A general offensive across the entire length of the front was now called for. It would be a week before 2nd and 3rd Belorussian could return to marching west as partisans continued their efforts in disrupting German rail, but the other fronts could now advance. The German armor had disappeared from the Baltic states and this area could now be cleared of what amounted to screening forces. In the south the entire Yuzhny Bug defensive line had been abandoned by Axis troops. An advance to the Carpathians was underway with the liberation of Proskurov and Rovno by troops of Vatutin's 1st Ukrainian and Meretskov's 2nd Ukrainian Fronts while farther south the road to Bessarabia was clear. A determined effort here could knock Rumania from the war.


German losses



North



Center



Southern advance

[M60A3TTS]

29 June - 5 July 1944 (159th week of the war)

The Leningrad Front advances into Estonia while Minsk becomes a front line city. A general advance in the south also continues.

[M60A3TTS]

6-12 July 1944 (160th week of the war)

Estonia appears to have been abandoned by the Germans. Leningrad Front advances without contact there. In Latvia, 2nd and 3rd Baltic Fronts follow a retreating foe.

Maksim Purkaev's 13th Army routs a defending security regiment from Minsk, and the capital of Belarus is liberated after over three years of occupation.

In the south, the Lvov Sandomierz Strategic Offensive is underway, with the goal of taking the fight west to Lvov and then northwest over the River Vistula. At this point Vatutin's 1st Ukrainian Front is north of Konev's 1st Belorussian Front. Vatutin will advance his armies to the west, while Konev advances northwest, eventually reversing their respective positions in order that the three Belorussian fronts are grouped together.

In the Tarnopol-Stanislav-Chernovtsy region the 2nd Ukrainian, 4th Ukrainian, and North Caucasus Fronts are ordered to seize the towns of Stryi, Delyatin and Suceava which are towns along rail lines leading through the Carpathian Mountains. This will prevent the enemy from easily reinforcing the line across the Carpathians.

In the far south, the area east of the River Prut is largely cleared.


Through Estonia



Latvia and Lithuania



Minsk liberated!



Lvov Offensive



To the Carpathians



Clearing Bessarabia



ground losses



air losses



leaders listed by victories

[M60A3TTS]

13-19 July 1944 (161st week of the war)

Little to report outside of the far south as the general advance continues across the entire front.

Red Army troops are over the River Prut in strength. The Rumanians are no doubt wavering at this stage.


Strategic overview north



Strategic overview center



Strategic overview south



Over the Prut

[sillyflower]

Given that Zhukov was KIA, shouldn't you change the name of the AAR, or are you a ghost writer?

[M60A3TTS]

Ghost writer...hmmmm.

I could make it The Marshal Kulik Memoirs, I suppose. But he's about as dead as Zhukov at least career-wise.

Pavlov's Postings? I'll have to think about it.

[timmyab]

Vasilevsky's vacillations?

[Peltonx]

Can you post the OOB when you get a chance?