The 29th Panzer Grenadiers pay Sverdlovsk near the Ural Mountains a quick visit. They replaced the 1st Panzer Division, which had to deal with two Soviet tank brigades. The area west of the Urals looks remarkably undefended. The 29th will break north to assist with the assault on Perm which will happen within the next few turns... But while they are here, they are blowing bridges and tearing up rail lines. The rail from Sverdlovsk is severed in multiple locations!
There are twenty turns left before I lose Case Blau theater option. Forces are starting to gather for an assault on the Tula area. This is the likely time to use the option.
The SS LAH finally breaks into Gorky with considerable assistance from the 2nd, 9th, and 18th Panzer Divisions plus various artillery formations and 48th, 198th and 258th Infantry Divisions.
The Italians drive a wedge to break off a piece of the huge pocket that was created by the early axis 42' offensive. Case Blau will signal the end for the Soviet forces in this pocket.
Since last reported, Nizhy Tagal was occupied unopposed by the 20th Panzer Division. I spoke with Steve about the scenario, and he said it was fine for the Axis to occupy the eastern most cities.
The recon element of the 16th Panzer Division is on the west side of the Ural Mountains from Sverdlovsk. No resistance.
Kazan fell after a brief battle.
The southeastern portion of the large pocket is being constricted.
Ryzan and Tula were captured. The battles continue in the area with Soviet forces being pressed from the southwest, west, north and northeast. The outcome is certain.
Case Blau has not been activated.
The Soviets are highly disorganized. The defensive lines have gaps, which are being exploited. The Soviets are unable to build a cohesive defensive as the quick and mobile axis forces advance across the open terrain south of Moscow.
Panzer Armee East which comprises of the 20th, 1st, 3rd, 7th, 19th and 17th Panzer Divisions, the 25th, 10th, 60th, 29th, 53rd, 16th, and 25th Panzer Grenadier Divisions, the 11th Infantry Korp artillery, Romanian Artillery, and the 297th Infantry Division are quickly maneuvering towards Sverdlovsk. The final 1942 objective.
Case Blau Plan: Around turn 115, the forces used to capture Tula will be north of the Soviet's defensive line that runs south to the Sea of Azov. Case Blau will cross the Soviet's T and push the Soviets well away from Moscow. The likely objective will be the City of Voronezh, an industry City northeast of Kharkov. Also being considered is an option to blitz the Ural Mountain range to capture Chlvabinsk, Ufa, Sterlitamak, Magijogorsk, and finally Orenburg. Panzer Armee East is running south, fast, and mostly unopposed. The armee will have supply issues if it extends to Orenburg. The rail is being rebuilt under Axis control, but it is a slow process and only about 3-4 hexes a turn are being repaired. If the Soviet forces turn east to protect their rear, I'll occupied the area they leave behind. If the Soviet forces stay in position far to the west... 1943 will be horrible for the Soviets as Axis forces will likely drive southwest towards Stalingrad from the east... from behind.
Axis forces are preparing for Operation Blau. Depending on supply conditions, the operation will start no later than turn 115. With the collapse of the southern portion of the pocket, approximately 14 German infantry divisions were freed up to reinforce the jagged front lines. Romanians, Italians, and Finnish forces are guarding the pocket's rim alongside the other German formations. The minor country house rule prevents them from cooperating, thus German units are still required. The panzer divisions along the front are pulling back 30-50 kms as the infantry divisions file in.
Panzer Armee East has slowed its southern march. Technical information: the closest completed rail line is about 30 hexes away. If repairs are 3 hexes per turn, it will take approximately 10 turns for rail to reach their present location. Stopping them now to resupply is wise. Their advance will continue about the same time as the start of Operation Blau.
The dash line is the guestimated 1942 stop line.
There are a lot more Soviet formations present. Don't let the lack of red squares mislead the viewer. Axis recon levels are not very good.
The Hungarian Army holds the dangling flank with support from two panzer divisions. The river crossings to the west are all well guarded. I've placed the Hungarians here because they have a large number of replacements available. They are the hinge and won't advance much further until well into Operation Blau.
With the recent collapse of the Tula area, several Soviet pockets were created. Six gebirgsjäger divisions in Moscow prepare for rail to Panzer Armee East. The gebirgsmusikkorps plays them a rousing melody.
Panzer Armee East is on the eastern portion of the map. The panzer divisions on the front are slowly being replaced by infantry divisions. It will take quite some time to resupply the panzers, but they should be ready for Operation Blau.
This map displays the remainder of the Armee. This is the general vicinity they will stop the southern push until resupplied by the rail line from the north.
The Soviets are still quite strong in the area. The Finnish hunters are doing a good job ferreting out the Soviet formations that headed north. It will probably take the remainder of 42 to close this pocket and it needs to close before the Soviet's 42 winter offensive as these troops are needed on the front.
Turn 104 - Remainder of Southern Portion of the Pocket
Many German infantry divisions are waiting for rail transport to the front. The Soviet pockets are collapsing. Heavy artillery bombardments reduce the Soviet stacks. If an assault is required to finish off the stack, it is conducted with overwhelming force. As noted before, these troops are needed on the front. The yellow forces are the Italians. Blue represents Romanians.
Btw, what graphic file can I edit to remove the entrenchment hexes? Thanks!
The axis forces were ready for Case Blau on turn 108 and so the theater option was used. The map displays the situation on turn 109. The dashed line is an outline of the situation at the start of turn 119. Panzer Armee East was counter attacked at Kazan, and the western portion of the armee dug in behind a super river to receive the assaults of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Soviet Shock Armies. The eastern portion of the armee drove south to capture Chelvabinsk, Manitogorsk, and Sterlitamak. The 120 shock bonus provided by the theater option was extremely nice. The shock returned to 105 after Operation Blau.
The supply lines are long and the rail repair crews are not replacing the rail quickly enough. The vast majority of Axis units are in the red, and need to stop. The mud turns are coming, which means both sides will enter into disorg for 10 turns, supply will dwindle, and assault strengths are greatly reduced.
I'm hoping that Saratov will fall before the Soviet's 42 Winter Offensive.
The map displays the territorial changes since turn 119, 9 August 1942. Kharkov was captured. The rail lines towards Panzer Armee East and the forces near Saratov will take 10+ turns to complete. The mud season is starting in approximately 8 turns, which is fine, since the rail line repairs continue throughout the horrid storms. The area south of Panzer Armee East is now being challenged by the Soviets. However, the Panzer Armee is firmly planted on the sole rail line. The Soviets are making an awfully long journey across the plains to reach the Germans. German recon elements are dodging around the Soviet lines making a real mess of things for them.
The Italians were able to create a pocket just north of Saratov that contains approximately 8 Soviet rifle divisions and two tank brigades. The Axis artillery is in the process of removing this threat.
OKH expects Saratov to fall before the Soviet's 1942 winter offensive.
The air war has reached parity. The Soviets enjoyed a tremendous air superiority through July of 1942. The spearheads during Operation Blau advanced quickly and in several locations the axis artillery was brought to bear on Soviet airbases with devastating results. Currently, the Soviet airforce is massed at Orenburg. If Axis forces are able to quickly advance over the southern Urals, the planes stations at Orenburg might never fly again.
