FitE vs loveman1

[cantona]

The spring thaw had hit the front in full force and everywhere vehicles sank to their axles in mud. the front was laregly static. indeed axis armoured formations seemed to have deserted the front except at its extremes. in the leningrad area vast forces had gathered on both sides defending the massive salient punched into Army Group North's front. in the Crimea a stubborn and dogged defence that had kept the Axis at bay for nearly 5 months was finally crumbling as Army Group South sieged Sevastopol.

The Crimean Campaign was one of great glory and tragedy. Axis offensive, our counter offensice and then overwhelming German force drove our forces from the peninsular. Most of our forces used the Balck Sea ports to escape intact and secure the defence of the Novorossiysk area.

By mid spring 1942 the Red Army was awaiting the second summer axis hammer blow, only this time it would fall on well prepared defence line and on a veteran army of dedicated communist soldiers.

From A Brief History of The Great Patriotic War, F.Y.Groneyev

[loveman2]

Hitler holds a conference with his generals in the east and listens to their plans for 1942 and how the war should be conducted. The enemy is far from finished and althought the battle for the crimea is almost over Manstein urges caution as Russia is a vast landscape which is swallowing up the whermacht faster than it can reproduce men and material.

[cantona]

First Sergeant Vladimir Smertin, 7th Naval Brigade
 
Dear Brother,
 
The cold has gone, the rains have dried up and the Ukranian sun bakes the mud dry. Soon enough our foe will once again dig his teeth into our flesh, wanting to cut our lifesblood with his iron fangs. I write to you one last time dearest brother because I doubt it very much that I will write again. A sense of trepidiation surrounds my every move, and last nights briefing confirmed my fears.
 
Do you remember grandfather reading us Remarch's book, the one of the previous war. Yes i know what you are thinking, the NKVD censor will read this and do us both for reading subversive material. Do not worry i am sending this with a trusted carrier. well do you remember. All Quiet on the Western Front? it feels exactly like that, the calm before the steel storm starts again.
 
We received attacks plans last night and they will signify the liberation of our motherland.  But not before rivers of blood will flow like the thawing snow from the Erebus at whose slopes we grew up. Good times those brother, good times.
 
My battery was given its fire orders and times...its going to be a big one. I have the feeling that i will not make it. Tell mama...well just tell her. Dying for the Motherland is the highest honour one can ask for. I will willingly shed my blood so she may be free of her oppressors.
 
Being the officer I have to set the example but I am scared Valdimir. The fascist beast has not been beaten, not even checked if the reports from the Crimea are to be believed. He will fight and fight hard and I cant help but think that this will be my last show.
 
What ever the case the 228th Artillery Regiment will rain death upon the foe until we are dead or our barrels melt. I have liased with the artillery officer of the 6th Guards, whose attack sector we will cover. He was a young Uzbeki, a product of the Party, just like you. Too young to have known the old days. my 42 year old body asks for rest and peace but I will not let the Motherland down.
 
Indeed Vlad i think we stand on the threshold of our deliverance. Take care, where ever you maybe. May God protect you and give you strength in dishing pain on our enemies and may he grant that we see each other again soon.
 
Captain Raatko Smertin, 228th Artillery Regiment, Hero of the Soviet Union 2nd Class

[cantona]

***SIGNALS INTERCEPTS CONFIRM NEW GERMAN OFFENSIVE***TRANSFER OF ENEMY UNITS FROM CRIMEA TO SOUTHERN DNEPR CONFIRMED***FRONT ERUPTED NEAR MELITOPOL***STAVKA INSTRUCTS HOLD THE LINE***END




URGENT TO ALL STAVKA COMMANDS

***INTEL SUGGESTS WITHDRAWL OF SS UNITS FROM FRONT***BE AWARE FOR NEW ATTACKS***END

[cantona]

The sudden fanfare brought the factory floor to a virtual standstill. The massive hulks of the unfinished T-34's were lined up methodically and swarms of workers covered their armoured hides, applying the last minute finishes to the magnificent machines of death. Martial music played loudly into the workshop, followed by the national anthem. Workers dropped their tools and turned expectant faces to the megaphones situated at the corners of the factory yard. What was going to  be announced.
 
A sudden silence followed by rolling drums, had the Boss died? What was going to be announced?
 
Suddenly a grainy voice is heard,
 
"This is Radio Moscow, Comrades the Rodina can rejoice. Orsha has been liberated by the glorious troops of the Red Army. Yesterday afternoon the last fascist soldier was pushed out of Orsha and our troops stand proudly once again on the Western bank of the Dnepr River..."
 
The rest of the broadcast was drowned out by the loud cheers and clapping that resounded all over the factory. Cheers that were echoed all over the country. In military hospitals, in airfields, in schools, in the frontline positions. The whole country rejoiced in one united expression of unbridled joy
 
The tank workers picked up their tools and returned to work with renewed vigour. This first important victory had to be followed by many more if the war was to be won, and the only way that would happen was if the factories kept up the rate of replacements to the soldiers toiling a the front.

[loveman2]

Army group centre have began a counterattck at Orsha !
Already the smoke from the reds tanks are see in the distance and the true battle for russia in 1942 has begun, but what will the outcome be wonders herr Hitler ?

[cantona]

The young Muskovite pointed at Josef Stalin and gave him the cue to speak. Across the Soviet Union millions heard his voice. Most of what he said would be lost in the mists of History but one phrase would resonate across the Soviet Empire with thunderous force.

"Not one step back..." he said in his heavily Georgian accented russian. There was a steely look in his eye as he spoke these words. The young Muskovite, though petrifed, felt the surge of patrotism surge through his body. Who did the fascist bastards think they were, raping the Motherland. 'Not one step back indeed' he mouthed silently. The red light outside the studio switched off and the tones of the national anthen ringed across Radio Moscow.

"Well done boy," said Stalin as he lit a cigratte.

"Thank you Comrade," replied the young man.

"Tell me boy, why arnt you not at the front?" Stalin inquired suddenly.

Persperation born of fear began to bead the mans forehead, "erm my skills are more suited to the radiowaves, im helping the Motherland by keeping morale up Comrade." His stomach churned as the Boss turned his eyes on him and exhaled smoke from his moustached mouth.

"Nonesense boy, we've lost many signallers and I'm sure i can find you a posting in a unit were you can apply your skills to help in the liberation of the Motherland." He turned to his aide and asked him to take down the mans details and he assured him that he would be on a train West in no time.

With a shake of the hand the Soviet dictator left Radio Moscow and headed to his dascha.

In Radio Moscow a young man was left feeling rather less patriotic pondering an uncertain future.

[cantona]

'War is Hell
another comrade just fell.
Shell or shot
down without a thought.
For party and state
now you're in a crate.
Eternal rest
no more breath in breast.
Brothers in arms
now rest ye in peace
for soon we shall meet again
beyond the threshold of death'

The Comisar for the Orsha-Vitbesk region, safely in his offices in Smolensk, leafed the contraband from the letters the frontline soldiers were sending home. Those letters censored were rewritten by his men and these usually exalted a victorious Red Army, a frontline where only Germans died and plenty of food and clean clothing. A white lie designed to keep the factories and therefore the flow of weapons moving.

'Such sentimental crap would not do,' he thouhgt. He already had to balance the second fall of Luga, something the Boss would not be too pleased with. The only positive was the presence of Marshal Zuhkov, the strategic wizard who had pushed the Germans away from Leningrad in January. His presence at 2nd Ukraninan Front HQ could only mean one thing.

Indeed 2 days later the latent northern wing of the Front erupted as the Germans were ousted from Vitbesk in twin lightning strikes. Judging from the sheer amount of armour passing through Smolensk there was no doubt that an offensive has begun.[/align]

[cantona]

After a month of heavy and costly fighting STAVKA released details of operations from the length and breadth of the Front.



In Karelia Fascist Gebrigsjager troops had successfully captured the strategically important port of Kandalakhsa but an immediate and bloody counter attack by 14th Army had been able to recapture the port two days later.



Since the cessation of Winter Hammer Army Group North had tried repeatedly to close and destroy the salient South of Leningrad that pinched into its lines so very dangerously. Apart from capturing Luga a second time and approaching 10 Km closer to Leningrad in the North, their efforts were laregly contained.



2nd Ukranian Front had managed to oust the Germans from Vitbesk and push light mobile units into their rear to try and link up with Partisan units. Local German counter-attacks designed to harass flanks of 13th Army spearheaded by 12th and 18th Panzer Divisions were successfully repusled.



Exploitation of this success had to be postponed in order to counter a very dangerous German thrust out of their formidable positions around Kiev, positions that had been able to withstand a battering during the winter. 11th Panzer Division and the 16th Motorized Infantry Division had pushed back our lines to the outskirts of the village of Brovary, just 8 Km from the Kiev Front's artillery park. Hastily gathered forces heorically, but at great loss, managed to get the Germans to retreat and leave behind a large amount of dead and equipment.

[cantona]

A solitary recon aeroplane flew over german and soviet lines alike, its camera shutter flickering away as it gilded effortlessly high up in the late summer sky. The photographs it took would be of great value to STAVKA planners that had detected an opportunity to relieve some of the pressure being exerted on Leningrad Front by AGN.

[cantona]

Communique 234/ji8-1942

Officer Commanding 2nd Ukranian Front to STAVKA
Initial Objectives met and consolidated. Units involved performed as expected of Red Army soldiers. Fascists caught off guard. Reports from Leningrad Front indicates less pressure on their lines. Latest intel places SS Wiking at Velikiye Luki. Recommend Heroe of Soviet Union 1st class be awarded to commander of Operation Bull at Velizh.

End Communique
 
To all other commands. Study attached maps and notes of Velizh operation. Units are to be removed from front and sent for trainning in encirclement and destruction tactics and deep penetration exploitation.



The following list of units is to be read to the troops:

List of Units Destroyed in Recent Operations

161st Infantry Division
514th Pioneer Battalion
28th Jager Division
123rd Infantry Division
122nd Infantry Division
268th Infantry Division
504th Pioneer Battalion
12th Infantry Division

[cantona]

The next day Pravda dedicated the whole of the front page to this map, printed in full colour in all areas of the Soviet Union, with the headline:
 
WE PUSH THEM BACK
 

 

[cantona]

Marshal Timoshenko left the briefing he had just had with Marshal Zuhkov. Fresh from his success with 2nd Ukranian Front, the foremost Marshal of the Soviet Union had now, with the Boss's blessing, entrained North from Vitebsk with the plans for Operations Rapier and Sonia under his arm.


Timoshenko was now speeding to his advance HQ where many of corps and army commanders awaited him. For the past two weeks probing attacks, raids and Partizan activity had gathered enough intel on the German frontlines to allow the Red Army to initiate the opening phase of Operation Rapier.[/align]

[cantona]

The initial reports from the Front were very good. Operation Rapier had got off to a brillinat start. The left flank of the Narva group of AGN had been savaged by the forces of 1st Guards Army and 58th Army. Details were still not forthcoming but the initial intel reports were good



A secondary attack was carried out directly eastwards, its ultimate objective was the eastern banks of Lake Peipus. Operation Sonia achieved more initial success than Rapier but soon ran into the 16th Panzer Division that the Germans had rushed to the area hitherto only held lightly by MP and Security units.

[Veers]

Nice! Really threatening a major envelopment.

[loveman2]

Genaral mud has put paid th Stalins offensive in the north and has given the whermacht time to rebuild stronger defences in the north abd also a chance to shorten the line thus freeing up reserves to stem any russian breakthrough. Air power has now been increased and await the soviet dogs!!!!!!!

[cantona]

The crosshairs on the telescopic sights misted from the cold. Nikolai wped the eyepiece with his thumb and once again the familiar and hated shape of the German helmet came into view. A feldwebel, judging by the shoulder straps, of a Luftwaffe Field Division.

The River Narva was frozen to his rear as he used the cover of the embankment to angle his shot. It had been a crazy month. In four weeks the Germans had been pushed over the Luga and now over the Narva. Timoshenko's Operations Rapier and Sonia had been an astounding success. The frozen ground only helped to speed up the spearheads of the armoured brigades as the punched through the Fascist lines.

Nikolai was part of the recon teams assessing the new German Line before the advent of Operation Tania. His orders were to observe and record and to indulge in targets of opportunites, and indugled he had. Mama, Papa and little Olek had been avenged. He had seen what the SS had done in his village from the eaves of the forest as he hid. He swore he would have his vengeance. This was just the beginning.

He applied the necessary pressure on the trigger, felt the recoil, even through the heavy padded tunic he wore, heard the crack of the rifle and then saw the feldwebel disappear in a light, pink mist. He quickly packed up and moved just as a burst of fire from a MG 42 raked his position. Below the embankment he checked his notes and diagrams and them crawled eastwards into the dawns new light



Red Army Dispositions before Operation Tania

[cantona]

General Rokossovsky nodded. His adjuntant calmly lifted the receiver of the telephone and simpled uttered one word, "Thunderstrike". He put the receiver down and looked at the General who was staring out of the shattered windows of the farm that served as his HQ.
Operation Thunderstrike had been long in planning. With most of the enemy's armoured strength concentrated shoring up Army Groups North and Centre, Army Group South's line on the Dnper was inviting some sort of strike. The reserve build up had been massive and undetected. The whole the Crimean Front and Sep Coastal and 37th Armies had been relieved of the defence of Novorossivsk and railed to Kremenchug. There a Hungarian Army Corps held a section of the line that was flanked on either side by the Slovaks and the Hungarian 2nd Army. A decisive thrust here would threaten the whole of the German Army's position in Southern Ukraine.
Newly formed artillery regiments literally blew the Hungarians to hell. In the first few hours of battle, the point units had forded the river and had pushed the remains of the Hungarian Line back. According to the initial reports there was a headlong flight westward, a veritable rout.

The first hours of Operation Thunderstrike



A week later the Germans were rushing units to shore up the line. The most worrying development, and one frowned upon by the NKVD Commander of the Front, was the large number of Ukraninan men in SS uniforms that had been captured. Apparently many Soviet citizens had voluntarily taken up arms for the Fascist invader in 'Volunteer Legions'. A so called Galicien Division had almost been destroyed by the units of the 3rd Guards Army. The General did not like the 'shoot all prisoners' orders the NKVD had followed which such zeal but his hands were tied by Moscow.

One Week into Thunderstrike


By the end of the first month of operations AGS line had been punched through. The 1st Hungarian Army ahd been destroyed and the Slovak Expeditionary Corps was on a train heading towards Siberia. The General was not impressed by the first Italian troops he had come across on the battlefield. He had laughed very loudly during one vodka binge one night. He had been very proud of his speech about the descendants of the Roman Legions being mere mice not men. His flanks had widened the breach and his spearheads were racing towards Kirovograd.

[cantona]

The map pinned up in the Staff HQ of Southerh Ukranian Front was updated daily. Red pins moved west by south west, grey pins moved only westwards.
Todays updates would need to inculde the recapture of Dnepropetrovsk and the complete annihilation of the German 4th Panzer Divison.

[cantona]

The Red Star Army Newspaper was awash with patriotic slogans and Party rhetoric, but for Sasha Kolintikov the only thing he wanted to see over and over again was the colour map on page 4. The map showing how much of the sacred Rodina he had helped to liberate. The fact he was lying in a bloodied hospital cot with a shattered tibia didnt seem to bother him at all. He had voulntered for the Kharkhov workers battalions, but as he worked in the tractor factory, that went over to tank production the day the Germans invaded, he was soon drafted into an armoured brigade.

He was allocated the loader job in a T34 that his crew drove endlessly in the Southern Ukranian steppe, honing their fighting skills and picking up tactical lessons from a one armed sergeant who was also missing half of his face, "burned off on the outskirts of Lodz", he used to say, "but no worries its still waiting for me there and ill get a nurse to stitch it back for me." He was crazy but one of the few '41 vets that had come up against Panzer Divisions and lived.

His unit formed part of Thunderstrike, liberated Melitopol and was first to cut the railway leading into Perekop. All was well until they had reached the banks of the Dnepr, right where it meets the Black Sea. There his war had abruptly stopped at the point of a German 88 that had ripped his tank open, killed the commander and driver, and had shattered his leg. He felt he was dying as he crawled away from the burning tank. The last thing he saw before he blacked out was the clear, crisp blue December sky. Then blackness took him. Flashes, a burly eastern asiatic medic, a soft spoken blonde nurse with a heavy Baltic accent, bright lights, the bedsheets, blood...

For three weeks he had lain there but today, for the first time a smile crept across his features. It felt good to have been a part of the decisive turn in the war, even though he would not walk again or be inside a tank again, but it felt good, very good.