Drive To The Caucasus - A 41 Campaign

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Rail lines Eastern Front Turn 74

Thought I post the current situation regarding my rail system in the East.

Still a lot of damaged rail lines as far back as The Baltic States, Belorussia and The Ukraine, which will really never get repaired as i need to keep moving forward.

Quick question why have rail lines in Finnish control areas that are now linked to German controlled Russia not being repaired ?

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AG North & Centre Turn 75

Spordic attacks by Soviet forces are countered by ruthless AXIS counterattacks.

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In the Centre Soviet units launch a series of attacks against well dug in defenders.

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2nd Pz Armee launches a counter offensive which nets 5 Soviet units.

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This is the first time in a long time the AI has attacked in earnest, maybe there still fight left in this game.

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Army Group A Turn 75

4th Armee encircles Tambov as Red Army troops offer minimal opposition.

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17th and 4th Pz Armee strike into the rear of the Stalingrad defences and the pincer arms close on the city.

The tables are reversed

North of the city 6th Armee traps a couple of Units.

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Army Group B Turn 75

Grozny falls after a sustained attack the defenders surrender, the door is open to Baku only the shattered remains of The North Caucasus Front are left to defend oil fields.

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On the Black Sea Batumi is secured as the Italian 8th Army turns to push into Georgia.

With the Caucasus region virtually cut off Soviet forces can only escape by either moving across The Caspian Sea or retreating into Iran.

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Army Group Don Turn 75

With the success at Stalingrad, OKH now creates a fourth Army Group to cover The Caucasus Theartre.

This grouping consists of units from the former 11th Armee tasked with supporting both Army Group B and Army Group Antonescu.

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OB / Leader Turn 75

No Major changes in manpower or war material figures this week.

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Sad news for the people of Germany

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While The Ostheer is on the verge of a great triumph in the war against Soviets there will always be a price to pay.

Leading his forces to capture Stalingrad radio Berlin announces that the Commander of 4th Panzer Armee Oberstleutnant General Walther Nehring died heroically in the line of duty.

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AG North & Centre Turn 76

Seems Soviet resistance in the north is short lived, its back to the card game.

In the centre the situation is different, I continue to attack enemy formations.

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2nd Pz destroys the trapped paratroopers and then traps a Guards rocket Brigade.

There Katyusha rocket launchers wont save them.

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Army Group A Turn 76

2nd,4th and 6th Armee's drive East continues quashing in soviet resistance.

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The noose tightens around Stalingrad.

This time there will be NO Soviet counterattack, NO trapped German Armee

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Army Group B Turn 76

Grozny is secured, and my forces begin to encircle enemy troops pushing them back against the coast.

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Italian forces begin to push inland against no real opposition.

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Army Group Don Turn 76

Troops from XXX Korps trying to encircle a lone Soviet Inf Corps in the Central Caucasus Mountains.

The Army Groups job at this time is to cover our supplies lines for the main drive on Baku.

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Losses / Production and OB Turn 76

The Soviets took a beating this turn losing 215,000 men including 138,000 prisoners of war.

This breaks the 7 million mark total.

Over 220 AFV's were destroyed and over 3000 thousand artillery pieces.

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174 planes were destroyed also.

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The vehicle numbers for repairs declined somewhat this turn.

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But there armoured forces took a massive jump this turn to over 4000 fighting vehicles.

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late report turn 76

West Moscow has fallen, its looking grim for Stalin

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AG North & Centre Turn 77

On the Northern Front boredom seems to be the only real enemy.

In the 3rd Pz sector not much happening however 2nd Pz Armee is keeping its self fairly busy.

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After destroying the rocket brigade it traps some some sailors which seem to be a long way from there ships.

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Army Group A Turn 77

Are The Soviets going to mount some kind of offensive ?

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Its seems the shattered remnants of The Don, Voronezh and Stalingrad Fronts are pushing troops forward to launch some kind of counterattack to relieve the besieged city.

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Army Group B Turn 77

Facing a interesting scenario here, its 4 turns till the next " Auto Victory level " I have 5 cities encircled, anyone of them will end the game for me on turn 81.

However again the goal of this game was the oilfields, and the last are in the Baku region, so now I just have to muck around for 4 turns.

First thing send 1st Pz back North and cut off as many enemy troops as I can.

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Army Group Don Turn 77

Cant seem to catch this Inf Corps yet.

This lone unit seems to want to work way its behind my lines.

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Losses / OB Turn 77

The week The soviets suffered huge losses with there AFV's over 600.

Also lost 68, 000 men at arms.

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And 233 planes were destroyed.

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AG North & Centre Turn 78

On the Northern Front about from isolated attacks by lone Red Army Units which are easily driven off, the enemy seems to be reigned to sitting on the defensive here.

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In the Centre the ostheer is conducting a series of precision movements to encircle and isolate high priority targets, Tank / Mech / Inf Corps that will inflict high casualty numbers and armoured losses upon the enemy.

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Soviet forces offer some resistance but this is quickly crushed.

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Army Group A & Don Turn 78

Heavy fighting around the besieged city as elements of 17th and 4th Pz Armee push the Soviets back and capture Leninsk and Dubovka and there extending the outer defence perimeter.

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Still cant catch that elusive Inf Corps that seems determined to try to find a way behind our lines.

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Army Group B Turn 78

Still doing clean up operations as I prepare to move against Makhachkala on turn 81, even plenty of enemy units to eliminate.

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On the Black Sea some Red Army resistance forces the Italians to go over on the defensive temporarily.

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