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Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 16th 1943 Turn 16
Army Group C

II / JG 27 Operations

Turn 16 showing the units combat missions with some or all of luftflotte 2's other operational air groups.


With the units aircraft numbers suffering extensive damage and pilot fatigue from intense action over the week the unit is stood down for rest and repairs.

Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 16th 1943 Turn 16
Army Group C

As 5th Pz Armee continues to move up the Italian Apennines towards the town of Avellino to link up with 10th Armee reports come in that Canadian forces are advancing towards Lauria, more bad news Allied bombing attacks have destroyed both rail lines from Calabria to Salerno, Von Arnim orders his troops to halt there withdrawal until Balcks 2 Divisions make the long march from Calabria under heavy air attack by road.





With The Allies advancing towards Benevento and Naples as our forces establish a defence line along The Sele River, meanwhile an assault by US VII Corps fails to dislodge the defenders East of lauria, also at Taranto the garrison holds out there valiant efforts tying down enemy troops that should be needed elsewhere.



An attack by the Brit X Corps Northeast of Benevento forces back the 242nd Inf Div but for the most part 5th Pz Armee line holds.

Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 16th 1943 Turn 16
Army Group C

With 5th Pz Armee making its way to the Volturno River 10th Armee establishes a line from Foggia to Castelluccio, 15th Panzer Div reinforces the 356th inf in Foggia itself while 90th Pz Gren moves to Castelluccio.

The Allies launch an all out assault on both cities forcing back 189th Res Inf as well as the 90th which retreats into Foggia.


At Foggia the defenders are attacked a total of ten times, with Infantry battles being fought for control of the city's streets a massive tank battle erupts as Bradley's US II Corps throws 500 tanks against 15th Panzer Div and 90th Pz Gren but fail to force a breakthrough and push our forces out, however both flanks have been turned our troops are threatened with encirclement,10th Armee's front line is on the of verge of collapse.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 21st 1941 Turn 49
Army Group North

A quiet week in the far North bad weather is hampering the withdrawal of 18th Armee, our already overstretched rail system coming under further pressure as supplies to forward units begin to run low.
8th Armee has halted attacks against the trapped enemy forces also Commanders reporting that ammunition is critical in some units and Artillery units are forced to conserve there ordinance.



South of The Rybinsk Reservoir on the 16th Armee front the line remains quiet also, six Soviet Fronts oppose our forces but the enemy seems reluctant to do battle.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 21st 1943 Turn 49
Army Group Centre

After capturing Izmaylovo air base last week 9th Armee halts all attacks against the Soviet Capital temporarily, increasing bad weather taking its toll on our Panzer forces, the enemy launches some scouting attacks North of Petushki but these are easily dealt with. The 260th Inf Div ( XII ArmeeKorps ) advances and captures the town of Shatura and finds its only 10 miles from The Red Army's High Command HQ .


Increasing bad weather is causing a steady attrition of our Panzer forces




At Lipetsk 3rd Pz Armee begins attacks against the trapped enemy forces there, 18th Tank Corps is destroyed first, further East 2nd Armee destroys the small pocket South of Michurinsk, over 30 000 enemy soldiers surrender and almost 700 field artillery pieces are captured.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 21st 1943 Turn 49
Army Group South


In the Voronezh sector Axis Forces for the most part have halted the advance, reports come in that a new Soviet Army has deployed in the sector, 4th Shock Army units begin to establish a defensive line as the 6th Mech Corps attempts a breakout against XXIV Pz Korps this fails and the enemy unit is forced to surrender.





In the Don Bass region Axis Forces advance 4th Mech Corps is overrun with 4th Pz Armee advancing between 10 and 30 miles in some places despite the terrible weather and poor roads.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 21st 1943 Turn 49
Army Group A

Axis forces begin to push North into Kalmykia 4th Tank Corps is cutoff as is 30th Guards Inf Corps, units from 1st Pz Armee begin to destroy cutoff enemy troops in the Caspian Sea area, the troops are ordered to advance as far as the Kalus and Manych Rivers then take up defensive positions.
The Axis advance has left supply lines well into the rear leaving units running short of almost all the essential requirements to maintain operational status.

Western Front
Situation Report Oct 23rd 1943 Turn 17
Army Group B

This week sees The German Capital hit by two 500 Bomber nights raids, RAF Bomber Command causing widespread damage to weapons manufacturing as well as Heavy Industry facilities. While damage was not to heavy a number of AFV's factories were targeted which now has halted production of greatly need Mechanised vehicles our forces fighting on all fronts, however Night fighter units together our Flak units were able to inflict heavy bomber losses on the enemy in both raids.

Western Front
Situation Report Oct 23rd 1943 Turn 17
Army Group B

While RAF Bomber Command continued striking targets at night hitting Dusseldorf and Cologne, the US 8th Air Force struck at our industrial centres by day, The Ruhr being one the main targets for enemy bombers hitting vehicle and synthetic fuel manufacturing facilities, the enemy also targeted Wesseling enemy air numbers lower than the night raids but heavily escorted making hard for our air defences to counter them.

The French Capital and NE France once again came under attack with the enemy focusing on air fields and our ground units.

Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 23rd 1943 Turn 17
Army Group C

As the German withdrawal from Southern Italy continues Allied air operations intensify, the lazio region and Rome come under heavy attack, along the Adriatic Coast ports and air bases are targeted the Central regions of Umbria, Marche and Tuscany the enemy targets air bases as well as conducting fighter sweeps and recon operations to observe our troop movements.


German air units launching intercept missions against the enemy, though heavily outnumbered still manage to inflict losses on the enemy.

Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 23rd 1943 Turn 17
Army Group C

With the front line fluid as the German retreat from Calabria region continues Von Arnim receives some heartening news Gen Balcks two Divs have reached friendly lines at Lauria, the general withdrawal can recommence, 5th Pz Armee is ordered to fall back via Naples then to Caserta.
As the troops begin to disengage from the enemy news reaches Command that Taranto has finally fallen, also a major assault on Foggia has begun as Gen Vietinghoff's 10th Armee battles to hold the city, just East of Benevento 10th Panzer division is forced back in a major assault against the line, the Allies attack with over 60 000 men, a 10 mile gap opens up leaving Von Arnim's HQ undefended against The Brit 231 brigade which is advancing towards the city.



At Foggia LXXIV ArmeeKorps is finally overwhelmed the enemy launching seven major assaults within the week 15th Panzer and 90th Pz Gren are smashed, simply unable to hold against the huge number of troops thrown against them, as Allied forces enter the city our forces fall back to the city of San Severo, 10th Armee's line collapses as both supporting Infantry Divs are also pushed back.


Von Arnim orders three of his Infantry Div's to hurriedly form a defence line in front of the shattered 10th Armee units.

At lauria LXXXX ArmeeKorps contains an attack by US VII Corps, Balcks men inflicting heavy losses on enemy troops , the enemy suffering large Tank losses also.




Brit X , V and XXX Corps attack 10th Pz Division the unit initially holds but is finally driven aside and takes heavy losses including half its Tank force.





South of the 10th Panzer battle US II and VI Corps also force a breakthrough opening a second 10 mile gap in 5th Pz Armee's line.

Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 23rd 1943 Turn 17
Army Group C

Foggia

The opening battles of Foggia LXXIV ArmeeKorps under heavy attack from the Brit 8th Army's XIII and V Corps, Straube's Men refuse to yield ground.


By day seven LXXIV ArmeeKorps is overrun the unit is pushed out of the city by the victorious US II Corps under Gen Bradley.

Gen Feuerstein's LI Mountain ArmeeKorps is also forced to retreat as 10th Armee's defence of the Molise region collapses.




One of the many Panzers lost as the 15th Pz Div is driven from Foggia.

Western Front / Italian Front
Situation Report Oct 23rd 1943 Turn 17

Battles / Losses

After capturing Foggia US II Corps turns its attention towards Straube's 319th Inf on the right flank, facing 60 000 men the unit is quickly pushed back.




Disaster both in the air and on the ground for our forces.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 28th 1943 Turn 50
Army Group North

More delays for 18th Armee in the North as rail repair units continue to lay new track towards the Finnish border, despite this Soviet forces remain inactive as 8th Armee consolidates its position.


The Soviet buildup on the Yaroslavl front continues as the Red Army moves Tank units to the front line, 16th Armee remains on a defensive footing.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 28th 1943 Turn 50
Army Group North / Army Group Centre

With Soviet forces massing along 4th Armee's front line possibly preparing for a new offensive to relieve the besieged Capital 9th Armee attacks, Mytischi Airbase is taken by 5th Panzer Div the unit then attacks an enemy force East of Khimki, South of Moscow 35th Inf Div launches an assault and pushes into West Moscow's outer suburbs, as Moscow is attacked from the West another assault is launched, 95th Inf advances towards the Northern defence fortress there the garrison offers only sporadic resistance and is overrun quickly some enemy troops begin retreating back to the capital while many choose to surrender to our victorious troops.



Inf from the 95th begin the hard advance towards Moscow's outer suburbs






On the Tambov front 2nd Armee pushes forward after clearing the pocket, with enemy thin on the ground here Gen Hans Von Salmuth ( 2nd Armee ) feels confident the city itself can be taken, as the push forward begins 3rd Pz Armee continues to reduce the Lipetsk pocket.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 28th 1943 Turn 50
Army Group Centre

After a 4 month siege Voronezh has finally been retaken the 46th Guards Rifle Corps defences collapse after a determined assault by 7th Panzer Div, despite there determination to hold the city in the hope of relief it was just a matter of time for the besieged garrison, with the front line being pushed further East as our forces advanced the city would fall.



News of Army Group Centre's success at Moscow and Voronezh reaching FM Von Kluge at his HQ at Smolensk.



Zhukov killed in action !!!!!

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 28th 1943 Turn 50
Army Group South

The offensive to capture the major Voronezh / Rostov rail line continues as Axis Forces capture Pavlovsk, 2nd Hun Army supported by VII ArmeeKorps ( 2nd Armee ) is only 10 miles from Novaya Kalitva, South of the Hungarians Romanian Forces supported elements of 4th Pz Armee push North threatening to cutoff 2 Red Army Inf Units at Belovodsk. With virtually no enemy troops defending there lines only the bad weather is delaying our advance.




In the Rostov sector Gen Hoth has ordered a temporary halt as Soviet Forces begin moving South from Stalingrad, many Tank and Mech formations are advancing towards the front lines, the Steppe and Southern Fronts having reorganised there shattered units as well as fresh reinforcements arriving from the Far East which is causing concern amongst his Command, with 4th Pz Armee spread out along a very long front with few units in reserve in case of a Soviet breakthrough, the Commander feels that caution is in the best interest at this time.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Oct 28th 1943 Turn 50
Army Group A

After beating back North Fronts assaults on our lines 6th Armee begins to dig in and prepare defensive positions, the Armee is a long way from established supply lines and is trying to hold a 150 mile front line supported by weakened Romanian forces.
The weather getting worse by the day Paulus decides to concentrate on holding the territory already captured.



On 1st Pz Armee / 17th Armee front there is heavy fighting as both Armee's are facing 6 Red Armies, with units tied up in the rear dealing with enemy pockets and more enemy troops moving to the front any thought of pushing further North is put on hold until units engaged in fighting behind the front line finish subduing the trapped forces. With bad weather hindering operations and the enemy growing in strength FM Von Kleist orders defensive actions only.

Western Front
Situation Report Oct 30th 1943 Turn 18
Army Group B

Two major air raids this week against Berlin, our fighters engaging the enemy along a 390 mile flight path with a final air defence of the Capital with of over 260 interceptors from Luftflotte Reich, despite our forces putting up strong resistance the enemy bombed all areas of the city.
While there was significant damage on industrial targets within the city our defences destroyed nearly 50 enemy bombers.

Western Front
Situation Report Oct 30th 1943 Turn 18
Army Group B


In other areas in Western Germany and Western Europe more raids were conducted by the enemy, Allied bombers struck The Ruhr and Duesseldorf again inflicting damage on our factories, while our fighters were able cause some losses in there bomber force, the enemy raids were heavily protected by escorts resulting in numerous fighter air to air engagements with losses high on both sides.