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Western Front
Situation Report Nov 13th 1943 Turn 20
Army Group B

Heavy rain over The Channel and right across the European mainland seems to have greatly reduced Allied air operations against Axis occupied Europe giving the Luftwaffe a much needed chance to rest and regroup there was still some enemy air activity against our industrial centres, Hannover region was hit again as was Hamburg and Dusseldorf both subject to huge night raids with hamburg attacked twice within the week and suffering heavy damage.

There was also some minor raids on airbases and ground units which caused little or no damage and losses.

Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 13th 1943 Turn 20
Army Group C

With the weather just as bad here as it is in Western Europe the scale of Allied air raids was very small with what little was were directed against our ground forces, the heavy rain having a major impact on the enemies ability to find targets on the ground, it also meant that German air operations were also heavily affected, there was some attempts by the enemy to interdict our coastal convoys in the Adriatic but here too the weather played havoc for the RAF trying to find Naval targets.

Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 13th 1943 Turn 20
Army Group C

While the air battle seems to be reducing due to bad weather, the ground conflict remains ferocious.
Army Group C's front line seems to have stabilised for now despite the Allies launching a number of huge coordinated attacks at different sectors of our lines hoping to punch through, at Grazzanise the defenders with a mere 67 Panzer's were facing Clark's US 5th Army as well the US II and Brit X Corps number 75 00 men and almost 1300 AFV's in two major assaults, both enemy attacks failed with the enemy taking high losses, another assault by enemy forces numbering around 55 000 against our troops in a well defended position atop one of the numerous mountains in our defence line again resulted in heavy enemy losses.

Northeast of Campobassa Brit V, XIII and XXX Corps tried to launch an attack across the river, Hube's XIV Pz Korps supported by Infantry from both 5th Pz Armee and 10th Armee , the enemy suffering major losses and forced back across the river to there starting positions, on the Adriatic side two major battles took place and here to our troops held firm, the Allies unable to breach our lines and are forced back, the combination bad weather, excellent defensive terrain and the Allies having to make there assaults across two large rivers which are aiding our forces.

Gen Zeitzler also receives heartening news as 14th Armee has now became activated and will be sent to Italy under his Command, and should arrive within the next week.



The battle at Grazzanise begins Clark launching an armoured assault, Von Arnim's Inf supported by Hube's Panzer's blunt the Allied advance inflicting big losses.


With no time to rest Von Arnim's men are attacked by two enemy Corps and an even bigger armoured force but again the attack is halted with the enemy losing even more men and Tanks.



Clark tries to smash through the centre again Von Arnim's dug in units backed by 10th Armee troops repulse the attack with the Allies suffering large losses.

Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 13th 1943 Turn 20
Army Group C

With Clark's 5th Army attacking on the left flank Montgomery's 8th Army attacks on the right with no less than 3 Corps ( V, XIII and XXX ) massing almost 115 000 men, attempting to cross The Biferno River North of Campobasso, again our heavily fortified troops from both German Armee's backed by Hube's Panzer's hold up 8th Army's advance.


Feuerstein's men backed by Balck and Hube's 16th Panzer troops manage to hold there ground with only 17 000 men against nearly 74 000, 1st Can Corps together with Brit V Corps coming within few hundred meters of breaching the line.


On the Adriatic coast road another huge Allied assault is launched 4 Allied Corps ( 1st Can, Brit V, X and XIII ) attack the defenders in the town of Termoli, the line holds.

Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 13th 1943 Turn 20
Army Group C

The Northern Italy sector where 3 German ArmeeKorps maintain garrison duties, these formations will be the base force for 14th Armee and also a strategic reserve in case of a Allied breakthrough.


Losses are high on the Allied side as Axis defence lines strengthen





II / JG 27

With heavy rain restricting air operations the unit is once again on stand down for this week.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 18th 1943 Turn 53
Army Group North

Preparations continue for 18th Armee's transfer South while Von Keuchler decides to move his HQ closer to the front line in the far North. LIV ArmeeKorps troops begin to arrive and take up defensive positions and reinforce the Cherepovets line.



After its victory at Moscow X ArmeeKorps begins the rail journey North to join the rest of 8th Armee, along 16th Armee and 9th Armee's front the Red Army falls back.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 18th 1943 Turn 53
Army Group North / Army Group Centre

With 9th Armee in control of Moscow High Command has decided to send one of its ArmeeKorps to the Southern front, the front line here remains relatively quiet as news spreads throughout Eastern Europe of the fall of the Soviet Capital.




In the central sector 3rd Pz Armee finishes destroying the pocket around Lipetsk while 2nd Armee renews its offensive towards Tambov against 1st Ukrainian Front, 3 Tanks Corps are encircled just 20 miles from the city.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 18th 1943 Turn 53
Army Group South

Once again the line has became static as Axis forces begin to destroy the trapped Soviet armour, the 29th Army and 60th Army begin pushing units North to counter the Southern wing of 2nd Armee, however the enemy seems reluctant to attack.




On the 4th Pz Armee front the line remains quiet even with both 2nd Ukrainian and 4th Ukrainian Fronts massing armour, but there has been little action this week the enemy content to sit in there defensive positions.

Germany
Situation Report Nov 18th 1943 Turn 53
Berlin

0500 hours
Field Marshal Erich Von Manstein arrives at The Reichstag to give his official report to the German Government ( the FM had flown in from the Eastern Front the previous night ) of the military status of the Soviet Capital and the whereabouts of the Soviet leader Josef Stalin.







The FM reported to the Parliament that the Moscow Garrison surrendered unconditionally after a number of days resistance and that the City is now under German control, however interviews with high ranking Soviet officials and military personal that were captured throughout the week indicate the Soviet leader had fled by plane out of Moscow the previous week when Moscow's outer defences had been breached. The captured officials indicate Stalin had barely escaped as German forces advanced towards Vnukovo Air Base north of the city centre.

01100 hours
Berlin radio announces that there will be an important announcement by The President





01200 hours
General Beck speaks on Berlin Radio and declares that the German Armed forces have captured the Soviet Capital, the city erupts in celebration with huge crowds on the streets including outside The Berlin Palace.




At Schloss Wilhelmshöhe ( OHL Headquarters ) congratulations all round for the High Command and the troops on the ground before its back to there duties.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 18th 1943 Turn 53
Army Group A

A large scale Soviet assault takes place in the Stavropol region allowing the trapped Guards Corps to resupply its troops, the enemy advance continues pushing our forces back, however the enemy fails to press its advantage and pulls back some of its units allowing 1st Pz Armee and 17th Armee to retake some ground lost.

On The Caspian Sea coast 1st Pz launches its own offensive trapping 1st Guards Inf Corps and 14th Tank Corps. Despite the string of defeats over the past months it seems clear to Von Kleist that the Red Army still has some fight left.

Western Front
Situation Report Nov 20th 1943 Turn 21
Army Group B

With news reaching the Western Front on the success in the East the celebrations here were short as The Allies conducted heavy raids across Western Germany, Massive air assaults were directed at U - Boat Factories at Hamburg and Luebeck while fuel production facilities were hit in the Hannover region.






The Ruhr region was also hit with our fighter forces suffering heavy losses as the Western Allies reinforce there bombers sorties, Luftwaffe fighter units engaging with US P - 38J Lightning escorts.

Western Front
Situation Report Nov 20th 1943 Turn 21
Army Group B

Further South from the main air raids in Germany the enemy launched a small raid on Cologne which caused minimal damage, while the RAF returned to France with a combination of recon and bombing raids on our air bases and ground forces. There was a lot of enemy activity in the Gulf Of St Malo as Coastal Command continued its Naval interdiction of Kriegsmarine Convoys.

Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 20th 1943 Turn 21
Army Group C

Here to In Italy there was little time for Axis forces to celebrate the fall of Moscow as Western Allied forces intensified air and ground assaults on our troops, US 15th Air Force and RAF Tactical Air Force conducted a massive saturation bombing of the entire Axis front line, British air units also launched major operations over Rome and the the surrounding areas. There was also naval operations by the enemy in the Adriatic which proved costly for The British.

Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 20th 1943 Turn 21
Army Group C

II /JG 27

This week saw the unit was back in action having been stood down due to bad weather, needing replacement aircraft as well as other planes in the squadron needing repairs, the squadron participated in a number intercept mission throughout the week.

The unit conducted 3 intercept missions for the week, while there was some damage to planes the unit was lucky enough to not have any fatalities within the squadrons personal.

Italian Front
Situation Report Nov 20th 1943 Turn 21
Army Group C

14th Armee HQ arrives and takes control of all Axis Forces in Northern Italy, while on the Volturno Line for the most part it remains quiet, there were two attacks on the Adriatic side but these were contained. The British 8th Army first launches an assault South of Termoli, massing 3 Corps ( V, XIII and XXX ) Montgomery attempts to punch through,the enemy starts with a massive artillery barrage followed by a Tank and Inf assault but is unable to force a crossing, while this battle takes place Canadian forces with British support launch a direct assault on Termoli but units from 10th Armee supported by Panzer's of Hube's Pz Korps absorb the attack, Feuerstein's Mountain Inf hold onto the key roads and bridges into the town denying Allied forces any chances to create a foot hold on the other side of the Biferno River.







The British mass nearly 95 000 men but there assault across the river fails.


At Termoli the heavily fortified defenders drive the Canadians and British back who suffer substantial losses.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 25th 1943 Turn 54
Army Group North

The withdrawal of units of 18th Armee continues while 8th Armee begins to regroup for the winter months,with the Red Army in so few numbers in this sector FM Von Kuechler directs his staff to prepare for a possible winter offensive to capture Vologda, Soviet forces are spread out and in no position to effectively offer any real opposition.


South of the Rybinsk Reservoir 4 Soviet Fronts maintain a defensive posture towards both 9th Armee and 16th Armee, an eerie quiet hangs over this sector of the front.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 25th 1943 Turn 54
Army Group Centre

At his HQ at Smolensk FM Von Kluge has decided to launch a major offensive aimed at capturing Murom, Arzamas, Vladimir and Saransk, 4th Armee will attack towards The Leningrad, 1st Baltic and 2nd Baltic Fronts, with 3rd Pz Armee attacking The 1st Belorussian Front, despite bad weather Axis forces are able to advance up 40 miles in some sectors of the front, Soviet troops offering little resistance in some cases.






South of 3rd Pz Armee positions 2nd Armee renews its offensive and breaks through the Red Army lines 1st Ukrainian Front collapsing in disarray and fleeing as troops from the 25th Pz Gren Div capture Tambov.




It is decided that Gen lemelsen's XXXXVII Pz Korps at Yelets will be rested, the unit had been engaged in heavy fighting at the Lipetsk pocket.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 25th 1943 Turn 54
Army Group South

Increasingly bad weather, lack of sufficient supplies along with the general exhaustion of the troops has once again forced a temporary halt in the advance, the resistance by Red Army troops in the Belovodsk pocket also has Gen Woehler ( AG South ) concerned as it ties up valuable troops that otherwise would be needed for offensive operations, to this end the pocket is to be eliminated before any further major advances are to be taken.




More troubling reports are coming from the 4th Pz Armee front as even more Soviet armoured units converge on Hoth's front line, estimates of the enemy's strength is now believed to have doubled in numbers, forward recon reporting back that the 2nd Ukrainian Front is now fielding 9 Tanks Corps along our defensive line.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 25th 1943 Turn 54
Army Group A

The front line in The Caucasus continues to fluctuate as The North Caucasus Front redeploys the bulk of its units from the front line, 14th Tank Corps is destroyed while 1st Guards Inf Corps remains cutoff, the pull back by the enemy allows 17th Armee to retake virtually all ground lost from the previous weeks as well as trap 3 Mech Corps which failed to extricate themselves quickly enough from the area, 1st Pz Armee mobile forces were able advance rapidly, the Panzer's moving from Velichavka were able to push into the enemies rear area supply lines unhindered and cut off the Soviet line of retreat.




On the left flank Paulus's Armee maintains a defensive posture, for the most part the enemy is content to do likewise though there were two probing attacks which were easily beaten back by Friedrich Kirchner's LVII Pz Korps.

Eastern Front
Situation Report Nov 25th 1943 Turn 54
Supply

Our Eastern Front Supply situation this turn