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SITUATION REORT 28 JULY 1940

GRUPPE NORD - MURMANSK FRONT

The Germans and the Finns carry out an advance towards Murmansk -but are blocked by stiff Soviet resistance

Paras & the Brandenburgers are dropped to stop any re-enforcements reaching the Soviet front line.

ARMY GROUP NORTH - BALTIC FRONT 28 JULY 1940

Soviet front lines begin to crumble but Axis are short of armour. Talinn still holds out as the Russians are too weak to assault it with any measure of success.
Slows advance towards Leningrad now expected but the defenses there have being strengthened.

The Finns to the very northeast of the map are attempting to cut off the Karelian isthmus.

Better map

ARMY GROUP CENTRE - SMOLENSK FRONT 28 JULY 1940

Axis advance continues but the Soviets are conducting a decent enough defence. Stalin is throwing in nearly all his reserves to block any advance on Moscow by the Fascists.

However German motorised forces have swung around the Soviet lines from the North and the Russians could be 'pocketed' if they do not fall back.

28 JULY 1940: The Fortifications guarding Moscow are now completed

Uman - Odessa Front 28 JULY 1940

Progress being made but the dash to the bridges at Cherkassy have been thwarted as the Soviets have got there 1st and are digging in rapidly.

The Odessa Defenses are intact despite heavy attacks by Axis Forces on the outer perimeter.

GRUPPE NORD 1 SEPTEMBER 1940

The attacks on Murmansk have ground to a halt as lack of air power is making the odds too great to take it by Storm + Stalin can shift just enough re-enforcements to the Port to allow it to hang on.

ARMY GROUP NORTH 1 SEPTEMBER 1940

German & Baltic Forces have taken the city of Narva and are ready to push on to Leningrad as the Russians try and scramble enough forces to stop them reaching the Home of the Revolution.

ARMY GROUP CENTRE 1 SEPTEMBER 1940

Heavy fighting continues on the Central Front as both Hitler and Stalin throw their main forces into the fight for the city of Smolensk

ARMY GROUP SOUTH 1 SEPTEMBER 1940

Army Group South finally links up with the Rumanian and Bulgarian Armies

- Panzers reach the outer defenses of Kiev but are too weak to attack the well defended City.

The defenses of Odessa are formidable and will be cut off and starved out rather than taken by storm.

8 SEPTEMBER 1940 : Diplomatic Front

Mussolini breaks off Diplomatic relations with Greece and moves forces up to the Albanian-Greek Frontier.

The Italian Navy puts to sea as more troops arrive at Taranto & Brindisi for shipment overseas.

NEWS FLASH!

15 SEPTEMBER 1940

MUSSOLINI DECLARES WAR ON GREECE! ORDERS HIS TROOPS TO CROSS THE BORDER AND MARCH ON ATHENS...

He phones Hitler at his HQ @ 4am and announces that 'the Conquest of Greece has begun..' Hitler wishes him the best of Luck!

Lord Halifax addresses the House of Commons and condemns Italian aggression against 'the cradle of Democracy'

- he offers to send a Military Mission to Greece to assist in its defense.

President Roosevelt wins support from Congress to send aid to Europe.

In France General Charles De Gaulle becomes the new French Premier and is prepared to send an Expeditionary Force to Greece to protect Athens & Salonika.

SITUATION MAPS GRUPPE NORD 29 SEPTEMBER 1940



GN continues to attack Murmansk without success but the city is now cut off from further reinforcements. However it still has plenty of supplies on hand.

Further south the Brandenburgers and Para units are destroying the road and rail links to the beleaguered city.

The Swedes have been finally being prodded into action on this Front and are attempting an advance on Salla with a German Division on the way to prop them up if necessary.

ARMY GROUP NORTH 29 SEPTEMBER 1940

German forces are well across the Narva but the pace is slow as the Russians fall back slowly towards Leningrad...

Further south the Baltic armies have broken through from the north & the Germans from the south to 'pocket' the Russians around Velki Luki who are now cut off.

In the remote NE of the map the Finns are inching south around the edges of Lake Ladoga.

ARMY GROUP CENTRE 29 SEPTEMBER 1940

Is the net closing on the Armies of the Central Front guarding the road to Moscow?

German forces have surrounded one small pocket but bigger fish are there to net if the Wehrmacht can only just push a bit further East they might just net a haul of Soviet Armies!

The formidable defenses of Moscow's outer ring of fortifications awaits them though...

ARMY GROUP SOUTH 29 SEPTEMBER 1940

Panzer Army Ukraine under General Rommel comes crashing down from the north

- Objective Cherkassy!

If that falls all Soviet forces to the west [incl. Kiev risk annihilation


Further south both sides are involved in a mixture of set piece assaults and running melees but the Axis forces are slowly getting the upper hand.

The Odessa Front is still stable but the Soviets there risk being cut off.

20 OCTOBER 1940: ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE TO GREECE STARTS TO ASSEMBLE OFF THE COAST OF FRANCE.

Rome 20 October: Il Duce warns England and France not to interfere in Greek Affairs, says the War is not the fault of Italy but of the Greeks.

The Invasion of Iran commences under Code name 'Operation Countenance'. Allied Forces drawn from France, Britain & the Soviet Union cross Iranian borders and call on their ill equipped Army to lay down their weapons.

Reza Shah Pahlavi calls upon all Iranians to resist the Infidels and asks Hitler for help.

Rome 4 November 1940

On Victory Day Il Duce declares a unilateral Ceasefire in Greece declaring that the war aims have been met to deter Greek ambitions on Albania.

The Italians occupy the island of Corfu and Mussolini annexes it to Italy.

Forward elements of the Allied Expeditionary Force to Greece are now in place protecting Salonika. General Montgomery is CIC with Allied Fleets at sea.

The Greeks have stabilised their lines and are pressing the Allies to launch an immediate Counter Offensive, however both London & Paris urge caution.