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February 13 1942
The ring around Leningrad is closing as Army Group Finland and Army Group North prepare a joint final assault. Nothing moves in frozen the central part of the front.
In the Army Group South area General von Manstein has by now cleared the Caucasus of enemy units, the last Soviet defenders retiring to Iran.

At the end of this turn the Soviets aligned 48 land units vs 76 Germans.

Mediterranean area. February 13 1942
The freshly arrived German panzerkorps counterattacked in Tunisia near the Mareth border line but took some casualties without achieving much. They retired towards better supply near Tunis. The Allies have 2 HQs and no less than 2 tactical bombers, 1 medium bomber and 1 maritime bomber near Tripoli with fighter support. The Italian defenders are fighting with low supplies against better led and supplied troops. The issue in Tunisia was never in doubt, as the Axis Powers decided to send few troops to the area.

Note for Tunisia

With the port of Rangoon out of service and powerful Japanese Army forces approaching fast, General “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell was evacuated north safely by railroad during the next Allied turn. The US marines (as they could not be operated) were ordered to retreat as fast as they could towards Mandalay by road. With the benefit of hindsight (current turn October 1942), I now know that I should have launched those Japanese Paras to cut the road leading to Mandalay, isolating these US troops… Our troops in Burma are no longer able to advance and the USA is in the offensive in the Central Pacific…

March 13 1942
Deserted Rangoon was occupied and the Japanese continued north in hot pursuit of the retreating US marines.
The last Chinese defenders were holding Kumming and Wanting after being pushed west to the Burmese border. But good news for them, the Allies have based some bombers near the Ledo area and were now attacking the advancing Japanese. The US Army Air Force was now operating 2 fighter wings and a unit of heavy bombers in the area along with Indian medium bombers.
Our forces approach Batavia still defended by an Indian Army. Manila was under assault, the city holding for 2 more turns.

The Kido Butai, after the Pearl Harbor attack, have been navigating under Nagumo in the Central Pacific area making time. Out of the 4 carriers, 3 have taken serious air losses in the attack and are in need of rest and refit. But with no MPPs available (and no good ports to repair) they now moved to the Coral Sea, a relatively “safe area” to cover our next operation: the capture of Port Moresby by SNL forces embarking Guadalcanal. We are pretty sure that they have been spotted moving west South of Papua…

As recounted before, the Yugoslavian government decided to revolt against their King at this date March 13 1942. Immediately the Hungarians, that have been waiting for a whole year this event, attacked giving the Allies no time no set up a defense. A couple of new panzergrenadiers mechanized infantry units, that by chance happened to be in Berlin about to be operated to Army Group South, were sent to the area to crush the revolt. Italian General Messe disembarked directly Tirana from Tunis to take care of the Greeks.

Around Leningrad the Soviets were now desperately defending their sacred city. Two tank units including heavy KV-1/2s were in the area. But at this moment our panzer forces assaulted Belomorsk, and with the capture of this town, the communications between Murmansk and the rest of the country were severed. More good news, our troops now threatened the key cities of Volkhov and Arkhangetsk. The Soviets were now compelled to divert some troops north to defend the new threatened area.

In the far North of Army Group Finland the town of Petsamo was liberated after several months of winter warfare. But just as a Finnish garrison defending Rovaniemi moved north towards Ivalo a Soviet para unit jumped and captured the town, severing the North-South rail connections in the country. A new operation was planned to reestablish the situation ASAP.

At the end of this turn the Soviets aligned 48 land units vs 76 Germans.

The final drive on Moscow

April 10 1942
The skies were clear after many months of rain/snow over the Leningrad area. The final assault against Leningrad starts. After a bombardment inferno coupled with air attacks the 2 key hexes adjacent the Leningrad NM objective city hex were captured. I have the impression that the Soviets were surprised by the intensity of our assault. For some unknown reason the Soviet Heavy tanks were defending a non critical hex in a marsh and were heavily attacked and damaged by our air force in a vulnerable spot. The other unit of Soviet tanks had by now moved north to defend Volkhov and thus was also out the critical attacked area (loosing their entrenchment) being replaced by a newly arrived army without any entrenchment. Now our artillery was moved within reach of the city heart and the city will fall next turn.

Army Group Center experienced a couple of partisans supply interruptions during the winter near Smolensk. As no advance was possible until reinforcements arrived only reconnaissance missions of the forward Soviet troops manning the Moscow fortifications were ordered.

At the end of this turn the Soviets aligned 47 land units vs 78 Germans.

April 10 1942
The assault of Batavia was now ready as 4 SNL infantry units and an Army encircled the capital. The whole Kido Butai, after covering the successful occupation of Port Moresby, was ordered to the area to support the attack if needed. A couple of Battleships were sent to block the port of Batavia but ended the turn in a dangerous zone near a silent Dutch submarine.
A Japanese army was approaching Singapore descending the Malayan peninsula.

The Allies were obviously very well informed that the Kido Butai was in the area around the Java Sea and coordinated a very well executed attack. During April they based important air assets in Sumatra and were waiting for us. From Padang a Canadian maritime bomber unit damaged very seriously a Japanese BB later sunk by a sub and from Palempang a US maritime bomber unit nearly sunk the other Japanese BB blocking Batavia port (only 2 strenght remaining). A Spitfire fighter wing was escorting the missions from Oosthaven. It was a nasty surprise for the Imperial Navy.

May 8 1942
Batavia was attacked but the entrenched Indians resisted stubbornly. The Kido Butai retreated to the Flores Sea area leaving the sub and maritime bomber infested Java Sea.

May 8 1942
A new Wolfpack of 3 U-Boote level 3 reached the Petsamo area and begun to work the USSR convoy lane sinking 120 MPPs per turn. By decoding enemy radio communications a BB was spotted in the Norwegian Sea. The nearest 2 U-Boote attacked the Bristish BB damaging the ship. A couple more following U-Boote were also heading north into the Norwegian Sea.

During the following turns the Allies managed to sink the 2 U-Boote that attacked the BB but the other couple reached safely the Petsamo area. The Allied convoy lane losses 200 MPPs per turn.

The battle for Stalingrad begins. The 2 new panzergrenadiers units initially earmarked for General von Manstein were diverted to Yugoslavia as recounted before, so the attack was delayed for a turn. General von Manstein will take command of a panzerkorps, the 2 returning panzergrenadiers and some Axis minor units with heavy air support from the Luftflotte 4.
In the central part of the front reinforcements should be arriving soon after the Leningrad area will be cleared of enemy troops.

Yugoslavia surrendered. The Allies reached Tunis. The invasion of Greece started under Italian leadership.

Losses May 8 1942 ( 2 U-Boote will be added shortly)

June 5 1942
In the Army Group North-Finland area the Soviets retired and were now regrouped around Volkhov. Led by General Gariboldi our panzerkorps attacked the town of Onega in the White Sea in their advance east aiming Arkhangetsk.

After capturing Leningrad General Rommel was transferred to Army Group Center to lead the Moscow attack. Troops and material were massing south of Moscow in preparation for the assault. No less than 4 German Armies, 4 rested and upgraded panzerkorps and 2 rocket artillery units were placed under his direct command, assisted by 2 other HQs.

In the south General von Manstein had reached the Volga and the city of Stalingrad was now under assault. The second unit of panzergrenadiers arrived by rail from Yugoslavia. The rail-line connecting Voronezh and Stalingrad was cut by our leading Rumanian infantry corps. Our paras jumped and captured an undefended Astrakhan in the Caspian Sea.

At the end of this turn the Soviets aligned 44 land units vs 78 Germans.
Tunisia surrendered. Thessaloniki was captured in Greece.

June 5 1942
The Indians defending stubbornly Batavia were evacuated safely by ship in May. Later they were found by a marauding Japanese sub operating in the Gulf of Bengal but again escaped unhurt. Batavia was entered and the NEI surrendered but the sub and CL continued the fight with the Allies. Singapore is defended by a well entrenched Indian Army, again these Indians are everywhere! An artillery unit, requested by our command to start the siege, was operated to Malaysia with a new Japanese HQ. In Burma our forces reached Mandalay and Kumming falled in China.

July 3rd 1942
General Rommel initiates the Moscow assault. The Soviets are strongest in the west sector around the Kalinin-Vyazma, were they have placed their best troops 3 Armies and 2 tank units including heavy tanks in a double fortified line. The southeast area is somewhat weaker, being defended by 2 corps and 1 Army, entrenched in a double fortified line behind a river supported by 1 AA unit and an armored train. The town of Ryazhsk on the Don river (south of Ryazan) was defended by a weak garrison. It is here that the attack started, the town being easily captured by a panzerkorps opening the road towards Penza to the east.
The field artillery unit arrived at the front from the Leningrad area along with a 3rd German HQ from Rostov and a Hungarian Army.

In the south General von Manstein was enveloping the city of Stalingrad from the North with the available motorized panzer forces. The city of Voronezh was isolated as our leading Rumanian infantry corps approached Saratov and cut the rail-line. Our paras enjoyed the views of the seaside in Astrakhan but they preferred the Malta beaches.

The USSR morale is now 66%. The Russians loses 1400 MPPs in combat casualties this turn. They are getting only 60 MMPs from Murmansk as 200 MPPs are being sunk by our U-Boote operating from Petsamo every turn.
The Soviets are down to 38 land units vs 79 Germans.

The Soviets redeployed their forces during July. They evacuated Volkhov near Lake Ladoga in the North and those troops reinforced the Moscow front. Stalingrad was evacuated also and those troops were operated to defend Saratov upstream on the Volga. Near Moscow the Heavy tanks defending Kalinin were redeployed next to the capital together with another unit of Heavy tanks operated directly from the Volkhov front.

July 31 1942
The assault against the elite Soviet Army defending the Kaluga-Moscow road hex is a failure. The attack in the southeast sector is somewhat more successful as the Germans managed to destroy the fortification next to Ryazan and severely damaged both, the Army behind the river and the armored train.
General Rommel moved his HQ further east to Ryazhsk and an Infantry corps approached cautiously Penza.
Another panzerkorps arrived by train to Tula making a total of 5 panzerkorps the number of armor formations massed for the attack.

After passing through deserted Stalingrad General von Manstein troops continued north in the direction of Saratov on the Volga. A fortified antitank enemy unit was destroyed southwest of Saratov, leaving a gap in the Soviet defense line. The Italians sieged Voronezh.
The German paras were transported by ship from Astrakahn to Baku.

The Soviets are down to 37 land units vs 81 Germans.