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Italian Front
Situation Report Feb 26th 1944 Turn 35
Army Group C

This week saw more troop redeployment's on the front line, the battered 338th Inf Div moved to a defensive position just South of Frosinone to rest and refit, 29th Pz Gren moved to Capua while the HG Panzer Div switched over to cover the vacated 338th area, on the Adriatic 12th SS moved up to the front and replaced the 90th Pz Gren which withdrew to Pescara to finally refit.
Allied attacks targeted key areas along the front rather than full front line assault hoping that superior numbers would force a breach in the line.


Von Arnim SS Panzer Troops at Grazzanise once again came under heavy attack by two Allied Corps ( US II and Brit XII ) with Allies taking large losses for little gain.


A second attempt by the enemy also ended in with more KIA's and nothing to show.

Italian Front
Situation Report Feb 26th 1944 Turn 35
Army Group C



South of Capua The Allies launch a massive armoured / infantry attack with over 100 thousand men fortunately the timely arrival of HG Panzer Div along with elements of two ArmeeKorps blunt the first wave of attackers.


The Brit 8th Army ( Brit 1st, XIII, XXX Corps and US VI Corps supporting ) relaunch the assault, the attack is held again.


A final attempt by Brit XIII Corps fails and the enemy is forced back.

Italian Front
Situation Report Feb 26th 1944 Turn 35
Army Group C

On The Biferno Line more heavy fighting as four Allied Corps attempt a crossing of the river against XIV Pz Korps supported by units from both 5th Pz and 10th Armee, despite Allied armour superiority our forces contain the attack.



lead by the Can 1st Corps the enemy attacks again but are pushed back.




At Termoli the Allies launch repeated assaults, Straube and Hube's forces come under intense fire in the opening attack.

Italian Front
Situation Report Feb 26th 1944 Turn 35
Army Group C

lead by McCreery's X Corps a second direct assault on the town is made.





Having just halted the last attack and pushing back the enemy Dawley's US VI Corps attacks.





Regrouping for there third attack to take the town the enemy is beaten back.
The enemy suffering heavy losses attempting to overrun our defences.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 2nd 1944 Turn 68
Army Group North / Army Group Centre

Another week of small gains of enemy territory by 8th Armee, Neya and Makaryev are captured extending the Army Group's defensive perimeter, the Axis drive in the North is steadily slowing to a crawl not by enemy action but by terrain, weather, fatigue and supplies.
The two Soviet Fronts opposing Gen Kempf's Armee pose little threat as they are greatly outnumbered and cannot mount any effective operations.


In the Ivanovo / Gorky sector both 16th Armee and 4th Armee begin to fortify the perimetor along the Kostroma / Gorky / Arzamas front line as The Soviet 9th , 37th , 40th , 41st and 4th Guards Army's are pushed back with ease, the three Soviet Fronts ( Leningrad, Bryansk and 1st Belorussian ) defending this sector are in no state to offer any solid opposition.



Troops from 8th Armee pause for a moment and rest before continuing the hard slog through snow covered terrain.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 2nd 1944 Turn 68
Army Group Centre

With the Soviet offensive on Army Group Centres Southern flank threaten to break the Axis Line, Von Kluge gives the order to recommence his own offensive to relieve the pressure on Manstein's forces despite protests from his field Commanders who are siting supply deficiencies, replacements in manpower and armour shortfalls and the general exhaustion of the troops the Axis advance begins, fortunately since there is minimal enemy forces opposing Von Kluge's Command due to the major actions by both sides in the Voronezh / Kharkov sector the vast majority of enemy troops have been siphoned off leaving the three Fronts ( 1st Ukrainian, 3rd Ukrainian and 1st Baltic ) unable to offer any real resistance.
3rd Pz Armee moves forward facing almost no enemy troops to oppose them but the ground conditions and weather are so bad that the Armee makes only a 30 mile gain across its entire sector, South of its position elements of 2nd Armee fare better as The Totenkopf Pz Gren Div unopposed pushes on the capture the capital of the region Penza



2nd Armee's main drive to Saratov is also relatively small only gaining around 20 miles due to the fact that two Soviet Corps ( 4th Mech and 15th Tank ) launched a counterattack causing Von Salmuth to concentrate his Panzers to deal with the enemies attacks.
XXXXVII Pz Korps covering 2nd Armees's flank began moving forward but part of the unit was needed to support Mansteins forces and the drive gained little momentum also.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 2nd 1944 Turn 68
OKH Command

In the Voronezh area Axis forces once more gain the upper hand with German armour counterattacking and driving out Soviet troops to retake Novokuznetsk and Yelan - Koleno again, together with XXXXVII Pz Korps 7th Pz and 12th Pz Div's reseal the main pocket and also trap 27th Tank Corps just to the South. Axis inf push forward and close the gaps in the line, while this is taking place 9th Armee begins to deploy and move forward to the front.
At his HQ just outside of Lipetsk General Brandenberger meets with FM Von Manstein for a briefing.




Manstein and Brandenberger confer on a plan to quickly eliminate the trapped Soviet forces before the enemy can launch a rescue mission



A column of Panzer III's from 7th Panzer Div move through the town of Yelan - Koleno to link up with 12th Panzer Div


In the Southern sector there is fierce fighting as Red Army forces try to hold open the corridor South of Kantemirovka as XXIV and XXXXVI Pz Korps reseal the pocketed enemy troops, three Soviet Mech Corps launch assaults but our line holds with Axis Inf reinforcing the Panzer units.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 2nd 1944 Turn 68
Army Group South

After the initial breakthroughs against 4th Pz Armee and Rum 4th Army's lines Axis forces regroup Gollnick ( XXXXII ArmeeKorps ) and Schlemmer's ( XXXXVIII Pz Korps ) counterattack pushing back 30th Tank Corps, 11th Panzer Div closes the gap isolating 9th Mech Corps

On 4th Pz Armee's left flank the Rumanian 4th Army together with XXIX and XXXXII ArmeeKorps push forward all available combat ready units to form a defence line.




At Woehler 's Command the General is briefed about heavy enemy radio traffic from forward units.

Just as Army Group South is establishing a new defence line 2nd Ukrainian Front opens a much larger offensive, the assault smashes through the left flank, ten Tank and four Mech Corps with Inf and Artillery open a 60 mile wide front brushing aside the Rum 4th Army which virtually collapses as well as forcing back XXIX and XXXXII ArmeeKorps.

The Soviet 28th, 38th, 51st, 52nd, 2nd Shock and 11th Guards Army's advancing South on a wide front capturing Tatsinskaya and pushing down as far as Belaya kalitva, some enemy units reaching the Donets river and almost trapping 12th Inf div.
Woehler issues new orders for every unit under his Command to mobilise and move to the front even units on rest and refitting are ordered to advance and hold the line, stationed Northwest of Kamensk 62nd Inf Div ( refitting ) begins to form a defensive line along side the battered Rum IV Korps.




Units of the 62nd inf trucked to the front despite being low on manpower


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donbas_st ... gust_1943)


https://codenames.info/operation/2nd-do ... operation/

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 2nd 1944 Turn 68
Army Group A

In The Caucasus another buildup of Soviet Tank and Mech Corps forces 1st Pz Armee to pull back to a better defensive position, despite a number of enemy attacks Kleist's Command remains confident that the Army Group can maintain cohesion along the front line.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 2nd 1944 Turn 68
Stats reports

Rail network and supplies

The Northern sector the rail network is way behind fortunately the enemy threat is minor most weeks



The Central network is probably the most critical, in a few places its close to the front other areas not so and resupply to forward units is bad.



The Southern Sector is relatively good but supplies seem to only trickle through down South and so it hampers offensive operations.

Western Front
Situation Report March 4th 1944 Turn 36
Army Group B

Massive bombing raids against Industrial Centres in the Ruhr region, The Allies also targeting Cologne, Deventer, Rheine, Braunschweig, Nordhausen and Wetzlar hitting heavy Industry and V - Weapon factories.
Even with the huge numbers of enemy aircraft including a large contingent of escorts German air defences inflicted large losses on the attackers.

Western Front
Situation Report March 4th 1944 Turn 36
Army Group B

While the main bombing raids were centre in Western Germany enemy activity this week also extended into the Hesse region as well as the Southwestern areas, Munich, Regensburg, Ulm, Mainz and Frankfurt getting the attention of the enemy.



In France there was also heavy activity against ground installations and Military units.

OHL Supreme Headquarters
Wilhelmshöhe Palace Germany
Situation Report March 4th 1944
Strategic overview Eastern Front

At his Headquarters in Kassel FM Von Witzleben reviews early reports from the current operations on the Eastern Front.







Infantry and Armoured losses of combat units.

OHL Supreme Headquarters
Wilhelmshöhe Palace Germany
Situation Report March 4th 1944
Strategic overview Eastern Front / Western Front


More reports from the Eastern Front of ground losses from Axis and Red Army offensives currently ongoing.




The FM speaking to Generalfeldmarschall Hugo Sperrle ( Luftflotte 3 ) about matters on how to counter Allied bombing operations in Western Europe.

Italian Front / Balkans Front
Situation Report March 4th 1944 Turn 36
Army Group C / Army Group F


This week Allied air operations were unusually quiet on the Italian mainland with a small number ground attacks against our front line forces and Command and control centres minimal, also enemy air reconnaissance activity against military installations were also light.



In The Balkans air units scrambled as the enemy launched two major bombing raids against Ploesti and Campina, the enemy inflicting large scale damage on Oil Production facilities.

Italian Front
Situation Report March 4th 1944 Turn 36
Army Group C

As with the battles in the air on the ground there was no large scale attacks against our forces which was a welcome relief for the troops defending the line. This respite gave time for units to repair fortifications which had sustained damage from repeated assaults by the enemy, restock supplies and munitions and rest.
90th Pz Gren Div moved down to the port of Pescara while still refitting the unit will guard against any enemy seaborne operations trying to outflank our line from the Adriatic Sea, likewise the 338th Inf moved to defend the port of Terracina 40 miles North of the main fighting at Grazzanise, also arriving to cover the coastal areas is the 752 zbV Inf Regiment which moved to defend the port of Gaeta.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 9th 1944 Turn 69
Army Group North

Strategic Operational Changes :
4th Armee now comes under Army Group North command

For the most part 8th Armee continues its defensive stand, South of Makaryev Hansen's X ArmeeKorps engages with The Soviet 8th Tank Corps which had moved forward along with other Red Army Units belonging to the 57th Army.



While 4th Armee edges further East extending the Gorky / Arzamas defence line 16th Armee swings North and captures Varnavino in an effort to encircle the lead elements of 57th Army.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 9th 1944 Turn 69
Army Group Centre

With the capture of Penza The Soviets launch counterattacks in the sector to try to recapture the city, three Soviet Fronts throw whatever forces they have available against our units in a hopeless fight, 2nd Armee and 3rd Pz Armee contain the attacks then push Northeast to link up with the Southern wing of 4th Armee encircling four Red Army Units ending the enemy offensive.


Note
This is one of two Soviet Corps the biggest ( Guards Inf ) I have ever seen in game so far



In the Tambov sector the trapped forces of Shlemin's 6th Tank Army are destroyed while the rest of the enemy forces fall back 20 miles Von Salmuth does not pursue, 2nd Armee maintaining a defensive stance.

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 9th 1944 Turn 69
OKH Command

Northern Sector

While Manstein's main forces remain on the defensive fortifying the front line for possible counterattack 9th Armee begins the destruction of the Soviet forces trapped South of Zherdevka, 16th and 17th Tank Corps surrender after being overwhelmed.









Southern Sector

Red Army Units launch a number of attacks but Axis lines hold and the Markovka pocket remains sealed, South of Svoboda the 12th Guards Tank Corps which had been cut off for weeks but continued to resist is finally destroyed by Hun IV Korps.
Despite still more enemy formations moving up to the front line the position for now appears to be stable much to the relief of the OKH Commander.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufiA6A2 ... L&index=18

Axis Forces retake Markovka

Eastern Front
Situation Report March 9th 1944 Turn 69
Army Group South


While the situation is easing on the Central front in the South the battle swings back and forth as Axis forces rally and retake some lost territory including the town of Tatsinskaya, 4th Pz Armee reestablishes a partial front line closing most of the gaps.
The Rum 4th Army stabilises its position with help from XXIX ArmeeKorps.
Good news for General Woehler two divisions ( 214th Inf and 100th Jaeger ) are sent to reinforce his command, both units move to cover the line and support the Rumanians.