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I just now captured Ktarkja, the last enemy port on Sumatra, and that completes the capture of all the ports

and airfields and I can put some throw-away unit(s) on the island in some future turn to convert all the enemy hexes.

Right now I need the units on other targets. Like Java.

Edit: Ooooppss...wrong thread. Well, enjoy the picture:

ORIGINAL: larryfulkerson

I just now captured Ktarkja, the last enemy port on Sumatra, and that completes the capture of all the ports

and airfields and I can put some throw-away unit(s) on the island in some future turn to convert all the enemy hexes.

Right now I need the units on other targets. Like Java.

I am having trouble covering Stalingrad Larry......no way I can cover Sumatra as well [:D]

Here's the T10 front lines before I've started moving anybody. I'm behind schedule but I'm making progress so maybe

I can make up the time lost somehow. I don't remember when Leningrad fell historically or if it ever did even. I

remember it being under siege for a long time. Ian is turning it into a fortress. D'oh. I got here too late to

prevent a massive buildup and it appears he's done it already. I'm wondering if Leningrad will ever fall now.

Here's some of the losses so far. Everything looks like is running smooth by itself. Losses are light in the aircraft

department. I'm running the fighters with three-dots and still losses are light. More bombers on hand than we used to

have. Despite all the INT that's going on. So far so good.

I've finally repaired the rails enough to get some long range RR arty within range of Odessa. This is just

the first of about 3 or 4 of them. The rest I will employ near Leningrad. The three or 4 here will help the a

assault(s) along and the ones near Leningrad will pound the CD guns at Leningrad if nothing else. I've brought some

Stukas down here to take care of the last of the Soviet ships at Odessa.

Soviet turn 10

Minsk finally falls with the few remnants of the 13th Army fighting on in the suburbs on their way to collecting posthumous medals. Another 125 German infantry and engineering squads are taken out by these heroes but the resistance has just about ended.

German forces now are mopping up the remnants of the Stalin line on their way towards Smolensk.

In the south interdiction hits troop trains hard hampering the attempt to reinforce positions south and west of Kharkov. Around Odessa the arrival of German monster artillery pieces spells doom for the garrison whose guns aided by the last remaining ships of the Black Sea Fleet deal out some minor damage to the besieging Rumanian 4th Army.

All units that can escape from Finland north of Leningrad have now done so and the digging of trenches continues apace around the city. For now defences on the river Narva are holding as is Pskov further south though again the attacks are increasing in force.

In happier news the veteran Soviet Marines of the 1st Naval Group continue to fight fiercely for Tallinn and influict 42 German squad losses for the loss of just 6 of their own despite also being bombarded by the Kriegsmarine.

More partisans start to arrive behind the advance of Army Group Centre and it is to be hoped the German communications can at least be hampered a little.

Here's the T11 front lines before I have started moving anybody.

I've finally repaired the rail up to the front lines near Pskov so they have the maximum amount of supply that can

be given. The rest of the RR engineers will go repair something else while I leave one RR engineer unit here for

maintainence. I've railed up one of the longer ranged RR arty pieces and there's 4 more yet that have a range of 7

and there's one with a range of 4 and one with a range of 3 and one more that I'm blanking on right now. I've got to split

them up between the Leningrad project and the Odessa project because they are both going on right now. And

they will be useful in both places. Surely.

Here's what's going on just north of Leningrad right now. Ian has pulled all this stout combat units out of

the front lines and has formed another MLR a little further south so it's looking like the front lines are going to

move south soon. The Finns will be hard pressed to find all the units needed for an extended front line. This

should prove interesting.

The last stack of Soviet units at Minsk finally surrendered. All of them are going to the POW camp set up in

the YMCA there at Minsk. All the equipment in the way of vehicles are being driven to the football stadium

to be stored briefly, then checked out, patched up as needed and recalibrated and released to the Axis forces to use as

they see fit. Guns, tanks, jeeps, etc.

I blew a hole in the northern end of the Stalin Line and I'm driving units through it and I'm engaging his 2nd MLR and remnants. Ian has built a second MLR closer to Kiev and it looks to be pretty stout. And there's plenty of territory between this line and the 2nd MLR. So far so good.

Turn 11....27th July 1941

The German advance has hit crucial points in the line at Narva in the north down to Odessa in the South and fighting continues at the Narva Line with Soviet artillery trying to wear down some of the attacking units.

After initially repelling another German attack on Tallinn the Soviet Marines are forced out by the SS Politzei Division and the 21st Division and faces destruction in Estonia next turn.

The Soviets have now withdrawn to the pre Winter War borders and are manning fortified lines North of Leningrad.

In positive news the Soviet air force has increased in shock from 70% to 100% and can now at least compete with the Luftwaffe to a degree as the more modern MiG 3's start to arrive. Over 100 German planes are shot down this turn.I

Heavy artillery is taking its toll on the defenders of Odessa and it seems unlikely it will hold long into August.

Aside from a few straggling units holding Zinnitsa and Zhitamir the route to the Soviet defence line anchored on Kiev on the Dnepr is now clear.

I'm sneaking up on Kiev and it looks like Ian has turned it into a fortress. All the arty in the world behind the

front lines in support. I wouldn't be surprised to find out he's got a couple of those "suitcase" tactical nuclear

weapons. I'm not getting across the river at Kiev anytime soon. I'm estimating that it's going to take about 30

turns to reduce Kiev. At least.

I've reached the suburbs of Orsha and the main river I have to leap over somehow. I've got plenty of engineers that

can ferry troops across the river. I just need to time it so that everybody leaps at once to saturate the defenses.

Here's the northern flank just now. I'm in the process of taking down the Talinin defenders. I've moved them out of

the city and I can use the airfield now but I'd feel a lot better if I can just destroy the Soviet unit and get it out of

the way. I'm going to sail the boats down to the coast to help support the attack.

Here's what's going on down south. The Axis units are racing for the rivers and clearing the territory as they go.

Converting the roads and rails and not much else, just forging ahead. Taking risks and running mostly blindly. ALL the

units down south can be used for recon I've discovered. I'm running the recon units way ahead of the main body and I'm

using the AA units and AT guns and MP's to convert the hexes behind the lines. It's working out pretty much okie dokie.

I'm estimating reaching the river banks near Z-town in about 8 more turns or so.

This is what Odessa looks like just now. The Romanians have started the siege and the long range RR

arty is pounding the Soviet arty and getting hits. I want to knock out the arty before the attacking starts. Either

kill it or disentrench it so it can't shoot, either will work for me. It's too early to tell how long it's going to take

to reduce Odessa but I'm guessing about 10 turns or so.

Turn 12 ....30th July 1941

The Germans now have managed to get some high quality units from Panzer Divisions up against my dug in but conscripted Divisions along the Dnepr north and south of Kiev and this won't be pretty. My only hope is that the supply position may inhibit Larry from going directly across rivers by using bridging units and may force him to fight for the more heavily defended broken bridge crossings.

During the German turn the Rumanian 11th Division down near Odessa got roughly handled during an assault on the engineers of the Soviet 7th pontoon Regiment and lost 71 Infantry and Engineering squads to just 13 for the Soviets....if only I was only facing Rumanians...[;)]

In the far north there was evidence that even the Germans are not infallible however as the 2nd Regiment of the 14th Rifle Division in Finland inflicted no less than 93 Infantry and Engineering Squad casualties on the 6th SS Geb Division for the loss of only 3 of their own. More such heroism is needed as Zhitomir is overrun and Pskov looks about to fall giving a clear run from the south up towards Leningrad. The Finns have reached the fortified line north of Leningrad but come within range of the fearsome heavy naval batteries of the port and suffer badly..

At the start of the Soviet turn Air lossess are shown as 210 Axis and 122 Soviet which is encouraging and more Soviet aircraft are deployed across the front in an attemopt to combat still heavy interdiction. This pays immediate dividends as the Luftwaffe loses KG27 and JG 5 that are obliterated over Moscow Military District and KG 51 which evaporates over Narva by the Leningrad Military District air defences.
A sally out from Soviet defence lines near Smolensk allows artillery bombardment of Surazh airfield where a large number of Heinkel 111's,ME109's and Dorniers are destroyed or disabled.

The crunch against Kiev and Smolensk is likely in the next turn or two and it is absolutely crucial the two cities hold out for a few turns as next turn the Soviet Shock Armies begin to arrive and they will be vital to save both Moscow and the rest of the Motherland but only arrive slowly......

Here's the T13 front lines before I have started moving anybody.

This is the face of war near Pskov just now. We're still fighting over the rails in the city and those leading away

from the city too. I need that rail to feed the units further to the east when they get there and they will be there in

another 10 turns or so.