Stjeand (Axis) vs Nirosi (Allies) Stjeand may look

[Nirosi]

Soviet soldiers will defend the Motherland!

[Nirosi]

Allied turn of June 6th, 1941

The Germans continued their advance, mostly in the South of the USSR. Overall, nine rifle corps were destroyed or forced to surrender. Many more are surrounded, or almost surrounded, and can not be saved.

In the North, German forces are closing in on Minsk. The first line of defense is farther East around Mogliev, with some tanks digging in in the sector. However, the Daugava has not been crossed yet. It is a matter of time, but how long it will take might affect the situation in the whole North sector.

In the South, German and Italian armors crossed the Dniester and encircled a large chunk of Soviet troops North-West of Odessa. The Axis supply line is very thin and barely defended, however, the lack of cavalry in the sector cancelled any opportunity there might have been to at least temporarily cut supply to the forward Axis tanks. For now, Stavka will try to slow down the Axis at the Dnieper.

In other sectors, the Fins reached the Svir, while Soviet Cavalry is harassing Soviet troops in the center of the country. In Hamburg, the 23rd Separate Corps was encircled and German PanzerGrenadiers are about to assault the city. Soviet tanks are still advancing toward Teheran.

However, the most worrisome news for Stavka, is that the Axis can field at least 18 mobile corps (counting the one around Hamburg that seems to be coming back from the East). This is a formidable force that will be hard to stop.

In other sectors, German fighters are now contesting British bombing of strategic targets, forcing Bombing Command to revaluate the procedure, and the Battle of the Atlantic rages on, still very violent.

The most important news is probably that the courier bringing to Moscow the updated maps of the different sectors seems to have been lost, or was captured, or killed, maybe he deserted…?

[Nirosi]

Many recruits have to start from scratch!

[Nirosi]

Yet, there is no choice, the front line can not wait...

[Nirosi]

The missing courrier was last seen entering this forest...

[Nirosi]

Allied turn of June 20th, 1941

In the Soviet Union, 13 or so more corps are considered lost, including some of the encircled ones since the declaration of war, a few more were also encircled near Odessa that fell to the German invaders. In the South, the situation is therefore quite dire. Axis troops are closing in on Dnepropetrovsk. For now, they seem to ignore Kiev, but the push East could simply hide a hook up-north to cross the Dnieper somewhere in between Kiev and Dnepropetrovsk where defences are thinner. It can only be hoped that the Axis will take some time to reduce the pocket on its flank before continuing its push. If so, the sacrifice of those units would not have been entirely in vain. However, it is also possible the Axis will ignore the pocket and leave it to the upcoming infantry to deal with it, thus allowing the mobile corps to still push forward.

In the Northern and Central sectors, a front was established at the Berezina, but it remains to be seen if it can hold. The battle readiness and overall quality of the troops vary a lot. Overall Stavka has a big dilemma in it hands. Marshal Budyonny would prefer to entrench the armies more with extra defences armament at the expense of mobility, to help resist the German breakthrough. However, Marshal Shaposhnikov is worried that the lack of mobility would simply mean more pocket of Red Army troops when a breakthrough is achieved… Comrade Stalin listened to both sides but has not decided yet in this regard.

[Nirosi]

In Finland, in a daring move, Soviet cavalry pushed forward overextending their supply lane. The operation was ordered to hopefully provoke a reaction of Axis troops elsewhere and maybe removing some pressure at the Svir.

A lone German naval squadron, either a raider or transports with troops heading for Archangel, was detected in the Barents Sea. The 1st Bomber Division will help defend the strategic port if needs be. However, the Soviets complained that no lead lease has been received since the start of Barbarossa despite British assurances to the contrary. The War Bureau is investigating what might have happened after indeed noticing a problem two weeks ago that was tough solved. All procedures were redone from scratch and the War Bureau will closely watch that the convoys do indeed leave for the USSR!

[Nirosi]

In the West, the German fleet in Bordeaux sailed again and the British are attempting to pursue. Also, a U-boat squadron was detected near the coast of Ferol and a British fleet try to engage it before it could reach the safety of deep sea, alas, without success. Headquarters Air Command has also noticed that German fighters cover in France and Germany has been reduced to a minimum.

In Germany proper, Hamburg was retaken. It can only be seen as a humiliating situation that Germany needed Romanian help in doing so.

In other new, Persian defenders were pushed out of Tehran but the Soviet have not entered the city yet.

[Nirosi]

Allied turn of July 4th, 1941

Disaster on the Berezina! The fascist hordes broke through the Berezina line on the flanks and encircled two tank corps, the two best units of the Red Army! After some hesitation Stavka ordered, maybe impulsively, a counterattack to try to relieve the two trapped corps. Marshal Timoshenko organised the Northern offensive, when it failed, General Vatutin tried the Southern option which also failed. Stavka is now holding its breath and waiting for the German reaction to these failures. It can only be hoped that the two trapped corps will resist long enough and that the two German panzer corps attacked were shaken enough that the Soviet troops still standing East of the front will have time to regroup. Needless to say, the situation is dire…

Not too far from the former Lithuanian border, the Daugava was assaulted and after five days of furious battle, the 42nd Rifle Corps was pushed back. However, General Rokossovsky managed to order the corps back into position before the Germans could cross the river. General Rokossovsky gained the respect of Comrade Stalin who is wondering if he should not have applied Rokossovsky’s reorganisation plans on at least some of the mechanized corps.

[Nirosi]

In the South, the Dnieper was breached. Seeing what six or seven mobile corps can do in the North, and taking into account that there are at least nine of them in the South, Stavka ordered a general retreat. A retaliatory attack was ordered on Constanta but failed to achieve any tangible result. Also, the Black Sea fleet was transferred from Sebastopol to Batum.

[Nirosi]

In Finland, the naval squadron did land as expected but in Eastern Karelia and not near Archangel, severing the rail link to Murmansk. A fighter division and a bomber division were scattered in the surprise landing and lost many planes before escaping. They will have to be thoroughly reorganised, which will take time.

Also, the Svir was crossed in a Finish assault that also claimed the live of General Katkov. Stavka promptly dispatched general Malinovsly to replace him, and he who ordered a flanking action to try to isolate the Fins. However, he was heard saying that he doubts very much that his boys can hold themselves against Finish troops.

In other news, the German Fleet in Morocco set sail also and the Royal Navy is attempting to pursue as well with submarines. And in Tehran, Soviet troops pulverised any resistance that was left, forcing the country to surrender.

[Nirosi]

General Katkov died serving Mother Russia.

[Nirosi]

General Rokossovsky held the Daugava.

[Nirosi]

Generals Vatutin and Timoshenko failed to achieve their goals. Voroshilov managed to calm Stalin down and they both kept their command... and their lives.

[Nirosi]

Allied turn of July 16th, 1941

In the East, in the Northern sector, the pocket holding the Fins managed to hold against all expectations and against all enemy attempts to relieve the two trapped corps. This allowed General Malinovski, just arrived at the front last week, to force the surrendering of the Finish VI Corps, the only real Soviet victory to date. The II Corps is still trapped in the pocket, but Malinovsky does not believe he will still be lucky enough to see to pocket hold any longer than it has. Elsewhere in Finland, a Romanian combat unit was detected in the center of the country. Once again, Romanian deployments and geopolitical interests are puzzling Allied strategists and political scientists, some sort of curious deal was struck between Berlin and Bucharest.

Further South, the Daugava was crossed after some effort by the Germans. Although the enemy seems exhausted, our troops lacking mobility were in no position to counter-attack, so a general retreat was ordered. However, Riga will be defended. More important, German Panzer keep pushing East and took Smolensk. Since a few German mobile units seem exhausted, another attempt at liberating the two Tank Corps still trapped was once again ordered, with attacks North and South of the pocket, but once again failed. Generals Timoshenko and Vatutin will not be reprimanded as it was a highly difficult endeavour with low chances of success. Had it been successful, it would also have cut supply to about five panzer or panzergrenadier corps for a couple of weeks.

In other news, the Marat group was sunk in port, the rest of the surface fleet returned to raid.

[Nirosi]

In the South, the panzer force there seems unstoppable and is clearly attempting to create a huge pocket of Soviet troops by linking with the North panzer corps, before probably continuing together toward Moscow. Stavka is for now at a lost on how to deal wit the problem. Kiev was also taken in the process. A large number of reinforcements are expected within two weeks, but for now, the whole front is at huge risk and is, for lack of better word, a mess.

In other news for this sector, Kosice in Slovakia was captured by the 6th Battalion of the 11th Rifle Corps, the 6th Battalion been the last battalion left of the corps cut-off since late May. Another rare, good news was that Dnepropetrovsk was liberated after a brief German occupation.

In the Atlantic, the Royal Navy is still trying to find an engage the two German fleets at sea, while the Free French Fleet put to port in Newfoundland.

[Nirosi]

Utter chaos at the front... Much confusion in Soviet ranks...

[Nirosi]

Finnish troops surrendered in great numbers... A very small ray of sunshine in the overall darkness...

[Nirosi]

Allied turn of July 30th, 1941

The inevitable pocket East of the Pripyat Marshes was closed. Stavka will have to accept the loss of many corps, including four mechanized ones, albeit some at reduced strength. German panzer corps seem reduced in capacity for now but are still strong enough to easily keep the pocket closed. No Soviet unit in the vicinity were in any shape to attack. The fist pocket with the two armored corps was also finally eliminated.

For now, due to some quality reinforcements, there is still a relatively strong line of defense in-between the German troops and Moscow. However, there are still about two months of good weather and at least 13 mobile corps are in position to go straight toward the city! A very impressive concentration of forces against which Stavka can only oppose recruits with… variable morale... Stavka is also wondering if those panzers might no go North instead. But for now, all German actions still seem to point to Moscow been the main objective.

Further South, Axis troops are closing in on Dnepropetrovsk… again!

[Nirosi]

Further North, the Finish II Corps managed to escape the fate of the VI Corps and broke out of the pocket near the Svir River. In the middle of the country, Finish infantry and soviet cavalry are playing a dangerous game, supply wise, of cat and mouse.

In the Baltic, the Soviet navy finally showed what it was capable of by sinking 300 000 tons of Axis merchant shipping as well as a handful of escorts!

In the Atlantic, the whole Germans fleet seems now to be in Safi. The Royal Navy is deploying accordingly, in Gibraltar and at sea, except for a reserve fleet left in the UK.

In other news, Italian submarines are attempting a blockade of Malta, but the fighters based on the island have decoded their surfacing patterns and managed to strafe and even sink a few of them. A RAF attack on Bordeaux to try to cripple some U-boat flotillas based there failed to inflict any damage.