Part 18: Turn 3 - Soviet Movement Phase: Sevatopol Fortress
A major Soviet propaganda effort causes hundreds of thousands of volunteers to flock to newly created or rebuilt units. The Stavka is very appreciative of this and decides to earmark funds and production capabilities to continue this moral offensive.
The Soviets play Stavka to retrieve Za Rodinu! from the discard pile.
Many Muscovites rally to their local voenkom offices in order to enlist to defend their homes. They pass a very brief training and triage - the more capable ones are sent to join the reforming Southwest Front in Kalinin instead. The rest make up the Moscow Defence Unit.
Maskirovka, Cavalry Raid and Georgy Zhukov are all discarded to retrieve destroyed units.
Meanwhile, many more recruits join new divisions to replace those destroyed in the fighting along the Dneper. The Red Army also forms several divisions earmarked for Leningrad, but it's unclear whether they will actually make it there, given the recent developments.
Finally, the sailors of the Black Sea Fleet help fortify Sevastopol. Coastal defence units head towards the city to organize a defensive line there. Losing the port would seriously hamper Soviet operations in the Black Sea area.
The Sevastopol unit is mostly made up of the Separate Coastal Army, which defended Odessa at the outset of the war, and the Black Sea Fleet sailors. Most of the ships were withdrawn in the face of the Luftwaffe, so nearly 50 000 Navy personnel were made to serve as infantry. Overall, the Soviet forces in the city number around 110 000, with little anti-tank or anti-air capacity (not to mention tanks). They are, however, not supposed to be the main defence of the area - the Crimea is meant to be protected by another front. Of course, OTL that front collapsed very quickly. Luckily for the Soviets, the city can be supplied from sea and is a very strong defensive position itself.
,I need movement orders from cokerpilot and Hipster Rooster. Deadline for those is Monday, Decmber 9, 7 PM GMT.
