Part 27: Turn 24: November 27, 1941

The last turn of snow, next turn the real fun starts.



Our new complement of guards. The two rifle divisions are in the 24th army, bringing the number of guards divisions in the Leningrad pocket up to 5. The artillery are attached to the 23rd, also in the pocket.



The ice rises to level 3, thin ice. This is the worst level with the highest MP cost for units or supplies trying to cross rivers or move through ports. It will last until the ice reaches level 8 for major rivers and 5 for all other rivers.




The Germans are pulling back but I don't really have the strength to attack them in most places. Most of this turn will simply be preparation for the next.



In the city we stay put. We don't have the MP to get across the river so the only units who can even move out are the 3 guards in the city itself, and there's no way in hell I'm taking those guards out of Leningrad.



All along the front we move up to maintain contact but do not launch any attacks



The new Volkhov front moves up and gets ready to attack.




More of the same here, we're going to move up to keep contact with the Germans wherever we can. Reserve armies are also going to begin moving into position to attack.



The 57th moves up onto the line, unfortunately the rails aren't great here so they have to bunch up directly behind the line rather than occupying a stretch of it.



We launch an attack on the surrounded Panzer division but are repulsed with heavy losses, lets try that again.



Much better. I thought my odds on this second assault would be a lot better than 3:1, scary.



On the southern edge of this front we don't have the MP to regain contact with the Germans, the rivers here are just too difficult to cross. We settle instead for condensing our frontlines and moving up as far as we can.




Chase those Germans.



The line condenses as we chase the Germans escaping the salient, this opens up a nice gap in the line for the 44th cavalry to occupy.



The rest of the front follows suite and down here we actually make contact with some Germans. The 1st Shock army and its Guards squeeze into the line, eager to attack.




Less ground has been given up here. The same rivers that have been protecting us for the last few weeks are now going to protect the Germans and Romanians on the western bank, for now.



Chasing Germans and deploying reserves, the 61st joins the line.



We put as many troops across the river at Dnepropetrovsk as we can. If we want to cross these rivers before they freeze we'll have to take the western bank from the western side, trying to make an opposed crossing in this weather will be impossible. We also deploy the Coastal Army just north of the city.



Nothing, our rail cap all goes towards getting armies to the front lines.




Perfect.



In the north the Germans launch 3 attacks with only one succeeding. They don't bother launching an attack on Leningrad because...



They're really not in any shape to be attacking hard targets right now.



At Tula all the Germans have vanished, hunting for defensible territory.



My turn.



Current invasion in red vs historical invasion in black. The historical date is technically 4 days away but that won't make any difference. The Germans were stopped dead in the south and the only place I've lost significant amounts of territory is in the forested wastelands of the north.