Part 10
Our week starts with the recon reports from the brave spotter planes. They show the build up of enemy forces before Leningrad, and the slow appearance of men to the south.
The 16th Army moves forwards, and they find that the air reports are missing a good number of the enemy resistance. They still advance, but we reach the next river.
18th Army continues to move forwards, but the enemy are well dug in, and it will take planned attacks to shift them. I try one attack, but am beaten back. The enemy take heavy losses, but I cannot force them to retreat with a hasty attack.
Just look at these combat values – remember the first number is the attack value, the second number
is the defensive value.
The 3rd Mot. Division opens up 4th Panzer group's advance, pushing back three units.
The Totenkoph SS Division and the 8th Panzer division storm north, they all but cut the rail line to Leningrad.
This is mildly annoying, as ten more kilometers would have made the job of cutting off supplies all the easier – although the ports of Kobona and Novaya need to be taken to properly cut off the city.
The Fins advance up to their commanders arbitrary No Attack line – only to find the Russians have fortified the other side of it.
The defenders of Moscow have thrown up another line of defences, and I need to once more try and cut that pocket off from their lines. Its messing up my need lines.
9th Army sweeps northward, pushing back the Red Army and clearing the one small pocket around Vyazma.
4th Army is now spread over nearly three hundred kilometres of front. They have little enemy resistance in front of them, but there is enough to slow their advance.
3rd Panzer Group continues its drive on Moscow, low fuel supplies hinder them still, but we are able to open a thirty kilometre hole in the enemies lines and advance another forty kilometres towards Moscow.
Only thirty kilometres to the outskirts of the city.
2nd Panzer Group pushes forwards, setting its sights on Tula, but I need more fuel here are well – I'm sure the main pocket will hold this week, but the lower pockets may not.
I'm risking having the 4th Panzer and 10th Motorized divisions being cut off for a time, but it will not be a long term thing.
With no real threats before them, 6th Army pushes forwards, they try and link up with Army group Centre, but there are a few to many Russians in the way to make it to the Desna.
Our scouts are really reporting that there are no enemy troops in the area.
17th Army has a small pocket of enemy troops to eliminate, which they do quickly.
They also drive east, taking the major city of Poltava, taking it. This leaves 1st Panzer group completely unopposed for their own movement.
The Romanians try the same, but the scattered Red Army units slow their advances. The 11th Army begins its move towards the Crimea.
Also now moving towards the front lines. The Italians!
If you don't know Captain Bertorelli, you need to watch some Allo Allo, where every nation can get sent up as stereotypes!
1st Panzer Groups strike south east! - As far as they have fuel. At least their fatigue levels are dropping, and we're building them up nicely.
We see something new this week.
The Russians attack our forces, they may stick to two Hungarian and a Romanian unit, but they assault axis forces and cause three divisions to retreat. This is a worrying development. Two of the attacks are blatantly to keep us from cutting off the marshes.
More Russian forces close in on our men around Leningrad, and we will be in for a stiff fight soon enough.
Around Moscow the enemy defences thicken quickly. And the pocket is broken once more.
Army Group south however, seems to be almost unopposed.
A let up in the fighting leads to lower casualties – then again, the north is then only place we can shoot large numbers of Soviet soldiers.
Overall, our forces are nearly at their maximum levels, although one fifth of our tanks are out of action. The Russians strength changes little.
As normal, 40k men are returned to the front line units.
The factories continue to work at almost top capacity.
These guys arrive, I think their someone’s “lucky” unit.
The Front line units get some more supplies over the course of the week – the slower pace of advance is allowing the construction units to expand the railhead. Its not up to the point of allowing me to use HQ build-up yet, but it may well be in a week or two.
Now for some Maps
Click here for the full 1753x2774 image
Click here for the full 1831x1375 image
There were some nice gains this week, but only in the areas where the Russians seem to have given us the terrain.
Click here for the full 1831x1375 image
Now we're ahead of schedule, from Leningrad on south we've at least matched the historical battle line. And we're so, so close to Moscow.