26th February 1942: The Last Day of Offensive War

26th February 1942: The Last Day of Offensive War (Full Version)

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horza66 -> 26th February 1942: The Last Day of Offensive War (3/29/2011 6:20:49 PM)
The weather is on the turn. All along the line we deliver our last attacks, attacking and retreating sometimes with Cavalry Corps in order to maintain a strong line. [image]local://upfiles/37435/72AFC890242D40078FE829064AE00C6A.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 26th February 1942: Casualties (3/29/2011 6:27:39 PM)
German casualties reach 1.5m by this point. We have destroyed over 20 assorted enemy divisions. It seems a reasonable number, but is it sufficient to reduce the enemy power for March, let alone the summmer campaign season? [image]local://upfiles/37435/7F77E2CAE64143D5AD7CFE3A68A2131F.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 26th February 1942: OOB (3/29/2011 6:33:38 PM)
With our 5 million men facing barely 2 million we hope to have the defence in depth, local and strategic reserves to stifle any enemy offensive. Our Cavalry Corps will be our fire brigades locally, and 2 Reserve Armies and 1 Shock Army will respond initially to any determined offensive. [image]local://upfiles/37435/2CCF8D92301E41FBA143AF34F2CD71FA.jpg[/image]

76mm -> RE: 26th February 1942: OOB (3/29/2011 6:53:17 PM)
Impossible indeed! Hang in there!

horza66 -> 5th March 1942: The Fascists Strike Back (3/29/2011 11:06:13 PM)
There is no immediate return to 1941. Much of the South and Central fronts remain completely quiet. Our aggressive maneuvers out of the swamps of Cherepovets are hammered back. We are moved ten miles back across the entire line in front of Stalingrad. The most serious assault is in front of Saratov. A 30 mile penetration is made, with an occasional appalling result by our forces - we had thought the days of exchanging a few hundred German casualties for several thousand Soviet men were over. Yet the enemy offensives are inconclusive and limited. Containable. They have suffered much through the winter. [image]local://upfiles/37435/B076B35623FC4952BF89E263D1BD76CB.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 12th March 1942 (3/29/2011 11:12:24 PM)
Disaster threatens in the North. In response to a remaining pocket of a single German division from the deep winter, the Fascists throw a surprising weight of forces across the Volga, scattering our defences badly. We begin thinking fervently about the mud once again. [image]local://upfiles/37435/6F9FB2763A184318B3BC3F67413B003A.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 19th March 1942 (3/29/2011 11:18:38 PM)
Cherepovets becomes the only danger point. There are limited attacks elsewhere, but the Fascists seem determined to drive us back to our lines of December '41. Since those lines remain heavily fortified, our concern is limited. We hold reserves ready in case the retreat turns into a rout, but out men are much more steady in this new year. [image]local://upfiles/37435/08CF5DC03AA842FEAAD006AD026153BE.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 26th March 1942: Last Days Before The Mud (3/29/2011 11:25:47 PM)
The ice is melting, and soon we will be inundated. It is not before time, though we remain in control across the front. The North holds on its old fortified line. We are forced back across much of the South by ten miles, but find opportunities to counter-attack weak units regularly. The attempted breakout from the Crimea is over. It has drawn in enemy reserves, and that must be considered a success. [image]local://upfiles/37435/5BDD4F2D1CA0408EBC98892AAE148EE3.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 2nd April 1942: The Return of the VVS (4/1/2011 5:34:06 PM)
The mud arrives, and the fascists pull back from our main defence lines. We pull out our tank brigades for reorganisation into Corps, and consider probing forward despite the mud. The VVS scores its first notable victory. The Luftwaffe flies an airfield raid straight into the teeth of our finest formations and pilots and pays the price. [image]local://upfiles/37435/2AA10D5272F446849A42D4184DB86172.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 9th April 1942: Small Victories in the Mud (4/1/2011 5:44:07 PM)
Our probes manage to isolate a German division in the North, and we shall continue them. The Luftwaffe strikes again, to our continued advantage. Could it be that they believe in their own invulnerability to such a degree that they cannot recognise when they are sure to lose a battle? [image]local://upfiles/37435/4C07BC0FC6EC4B568662F847789A0C8D.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 16th April 1942: The Mighty Tank Corps (4/1/2011 5:49:48 PM)
Our Tank Corps prove to be weak and ineffective formations in their early form. They have potentialities, but we do not expect to make significant use of them until the late summer. Unless of course we are forced to throw them in against a German breakthrough. [image]local://upfiles/37435/CB1C035C1E814EA9ACBF753DB6BB3B1F.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 23rd April 1942: The Gathering Storm (4/1/2011 5:56:33 PM)
We isolate a Finnish division in the North by simply probing forward. In the South the Fascists appear unconcerned about revealing their intentions. A Panzer Army stands in front of our deep defensive lines. We continue building up our reserves. [image]local://upfiles/37435/A929D8ED837B40BB92E57746BE411FA1.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 30th April 1942: The Lines (4/1/2011 6:03:46 PM)
Our typical defence line at this point in the war. A base 30-40 mile thickness of fortifications, the carpet of troops will concentrate into a rifle brigade picket in front of corps strength main lines. Cavalry and Tank Corps are available locally to cover a breach, which will allow reserve armies to arrive. [image]local://upfiles/37435/2BFCE7B634564D37974A7706A1373EB9.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 7th May 1942: Getting an Early Start (4/1/2011 6:21:14 PM)
The Fascists launch their Summer offensive early. Our forces in front of Rostov are forced back 30 miles in places. In the Saratov-Stalingrad region the enemy threaten a breakthrough. If they reach Stalingrad we could be compelled to surrender. However there are two critical reasons for optimism. 1. The enemy have revealed their strategic direction for the summer while the weather is still very changeable. The rains will return next week, stopping them exploiting their successes and giving us plenty of time to place Reserve armies in position to swamp their spearheads. 2. The Fascists have launched major offensives only in the Rostov and Saratov-Stalingrad areas, and a minor offensive in the Crimea. In 1941 we would have seen this kind of hammering across every front. If we do not see other offensives opening up we'll be able to pull at least three Armies into the Reserve. [image]local://upfiles/37435/C40F8BCD2F3D4AFB8263F275F0532E9A.jpg[/image]

Tarhunnas -> RE: 7th May 1942: Getting an Early Start (4/1/2011 6:46:45 PM)
I am keeping my fingers crossed for you! Death to the fascist invaders! BTW, have you identified their leader in the front? IIRC Feric Jaggar had a habit of leading from the front, wielding a great truncheon.

horza66 -> 14th May 1942: The Prolonged Suicide of the Luftwaffe (4/4/2011 5:59:40 PM)
The 18th, 54th and 3rd Shock Armies board their trains to the threatened breakthroughs in the South. One of the consequences of the loss of Moscow is that it takes two weeks to transfer reserves between our many fronts. 31st, 39th and 1st Shock Army extricate from the front lines ready to be assigned to any further threatened sector. During the week of mud the Luftwaffe once again suffers heavy losses in airfield attacks, performing these suicidal attacks on every front. Our pilots begin to rack up significant numbers of kills. [image]local://upfiles/37435/EF9F24596474457094A69BDABAF3CDCC.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 21st May 1942: Breakthrough at Stalingrad (4/4/2011 6:11:44 PM)
As expected our weak lines are breached at Stalingrad. The 3rd Shock and 54th Armies will fill the breach, and will have a week of mud to establish their defences. [image]local://upfiles/37435/023CD63E301E4288A25972BCE1EE63E5.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 28th May 1942: Sevastopol Threatened. Again. (4/4/2011 6:24:47 PM)
The other successful German offensive is in the Crimea. The 46th Army is pushed aside, threatening to isolate it and the 47th and Coastal Armies. We begin evacuating the armies by sea, but intend to hold Sevastopol. [image]local://upfiles/37435/00CF2E260B884F13ABE6BFB4F025030D.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 4th June 1942: More Mud. (4/4/2011 6:35:17 PM)
Another week of mud, another disaster for the Luftwaffe. We begin to see the weakness of our enemies. They truly believe themselves invulnerable even when they are repeatedly shown otherwise. [image]local://upfiles/37435/117A43DA1FBE4783BAA67BA81CB5977F.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 11th June 1942: Stalingrad (4/4/2011 6:44:31 PM)
The reinforced defences of Stalingrad prove too much for the fascists. They redirect their assaults to the North and South. We will have one more week of mud to swamp these spearheads with fresh troops. [image]local://upfiles/37435/5C6D958E716A4D1EB33D0D09B8B86E5A.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 18th June 1942: Our Growing Strength (4/4/2011 6:54:26 PM)
The last of the spring muds will soon clear. The Germans have already revealed their strategic direction : Stalingrad and the Don. The new Rifle Corps of the Shock Armies stand in their way, and we have yet to commit our Tank Corps. We have nearly 6 million men under arms. Will this be enough to hold the line against the fascists? [image]local://upfiles/37435/EBFCD6E56FC344AFB54D8F58261EA63E.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> RE: 7th May 1942: Getting an Early Start (4/4/2011 6:59:49 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: Tarhunnas I am keeping my fingers crossed for you! Death to the fascist invaders! BTW, have you identified their leader in the front? IIRC Feric Jaggar had a habit of leading from the front, wielding a great truncheon. Well remembered! Jaggar and his infeasibly large iron truncheon indeed.

horza66 -> 25th June 1942: How the Mighty are Fallen (4/5/2011 6:22:54 PM)
The opening week of the full summer campaign and there are limited offensives on most fronts, all containable. The main enemy effort is between Stalingrad and Rostov and serves no strategic purpose we can detect, other than perhaps to push the front as a whole across the Don. Overall we are forced back a maximum of twenty miles. However the offensive as whole is terribly weak, with several failed attacks, and the highlight is failure of three panzer divisions (with only fifty panzers each) to force three of our infantry divisions back. [image]local://upfiles/37435/9E04ECAEF2CD4E3F8526D9FFD33C153D.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 2nd July 1942 (4/7/2011 4:34:23 PM)
The attacks on the rest of the front line start to peter out, leaving only major offensives in the Rostov-Stalingrad axis. The Romanian attacks near Rostov are notable for failing more often than succeeding. The more dangerous German attacks near Stalingrad fail to penetrate the final layer of our defence in depth. [image]local://upfiles/37435/26ACBAB86546412783C7600E04BE61EC.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 9th July 1942 (4/7/2011 4:40:05 PM)
Though they lack any real breakthrough, we consider the German offensive to likely push us back to the Don, and we begin preparing a fort line there. [image]local://upfiles/37435/6C58B697DB144659B282CF7FACA18D9F.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 16th July 1942 (4/7/2011 4:45:19 PM)
The Stalingrad offensive has its first distant view of the Don. The offensive against Rostov largely fails to make any progress. [image]local://upfiles/37435/CC1A474730A54B0CBE6622BB7EF5BD5C.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 23rd July 1942 (4/7/2011 4:59:03 PM)
The attacks aimed at Stalingrad shift North, and place a Hungarian division on the banks of the Don. We have maintained a relatively passive posture at this place, swamping his offensives with men rather than conducting any major counter-attacks. However any attempt to cross the Don will be met with maximum force. [image]local://upfiles/37435/6AED9B46330B4A56B62FC1FD674AD8F1.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 30th July 1942 (4/7/2011 5:14:06 PM)
The end of July and the German offensives against Stalingrad and Rostov appear to be petering out. With fresh reserves they could theoretically take Rostov and cross the Don. However the enemy attacks are getting weaker and our lines are getting stronger. [image]local://upfiles/37435/55680C0D2BC04B24847BE97513892D37.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 6th August 1942 (4/7/2011 5:24:56 PM)
The German offensive finally struggles to the outskirts of Rostov. We do not intend to allow it to fall. Rifle Corps will be formed to turn it into a graveyard for any attackers. [image]local://upfiles/37435/86740838A3614F6D9DE6DEA66960B0CD.jpg[/image]

horza66 -> 13th August 1942 (4/7/2011 5:30:56 PM)
For the past two months the Rumanians, with some German and Italian support, have tried repeatedly to drive in the defences of Fortress Sevastopol. They have failed, to great cost to themselves. Our Cavalry and Rifle Corps now exhibit far more strength than the beseigers. We begin to plan to take the initiative here. [image]local://upfiles/37435/B6615EA455244306AF90CD184FC54E88.jpg[/image]

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