IdahoNYer
Posts: 2616
Joined: 9/6/2009 From: NYer living in Boise, ID Status: offline
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AGC's position is precarious at best - and that includes the assistance from 4th Pz Armee, brought up from AGB, as well as two SS Pz Divs, 9th and 10th SS, about ready to pack up and meet the Allied threat in Normandy. In other words, its probably going to get worse... 3rd Pz Armee continues to slowly pull back against heavy pressure from massed Rifle Corps attacks north of Smolensk. The mud will give a brief respite. 3rd Pz also lost two Pz Divs to backstop 4th Army as III SS PzKps oriented south against the Soviet "Bulge" in the lines. 4th Army, on the north side of the Soviet "Bulge", has moved its most powerful striking force, III SS PzKps, south along the Besed River to defend against Soviet attacks. Overall, the Army is hanging on just barely and will have to withdraw westward to the Dneipr shortly as its infantry are incapable of holding the line. 4th Pz Armee, thrown into the line to stave off disaster, has done well at blunting the Soviet attack westward. After only two weeks of counterattack and forward defense, its 5xPz and 2xPG divisions are exhausted and much depleted. Still, it has blunted the Soviet exploitation - but at a cost. 8th Army is in danger of encirclement - of at least 4, maybe more infantry divisions. By holding the narrow corridor on the south side of the Soviet thrust west, it did indeed attract the attention of the Soviets, slowing their drive west, and limited their abiltiy to reinforce their success. But the price may be steep, very steep. 2nd Army is trying to parry continued Soviet attacks while maintaining front integrity - a tough job with only one Pz Div remaining in the once powerful III PzKps. 1st Hun Army, with some German "corsets" is already manning the most likely are of the Dniepr the soviets will reach first. Very soon, the entire Armee Group will pull back to the Dneipr line - which will slow, but not stop a determined Soviet attack.
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