Turn 7Nothing new to report in the north, the Finns have reached the outskirts of Leningrad and the "no attack line" which they won't cross until Leningrad is taken, I and XXIII corps still close in on Leningrad from the west and XXVI and XXVIII corps start advancing towards Leningrad from the south. Supply situation of Panzergruppe 1 has improved quite a bit, next turn I should probably be able to unleash my spearheads again.
The great
Kesselschlacht west of Velikie Lukie is as good as over, during this week's fighting the Red Army lost ~
150.000 men in this pocket.
South of Mogilev the
134th and 292th infantry divisions blast a hole into the Russian front. In repeated attacks, supported by corps artillery and Luftwaffe attacks counting up to 250+ aircraft, they rout five Soviet divisions off the battlefield! The door opened, the divisions of XXXXVII, XXXXVI and XXIV Panzerkorps rumble towards Smolensk. At the same time VII corps attacks across the Dnepr west of Smolensk and breaches the Soviet lines. 19th and 20th Panzerdivisions and 18th Motorized Infantry division exploit through the gap and link up with the spearheads of Panzergruppe 2. Another 20 Red Army divisions are cut off.
Army Group South finishes the
Battle of Zhitomir. Cut off by Panzergruppe 1 the Red Army loses more than
250.000 men and almost 2.000 tanks in this battle. Total losses for the Red Army in this week alone come to
450.000 men, while Axis losses are ~9.000 casualties.
While Panzergruppe 1 moves into position for the attack on Kiev a
Kampfgruppe of the
Mobile Hungarian Corps, LV corps and XI corps push east towards
Kirovograd the major Red Army airbase in this area.
In the south Odessa has been isolated and 11th army's division are ready for the assault next turn. The city is defended by 30.000 Soviet soldiers and has been heavily fortified, so I don't expect an easy victory. But with corps' artillery and air support and led by the crack 22nd
Luftlandedivision we will take the fortress.
