Feck... just deleted an almost finished, detailed turn report due to utter daftness... 1.5 hrs wasted...




Bit frustrated right now, here's the shorter version...




Turn 30, January 8th 1942


Soviet attacks this week decreased in numbers and scale, as a result my casualties are "only" around 80.000, the smallest number since the blizzards started. Also my divisions started receiving convalescents, bringing the number of reinforcements to almost 200.000 men.

Despite all losses my troops still hold the front line.

In the North the situation is a calm as I could wish, the Finns holding their front from heavily fortified positions with the luxury of a fortified fallback position behind them




In the Vyzhnyvolochek-Kalinin sector Soviet attacks manage to push back the infantry divisions of XXVI corps, but as long as von Manstein's LVI Panzerkorps holds Vyzhnyvolochek itself and continues to deliver shattering counter-attacks the line will hold. Problem is that due to the heavy fighting I haven't been able to relieve my Panzerdivisions in this area, except for 2nd and 5th PzDivs which still field around 100 tanks each the average strength of my armoured formations in this area has dropped to an abysmal 60...



In the Moscow sector the Red Army continues its offensive, but my divisions, fighting from heavily fortified positions, successfully defend against the attacks in most cases. And where my divisions retreat punishing counter-attacks soon push back the attackers again. As long as the Red Army doesn't manage to cut off Moscow it will hold. And the 400+ tanks of XXXIX Panzerkorps in the area will prevent that.



In the Tula-Voronezh sector the Soviets achieved a minor breakthrough south of Tula. The three tank brigades leading the attack lack the power to really exploit it into an operational success, but still I take precautions to counter a crisis here. 20th Panzerdivision has been ordered South, its 155 tanks should be able to easily deal with those Red Army tank brigades.



In the Stalino-Rostov sector the Red Army continues its attacks, inflicting serious casualties especially among the Romanian troops. I finally unleash my mobile formations and in devastating counter-attacks the divisions of III, XIV and XXXVIII Panzerkorps rout 4 rifle divisions, 2 rifle brigades, 6 tank brigades, 2 cavalry divisions and a cavalry corps!

Several attacks on Voroshilovgrad have also been beaten back with heavy casualties to the attackers.



On the Crimea a rather embarrassing event took place this week: the 35th Reserve Romanian infantry division with 6.200 men surrendered to the enemy when attacked by the Sevastopol garrison. This is the 1st axis unit to surrender to the enemy in this campaign. Its former position has now been taken over the the crack 22nd Airlanding division.


That's it for this week, sorry for the short-ish report.