Ten months? Woah...

I mean, I knew it would take me some time, but I had no idea that this would turn into a venerable Opus Magnum.




@Nixer: yeah, I just need to get there. Somehow.

@Heretic: The ports do help with supply, but you still have to have rail lines running from the ports to your lines. Fortunately my railheads have almost reached the Kuban area by now.



Turn 51, June 4th 1942

Surprise! Another week of mud...




In the North the great Kesselschlacht following Operation Alberich is in full swing. Cut off from their lines of communication the Soviet troops, severely lacking supplies and ammunition don't stand a chance against determined German attacks. Tens of thousands surrender, the number of tanks and guns captured too many to count.



The same situation in the Tula sector: breakthrough attempts are thrown back, then one after another the Russian divisions get destroyed.




At the end of the week the fighting in both cauldrons has cost the Red Army more than 500.000 soldiers, 1.500 tanks and almost 7.500 guns. And there are still dozens of divisions and corps trapped without hope of relief. Total Soviet casualties since June 22nd 1941 have exceeded 7 million by now.

But not all's well. On the upper Don Operation Himmelblau is facing a serious crisis as the mud has stopped the Panzer and MotInf divisions for two consecutive weeks. The northern pincer is in grave danger of getting cut off from the following infantry corps. The Russians have concentrated a dozen+ divisions on the northern flank of the forming cauldron, ready to pierce the thin German lines.



In the Kuban/Caucasus area operations are coming along nicely. Krasnodar has been captured and my mix of German, Hungarian and Rumanian troops continue their advance eastwards.



Operation Himmelbau is giving me a bit of a headache right now. Other than that I'm doing fine. The success of Operations Alberich and Hagen have surpassed my wildest dreams, the Red Armies offensive power will be greatly weakened for the coming months.