WWII: BtB, Turn 4, Winter 42

The General Winter has arrived, giving some breath to the exhausted Russian Commander. German units in Soviet spaces are subjected to special rules that limit their operations (extra activation costs, limited supply, penalties in combat and negation of Mechanized advantages). This could bring some opportunities to the Red Army to reinforce their defensive positions and, perhaps, to launch some limited counterattack.

However, roll of initial orders have altered some of the previsions as, both Allied High Command and OKW, has urged for mandatory offensives in North Africa.

But the early arrival of snow forced both sides to quickly prepare for the long winter by taking logistic decisions. The first round has seeing symmetrical plays with Germans using Wolfpacks and Russians answering with Bomber Command, both to reduce the opponent hand size by two for the next turn. Then both commanders were taking decisions to bring more replacements to their units.

Real action begun when German decided to put some pressure on Tobruk and Sevastopol. The northern African fortress have been sieged by German and Italians mechanized units whereas Romanian Fourth Army is at the doors of the Crimean main city.

 

But surprisingly, Russian ignores both menaces and brings into play 1st-5th Shock Armies from Siberia. Intelligence reports said that they have been deployed at Leningrad, Moscow and Stalingrad.

Romanians have taken Sevastopol without resistance and Tobruk has fallen after a fortunate dice roll that forced an impossible retreat into the sea.

British immediately reacts by creating in Alexandria a full Desert Army which will have the mission to destroy Africa Korps and liberate Tobruk. Alerted by the news, Rommel prepared a defensive position along the Hellfire Pass with his DAK and Italian Infantry.

At the same time, Romanians continued their unstopped advance towards Caucasus and have taken another victory location, this time at Maikop.

But, December 41, the world has been shocked by the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbour bringing the US into the fight. FDR declared war to Third Reich and now the war is a global conflict. Being a yellow event card (as German has played Wolfpacks), Allied had also four operation points that he used to bring Desert Army to Buq Buq, to reorganize Shock Armies in the East, to build trench positions at Moscow and Tula and to counterattack from Leningrad.

For his last action round, German decided to go for more replacements to enter spring in full force continuing his offensive. Stalin gave orders to  evacuate heavy industry far in the East where mechanized soviet units will be build and trained (being ready a year later).   The freshly arrived Shock Armies leaded Soviet winter counterattack against Army Group North to retake Kholm Demyansk and Velikiye Luki. This first victory has boosted the moral of the Red Army that, imprudently, advanced into exposed positions. A tactical error that can be costly when good weather arrive.

In Africa, Desert Army inflicted heavy losses to Rommel Africa Korps that could not held Hellfire pass and is now defending Tobruk in clear inferiority.

 

This is the map after Winter 42 (replacements already done)

Losses this turn:

Soviet: 9 steps, CW: 4 steps.

German: 9 steps, IT: 1 step.

A good result for German during this Winter. Even if most of the combats have finished with Allied advances, the integrity of German Armies has made that many step losses were not fulfilled. On the contrary, Allied, specially Russians, have absorbed all the losses with their smaller SCU units.