T028 11.13.42
Sector: Leningrad
In a catastrophic mishap, the centre of Leningrad was left defended by a single tank brigade! Naturally, after the tactical reserves were swept aside, the heart of Leningrad is now in the hands of Hitler's horde. The city has capitulated, which will likely send shock waves through the entire Allied world. The remnants of the 42nd and 55th Armies in Leningrad, and the 23rd north of the city, will now die a slow, painful death. It was my mistake early on not to try to reach the city for a breakout. Now it's cost me dearly.
Sector: Astrakhan - OPERATION WATERFALL
As the Germans arrive in force to my northwest flank, I will have to commit more of my reserves to counter that threat. The German XI Korps has arrived with decent readiness for battle, while other units from almost everywhere else on the Russian front are throwing together a defensive line to the south and west of my advance. The LXXXVIII Korps has been shipped in from France, and even a division from the VII Korps from Voronezh has been spotted. The Romanian IV Corps is now cut off by the 4th Shock Army, whle the II Corps is being pressed strongly by the 10th Guards Army. I'm tempted to make another strong push south with the reserve 7th Guards Army and the 5th Gds Tank. However, with the pressure coming on my flank, compounded by the impending loss of Grozny to the south, I'm much better off securing my gains here and sending a few more Nazis to their maker. Ghoulish, I know. The 40th and 56th Armies are advancing westward from their defensive positions, while the 39th Army is joining not far behind. This should blunt the Germans, and even push them back a bit.
Sector: Grozny
Even though I still control the city with a strong force there, the surrounding defenses are falling apart quickly, especially to the west of Grozny, where the 54th and 60th Armies are being pushed back into the foothills. My only hope is that the contraction of my lines will mean a tougher resistance against the Germans. Mark now has more supporting units, such as the mobile supply point and some light artillery, which will serve him well in the coming struggle for the city. I'm not confident about this situation, but I'm not losing hope just yet, either.
Sector: Black Sea Coast
The 46th Army is being pushed back toward Sokhumi, where the reformed 45th Army waits digging in.
Sector: El Alamein-El Qattara
The I/X Corps strike force has run out of steam pretty quickly, as the harsh desert conditions have knocked out a good number of the tanks, and supply is down to nothing. The 90. Leichte that tried to block my assault was swallowed up with barely a fight. I still can't figure that one out. An entire DAK division basically surrendering outright. Still, the 10. Panzer blocks my V Corps from reinforcing the I/X Corps force, which is now growingly vulnerable to counter attack. This is a critical juncture of the battle for North Africa.
Sector: Morocco-Algeria
The United States Army now has four full divisions on African soil, with both task forces arriving in Algeria moments after the Vichy surrender. Algiers is secured, but the key will be to move quickly enough eastward to push out the Italians before they can dig into the mountain passes of Tunisia.
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