Strategic Update
The Eastern Front remains mostly a stalemate, despite the offensives ongoing at Orel and Rostov. I'm hoping the constant combat in these sectors wears down the Axis forces and sucks up some replacements they were building while I was assuming Ken would stay on the offensive. Frankly, I'm surprised he only wanted to take Murmansk and Leningrad then go immediately to the defensive in the East. Sure, it seemed he was entertaining the idea of going after Arkhangelsk, but that's all I could see from his strategy. In this scenario, the southern Eastern Front is ripe for the picking by the Axis player early on, as in every other time I played this one. The Soviets are of poor quality and poor strength in the beginning, and the Axis player must take advantage of that. Pushing the front as far away from Berlin is the only way to ensure a chance for victory. And opening a whole new region of action in the Caucuses is typically the best way to do that.
On the Western Front, I'm well ahead of schedule. Too ahead, actually. The X and XIII Corps refit disband is still a few turns away, while the Operation Husky disband doesn't appear until late Spring. So right now I can't do a whole lot in the Mediterranean. Opening up a new front to take pressure off the East is almost out of the question.
Eastern Front
Operations Pickaxe and Annoyance
Pickaxe is still a real brawl. One sector will make a breakthrough as another gets pushed back. Ken is suffering losses he wont' be able to afford down the road, while I can keep throwing wave after wave at the Axis defenders. It's also keeping pressure to a minimum for Annoyance in the south, which is gaining ground, albeit slowly.
The airborne operation was technically a success, ripping up the railroad and delaying reinforcements to the Axis front. But those two paratrooper divisions and headquarters unit were completely destroyed in the process.
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