Soviets Take initiative, dashing hopes of rapid break thru.

Soviets spend time and SP on building HH in key locations and deepening HH values along the board in both the South and the North.

Soviets use what they got!

The Long Range bombers attack near Krasnograd. They are intercepted from Poltava! 1 step loss taken and both abort.

Orel are similar airstrikes occur the 18^th Panzer Arty is destroyed!!!! DG’d to all hell.

*EDIT 26/12/13: Error on Barrages with shifts for RE’s! all up not a game killer, going to leave as it and it makes up for an later error in anycase! 😉

In the combat phase the Soviets attack with 16v4 in a 4:1 attack Axis refuse to use supply and earn a -2 shift on attack : ALo1

The Soviets during the Supply phase elect to use one more Treebark. And the rest of the units are lost.- 5 units or 10 steps. In the South 2 steps are lost due to Attrition rolls.

They do manage to encircle 2 units from 13^th Pzr which will cause some problems in the Axis turn.

The Axis Turn.

They pull the average SP : 13.

NORTH

SS:T rails out of the North. To Smolensk to join the push EAST.

6^th Panzer is DG’d, but it fuels up and overruns ([Edit we picked this error up late!] in combat mode, a small break down unit (oops I think we cant do that…crap, regardless this means it would happen in combat phase, so nor drama.) 7^th Panzer moves Dg’s and other units to encircle Nelidovo.

Near Spas Dmansyanks (SD going forward), 11^th Panzer encircles units, while 10th Pzr secures the rail line North of Bryansk. 3 Divisions pop into Reserve in the back field as does 5^th Pzr

In Orel and Kursk forces adjust stacking to prevent a recurrence of the recent stupidity.

Forces at Kursk below:

Case Blue Maps:

Germans move to attack lone Cav Division near Ishun in the South Peninsula. And LAH surrounds the Melitipol forces.

Post Exploit movement above on Peninsula .

On the Dnper Nord III clears the bridge being eliminated in the effort. 14^th Panzer moves to encircle 10^th and 6^th Army HQ and related forces.

The Italians come to work and help relieve the encircled 13^th Panzer units: 1th Bn and ¼ Regiment. Losing 1 cav step in process.

18^th consolidates with 3^rd Pzr:

In the Exploit phase, 10/20/5^th panzer move into and near Zhida.

The Germans press forward but stay in range of HQ’s this turn…”)

46h Pzr HQ brings 3M and 11Pzr to SD.

SS:R hits the banks of the Ugra River near Yukhnov. 14M in exploit closes supply to Vyazma from the East.

 

19^th Panzer encircles forces West of Sychevka.

End turn.

Losses for turn:

Initiative roll:

Here comes a back to back….