Chapter XXXXVII - Another Allied landing
Players: 2xSOV, USA, UK, 2xGER, JAP, ITA
Recap: The Soviet push has been relentless for years and the Wehrmacht was starting to disintegrate. Still, the Allies were driven into the sea a second time with heavy losses and Japan sent over 200 000 men to support the Axis in Europe. With that the situation started to stabilize and with Luftwaffe being improved with jet engines, air to air missiles and radar guided bombs the Red Army started to take serious losses and their manpower pool seemed finally to drain.
And then, just when life yet again seemed bright for the Axis, another Allied attack. Spain was the target, as was rather expected. Although expected, the Axis had not had any resources to put here. Their lines were already stretched rather thin.
March 10th, 1944
This would become painful…
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March 17th, 1944
The German offensive in the South East drove to a halt. Although the Red Army had lost divisions they seemed to have gotten reinforced and in combination with their new defensive terrain, further attacks would be too painful. Also, with the Allied attack on Spain, troops were needed elsewhere.
Yellow lines show were the border were before the offensive.
March 24th, 1944
The Spaniards had lost a lot of divisions previously in the war. With several divisions aiding the Germans on the east front, the few token divisions could do little else than marginally stall the Brits (supported by American Expeditionary Forces).
The Axis had problems to mount a proper reaction as they were so tied down in other theatres. A rag tag group army corps of Japs, Italians and Spaniards came in from the north, and Luftwaffe made sure to give the Allied front troops a good bombing.
Still, they were closing in fast on Madrid.
March 25th, 1944
And then came the 3rd American landing in France…
March 29th, 1944
The Allies were closing in fast on Madrid, only defended by an Italian mountaineer division. It would surely not hold. Only good thing was that the loss of Madrid would not be enough to break the Spaniards. There was still a chance…
March 29th, 1944
Although the Russ has been temporarily stopped in the East, they have an open road to the Balkans. The West, though, is leaking. The Americans has an open road to Paris with just a few Italians in Belgium and Netherlands. By the Spanish border, there are still only a few Axis units around. Not enough to really hurt the Brits.
The situation is starting to look really grim… again. One of very few good news is that the Soviet manpower pool finally seem to have dried up. Although it will have little effect in short term, it will mean they cannot spam units and they cannot be completely ignorant to losses.
March, 1944
Although meaningless on a tactical level, killing Russians in the East suddenly meant something. During late February, the Japs activated the previously dormant Far East Front. During March they won a few victories.
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(Sorry for short chapter. I needed to cut it here)