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1944 - January - June - the European Front
1944 - January - June - the European Front
Western Europe:
The Western European front collapsed into stagnation. French troops - filled with Communist (Trotskyite) and Fascist agitation outright refused to follow orders to attack in large-scale offensives. Now that France and Belgium had been liberated - they had no intention to die in what they saw as a futile war. British troops were increasingly diverted to the continuously disintegrating Indian front, hanging onto a tenuous front in the Southern. Nonetheless, Franco-British deployments (3 million) were substantial enough and enough raids were being conducted across the border to force Germany to divert a substantial portion of her manpower (2 million) to the front.
The Polish Armia Krajowa fought a ferocious guerilla resistance against the Soviets - transcending lines of class, party, age and gender.
Polish Front:
As punishment for speaking up for Marshal Tukhachevsky, Zhukov’s Polish Army Front inherited the most beat up and obsolete formations of the former Hungarian Army Front (around 500k men.) Combined with his current Red Army troops (2.3 million) and the newly created Polish Socialist Republic’s army (200k) - he had around 3 million men. Opposing him were Marshal Guderian’s Army Group North (3 million) and Marshal Rundstedt’s Army Group Center (1.5 million) and the Polish Army (500k) that was mostly in Army Group North defending the remnants of the Polish Republic stationed in Gdinya although there were were some smaller forces (100k) of militia and regular army troops that had been raised in the newly liberated Polish territory around Krakow.
Adding to Zhukov’s headache was the massive guerilla resistance - Wehrwolves in Soviet-occupied East Prussia and the Armia Krajowa in Soviet-occupied Poland who interfered with his supply lines - blowing up railways, setting mines and generally causing havoc behind the scenes. Germany had strategic air superiority over the whole front and so continued to air drop supplies to the resistance with the Panzerfausts causing particular trouble.
Nonetheless, Zhukov had to try and advance the front and retake the polish territory to the South - crush the remaining Gdinya front and then advance to Berlin.
This was a pipe dream. Zhukov would have his hands full fighting off the two army groups. Despite Zhukov’s valiant efforts - the Axis troops had pushed the front east - advancing to Elbing in the North, Lodz in the center and Rzesow to the South. But Zhukov had extracted a high toll of blood from the Fascists with nearly 1 million casualties to only 500k of his own.
The Romanian Front:
Marshal Budyonny received the bulk of the Hungarian Army Front (1.5 million troops) which he added to his existing 4.5 million troops. His 6 million man army was given the objective of cutting off Germany’s oil supply by eliminating Romanian resistance and taking the Ploetsi oil fields. This would be no easy task - opposing him was Field Marshall Kesselring - a commander who had proven his worth in defensive battles across the low countries, Poland and now - Romania. Although Army Group South only had 3 million troops - Kesselring identified the Soviet likely area of attack. He knew that they’d try and take Ploetsi and that holding it was key to keeping Germany’s spluttering war economy limping along. Without Romanian oil - German tanks, planes and economy would come to a grinding halt. Thus - Ploetsi had to be held - at all costs.
So from January-June Budyonny would hurl himself against Romania. The Axis defensive position was mostly anchored around the Carpathia-Ploetsi line which was impenetrable, but all of Romania south of this line was overrun. Bulgaria found itself in an awkward position of being a member of the Axis but not at war with the Soviet Union and having to resist pressure on both sides. Her decision would shape the future of the Balkans - and the subsequent Cold War forever.
Western Europe:
The Western European front collapsed into stagnation. French troops - filled with Communist (Trotskyite) and Fascist agitation outright refused to follow orders to attack in large-scale offensives. Now that France and Belgium had been liberated - they had no intention to die in what they saw as a futile war. British troops were increasingly diverted to the continuously disintegrating Indian front, hanging onto a tenuous front in the Southern. Nonetheless, Franco-British deployments (3 million) were substantial enough and enough raids were being conducted across the border to force Germany to divert a substantial portion of her manpower (2 million) to the front.
The Polish Armia Krajowa fought a ferocious guerilla resistance against the Soviets - transcending lines of class, party, age and gender.
Polish Front:
As punishment for speaking up for Marshal Tukhachevsky, Zhukov’s Polish Army Front inherited the most beat up and obsolete formations of the former Hungarian Army Front (around 500k men.) Combined with his current Red Army troops (2.3 million) and the newly created Polish Socialist Republic’s army (200k) - he had around 3 million men. Opposing him were Marshal Guderian’s Army Group North (3 million) and Marshal Rundstedt’s Army Group Center (1.5 million) and the Polish Army (500k) that was mostly in Army Group North defending the remnants of the Polish Republic stationed in Gdinya although there were were some smaller forces (100k) of militia and regular army troops that had been raised in the newly liberated Polish territory around Krakow.
Adding to Zhukov’s headache was the massive guerilla resistance - Wehrwolves in Soviet-occupied East Prussia and the Armia Krajowa in Soviet-occupied Poland who interfered with his supply lines - blowing up railways, setting mines and generally causing havoc behind the scenes. Germany had strategic air superiority over the whole front and so continued to air drop supplies to the resistance with the Panzerfausts causing particular trouble.
Nonetheless, Zhukov had to try and advance the front and retake the polish territory to the South - crush the remaining Gdinya front and then advance to Berlin.
This was a pipe dream. Zhukov would have his hands full fighting off the two army groups. Despite Zhukov’s valiant efforts - the Axis troops had pushed the front east - advancing to Elbing in the North, Lodz in the center and Rzesow to the South. But Zhukov had extracted a high toll of blood from the Fascists with nearly 1 million casualties to only 500k of his own.
The Romanian Front:
Marshal Budyonny received the bulk of the Hungarian Army Front (1.5 million troops) which he added to his existing 4.5 million troops. His 6 million man army was given the objective of cutting off Germany’s oil supply by eliminating Romanian resistance and taking the Ploetsi oil fields. This would be no easy task - opposing him was Field Marshall Kesselring - a commander who had proven his worth in defensive battles across the low countries, Poland and now - Romania. Although Army Group South only had 3 million troops - Kesselring identified the Soviet likely area of attack. He knew that they’d try and take Ploetsi and that holding it was key to keeping Germany’s spluttering war economy limping along. Without Romanian oil - German tanks, planes and economy would come to a grinding halt. Thus - Ploetsi had to be held - at all costs.
So from January-June Budyonny would hurl himself against Romania. The Axis defensive position was mostly anchored around the Carpathia-Ploetsi line which was impenetrable, but all of Romania south of this line was overrun. Bulgaria found itself in an awkward position of being a member of the Axis but not at war with the Soviet Union and having to resist pressure on both sides. Her decision would shape the future of the Balkans - and the subsequent Cold War forever.
- CCA
- Word Count: 650