Rommel's Panzer Division was being rebuilt as new equipment arrived and replacement helped to fill in the depleted ranks. The 22nd Motorized division also receiced some 2,500 replacements and some trucks. The Hungarian divisions were out of the battle and it was doubtful if they would return until next year. loses in manpower and equipment were too great.
1938 The confrontation with Germany
- Thread starter chris N
- Start date
The German's brought up heavy artillery and 6 Battalions of assault pioneers in addition to the return of Erwin Rommel's 7th Panzer Division with a still understrength 22nd Motorized Division for one last push to break the Soviet defenses. The Luftwaffe and RAF bombers were striking Soviet transportation and communication lines. The result was that the Red Army was unable to reinforce Moscow and the troops were short of munitions.
With the use of Assault Pioneers, artillery Rommel was able to peal away the Soviet defenses and finally break through. His combined arms teams was finally able to expand the breakthrough and widen it. Still it was the constant assaults of the Soviet transportation line that finally forced the Soviets to withdraw as they had no bullets for their weapons or shells for their guns... Moscow had fallen to the allies on October 1st.
After 4 days of heavy fighting the allies had seized control of the city and the Kremlin was now in the hands of the allied powers. While allied troops were clearing the reains of the Soviet forces from Moscow German and British engineers were attempting to clear the streets,and restore power and water to the city. Buildings that were repairable were being worked on. It was estimated that 25% of the city had been destroyed or damaged. The allies were setting up defensive positions.
The weather eperts were calling for a Brutal November in Europe especially in Russia. Engineers were carrying out massive repairs to Moscow. It was a race against the clock and the weather to do everything possible. Most of the Kremlin could be made useful and electric power was coming back but there was a struggle to get heat available to everywhere. The water pipes were being repaired and gaslines were better than they had been when hostilities ended. The people were turning on the Communist.
Most of the Ukraine was in allied hands but the offensive war had drawn to a close as the allies readed themselves for winter.
Most of the Ukraine was in allied hands but the offensive war had drawn to a close as the allies readed themselves for winter.
Allied Bomber Command continued to strike at soviet factories and transportation. There was intelligence that the Red Army was very unhappy with Stalin's conducting of the war. Loses had been hid and the allied bombing was making replacement of equipment very difficult. The allies had also struck at the oil fields and the production of gasoline was way down.
The Allied Command dug in and prepared for the terrible winter that was to come. The Germans consulted with their allies and all agreed that offensive operation were over
British and German Bombers continued to strike at Soviet targets with an aim at degrading the Soviets ability to mount any winter offensives. The Red Army had suffered heavy loses in men and equipment. As a result of the allied bombing of factories ,transportation and fuel things were not getting any better.
The Red army had lost nearly 1200 tanks but had only managed to replace 25 of them. Only 3,000 new rifles had made it to equip troops and 25 guns arrived.
Six divisions were recalled from the far East and depots were emptied of spare equipment.
British and German Bombers continued to strike at Soviet targets with an aim at degrading the Soviets ability to mount any winter offensives. The Red Army had suffered heavy loses in men and equipment. As a result of the allied bombing of factories ,transportation and fuel things were not getting any better.
The Red army had lost nearly 1200 tanks but had only managed to replace 25 of them. Only 3,000 new rifles had made it to equip troops and 25 guns arrived.
Six divisions were recalled from the far East and depots were emptied of spare equipment.
The Red Army carried out a limited number of counter attacks as winter began to hit Stalin had ordered 12 divisions from the far East and had sent broken divisions out there to rebuild and hold the territory. The 12 divisions had given the Soviet High Command a force capable of doing something. Still production of small arms and heavier equipment was not enough to do more that equip a few Brigades at the most.
The Allies continued to hunker down only acting on the ground when attacked or when there was intelligence of a pending Soviet attack. The Red Army was severly under strength . The allied Bombing campaign was preventing the replacement of the massive loses of equipment. General Zhukov was against any massive offensive as they could not afford the loses.
Rommel arrived in Berlin. He was summoned to the War Ministry to meet with the Chancellor, the Emperor and the General staff. His division was back in Prussia undergoing a refit and recovery. Rommel had been promoted to Lt General and would go on 10 days leave and as soon as the meeting he would be on his way home. He was not the only General called to express his opinion. Also present was Hans Guderian
The Reds were making a major effort to rebuild their strength but it was very difficult with the allied bombing and the loss of so much. Secretly talks began between the Red Army and the West in an attempt to reach a settlement which would end the war. There were at least five attempts on Stalin's life and the head of the Secret Police was killed by the Red Army.
Meanwhile the allies began to solidify plans for a final offensive which would end the war.There was an argument over whether to drive to the Urals or drive to the oil fields thus seizing them and shutting down the Soviet access to fuel for their tanks ,trucks, plans and industry.
Meanwhile the allies began to solidify plans for a final offensive which would end the war.There was an argument over whether to drive to the Urals or drive to the oil fields thus seizing them and shutting down the Soviet access to fuel for their tanks ,trucks, plans and industry.
Lord Halifax tender his resignation as Prime Minister ahd King George V called Winston Churchill to the palace to offer him the post. There had been some strikes by leftist union members in an attempt to end Britain's role in the war but Churchill was determined that Britain would not be bullied by a bunch of communist. Halifax would be going to the US. Anthony Eden would take over the post of Foreign Minister. Churchill spoke with both the French Premier and the German Chancellor.
The British and Germans were continuing to carry out a bombing campaign designed to deny the Red Army and Air Force the equipment and fuel to mount any kind of offensive. Industrial production by the Russians had been seriously degraded.
Meanwhile German units had received new equipment and replacement of loses in the previous year, The Germans had halted production of the PZ KPF 1 and had limited production of the Pzkpf II . Production of the Panzer III and the Panzer IV with its long barrel 75mm gun was ongoing. Germany was providing the Hungarians with Panzer IVs and the Romanians had received the Panzer III and IV. Italy was now building Panzer IV and had re-equipped its armored division with them. The Baltic States had each provided a division and Germany had supplied the equipment. The Germans were still suffering from a shortage of trucks and had purchased hundreds from British manufactures. The American companies Ford and GM were both selling lots of vehicles to Germany.
Meanwhile German units had received new equipment and replacement of loses in the previous year, The Germans had halted production of the PZ KPF 1 and had limited production of the Pzkpf II . Production of the Panzer III and the Panzer IV with its long barrel 75mm gun was ongoing. Germany was providing the Hungarians with Panzer IVs and the Romanians had received the Panzer III and IV. Italy was now building Panzer IV and had re-equipped its armored division with them. The Baltic States had each provided a division and Germany had supplied the equipment. The Germans were still suffering from a shortage of trucks and had purchased hundreds from British manufactures. The American companies Ford and GM were both selling lots of vehicles to Germany.
The Red Army in 1938 wasn't the Red Army it was in 1942-45. So it's gonna be costly for them.
The German Army that was preparing for the campaign was far better equipped at the start of this campaign year than it was in the prior one. The German armor was far more powerful and the army had more and better motor vehicles. In addition the problems with small arms had been solved. The allies were also better equipped with Hungary receiving better tanks from Germany and he Romanians also receiving pzkpf III and IV. Italy was producing the Pzkpf IV under an agreement with Germany. The Poles had converted a lot of machine gun tanks to tank destroyers or SP guns. France had sold 250 trucks to Poland and the same to Romania.
The Soviets were still unable to make up their equipment loses in the previous year and the Red Army had less experience officers and NCOs to guide their military
The Soviets were still unable to make up their equipment loses in the previous year and the Red Army had less experience officers and NCOs to guide their military
The Joint Allied War Planning staff met and began to fill out plans for a crushing blow designed to destroy the Communist Russian Military once and for all. Germany and Britains political leaders both agreed that there needed to be a plan that would allow both nations to withdraw from Russia once the Communist were crushed once and for all.