They're having to field armies from Southeast Asia all the way up to Maritime Provience and as far inland as they can get at any point. All while fighting the Allies for superiority over the Pacific. That's a tall order for the Emperor's finest.
Mano a Mano! (Manstein in Africa book 4)
- Thread starter BlairWitch749
- Start date
They're having to field armies from Southeast Asia all the way up to Maritime Provience and as far inland as they can get at any point. All while fighting the Allies for superiority over the Pacific. That's a tall order for the Emperor's finest.
HarryH
Banned
The next phase of the Japanese offensive as planned was to move west by the transiberian railroad and deploy South West of the Stanavoy Mountains to prepare to attack Chita and then Ulan Ude on the edge of Lake Bakal.
Ulaan Baatar the capital of Mongolia would then be cut off and also taken by lesser forces and the Greater state of Mongolia declared as a Japanese ally.
From there if forces for the said campaign year allow Irkutsk would be attacked and taken.
Buryati republic would also become a Japanese ally.
The next summer the push towards Central Siberia would begin with the advance towards Krashnoyark.
Then Yenisey river was due to become the stopping point for the Japanese move West.
Tuva Republic will become another puppet state at this point.
They are further cities in a large number West of this point which the Germans may want the Japanese push on towards but that could turn into quite a few Stalingrads of Japan.
Ulaan Baatar the capital of Mongolia would then be cut off and also taken by lesser forces and the Greater state of Mongolia declared as a Japanese ally.
From there if forces for the said campaign year allow Irkutsk would be attacked and taken.
Buryati republic would also become a Japanese ally.
The next summer the push towards Central Siberia would begin with the advance towards Krashnoyark.
Then Yenisey river was due to become the stopping point for the Japanese move West.
Tuva Republic will become another puppet state at this point.
They are further cities in a large number West of this point which the Germans may want the Japanese push on towards but that could turn into quite a few Stalingrads of Japan.
BlairWitch749
Banned
Manstein vs Buddeny Round II Part 3 (Chapter 26) “Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts” - Benito Mussolini
Turkish-Soviet Border July 1942
Operation Kut kicked off several days ahead of schedule and a full two weeks before Buddeny's intelligence organs predicted they would face another Axis onslaught.
Turkish partisans behind Buddeny's lines launched attacks ranging from mortaring battalion headquarters, to sniping, to tearing up rail lines to mining roads which despite the most ruthless of efforts from the NKVD did cause some disruption in Buddeny's rear areas.
Turkish and Italian infantry regiments attacked on a 300 mile front between Darik and Shirvan. A great deal of show was placed into these attacks with substantial air strikes, partisan rear area attacks and artillery bombardments. Special detachments of Italinian Alpini and Turkish mountain divisions embarked on night climbs of the various mountain peaks; maintaining excellent noise and camofloage discipline, they eliminated many of Buddeny's observation and artillery positions and in turn converted the peaks for their own use as observation and mortar points.
With this advantage Panzer 4's and L-3 75's advanced in wedge formations in front of the infantry into the valleys and foothills between the peaks. Aircraft and mountaineers expertly identified enemy positions and for the first 12 hours Buddeny's troops where helpless due to the surprise and tenacity of the axis assault. Strong positions where encircled by tanks and then beaten into submission with tank guns, bombers and infantry assault.
An axis assault gun ready to advance
On getting frantic radio reports Buddeny spurred into action and immediately put his tank and cavalry forces into action, battalions of T-34's rolled up the passes and effectively put a cork in the bottles of axis breakthroughs which had reached nearly 30 miles in some of the less defended sectors. Pre registered 122 and 152mm fire rained down on the Italian and Turkish infantry men who had broken into Buddeny's kill zone, which compelled them to stop, and when the tanks came up to begin a withdrawal. Panzer 4's and 88mm anti aircraft guns made up the rear guard as the infantry fell back which on top of Buddeny's orders not to be overzealous kept the Red Army's tanks at arm's length. The Turkish and Italian infantry divisions also left anti vehicle and anti personal mines, along with the occasional sniper or machine gun to massacre advancing red army infantry.
Buddeny's cavalry ride in to stop the italian-turkish assault into his lines
The nastiest element of the rear guard involved the 4th seawolf company dressed in Russian uniforms and speaking fluent Russian who wandered throughout Buddeny's advancing columns assassinating officers, setting fire to logistical centers and annihilating isolated patrols and squads
In the end by July 16th Buddeny's forces had driven the axis back to their start lines, minus the series of border peaks which the Alpini and Turkish mountain forces held on to ruthlessly
Alpini forces prepare to go into the Caucuses
On the other hand; Buddeny's right flank was in severe and complete jeopardy...
to be continued...
thoughts?
Turkish-Soviet Border July 1942
Operation Kut kicked off several days ahead of schedule and a full two weeks before Buddeny's intelligence organs predicted they would face another Axis onslaught.
Turkish partisans behind Buddeny's lines launched attacks ranging from mortaring battalion headquarters, to sniping, to tearing up rail lines to mining roads which despite the most ruthless of efforts from the NKVD did cause some disruption in Buddeny's rear areas.
Turkish and Italian infantry regiments attacked on a 300 mile front between Darik and Shirvan. A great deal of show was placed into these attacks with substantial air strikes, partisan rear area attacks and artillery bombardments. Special detachments of Italinian Alpini and Turkish mountain divisions embarked on night climbs of the various mountain peaks; maintaining excellent noise and camofloage discipline, they eliminated many of Buddeny's observation and artillery positions and in turn converted the peaks for their own use as observation and mortar points.
With this advantage Panzer 4's and L-3 75's advanced in wedge formations in front of the infantry into the valleys and foothills between the peaks. Aircraft and mountaineers expertly identified enemy positions and for the first 12 hours Buddeny's troops where helpless due to the surprise and tenacity of the axis assault. Strong positions where encircled by tanks and then beaten into submission with tank guns, bombers and infantry assault.
An axis assault gun ready to advance
On getting frantic radio reports Buddeny spurred into action and immediately put his tank and cavalry forces into action, battalions of T-34's rolled up the passes and effectively put a cork in the bottles of axis breakthroughs which had reached nearly 30 miles in some of the less defended sectors. Pre registered 122 and 152mm fire rained down on the Italian and Turkish infantry men who had broken into Buddeny's kill zone, which compelled them to stop, and when the tanks came up to begin a withdrawal. Panzer 4's and 88mm anti aircraft guns made up the rear guard as the infantry fell back which on top of Buddeny's orders not to be overzealous kept the Red Army's tanks at arm's length. The Turkish and Italian infantry divisions also left anti vehicle and anti personal mines, along with the occasional sniper or machine gun to massacre advancing red army infantry.
Buddeny's cavalry ride in to stop the italian-turkish assault into his lines
The nastiest element of the rear guard involved the 4th seawolf company dressed in Russian uniforms and speaking fluent Russian who wandered throughout Buddeny's advancing columns assassinating officers, setting fire to logistical centers and annihilating isolated patrols and squads
In the end by July 16th Buddeny's forces had driven the axis back to their start lines, minus the series of border peaks which the Alpini and Turkish mountain forces held on to ruthlessly
Alpini forces prepare to go into the Caucuses
On the other hand; Buddeny's right flank was in severe and complete jeopardy...
to be continued...
thoughts?
BlairWitch749
Banned
I'll have two or three more updates in the southern theater which will conclude mano a mano... a general overview/progress updates on other fronts will be part of the prolouge of book 5
I am kind of confused with all these timelines...
Is there some kind of an overview and are the other books already "published" online in some form as a continuous text?
I am kind of confused with all these timelines...
Is there some kind of an overview and are the other books already "published" online in some form as a continuous text?
I am not that confused since I only quite recently picked up on the Manstein books.....But it would be nice to have all the chapters and books published without comments somewhere.
That having said, I really enjoy all of the books, and this one is no exception. This is the best ATL I have seen so far on AH.com.
BlairWitch749
Banned
Manstein vs Buddeny Round II Part 4 (Chapter 27) Men, I am not ordering you to attack. I am ordering you to die -Mustafa Kemal
Turkish-Soviet Border near Batumi July 1942
On Manstein's left flank was where the hammer of Kut would fall. On July 9th 1942 after Buddeny's forces all along the border had been heavily engaged by Italian and Turkish infantry divisions; for ten miles inland from the black sea the axis artillery thundered.
It wasn't quite the bombardment Manstein hoped for, his artillery requests had fallen behind schedule due to diversions to other parts of the eastern front and the fragile nature of the Turkish rail system, in the end in order to have his offensive kick off on time, he could have tank engines or guns; but not both, and Manstein being Manstein, he wanted his panzers to be servicable.
Panzer Army Africa divisional commanders Fritz Bayerlein and Ludwig Cruell converse prior to Kut
This is not to say the bombardment wasn't effective, because indeed it was. Turkish partisans and scouts from the 4th Seawolf company had pinpointed Buddeny's strongpoints on the border and the guns where able to make up for their lack of numbers with excellent air photos of their targets to find the range. They where also supplemented by the full might of Manstein's desert air force which had been brought back to strength during the lull after Operation Rotten Egg. Hundreds of FW-190's operating in multiple roles made pass after pass over the positions of the Russian 6th and 39th armies, dropping bombs, straffing, and intimidating all red air force opposition. The Luftwaffe and axis air force as a whole continued to be doniminent in this portion of the theater, both due to numbers and their vast experience advantage.
A rotte of FW-190's fly top cover for the 90th light division
The other element of the bombardment which showed excellently for propaganda was an Italian cruiser and 4 destroyers parading outside the port area of Batumi and inundating it with 6 inch shells.
The city was thrown into chaos as the elite Turkish 4th infantry division burst into the city. Squads covered by MG-42's and light mortars made excellent progress. The 90th light division, the La Spieza infantry division and a task force from the Trieste motorized division looped around the city on the right flank, their previous preparations allowing a high rate of speed and momentum to their advance
Batumi despite the shock and ferocity of Manstein's assault didn't fall without a price. A Russian naval infantry brigade and their 46th mountain division fought tooth and nail for the dockyards and buildings of the city. The Turks had demanded the honor of capturing the city themselves, which deprived the assault of other axis infantry who where experienced in urban assaults. Regiments had to be fed in from the 10th and 11th Turkish infantry divisions out of central reserve to keep up the attack. In the end though the city's fall was inevitable, both because of axis number but more because of their unrelenting airpower. Some of the final stuka's to see service on the eastern front conducted their last runs loosing sticks of 500lb bombs on fortified buildings marked by Turkish infantry; and after several bloody repulses, they started taking the advice of their German laison officers and simply imploding any defended building they partially occupied
90th light and Triest cut the city off from the East and a combination of aggressive Regia Marina patrolling and vigilent axis airpower kept the Black Sea Fleet away from the battle and prevented reinforcement. On July 29th 1942 Batumi surrendered or more accurately all the defenders had been killed or wounded. This opened the door for the mass of stacked panzers behind the front to open a general advance into Buddeny's vitals
to be continued...
thoughts?
Russian soldiers conduct a heroic but ultimately in vain defense of Batumi
Turkish-Soviet Border near Batumi July 1942
On Manstein's left flank was where the hammer of Kut would fall. On July 9th 1942 after Buddeny's forces all along the border had been heavily engaged by Italian and Turkish infantry divisions; for ten miles inland from the black sea the axis artillery thundered.
It wasn't quite the bombardment Manstein hoped for, his artillery requests had fallen behind schedule due to diversions to other parts of the eastern front and the fragile nature of the Turkish rail system, in the end in order to have his offensive kick off on time, he could have tank engines or guns; but not both, and Manstein being Manstein, he wanted his panzers to be servicable.
Panzer Army Africa divisional commanders Fritz Bayerlein and Ludwig Cruell converse prior to Kut
This is not to say the bombardment wasn't effective, because indeed it was. Turkish partisans and scouts from the 4th Seawolf company had pinpointed Buddeny's strongpoints on the border and the guns where able to make up for their lack of numbers with excellent air photos of their targets to find the range. They where also supplemented by the full might of Manstein's desert air force which had been brought back to strength during the lull after Operation Rotten Egg. Hundreds of FW-190's operating in multiple roles made pass after pass over the positions of the Russian 6th and 39th armies, dropping bombs, straffing, and intimidating all red air force opposition. The Luftwaffe and axis air force as a whole continued to be doniminent in this portion of the theater, both due to numbers and their vast experience advantage.
A rotte of FW-190's fly top cover for the 90th light division
The other element of the bombardment which showed excellently for propaganda was an Italian cruiser and 4 destroyers parading outside the port area of Batumi and inundating it with 6 inch shells.
The city was thrown into chaos as the elite Turkish 4th infantry division burst into the city. Squads covered by MG-42's and light mortars made excellent progress. The 90th light division, the La Spieza infantry division and a task force from the Trieste motorized division looped around the city on the right flank, their previous preparations allowing a high rate of speed and momentum to their advance
Batumi despite the shock and ferocity of Manstein's assault didn't fall without a price. A Russian naval infantry brigade and their 46th mountain division fought tooth and nail for the dockyards and buildings of the city. The Turks had demanded the honor of capturing the city themselves, which deprived the assault of other axis infantry who where experienced in urban assaults. Regiments had to be fed in from the 10th and 11th Turkish infantry divisions out of central reserve to keep up the attack. In the end though the city's fall was inevitable, both because of axis number but more because of their unrelenting airpower. Some of the final stuka's to see service on the eastern front conducted their last runs loosing sticks of 500lb bombs on fortified buildings marked by Turkish infantry; and after several bloody repulses, they started taking the advice of their German laison officers and simply imploding any defended building they partially occupied
90th light and Triest cut the city off from the East and a combination of aggressive Regia Marina patrolling and vigilent axis airpower kept the Black Sea Fleet away from the battle and prevented reinforcement. On July 29th 1942 Batumi surrendered or more accurately all the defenders had been killed or wounded. This opened the door for the mass of stacked panzers behind the front to open a general advance into Buddeny's vitals
to be continued...
thoughts?
Russian soldiers conduct a heroic but ultimately in vain defense of Batumi
Another great, detailed update. I was afraid this TL was going into hibernation when you started your Clinton TL, but I see that there was no danger of that!
As much success as the Turks may have in southern Georgia, any sustained offensive in that theater that does not focus on the Azeri oilfields would seem to be fundamentally misguided. There are only a few passes large enough to send armies through the Caucasus mountains, and even with partisans and infiltrators the Soviets should be able to hold a defensive line across those mountains at a reasonable cost.
The fall of Batumi should be most important in strangling the Soviet Black Sea fleet of bases that can repair and resupply it. If the Axis can take Odessa and Sevastopol the Black Sea will be an Axis lake, allowing the Germans and their allies to bypass the mountainous Caucasus region.
As much success as the Turks may have in southern Georgia, any sustained offensive in that theater that does not focus on the Azeri oilfields would seem to be fundamentally misguided. There are only a few passes large enough to send armies through the Caucasus mountains, and even with partisans and infiltrators the Soviets should be able to hold a defensive line across those mountains at a reasonable cost.
The fall of Batumi should be most important in strangling the Soviet Black Sea fleet of bases that can repair and resupply it. If the Axis can take Odessa and Sevastopol the Black Sea will be an Axis lake, allowing the Germans and their allies to bypass the mountainous Caucasus region.
Daffy Duck
Banned
excellent update
Excellent update. The Soviets are in for a curb-stomping. Stalin will be none too happy.
Excellent update. The Soviets are in for a curb-stomping. Stalin will be none too happy.
BlairWitch749
Banned
no, i have 2 or 3 updates left in this; its just that RL has been getting in the way and not been affording me the sustained time to write updates...the baby and the promotion have taken their toll
Wow... I've been out of the loop for too darn long. Congrats on the promotion, BW! Take your time with the updates. I can only pray that you're not as stressed as I am...
BlairWitch749
Banned
Manstein vs Buddeny Round II Part 5 (Chapter 28) “War alone brings up to their highest tension all human energies and imposes the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to make it.”- Benito Mussolini
Turkish-Soviet Border near Batumi August 1942
Batumi's fall unleashed Manstein and Bastico's forces for rapid advance. The Trieste motorized division backed by assault guns and tanks screened the passed to the east preventing any intervention of Russian forces looking to put pressure on the Kut supply lines.
La Spieza, 90th Light, Ariette, and Littorio formed the mobile spearhead operating as task force Bastico whilst 2 Italian infantry corps and 2 Turkish corps marched behind them, beating out 25 miles a day on foot desperately trying to consolidate ground and take prisoners cut off by the mobile divisions
Covered by roving tactical aircraft, Regia Marina bombardments and self propelled artillery the Italian tank corps burst out along the black sea coast making rapid progress. Buddeny proved unable to bring reinforcements from the east due to careful screening of the passes and his forces being heavily engaged by German formations from Manstein's other spearhead; this forced all reinforcements against task force Bastico to come from the north.
The lack of roads in the area lead the reinforcements along very predictable paths to engage task force Bastico and route 12 became so aggressively patrolled by the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe that they couldn't operate in daylight without prohibitive losses.
The 90th light division in the lead surrounded Poti and captured the town off the march which allowed the Turkish and Italian merchant marine to bring supplies farther forward which allowed the spearheads to maintain their momentum
Ariette and La Spieza conducted a series of double envelopments against reinforcing divisions streaming down from the north allowing Littorio and the infantry to take over security and move on as soon as they could catch up. The luftwaffe prove critical in these battle by destroying a lot of essential transport and keeping Russian forces pinned in the pockets created by the tankers Over 80 thousand men where taken prisoner in these operations, many before they had even realized that they couldn't just march into the teeth of rolling axis tank assaults.
By August 18th the western task force had advanced over 250 miles through massive efforts and with additional infantry reinforcements from central reserve in Ankara; they held a line Sochi-Cheressek-Pyatigorsk which presented a significantly dangerous threat to all of Buddeny's troops holding points farther south
to be continued...
thoughts
Turkish-Soviet Border near Batumi August 1942
Batumi's fall unleashed Manstein and Bastico's forces for rapid advance. The Trieste motorized division backed by assault guns and tanks screened the passed to the east preventing any intervention of Russian forces looking to put pressure on the Kut supply lines.
La Spieza, 90th Light, Ariette, and Littorio formed the mobile spearhead operating as task force Bastico whilst 2 Italian infantry corps and 2 Turkish corps marched behind them, beating out 25 miles a day on foot desperately trying to consolidate ground and take prisoners cut off by the mobile divisions
Covered by roving tactical aircraft, Regia Marina bombardments and self propelled artillery the Italian tank corps burst out along the black sea coast making rapid progress. Buddeny proved unable to bring reinforcements from the east due to careful screening of the passes and his forces being heavily engaged by German formations from Manstein's other spearhead; this forced all reinforcements against task force Bastico to come from the north.
The lack of roads in the area lead the reinforcements along very predictable paths to engage task force Bastico and route 12 became so aggressively patrolled by the Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe that they couldn't operate in daylight without prohibitive losses.
The 90th light division in the lead surrounded Poti and captured the town off the march which allowed the Turkish and Italian merchant marine to bring supplies farther forward which allowed the spearheads to maintain their momentum
Ariette and La Spieza conducted a series of double envelopments against reinforcing divisions streaming down from the north allowing Littorio and the infantry to take over security and move on as soon as they could catch up. The luftwaffe prove critical in these battle by destroying a lot of essential transport and keeping Russian forces pinned in the pockets created by the tankers Over 80 thousand men where taken prisoner in these operations, many before they had even realized that they couldn't just march into the teeth of rolling axis tank assaults.
By August 18th the western task force had advanced over 250 miles through massive efforts and with additional infantry reinforcements from central reserve in Ankara; they held a line Sochi-Cheressek-Pyatigorsk which presented a significantly dangerous threat to all of Buddeny's troops holding points farther south
to be continued...
thoughts