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 In this reality, Stalingrad will fall in 1942 as the Afrika Korps enters Russia from the south.  At this point, both of our groups have two objectives to take. In the north, Stalingrad will be the major battle. Once we capture it, then we'll move the whole force southward. On the other side, we're attacking Grozny but also want to shift some units north to start scouting Blagdernoe. This should ensure that the Soviets cannot retreat to hold the offensive up any further. Axis Turn 14: September 3, 1942 Clear(Dry)  We make a probing attack at Blagdernoe to test the enemy defenses. We've also sent paratroops in to cut the roads to the north.  But we shouldn't get to far ahead of ourselves, as we still need to take care of Grozny. Our bombers go in despite the flak and manage to silence the air defenses, but in so doing take considerable losses.  Stalingrad is at the moment an artillery duel. We have more guns, although theirs are stronger. Allied Turn 14: September 3, 1942  The T-34 knocks back our Panzers, but its attempt to rush for the coast is halted by an ambush. Our infantry lack real anti-tank capability, and even with the suprise our soldiers only are able to take out a handful of the tanks before they pull back. Axis Turn 15: September 8, 1942 Overcast(Dry)  Progress at Grozny is slow but steady. Yet we need to work faster as the summer will be over soon. The mountains are getting chilly.  Scouts in the north indicate increasing enemy troop levels in the region.  There's a line of AT guns blocking the exit from Stalingrad. The Rumanians are sent to begin breaking it up. Allied Turn 15: September 8, 1942  All the guns that can be brought to bear at Blagdernoe rain shells down on our Marders. They'll need to pull back from the city.  Fighting proceeds from street to street in Stalingrad. The Soviets take back a few city blocks, but it is bloody for both sides. Axis Turn 16: September 13, 1942 Overcast(Dry)  Grozny finally surrenders. The worst of the mountain fighting is over.  Our bombers are freed up to strike at the concentration of forces near Kislovosk.  We've practically got Stalingrad surrounded, but this is the trickiest part of the operation: Getting our guns across the Don and in range of the city before the enemy artillery destroys them. Allied Turn 16: September 13, 1942  The enemy tank commander pulls off a brilliant maneuver: They race to the crossing of the Kuban and then drive hard up the river to hit us from the rear. Or it would have been brilliant, but our own armor is quick to respond. We fight them to a draw.  The tide turns permanently against the Soviets at Stalingrad when an all-out attack ends in disaster. Axis Turn 17: September 18, 1942 Raining(Dry) The first of the autumn rains threatens to ruin our offensive.  The patrolling forces encounter stiffening resistance. Although we are reducing that wall of guns south of Stalingrad.  An armored push captures the north part of Stalingrad. Allied Turn 17: September 18, 1942  There are still plenty of guns remaining in the Soviet army. They fail to find their targets in the rain. Axis Turn 18: September 23, 1942 Raining(Dry)  We make up for lost time and the tanks get to work blasting entrenched Soviet positions at Blagdernoe. After weeks of mountain fighting, the tanks are happy to finally have room to maneuver.  Stalingrad falls, and we are already gearing up to head south.  We don't need to push the line any farther south from Rostov, but we can't allow the Soviets to break through either. Allied Turn 18: September 23, 1942  Some of the Russian soldiers seem to think their compatriots in the mountains just weren't up to the task of fighting us. We make them pay for their arrogance.  Although their concentration of dug-in AT guns and artillery are able to nearly eliminate our attacking tank unit. Axis Turn 19: September 28, 1942 Raining(Muddy) A campaign season of excellent weather comes to a close.  The hastily-assembled defense force may not have known how to deal with an 88mm flak gun, but they are ferocious in close combat with even our best infantry.  Mud paralyzes the move out of Stalingrad. Allied Turn 19: September 28, 1942  It is fairly quiet on the Soviet side of things, with only the guns at Blagdernoe making any noise. Axis Turn 20: October 3, 1942 Clear(Dry) The weather cools as October arrives, the mud hardens a bit and we can move once more.  The route to Elista is clear. We split off some tanks to handle the remaining Soviet presence east of the Volga.  Our line forms up in the south. The assault on Blagdernoe will begin in earnest very soon. Allied Turn 20: October 3, 1942  The Soviets opt not to throw their best tanks into the fight to hold the key cities, but keep them around to make raids into our thinner lines to the west.  It is a policy that has worked out very well for them in many respects.  Even at Blagdernoe, they continue the practice of hitting us where we're weakest; instead of doing anything to counter the build-up to the south, they push back on the north. Axis Turn 21: October 8, 1942 Clear(Dry)  The assault on Blagdernoe begins in earnest. We lack artillery, but use our tanks to strike quickly and make a good advance.  The battle for Erista starts up more gradually, with the edges of our army engaging forces well outside the city. Allied Turn 21: October 8, 1942  The Soviets ensure that the northern and southern groups will not link up yet as they reduce some of the Axis forces. Axis Turn 22: October 13, 1942 Clear(Dry)  After a successful start at Blagdernoe, we have to spend a bit more time softening up the heart of the city before we can take it.  We peel back the outer defenses of Erista. We ought to take this spot within a week. Allied Turn 22: October 13, 1942  We still take casualties at Erista, but we greatly outnumber the enemy.  Once again, the T-34 picks exactly the right moment to move. As soon as we thought it was only focusing on the western forces, they hit our mobile artillery guns in the midst of resupply. Losses are heavy. Axis Turn 23: October 18, 1942 Clear(Dry)  The first assault on Erista ends in failure.  We can still be fairly sure of an eventual victory before the year's end. For now, we focus on finally getting rid of that thorn in our side, the T-34. Allied Turn 23: October 18, 1942  With our attention diverted to the west, the T-70 tanks get a chance to run around and hit our infantry.  At Erista, the light tanks are fighting merely to escape destruction.  The battle along the Volga continues to rage, and a unit of tanks defending our line is lost. Axis Turn 24: October 23, 1942 Clear(Dry)  The T-34 is finally taken care of, and we also mop up a few forces down south.  The Soviet troops holding Erista take a bit longer to wear down than we'd expected, but they eventually do give up. Allied Turn 24: October 23, 1942  About the only place the enemy has seen success recently is along the Volga, but their advance has no real momentum to it.  An attempt is made by the Soviets to broaden the gap between our northern and southern forces, but it does not work. Axis Turn 25: October 28, 1942 Clear(Dry)  A last stand is made by the enemy at Blagdernoe. The lack of artillery is really hurting us, especially since heavy air defenses and shortening daylight hours is making air attacks unfeasible.  More desperate attacks are made to capture the city, more to preserve the pride of the Afrika Korps than for any other reason. But all result in severe losses. Allied Turn 25: October 28, 1942  We lose the 88 AT guns at Blagdernoe, and the mobile Mardar is also eliminated. Axis Turn 25: November 2, 1942 Snowing(Dry)  As the first snows begin to fall, we send our tanks to drive out the tired enemy soldiers from Blagdernoe. The Russians have been broken in the south, and Germany gains access to as much oil as it needs. Ending Prestige: 1827 
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