6 June 1942
The assembly area for 10 Panzer was set with a feinted attack on the heart of the Cherkess-Kerman strongpoint line in mind. Without sufficient reconnaissance available to check the territory behind it for enemy concentrations, we are not aware if this was successful or not. Nonetheless, 10 Panzer's plan is to breakthrough below Makensia using Goliaths, isolate the settlement and sweep the area between the strongpoint line and the river.
Further north, the first action of the main force was to find out what a three-metre-long shell fired by a monstrous 800mm cannon looked and sounded like. The strongpoints outside Kamyschly took a direct hit and were rolled up quickly.
West, at Belbek, no railway guns were available to support the assault. However, the Goliath remote tanks and their loads of explosives had an equivalent effect allowing the 25th's regiments to roll up the strongpoints guarding the approach to the town.
7 June 1942
25 Infanterie was able to force a decision at Belbek quickly, thanks to a focused bombardment by its heavy artillerie regiment and StuGs supported by bombers from KG 88.
The main force has swept through Kamyschly under a rain of artillerie fire of various calibres, with Panzer-Regiment 9 once again demonstrating the ability of the Pz IVE to make short work of exposed enemy soldiers.
At Makensia, both Goliath units attached to 10 Panzer were needed but one of the strongpoint complexes was completely neutralised by them, allowing our forces to start funneling around the south of the town to start an encirclement maneuver and permit exploitation as per the battle plan.
8 June 1942
In the Belbek / Maxim Gorky I sector, 25 Infanterie has consolidated around the hills SW of Belbek and is drawing breath ahead of assault operations on the strongpoint network. One of the fallschirmjager regiments has been dropped in this safe area to augment both the offensive power and durability of the infanterie force.
Near Kamyschly, the Soviets have counter-attacked against our spearhead. However, they have thrown an overmatched array of lighter tanks into this engagement which are proving to be little more than maneuver and gunnery practice for our experienced tankers and, especially in the case of the much-prized Sturer Emils of Schwere-Panjerjager-Abt 300 and the Panzer IVGs of Paner-Regiment 3, much bigger guns.
Lead elements of 17 Panzer quickly advanced SW to interdict resupply lines to the eastern fortifications and Makensia - they encountered a Soviet heavy tank force, which would have proved a challenging opponent especially if they could get themselves positioned favourably on the nearby hillsides. Our spearhead had secured the rail line around Kamischly and "Big Gustav" - the Dora railway cannon - was brought into range whilst our panzers avoided a direct engagement with the KV1s.
Panzer-Regiment 17 went over to the attack on the back of the bombardment and the scattered remnants of the Soviet heavy tank regiment was finished of by ZG 99.
9 June 1942
Perhaps the most important news of the day's actions is that the guns of Maxim Gorky I, which have been taking a constant toll on 25 Infanterie and attached forces, have had the first taste of their own medicine. We are well aware of the range of the Soviet guns, but the reach of Big Gustav is longer. As with all our highest-value (and most vulnerable) assets, fighter cover is always on hand.
Soviets have been essentially cleared from within striking distance of the massive gun, with higher ground proving irrelevant to the chances of their light tanks that continue to be thrown against us.
Having penetrated the line at Makensia, exploiting forces from 10 Panzer and the Romanian 1st Mountain Division encountered more lone enemy tank groups of what we'd consider regimental strength. The StuG IIIFs of Panzerjager-Abt 10 were able to cover enough ground to make their own contact and provide a stern riposte to the enemy's local plans.
The Romanian gebirgsjagers, obviously comfortable in the local landscape, proved they were more than a match for the retreating enemy T26s repulsed at the previous engagement.
At Makensia, Pioniere-Regiment 100 reported the elimination of the final set of strongpoints, clearing the way for the final assault on the town.
10 June 1942
The skies over our operational areas had remained blissfully clear, apart from JG 26 providing air cover for Big Gustav, Schwere-Panjzerjager-Abt 300 (we no longer have the spare parts or spare machines to make good any losses it takes) and either our other heavy artillerie regiments or isloated Panzer IVGs. Apparently, the enemy air power has been busying itself hunting down the groups of S-Boots patrolling off the coast and looking in vain for the small pack of coastal U-Boots that we've been told is skulking around. However today, an enemy group of LaGG interceptors raided 10 Panzer's rear echelon - tempted perhaps by the lack of cover afforded to Schwere-Artillerie-Regiment "Eiffel". This proved to be a costly raid for the Reds, as the veterans in the number 1 Gruppen from JG 26 and ZG 99 engaged and destroyed the entire enemy wing.
Similarly, a flight of Yaks took a run at Artillerie-Regiment 25 at Belbek. And they too were engaged and destroyed, although they proved a little more resilient that the LaGGs had done earlier in the day.
Nearing the river, the advance elements of 10 Panzer and the Romanians encountered T34s in regimental strength. Panzer-Regiment 13's Panzer IIIJs were overmatched by the enemy tanks so, whilst the supporting StuG IIIFs would serve as an effective deterrent to a direct attack by the Soviet commander, this force lacked the combined punch to fully subdue this threat. Sadly, this contact came outside the limits of ZG 99's Bf 110s, which could have provided the decisive extra firepower needed to wrap matters up promptly.
11 June 1942
Clearly, the Red air commander has become bored with chasing small boats around - although they have successfully sunk two of the three flotillas along with one of the 3 U-Boots in the wolf pack. A wing of Pe-3 bombers had destroyed a number of tanks from Panzer-Regiment 9 and, having attacked without escorts, this was the chance we had to take to stop any of them returning back to their base. Some of our JG pilots have nicknamed the Pe-3 the "bullet sponge", as the 109's armament - particularly on our 109Fs - is accurate but "lightweight". Still, more and more aircraft were thrown at them as it was considered an essential mission - with many red fighters already downed, this success made the Crimean skies a lot less threatening.
10 Panzer reported the surrender of almost the entire garrison at Makensia. Corps took their word for it, as no photograph or enemy banner ever made its way to Corps HQ.....neither did any prisoners. Perhaps the Romanians took them?
After bombardment for 3 solid days (albeit at only 3 shots per daylight hour), Big Gustav finally silenced the last of Maxim Gorky I's guns! Now our assault forces can operate without having to fear large-calibre death screaming down out of the heavens.
With this great boost to morale, 25 Infanterie renewed its advance, calling on the last of the Goliaths to soften up enemy strongpoints.
A previously uncommitted force of Soviet infantry with heavy weapons support had made its presence felt in the sector, so Panzer-Regiment 9 was called in to cut them down to size.
The first 6 days of operations had seen XIX Corps accomplish a key objective in eliminating the Maxim Gorky I fortifications, along with the destruction of half the reported Soviet air forces in the theatre. 25 Infanterie, with some support from Panzer elements expected, has reported full confidence in its ability to methodically work through the remaining defences around Bartenyevka. The focus will shift to moving our mobile forces down the valley to the identified bridging point to create, secure and break out from the bridghead whilst the railway gun continues to provide support to reduce enemy fortifications.
I guess I can point to some of the memoirs I've read as inspiration for the writing style and my past experience as a teacher- if I get enough slots, I hope to pay my own laughably small tribute to Erhaud Raus (Panzer Operations - buy it and read it) and Gottlob Biedermann (In Deadly Combat, a German soldier's memoir of the Eastern Front - buy it and and read it) by adding their formations to my Corps. Might be easier for the latter, as he was a PaK gefreiter and later NCO in 132nd Infanterie whilst Raus was a general, but we'll see how things go