Kiev – September 22 1942 – Kiewer Festung, temporary headquarter of Heeresgruppe Mitte and the whole eastern front
Generalfeldmarschall Werner is sitting at his desk reading the OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) reports that summarize the actions of the last six month.
Heeresgruppe West and the Kriegsmarine
The British have started a bombing campaign against French and even German cities. In Nurnberg the Reichsparteitagsgelände was bombed and destroyed (saving us a lot of money to demolish this place of shame on our own). But it is completely inacceptable that British bombers can reach German cities. One fighter fleet was ordered from the east front back to Germany. A second one will be put in operation soon. With the already existing fighters we now have 5 fleets of FW 190a and many flak batteries in France to hunt down the British bombers and fighters.
Our victorious submarines were coming back from the Atlantic for resupplies. All their Aale (torpedos) were gone sinking many of Churchill’s ships.
Several thousand Canadian troops surprisingly tried to land near Dieppe (Operation Jubilee) equipped with Churchill tanks but were immediately encircled at the beaches by our troops and wiped out. Nevertheless General von Rundstedt takes this as a sign that on the other side of the channel they really think about invading France.
To answer the thread of an invasion in France the OKW have sent two fleets with battleships, cruisers and destroyers to the western and eastern entrance of the channel. Let the invasion come. We will stop them in the English Channel and at the beaches of France.
Our whole U-Boot-Waffe is back on the way to the north Atlantic to sink more British ships.
For the next six month we stay alerted in the west but plan no offensive.
Germany, Das Reich
We have suffered sporadic bombing of German cities. This has to be stopped by all means! Our troops have conquered great parts of Europe, Scandinavia, are on the way to push the communists behind the Ural and Montgommery in the Suez Channel. And we can’t protect German cities from allied bombing? Inacceptable!
For the next six month: Air defence!
Italy
The Italians have provided a new expedition army. The OKW has decided not to send these troops to the east but to send them to the south to reinforce the Afrika Korps in its new campaign in Egypt. Infantry and Pak (anti-tank) was transported with planes to North Afrika.
For the next six month it is planned to support further the Afrika Korps with the Italien fleet and Italian troops in Egypt.
Balkan
Partisans from time to time. But we get rid of them.
Nothing special planned for the next six month.
Afrika Korps
General Rommel was able to stop the British tanks and in parallel to conquer Tobruk. Outstanding performance. It was a short-term decision of the OKW to order the Afrika Korps and the Italian Fleet to attack the British in Egypt.
The Korps has a lack of Panzers. They were all destroyed in the former battles.
Rommel is urgently asking at the OKW for replacement of modern tanks IIIJ or IVG but currently all equipment is reserved for the eastern front. To overwhelm the British entrenchments at Egypt the infantry, artillery and bombers will be more useful.
A Gebirgsjäger division from Greece was ordered to reinforce the Afrika Korps.
For the next six month it is planned to invade Egypt and reach the Suez Channel.
Heeresgruppe Nord and Finnish Allies
The OKW has decided to open a second main campaign in the east. The target is to capture the city of Leningrad and to destroy all Soviet forces in the area. Leningrad is heavily protected with deep entrenched troops. So a lot of artillery and a huge bomber fleet is transported to the north. OKW expects the siege to take several months before our infantry and tanks can enter the city.
- The siege of Leningrad by Heeresgruppe Nord
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The Finnish slowly move east in difficult terrain.
The plan for the next six month is to capture and hold Leningrad.
Heeresgruppe Mitte
As our target in the east is currently not to attack Moscow, a lot of equipment was transferred to Heeresgruppe Nord for the Leningrad siege and Heeresgruppe Süd for the Caucasus campaign. Only a reduced force is guarding strategic points like cities, main roads and fords. Also all planes were temporarily withdrawn from Heeresgruppe Mitte.
The plan for the next six month is to hold the lines in the center of the east front.
Heeresgruppe Süd, Romanian&Hungarian Allies
End of the winter 41/42 the main core arrived at Rostov, crossed the river and moved south east in the direction of Grosny. This terrain is perfect for our Blitzkrieg and the troops leaded by our most modern Panzer and Panzerjäger forces commanded by Generaloberst Hoth rolled with high speed in direction of Grosny.
But after intensive discussions with General List the OKW decided to let the Panzers swing to the north east towards the Volga river. Secret service reports told about very strong tank forces in this area. With the begin of the winter 42/43 we expect a strong counter attack from the Stalingrad region to the south trying to cut of Heersgruppe Süd in the Caucasus from the rest of our army. General List suggested to destroy at least all enemy forces south east of Stalingrad in the summer to weaken this counter attack.
The infantry and artillery moved to Grosny to capture the city and the oil field together with Oberst Steiner’s Falschirmjäger that are already operating in the area for some time. Continuous support by the bomber fleet is given.
Oberst Steiner was able to capture and hold the Grosny airport. This was essential for our ongoing air attacks in the Grosny area.
- Blitzkrieg on the Caucasus. Panzer and Panzerjäger attack north to the Volga. Infantry and artillery attack south.
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The plan for the next six month is to hold the lines in the north Caucasus against the counter attacks of the Red Army that may come from the area of Kharkov or from Stalingrad and to attack the Baku area with Falschirmjäger / bombers by the air and infantry /artillery on the ground. The scouts report about a nearly undefended road from Grosny to Baku. After that we will secure the whole Caucasus region.
Global summary
The OKW is confident that our overall strategy is working well. New Panzer models are more powerful than the T34. With the improved Panzer our troops gain back the necessary attacking power. Under good weather conditions we have the clear air superiority in the east.
Primary goal is to capture and hold Leningrad and the Caucasus area. Also tank and infantry forces should be prepared to reach Stalingrad in a few days.
The long-term strategy in the east is operation Niederschlag (knock out). From Leningrad and Stalingrad it seems possible to blitz with strong forces in the area east of Moscow, encircling the heavily guarded main capital and attack it mainly from the east. In that case Stalin will surely surrender. This ambitious plan could be realized until end of 43 and will be the keystone to win the war. After that the troops can be sent to France and will make any offensive action from the British side in Europe impossible.
From the Caucasus an expedition is planned to move south to secure the oil fields of Bagdad for the Reich.
A thinkable British invasion in France in 43 has to be stopped by our fleet and our troops at the coast. Our submarines intercept the British merchant roads in the Atlantic.
- Blue: Defending / Red: Attacking / Yellow: Fleets / Green: Long-term-targets
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It looks still good in the north but the south... the south! And in the west the western allies also show up now.
