OCS Case Blue - scenario 7.8

As the sky is still clear, the frost begin to bite in the North...

The Hungarish soldiers are crossing the Don around the swamp in order to establish a front to avoid a surprise through the Manych River.

New facilities has been built in North to protect the LR bombers, but the fighters was not yet deployed and the Stukas sent already some bombs on them.

Slow advance of the 4^th Mot Div toward Rostov.

Assault on the German tanks south of Tsimlanskaya by the 17^th and 22^th Tank Corps.

Surprise attack on the just arrived Italian in Tikhoretsk by the 4^th Mot Div, supported by independent tank brigades.

Difficulties to escape for the tanks of the 22^th Pz.

Preparation for the winter offensive: cold in north, light mud in south.

With more or less success the 17^th and 22^nd Tank Corps cleared the path of German tanks.

The German are slowly coming back to Maikop...

Maikop is back in German hands and the rail to Rostov is under threat from the SS Viking.

Limited attack, as prelude, mainly successful...

Failed attack of the Hungarish, stopped by a terrible Russian artillery barrage.

Counter-attack on the limited Soviet attack.

Invasion of Maikop almost done; the oil engineers are coming back to extract the oil

Massive assault!

A large hole is open in th German lines. The 1^st, 24^th Tank corps and 1^st Guard Mot Div are going up to Morozevsk.

In North, the tanks fail to make the hole.

From North to South, variable results of the Rusian offensive.

At Boguchar, everything is stopped. Not enough troops to exploit the first, difficult, assault.

After Mrozovsk, the tanks of the 1^st Guards Mot Corps and 24^th Tank Corps take Tatsinskaya esily and join the ones from the 1^st Tank Corps.

The German in Tsimlanskaya are cut from the rear by the action of the 13^th Mot Corps who repulsed easily the Hungarian from Zstvcia.

Mechetinskaya is taken by a brutal assault by the colum from Sal'sk. The German paratroopers and remnants of 16^th Pz and 29^th Mot Div will have to gather quickly and retreat toward Rostov.

Epic failure of the 5^th Tank Army in front of Pavloskaya, while the entire 4^th Mot Corps is running South to face the SS menacing to cut the rail, while they retook Maikop.

First delivery of oil from Maikop. Slow retreat toward Rostov after the continuation of the Russian offensive.

In South the Viking SS Divisionand the 14^th Pz Corps cut the railroad and still repulse the Russian, protecting Maikop.

Continuation of the offensive.

The retreat gives the German some more solid positions to defend. The fresh 6^th PzDiv, arriving directy from Normandy, is ready to fight with their Italian comrades of the D'Aosta Division.

The 1^st Panzerkorps was able to exit the trap and the 3^rd PzDiv and infantry of the 40^th Panzerkorps destroyed two Guards units and tried even to retake Boguchar.

Not sure the Soviet will be able to break through the German defences...

The South begins to enter Winter from now. No more mud...

The rail is reestablished between Stalingrad and the Rostov-Armavir road.

The SS are bypassed and feel alone in the steppes.

Violent fight to try to trap the German.

Facing Rostov, a quick move from the left of the Tuapse Operation Group overthrows the paratroopers and almost join the bridges of Rostov destroying the Police SS guarding the track in the middle of the swamps.

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