OCS Case Blue - 7.1 Operation Typhoon Campaign Start I

The general plan is to run to Moscow before the mud and the winter. The first turns should be like this:

- The 2^nd  and 10^th Korps will cut the Russian in front of them, reaching the double railtraod of Kalinin. Then Kalinin.

- The 46. Panzerkorps will overrun the Russian to catch Spas Demyansk and send elements toward Vyazma, Maloyaroslavest ans Sukhnichi. Then they have to cut Rzhev and Bryansk. Then Kubin.

- The 18^th and XXIV. Panzerkorps must go through Dmitriev-L'Govskiy in order to take Orel and cut Bryansk too.. Then Tula and Ryazan.

The plan works as expected.

Soviet's objectives:

1. Avoid to be cut.

2. Defend each and every town, river crossing, wood...

3. Prepare an army for a winter counter-offensive.

Here comes the Germans! The 11^th Army start to appreciate the tree bark soup regime in order to withdraw...

The 34^th Army gathers and take position on the Kalinin road.

The 29^th Army, west of Nelidovo, starts to withdraw toward Rzhev...

Troops around Bryansk start to withdraw slowly as some fresh reinforcements arrive to defend the rear access to the city.

An emergency task force deploys in and around Orel to stop the forward Panzers...

Around L'Gov, the defenders wait for assaults from north and west.

Despite the lack of supply this turn, a lot of Russian troops are trapped:

In North, around Nelidovo, west of Vyazma – Vyazma fell to the SS.

Bryansk is cut, by an audacious raid of the 2^nd PzDiv on the Kaluga railroad and the 4. Panzer-Division on the Orel railroad.

L'Gov is cut too, by the move of the 10^th I.D. (mot.)

It seems the Russain will develop many way to cook different varieties of tree bark soup and will teach the recipe to the German!

The isolated elements of the 34^th Army succeeded in reopening a link through the SS around Valday.

Nelidovo stays uncut while the infantry is retreating toward the fortified city of Rzhev.

A fierce counter-attack failed to retake Vyazma to the SS. These are know isolated and unsupplied but the 24^th and 16^th Army have to feed with tree bark soup to survive as they are retreating.

Briansk is still out of external supply despite the arrival of relief troops near Orel.

At L'Gov, under very deadly and precice bombing from the Luftwaffe, the 2^nd Guards Div, 160^th Div and 150^th Tank brigade joined on the railroad the horsemen of the 5^th Cav, coming directly from Kursk to repulse the Panzergrenadieren.

Hard times... May the rain and mud stop the Germans!

In North, a raid allowed to supply the forward SS elements, cut by the desesperate Soviet counter-attack.

Rzhev is now encircled, due to the quick assault of the 6. Panzer-Division, strongly supported by the Stukas: when the tankists of the I/11. Panzer-Division Rgmt entered the chaos of the defense line, they found nothing but some empty abandonned wagons. Following them, the 36^th I.D. (mot.) exploited the hole to surroud the city, occupying roads and railroad.

In Vyazma, the SS has been relieved by the 11. Panzer-Division, deployed to cover a larger perimeter and closing the trap.

L'Gov is fallen, taken by the 3^rd PzDiv. The Soviet planes there escaped quickly to Kursk only to learn that the town was surrounded too, by the 17. Panzer-Division!

Good situation overall.

West of Rzhev, the horsemen of the 50^th Cavalry Division took by surprise the HQ of the LVI^th Panzerkorps. From Rzhev a cunter-attack of the 154^th Division repulsed the Germans and reopened the road and railorad to the East.

Vyazma has been retaken from the SS by an assault by different elements of the 32^th and 20^th Armies. In the same time, a tank raid on the airport failed with heavy losses. The battle of Vyazma is still undeccided while the Soviet keep retreating from West

The 50^th Army retreats from Bryansk and try to res-establish the link with Orel.

Kursk succeeded in reopening the East road, but probably for a short time...

This is not a catastrophic situation: the dangerous German attacks an encirclements are not totally successfull...

Bryansk is taken by some lone wolves of the 167^th Division, while the retreating Soviet forgot to guards the south entrance of the city...

In other areas, due to the first light mud, the fights slow down, as the supply does not reach the forward lines.

Successful bombing of the Yaroslav airport. But the second wave is repulsed with great losses. The Soviets are no more surprised.

Kursk and Rzhev are no more encircled... Damned mud!

Thank to the mud, despite the facts that all Soviet counter-attacks was surprised, the situation seems to be better:

On the Valday front in the North, the lines are now supplied and some German troops are trapped in the heavy woods.

Rzhev is still in Russian hands, connected and well defended.

Vyazma is still in Russian hands and the Germans are now in jeopardy in the South. The retreating troops still retreat in good order, eating the tree bark soup as usual...

Orel is now safe and even Bryansk has been retaken and is solidly linked to Orel and rear.

Kursk is supplied too but the as soon as the Germans establish some supply road, the threat will reappear.

Despite the dry weather coming back, the rapid move of the Panzers is done, due to very low supplies.

In North, a little hole his opened on the deep forest to get slowly to the bridge.

In all areas, nothing improtsant is gained except Kursk, taken to the NKVD by elements of the 17. Panzer-Division, 1^st Cav Div and finally by the Gross-Deutschland Rgmt.

The defence line is stronger than before. At Rzhev, first.

Around Vyazma, the German are more and more out of supply and the retreating 16^th and 24^th Armies may stop and face the advancing ennemies.

Sukhinichi is still standing, not that strong, but can be lost without too much strategical damage.

Bryansk is now well defended. Arty and planes are back.

Facing Orel, a counter-attack destroyed an Panzergrenadier regiment.

Kursk if definitively lost and the retreatng troops are scattered.

The winter will be very difficult for the German.

Failure of the attack of the 1^st, 7^th and 11. Panzer-Division around Vyazma. Due to lack of supplies the two former was limited in their impetus and due to bad luck the third was even obliged to withdraw with losses...

The pressure around Sukhinichi is growing slowly.

The south railroad from Bryansk is closed.

The hope come form Orel: the 17. Panzer-Division, followed by the 1^st Cavalry Division, took Orel's airport, cutting the city from the Russian lines. The two Soviet armies around Orel and Bryansk are now in big trouble!

Almost every Soviet attack was expected by the Germans and they surprised the formers by embuscades. Anyway, some achievements have been done:

At Rzhev, the two infantry regiments standing outside the city have been destroyed by massive infantry counter-attacks leaded by the 50^th Cavalry Division.

At Vyazma, a counter-attack failed but disorganized the tank columns coming from North and the airport has been retaken to the SS.

At Sukhinichi, a counter-attack destroyed the infantry regiment trying to bypass the town by the North.

At Orel, the airport stayed in the German's hands, letting the city outside the railroad network. The Russian soldiers ate their very last tree bark soup and hope the alternate way of supply – by wagons – will be established quickly.

Wind change. The wind brings some rain and light mud and give the Soviet the initiative, permitting them to reinforce some points and to deliver supplies to the Orel-Bryansk area.

At Rzhev, the counter-attack continue and the 50^th Cavalry Division and the 154^th  I.D. retook some lost fortifications, encircling a new German infantry regiment, cautionless engaged on the East bank of the river.

Supply and reinforcement arrive at Vyazma and Sukhinichi. Some hedgehogs are even built, thank to the muddy ground.

At Orel, after three desorganized and failed attemps to retake the airport, the cyclists and some fresh soldiers of the 325^th I.D. succeeded. The supply line was in the same time re-established by wagons, north of the city.

The situation is under control now.

Difficult mud, and this one is only “light”! At Rzhev, the connection has been re-established with the forward 4^th Panzergrenadieren Regiment of the 6. Panzer-Division. But the last tanks of the 36^th  I.D. (mot.) does not answer radio calls...

Behind Vyazma, the 1^st and 7. Panzer-Division are cut and have difficulties to be feed. South of Vyazma, many reinforcements arrive in order to give soon a strong blow to the city, airport and railroad and road connexions.

At Orel, a new offensive is launched by the 1^st Cavalry Division; the horsemen cross the Oka river west of the city.

The autumn will be very difficult...

The rain stops and the road are now dry. Don't let the German exploit that around Orel to cut us once more!

The Soviet counter-attacks continue to destroy one by one the forward tank bataillons not yet covered by infantry dus to lack of supply, in front of Rzhev and Vyazma.

At Orel, the horsemen has been repulsed.

The defenses in front of Rzhek are taken and the connection wth the courageous 4^th Panzergrenadieren Rgmt is reestablished. The 35^th and 296^th I.D. launch a frontal attack against the city itself, without result.

The 2^nd Panzerarmee do not stop its attack around Orel in order to cut the two Russian armies. The 25^th I.D. (mot.) and the 1. Kavallerie-Division take once more the airport and crush the bicycle batailons there. The Oka river is once more crossed...

With a dry weather once more, we cannot let the German exploit their advance behing Orel.

Half-failure in Orel. The tanks that crossed the Oka has been destroyed, and troops occupying the airport has been repulsed but the airport itself is still in the hands of some supply wagons!

The rest of the front is quiet.

Great achievements today!

A double move around Vyazma is launched: from the North the 1^st and 7. Panzer-Division continue slowly their advance and connect with their comrades coming from the south.

From the south, the LVII. Panzerkorps send the 23^th I.D. and 11. Panzer-Division to create a hole in Soviet lines, then mount an assault with the infantry of the 11. Panzer-Division, the 267. I.D. and the remnants of the SS-Division Reich (mot.). They progress in the city, inflicting heavy losses, strongly supported by the Stukas of the VIII. Fliegerkorps. Finally, in a last attempt to catch the city, the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 226 triggers a panic move when it decides to bypass the city, while new infantry regiments enter triumphaly: Vyazma is once more taken.

Other great success: once the 297. Infantry-Division has opened the road to Maloyaroslavets, the 5. Panzer-Division run eastward to take Myatlevo and cut the Soviet HQ in support of Vyazma! The road is wide open now!

Around Orel, the 1. Kavallerie-Division launched a victorious attack West of the city, while the 293. Infanterie-Division opened the road to the 3. Panzer-Division who came up to the alternative wagon supply road.

In the meantime, the 10. Infanterie-Division (mot.) pursues eastward to catch by suprise the village of Mtsensk and the supply depot there in support of Orel. The armies in Orel and Bryansk are in very bad situation now!

The hope is coming back to the German side with no less than five socviete armies trapped and two new opened road to Moscow!

The first frost bites and some trucks are destroyed as long as a big part of the infantry.

The good news is that the soil is now dry and we are in a very good position to exploit the previous strategical moves.

The door is closed behind Vyazma. The Soviet reliefs are trapped too with the 5. Panzer-Division pushing forward to Maljaroslavets and behind.

Kaluga too has been taken by their tankists and even some connected with the 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.) coming from the Orel at Tula!

Orel is trapped, as are the troops in Bryansk!

How to escape from that hell?

The troops around Vyazma tried in vain to open a way by the North.

From Sukhinichi, the 28^th Tank brigade conducted an audacious raid on the rears of the Germans, taking the village of Spas-Demiansk and cutting the supply to no less than five Armeekorps! They were supplied by air, thank to the airport taken in the same move.

Bryansk is on the verge to fall.

The troops around Orel received some supply by truck to help them retreating in good order.

Around Tula, the resistance is organized; an audacious worker alert batalion was even able to reoccupy the airbase near the city during the night...

The fighting spirit is still there!

The situation is getting better. The encirclement of Vyazma divides the Russian in small pockets.

The 5. Panzer-Division continues his victorious march forward, taking Obinskoe and even Kubinka, surprising the planes guarding Moscow, followed by the 10. Panzer-Division.

The 10. Infanterie-Division (mot.) bring some reinforcement and supply to sustain the spearhead waiting in Tula.

Bryansk and Orel are well encircled too...

Fear around Moscow... The reinforcements are quickly sent to defend the outpost of the capital.

In North, the retreat begins slowly.

Around Tula, the pressure grows and the city is now out of supply, as the main part of Sukhinichi garrison retreats too. The 6^th Guard Infantry Division and the 20^th Mountain Cavalry Division successfully destroyed elements of the German 10^th Infanterie-Division (mot.).

If Bryansk is still supplied by air transport, despite the intercepting Bf-109 patrols, Orel finally capitulated.

The Novembre rain transforms the ground in light mud. The 2. Panzerarmee resumes his movement, following the retreating Russians.

At Rzhev, the 14. Infanterie-Division (mot.) and 339. Infanterie-Division attacked the north flank of the city cutting it from the Kalini road and railroad.

The other railroad, coming directly from Moscow is cut by the 5. Panzer-Division of the Generalmajor Gustav Fehn, near Istra, isolating the two small Soviet armies in charge of the region.

Behind Podolsk, the Stugs of the Panzerjäger-Abteilung 210 sit on the railroad, prevening the Russian in front of Tula to be supplied.

At Tula, no supplies were able to make it, even by air, repulsed by the I-16 of the Serpukhov airport.

Thanks to he mud, the Panzers facing Moscow are stopped, allowing come counter-attacks from ad hoc units, supported by heavy artillery fire. The results are not awesome, except of the reopening of the railroad towards Rzhev that should help the retreat of the 30^th and 31^th Armies.

Still light mud, let's take the risk to play two times to reestablish some part of the front.

Rzhev is now more stable, reconnected to Moscow, covered by the 31^st Army, itself covered by the 30^th Army.

Moscow is more safe; the counter-attack continued, destroyed Panzers piecemal and even reconquiering Obinskoye. The Germans in Kubinka are besieged.

The link with the 5^th Army facing Tula is reestablished too.

The 5. Panzer-Division is half destroyed, and remnants are blocked behind the Russian lines...

Reinforcements are moving toward Tula but are halted by the length of the supply line and Soviet troops around Teploye and the retreating garrison of Sukninichi.

The German are offered to play first as there is still mud and the Soviete situation is not as bas a previously.

The surrounding of Rzhev restart by the south: effective bombing of the Luftwaffe on the alert workers guarding the heav woods, followed by an attack from the 339. I.D. already installed behind the Russian lines. The resistance is strong, as the NKVD stays behind the Soviet soldiers, but left alone they are crushed by a second wave ot the 5. and 35. I.D.

Tula is now supplied via Kaluga as the VII. Armeekorps install there its HQ.

The column from the 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.) is stopped on the road from Orel by cavalrymen in the village of Yasnaya Polyana.

The gamble seems to be a success: the German were unable to exploit their double-move, stretched in the light mud everywere...

No more soup for the pocket near Vyazma...

The tide are advancing in front of Moscou, toward Malojaroslavets...

The retreating Sukhinichi garrison were able to regroup with the 27^th Army, cutting the reinforcement of Tula from Orel.

Stabilisation

Stabilisation

The 3. Panzer-Division started a move on the left, took the Volovo village, between Stalingorsk and Yelets, destroyed the HQ of the Soviet army at Deploye and pushed North, even taking Stalinogorsk! Then the 20. Panzer-Division followed, pursued and destroyed the remnants of the city's garrison, opening a new road to Moscou and reinforcing the vanguard still at Tula.

At Tula, an assault tried to take the airport: the Soviet garrison flied but the German of the 10. Infanterie-Division (mot.) prefered to stay in the city.

East of Vyazma, an assault by the 78. I.D. digged a hole in the line until Grokovo.

The Panzers of the 11. Panzer-Division were unable to continue their offensive towards Istra and Moscou, sucessfully repulsed by Russian tanks suffering heavy losses.

The communication with Rzhev is reestablished due to the successful attack of the 23^th, 119^th and 249^th Divisions, leaded by the 71^th Marines Brigade, from the 31^st Army.

Retreat east of Vyazma.

Retreat from Teploye...

Slow advance. Fail in the North...

Retreat around Tula and Stalinogorsk, in good order. The 1^st Guard Cavalry Corps arrive to reinforce the first lines.

Successful attack from the 3. and 20. Panzer-Division to crush the newly arrived Guard Cavalry from Moscou in front of Stalinogorsk.

Some fight in the dense woods of North.

Retreat in the South...

Drop in the supply and railroad capacity... The organic trucks are running back and forth to replace the trains ans the offensive is almost stopped everywere. The winter will be long...

Small victorious counter-attacks on the frozen Oka river leaded by the 9^th Guard, 87^th and 239^th Divisions: the little village of Kashina is taken, a batalion of German tanks destroyed and the infantry is routed!

The column from Sukhninichi is still retreating! In good order! They still receive supply while marching East.

The garrison in the same town is still there too, shrinking as the aerial supllies as been repulsed by the Luftwaffe!

Consolidation everywhere.

Successful breakthrough by the Panzergruppe 3: the 11. and 7. Panzer-Divisionen destroyed the Russian 30^th Army HQ and take the town and airbase of Istra. In the same time, the 78. Infanterie-Division, with the help of the Das Reich SS Führer Regiment, destroyed the defenses facing the village of Grokhovo, cutting the Soviet around Ruza from their supplies.

Double move but the motors are frozen... It's time to cross the Oka.

The offensive of the Panzergruppe 3 cannot go further due to lack of trucks and wagons to establish a supply route. But the south side of the pince is still moving: along the main road to Moscow, the LVII. Panzerkorps opens a path to pursue of the 1. Panzer-Division. Their tanks go to Polotsk and cut the Soviet defences at Serpukov on the Oka, attacked by the XXIV. Panzerkorps.

Counter-attack, failed, against Istra. Heavy losses on both sides.

Successfull counter-attack at Podolsk.

Great victory in front of the capital city: the 7. Panzer-Division was able to join the vanguard in Istra.

But the most important is the troops of the XXIV. Panzerkorps, coming from Serpukhov and the troops of the LVII., joining near Podolsk, once more taken.

Domodedovo is taken by the 20. Panzer-Division.

Successfull retake of Domodedovo and break of the encirclement near Podolsk. The link is reestablished with the defenders of the Oka river.

Nothing to say except that the 10. Infanterie-Division (mot.) completed the encirclement of the Russians retreating from Malojaroslavets.

Some new fortifications installed, some arty ready to fire in reserve...

The 20. Panzer-Division makes a hole in the Russian lines, with difficulties, retake Domodedovo and launch his Panzers to the river of the Moscowa, well defended by the worker alert units.

The south suburb of Moscow and Domodedovo have been retaken, encircling the 20. Panzer-Division.

Moscow is fallen!! The 110^th Infanterie (mot.) Rgmt, at night, found a way to take by the surprise the fortified line west of Moscow. Quickly, the 6. I.D. advanced in the hole followed by the 78. I.D. who took the airport. Then the Führer Regiment of the SS Das Reich entered the capital city and quickly crossed it on the empty roads to deploy at the arrival of the railroad from east.

Once the road has been recognized, the 7. Panzer-Division entered the city to secure the other entries. Once, the assault has been launched against the Kremlin to take the HQ and the Soviet governement. Stalin is still missing...

90% of the city is in German hands, as well as the three air bases!

Attempts to retake Moscow. The 61^th Army's HQ is quickly mobilised and establish his bases in the east suburbs of the capital city.

A first attack fails againt the Kremlin: all the Soviet troops are destroyed as soon they are maneuvering of the Red Square.

The 358^th Division repulses the SS and retake part of the city in south-east.

The people of Russia cannot accept to see their capital city invaded by the Nazis. From the south-west suburbs, a first counter-attack retakes the west airport. From the Lyubertsy road, the 354^th Division fall on the SS and clean the streets, opening the way to 74^th Marine brigade attacking at night the German tanks deployed around the Kremlin, but in vain. 3/7 of Moscow is back in Soviet hands.

The battle for Moscow continues. The road to supply the capital city is wide open and the troops are happy to see the first ammo trucks.

Slow and bloody progression of the Germans into Moscow. The south railroad link is cut by the 20. Panzer-Division, as the 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.) and 10. Infanterie-Division (mot.) repulse the Soviets from the south suburbs.

Furious fight North of the Kremlin. Under the pression of four Infantry Divisions, the tanks of the 7. Panzer-Division are crushed but the crews, mixed with an infantry regiment are keeping the streets with well placed MG-42.

Failed attempt to retake Noginsk.

The fight North of the Kremlin continues. The German reinforcement are coming too late and the 160. I.D, with heavy losses, retake this part of the capital.

Failure to take the Kremlin back as the Stugs came into last minute reinforcement.

The German tanks in Noginsk has been finally destroyed. 4/7 of the capital now in Soviet hands.

Great charge of the I/21 of the 20. Panzer-Division, supported by two infantry regiments of the 25. Infanterie-Division (mot.) and the Luftwaffe. Once the Moscow sky has been cleaned up from VVS aircrafts, the Stukas, wave after wave, opened the road: one infantry and one cavalry division as long as the army's HQ have been surprised and destroyed, closing two main eastern entrances of the capital city. Then the fierce tankists continued their advance until the other railroad from Zagorsk, cutting the last supply source...

In the same time, the 162. I.D. launches an attack to take back the north part of the city previously lost and reconnect with the isolated airport defended by the 7. Panzer-Division.

The situation is Moscow is coming better, with the reinforcement coming in. A suburb across the Moskwa has been cleared. The 10. Panzer-Division retook Noginsk.

Armies west and inside Moscow are now out of suplly and many break the ranks, especially in the city itself. In the meantime, a counter-attack of the horsemen of the 1^st Guard Cavalry Division succeded to repoen the Zagorsk's door, liberating the 29^th Army's HQ there.

At Noguinsk, the 1^st and 3^rd Shock Armies crushed a motorized infantry regiment and isolated another one in the city.

As the battle of Moscow slow down, in the South, Kolomna is taken by the 34. I.D. And 3. Panzer-Division, cutting the Soviet armies in two: no more railroad connect them.

Epic failures in counter-attacks, despite the fact that two German tank batalions has been destroyed.

Three important moves forward: Yakhroma is taken by the 2. and 7. Panzer-Divisionen, threatening the whole North front; Kolomna is relinked; the Germans fail to take Orekhovo Zvyeno, but the railroad to the city and to Yegor'yevsk are now cut and the Soviet will probably have to retreat.

Finally, after weeks of fierce resistance, the garrison of Sukhnichini surrendered.

The 1^st and 3^rd Shock armies are retreating. Same thing for the 29^th.

Some emergency troops are gathering between Dubra and Kimry, to fill the opened gap on the Mocow-Ribisnkoye reservoir railroad.

The 2., 7. and 11. Panzer-Divisionen are running north: turning the back of the Soviet front around Klin, taking the city of Kimry and isolating the defenders in Dubra...

They fail to take Zagorsk, well defended.

The situation turns bad. North of Moscow, the 20^th Army find a hidden path through the deep woods and the Moscow Sea to receive supply and begin to retreat, while the German tanks are guarding the bridges nealy.

The 29^th tries to counter-attack near Zagorsk but the attackets are all destroyed in an embuscade on the main road.

Not a drop of fuel in and around Moscow to refit the planes there. Some JG officers have rebeased their planes in far airbases to avoid to be trapped and we will have only those wise men available.

But from now the center of Moscow is linked by normal gauge railroads to Smolensk and Kursk!

The 10. Panzer-Division opened the road to Sobnka and reached the village, capturing big amounts of supplies. In the same time, the Stugs of the Panzerjäger-Abteilungen 124 and 226 destroyed the 3^rd Soviet Shock Army HQ and attacked by surprise the 1^st one. But a miracle protected him!

North, the 2. Panzer-Division failed to close the door as the 19. Panzer-Division succeded hardly to cross the same river some kilometers west...

Double move! Hurrah!

The 19. Panzer-Division arrived in suburbs of Kalinin, destroying an HQ and cutting the Soviet retreating from Moscow.

The miracle of the 3^rd Soviet Shock Army is not renewed and the Panzerjäger-Abteilungen 124 and 226 captured lots of trucks in the rear of the enemy army.

Solotcha is almost surrounded...

The main armies are surrounded and they will have difficulties to escape and rally... The end is really near...

Around Kalinin, the 31^st Army, defending Rzhev comes to help and destroy the artillery of the German Panzer-Divisionen and take some position around the city.

At Mezinovskyi, the Soviet 1^st Guards Gavalry, with the 1^st Guard Tank Brigade and the help of the fresh 158^th I.D. repulse the German Stugs in the woods, reopening the road.