Downfall 1944

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Battle of the Atlantic still a struggle with new generation of German u-boats

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg401/scaled.php?server=401&filename=u8832.jpg&res=landing

New models of U-boat, new equipment such as radar and snorkels, and new torpedo types mean that the U-boats continue to be a threat, although allied asw efforts resulting in more sinkings of uboats

Axis announces third torpedo result

allies play ultra card which offsets this

axis sink 4 transports and abort 7 for 2 uboat factors lost

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Germany puts into service the world's first operational jet fighter

http://www.luftwaffen-projekte.de/lwp/jaeger/archiv/me262_staffel.jpg

The Me 262 with advanced propulsion and wing design is a revolution in fighter design that heralds the coming of a new era.

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Germany steps up night fighter construction

http://www.radarworld.org/images/scans/Lichtenstein1.jpg

to counter the bomber threat, germany has increased the number of night fighters to intercept the allied bombers.

germany has also increased shipyard capacity in kiel and produced a number of flak factors to defend the heartland

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-635-3999-24%2C_Deutschland%2C_Flak-Batterie_in_Feuerstellung.jpg/290px-Bundesarchiv_Bild_101I-635-3999-24%2C_Deutschland%2C_Flak-Batterie_in_Feuerstellung.jpg

4 interceptors, 2 aaf, 6 flak factors, three 3-3 infantry produced

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944
Japanese ASW improved

http://www.dutchsubmarines.com/boats/images/targets/destroyer_jap_sagiri_bb_nagato_21oct1941_bungostra it.jpg

The Imperial Japanese Navy has improved the design of the depth charges, operating at increased depths and with a heavier payload.

However this advance has been to some degree offset by improvements to US torpedo design and manufacture. The US now fields certain types derived from captured German torpedoes.

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

US air and submarine forces cut supply to Marshalls, Solomons and Gilberts

http://www.southsearepublic.org/images/aircraft/bismarcksea001.jpg

US land based air in the contested marshall islands destroyed a small convoy of merchantmen attempting to supply the Japanese held islands in the Marshalls. However there was a pair of anti-aircraft ships in the convoy which the Americans were not expecting, and several planes were shot down. 1 NAS lost.

American submarines also prevented useful supplies from reaching the Japanese garrisons in the Solomons and Bismarck islands.

The Japanese decision not to reinforce these convoys may indicate a decision by the IJN to withdraw to the "inner perimeter"

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Battle of Rennes

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7e/American_assault_troops_at_Omaha_Beach_02.jpg/800px-American_assault_troops_at_Omaha_Beach_02.jpg

A seaborne invasion from Great Britain combined with a breakout from the Allied forces in Brittany led to a major battle in the region centered around Rennes.

The seaborne invasion was very costly, with 4 Royal Navy cruisers sunk by coastal artillery and one older dreadnought class battleship damaged when a manned torpedo hit her in the night time after D-Day.

Allied planes softening up the target area were also exposed to severe anti-aircraft fire with heavy losses.

Eventually the forces breaking out from Brittany captured Rennes in a battle that almost demolished the well-defended town.

http://www.kurt-brun.ch/berichte/10/08_10/caen/caen%201944.jpg

Germany loses two 3-3 infantry
Allies loses three 3-4 infantry, 4 aaf, CA4, BB3 damaged

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Attack across the Po

http://www.custermen.com/ItalyWW2/History/VeronaRR.jpg

US 101st airborne airdropped onto key bridges at the Eastern end of the river Po allowing the US 30th armored division to pour across and capture Venice.

The attack was supported by counter-air strikes on axis airfields near Milan and Turin.

Germany loses 3-3 (italian), 3aaf
Allies lose 2AAF (us)

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Commonwealth forces reach Sofia, Bulgaria

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/47/media-47702/large.jpg

British forces in northern Greece attack into Bulgaria and reach the outskirts of Sofia. There were substantial losses, mostly to the South African division that took losses in the mountain fighting south of Sofia.

British 3-4 lost, 1-3 bulgarian infantry lost

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Allied Bombing Campaign hits the new German air defenses

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/B-17F_Destroyed_by_Me-262.jpg/800px-B-17F_Destroyed_by_Me-262.jpg

The speed advantage of the new German jet fighters has given the defenders a distinct advantage. The new Me 262 supported piston-engined interceptors in defending the American daylight bombers, while night fighters engaged the British.

In air to air losses, the Americans and the Germans both lost 4 factors, with 2 American bomber factors forced back.

The british lost 3 factors and had 3 more turned back for the loss of just 1 interceptor

Then the new radar-linked massed flak factors defending Leipzig and Berlin also shot down a British and an American bomber factor, and forced the others to bomb in a disordered fashion from high altitude.

http://lancasterdiary.net/images/assets/flak3.jpg

Germany loses 3 brps, 5 air factors (2 aaf, 2 jets, 1 interceptor): total value 18 brps

Britain loses 3 bombers, 1 escort : value 12 brps
US loses 3 bombers, 2 escorts: value 15 brps

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Battle of St.Nazaire

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b380/jgfive/Brittany10/Brittany10136.jpg

The French province of Brittany has been secured after the allies exploited South after Rennes, capturing St.Nazaire from the Germans in some very tough fighting.

Allied losses were very heavy as the result of the thorough field fortifications that the veteran Germans had prepared over the previous six months since the allies first landed in France.

With the fall of the St.Nazaire u-boat base, only La Rochelle remains as a major French Atlantic port for conducting the Battle of the Atlantic.

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

New Bulgarian Government Surrenders to British

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/%D0%92%D0%9E%D0%99%D0%92%D0%9E%D0%94%D0%90%D0%A2%D 0%90_%D0%9B%D0%95%D0%A1%D0%95%D0%92.jpg

With British forces on the outskirts of Sofia, a revolt occurred in the Bulgarian army led by Zveno officers. The pro-nazi government was swiftly removed from power and a new government installed under Kimon Georgiev.

One of his first acts was to declare a ceasefire and surrender to the Allies.

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Allied Air Strikes in Burma neutralise Japanese Air Forces

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Flying_Tigers_personnel.jpg/300px-Flying_Tigers_personnel.jpg

The Flying Tigers operating from China and USAAF factors operating from the allies airbase in the Andaman Islands raided Japanese bases in Burma with stunning success.

Despite being outnumbered, the allies managed to inflict severe damage on Japanese airfields around Rangoon and Toungoo(V13). Although air to air combat saw many allied losses too, all the airfields that were targetted were neutralised.

3 USAAF and 2 flying tigers attack 7 Japanese aaf

Japan loses 3 aaf, and 4 aaf neutralised, allies lose 2 AAF (both usaaf)


US air Strike on Tarawa

http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-P-Gilberts/img/USA-P-Gilberts-p196.jpg
In the Gilberts, the carrier CV3 USS Ticonderoga and light escort ships launched an attack on the small Japanese airfield at Tarawa.

The Japanese Naval Air Squadron was caught on the ground in the dawn raid, and all 25 planes were destroyed. One US plane had engine problems and was lost. The pilot bailed out and was rescued by submarine. No other losses to US forces occurred.

1 japanese NAS lost in tarawa

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Battle of Cape Gloucester

http://media-1.web.britannica.com/eb-media/73/71373-004-23C21E58.jpg

Atrocious weather the main problem for the marines as they storm Cape Gloucester on the Western portion of New Britain

No losses to the US

Japanese 1-2 eliminated

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Capture of Hollandia

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qS89QMx1h_0/TxmJdRBhA0I/AAAAAAAABgk/cUSvZSrAeZg/s1600/bases2-p306.jpg

A combined marine invasion with army units attacking from landward led to the capture of the port of Hollandia after a tough battle, particularly in the jungles east of the port

US 2-2 infantry eliminated in the attack
japanese 1-2 eliminated

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Kwajalein atoll and Nauru captured after short battles

http://www.coretek.org/gsmith/newpics/pics/KwajleinIsSm.jpg

The lightly defended Kwajalein atoll in the Marshalls fell after only light resistance from the small garrison. A similar story unfolded in Nauru in the Gilberts which was also captured at a similar time

no losses to the US

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Chindits capture Mandalay

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_1_uScDMpIMA/S7iPbedenUI/AAAAAAAAAsc/p7UiNlfwlB4/s400/2ymzvk6.jpg

Led by the unusual Orde Wingate, the Chindits on a legendary journey, passed through Japanese held lines in the mountains north of dacca, then supplied only by airdrops, trekked through the jungle mountains on the burmese border, crossed the Irawaddy and captured the ancient city of Mandalay, scattering the surprised Japanese garrison.

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Allies capture Rangoon

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a368/DracoRexus/RangoonRifles.jpg

US marines and British commonwealth troops make landings on the coast near rangoon and then captured the city which was garrisoned mainly by Royal Siamese soldiers who largely fled or surrendered, rather than fight to death for the Japanese.

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

US submarines keeping pressure on Japanese shipping

http://winteryknight.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/seaowl.jpg

new developments in Japanese ASW offset by improvements in allied technology and doctrine.

1 sub factor lost for 4 transports sunk, aborted. 14 remain in use, up to 5 oil may ship

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

High risk Chinese Army Assault in Northern Burma a success

http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/324572-5/cinesi_20helmets_2001

after much cajoling by American emissaries, generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek agrees to launch a high risk assault on Japanese positions in northern China. Luckily for the allies, the attack caught the Japanese by surprise and resulted in a complete rout of the defending forces.

Combined with the invasion at Rangoon and the Chindit's capture of mandalay, the Japanese hold on India and Burma looks very tenuous

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

New USAAF Bomber makes debut in the Pacific theater

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a3/479th_Bomb_Group_B-29_Formation.jpg/763px-479th_Bomb_Group_B-29_Formation.jpg

The latest US bomber, the B29, revolutionary in many aspects, has begun deployment to the pacific theater.

US produces 5 pacific bomber factors

In Europe, both the US and GB expand their bomber fleets to increase the scale of the attack on the German heartland

[joegrundman]

Spring 1944

Soviet Union continues rearmament

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hiYsHEmf9Wo/TlReuHrmTfI/AAAAAAAACek/rFWqQI76SYI/s1600/Soviet+Air+Force+1944.jpg

despite still paying war reparations to Germany, with the aid of massive materiel assistance from the USA, the Soviet Union has succeeded in rebuilding the Red Army and Red Air Force to a historic high strength.

Also a new Industrial Center has been installed in Baku, on the Caspian

German commanders on the Eastern Front privately express doubts that the peace will hold much longer.

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Japanese Offensive in India catches allies by surprise

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/History/1940s/Mukund/IndiantroopsImphal.jpg

Despite the allied invasion at Rangoon threatening to isolate the Japanese forces in India, Japan launched an attack on the allied line that overwhelmed the mixed allied force and made a breakthrough. Exploiting armor has captured the North Indian city of Patna and threaten Calcutta.

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

German attrition forces allies back to the coast of North West France

http://www.flamesofwar.com/Portals/0/all_images/Historical/Cobra/Panther-04.jpg

German attrition forces allies back from Rennes towards Brittany. St Nazaire is still in allied hands.

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Major Struggle in the Atlantic

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_LoPTdkHrjjk/SqoLAY_kG6I/AAAAAAAAE98/rUSzwFuj0IA/s1600/u-boat-attacked-ww2.jpg

Both sides still experiencing heavy losses in the Battle of the Atlantic

2 uboats sunk for 5 transports sunk and 7 aborted

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Soviet Union restarts war with Germany

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EOVc_hBY_eY/Tzz7zZNlmaI/AAAAAAAAAx8/2MCBe4onqKs/s1600/maresalul-calau-lavrenti-beria.jpg

With the thunder of guns in the Rostov area, the General Secretary of the Soviet Union, Lavrenty Beria, announces that the terms of surrender agreed upon in 1943 are no longer in effect, and that henceforward a state of war exists between the Soviet Union and Germany.

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Red Army offensive in the Rostov area breaks German line in two places

http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/588612-4/rocker_projectors_katyusha_near_viborg_leningrad_f ront1944

Supported with Katyusha rockets and close ground support from the newly re-equipped and trained Red Air Force, the Red Army made breakthroughs in two locations in the German line, at Q44 just north of Rostov and at N47 just West of Stalingrad.

Red Army tank divisions have exploited through the line to isolate most of the German army between Stalingrad and Rostov. In addition, the German controlled cities of Stalingrad and Kuybyshev and now under siege by Red Army units.

There are also rumours that some Red Army Tank units have reached the outskirts of the city of Kharkov.

total 12 russian infantry lost for 6 german and 2 ukrainian

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Allied bombers face strong resistance over Germany

http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~josephkennedy/images/Combat/379bg_flak_3-26-1944.jpg

Strong German defenses of jets, interceptors, and other aircraft are complemented by radar controlled flak batteries around key cities.

Heavy losses in the battles developed

Britain loses 3 bombers and 1 interceptor, the us loses 4 bombers and 2 interceptors while germany loses 1 jet, 1 aaf, 3 interceptors and 10 brps of bomb damage

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Allies liberate Athens

http://neoskosmos.com/news/sites/default/files/crete1.jpg

Despite very heavy losses from inspired German resistance in the mountainous terrain of Greece, British commonwealth ground forces, supported by USAAF aircraft finally managed to defeat the axis defenses and capture Athens in a five week campaign ending in a large ground assault on the defended city.

Germany loses Athens and two factors, allies lose 3 AAF and a 3-4 mech infantry

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Battle of the Po valley

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ce/Luccaitaly1944.png/300px-Luccaitaly1944.png

The allies already crossed the Po near the Adriatic coast, but the campaign to widen the crossing turned into one of the biggest and costliest battles of the Mediteranean front.

Nearly half the luftwaffe were engaged in defending the weak sector. Massive air battles between the allies and the Germans led to 6 AAF being lost to each in air combat. With air superiority still denied the allies, a major ground assault was launched depending on luck and audacity to bring victory.

The Vichy and Italian forces defending were powerfully augmented by effective Luftwaffe ground support that cost the allies severely in men and tanks, although luftwaffe losses to ground fire were in the end very heavy too.

After the defenders were finally cleared from the sector, American armor units exploited into the Alps covering the approaches into Southern Germany.

Losses in air to air: 6 aaf each
Germany loses italian 3-3, vichy 2-3, 5 aaf. Allies lose 5o6 armor, 6 infantry

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944
Battle of Brittany-Normandy

http://www.wc57.com/WC-56_Rennes_JPEG.jpg

Unlike the Po campaign and Athens, the Allies operations in Brittany went relatively smoothly. Aware of allies air superiority in the sector, the German air commander declined to engage the allies heavily to avoid losses.

The allied ground campaign, led by General Patton went as planned. The allies recaptured Rennes then exploited East into Normandy, isolating the Contentin peninsular, and South-East toward Paris.

The allies suffered only minor losses, Germany lost 14 infantry factors

[joegrundman]

Allied Air Forces strike Jap airbases in Indochina

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTqsmffF0l9pB-RpfE6WgNODhkUaGlo20AuPbEtCB3UePKDN4Ny7w&t=1

The famed Flying Tigers struck at Japanese airbase in Haiphong while other allied planes flying from Rangoon struck at Vientiane, destroying many Japanese planes. More and more, allied pilots have the measure of their Japanese opponents.

2 Japanese aaf lost, for 1 allied (flying tiger)

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Air raid on oil production facilities at Palembang

http://www.annefrank.org/ImageVault/Images/id_11262/width_520/height_2047/compressionQuality_80/scope_0/ImageVaultHandler.aspx

American long range bombers strike at oil production facilities in Palembang causing extensive damage for no losses.

1 oil damage marker, 5 brps inflicted

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

US submarines withdrawn for fleet support missions, reduced damage to Japanese merchant shipping

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTeVhtFIRhMjRvNmUwRDfHS3DVyAmdsY yTew2t131MFGpk_8GV3bg&t=1

Reports filtering out that Submarine commanders at Pearl Harbor and Brisbane are unhappy with the demands by Admiral King that more submarines serve a fleet support role just as the attack on Japanese merchant shipping was becoming successful.

With fewer subs operating with simultaneously more Japanese ASW assets in play, US subs inflicted light damage.

1 sub lost for 1 transport lost, 2 aborted

[joegrundman]

Summer 1940
Battle of Guadalcanal

http://guadalcanal3.homestead.com/files/Marines_on_Guadalcanal.jpg

The half-starved defenders of Guadalcanal put up a stiff resistance against the marines, but this long isolated outpost of the retreating Japanese empire fell.

japanese 2-2 lost, us ca2 lost

[joegrundman]

Summer 1940

Rabaul attacked in air-land operation

http://www.enter.net/~rocketeer/13thaaf/rabaul4.jpg

After being subject to evry heavy air attack, the Japanese garrison in the stronghold of Rabaul were overwhelmed by an infantry assault from the West of New Britain.

Elsewhere, American forces landed on Biak unopposed

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Battle of Truk

http://www.psasl.org/aar/images/peleliu1.jpg

In a huge operation involving the air support from carrier battle groups as well as massive shore bombardment, the determined defenders were defeated after a month long campaign led by the 1st Marines

[joegrundman]

Summer 1944

Battle of Irawaddy valley

http://www2.irrawaddy.org/articlefiles/4911-WWII.gif

The few remaining organised Japanese forces in Burma tried to maintain a defense of the last major river crossing connecting Burma to the Japanese forces in India, but were overwhelmed by a combined US-Commonwealth attack.

The Allies now control the entire Irawaddy valley and Burma-india border from the coast to the chinese mountains, and Japanese forces in India are now unable to get supplies and with little prospect of that situation reversing.

[joegrundman]

Fall 44

Commonwealth forces hold the line in Battle of Bengal, Japanese forces routed in counter-attack

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Imphalgurkhas.jpg/800px-Imphalgurkhas.jpg

The isolated Japanese forces in Bengal launched a massive, but suicidal attack on a Commonwealth forces held sector, led by General Slim. After holding the line against the Japanese onslaught, the counter-attack destroyed all Japanese forces except those in fortified Dacca

two Indian 2-2 lost
two Japanese 3-2 infantry and 3o3 armor lost

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

US submarines exact heavy toll on Japanese supply missions

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c1/Torpedoed_Japanese_destroyer_HD-SN-99-02974.JPEG/800px-Torpedoed_Japanese_destroyer_HD-SN-99-02974.JPEG

CA2, DD1 and CA2 damaged in attempts to supply islands.

[joegrundman]

Fa44

Allied ASW forcing the U-boats down

http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR0LpqGwxTpaeIwqKRRZwGlsgv1XPdJB 3Y8413I_S7sS_Q7hCI7psxLuQTnJg

all the way down, that is. U-boats outclassed, sinking just 2 transports for the loss of 3 uboat factors

[joegrundman]

Fa44

German forces in France retreat to new line centered on Paris

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9rhgv0f3y1qigaa4o1_500.jpg

German forces fall back in france to defend around the paris-seine area

Also German forces form new line in the Bavarian alps to defend against the Italian front

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

German ground forces rescue the cauldron in the Great Don Bend

http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/images/Bild%20146-1971-059-20_web.jpg

Obeying orders to hold fast and rescue the isolated German defenders stuck in the cauldron in the Great Don bend between Stalingrad, Rostov and Kursk, German ground units in a great attrition managed to restore supply to all those isolated units.

However, German forces trapped in the cities of Stalingrad and Kuybeshev remain isolated and their prospects are increasingly dim

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Allies eliminate last of the French U-boat pens

http://ww2db.com/images/imagemagick/tmb_battle_brittany13.jpg

Last of the German U-boat bases in France has now been captured by the allies. German U-boat operations have now shifted to Norway

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Massive Air Combat sees heavy losses on both sides in France and Germany

http://samilitaryhistory.org/vo084pfc.jpg

The Allies attempted to neutralize the luftwaffe ahead of the ground campaign resulted in heavy losses to both sides, and succeeded in preventing the luftwaffe from supporting the ground forces in France and Italy

Germany lost 8 AAF, allies lost 9 AAF

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Bombers prevented from damaging German industry, heavy air losses on both sides

http://c.suite101.com/files/styles/article_full/public/000/021/000021882.jpg

Massive luftwaffe resistance, supported by radar guided jets and interceptors, prevent the allied bombers from doing more than light damage to German industry, but losses to both sides in air combat are very high, as long range allied escorts and the highly armed bombers take a heavy toll on German interceptors

3 brps bombing damage

british and US lose 4 bombers and 3 interceptors each
German loses 6 aaf, 3 interceptors and 2 jets

Total german air losses this turn is 19 factors

for the allies 23 factors, but the allies do not worry any more about their ability to replace them all.

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Allies cross the Seine south of Paris

http://padresteve.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/mmu_get_jpeg-php.jpeg

In a plan to bypass the fortified city of Paris, the allies attack to the south in a sector just north of Troyes.

The are was well defended, but the vastly superior allied forces attacked under an air umbrella and overwhelmed the defense. Exploiting armor then went behind Paris and attacked the German forces defending the River Seine sector between Paris and the English Channel in the rear. The German forces attacked from both the front and rear soon surrendered

http://bbll.com/army/pow.jpg

Canadian exploiting forces attacked South East towards Metz and Strasbourg completely isolating the German frontline in central France as well as Paris, while American forces have cut off supply to German forces defending the port of Calais and Dieppe

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Milan falls to Allies

http://www.flamesofwar.com/Portals/0/all_images/Historical/Italiancampaign/Italy-1943-04.jpg

In a difficult battle in hilly terrain, the allies encircled and captured Milan.

A 3-4 lost in the battle.

In the Balkans, Albania is now under allied control.

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Major Red Army Offensive blasts hole in German defense, encircles large axis formation

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/5241/1944minskcitysovietinfa.jpg

A massed Red Army assault has punched a hole in the central area and exploiting forces moved south to isolate large areas of the German forces

A secondary assault in the South developed the previous breakthrough and forces were able to complete the encirclement

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Second Battle of Kharkov

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQHa1EHRPyjERqG41b6pbnytm2Vl9L8h pgkL9CqyB3HmJGZYZIF9gtr2DOx

With Red Air force support, Red Army armored divisions captured the key Ukrainian city of Kharkov, which has been in German hands since 1941

Russian losses were light in the offensive this season.

Huge numbers of German units are now isolated

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Marine Corp aviators attack Japanese airfield on Biak

http://ww2.wwarii.com/var/albums/wwii-equipment/wwii-aircraft/allied_aircraft/american_aircraft/US-Navy/An%20F4U%20Corsair%20assigned%20to%20one%20of%20th e%20squadrons%20of%20Marine%20Aircraft%20Group%20( MAG)%2021%20pictured%20on%20the%20ground%20at%20Gu am,%20a%20mechanic%20on%20the%20wing,%20%20October %2012,%201944.jpg

the attack on the Biak airfield has cleared the way for a major operation into the Banda Sea area. Any Japanese naval operation will have to occur without land based air cover

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Makassar latest terrible battle in the East

http://olive-drab.com/images/marines_raiders_bougainville_1944jan_800.jpg

Large invasion force assaulted the well defended island of Celebes at two points. The assault on Kendari went easily but the southern port town of makassar was a tough campaign that lasted several weeks against a determined opponent.

Japan loses 1-2, US loses 1-2 and two CVEs

An additional assault landed Australians on Kupang in Timor, and US troops took Biak.

Mopping Up operations in the Pacific cleared Japanese forces from the Ellice, Gilbert and Marshall islands. An unfortunate surprise occurred when a Japanese submarine torpedoed USS Alaska while she was providing shore bombardment to support the invasion of Eniwetok.

It is believed the submarine was used to supply the garrison on Eniwetok before stumbling across the American Heavy Cruiser

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Combined British American Operation takes Medan

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/41/Balikpapan_landing_%28AWM_018812%29.jpg/300px-Balikpapan_landing_%28AWM_018812%29.jpg

Medan in Sumatra falls to a combined British and American force. The capture of this town opens up the possibilty of a more secure assault on Singapore

[joegrundman]

Fall 1944

Chinese Forces Repelled in Northern Burma!

http://timeglobalspin.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/ahu036819.jpg?w=360&h=240&crop=1

Japanese win rare victory in Northern Burma as major Chinese assault repelled with heavy losses

Further South a British Armored division has reported that it has crossed the challenging mountains separating Burma from Thailand and has adopted a defensive position in the town of Sangkhlaburi.

Bad weather caused severe losses on the way to this objective.

[joegrundman]

Winter 1944

U-boats operating with reduced effectiveness from Bergen

http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/37/media-37320/large.jpg

The loss of the French Biscay ports has forces u-boat operations to sail from Bergen. With the increasing difficulty of operating on the surface, this has again brought the Uboat attacks to the Western approaches, and even within the Irish sea, not seen since the early stages of the war.

2 trransports sunk, 5 aborted, for 3 Uboat factors sunk

[joegrundman]

Winter 1944

Battle of the Bulge

http://urbangrounds.com/wp-content/uploads/battle-of-the-bulge.jpg

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With the Germans forced into retreat on almost all fronts, no one expected a German offensive. Almost no one, that is...

With their superior winter fighting skills obtained the hard way on the Eastern front, they launched a stinging attack in the wintery conditions of France.

Dreadful losses for the allies have occurred and Germany is once again struggling to cope with the influx of POWs, of the kind not seen for two years.

The US 48th Armored division would have been completely isolated were it not for a heroic stand by the Indian light armoured division which kept an avenue for the Americans to retreat into at great loss to themselves. Sadly the Candian 2nd armored division was cut off in the snowy Vosges mountains and surrendered.

Britain and the US lose in total 12 replacements, canadian 4o5 armored, british 2o5 armored

[joegrundman]

Winter 1944

Destruction of Army Group South

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The long struggle for control of the Ukraine has ended with the destruction of Army Group South. Operation Bagration, the most recent Red Army offensive, finally succeeded in cutting off supply to the German forces of the Southern Sector. The beleaguered German forces resisted the Red Army for several weeks before ordering the surrender of his starving and freezing army group.

Some units managed to breakout to friendly lines in a desperate attack, but most failed. Those units that did break out have been reassembled in Rumania to make up a new front line.

The order has also been given for German forces to abandon Russia in the center and north, falling back as far as Leningrad in the north

[joegrundman]

Winter 1944
German industrial output struggling to cope
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partly due to bombing, but mostly due to the huge amount of materiel losses and expenditure, German industrial capacity has failed to cope with meeting the demands of the war at this stage

Allied analysts believe that the luftwaffe is operating currently at about 50% the levels seen six months ago