Start Winter 1943
Germany keeps putting pressure on the Urals area, advancing towards to the city of Uralsk
But in the west, allied bombing continues over germany, damaging German synthetic oil refining capability.
The allies invade sicily, landing at Syracuse, overrunning Messina and crossing the Messina Strait into Italy. An American Airborne assault captures the port of La Spezia.
The Royal Navy crushes an attempt by the Vichy Navy to interdict the supply line to the American airborne units. The combined shocks led to the collapse of the Italian government and the disbandment of most of the Italian armed forces. Some Italian ships and units have put themselves under German control. Mostly they have disappeared. Italy is for now virtually empty of axis forces.
In the pacific, allied forces invaded Singapore and the Marshall Islands. A Japanese surprise hit and run carrier/submarine strike resulted in the devastating loss of three US carriers in the Battle of the Marshalls, but for reasons not fully understood, the Japanese fleet then returned to base allowing the US invasion to proceed.
Also, US troops fought there way to the north coast of New Guinea over the Owen-Stanley range. US submarines also having an effect on Japanese oil shipments for the first time
