Kiev to Rostov - Turns 46, 47 and 48 (part)

Turn 46 was mud, but it was only a brief taste of what is hopefully to come.

End of the muddy Turn 46.

Kharkov's defenses look a bit weak on the flanks.

Appalling picture, but at the end of Turn 47 the Axis are back on the move

Kharkov is toughening up, but the Axis assault on Belgorod just to the north met with immediate success.  Thankfully now is when Army Group South has to start relinquishing motorised and armoured troops to Army Group Centre.  However they have a lot of infantry divisions slowly approaching.

End of the Axis Turn 48 and their attack on the northern defense line was checked after their air-force failed to interdict the Soviet HQs and stop them sending in reinforcements.

There is a weak pocket around Dnepropetrovsk where the Axis are trying to capture the Dnepr bridges by making surgical strikes and then quickly withdrawing before the Soviets decide to blow the bridges (the red counters represent the distance the Axis must maintain from the city to remove the risk of Soviet bridge demolition).

 

Further south and east the Soviets are busy building a new line to cover Stalino and the Donbas as well as the road to Rostov.