Ukraine'43 First Edition - Turns Seven and Eight

The Axis frontline can only hold for so long.  With the coming of the overcast weather in September, maybe it is time to stage a withdrawal?

 The Soviets launch attacks all along the front line.

This image has missed the first two attacks (lower left hand corner)

but the results can be seen in the disrupted retreats.

 Follow up Soviet attacks in their exploitation phase.

At lower odds, but deadly this time.

 The two Panzer Corps strike back,

while the rest of the army struggles to reform a line.

 There is even a follow up German attack to retake a victory village.

 Turn 8 sees another set of attacks by the Soviets along the whole front.

These produce a lot of exchanges which results in many holes appearing in the Axis defences.

 Stalino has fallen (worth 2 VPs) and the Soviets can start to relax 

confident that they will be able to maintain VP parity (essential to avoid sudden death).

Follow up attacks widen the holes that are now evident in the German front lines.

The Germans retreat.

The Soviet Central Front has extended well down the northern flank,

causing the Germans to allocate troops to cover this area.

The challenge is to extricate enough troops to create a new line anchored on the Don.