Soviet disaster (Morgen die ganze Welt)

Timeline: Morgen die ganze Welt

Monday, July 27 1943
Sicily

501 Tiger battalion and 35th Panzer division attack in the early morning after a short artillery bombardment. Tigers are used to spearpoint the attack followed by masses of T-34 tanks. Forward obervers of the 7th Army watch horrified as anti-tank rounds bounce off the Tigers. Dug-in Sherman tanks try to stop the advance but they are outclassed. Here Shermans earn their nickname of cigarette lighter as they almost invariably burst into flame when hit.
As the German attack rolls up the Allied front line the first US aircraft appear and strafe German tanks. The Luftwaffe also shows up in unexpected numbers and a new determination. Both sides tackle each other in vicious dogfights while bombers attack tanks. Ironically Reggia Aeronautica uses captured American A-20 Havocs in those attacks. Italian La-5 fighters prove tough opponents in low-level dogfights, fast and agile. For the first time the Italian Air Force has a fighter equal to Allied best. Allied pilots make contact with Sturmovik bombers for the first time. They are baffled by the toughness of the aircraft, armored like a flying tank. Although the Luftwaffe refuses to use the captured Sturmoviks, considering them unreliable, Italian pilots have adopted them eagerly. Now they use the aircraft's 37 mm guns to shoot up Allied tanks with great success.
The Allied front crumbles quickly and surprisingly fast T-34 tanks pour through. Even worse for the Allies, the T-34s show unexpected ability to cross terrain thought unsuitable for tanks. 7th Army is routed, pulling back to the south. 45th Rifle division is pinned down and is surrounded.

Tuesday, July 28 1943
Sicily

General Patton counterattacks in co-ordination with British forces and a massive tank battle develops. Tiger tanks are still unreliable and most have broken down. Allied tanks are attacked by Stukas and Sturmoviks fresh from the Eastern front. Allies use Thunderbolt fighter-bombers against Axis armor. Fighters from both sides try to protect their tank destroyers. Dogfights start over the battlefield and they continue throughout the day with neither side gaining superiority. Allied fighter pilots are taken aback by the resurgence of the Luftwaffe.
The remnants of the surrounded 45th Rifle Division surrender and join thousands of other prisoners of war. They will be paraded through Rome to support Mussolini. By the end of the day tank losses are heavy on both sides and the battle lines stabilize. The Allied front line has been pushed back 50 km. German repair shops work day and night to get precious Tiger tanks running again. Damaged Allied tanks have been abandoned behind the frontline. This is the advantage of the attacker.

Saturday, July 31 1943
Berlin

Field marshal Paulus is brought before a military court in Berlin. He is accused of treason in that he co-operated with the enemy making propaganda broadcasts and he is accused of cowardice in the Stalingrad battle. The defense pleads insanity and mentions his record in battles before Stalingrad but to no avail. Paulus is condemned to death by firing squad. The prosecutor stamps his feet in righteous indignation and shouts that a traitor must be beheaded. He is placated with difficulty by the understanding judge who explains the difficult situation: There is no precedence for the execution of a German field marshal. Indeed a field marshall is immune from prosecution. Paulus however averts the problem. He cracks mentally, stands up and delivers a tirade against "that Bohemian corporal", Adolf Hitler. He ends by shouting "I refuse to take a bullet for that madman!" then crumples to the floor. MPs rush forward but too late, Paulus is dead. He is blue in the face with small glass splinters on his lips: the remains of a cyanide capsule.
Paulus is buried in an unmarked grave and an SS regiment marches over the spot in a symbolic demonstration of contempt.
In Sicily the Allies have been pushed back steadily to the beaches where Allied ships bombard the enemy and stop the Axis advance. Palermo is retaken by the 35th panzer division. Italians are now completely confused, unable to determine which side is winning the war.

Sunday, August 1 1943
Rostov

Caucasus August,4 1943

The OKH has decided to keep the Soviet Union off balance by starting a new offensive in the South.
Axis forces under the command of general Von Kleist unleash operation Edelweiss, an offensive aimed at capturing the oil-rich Caucasus - for the second time. After a short and furious artillery and air attack the reborn Axis 6th army breaks through the enemy lines. This army was wiped out in Stalingrad but is now stronger than before. It has received the new Panther tanks, the best armor in the world although suffering from teething problems.
Simultaneous offensives at Voronezh, Gorki and the North Front are designed to prevent the Soviets reinforcing the Caucasus. The Soviet South Armies have been weakened as many divisions have been transferred to the Gorki area. The fall of Moscow has made Soviet communication with the south and north front slow and difficult.

Tuesday, August 3 1943
Hamburg

The Allies conclude operation Gomorrah, an eight day air offensive against Hamburg. The city is devastated and 50,000 civilians have died, most during night attacks. Albert Speer reports that if the Allies can knock out 10 more cities the same way the war is lost. The weather is getting too bad for bombing though so this is unlikely. In response all 200 fighters of JG II fighter wing are withdrawn from the East Front where Soviet air activity is greatly reduced. They will be used for the defense of the Reich. The air war in the east will be supported with captured aircraft and novice pilots. Marshall Milch who is in control of aircraft manufacture implores Focke-Wulf factories to speed up the development of the Ta-154 night fighter which is his favorite aircraft. He is told prototypes have been built but they await the new 2000 hp Jumo 213 engine developed by Junkers. Milch promptly turns his attention to the Junkers factories, theatening to send factory managers to the front. This causes an anonymous director to state that Allied bomber raids are preferable to Milch's attacks.

Wednesday, August 4 1943
Rostov

The 6th army recaptures Rostov in an irresistible drive. At the same time and as planned Axis forces break out of the Novorossisk bridgehead aiming for the oil city of Maikop.

Sunday, August 8 1943
Edelweiss

Maikop is recaptured by the Axis. No significant resistance is encountered.

Tuesday, August 10 1943
Edelweiss

Axis armored pincer movements close north of Maikop and a Soviet army is surrounded.

Thursday, August 12 1943
Clark Gable

Famous Hollywood actor Clark Gable has taken one risk too many. He was observer in a B-17 of 92nd Bomber Group targeting Bochum in the Rurh. Fw-190s made several passes at the bomber setting the fuel tanks ablaze. Clark Gable bailed out with the rest of the crew and became a prisoner of war.

Tuesday, August 17 1943
Schweinfurt

The ball bearing factories of Schweinfurt are hit by a heavy US bombing raid. This is part of the Allied Pointblank directive to cripple German aircraft production. There is heavy damage to the factories but most of the machines remain intact. The German reaction was vicious as Home Defense was reinforced with JG II fighters from the East Front. Of 376 B-17s taking part 80 are shot down and most are damaged.

Friday, August 20 1943
Edelweiss

Axis forces move through Elista on the way the the Caspian Sea. The have advanced 300 km in ten days. Soviet troops surrounded near Maikop are mopped up.

Monday, August 23 1943
Sicily

Axis reinforcements including the redoubtable 10th panzer division arrive in Sicily. The soldier's morale is high after the good news from the East Front and the successes in Sicily. Heavy artillery arrives to pound the Allies on the beaches. Allies lack good airfields in Sicily and have to support the battle from Tunesia and Malta.

Sunday, August 29 1943
Edelweiss

Grozny is captured by Axis forces. Oil refineries have been destroyed by retreating Soviets. Soldiers watch in amazement as the local population rounds up political commissars to lynch them. Hundreds of civilians volunteer for service with the Axis. Stalin is not very popular here.

Friday, September 10 1943
Volga

Soviets attack in the Gorki area using human wave tactics. They use poison gas for the first time but without success. Both sides have gas masks that protect against conventional war gas. The poison gas hinders the Soviet attackers more then the Axis defenders.

Thursday, September 16 1943
Volga

The costly Soviet offensive at Gorki peters out without result. The elite Brandenburg division was mentioned in dispatches. It managed to slip through Soviet lines. Soviet 334 division panicked and tried to retreat to the east but found the Brandenburg division in its path. The desperate Soviets tried to break through in waves but were mowed down with all available weapons. Panzerfausts were fired into the massed ranks to devastating effect. The Soviet division was annihilated in minutes.

Sunday, September 19 1943
Stalingrad

Soviets start a major offensive from Stalingrad aiming south to hit the flank of the German Caucasus offensive.

Wednesday, September 22 1943
Maikop

German engineers are sent to Maikop to restart the oil wells. Retreating Soviets have thoroughly destroyed the wells. This project is given the highest priority as the OKH realizes that oil is the key to the future of the war. Already Axis mobility is hindered by oil shortage.
Under emergency war conditions such a project will take weeks where in peacetime it would take a year.

Friday, September 24 1943
Kotelnikov

The strength of the Soviet Stalingrad offensive is a surprise to the Axis. Masses of Soviet armor race to Kotelnikov, disrupting the Axis Caucasus offensive. The 6th army has to be used to stop the advance.

Friday, October 1 1943
Kotelnikov

The Soviet Stalingrad offensive finally runs out of steam after a week long battle. The Soviet are short of resources: tanks, aircraft, supplies. They tried to compensate by sacrificing human lives but in vain. Axis 6th army counterattacks and the Soviet offensive falls apart. 28th SS division "Wallonien" composed of Walloons chases the Soviets back to Stalingrad.

Saturday, October 2 1943
Caspian Sea

An Axis patrol reaches the Caspian Sea and radios the historic "Thalassa, thalassa" message. Overland communication between Astrakhan and Baku is now blocked. The Caucasus is cut off from the rest of the Soviet Union except for the perilous Caspian Sea route.

Sunday, October 3 1943
Sicily

A heavy artillery bombardment precedes an all-out attack by Axis 10th panzer division in Sicily. Tigers bulldoze their way through Allied lines and reach the shore, exchanging fire with Allied cruisers. After recent reinforcements both sides are equal in numbers but Axis tanks are superior to Allied armor. One of the most successful German Tigers is commanded by Major Wittman. During the attack he brews up a Sherman tank, his 100th victim. The radio operator promptly jumps out in the heat of battle and paints a new circle on the the still hot gun barrel to mark the kill.

Tuesday, October 5 1943
Sicily

Allies have evacuated Sicily, losing all heavy equipment. 50,000 Soldiers become prisoners of war. They will be paraded through Rome to support Mussolini. The dictator has been released from prison and his former prison guards are now in the cells. Badoglio is put under house arrest. Such are the fortunes of war.

Saturday, October 9 1943
Schweinfurt

Schweinfurt is attacked for the second time with 291 B-17s. This time the losses are even worse: 95 bombers are shot down. Only 120 bombers complete their bombing run and most miss the target. Daytime bombing of Germany is stopped until long range escort fighters are available. Only the British are now able to carry the fight to the Germans with night raids.

Wednesday, October 20 1943 
Merseburg

The Ju-390 6-engined bomber/transporter makes its first flight piloted by Hans-Werner Lerche. The aircraft is comparable with the Boeing B-29 in size. It can carry a similar bomb load, 10,000 kg and has almost double the range at 9700 km. Its maximum speed is about 70 kph lower than the B-29 but its cruising speed slightly higher and the engines are more reliable. A first order is placed for 260 aircraft.

Thursday, October 21 1943 
Caucasus

Axis forces reach Astrakhan at the mouth of the Volga. The Caspian Sea supply line to the Caucasus is now completely cut off. The Soviet Union's oil supply is disrupted. The 6th army follows up on its success with an advance on Stalingrad. Operations in the Caucasus mountains are slowed down by the approaching winter.

Monday, October 25 1943 
Germany

In Germany the first He-219 squadron becomes operational. The He-219 is a fast night fighter equipped with radar and heavy cannon armament. During tests several Mosquitos have been shot down. Marshall Milch has to accept the introduction of the He-219 as long as it doesn't interfere with development of the Ta-154. Germans don't have short wave radar yet but the existing sets are adequate for intercepting bombers. A British Stirling with a H2S radar set has been shot down and Siemens engineers are examining the strange device. To their chagrin the engineers discover that the radar set is based on abandoned German technology.

Sunday, October 31 1943 
Stalingrad

Axis 6th army reaches Stalingrad, much weaker defended than a year before. The Soviet armies have been mauled in the failed Stalingrad offensive.

Thursday, November 11 1943 
Caucasus

Axis forces take Batum on the Black Sea, advancing along the coast and bypassing the Caucasus mountains. There is little resistance.

Monday, November 15 1943 
Malta

The pressure on Malta is mounting. Total monthly Luftwaffe losses have been reduced by 50% after the Kursk offensive. The Luftwaffe is now making a determined effort in the west and against Malta. Medium bombers raid at night and captured Sturmoviks escorted by FW-190s are sent in by daylight. Sturmoviks are a source of amazement to the British. Their armor makes them almost invulnerable to anti-aircraft fire and fighters.

Sunday, November 21 1943 
Caucasus

Tblisi, the gate to the oil center of Baku, falls to the Axis. Pockets of resistance are left in the Caucasus mountains, to be mopped up later.

Monday, November 29 1943 
Prague

Recent conquests in the Caucasus make more bauxite available increasing aluminium production. Captured factories in the Moscow area are already contributing aero engines and tanks to the war effort in a project energeticaly headed by Marshall Milch, who is perhaps the greatest organizer in the Reich. As a result the Ju-390 goes into full-scale production and an order is placed for 40 Me-264 "America bombers"

Tuesday, November 30 1943 
Stalingrad

Axis 6th army has captured the ruins of Stalingrad almost casually. The previous defeat has been turned around causing immense satisfaction in the OKH. Hitler in a radio speech proclaims that he always delivers on his promises. He hints that the warmongers in London and Washington are trembling in their hideouts.

Sunday, December 18 1943 
Caucasus

German armor finally enters Baku. The miserable remnants of the Soviet Forces, about 500,000 out of ammunition and short of food, become prisoners of war. Some Soviet forces retreat to British-occupied Persia and join up with British 9th army. The balance of forces in the Middle East has changed. The Axis has significant forces in the area that can be used to attack Persia. Turkey may join the Axis. Italy, Romania and Bulgaria are encouraged and send more troops to the East now that is safe to do so. As a bonus the dispirited Soviets have not completely demolished the oil fields of Baku.

Tuesday, December 20 1943 
Russian front

Activity on the Russian fronts dies down. The Soviets build up new armies to replace the heavy losses and the Germans prepare for a spring offensive. The OKH estimates that 3 million Soviets have been killed or captured in 5 months, almost 3/5 of their army. 12,000 Soviet tanks have been destroyed or captured and 6,000 aircraft. Surely Soviet manpower must be exhausted?

Saturday, January 1 1944 
London

The year does not begin on a good note for the Allied combined Chiefs of Staff. The Africa campaign was a success but the Sicily invasion was a fiasco. The Soviet Union is in danger of collapse releasing 200 Axis division to the West. Germany seems to have developed a new type of poison gas. The claim of a death ray is not taken seriously. New German tanks have been encountered that are superior to the best Allied tanks. Fortunately the war in the Pacific is going well.