Interesting thread…
"The bitter defeat of the Axis at Stalingrad had a negativ effect on the situation and on the actions carried out by the German and Romanian troops in Caucasus. First of all, the success of the Soviet counteroffensive launched on November 19, 1942, and the failure of the action destined to get away the allied forces encircled at Stalingrad had created the danger of blocking the German-Romanian group of troops in the Caucasus. As a result, the German Command ordered the general withdrawal out of the region, with the view of a regrouping of the forces on the intermediate alignments. The 1st Armoured Army was guided through Rostov (which was held by the Germans till Februay 14, 1943), and the 17th Army, composed of 11 German divisions and 6 Romanian divisions, through Kuban. The 6 Romanian divisions – 3 belonging to the structure of the Cavalry Corps (19th Infantry, 6th and 9th Cavalry) and the other 3 (10th Infatry, 2nd and 3rd Mountain) subordinated to some German operative groups of forces – were totalizing about 64,606 officers, NCOs and soldiers.
The spreading of the Soviet offensive against the German and the Romanian troops in Caucasus consisted in the actions carried out by the "NorthCaucasus" and "Trans-Caucasus" Fronts, which advanced through Eisk, Krasnodar and Novorossyisk. On Februay 12, 1943, the German troops lost Krasnodarsk, organizing a new defence position on the alignment east of Abynskaia, Slavianskaia, the Protoka Canal.
Beginning with Februay 18, 1943, the German Command decided to maintain in the north-western part of the Caucasus a bridgehead which was limited by the Azov Sea (in the north), the Black Sea (in the south), the Taman Peninsula and the Kerch Strait (in the west), having an initial width of about 200 km – between the Protoka Canal and the Gemjeskaia Bay, and more than 180 km depth, including Novorossyisk also. This purposed that – in the view of a better future strategic situation for the Wehrmacht – the offensive towards the oilfieds region in Caucasus, so important for the warfare, would be restarted. Also, the maintaning of the bridgehead assured – indirectly – the defence of Crimea, thus reducing the possibilities of the Soviet Fleet on the Black Sea to undertake an action towards Bosphorus, the Romanian and the Bulgarian seashore. Perceiving the offensive intentions of the Soviets, the German Command in Kuban prepared manifold lines of resistance – including "Blue Line" (Novorossyisk, Krimskaia, Plavensky, the Kurka Channel) – with the view to oppose a long term defence on intermediate alignments…"
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Amicalement
Armand
explores another variant in the European Buildings range.
