118 - Winter is here? The Germans can see Moscow - WW2 - November 28, 1941

by Panzer
Deadline, what deadline?
What’s happening after the deadline?
What?
What do you mean you’ve already said too much?
November 28, 1941
Back in June, Germany invaded the Soviet Union.
Hitler saw this as his Magnum Opus, but in spite of legendary successes, it hasn’t
gone quite as well as planned; the Soviets are still in the fight.
But this week that may change- this week, German units can actually see the spires of
Moscow’s Kremlin.
I’m Indy Neidell; this is World War Two.
Last week, the Germans renewed their drive on Moscow, and made advances despite strong
Soviet resistance and worsening winter weather.
The Allies launched an offensive of their own last week- Operation Crusader in North
Africa.
Which continues with heavy fighting all this week.
The 4th and 22nd Allied armored brigades, pursuing Erwin Rommel’s panzers, do not
reach Sidi Rezegh until the 22nd, by which time the enemy has reduced the 7th armored
brigade to just 10 tanks and they have withdrawn southward.
The new arrivals are themselves battered badly by German anti-tank guns.
However, British Commander Alan Cunningham gets reports that Rommel is in full retreat
mode, so Cunningham orders the whole of 30th Corps to join the pursuit, leaving just the
4th Indian Division to hold the border.
He is unaware that 30th Corps now has just 44 cruiser tanks, and the 4th and 22nd armored
brigades just 54 between them.
In fact, Cairo even broadcasts to the world that Rommel is in full retreat and American
newspapers will report that half the German tanks have been destroyed.
The fighting that day and the 23rd around Sidi Rezegh and the airfield there is intense,
bloody, and confusing, and does bring the Axis to under 100 tanks.
Africa Corps will call the 23rd “Totensonntag”, Sunday of the Dead, because of the heavy losses.
However, “The testing of men in war is cruel and searching- and one quality that separates
the great general from the merely good one- is a relentless probing for an opposing commander’s
weakness.”
Rommel will soon tell a captured British officer, “What difference does it make if you have
two tanks to my one when you spread them out and let me smash them in detail?
You presented me with three brigades in succession!”
At 1000, November 24th, Rommel sends all of his armor- 90 tanks-away from the battlefield
and racing eastward to the Egyptian border.
The idea is to wreck the 8th army supply lines and overrun the infantry.