Chapter 219: As Quiet as a Mouse (1 to 24 December 1943)
Chapter 219: As Quiet as a Mouse (1 to 24 December 1943)
Introduction
With the Turkish sector – and consequently manpower losses – having stabilised in November 1943, Turkey’s High Command was now hoping for a quieter winter period to allow the rebuilding and repair of many badly worn land and air units. Concurrently, preparations continue to assemble units and build air base infrastructure along the Adriatic in preparation for a possible amphibious invasion of Italy in 1944.
Elsewhere, the Soviet Steamroller had begun to grind into eastern Germany proper and progress in the invasion of Finland had been made. Could the same rate of advance be maintained in the harsher winter weather and as Germany strove to repair its shattered lines facing the Soviets? The Japanese still advanced in India, Australia and New Zealand.
1 Dec 43
The Turks began December 1943 with a manpower deficit of 44,100 men and a projected monthly recruiting rate of 18,800.
At the request of various Turkish advisers and commentators, a review of Turkish war goals against Germany was conducted. They were already quite extensive, but Inönü instructed Foreign Minister Aras to add an additional claim for the Sudetenland – on the off-chance the Soviets may feel like granting it in post-war peace negotiations.
After recent air operations, some Air Force doctrine officers advised that the standard default ‘aggressive’ interception tactics that had been used thus far be amended in future to a more ‘defensive’ posture when appropriate, to ensure more disciplined adherence to target province protection if required.
The Air Force also reported the progress on new aircraft builds (aircraft only – other projects excluded), all due in the next three months. Their arrival might prove influential in the timing of a cross-Adriatic invasion, with sufficient time for the full delivery and work-up of new wings being desirable.
A review of known air operations in the European Theatre over the previous week showed the high concentration of clashes between Turkey and the Axis in the Adriatic Sector at the end of November. Other action had taken place between the Soviets and Germans further north, while the British had been active in Italy, especially Naples (presumably port strikes).
A report on the intelligence situation in Italy was also provided. With Italian counter-espionage currently non-existent, the whole mission was devoted to disrupting their national unity. Italian manpower reserves were estimated to be around 139,000: starting to erode, hopefully, with all the recent action against Turkey and covering for the Germans on the retreat from Poland.
NB: the Intel estimate of NU is, for once, quite close to the actual one on the diplo screen. So perhaps the others, including MP, aren’t too far from the mark either.
Still on the air war, at 3am 4 AG was caught still in the air after their last mission late on 30 November: their previous mission had been cancelled, but they had apparently not been able to get back to base yet. Already badly damaged, they limped back after being soundly defeated and taking even more damage.
On the ground, Turkey was consolidating in the Adriatic Sector, with 1 Armd Div finishing their strategic redeployment from the north at midday (which would require a long period of reorganisation) and Cerknica reinforced by Muzir’s Mountaineers that night.
1 Mar Div (MAJGEN Selisek) was put on trucks in Sopron at 5pm and sent to join their US colleagues in Pola. At the same time, divisions were reallocated to corps HQs all along the front, to rationalise arrangements after all the recent combat and relocations.4th and 6th Corps were both sent form Slovakia to the Adriatic Sector, with all their divisions reallocated to closer HQs. Similarly, they were now allocated Adriatic based divisions that had been shifted south in recent days. 2nd Corps was no longer designated as ‘Mech’, reverting to a general ‘all sorts’ umbrella HQ in the north.
Chiang, Roosevelt and Churchill in Cairo, 1 December 1943. [NB This one especially for @RustyHunter
]
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2 Dec 43
The air base in Zagreb, currently housing the CAS group and a potential depth base for the Italy invasion, was expanded that morning, with the work continued.
At 9am, recon patrols reported the Germans division (under Italian command) in Capodistria had begun to withdraw: they were allowed to leave without interference. Especially as the German division in Umago (still under direct German command) had not been withdrawn. This liaison blunder could leave them isolated – and give Hitler even more reason to be furious at Mussolini, even while increasingly reliant on him to hold eastern Germany.
A progress report on the recovery of 2 Mot Div – which had been evacuated from Bratislava, where supplies never seemed to make it to the troops (probably being siphoned off by that corrupt scoundrel Tiso!) – showed replacements had only barely begun to trickle through, with the main brigades badly under strength, while the two support brigades remained essential non-existent, except for a small cadre of officers sent to re-raise them.
That evening, with more disposable IC to hand and the continuing manpower drought, another major upgrade program for Turkish second line formations began. All those militia, garrison and cavalry units guarding rear areas looked like they would never be needed in that role now, with Italy’s navy totally wrecked.
3 Dec 43
Once Capodistria was vacated, the Turks moved to occupy it – and cut off Umago, while also reinforcing Nova Gorica, with Cerknica soon to be a depth province. 1 Armd Div’s advanced would be delayed due to post-redeployment reorganisation and the target still being considered a hostile province.
At 9am, 12 Inf Div (MAJGEN Omurtak) finished their redeployment to Ribnica and were ordered to boost the defence of Ljubljana, while HQ 1st Marine Corps joined the US Marine divisions already in Pola.
5 Dec 43
Air base improvements in Dubrovnik (where the old Blenheim TAC wing was based) were made and continued at midnight.
By 10am Nova Gorica was duly reinforced, while the advance on Capodistria continued – and there was no sign of movement out of Umago. Vur ha!
HQ 4th Corps had taken up its new station by 4pm, just north of Zagreb. HQ 6th Corps was still en route to its new location further west.
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6 Dec 43
Turkish civil defence processes were improved – sorely needed at this time. These were now up to world standard, so research was switched to the introduction of night fighting gear – cutting edge technology that should prove of great value in future operations.
14 and 18 Inf Divs secured Capodistria without incident at 2am. Too late, the Germans in Umago – now under Italian control – realised their peril and attacked, joined by the Italian garrison in Trieste a couple of hours later. Even so, the attack looked too weak to be likely to succeed.
While there were now four divisions in Nova Gorica, no spoiling attack was launched. Turkey was trying to conserve troops at this time; while the urban terrain of Trieste may prove difficult, the weather was poor, many Axis units flanked them to the north – and it was felt the attack on Capodistria would fail and cause heavy enemy casualties before it was called off.
“Never interrupt the enemy when they are making a mistake”, was the old catchphrase Inönü sent to MAJGEN Köldecan, commanding the Turkish forces in Nova Gorica. “We’ll attack Trieste when we are fully ready.” He was mindful of their lack of serviceable fighters for air cover, too.
At 11am, as the battle for Capodistria raged on, HQ 1st marine Corps joined three of its four divisions in Pola.
Late that night, HQ 6th Corps was in place in Ribnica, to take command of its divisions in the western side of the Adriatic Sector.
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7 Dec 43
It took until 1am on 7 December for the Italians to begin air raids in support of their attack on Capodistria. A review of the five Turkish fighter groups showed they were far from ready to re-engage after only a week of rest and repair, with only two or three airworthy wings scattered among them. Seven’s men would have to close out the battle on their own this time.
Air Damage Report. Capodistria (attack support, three raids, completed) 366.
8 Dec 43
The Italians did not raid from the air on 8 December, as the attack on Capodistria faded and was finally defeated that night, with very heavy Axis casualties.
9-11 Dec 43
The Turkish front remained quiet over the next few days as units slowly rebuilt their numbers. Umago was left to ‘stew’ for a while, until Turkey was prepared to attack in overwhelming strength, to minimise casualties. The cut off Germans would not be getting any replacements or fresh supplies in the interim.
On 10 December, Agent SkitalecS3 advised that the Soviets had occupied the Finnish Arctic port of Petsamo, though the Finns were counter-attacking it.
A survey of attrition was conducted in selected units early on 11 December, in an effort to further minimise manpower wastage. Naturally, attrition was worse in ‘hostile’ provinces, with low or damaged infrastructure causing more problems (and no doubt poor terrain such as mountains where that applied). A smaller amount of attrition was being taken in front line provinces. Smaller amounts did not always show up on the ‘headline report’ of attrition.
Noting Pola was hostile occupied Italian territory and causing a small but continuous drain on manpower (though mainly at present for US units, which it was assumed the Americans would be replenishing), the 1st Marine Corps was pulled back to friendly UGNR territory in Rijeka (Croatian GNR).
12 Dec 43
The air base in Tirane was the next to be improved – previously commissioned infrastructure work there was already in progress, which should help resupply and unit repair later.
12 Inf Div reinforced Ljubljana at 6pm, boosting the two second-string divisions already there.
An original news report of the OTL meeting.
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13 Dec 43
On 1 Mar Corps’ arrival in Rijeka at 1am, the absence of any attrition was confirmed.
At the same time, the much-anticipated arrival of the new B-26 Marauder TAC bombers was welcomed. A comparison with the older Soviet Yak-4s showed the US ‘second generation’ aircraft equipment, organisation and morale to be noticeably superior. They joined the Yak-4 TAC wings and began work-up training.
The replacement projects launched included more unit upgrades (Turkey may have to do a little more basic light tank research now for these and the other primitive ‘tankettes’ they had in service. Radar installations were also begun in Dubrovnik and Tirane. None of this required any new manpower outlay.
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14-19 Dec 43
All remained quiet on the Turkish Front. On 16 December the Soviets reported that most air action had occurred along the German front, especially in the south. One or more raids had also been conducted behind the lines south-west of Berlin: probably some strategic bombing by the RAF.
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20 Dec 43
The gallant Polish Navy, which had presumably been sheltering in the UK until its recent liberation, was reported to be operating in the Mouth of the Thames early on 20 December.
Meanwhile, another futile nationalist uprising broke out in the Arabian GNR. The local garrison division began its slow desert march to deal with it.
Agent Boğafiltresi in Moscow passed on a report from the Finnish Front: the Soviets were making steady if unspectacular progress in the key southern sector, with plenty of forces available.
Progress across a broad front had been made in Germany, though the leading mechanised formations had not yet been backed up by their slower-moving ‘foot’ colleagues. Also, the Germans looked to be assembling a substantive defensive screen: though how strong many of these divisions were remained uncertain to Turkish liaison officers. There was also a chance the Finnish operation may have had an effect on the Comintern forces available, while winter weather would slow tempo a little as well. But lead Soviet elements were now within three provinces of Berlin.
To the south of that sector, Katowice had finally fallen to the Soviets and Breslau was now under direct threat, though the Germans had managed to counter-attack a Romanian force in the Bohemian Salient.
OOC: 87 SD had been forgotten, standing guard next to Katowice since the previous month. Only just noticed it as I was reviewing the images. Will have to send them south in January.
21 Dec 43
In a surprise development in the US, Perse’s recent low profile was explained – and made far higher – with the release of a semi-autobiographical movie portraying her war time exploits. She had sold her story to Hollywood, where the popular, young and glamorous actress Veronica Lake had been selected to portray her on the silver screen.
When the close resemblance was noted to her at the Premier, Perse responded to the press before disappearing back into hiding.
“Veronica is lovely, of course, but I really don’t believe the likeness is that close,” she replied modestly – and with a coquettish air. “She is far younger and more beautiful than me, my dear fellow.”
Many disagreed with her polite self-assessment – in a nice way. Cennet, watching the movie in New York in her role as Turkish Cultural Attaché, was not one of them. She fumed silently to herself and begged to differ: Miss Lake is indeed lovely, but she portrays an ugly snake and traitor who will always look so to me, she thought to herself.
22 Dec 43
23 Dec 43
With 1 Armd Div in position to assist and the Turks wanting to ‘tidy things up’ before any attack on their next objective – Trieste – Umago was probed early on 23 December, even though the weather was poor. The Germans still had enough supplies to sustain combat, but had been horribly weakened and were starved of replacements. But they did have very good AT guns, which easily over-matched the armour of 1 Armd Div’s venerable old T-28 medium tanks.
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24 Dec 43
At the beginning of Christmas Eve 1943, the Turkish manpower deficit had been reduced by 11,200 men to 32,900 after a mainly quiet three weeks or so.
The enemy soon began defensive air strikes on Capodistria and Rovigno at 1am on the 24th, but the defenders were already in serious trouble by then. Once more, the partly-recovered Turkish fighter wings were kept back: the attack shouldn’t take long to complete.
And victory came at midday, with barely more than 1,600 German troops left to be made prisoners by then. For these few surviving enemy soldiers at least, their war was over by Christmas.
Only 12 SD continued on to occupy Umago. 1 Armd Div halted in place to reorganise in Capodistria, while 171 SD was moved north to join them – in preparation for an anticipated assault on Trieste in coming days.
Air Damage Report. Capodistria 428 and Rovigno 313; both defensive support for Umago, three raids, completed.
Coming Up: Only a couple of battles (both of them won) and some limited enemy air raids had occurred in the Adriatic Sector so far in December and none in the Vienna Sector, allowing the first substantial recovery of Turkish manpower in many months. Even so, an emaciated German division had been captured and a couple of provinces gained.
Progress on the rest of the Patriotic Front and in Finland had been reasonable over the same period, with the Germans shifting much of their strength back away from the now quiescent Turkish Front back north to defend the Fatherland itself.
This had so far gone very much to Inönü’s plans for the month: would it continue that way? The next chapter will round out the month, provide the usual monthly reporting and include some additional end-of-year analysis and comparisons as well.
Introduction
With the Turkish sector – and consequently manpower losses – having stabilised in November 1943, Turkey’s High Command was now hoping for a quieter winter period to allow the rebuilding and repair of many badly worn land and air units. Concurrently, preparations continue to assemble units and build air base infrastructure along the Adriatic in preparation for a possible amphibious invasion of Italy in 1944.
Elsewhere, the Soviet Steamroller had begun to grind into eastern Germany proper and progress in the invasion of Finland had been made. Could the same rate of advance be maintained in the harsher winter weather and as Germany strove to repair its shattered lines facing the Soviets? The Japanese still advanced in India, Australia and New Zealand.
---xxx---
1 Dec 43
The Turks began December 1943 with a manpower deficit of 44,100 men and a projected monthly recruiting rate of 18,800.
At the request of various Turkish advisers and commentators, a review of Turkish war goals against Germany was conducted. They were already quite extensive, but Inönü instructed Foreign Minister Aras to add an additional claim for the Sudetenland – on the off-chance the Soviets may feel like granting it in post-war peace negotiations.
The Air Force also reported the progress on new aircraft builds (aircraft only – other projects excluded), all due in the next three months. Their arrival might prove influential in the timing of a cross-Adriatic invasion, with sufficient time for the full delivery and work-up of new wings being desirable.
NB: the Intel estimate of NU is, for once, quite close to the actual one on the diplo screen. So perhaps the others, including MP, aren’t too far from the mark either.
Still on the air war, at 3am 4 AG was caught still in the air after their last mission late on 30 November: their previous mission had been cancelled, but they had apparently not been able to get back to base yet. Already badly damaged, they limped back after being soundly defeated and taking even more damage.
OTL Event: Cairo, Egypt. The Cairo Declaration was released after the departure of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and China's President Chiang Kai-shek. For the first time, the Allies demanded the unconditional surrender of Japan, and pledged that the Japanese Empire would be "stripped of all the islands in the Pacific which she has seized or occupied since the beginning of the first World War in 1914", that "all the territories Japan has stolen from the Chinese, such as Manchuria, Formosa, and The Pescadores, shall be restored to the Republic of China" and that "in due course Korea shall become free and independent".
Chiang, Roosevelt and Churchill in Cairo, 1 December 1943. [NB This one especially for @RustyHunter
]---xxx---
2 Dec 43
The air base in Zagreb, currently housing the CAS group and a potential depth base for the Italy invasion, was expanded that morning, with the work continued.
A progress report on the recovery of 2 Mot Div – which had been evacuated from Bratislava, where supplies never seemed to make it to the troops (probably being siphoned off by that corrupt scoundrel Tiso!) – showed replacements had only barely begun to trickle through, with the main brigades badly under strength, while the two support brigades remained essential non-existent, except for a small cadre of officers sent to re-raise them.
OTL Event: Bari, Italy. At least 83 people were killed by the release of gas from chemical weapons in the Italian port of Bari, and another 545 were injured, after a surprise air raid by 88 bombers from Germany's Luftwaffe. Unbeknownst to anyone except its commanding officers, the American merchant marine ship SS John Harvey had been carrying a cargo of 2,000 M-47A1 mustard gas bombs. The ship was one of 17 Allied vessels that were sunk in the raid, but had stayed afloat until its deadly cargo had exploded. In that the only people who knew of the ship's cargo had been killed in the blast, physicians were uncertain of the cause of the blisters and burns of their patients until nine days later, when a British diver recovered a shell casing. Ironically, the Bari disaster would lead to a breakthrough in cancer chemotherapy, because of the findings (made during the attempt at diagnosis) that patients exposed to the sulphur mustard gas had reduced white blood cell counts; with the substitution of nitrogen for sulphur, the first compound that could fight cancer cells with minimal harm to healthy cells was created, with the derivation of the drug Mustine from nitrogen mustard compounds.
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3 Dec 43
Once Capodistria was vacated, the Turks moved to occupy it – and cut off Umago, while also reinforcing Nova Gorica, with Cerknica soon to be a depth province. 1 Armd Div’s advanced would be delayed due to post-redeployment reorganisation and the target still being considered a hostile province.
---xxx---
5 Dec 43
Air base improvements in Dubrovnik (where the old Blenheim TAC wing was based) were made and continued at midnight.
---xxx---
6 Dec 43
Turkish civil defence processes were improved – sorely needed at this time. These were now up to world standard, so research was switched to the introduction of night fighting gear – cutting edge technology that should prove of great value in future operations.
At 11am, as the battle for Capodistria raged on, HQ 1st marine Corps joined three of its four divisions in Pola.
---xxx---
7 Dec 43
It took until 1am on 7 December for the Italians to begin air raids in support of their attack on Capodistria. A review of the five Turkish fighter groups showed they were far from ready to re-engage after only a week of rest and repair, with only two or three airworthy wings scattered among them. Seven’s men would have to close out the battle on their own this time.
OTL Event: Tunis, Tunisia. At Tunis, President Roosevelt personally informed U.S. Army General Dwight D. Eisenhower of a transfer from the command of forces in the Mediterranean Theatre of Operations to the newly established Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) in London. According to witnesses at the scene, the President told General Eisenhower, "Well, Ike, you are going to command Overlord," the forthcoming Allied invasion of continental Europe.
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8 Dec 43
The Italians did not raid from the air on 8 December, as the attack on Capodistria faded and was finally defeated that night, with very heavy Axis casualties.
OTL Event: Italian Campaign. The Battle of San Pietro Infine began in the Italian Campaign. It marked the first battle in which Italian troops fought as part of the Allied troops in World War II, following years as enemies.
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9-11 Dec 43
The Turkish front remained quiet over the next few days as units slowly rebuilt their numbers. Umago was left to ‘stew’ for a while, until Turkey was prepared to attack in overwhelming strength, to minimise casualties. The cut off Germans would not be getting any replacements or fresh supplies in the interim.
On 10 December, Agent SkitalecS3 advised that the Soviets had occupied the Finnish Arctic port of Petsamo, though the Finns were counter-attacking it.
A survey of attrition was conducted in selected units early on 11 December, in an effort to further minimise manpower wastage. Naturally, attrition was worse in ‘hostile’ provinces, with low or damaged infrastructure causing more problems (and no doubt poor terrain such as mountains where that applied). A smaller amount of attrition was being taken in front line provinces. Smaller amounts did not always show up on the ‘headline report’ of attrition.
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12 Dec 43
The air base in Tirane was the next to be improved – previously commissioned infrastructure work there was already in progress, which should help resupply and unit repair later.
News Report: Bratislava, Slovakia. Edvard Beneš, President of the government in exile for Czechoslovakia, signed a "Treaty of Friendship, Mutual Aid, and Postwar Cooperation" with President Mikhail Kalinin of the Soviet Union and President Ismet Inönü for an alliance between the three nations that would begin after GWII. The ceremony was conducted during a state visit by Kalinin the central sector of the Patriotic Front. The Treaty included a clause promising "mutual respect of their independence and sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of the others". How this might transpire, given Slovakia’s current status as a Comintern puppet and uncertainty over future control of the Czech half of the former Czechoslovakia was left unresolved.
[Comment: based on an actual event on that day, purely between Beneš and Kalinin. I’ve put it in Bratislava rather than Moscow. Of course, all of Czechoslovakia was still Nazi controlled/puppeted at that time in OTL, when three years after liberation in 1945, President Beneš would be forced out of office by the Soviet-backed Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and his own National Social Party would be outlawed.]
An original news report of the OTL meeting.
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13 Dec 43
On 1 Mar Corps’ arrival in Rijeka at 1am, the absence of any attrition was confirmed.
At the same time, the much-anticipated arrival of the new B-26 Marauder TAC bombers was welcomed. A comparison with the older Soviet Yak-4s showed the US ‘second generation’ aircraft equipment, organisation and morale to be noticeably superior. They joined the Yak-4 TAC wings and began work-up training.
---xxx---
14-19 Dec 43
All remained quiet on the Turkish Front. On 16 December the Soviets reported that most air action had occurred along the German front, especially in the south. One or more raids had also been conducted behind the lines south-west of Berlin: probably some strategic bombing by the RAF.
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20 Dec 43
The gallant Polish Navy, which had presumably been sheltering in the UK until its recent liberation, was reported to be operating in the Mouth of the Thames early on 20 December.
OOC: 87 SD had been forgotten, standing guard next to Katowice since the previous month. Only just noticed it as I was reviewing the images. Will have to send them south in January.
OTL Event: Air war over Germany. In an act of mercy that would be written about nearly 70 years later in the popular book A Higher Call: An Incredible True Story of Combat and Chivalry in the War-Torn Skies of World War II, German Luftwaffe Oberleutnant Franz Stigler, a fighter ace with 22 victories, declined to shoot down the severely damaged American B-17 bomber Ye Olde Pub, and instead escorted the plane until it left German airspace. The American plane, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Charlie Brown, had been on its first mission and was shot up before it could release its cargo of bombs. Flying back to England, it landed safely at its base at RAF Seething. Forty-seven years later, Brown would locate his benefactor, and he and Stigler would remain close friends until the death of both of them in 2008.
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21 Dec 43
In a surprise development in the US, Perse’s recent low profile was explained – and made far higher – with the release of a semi-autobiographical movie portraying her war time exploits. She had sold her story to Hollywood, where the popular, young and glamorous actress Veronica Lake had been selected to portray her on the silver screen.
“Veronica is lovely, of course, but I really don’t believe the likeness is that close,” she replied modestly – and with a coquettish air. “She is far younger and more beautiful than me, my dear fellow.”
Many disagreed with her polite self-assessment – in a nice way. Cennet, watching the movie in New York in her role as Turkish Cultural Attaché, was not one of them. She fumed silently to herself and begged to differ: Miss Lake is indeed lovely, but she portrays an ugly snake and traitor who will always look so to me, she thought to herself.
---xxx---
22 Dec 43
Secret Reporting: Berlin, Germany. Soviet Intelligence officers report that Hitler has issued a "Führer Order" (Führerbefehl) creating the "National Socialist Leadership Officers", charged with disseminating propaganda for "getting soldiers to believe in final victory" in the war "even if they did not know how it was going to be achieved". Also, the German government ordered that all boys aged 16 and older would be required to register for military duty in January. [Comment: These real events fit right in with the ATL timing and zeitgeist, I think!]
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23 Dec 43
With 1 Armd Div in position to assist and the Turks wanting to ‘tidy things up’ before any attack on their next objective – Trieste – Umago was probed early on 23 December, even though the weather was poor. The Germans still had enough supplies to sustain combat, but had been horribly weakened and were starved of replacements. But they did have very good AT guns, which easily over-matched the armour of 1 Armd Div’s venerable old T-28 medium tanks.
---xxx---
24 Dec 43
At the beginning of Christmas Eve 1943, the Turkish manpower deficit had been reduced by 11,200 men to 32,900 after a mainly quiet three weeks or so.
The enemy soon began defensive air strikes on Capodistria and Rovigno at 1am on the 24th, but the defenders were already in serious trouble by then. Once more, the partly-recovered Turkish fighter wings were kept back: the attack shouldn’t take long to complete.
And victory came at midday, with barely more than 1,600 German troops left to be made prisoners by then. For these few surviving enemy soldiers at least, their war was over by Christmas.
Air Damage Report. Capodistria 428 and Rovigno 313; both defensive support for Umago, three raids, completed.
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nick would soon would be there.
The children all nestled all snug in their beds.
Visions of the sugar-plums danced in their heads.
Mamma in her 'kerchief, I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.
---xxx---
Coming Up: Only a couple of battles (both of them won) and some limited enemy air raids had occurred in the Adriatic Sector so far in December and none in the Vienna Sector, allowing the first substantial recovery of Turkish manpower in many months. Even so, an emaciated German division had been captured and a couple of provinces gained.
Progress on the rest of the Patriotic Front and in Finland had been reasonable over the same period, with the Germans shifting much of their strength back away from the now quiescent Turkish Front back north to defend the Fatherland itself.
This had so far gone very much to Inönü’s plans for the month: would it continue that way? The next chapter will round out the month, provide the usual monthly reporting and include some additional end-of-year analysis and comparisons as well.
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