part 15 1944

January 1 Field Marshal Rommel is appointed C and C of Army Group B the German/Italian forces in France north of the Loire river ( under a agreement the 100,000 Italian force fall under Rommel du his experience when he was commander of the German Italian army and to give one commander the command of al forces). A total of four German blockade-runners from Japan are sunk in the South Atlantic with over 9 reaching Japan and returning safely sins 1943.

January 2 the second battle of Kiev begins with fresh reinforcements the soviet begin attacking the Germans holding Kiev the soviet are halted at the panther line and therefore concentred their efforts on the getting true Kiev and then swarm to attack the German from behind ). the Japanese commander at port Mosby knowing that his forces are surrounded by the allies orders a massive charge against the 2 allied divisions surrounding them.

January 3 general Montgomery is reported back from his campaign in Norway to Britain in order to take command of the British contingent of the Allied Expeditionary Force ( with the German holding the allied forces at bay after the captured everything above the now new line at of halsa-rosos ). the charge of pot Mosby is over from the 5,000 able Japanese soldier charging the 2 divisions surrounding port Mosby only 765 are still alive after the charge with most of the wounded but the shock of seeing 5,000 Japanese charging toward the allied lines surrounding did cause some losses to them with over 1,589 dead ore wounded.

January 4 A Russian breakout to the North of Kiev is achieved with their tank army's driving throughout the night ( the German where already beaten beat in the first battle of Kiev and where not able to hold out against the second wave).
the 2 army divisions enter port Mosby bring all of lower punt of new guinea under allied control the city is complete inn ruins and will take some time to become a major port for the allies ( the allies have concerted their efforts towards Kerema now control and are building airfields on the allied controlled area to contain the still 100,000 Japanese on the island wille beginning to focus their intention else where as the now have full naval and much of the air control over the Solomon sea with a new line running from Kerema towards lea).

January 6 The Russians take Kiev and split the 4th Panzer Army into two forcing them to retreat. US Marines secure Cape Gloucester airfield on New Britain after heavy fighting against the Japanese defenders. The allies announce that jet-propelled aircraft will soon to be in production. The Air Ministry says that Bomber Command dropped 57,100 tons of bombs on Germany in 1943, while the Luftwaffe dropped only 1,400 tons on Britain ( the number is much lower then in otl witch was 157,000 but is beginning to increase with the allies using free Norway to strike northern German cities will the Germans despite the allied operation knockout to increase their V-1 attacks against London and other British city from France ).

January 7 The first operational ‘Schnorkel’ U-boat arrives in the Atlantic. The Japanese commander on new guinea orders a army brigade to recapture the town of Daru. January 12 The Kiev bridgehead is now 10 miles deep and 70 miles wide ( while the soviet are pouring torch the cap created the Germans at their flank are still holding firm forcing the soviet trough a narrow cap with German able to attack them ).

January 16 Eisenhower becomes C-in-C of the Allied Expeditionary Forces in Britain. Units of the German 11th Army begin an offensive to eliminate the Soviet bridgehead at Kerch in the eastern Crimea and to clear the soviet from the krimm .

January 17 The Russians take Zhitomir in Ukraine ( the soviet could reach more then 60 mile in a week because most o the German troops are manning the panther line ).

January 20 the German 11th Army recapture Kerch after a battle against the soviet and makes a new defensive line in the city.

January 21 The largest Luftwaffe raid on Britain for some time, with 90 planes being spotted over Southeast England during the second battle of Britain ( the German are using V-1 and Luftwaffe attacks on the UK but the allies have the control over the UK airspace and therefore the retaliatory attacks against the UK are beginning to shift to the more safer V-1 attacks but for now until in of V-1 site are ready the raids on Britain attack continues ).

January 22 The Russian 60th Army takes Korosten, 100 miles West of KievThe soviet have driven far ahead but the German are still holding the panther line forcing the soviet of moving try the Kiev gap . patrolling the allied hold town of Daru new guinea a RAAF plane spots true the jungle large movements heading to the town of Daru.

January 23 A German counter offensive recaptures Zhitomir. A Royal Navy destroyer is lost when two Italian destroyers ships patrolling Sicily sink here but the two ships where force to retreat towards Sicily when alied planes began strafing them.
The second battle of Britain with some 270 German aircraft attack London and southern England the mission is a failure of the 270 only 96 aircraft reach thier targets. The battle of Daru begins while USAAF and RAAF bomber planes begin attacking the Japanese army brigade moving true the jungle towards the town of Daru the allies sent a extra battalion to strengting the garrison.

January 25 the Japanese army brigade moving under constant attack from allied planes begins it attack against the garrison of Daru.

February 31 Russians battle against Germans holding Zhitomir but the soviets forces are rebuff forcing them out 80 miles East of Kiev ( the German are massing a large army to move in and retake Kiev in the hops of closing the panther line and cutting the soviet army in two who are moving true the Kiev gap ).
The British launch their main attack on the Japanese Golden Fortress part of the Burma emperor line in the Arakan. after a day of battling the battle of Daru thanks to major naval and air support has shifted to the allies with the Japanese attack grounded to a halt after this day the japans brigade is no more and the allies keep control of the town of Daru in new guinea after this battle the allies reinforce the town and order to increase the attacks of its neborns towns who are still in Japanese hands to prevent the Japanese to do this again).

January 27 a massive German counter attack forces the soviet army who have to move out a small gap of only 100 miles in their hold Kiev bridgehead are force to surrender Zhitomir to the Germans ( the Germans have deployed more then 200,000 extra troops from Germany and occupied France with Italy and Vichy France taking over some of it garrison duty’s most of them are now moving to reinforce the Germans battling to close the Kiev gap). British atack on the ‘Golden Fortress’ cease.

January 29 200 USAAF bombers drop 1,150 tons of bombs on Hamburg and Kiel ( US and UK now can operate large numbers of bombers from free Norway and continue to attack France with targets now shifting towards the infrastructure in the occupied country as Germany begins deploying Mobil radars to prevent their destruction).

February 2 The Japanese open their counter-offensive against the British in Arakan, Burma. U.S. Marines complete the capture of Roi and Namur in the Marshall Islands. February 4 Admiral Nimitz becomes the military governor of the Marshal Islands.

February 5 The Japanese pressure in Arakan forces the British to retreat.

February 8 Plans for invasion of France, Operation 'Overlord are confirmed and a diversion operation called operation wolf is to be started with the intend of forcing the German to deploy more forces towards Italy and Norway ( the German have now 200,000 troops in Norway some 60,000 in Italy 200,000 in Finland and some 2,286,000, with 388,000 allied and satellite troops on the astern front . The RAF uses a massive 12,000b bomb called Tall-Boy in a raid on the Gnôme-et-Rhône works in Limoges. US forces take Kwajalein Island in Marshall's, losing 886 killed and 2,495 wounded, but inflicting 12,386 casualties on the Japanese ( because of the emperor line directive to fortified all island as much as possible the battle lasted 4 days longer then in otl but the Americans despite the heavy numbers are becoming worried about this new Japanese tactic to fight and forcing the Americans to spend so much effort in clearing these island of Japanese troops ).

February 12 Another British counter-offensive begins in Arakan, Burma.

February 14 The Americans announce that the Japanese remaining in Solomon's are now trapped, admiral yamamotho orders no naval ships to be deployed in the Salomon sea but orders submarine to begin inflicting loses to the US navy in the Solomon sea instead deploying his navy to guard the Bismarck sea instead hoping to use the island as it defence. The USAAF decimate a Japanese convoy off New Ireland. Anti-Japanese revolt on Borneo spreads as Japan tighten its grip on the island.

February 16 Anti-Japanese forces manage to get control over a small town in Borneo during the revolt in responds the Dutch begin supporting the revolt on Borneo with air strikes and ordering a sub with Dutch marines to land ad the town with weapons and to aid the people controlling the town.

February 18 US Marines begin landing on Eniwetok Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

February 19 despite the Japanese navy hiding behind a screen of airfields on both new Britain and new Ireland a Japanese convoy is still being smashed by allied aircraft in the Bismarck Archipelago. Dutch marines land in the town on Borneo and with aid from Dutch B-25 and USAAF B-17 manage to keep the Japanese at bay who by now have put with extreme force the rest of the revolt on Borneo down.

February 20 Big Week’ starts with the largest ever daylight raid of war by the USAAF/RAF on Germany as 470 bombers carry out attacks against Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven and Bremen ( this number is the biggest number of bombers that can operate from allied Norway at this moment ).second British counter-offensive fails forcing them back to India territory.
A US Carrier and and land based planes destroy the Japanese base at Rabaul new Britain. The Japanese despite having trouble of keeping control over the airspace launch a major air attack on the town who by now is hold by the Dutch marines and Anti-Japanese forces ( the Dutch only plan is to hold the town but no major operation is started as the Dutch have not in of forces to do this alone therefore the marines are to hold and when the town is about to fall head back to Java ).

February 21 Tojo is named chief of the Japanese Army General Staff and becomes the military dictator of Japan but admiral yamamoto remains commander of the Japanese combined fleet. A total of 96 launch sites have been built for the V1 with more being builds even the allies attack them Germans increase the launch sites.

February 23 US Marines complete the capture of Eniwetok Atoll, suffering 439 dead while a US Carrier group attack the Mariana Islands. the Japanese capturer the town on Borneo but not until several submarines and Dutch pt-boats evacuated the town people knowing that if the would have stayed there would surly faced dead by fire squads the Dutch have received a major boost in doing this and the Japanese lose face du that the Dutch manage not only to halt the Japanese at bay but also show that Borneo is not that secure.

February 24 Big Week’ continues with a co-ordinated RAF and USAAF attacks on Lubeck.

February 26 Bad weather ends Big Week’ during which major naval facilities are attack destroying much of German submarine production related factories are hit putting German monthly production down by 20%.

February 27 About 80,000 Japanese are reported to be trapped in New Britain and New Ireland, in the South West Pacific.

February 31 Russians battle again with the Germans holding Zhitomir but are rebuff forcing them out 80 miles East of Kiev ( the German are massing a large army to move in and retake Kiev in the hops of closing the panther line as the hold the soviet forces in the Kiev pocket if the can destroy soviet it will give them some time and some rest, the Germans can deploy more troops and du the fact for now the US/UK are targeting the coastal cities of Germany the can supply the axis force with out hindering with new tanks and other supplies).

March 3 the Battleship Tirpitz is damaged in a raid by the RAF while laying in harbour in Wilhelmshaven she is later after being repaired ordered to move to Gdansk.

March 6 Bomber Command begins a large-scale offensive over northern France in preparation for D-Day. The Italian navy orders the 1st Destroyer Squadron to be sent to reinforce the Germans in the Eagan sea after the battles against the British capturing some island there the 4 ships of the Squadron are to sail as close as possible to the axis hold coast of the Balkans to reach the new port and to prevent any encounters wit the British navy a second Squadron while begin to move when the first one has reach its destination.
US Marines land at kandrain in New Britain and face have Japanese resistance ( the US lands and the side facing the Solomon sea as by now the allies control it and are beginning to move to begin driving the Japanese out of the Bismarck sea which is still hold by the Japanese ).

March 7 with Burma firmly under Japanese control the begin the Imphal-Kohima offensive from northern Burma into Assam, India.

March 8 a regrouped and enlarged Japanese force prepares to attack the US bridgehead in Bougainville in respondse the US aircraft have to be flown to safety elsewhere.

March 10 more then 400,000 Germans in the now called group Dnieper are waiting to attack a force of 600,000 soviet who are now caught with the rest of the panther line holding as Germany is scraping the bottom of the barrel in getting reinforce for this operation the now if this battle fails the will have no change to attack again ( because Hitler ordered German forces back earlier then in otl at the battle of Kursk even despite the fact the loosed a lot of man and more then 2000 tanks the still manage unlike in otl du the limit bombing campaign on Germany for now to deploy new armour and man to be deployed plus the fact that Leningrad is holding out because the soviet are focusing on the German army group centre and north is helping the Germans ).
In Burma the scale and pace of Japanese advance causes alarm as the 17th Indian Division's positions are threatened (in OTL the Japanese had problems with the British operating behind their line in Burma but thanks to the Burma emperor line and more troops the Japanese don’t have to worry about that giving them more troops to attack in to India supported by a brigade of the Indian National Army who together with the Burma National Army and two Thai army divisions help in manning the Burma emperor line).

March 15 from the city’s of Zhitomir and Korosten the German group Dnieper attacks the soviet in the flanks the soviet who where moving to attack the Germans in Korosten are now attacks from the same place something the did not expect while the German Luftwaffe attacks Kiev in order to halt any soviet reinforcements in coming true also using the first operational of flight of the Junkers 390 of which a total of 20 are bombing soviet position in and around Kiev ( the Junkers 390 is now being produce with a total of 20 per month and increasing to becoming the new main heavy bomber plane of the German Luftwaffe).
Hannover is hit for the first time becoming the furthest northern German city attack by the USAAF with more then 200 b-17 of which 21 bombers and 7 escorts are shot down ( the Germans have now got more planes defending Germany France and the eastern front with italiy having only limit Luftwaffe support but still in of to defend it but not any more deploy large attacks on the allies in Malta and northern Africa ).
The British are forced to withdraw towards Imphal in Assam, while fighting a bitter rearguard action ( the Japanese have fortified the Burma emperor line strong info to hold on to it as the oilfield there have become more importance with the oilfield in Borneo under constant allied air attacks from java).

March 16 The Japanese begin crossing the Chindwin for an advance against Kohima.

March 17 with the soviet being attack more then German group Dnieper now cuts the soviet of from the rest of the army while the Luftwaffe concentred their attacks against the soviets holding Kiev. The British blow up the Manipur bridge South of Imphal.

March 20 the soviet army in the now Kiev pocket is trying to get back to the Kiev gap while the German Luftwaffe has got full control over the airspace over the Kiev pocket and is attacking the soviet forces while the German group Dnieper begins to tided its grip around the Kiev pocket other German forces who have now move in race to close the Kiev gap and prevent any soviet from adding the Kiev pocket .
second Italian naval squadron begins moving to the Eagan sea to srengting the Italian naval presence and to halt any British capture of any island there bringing the total to 9 ships ( the ships belong to the former Libya Naval Command but with the allies invaded the Italian colony the navy ships there fled to Italy where the ships where used in its defence now the Italian navy sent a new command called the Eagan sea command consisting of the 1st Destroyer Squadron and 11th Torpedo-Boat Squadron based out of Athens Greece ).

March 22 British tanks rout a Japanese tank force at Tamu in India.

March 23 the Germans army group Dnieper now begins to split the Kiev pocket in two while a force of 200,000 strong begin their attack against the soviet holding the Kiev gap ( the soviet are diverting a lot of forces towards the Kiev gap giving other German forces guarding the panther line time to rest and to increase their positions the soviet still have 600,000 troops outside the Kiev gap waiting to enter but the German panther line is forcing them into a Luftwaffe kill zone even if the soviet are moving true the Kiev gap it is shirking towards the city of Kiev each day).

March 24 The Luftwaffe attacks London with 100 bombers (He-111s ,Ju-88s and 10 Ju-390 while the plane was to deploy mostly of the Ju-390 to the eastern front a decision was made by German air command that the payload of the Ju-390 was big in of to be jus against the UK with the Ju-390 fleet being splits evenly in the two fronts). The Japanese counter attack on Bougainville is decisively beaten. operation wolf is started with mostly commonwealth forces to be deployed in north Africa to force the Germans to deploy some units in to Italy in preparation of operation overlord while operation knockout is put in higher gear with shifting mostly to destroy as much of the infrastructure that the Germans can use in their defence when operation overlord starts.

March 27 with the Kiev pocket surrendered the reaming 370,00 Germans of the group Dnieper join the already 200,000 German fighting their way in to Kiev which by now is hold by some 300,000 soviets while the German begin increasing their air attacks and battling the soviet air force over the dormice over the Kiev gap. Dutch/Americans begin planning to attack Timor as it gives the Japanese a way in blocking the allies and using it as a gap to sent ships and submarines to the Indian ocean island the aim is to cut the Japanese of and make a line beginning in Sumatra towards Australia it will be a Dutch main effort with US and RAAF air and naval support as the US is focusing on the new guinea and new Britain.

March 30 the soviet massing more forces to hold the Kiev bridgehead open are now being confronting by 600,000 German force of the group Dnieper while the Kiev gap is defended by 300,000 soviets with more then 300,000 waiting to cross over giving the Luftwaffe and German artillery easy targets to shoot at ( Stalin orders to move al available soviet forces to concerted their effort to destroy the Germans advancements while the Germans are sending their reinforcements in order to destroy the soviet forces at Kiev and close the panther line). The siege of Imphal begins, as the Japanese cut the road to the North.

March 31 RAF losses after major attacks on German cities since the 24th october1943 are 150 aircraft destroyed and 382 damaged ( this is only the number sins the RAF began using the airfield in Norway the number is not high yet but Germany begins deploying new ways to counter the massive northern raids ). The German group south using the battle of Kiev as advertence capture the city of meltipol for the third time with this al German control the panther line except Kiev is hole. Marshal Kesselring C-C of the German Italian army request more German troops to be sent to iad him in the defence after German Intel is believing the allies are planning a invasion of Italy but his request are denied with the Germans on France being used and already having sent some of their units to the eastern front not able to lose more and the battle of Kiev is making sending troops not possible who are now current on the eastern front. Overview panther line the panther line begins at the city of volchov outside German control Leningrad moving to Novgorod down to Smolensk then reaching Kiev then following the Dnieper strait going down to Dnepropetrovsk and reaching the melitpol and the German control of Kerch makes out the panther line with much of the eastern war concentrating on Kiev as Stalin believe capturing Kiev will split the German forces in two.