No sooner had news of the breakthrough and loss of KALININ reached the commander of Army Group Centre, then reports of attacks along the line of the MOSKVA-VOLGA Canal began flooding in.*
MOSCOW
The MOSKVA-VOLGA Canal looking south
Pressure mounted north of MOSCOW, with the canal line coming under heavy attack from successive waves of infantry, supported by Sturmoviks and Army level artillery.
Corps commanders were initially confident, but as pressure mounted, it became clear that defensive lines were buckling to the north and south of MOSCOW.
The Canal Line North of MOSCOW was Breached
The airfield came under heavy pressure
Elements of 10 Cavalry Corps and 1 Shock Army, comprising 1 Guards Tank Division, 2 Guards Mechanised Division were observed pouring through the breached defensive line south of MOSCOW, leaving the infantry of 18 Guards Rifle Division to roll up and protect the flank.
As successive waves of troops battered the airfield defences, first the entrenched Bavarians of 17 Infantry Division, then the hastily pressed Luftwaffe ground crew, gave way, pulling back to the southern suburbs of MOSCOW. Soon, Soviet guards banners were seen fluttering over the eastern outskirts of the city as engineers hastily improved the river crossings that had allowed the leading waves of 1 Shock Army to cross the frozen river MOSKVA.**
The walls of MOSCOW were breached and the airfield overrun
Hard-pressed defenders fell back to the suburbs under pressure from 1 Guards Rifle Division
Urgent signals were sent to Army Group Centre, and thence to 3 Panzer Korps. Would the counterattack prevent MOSCOW being encircled? To find out would require the table to be reconfigured again to place the long axis facing east-west.
*YesthatPhil turned up for this one, with much-needed Soviet reinforcements, and boar paté. It being Christmas, there was Port! The table had been reconfigured to place MOSCOW in the centre, allowing it to be outflanked to north and south, if required.
** Some serious paper, card and cork engineering was taking place as the Fascists dug into the tabletop with paper earthworks and the Soviets forged gaps through the minefields and flung pontoon bridges over the frozen river MOSKVA
