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Though the British plans to defend Singapore with the Royal Navy and Air Force never materialize, Air Marshal Brooke-Popham and GOC Percival still want the British Far East possessions to hold out as long as possible. So Operation Matador and Operation Krohcol are created. But one will not be viable and the other, will be too little, too late.
Manstein overcame Hitler’s objections and then two Soviet Fronts. By early March 1943, Kursk was exposed and open to attack.
Having tasted defeat and now victory, Stalin wants more operations in southern Russia. And what he gets will change the course of the war on the Eastern Front.
The Axis retreat from the Don River was haphazard. Armies were lost as was much equipment. Army Group South would regroup and form another line, but it was much reduced and the Soviets were only getting stronger.
