Where the Iron Crosses Grow: K62 (Axis) vs Veterin (Soviet) GC41

[HardLuckYetAgain]

7k on T1, wow, thought I was doing ok bagging 5800. Any chance you would share your air directives?

I'm happy to share my air setup but don't want to bore anyone to death with it. You have to be aware that I'm using some 50 ground attack directives and need to move around 50 air groups in preparation. Also you won't get the best results unless you're willing to adjust flight paths on a good number of those directives. If people are indeed interested, I'm happy to post a thread in the War Room (as it would take way too much space on this AAR).

I would assume it would be moves like this for the Air K62?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zn0JmZEOz1g

[K62]

I would assume it would be moves like this for the Air K62?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/zn0JmZEOz1g

Man that chick's hot

[EwaldvonKleist]

Did the sight of the first turn cause an instant resign?

[K62]

Did the sight of the first turn cause an instant resign?

I hope not. The game is currently on Soviet T3.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Did the sight of the first turn cause an instant resign?

I hope not. The game is currently on Soviet T3.

Ya, I don't think Vet would do that

[Veterin]

It's still going and turn is with me. It's not looking great for the Soviets though with the speed of which K62 is advancing after his strong T1 opening.

[jubjub]

But those aircraft losses are too high, are they not?

With open TB's it really does not matter at all how many either side will lose. At least in my opinion. Can easily replace from other theaters to fill in any gap.

Wresting the Air from the Germans with Open TB is extremely difficult. It can be done but you better know what you are doing.

Transferring extra German fighters to the East is abuse of the unlocked TB imo.. Even if you manage to gain an edge in '41, the Germans will crush your air force in '42.

[Veterin]

But those aircraft losses are too high, are they not?

With open TB's it really does not matter at all how many either side will lose. At least in my opinion. Can easily replace from other theaters to fill in any gap.

Wresting the Air from the Germans with Open TB is extremely difficult. It can be done but you better know what you are doing.

Transferring extra German fighters to the East is abuse of the unlocked TB imo.. Even if you manage to gain an edge in '41, the Germans will crush your air force in '42.

I don’t think axis have to even transfer any fighters from TB to on map. I haven’t done it in any of my games and I’ve had no problems with fighting the VVS in 41/42 on favourable trades

[K62]

I don’t think axis have to even transfer any fighters from TB to on map. I haven’t done it in any of my games and I’ve had no problems with fighting the VVS in 41/42 on favourable trades

Vet is correct. In any case, transferring from TBs does not increase fighter production. So if you're trading at a bad rate you might last a little longer, but you don't actually solve the problem.

[K62]

Air directive targets (south):

AD targets south.png (1.08 MiB) Viewed 2080 times

Air directive targets (center):

AD targets center.png (1.57 MiB) Viewed 2080 times

Typical AD:

typical AD v2.png (1.42 MiB) Viewed 2077 times

Losses at end of air phase (airfield bombing only):

GA air losses.png (1.03 MiB) Viewed 2080 times

[K62]

I run recon on T1, AMA:

T1 recon.png (1.09 MiB) Viewed 2078 times

[K62]

PG4 captures Riga and Liepaja:

courland captured.png (1.39 MiB) Viewed 2028 times

After the capture of Daugavpils the Dvina line is secured:

daugavpils captured.png (1.28 MiB) Viewed 2028 times

[K62]

A joint effort by AGN and AGC infantry clears the path allowing PG3 to capture Vilnius:

vilnius captured.png (1.55 MiB) Viewed 2027 times

Hoth's forces then advance with two prongs around the Berezina marshes, capturing Minsk and Lepel:

hoth advance.png (1.75 MiB) Viewed 2027 times

The northern spearhead gets air supplied and makes it almost all the way to Vitebsk. The ground around the mashes is secured:

hoth final.png (2.07 MiB) Viewed 2027 times

[K62]

AGC forces comprising infantry and cavalry break through in the Pripyat marshes area and secure the ground east of Brest Litovsk while pinning down several Soviet units in the area:

pripyat breakout.png (1.71 MiB) Viewed 2026 times

With the eastern retreat route thus severed, the 4th Army attack on Brest Litovsk causes all defenders to rout north into the developing Minsk pocket:

BL breakthrough.png (1.76 MiB) Viewed 2026 times

Guderian's forces advance into the breach against minimal opposition and link up with Hoth's PG2 at Osipovich:

guderian final.png (2.12 MiB) Viewed 2026 times

[K62]

Infantry forces belonging to 6th and 17th armies break out of the Zamosc salient, opening a path for PG1:

zamosc breakout.png (1.7 MiB) Viewed 2025 times

A motorized corps with three divisions gets transferred over from PG2 to the PG1 area, helping EvK's forces in their advance on Tarnopol. With the eastern retreat path thus denied, 17th Army clears the territory west of Lvov, causing all Soviet defenders to rout southwards. These forces have no SMPs and low MPs and should be pocketed easily on T2:

tarnopol breakthru.png (1.85 MiB) Viewed 2025 times

PG1 advances at full speed past Proskurov. The lead 11PzDiv gets air supplied as it passes through that town as it will have a long way to go on T2 to meet the 11th Army forces breaking out of Romania:

proskurov captured.png (1.75 MiB) Viewed 2025 times

Finally a solid pocket is secured around the Soviet forces left in the Dubno area. The Soviets should be unable to break the pocket or to significantly impede supply lines on T2. The supply corridor is widely open as all panzer/moto forces are at supply priority 4, and will need supply trucks to reach them easily during T2 logistics:

kleist final.png (1.87 MiB) Viewed 2025 times

[K62]

I've managed retreat paths carefully to avoid fighting as much as possible on top of Baltic rail. Still the rail conversion success is rather lackluster. But that's okay. FBD2 and FBD4 start repairing the rail lines towards Vilnius and will get some help from RADs. Note the three corps HQs in blue (VI, XXVIII and XXXVIII). They have been removed from command of troops and each has 2-3 RADs attached. These should deploy next turn within 5 hexes of their HQ, saving some work for the FBDs:

rail repair AGC.png (2.01 MiB) Viewed 2022 times

Important to note: RADs will not deploy within two hexes of an FBD. Also, on T1 and T2 there are some random hexes that RADs will absolutely refuse to repair. (Not sure why, as they have no problem repairing the same hexes on T3 or later.) So it's good, on these two turns, to have some alternative hexes within range, in order to maximize RAD efficiency.

[K62]

Also note the three depots (priority 1) built in advance of the rail line reaching them. As Axis, if you want good supply, you have to build a depot in pretty much every town along your main rail lines (and a few non-towns, too). If the town has no railyard (and the great majority don't), you'll often need to spend 2 APs per depot in the following sequence:

1. Turn before rail conversion: build depot (1 AP).
2. Turn of rail conversion: assign a construction unit (1 AP), set priority 4, AND place an HQ on top of it.
3. Turn after rail conversion: receive up to 4,000 tons of supply (depending on rail congestion). You can move the HQ away now.

In a few more turns, once the depot starts accumulating surplus freight, it is an indication that the troops are adequately supplied by more advanced depots. At that point you need to reduce it below priority 4. However, don't EVER reduce any depot east of Berlin to 0 (ports excluded).

Speaking of APs, Model takes command of LVII Motorized Corps facing the Land Bridge:

model command.png (661.13 KiB) Viewed 2013 times

[homer82]

This gives me much for thought (a valuable thing) - thank you!

[EwaldvonKleist]

Wanted: K62
Reason: Brutal murder of Soviet Armed Forces*


*Although the Soviet Army has a reputation for coming back from the dead after destruction. Will Veterin's too?

[homer82]

I run recon on T1, AMA:

T1 recon.png

More than interesting. Am I correct in assuming you run recon so as to better detect/ID those units and increase your chances of more easily moving them without combat delay? That's all I could come up with.