Feeding the March East - carlkay58 vs Soviet AI

[carlkay58]

AAR - Feeding the March East

This AAR is going to focus on the Axis logistics in a 41 Campaign. I am playing as the Axis (all settings at 100) vs the Soviet AI (all settings also at 100). I usually play against Soviet AI with all settings at 110 but decided that the lower settings will allow me (hopefully) to advance deeper and put more stress on the Axis logistics during the game.

There have been many discussions about setting up the Axis supply net in order to keep up the pressure on the Soviets in the 41 Campaign. This will help those discussions and also give some examples for new Axis players on how to handle one of the more difficult portions of the game that has major impact on the Axis ability to drive deep.

[carlkay58]

T01 Air Directives:

I do not care for the starting Air setup. So the first thing I do is to go to the Air Directive Summary screen and hit the [x] by every Air Directive except the ones for the Hun. Air Cmd. and the Rumanian Air Command. This leaves the screen looking like this:

[carlkay58]

T01 Air Doctrines:

The second thing is to open the Air Doctrines screen and select Luftflotte 1. I will do all of my changes to the Air Doctrines here and then propogate them to all of the Air Commands.

I change the Gnd Attack doctrine to target airfields on High rather than interdiction. This doctrine is being changed for the first turn's airfield attacks on the Soviet VVS. I switch the schedule to only D1, the Escort AC Pct to 0 (turning off escorts), and set the altitude to 5000. I then Apply Air Doctrines to ALL.

Next is the Recon doctrine. Altitude is set to 17K, Schedule to D1 only, and Escort AC Pct to 0. Recon aircraft will change to the proper camera altitude in the target hex and the rest of it is to limit the use of the recon aircraft as I will be flying Recon missions all of the time. Removing the escorts keeps the mission size smaller which reduces the chances of interception as well as recognizing that most Recon missions will be out of fighter coverage. This also is Apply Air Doctrines to ALL.

The last change I do is the Superiority doctrine. I change the Altitude to 12K. This keeps them at an altitude that is able to cover the normal doctrine altitudes but also gives them height advantage in air to air combat. I Apply Air Doctrine to All.

[carlkay58]

T01 Air Phase:

The first turn Axis Air Phase is the longest and most complicated Air Phase in the entire game. A well documented and detailed exploration of this Air Phase is the subject of several discussions in the War Room. I highly recommend the one authored by Zovs at https://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=5101678.

I take the easy route and plan individual bombing raids on occupied Soviet airfields within 10 hexes of the front lines. I also set the Strike Number to 1 while keeping everything else at default settings (since I change everyone's Doctrines to what I wanted it to default to).

I then setup broad Ground Support directives with just the fighters assigned. This will insure fighter coverage vs the Soviet VVS during my ground phase. So every VVS attempt to support their ground units will be countered with LW fighters.

The results of my Air Phase produces LW losses of 74 aircraft (37 A2A, 13 Flak, 24 Ops) vs the Soviets loss of 2531 (3 A2A, 2,528 on the ground). Remember that the LW fighters have yet to fly.

[carlkay58]

T01 Logistical Reorganizations:

I go through and send all independent RAD units to 18th Army. FBD 4 is assigned to 4th Panzer Group and sends its one RAD unit to 18th Army. AGN HQ sends both of its RAD units to 18th Army. FBD 2 is assigned to 3rd Panzer Group. I do not remove any of the units in FBD 2 to 18th Army because an FBD unit requires at least 5 units in order to get maximum rail conversion. FBD 3 is assigned to 2nd Panzer Group and sends one of the RAD units to 18th Army. AGC HQ sends all three of its RAD units to 18th Army. FBD 1 is assigned to 1st Panzer Group while sending one of its RAD units to 18th Army. AGS HQ sends its two RAD units to 18th Army. This concentrates all of the independent RAD units (ten) into this single Army HQ in the Baltic States. Since the Axis have a possibility to capture Baltic rail hexes intact for the first four turns of the Grand Campaign, the availability of 10 RAD units that will deploy within 15 hexes of the 18th Army HQ will help fill in those holes by repairing the destroyed rail hexes. It is important to do this before movement which allows the transfer of these RAD units without trouble.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGN:

AGN has captured the Dauga River line from Riga almost to Polotsk. Two large pockets have been carved out of the Soviet defenders. The 4th and 3rd PG FBDs combine to convert the double rail into Kaunus. I built depots in Daugavplis and Vilnius in preparation for future collection and to collect and organize captured freight in those locations.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGC:

3rd and 2nd PGs carve out the large Bialystok pocket but also a smaller one to the north. The 2nd PG FBD converts the double rail from Brest Litovsk heading north towards Minsk and two depots are built along that line.

[carlkay58]

T01 AGS:

I have motorized the XXIX Infantry Corps attached to 1 PG to give some extra power to the PG. L'vov is captured and four minor pockets are made along the front. While nothing to compare to the Bialystok pocket they should help weaken the Soviets in the south. Rovno is captured at the point of the panzer thrust eastwards towards Kiev. The double rail in the south is not advanced as enemy pockets cover the double rail towards L'vov.

[carlkay58]

T01 Reserves and Cleanup:

I use air supply to ship supply into Vilnius and L'vov. All full strength units in the Reserve get sent to the map and the rest are put into REFIT mode. I will be more selective in the future. I do not move any LW groups towards the front as the supply situation is too bad to allow them to be effective as of yet. I could move them forward but they will not be ready to fly during the Soviet turn and may actually be punished for the move. I will wait until next turn.

[carlkay58]

T01 Ground Losses:

The Axis losses are fairly light all things considered. The lack of heavy fighting for the PGs show in the loss of only 48 AFVs, probably most of those are due to breakdown. The Soviets have already had 117K surrender, mostly from the fort units. Their loss of 1.1K AFVs already is encouraging.

[carlkay58]

T01 Air Losses:

The LW has lost 129 aircraft at this point -> mostly in Air Combat and Ops. The Soviet VVS has lost 859 in Air Combat and another 102 to Ops. The real hurt to the VVS is the 3,288 aircraft lost on the ground. The additional 700 lost on the ground since the Air Phase have been damaged aircraft in captured airbases. Looking at the details of the losses the LW has lost about equal fighters and bombers while the Soviets have lost over 2:1 fighters to bombers.

[carlkay58]

T01 Victory Points:

I now have 411 VPs including 11 Bonus VPs. The Bonus VPs are what win or lose the long war for both sides as the cities WILL change hands back to the Soviets by the end of the war but the Bonus Pts are kept. The long war will see the Soviets needing to beat the Axis HWM by the end of 44 so the Bonus VPs are very important as it raises the bar that the Soviets will need to capture. Although the Soviets look at Bonus VPs as their way to lower that bar down to something they can manage. This is an important consideration and goal for both sides even though it is only the opening stages of the war.

[carlkay58]

T01 Files:

I include the files for the turn as attached. Feel free to open the files, look through them as you wish, or even use them to do what I probably should have done instead of what I did. They are meant to allow you to help figure it all out.

[homer82]

ORIGINAL: carlkay58

T01 Logistical Reorganizations:

I go through and send all independent RAD units to 18th Army. FBD 4 is assigned to 4th Panzer Group and sends its one RAD unit to 18th Army. AGN HQ sends both of its RAD units to 18th Army. FBD 2 is assigned to 3rd Panzer Group. I do not remove any of the units in FBD 2 to 18th Army because an FBD unit requires at least 5 units in order to get maximum rail conversion. FBD 3 is assigned to 2nd Panzer Group and sends one of the RAD units to 18th Army. AGC HQ sends all three of its RAD units to 18th Army. FBD 1 is assigned to 1st Panzer Group while sending one of its RAD units to 18th Army. AGS HQ sends its two RAD units to 18th Army. This concentrates all of the independent RAD units (ten) into this single Army HQ in the Baltic States. Since the Axis have a possibility to capture Baltic rail hexes intact for the first four turns of the Grand Campaign, the availability of 10 RAD units that will deploy within 15 hexes of the 18th Army HQ will help fill in those holes by repairing the destroyed rail hexes. It is important to do this before movement which allows the transfer of these RAD units without trouble.

Thank you for doing this AAR, carlkay, I'll be following it closely. I've been a daily serial lurker on the forum since WitE2 first launched and have learned quite well who's advice and insights to seriously consider. You're one of those people. Your logistical reorganization above is a perfect example. I've never thought of or run across mention of pulling RAD units from FBDs so long as at least 5 units remain in the FBD. This tidbit goes in my "Notes" file. Thanks again!

[Hardradi]

carlkay, do you ever have any problems with RADs not deploying?

I have seen this a couple of times even when there are available hexes within the correct distance (with no FBDs nearby and no enemy units nearby).

[Stamb]

ORIGINAL: Hardradi

carlkay, do you ever have any problems with RADs not deploying?

I have seen this a couple of times even when there are available hexes within the correct distance (with no FBDs nearby and no enemy units nearby).

I had such problem when I assign a lot of units to a corps HQ, for a 5 hexes range, some of them were not deployed. I suspect it was due to a bad supply or just a bug.

ORIGINAL: carlkay58
I do not remove any of the units in FBD 2 to 18th Army because an FBD unit requires at least 5 units in order to get maximum rail conversion

Wow. Did you test it, or it is written somewhere? Also it means any 5 units, lets imagine there are 7 units (2 RAD, 5 contruction) it is safe to move 2 RAD, or it is based on construction power of a unit?

[carlkay58]

homer82 - thank you. It is timely for me to do another logistics AAR (the first one was shortly after general release) as a lot of new players are coming on board after the Steam Release.

Hardradi - occasionally this will happen. I do not know if there is a leadership check involved in RAD deployment or not. It is rare enough that I think that it may be that the RAD unit goes into REFIT mode and does not deploy that turn.

Stamb - yep I tested it. Every hex that is repaired by the FBD costs Rail Repair Points (I am not sure if that is the proper name for them or not) and the limit for the FBD is the sum of the Rail Repair Points in the subordinate units. It is possible that leaving only five units in the FBD will cause it to not be able to repair the last hex it moves into as it runs too low of the Rail Repair Points but it is rare enough that the extra repaired hex by the independent unit more than compensates for it. If you really what to know the comparison look closely at the Rumanian FBD at the start of the campaign. It only has four units and thus it will not be able to convert as many hexes as the German FBDs. You also have to be VERY careful because you can take from an FBD but you cannot put anything into an FBD - so be careful!

[Stamb]

In total it is possible to take one RAD unit from each of those FBD 1, 4, 3 without sacrificing anything?
For a total of 3 additional RAD units in addition to a two units that can be transferred from a Norway?

In theory it can give 5 additional repaired hexes per turn.

[Hardradi]

ORIGINAL: Stamb
I had such problem when I assign a lot of units to a corps HQ, for a 5 hexes range, some of them were not deployed. I suspect it was due to a bad supply or just a bug.

I have a similar situation with 5 in a Corps HQ. Since that I limit the number but just got another one where the the Corps HQ only had 1 RAD, nothing else. The supply of this single RAD was pretty good, so I am am clueless.

EDIT: Supply was at about 55%.

ORIGINAL: carlkay58
Hardradi - occasionally this will happen. I do not know if there is a leadership check involved in RAD deployment or not. It is rare enough that I think that it may be that the RAD unit goes into REFIT mode and does not deploy that turn.

Ok. I will check my recent one and see if Refit kicked in, or maybe I put it on refit.

EDIT: No indication of refit.

[carlkay58]

T02 OOB:

The Soviets are at 3m men. I will be trying to keep the Soviets at or, preferably, below this level.