The Dark Crusade II (no schmolywar please)

[Michael T]

End German Turn, 4 July 1941 – Weather Clear

AGN – Things are still going well here. We cut off the units of 27th Army and 27th Army HQ is not in the pocket. Nice. FSB is ordered to relocate to Dunaberg.

Siege guns ordered to Riga. Where Baltic Army is holed up.

AGC - Well there is no sugar coating it. It’s a bloody disaster. I had 4000 bls of fuel in reserve which I figured I could use for defensive manoeuvring while the FSB moved up. I totally misinterpreted the rules here. I thought the Blitzkrieg penalty of minus 2000 bls per PzGp would not come of my reserve. But is does. So I have no fuel at all, apart from the tiny amount the Luftwaffe can fly in. A big screw up. I kept 4000 in reserve and left around half my mech units in the rear to keep that reserve for the forward units to use to parry the Soviets that will come at me around Orsha. So in hindsight I should have used up all my gas to get everyone forward. A total waste of 4000 bls of fuel. And now I have two very strung out Panzer groups. This situation is going to take some time to fix now. I will most likely loose units and my territorial gains unless I get real lucky with Soviet activation rolls. Either way I am behind the 8 ball now in the Centre. The hordes will be arriving and I am in a total state of stasis with my Panzer Groups. Bad. This error might cost me the game ultimately.

To save some fuel in the days ahead I have put 2nd PzGp in to Sustained Offensive (SO) posture.

AGS – Things going really well here. FSB is ordered to Lvov. As soon as it gets there I suspect I will need to move it again pretty quick. 6A changes to SO posture.

If it were not for the foul up in AGC I would very pleased with the overall situation. But that fuel stuff up has thrown a spanner in the works….

[Michael T]

Well Flav, hyper optimized turn or not. The wheels can off in AGC [:@]

[Flaviusx]

I was wondering how you could get so deep in AGC tbh. It's really hard to keep up fuel past Minsk.

On the plus side, you forestalled the Sov from being able to drop reinforcements on Polotsk and Vitebsk, which is nice.

[Flaviusx]

I'll get on our turn here shortly, btw. Just got home.

[Michael T]

To make matters worse I sent the FSB of AGC to Vilnius which is a 12 day delay rather than 8. So I am going to be stuck for some time. But still it's fun learning this stuff even if its the hard way. I have figured a way around this next time.

[Flaviusx]

So no Minsk line for you? Interesting. I've always taken the Minsk line.

I've been wondering about the Riga Narva line for AGN as an alternative to Dunaberg, too, but never experimented with that.

[jjdenver]

Your opening is really nice. Can you give some general and specific thoughts on how you achieved it?

By general I mean something like:
1) use inf divs 3 hexes from enemy to get in their 1 and only atk
2) use inf divs 2 hexes from enemy for 1/2 attks
3) use inf divs adjacent to enemy for attks
4) finally use pz/mot divs

or whatever technique you generally follow

By specific I mean in particular for AGC/AGS how do you achieve those results? i.e. use PzGrp 3 first to get through Grodno then use Pz Grp 2 to cut off Bialystok salient, then crush salient with the 2 inf armies...or however you do it?

It'd be interesting to read. Thx

[Michael T]

@jj When I get some time I will type up my hand written notes on that opening as they are in my own shorthand and would be undecipherable for you. But generally you need to herd, block retreat paths and be very aware of extra AP penalties for battles that occur along your line of advance, so you need to commit enough troops to make sure you win key attacks quickly. And if trying to get in to a city (ala Bialystok) you need to make sure you don't retreat a whole bunch of extra guys in there. Of course this is a PBEM so I don't know if playing the AI makes the opening different, I don't play the AI at all.

[Michael T]

End German Turn, 12 July 1941 – Partial Mud

Well we are moving again but I still have a raft of problems. Some of my own making others perhaps due to bugs. First I have a PP crisis. I made 3 attacks across the northeast Finnish border hexes two turns back as the Soviets were retiring. I knew this was going to be a PP hit but figured it would not be too bad. Well last turn the penalty was applied and it was a whopping 15PP. Ok, my own fault for not researching this. So I moved back and you can see from the map I have no territory under my control across the border hexes. But I got hit again another 15PP, message stated it was for a Finnish border transgression. SO something amiss here. If the game doesn’t stop hitting me for 15PP every turn I fail to see how I will be able to go on, as eventually I will have zero PP and won’t be able to even move my FSB’s forward. Anyway I have sent the file to Vic for his take on this.

Next I had left 3 Mech units behind due to lack of fuel to keep them within command range as I figured I could play the transport card to bring them back up to the front later on. Well now it’s later on and I can’t get this card to work. It won’t let me select my units for transport and I have no idea why. I followed the criteria for the use of the card but it won’t let me use it. Note the units I tried to move were not in mud when I tried the card.

Anyway back to the front.

AGN:

Siege Art arrives at Riga. So should be able to assault it next turn. The drive for Pskov begins and I make a dash for Tallinn just to keep Ivan honest. But I am half way thru moving up the FSB so I am relying on Air Drops for fuel. Things should be back to normal next turn fuel wise. 16A switches to SO.

AGC:

Finally rolling again here. But in total disarray really. I move 3rd PzGp north of Smolensk (Hitler screwed with them so I lost 30AP) in an effort to flank Smolensk and stretch his line to the northeast, or even perhaps force a withdrawal. 2nd PzGp is aiming to the south of Orsha. Minsk only fell this turn. 4th Army slowly trying to catch up.

AGS:

This is the one area we are going really well. I reckon I have destroyed or isolated all the Soviet frontier armies. So all that should be in front of me are his reinforcement armies. I spread out and head east as fast as I can go. The FSB will have to move again next turn most likely but 1st PzGp is set to SO so my fuel reserve will not be drained away due to the ‘Blitzkrieg’ 2000bls cost per turn like happened in AGC. I will keep rolling east as long as that reserve holds out. I will have 3000bls plus whatever I get in the next turn.

If the PP issue can get resolved I might be able to get back on the rails so to speak.

[Michael T]

I have had to put this game on hold for a bit. There is most certainly a bug in the border transgression penalties. I transgressed for one turn and got hit 15PP. No problem. But I stopped transgressing however the penalty persists every turn. So three turns is a row now I have been penalized for one transgression. So an extra 30PP lost.

I am in communication with Cameron about this. Hopefully it can get sorted out soon and I can continue.

[Speedysteve]

FWIW I tested this with the AI as well. 3 turns ago I moved a Finnish Div over the line and next turn I suffered a 15 PP penalty (from memory. could have been 10). Moved it back across the line and have suffered no more penalties since.

[Michael T]

Apparently the bug only affects PBEM. See tech forum report.

EDIT Rather PBEM++ games.

[Michael T]

End German Turn. 16 July 1941 – Clear

I have a hotfix installed now so hopefully I will no longer suffer the -15PP hit again after this turn. And perhaps I can move my stranded Mech units up to the front. I feel like I have been fighting with one hand tied behind my back these last few turns. But onward we march. My opponent has agreed to grant me a PP helper to compensate for the PP loss I incurred due to the bug. I haven’t taken that helper yet. I will see how I go.

AGN

36th Mot takes Tallinn. It was undefended. We push the garrison out of Ostrov and 4th PG cut in behind Pskov. I feel nervous. He might attack me here. 18th Army is still tied up at Riga. 16th Army is changing postures. Hopefully next turn I can get some infantry up to the MLR.

AGC

3rd PG and 9th Army push on to the north of Smolensk. I cut off a couple of ID but I fear a counter attack is going to happen here. I might get trashed. I pray to the activation gods.

2nd PG pushes in to a void south of Smolensk. Where is the enemy? 4th Army is still slowly catching up. Note the yellowed circled units. I have a Panzer Korp stuck in the rear that I can’t transport forward. Hopefully next turn I can move them up.

AGS

We push on past Kiev. Again no sign of the enemy MLR. I can’t see any Soviets south of Smolensk!

[budd]

looks like your going to have to move your FSB's soon, at least AGC and AGS. You use any fuel drops to your PG's? Whats your PG's operational strength, you refit already. your pretty deep for July 16th.

[Michael T]

Yes I use fuel drops, mostly the turn after I move a FSB. I plan to move my FSB's again as soon as I can. But after you make a move there is a delay before you can move them again. Otherwise I would have already. No refits yet. Strength is not too bad as since the frontier battles there hasn't been that much fighting.

[Michael T]

Hi all.

After much frustration I am calling this game off.

Flavius and I are going to switch sides after our current game finishes. So maybe 3rd time lucky I will get a game as German in without problems.

I thank Vic and Cameron for trying to help out with these problems but in the end my patience has run out with my opponent. There seems to be communication problem. I will leave it at that.

Sorry. Till next time.