General Goofy Does Barbarossa

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

By the way, warspite1. I hope that you are happy now. It is because of your thread that I am not getting a computer game for Christmas.

It forced me to buy this game at once. [:D]

Thank you, warspite1.

warspite1

I think you will be pleased with your purchase! [:)] If you fancy a game just let me know.

[Orm]

If you fancy a game just let me know.

When you got the time I would be happy to be kicked around the map by you. [:)]

[warspite1]

16th July 1941
Turn 7
Army Group Centre

So that's AGN with no units available for attack, AGS with no fuel for the panzers....

...and now the easy one - AGC that's just suffered a repulse of its panzers near Orsha! [;)]

[warspite1]

16th July 1941
Turn 7
Army Group Centre

DC:B 101 [8|] I forgot that playing cards cost points. Political Points are down to seven....

On the northern flank, 9th Army are forming up to engage. They have arrived not a moment too soon - although cannot get into the fight yet.

The siege artillery is still awaited at Minsk....

To the right of 9th Army, Hoth's panzers have taken a mauling, and 19th Panzer is unable to move, undergoing rest and refit....and right in the front line!

This turn is all about stabilising the line (if possible). Guderian is asked to take on the bulk of the work. This boils down to the need to withdraw from Mogilev to try and form a line. The panzers fight their way WEST! to safety, but there are still four armoured formations the wrong side of the river....

Finally in this sector, 4th Army are ordered to hit the Soviet units in the northern Pripyat Marshes. 52nd and 53rd Tank Divisions come under attack from four infantry divisions and are forced to retreat with considerable loss. The 150th Rifle Division on their right flank suffers in similar fashion. von Kluge accidentally orders the 23rd Infantry over the border into AGS sector. I hope this does not prove too costly for the Germans...

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8

I get a warning about the cross sector violation. Not too bad all in all.

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8

So what is the overall situation now? Well first off I look at the history to see what happened during the AI turn

Only one defeat that I could see that turn, but the rate at which the Soviets are spawning is terrifying!

Anyway, to the paperwork and reports. I am drowning in paperwork here!

First off: He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me.... Hey what do you know? von Leeb is my friend, or at least he doesn't hate me anymore. Can you believe - von Brauchitsch actually came through!?

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8

I have only 42 PP so expenditure needs to be managed. I have to ignore requests/take the cheapest option for the following decisions:

- Oil priority Luftwaffe vs Army
- Relocate airfield (AGN)
- Relocate FSB (AGC)
- Truck columns (AGC) Care needed as I have annoyed von Bock.
- I have the same decision to be made re the safety of construction bn's. I spend points for AGN (6pp) but none for AGC and take my chances).
- Finally I agree with von Leeb's commendation for an award for the commander of the 1st Panzer Division (2pp).

- von Bock reports that the Siege Artillery has arrived at Minsk. This will take a few days to take effect.

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group South

von Rundstedt orders a resumption of attacks against Odessa, but the Soviet defenders continue to hold out and inflict heavy casualties. The Romanians are fighting hard but maybe the fact that they have reclaimed Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina has blunted their appetite?

On the extreme left flank of Schubert's 11th Army, the 79th Infantry attacks a badly shot up tank unit across the Bug. Despite the position of the tankers, they still remain together and retreat rather than break. It is a bad start....

11th Army are unable to move and attack, and there is a danger that an attack against Pervomaisk would fail - leaving the Germans on the wrong side of the river Bug. As a result the 11th Army try a two stage approach - infiltration across the water with a possible attack next turn.

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group South

In Fussball parlance the Germans need a result from the Romanians today. General Dumitrescu's Romanian 3rd Army has not covered itself in glory to date but, with 17th Army being required further north, the Romanians in this sector need to step up to the plate.

14th Division, the furthest east of Dumitrescu's units is ordered to try and drive a wedge between the Soviets facing them and Schubert's forces. To this end they launch an attack against a previously battered Tank Division which disintegrates under the attack.

To the left of 14th Division the two divisions of the Mountain Corps attack the 74th Rifle Division, but this unit holds firm and inflicts heavy losses on the Romanians.

Southeast of Proskurow, the Romanians make their main effort. Four divisions attack the 44th Rifle Division and send this unit reeling with heavy losses. Dumitrescu then orders every available division - the 6th, 7th and 4th Mountain - to swing northeast and hit the 95th Rifle Division. Once again the Romanians earn their corn, driving the Soviets over the river Bug. Marshall Antonescu will enjoy his next meeting with the Fuhrer after all.

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group South

To 17th Army now. Vinnitsa has been earmarked by the Fuhrer for his forward Headquarters [:)] and so the taking of this Ukrainian town is made of paramount importance; so much so that von Kleist has to commit a couple of motorised divisions to its capture.

All bridges have been blown leading to the town but General Schwedler provides two divisions - the 24th and the 296th - from his IV Corps to assault the town over the river, while the 16th and 25th Motorised Divisions from Panzer Group Kleist attack from the south.

The attack proves a success and The Fuhrer has a shiny new HQ - just as soon as the small matter of the rear area is cleared....

With that in mind, three divisions are earmarked by Stulpnagel to assault Proskurow. The town is only held by one rifle division and the army commander makes it clear he does not expect failure here. The town falls and no less than nine Soviet divisions are caught in the trap.

Stulpnagel commits only five divisions to the attack and the Soviets hold - with only one division disintegrating during the ferocious fighting. The remainder of the army continue progress northeast but there is no further contact with the enemy.

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group South

By rights the 1st Panzergruppe should be exploiting the space that has opened up between the Dnepr and the Bug. Sadly the reality is that the Quatermass experiment in the Pripyat Marshes continues to yield Soviet units like there's no tomorrow. I can see no logical decision other than for 6th Army to attempt to dis-engage from enemy forces around Rovno, and head north to ward off the threat. In so doing, only 1st Panzergruppe is available to fill the gap....

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group North

After a long day at work - and only a short gaming time tonight, I cannot face the trials and tribulations of Army Group South....

So instead I quickly head north for a look at the Baltics.

Latvia is largely cleared of Soviet units - save the pesky 48th Rifle Division which annoyingly hangs around, while the two 16th Army divisions sent to wipe it out currently cannot move....

von Leeb orders Hoepner to rest up a panzer division - and the 6th is chosen. The army group has 5531 of fuel and the next turn or so should give a chance to build up reserves as soon as fuel supplies come back on tap to the new FSB at Dunaburg.

And that is pretty much it from AGN....

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group Centre

von Bock grills Strauss about the readiness for 9th Army to engage the enemy. There is a large force of Red Army units forming up between Dunaburg and Polotsk. von Bock menacingly enquires of Strauss as to whether "you would care to attack these Soviets in the foreseeable future...if I am not troubling you and you are not too busy that is.....".

Two divisions from General Heitz's VIII Corps are sent to attack the 60th Rifle Division - the most westerly Soviet unit south of the Dvina. The 60th withdraws over the river, exposing the right flank of the 38th Rifle Division. The 110th Division then joins the other two in assaulting the Red Army unit from two sides. At that point sadly for Strauss, the 9th Army simply runs out of steam. Still there is no doubt pressure has been relieved on the newly installed FSB thanks to 9th Army's intervention.

Strauss orders the 102nd Division to rest and refit while the remaining divisions of his army pull up to the front, where hopefully they can play a part next turn....

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group Centre

To the south of Army Group Centre, 4th Army are tasked with engaging 21st Army in the Pripyat Marshes. In the centre of the army lies the 153rd Rifle Division. Two divisions are tasked with pushing this unit back and unhinging the Soviet line and exposing the flank of the weak 52nd and 53rd Tank Divisions.

These attacks - on the border of the army fronts - create no big breakthrough or gain no huge victory, but they do at least (hopefully) give the Soviet 21st Army something to think about and check their drive west...

[warspite1]

20th July 1941
Turn 8
Army Group Centre

Southwest of the abandoned city of Mogilev four rifle divisions and a tank division guard the approaches to the city. No less than four panzer and motorised units of 2nd Panzergruppe are ordered to attack these units.

3rd and 10th Panzer Divisions smash into the flank of the unsuspecting units and are then joined by the tanks of the 17th Panzer. To the nortwest of the retreating Soviet units stand two rifle, two tank and a motorised division. These units are assaulted in a frontal attack by the 18th Panzer and 29th Motorised Divisions, while the three panzer divisions that previously advanced then take the Soviets from the rear. This massed panzer force is then joined by the Das Reich Division for an assault against eleven weakened Soviet divisions - most of which have been involved in earlier fighting. The panzers sweep all before them but finally run out of steam.

The panzers have fought back - but continue to suffer serious depletions in number.

[loki100]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

....

3rd and 10th Panzer Divisions smash into the flank of the unsuspecting units and are then joined by the tanks of the 17th Panzer. To the nortwest of the retreating Soviet units stand two rifle, two tank and a motorised division. These units are assaulted in a frontal attack by the 18th Panzer and 29th Motorised Divisions, while the three panzer divisions that previously advanced then take the Soviets from the rear. This massed panzer force is then joined by the Das Reich Division for an assault against eleven weakened Soviet divisions - most of which have been involved in earlier fighting. The panzers sweep all before them but finally run out of steam.

...

sounds like you rather enjoyed that [;)]

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: loki100

ORIGINAL: warspite1

....

3rd and 10th Panzer Divisions smash into the flank of the unsuspecting units and are then joined by the tanks of the 17th Panzer. To the nortwest of the retreating Soviet units stand two rifle, two tank and a motorised division. These units are assaulted in a frontal attack by the 18th Panzer and 29th Motorised Divisions, while the three panzer divisions that previously advanced then take the Soviets from the rear. This massed panzer force is then joined by the Das Reich Division for an assault against eleven weakened Soviet divisions - most of which have been involved in earlier fighting. The panzers sweep all before them but finally run out of steam.

...

sounds like you rather enjoyed that [;)]

warspite1

Your supposition was not misplaced? [:)]

[warspite1]

24th July 1941
Turn 9

Yes please, the sooner the better.....

[warspite1]

24th July 1941
Turn 9
Army Group South

I will start this turn in the south of the USSR again. I am not sure if I have sufficient AP's for this but its worth a try. The Germans need desperately to clear the last few divisions from the east bank of the River Bug. The 11th Army's woeful speed means that the infantry can only attack across water. The plan is to bring the Romanian 1st and 2nd Armoured Regiments into play. This force, from the 1st Romanian Armoured Division (the only armour in this sector of AGS's front) has been used sparingly up to now, but now is the time for it to show its mettle.

The 50th Infantry and 22nd Air Landing Divisions are ordered to attack the 103rd Tank Division which is defending the Lower Bug. This attack is co-ordinated with the Romanian armour, which crosses the river further up stream and then drives down the east bank to fall on the flank of the Soviet infantry. The Soviets fall back, thus exposing a second Tank Division. This time the 76th Infantry Division attacks the Soviets from across the water, and the surviving Romanian tanks push on to assist this assault.

The success of the operation allows all three German divisions to get across the river. The Romanians are ordered to keep the pressure on the retreating Soviets, and more punishment is dished out - albeit the Soviet tankers hold their ground and yield no further.

Further north, the town of Pervomaisk falls to 11th Army and the German position on the east bank of the Bug is consolidated. The only downside news was that a second, all-out, attack by the Romanian 4th Army against Odessa was repulsed with heavy loss.

[warspite1]

24th July 1941
Turn 9
Army Group South

While in the south I see a couple of decisions refers directly to this theatre. I spend 6pp to move the airbase to Proskurow. I spend a further 4 precious points to support an award for the commander of 11th Panzer Division.

Back to the fighting. von Rundstedt orders the Romanian 3rd Army to direct its advance on Kirovgrad in order to support the left flank of 11th Army, but stubborn resistance by the 74th and 176th Rifle Divisions between the Dniestr and the Bug, means that the Romanians will take some time to achieve reaching this objective.