timmyab (Ger) vs 821Bobo (Sov)

[mktours]

Thank you, I would try that software.[:)]

ORIGINAL: timmyab

It's Paint.NET.It's free too.

[timmyab]

Turn 7

We're starting to hit the wall now.The best I can do is remove the odd brick here and there, but in the long run it wont be enough.Lots of held results too this turn, guards units should be appearing soon.
A couple of rays of hope though:
47th pz corps finds some space and advances 150 km in a week.This success is soured though by a partisan attack near Minsk which will delay the Gomel rail line by one and a half weeks, and by a critical hold result caused by a reserve activation which prevents the Soviet forces guarding Kiev from being surrounded.
Further South, a hasty attack by 14th pz corps forces a bridgehead over the Dnieper just East of Kremenchug which is occupied in strength by 3rd pz corps.The Das Reich division adds extra protection to 3rd pz corps but isn't expected to hold.
In the Kakhovka bridgehead, 25th mot division is joined by the rest of 48th pz corps.This bridgehead isn't going anywhere fast but it is tying down substantial Soviet forces.
Odessa is assaulted with predictably dire results.
AGN plods towards the Luga with an air of impending doom.

[timmyab]

Turn 8

The 47th pz corps breakout has forced a large scale withdrawal so this turn from Smolensk South is mainly about pushing up, regrouping and refitting.Bobo also decided to abandon his position in the deep South, probably to reinforce the front further North.
I think that this is the point in the game when some sort of game mechanic designed to tempt the Soviets forward would really help the feel of the game and get it conforming more to history.The German logistics would need taming a bit for sure and possibly Soviet counterattacking potential increased, but this would become a very interesting part of the game.
3rd, 14th and 46th pz corps just rest and refit this week.There's nothing useful for them to do so they might as well save the fuel for next week.I also want to delay commiting them in case of an opportunity to the South.48th pz corps heads East on a flag waving exercise.Hopefully the worry factor for Bobo of having a pz corps in this area will tie down a disproportionate number of his divisions.On the other hand if he ignores the threat then this corps could break through to strike at the Donbas.The corps is also in position to exploit a breakthrough in the Crimea, although this seems unlikely.
I've abandoned my attempt to take Odessa.Instead I've routed the loose division and I'm setting up for a siege with just one German division sitting idle.Hopefully I can take it in the snow turns with a big assault, or does it even matter?
Smolensk falls to 9th army which also pummels the Soviet defenses in front of Belyi with mixed results.Another turn with loads of held results, Soviet CVs often quadrupling.I'm trying to create tension for his forces in the VL bulge.I definitely don't want them there come the winter and he seems keen to hold on to the area.If he insists on holding on then 39th and 57th pz corps will head North to threaten the rear of the position.I've deliberately hidden 57th pz corps in Smolensk to create uncertainty.
56th pz flips hexes and is in position to assist North or South or even punch East (less likely).

Mixed results as well for AGN.Some shocking held results and some good retreats especially two reserve units routing in the Novgorod area.I wasn't intending to go that way but one reserve unit rout in particular made it tempting.I'll settle for the end result, it may even unhinge the Luga line with any luck.
Now that we're in the thick of it, Model takes charge of 1st corps.I can't see AGN taking Leningrad but it's important to maintain pressure up here to tie down as many units as possible.The bulge South of Novgorod is a worry, I just haven't got the strength to shift it.It mustn't be there come the winter or I'm doomed.
One strong German division is tasked with taking Tallinn.I'd like Tallinn (and Sevastopol) to be made more important in WITE2.

[timmyab]

I posted turn 9 a few days ago but it got deleted somehow so I'll have another go.
Turn 9

AGN
The worrying bulge South of Novgorod must have been worrying for Bobo as well because he's withdrawn behind the Polist river.This position is still too advanced for comfort, I'd like to have the Valdai hills before winter comes.
Novgorod falls to 1st corps and 41st pz corps makes painfully slow progress along the Volkhov with the river guarding it's right flank.Every bit of protection helps, even with CVs well into the thirties they are not certain to hold against a full scale counterattack.
16th army gains a tenuous hold on the East bank of the Luga.This bridgehead may well be eliminated but it's a useful distraction from the main attack.Alternatively he might decide to abandon the Luga, it's a close call either way I would think.
No major setbacks this turn with Soviet final CVs generally behaving themselves, i.e only doubling instead of quadrupling.An assault on Tallinn failed though.

AGC
More desperate chipping away at the wall in the centre.I've managed to remove five more bricks this turn.This small encirclement took the combined effort of three pz corps to give it a good chance of holding.
I had high hopes of a breakout North of Belyi at the start of the turn but the Soviet defenses there proved too strong.9th army continues to push forward in that direction, but a two corps attack on the main river line failed.

[timmyab]

Turn 9 South
A good opportunity was wasted this turn.1st pz group had a great chance to trap most of the Soviets between Poltava and D-town.I carelessly failed to do any deep reconnaissance though and missed that cavalry division in the river bend.When one of my lead pz divisions bumped into it unexpectedly, a routine operation suddenly turned into mission impossible.If I'd known it was there I'd have been fine as well.GRRRR.
47th pz corps rests idle for another turn hidden in woods hexes.I'm hoping a gap will appear in front of it next turn as Bobo shifts units South.
11th army and 48th pz corps start to apply pressure South of Zaporozhye.Combined with the threat from the North I'm hoping that this will spark a panic.
Infantry MPs have been a problem for me in this game.Most often in the 8-11 range.I seem to remember them being more generous the last time I played the Axis side.

[timmyab]

Turn 10 North
AGN continues it's slow grind towards Leningrad.I haven't completely given up hope of taking the city yet, It's still odds against though.41st pz corps will almost certainly be beaten back, LAH may even be routed.
9th army keeps shoving NE from the Belyi area but one stubborn Russian division refuses to budge.The pressure here has forced a withdrawal from VL which is good.
Four more divisions are surrounded, marginal if it will hold or not.

[timmyab]

Turn 10 South
My logistics are feeling the strain in the South.A pocket attempt North of Kharkov fails and the Southern pocket is just short of being closed.

[821Bobo]

ORIGINAL: timmyab

I posted turn 9 a few days ago but it got deleted somehow so I'll have another go.

Matrix had hardware failure and they loaded the forum from backup.

AGN
The worrying bulge South of Novgorod must have been worrying for Bobo as well because he's withdrawn behind the Polist river.

Actually I was not worried but needed reinforcements in front of Moscow. The retreat released one(or 2, not sure) army which reinforced the "wall" [:)]

[timmyab]

Turn 11
North
I get some decent infantry MPs in the North for a change which enables 1st, 2nd and 50th corps to clear the way for 6th pz division to occupy the important swamp hex South of the Neva river.I'll be well fed up if they get kicked out of it.I've started to transfer pioneers and artillery into 18th army, probably should have done so before.
The Finns are nearing the Svir river.

Centre
Another pocket attempt foiled by unexpectedly strong Soviet resistance.I should get three or four of them eventually.
Bobo supplies pocketed units from the air which gives them some impressive CVs.
12th corps plus 56th pz corps with one mot and one pz division have been sent North.I'm hoping to launch a surprise attack South of lake Ilmen.It was meant to be four mobile divisions but two got drawn into the fighting at Rzhev.I'll add a division from 41st pz corps and hope to push past the Valdai hills before Bobo can occupy them or, less likely, get behind the Volkhov line.

South
Kharkov is surrounded.This encirclement will definitely be broken but the pocket should eventually yield at least five divisions.The Poltava pocket is sealed tight and 48th pz corps moves North to trap three more.I'm not sure if Bobo will choose to break this pocket or retreat Das Reich, he may be able to do both.
The industry is still in Stalino.I'm not expecting to capture it but I'd like it to be moved as soon as possible.
47th pz got cut off South of Kursk so has to sit idle this turn.I'd like them to go NE towards Tula if only I could get some fuel into the tanks, but they're at the end of their logistical tether.

[timmyab]

Turn 12 north
18th army clears another hex South of the Neva and takes up position for the crucial assault across the river.This is do or die, Leningrad must fall.
I've cancelled the surprise attack South of lake Ilmen, the Russian defenses there have been strengthened.
9th army crosses the river North of Rshev.Three divisions are trapped South of the city.

[timmyab]

Turn 12 South
The bulk of 1st pz army tightens it's grip on the units trapped in Kharkov, this time the cordon should hold.

[schascha]

I love this AAR

I would like some more.

What's happen ???

[821Bobo]

We decided to stop and eventually restart the game after the patch with reduced Blizzard has been released.

[timmyab]

Thanks schascha. For the benefit of this AAR's one and only fan I'll post the final position.
We got to turn 16 and both of us I think decided that it wasn't going anywhere interesting. Probably just a WWI style slog for three years ending with the Soviets in Berlin sometime in 1944.
I made three attempts to break into Leningrad by the back door and all three failed by very narrow margins. Leningrad may still have fallen in 41, 50/50 I would think.
A few more small pockets here and there but nothing spectacular. Moscow is totally safe.
In fact the front line is actually quite close to historical, but given the balance of the later game the Germans really need to do better than historical in 1941 to give themselves a chance of at least a draw.

[jmarzian]

This was a very nice AAR, are you to play again, would enjoy reading another from you two.

[BrianG]

My game with Bobo has similar lines except I punched my way into the Crimea (Before Putin) and I did the right hook to Leningrad and almost made it all the way to the swamps just west of Cherepovets.

Leningrad finally fell on the second week of January 1942. A blizzard conquer!.

The blizzard battles have been fluid and chancy as I have had to escape (I mean ESCAPE!) two army groups , one from Tula area and then one around Stalino.

I really wonder what I will have left come mud as I have been in desperate battles and have had to attack during blizzard.