Last We Heard... Pitaman (Axis) vs. M60A3TTS (Sov)

[M60A3TTS]

Week 48

Mud returns. Up to 5 panzer corps are identified in the Smolensk region. A push on Moscow may be in the offing.




In the Kursk-Sumy region, four panzer corps are identified. Only slight adjustments are required at this stage. Sumy will be an important city to hold in the early going in order to anchor the southern approaches to Kursk.




Two panzer corps are identified operating along the Zaporozhye-Stalino axis. Cavalry-Mechanized Groups Rokossovsky and Sokolovsky are initially assigned to this area.

[M60A3TTS]

Week 49 - Part 1

Clear weather returns.

East of Smolensk at Yelnya, the Germans are ejected from the town. It is more important to note is that the panzers in this area have entirely disappeared. They have a new venue it seems.





At Kursk, the 1942 summer offensive is definitely unfolding as part of the Smolensk panzer grouping appears in this area. German attacks along the Seym River indicate an attempt to cut off elements of the Southwestern Front. A total of four STAVKA armies (39th, 48th, 60th, 61st) along the route of the German northern advance are slated to become the Voronezh Front when it forms in two weeks. The STAVKA's 39th Army which was formed from para brigades are now guards rifle divisions and will be needed to help blunt the German advance.




At Kharkov, a similar grouping of guards rifle divisions that make up a guards army are designated as STAVKA strategic reserves awaiting commitment. These are different from STAVKA operational reserves that will be parceled out to fronts to plug holes and replace destroyed or depleted units.



Since mud is expected next week, cavalry-mechanized group Bobkin is committed to put the German southern pincer in supply difficulties. 39th Army moves in from the northeast to try and slow the German advance here. This army can be reinforced later with Konev's 48th Army that is also heavy in guards rifle divisions. Forces defending Sumy and the difficult terrain in the immediate area will anchor the south. The Southern Front's 6th Guards Army with more guards rifle divisions will assist here. Southwestern Front reinforced with all ten of the anti-tank brigades hold the center.

[EwaldvonKleist]

It will be interesting how much Pitaman can still do in the Summer, you have more space than historical to trade for time before Stalingrad. Based on the low AFC number I assume that he has fought a lot with his armoured forces during the blizzard?

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: EwaldvonKleist

It will be interesting how much Pitaman can still do in the Summer, you have more space than historical to trade for time before Stalingrad. Based on the low AFC number I assume that he has fought a lot with his armoured forces during the blizzard?

It does not appear that he wintered in any of his panzer or motorized divisions, or refitted them back in Germany.

[M60A3TTS]

Week 49 - Part 2

Von Mackensen's III Panzer Corps and Von Arnim's LVII Panzer Corps attempt a dagger thrust in the direction of Stalino.




This appears to be a risky move as he invites a counterattack that could cut him off against the Sea of Azov. The loss of these forces would be a major disruption of his summer plan. They would come back soon enough, but be largely combat ineffective for months. The important question is if the necessary Red Army strategic reserves are shifted to this area, can our forces in the Kursk region hold on long enough against almost all the remaining panzer corps to allow the job in the south to be done? Four factors influence the decision, first is the weakened state of the panzers and second are the arrival of numerous guards rifle corps in the very near future. Third, there are no apparent German reserves in the immediate area and lastly there are two weeks of mud coming to completely seal off the two panzer corps from the rear. The decision is made, we launch the counterattack. An important part of this effort is locking down the ground immediately adjacent to Zaporozhye during the next two turns. It means that any potential rescue force cannot rail over the Dnepr and instead must cross the river from the west in mud and will cause additional strain on fuel and increased fatigue.




For another week, the Luftwaffe comes in for serious punishment.





And a look at ground losses.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Very nice counter attack. That will leave a mark for sure .

WTH is he doing with the German Air Force? Or should it be asked, "What are you doing to the German Air Force". That is some crazy loses.

[bigbaba]

damnd. i face something similar in my game against hortlund. i used a panzerkorps to lock all industry in voronesh and this korps is fighting for its life since 3 turns and lost 1 division so far.

one can easily underestimate the soviet ability to isolate units with division soam even in 41. good luck getting the guys out but i see no hope.

[topeverest]

I don't get this kill ratio - can you show your air doctrine setting and discuss your airframe strategy?

I am more like 6-7 to 1 and struggling to find a better way

[quote]ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

For another week, the Luftwaffe comes in for serious punishment.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: topeverest

I don't get this kill ratio - can you show your air doctrine setting and discuss your airframe strategy?

I am more like 6-7 to 1 and struggling to find a better way

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

For another week, the Luftwaffe comes in for serious punishment.

Did you see the previous Air Combat Loses Topeverest for the Germans? 828 German Aircraft lost. The German player has to be flying a ton of unescorted bombing mission (which shows incompetence on the use of airpower) or M60 has a good bombing campaign going, or both.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

Unescorted bombing missions are just stupid in my opinion if that is truly what he is doing. Doing this as a German does nothing but build up Soviet Air Morale and experience which eventually leads to parity with the Germans in the Air. Not to mention a morale boost to the Soviet player playing that side. Heck if I opened up a turn with those type of losses to the Germans as a Russian player I "would not" have to take Viagra.

[M60A3TTS]

I don't generally criticize my opponent in my AAR, so I'll let Pitaman speak to the unescorted air missions. Our game is actually on break as he is on a vacation until mid month.

Our game has been at a very easy pace as some times I only get 1-2 turns back from him a week, so plenty of planning time available. I have a second game running with Twigster, but after 10 turns he hadn't even made it to Kiev, and now he's gone dark. That one may be over.

You can see from an earlier screenie that the bulk of my air forces are concentrated on a few fronts where the action is. Pitaman seems to be somewhat equally distributed between the areas of Leningrad, Smolensk, Kursk and D-Z towns. This allows me to gain significant superiority in numbers in the areas I consider key. You could see in another screenie that he only made a few attacks up at Leningrad. The bulk of my force there are fighters because there really isn't much to fight for in that area. Still, he's got Model assigned up there doing the fighting with some very good divisions, so he must see some value there.

I posted the air doctrine earlier for the benefit of Nix77, and there is no change. The only thing I do differently than the past is air support is off because generally those are battles with the enemy ground forces at some fortified level, and I prefer my bombers to hit targets with minimum fort levels that maximize casualties. Brian has pointed out numerous times how light German casualties are during ground combat and my air war is some attempt to make up for that.

As far as my airfield bombing goes, he lost about 200 aircraft on the ground with more damaged From Weeks 47-49. If that can be sustained, his regular losses in the air on top of the airfield losses will exceed his ability to produce replacements, which is about 180 per week.

Approximate weekly German air production 1942

F/FFB 59
Tac B 17
LB 69
Rec 25
Trans 10

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

I don't generally criticize my opponent in my AAR, so I'll let Pitaman speak to the unescorted air missions.

I would love to hear his reason(s). The tactic doesnt seem to be working imho.

[M60A3TTS]

Weeks 50 & 51 Two mud turns

At the start of turn 50, I came in on target with 315AP, With The Voronezh Front arriving on Week 51, I hit 500AP exactly and can build up to 25 rifle corps.







The bulk of three cavalry-mechanized groups and two guards armies of STAVKA's strategic reserve lock down the panzer spearhead. The would-be German rescuers are in sight to the west, but will they be enough?




The Germans at Kursk could only release so many panzers for their rescue mission to the south due to the weather and an aggressive hold on the southern pincer.




And the newly formed rifle corps...

[topeverest]

hahahahahahaha

ORIGINAL: HardLuckYetAgain



Unescorted bombing missions are just stupid in my opinion if that is truly what he is doing. Doing this as a German does nothing but build up Soviet Air Morale and experience which eventually leads to parity with the Germans in the Air. Not to mention a morale boost to the Soviet player playing that side. Heck if I opened up a turn with those type of losses to the Germans as a Russian player I "would not" have to take Viagra.

[Dweomer]

Even if the would-be rescuers are enough to rescue the spearhead (which I doubt), it will largely halt his summer offensive as he has to spend at least a month to extricate his forces.

More probably, he will lose both momentum and spearhead, and together with the Great Eastern Front Turkey Shoot that seems to be going on, I would order chew-proof carpets for Berchtesgaden if I were the Germans.

[M60A3TTS]

Week 52

The German rescue attempt comes up short. The elimination of the trapped forces is completed. Some reporting glitch only allowed support units to be shown surrendering, but the divisons went with them.




The would be rescuers are themselves surrounded.




The westernmost tank corps cannot hold the pocket closed, so the Germans are sent packing, allowed to fight another day.






Two full panzer corps are among the casualties.




As a result of the southern battles, the Kursk operation is largely at a standstill.




Back in the skies, the fortunes of the Luftwaffe are little changed.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Week 52


The would be rescuers are themselves surrounded.

Very Nice M60! You making me peepee hard.

[HardLuckYetAgain]

ORIGINAL: M60A3TTS

Week 52


Back in the skies, the fortunes of the Luftwaffe are little changed.

This is unsustainable for the Germans. Another well done M60!

[Dweomer]

And now comes the great strategic decision for Stalin:
- launch an offensive in the south to exploit the German disarray and link up with the Crimea, or
- withdraw all Tank, Cavalry and Infantry corps to the strategic reserve, straighten the line and await developments

BTW: After losing 2000+ planes in a few weeks, how much is left of the Luftwaffe?

[M60A3TTS]

ORIGINAL: Dweomer

And now comes the great strategic decision for Stalin:
- launch an offensive in the south to exploit the German disarray and link up with the Crimea, or
- withdraw all Tank, Cavalry and Infantry corps to the strategic reserve, straighten the line and await developments

BTW: After losing 2000+ planes in a few weeks, how much is left of the Luftwaffe?

A link up with forces in the Crimea is deemed undesirable for the present. There would be a potential over-extension of our forces to accomplish this goal, and the terrain while open farther to the west is not so easily accessed from the east at this time.

Cavalry-Mechanized Group Bobkin's 34th Army along with Groups Zhadov and Sokolovsky will return to the Kursk sector. Group Rokossovsky and 4th Shock from Group Bobkin will remain in the south. 2nd and 9th Guards Armies under Bagramyan and Vasilevsky to assist General Kozlov's Transcaucasus Front in clearing the enemy from the area east of the river Molochna. Marshal Shaposhnikov's Crimea Front to clear the enemy off as much of the area east of the Dnepr in the area of Dnepropetrovsk-Zaporoyzhe as practical.

Available airframes within the Luftwaffe's air reserves have drawn down in the initial weeks of air combat. Peak Luftwaffe numbers were seen in late April with 3,696 total aircraft and 3,633 operational. Current numbers are 2,849 total and 1,884 operational. Their operational readiness rate has been significantly degraded.