Razing the Reich

[swkuh]

Thanks Flaviusx and others for the strategic insights, and thanks to Michael T for the "fearless Fosdick" prediction. I'd expect a later rather than sooner '44 victory (but can't say why.)

Would again compliment your opponent for taking the game engine in a major campaign in extremis as it may help get a better game. Compliments to MT for staying the course that too helps to better the game.

BTW, the manners in this thread are outstanding, s.b. exemplars for the forum. What goes around, comes around. (Can't believe I said that.)

[Michael T]

End Soviet T81 (31st Dec 1942) Blizzard.

The map shows the areas of offensive action conducted by the Soviets during November and December 1942. The red outlined zones are the territorial gains achieved. Not much to crow about but we bled the Axis some during this period. The rest of the front is the same as the last report. No need to repeat it.

My goals for 1942 were achieved. That being keeping the German OOB below 4M and building as many Corp sized units as possible. As the table shows, 27 Guards Corps were created out of 63 in total (the CV’s are low because most units have attacked this turn, some twice). I am very pleased that I was able to get the German OOB down to below 3.6M [:)]

Currently I have 45 Inf Corp, 14 Arm Corp, 4 Mech Corp, 6 Cav Corp and 18 Art Div’s. I plan to create another 40 odd Inf Corp next turn. After that the priority will be more Arm/Mech and more Art XX. Possibly a few more Cav Corp as well once Feb rolls by. This Red Army is going to be a fearsome beast by Summer 43.

As stated previously my 1943 aim is to put a severe strain on the Axis armies through more grinding. Also, if possible reaching the 1941 start lines and beyond in some parts of the front, this will depend on where the Hun decide to hold or run. We shall see. But for me the real game starts now [:D]

Will report again sometime in Jan 1943.

Heading off on a 1200 Km road trip tomorrow so might be 4 or 5 days before I post again.

PS Just finished the first Jan 43 turn before leaving town. I created 40 new INF Corp and a 2 Front offensive along the Dniepr has resulted in 3 victorious battles, fracturing the fort line. Will be across in force by Feb. We also won more battles than lost this move [&o]

[swkuh]

Appreciate your saying what you're trying, why, and what goals.

Maybe I'll try playing the Rooskies, seems to have a very different technique and game play. Need to learn a bit of that to play either side well and to try a public game.

[Michael T]

T83 (2nd week in Jan 43) saw the loss ratio go to 1:1, 31K each. That amounted to ~ 50K in ARM lost for Germany (when inc Attritional losses) plus ammo. I also won around 80% of the battles. I will provide a full map at the end of Jan 43.

I am finding that any German stack in a lvl 3 fort in open terrain cannot hold out against 6 Gd Inf Corp plus 6 Art XX.

Pelton has some work issues so the turn rate is going to slow down.

[DesertedFox]

ORIGINAL: Klydon

ORIGINAL: 76mm

Klydon, from the immortal lines of Stripes, "lighten up Francis"!

"You just made the list buddy" [:D]

Yes I am behind the times in this AAR and just getting through it.

But on a more serious note.....No one, and I mean no one has commented on this this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You are NOT a real comedic wargamer unless you have seen Stripes and Kelly's Heroes at least 10 times.

Nice comeback Klydon!

Amyway, I am enjoying the read very much.

[Michael T]

End Soviet T85 (28th Jan 1943) Blizzard

The grind continues. The blizzard MP costs make echeloned attacks impossible so we must be content with a broad offensive across the front. Gaining ground is very difficult in these conditions against row after row of level 2 and 3 forts. I am happy that the German OOB is steady as we progress through another of its large reinforcement periods. But it’s still a little too high for my liking. My Red Army 2.0 is progressing, something like 90 odd Rifle Corps now.

[Seminole]

The blizzard MP costs make echeloned attacks impossible

Do you try to use reserves at all on the attack?
Or do you just enable reserves at the end of the turn for defensive purposes, or not at all at this stage?

[Michael T]

Neither Pelton or myself are using too many reserves at this point. I use them when I think they may be the difference in an attack but mostly I try to save units with high MP to actually occupy victorious hexes as the units making the attack usually don't have enough MP left to advance.

By echeloned attacks I mean having troops in the rear ready to make further attacks beyond the initial breakthru hex. This is only possible in clear weather right now or perhaps in winter 43/44 when the mech boys are much tougher to dislodge.

[Seminole]

Neither Pelton or myself are using too many reserves at this point. I use them when I think they may be the difference in an attack but mostly I try to save units with high MP to actually occupy victorious hexes as the units making the attack usually don't have enough MP left to advance.

I wonder if it might help you build Guards faster to have non-Guards units (particularly the tank bdes that need more wins) broken down to increase their participation as reserves. They should have mobility even in poor weather to participate even if you can't have them on the front lines.

[Flaviusx]

Not strong enough in the south, imo. But you are stuck, it would be very difficult to move all that stuff up north down and reassign it at this point. You still haven't quite cracked his position on the Dnepr. If you had all those goodies from NW Front down by either Cherkassy or anywhere south of that...

[Michael T]

I think by the end of winter the Dneipr line will be virtually non existant. Which is all that matters, that it is a non issue come spring/summer.

However I have some extra Corp, inc guards, about to hit the southern region as I need just a little more leverage.

I have been killing more Germans than I thought possible this winter, which is good. But I am finding it more difficult than expected to make ground. Of course he is still very strong. I expect the winter of 43/44 to be entirely different if I do my job in summer 43. What can I say but grind, grind, grind. Eventually he must crack. Surely.

[karonagames]

Eventually he must crack. Surely.

Based on my testing days of the 1943 campaign with Flavio and his full artillery/mechanised box of tricks,Pelton is sitting on 300k-400k more manpower than he would have in a "normal" game, giving him a healthy pool of rifle squads to absorb the attritional grind. The German front falls apart really dramatically once the rifle squad count goes below 16000. My guess is he has double that number at the moment, so I am afraid you have a long way to go.

It remains to be seen whether Pelton's mistake was to make his stand on the Riga to Dneiper line. This seems way too close to Berlin for 1943 for my liking. If you have the patience, I think you could grind your way to Berlin by early 1945, but Pelton may have some more manpower tricks that I don't know about that may keep his rifle squad numbers stronger for longer.

Your summer campaign(s) are going to have to take manpower permanently out of action, and this can be done from surrenders, as a good chunk of attrition losses are disabled, that get fed back into the manpower pool. At least 20-30 divisions will need to go in the dead pile to make a big enough dent in his manpower reserves to bring his "crack" date forward.

As there are no bulges in the line that can be pinched off, you are stuck with trying to trap units against the sea as Flavio tried to do in our 1943 game, or go for a "pacman" strategy, creating lots of mini pockets.

[mmarquo]

Michael:

Consider the southern route: the map looks much different with the Roumanians and Hungarians gone...


Marquo

[smokindave34]

I agree with Marquo - the Rumanian surrender conditions are easy to meet for the Russians and as soon as they are gone most of the Rumanian hexes (those not defended by German forces) will flip to your control. You should be able to gain ground quick in that area. Additionally all the rail lines in those hexes will be intact as well so you should have plenty of supplies to feed your offensive.

[timmyab]

Good German players will have plenty of Wehrmacht troops in Rumania if there's any chance of it surrendering.Territory and rail hexes can be flipped back before the Russians can occupy them.

[Michael T]

I think Armaments might end up being his limiting factor.

[janh]

ORIGINAL: timmyab
Good German players will have plenty of Wehrmacht troops in Rumania if there's any chance of it surrendering.Territory and rail hexes can be flipped back before the Russians can occupy them.

...which would be units not building new fortification in Poland. Sounds reasonable to me to put more pressure on the Germans by pushing into Rumania, it could make the direct route to Berlin a tid bit easier? Stretch them thinner.

[Fishbed]

I agree. Anything stretching the Axis front and flanking the defensive lines, allowing for more maneuvering and more breathing space for MT's enormous power is very welcome.

Everything south of the Pripet must go. The faster or easier road is not always the straight one [;)]

Btw, in the real life that would be Uranus time, and still MT is winning hexes against the most powerful German army ever, while his troops are having a campfire under the walls of Kiev. Anyone who believes Pelton stands half of a quarter of a chance is being overly pessimistic I'd say...!

[timmyab]

ORIGINAL: janh
...which would be units not building new fortification in Poland. Sounds reasonable to me to put more pressure on the Germans by pushing into Rumania, it could make the direct route to Berlin a tid bit easier? Stretch them thinner.

Yes I'd totally advocate attacking across the entire front.In fact the late Soviet army is so huge that it has to be spread out across the entire front, even then it gets horribly congested.In my experience it's more like directing traffic than conducting an offensive.Don't expect a good German player to allow you to charge through Rumania unhindered though.

[HITMAN202]

Michael T., give us a couple battle results that show the makeup off your typical attack and Pelton's defense; also an idea of the average casualties.