The Eastern Front 1941 and version 1.07

[AngrySwan]

The Eastern Front 1941 is a smaller version of the AA campaign using the original game scenarios. There are no scenarios in 1942, you either take Moscow in 1941 or are dismissed. No Schwerpunkt after Smolensk, you will lead all army groups to their historical objectives. Choose Center after Smolensk and you continue playing. If you choose North or South the game ends.

v. 1.07 has a more aggressive AI that even knows some tactics so watch out.

I will write AARs one by one as I finish the scenarios. The AARs are based on a (conspiracy?) theory that Germany and USSR both planned attacks in 1941 but the Soviets had not finished their preparations and their commanders had not learned how to lead their forces yet. You will see the AI behavior in Lvov and Riga scenarios.

The preset resources give a chance to keep up the army and even make some upgrades and additions like re,oving the light tanks from your divisions and having only Pz III and IV as the capmaign progresses.

[AngrySwan]

House rules

No Fw 190 on the Eastern Front in 1941.

I try to follow the historical events where possible. After Smolensk the HQ decides to attack in all sectors, choosing ''Center as Schwerpunkt'' which leads the player to AGS, then AGN and finally AGC. Do not choose AGS or AGN as a Schwerpunkt because that choice ends the campaign.

Barbarossa against ''Operation Thunderstorm'': Deployment and plans


So, Germany plans to defeat the main Bolshevik forces in 1941. The war starts with Army Group South taking Lvov and Rovno, Army Group Center encircling the Soviet forces in Belarus and Army Group North capturing the former Baltic States occupied by the USSR in 1940. The Bolsheviks are unprepared, or so they say. Actually, judging from their actions, in the AGN sector they planned to attack Klaipeda and Ebenrode and then send a small but fast mechanized force against the German airfields and bases in East Prussia. This plan is very dangerous and, if the AGN fails to react correctly, can stop the German advance in the Northern sector.

In Belarus (AGC sector) the Soviets do not plan any major offensives but no defense either. They will pay for that mistake. The German main force with two tank armies will attack Belarus.

In Ukraine (AGS sector) the Soviets have built a line of bunkers that can watch the border or even stop smaller attacks, up to one division. The Soviets, judging from their actions, plan to attack with 4 tank divisions from the Lvov area, trying to reach the German base. 2 tank divisions will attack in the same direction from the Lutsk - Rovno area and 4 more tank divisions are in reserve. Even if this attack does not defeat AGS it can slow down the German advance in the South and then, ''remember, in Blitzkrieg a slow victory is no victory at all!'' The Kovel direction is less important, the Soviets only have an infantry division there to react to ''possible provocations''. How do we know the Soviets were planning to attack? Because they did not blow the bridges on the border! Blowing the bridges is the first thing you do in defense and something you never do if you attack. And, after all, the Soviets have 10 tank divisions in the south against 5 in the 1st German tank army. That is why Stalin sleeps so calmly that summer night...

But the AGS is prepared for attack. 3 infantry divisions will take the unprotected bridges and advance to Kovel, leaving one security division and a flak battalion to watch the bridges. The 1st tank army, 5 tank divisions and 4 mechanized divisions will attack Lutsk and Rovno. 1 infantry division will be left to guard the bridge in the border while 4 infantry divisions will move along the road leading south east. The rest of the force near Lvov will form a defense line that cannot be penetrate by the Soviet tanks and, after defeating the enemy mobile force, will take Lvov and Brody. This attack will be supported by 3 bomber brigades and 1 fighter brigade, against 2 Soviet fighter regiments...

It is late night, or maybe early morning. The Soviet guards on the bridges are prepared to deal with ''agents'' or ''small provocations'' but not with a full scaled attack they had to face. At the same time Ju-88 and He-111 bombers escorted by Bf-109 fighters attack the Soviet divisions on the border. The war has begun...

A rough map showing the plans of the opponents.

Blue arrow: Advance of the German tank army.
Light blue arrows: Advance of the German infantry units.
Brown line in the south west: Position that the German infantry must hold to prevent breakthrough of the Soviet tanks. There should be no gaps in this line. In other sectors holding the bridges is enough to prevent Soviet counter-attacks.

Red arrows: Possible advance of the Soviet tank divisions, based on their deployment and actions.

[AngrySwan]

Day 1: Bunker Busters

In the Kovel direction the war starts with infantry divisions 56th and 6nd infantry divisions overruning the paramilitary bridge defenses and destroying the bunker near the bridges.

The 162nd recon battalion 162 takes the bridge leading to Lutsk. The 44th and and 298th cross it and destroy the bunker watching the bridges. Five panzer divisions cross the river, expanding the bridgehead. 16th panzer division runs into another bunker. The mechanized brigades follow and elite division Wiking, the main infantry force of the panzer group, is also on its way, moving towards the border.
The 75th and 111th infantry divisions cross the river and move towards the road leading to Horokhiv.

Near Lvov the Soviets have better defenses. Infantry divisions 297, 57, 262, 24 and 295 attack the border supported by bomber groups Edelweiss and Totenkopf. An unspotted Soviet artillery unit opens fire but is attacked by bomber group Greif. The 2nd and 140th Soviet rifle divisions (their actual strength is less than brigade size) are overrun.

1st mountain division together with 68th an 71th infantry divisions attacks the Soviet 97th rifle division and destroys it while 125th and 257th division blows another bunker.

The Soviets realize that the enemy strikes first. Not too much of surprise, everyone knew there will be a war although officially no one was allowed to say it. Although the first German attack
shows this is no minor provocation and the Soviet losses are heavy, they still believe things are under control. The Soviet tank divisions move towards the border to start the red version of blitzkrieg while 40th rifle division move towards the northern bridges. In the south two Soviet air regiments attack bomber group Totenkopf that manages to fight back.

The campaign has started not so well for the Soviets but they do not feel like losing yet. "Our armor is strong and tanks are fast, and our men are full of courage..." (a song from the film "Tractor Drivers", 1939.)

[Ronald Wendt]

HI Marechal,

nice AAR!

My suggestion would be to include the pictures in the post rather than forcing the readers to click on the attachment. The pictures would then illustrate the text.

Waiting for more anyway.

Regards,

Ronald Wendt