GPW AAR (Soviet perspective)

[jjdenver]

7 Sep 41:

AGS takes the factory district of Kiev after crossing the Dniepr then after destroying the factories, retreats back across the Dniepr.

Farther south the Luftwaffe over-extends and losses some unescorted bombers west of Rostov.

The panzer divisions expand their bridgehead east from Kerch. They should be able to attack the defenses west of Rostov within a week or two.

[Joshuatree]

One fighter II and 20 paratroopers.... and your entire Black Sea fleet is gone.
Now there is this small problem of getting them back. Or will they hold out till the other forces arrive, I notice that they do get supply.

[british exil]

Would have thought that 3 cruisers would have shot the fighterII and tranporter out of the skies.

Nice move from Axis,sneaky but nice.[&o]I will have to keep in mind that all naval bases need Inf to protect.


(Reading a bit in the WITP AE, why didn't Japan use the same tactic on Pearl Harbour?)[:D]

[jjdenver]

ORIGINAL: Joshuatree
One fighter II and 20 paratroopers.... and your entire Black Sea fleet is gone.
Now there is this small problem of getting them back. Or will they hold out till the other forces arrive, I notice that they do get supply.

Unfortunately I think the panzers will arrive to relieve the paratroopers at Novorossisk before any Red Army troops fit to re-take the city can arrive. It will be all the Soviets can handle to put up any defensive line west of Maikop. I'm giving away a spoiler but we're far enough along past these posts for me to tell you that the panzers pouring across at Kerch will have no problem smashing the Soviet defense line you see forming west of Maikop.

[GrumpyMel]

Field Marshal 03_walk_alot is beating up on me in the same scenerio as well...nice to know some-one else is experiencing the pain as well [;)]

He's really good at this scenerio.....also very well executed opening offensive.

I'm a few weeks behind you guys (Mid-August) and I honestly can't tell whether I'm doing better or worse yet...

[jjdenver]

21 Sep 41:

Soviet casualties remain very heavy and Axis casualties remain very light. The Germans pound away w/ their standard tactics (bombard, attack, withdraw or build fort and advance 1 hex) west and south of Leningrad.

There is no action along the Moskva highway.

The Germans are bombarding the Soviet-held parts of Kiev west of the Dniepr and have destroyed most of the factory districts there, but they remain on the west side of the river.

The main German advance is around Maikop.

[jjdenver]

21 Sep 41 (continued):
The German panzers uncoil along the road to Maikop in a series of heavy combats. The Germans take a few shots around Krasnodar since they don't have heavy artillery prep before their attack.

Despite a few losses though the Panzer divisions devastate the Soviet defenses, punching straight through and isolating some units south of the German column.

[jjdenver]

28 Sep 41:

The German panzers continue their strong push out of Kerch, taking Maikop easily. The Soviet defenses cause few losses to the Germans and are easily blown apart.

Note the blown bridges. The entire south has been isolated by Luftwaffe strikes against bridges. Soviet air is just not up to the task of contesting the air against the Luftwaffe. However, about 50% of the Soviet fighter strength has now been assigned to oppose the Germans north and east of Maikop so the going should get tougher for the Luftwaffe in this are at least.

[jjdenver]

19 Oct 41:

October finally hits and mud starts to slow the German advance. There are a few clear turns in October but the mud turns cause the Germans to stop attacking in the north. They bombard Leningrad, and continue a slow advance around Maikop but the German advance for 1941 seems to be at its high water.

The Germans have played it very conservative in 1941 and their losses have been quite low. It looks like the German plan may be to consolidate their gains, weather the winter, and come out strong in spring 1942. I think that this scenario offers the Germans some sort of blitz bonus in 1942 so that is probably what the Germans will use to make their next big push.

The Soviets draw a breath, and continue to build flak, fighters, conscripts - all defensive builds. It's possible that the Germans will attempt an offensive in November, and conscripts can't be constructed in 1942, so Stavka orders that new divisions be formed as quickly as possible. Production can be turned to offensive units during the winter. Priority will be a few level bombers to blow bridges, some dive bombers to target the panzers and artillery of the Wermacht, and SMG's to accompany the Soviet tank formations.

*** We've modified our house rules to keep Soviet fighter limits equal to German fighter limits instead of letting the Soviets build 150 FTR's in 43 and later they will be restricted to the same 100 FTR cap the Germans must observe. We've also added a rule that there can only be 1 mortar per 10 (or part of 10) inf/conscript/smg SFT's in a unit.