On to Moskva 41 scenario AAR (Soviet perspective)

[jjdenver]

This AAR will cover a PBEM game of the On to Moskva scenario. The scenario features a massive German OOB including the following armies at regiment-level:
9th Army
16th Army (partial)
4th Army
2nd Army (partial)
4th Pz Gruppe
3rd Pz Gruppe

The scenario opens on Oct 2, 1941 as Operation Typhoon launches with clear weather and the Germans refitted after the battles around Smolensk and the encirclement at Kiev. They are ready to drive for Moskva. 14 of the 19 Panzer divisions in Russia are under control of von Bock in his drive for Moskva and the German armies involved in the operation total 1.5 million troops and 1,000 panzers.

The Soviets occupy a well prepared defensive line west of Vyazma. Historically the Germans completed a huge encirclement of Soviets west of Vyazma. The soviets managed to form another defense under the command of Zhukov with the defense centered on the prepared defensive fortifications at Mozhaisk along the Smolensk-Moskva highway.

The pause forced by the onset of mud season and Hitler's orders to take Tula and Kalinin instead of driving straight for Moskva meant that the Soviets were ready for the renewed German offensive when the ground froze. German forward units were able to see the buildings of Moskva through binoculars but the city would never fall.

As the game commences, German formations are close to full strength while the Soviet armies opposing them are at roughly half-strength but dug in. Most Soviet units are frozen for 4 turns or until the Germans approach them. This gives the Germans a chance to encircle large numbers of Soviets if they are quick.

My opponent is Marcus_the_Leper from SSG forums. He'll command German forces, I'll take the Red Army.

Here's an overall screenshot of the strategic map with arrows showing possible (?) advance axes for 3rd and 4th Pz Gruppes.

**Note: You can read more about the various scenarios, discuss, and download them over at SSG:
http://www.ssg.com.au/

[jjdenver]

4th Pz Gruppe kicks off its attack with 3 pz divisions. 10 Pz surprisingly pushes east toward Kirov while 2 and 11 Pz push NE toward Shui with some success. Joining 10 Pz in the push toward Kirov are 2 infantry divisions from 4th Pz Gruppe. I'd expected to see all of 4 Pz headed NE.

Other attacks are launched along the line by the powerful 4th Army, breaking the Soviet front in several places.

[jjdenver]

3 Pz Gruppe punches forward, approaching the road junction at Novoselki. On the south flank of 3 Pz Gruppe, strong infantry divisions pound forward with heavy artillery support, crunching through the Soviet defenses. On the north side, there is a surprising advance into the swamps by 2 infantry divisions.

Along the Smolensk-Moskva highway, German infantry formations launch heavy attacks, in one place crossing the fortified river line at Yartsevo.

[jjdenver]

Turn 2:

4 Pz Gruppe slashes through the Soviet line, taking Shui. 10 Pz however continues its advance east toward Kirov in support of 4th Army.

4 Army continues to attack all along the front.

[jjdenver]

Turn 2 (cont):

3 Pz Gruppe absolutely smashes all Soviet resistance around Novoselki, causing very heavy casualties to the Red Army. On both flanks the infantry advance continues, again surprisingly into the swampy area to the north.

Multiple Soviet infantry divisions begin to be released along the front line, triggered by the Wermacht advances.

[jjdenver]

Turn 3:
4 Pz Gruppe's 2nd and 11th Pz divisions launch a devastating assault to cross a river NE of Shui (see inset at bottom of image), destroying 4 Soviet steps in one combat. This forces a Soviet retreat to the next river line.

Soviet forces defending Kirov are also blown wide open by the strong German advance, and a general retreat to the city is ordered. Soviet defenses seem very thin around Kirov and divsions are sent south from the Smolensk-Vyazma-Moskva axis.

[jjdenver]

Turn 3 (cont):

German air interdiction west of Vyazma places most of the Soviet 16th army out of supply and puts the entire front along the Moskva highway in danger. 16th Army HQ is moved east to try to link back into the supply network - I'm not sure it's possible though - we'll see next turn.

You can see the grey and red supply dots on 16th Army units in the screenshot.

[jjdenver]

Turn 3 (cont):

Again more surprises from 3rd Pz Gruppe. Instead of turning south from Nosovelki, the panzers advance into the forest to clean out Soviet defenders and also continue to advance north toward Rzhev. It looks like the German commander does not have an encirclement closed at Vyazma on his mind. Instead he is possibly attempting a quick stab at Rzhev to seize the river crossings there and open up a drive on Kalinin, Klin, and Moskva from the north.

Infantry divisions continue to crash forward all along the line causing heavy Soviet casualties.

[jjdenver]

Turn 4:

In the south 2nd and 11th Pz divisions of 4th Pz Gruppe cross the river east of Shui and roll up the Red Army defensive left flank.

On the right flank of 4 Pz Gruppe, the 10th Pz division enters the forests NW of Kirov and takes losses clearing out the Soviet 217th Rifle division in heavy fighting.

Note that the combats shown are not all of the combats that occurred, just some of the interesting ones.

The advance of 4 Pz Gruppe is putting a lot of pressure on 24th Army's southern flank and it looks like a withdrawal by 24th Army will have to be ordered to avoid encirclement.

[jjdenver]

Turn 4 (cont):

Soon the rains should start, and that will hopefully reduce the Germans mobility, supplies, and also cause them to lose the +3 combat shift they are getting on all their combats.

In the north 3 Pz had been advancing mainly toward Rzhev but this turn 7 Pz swings east from Novoselki and advances across clear terrain to flank the Soviet defenses along the road to Vyazma.

6 Pz clears forested areas north of the road, taking losses in the process.

Along the road to Rzhev, Soviet formations fall back to the next river line and dig in again.

It's unclear at this point whether 3 Pz Gruppe will continue NE toward Rzhev or turn SE toward Vyazma.

Again not all combats are shown in the screenshot.

[jjdenver]

Turn 5:
Pz Gruppe 3 really picks up the tempo in the north. Last turn it appeared that the left wing of 3 Pz Gruppe would sweep east around the forest near Novoselki in a tactical flanking move. However this turn the left wing turns back to the north, driving toward Rzhev.

The right wing continues SE toward Vyazma with the Soviet 112th Rifle Division holding the town of Bogolyubovo along the road running east. Several German infantry divisions have fought through the Soviet MLR and now flank the town from the south. Supplies cannot reach the town and Soviet forward units including a tank brigade and 2 rifle divisions are out of supply. In heavy fighting the panzers drive through the woods north of town, with losses on both sides.

Meanwhile the left wing of Pz Gruppe 3 approaches the town of Belyy, garrisoned by 243 Rifle Division, backed by 250th and 5th Rifle Divisions and the 107th Tank Brigade - all north of the river. The Soviet line extends south held by 184th division. 184th takes heavy casualties as 7 Panzer Division clears the woods south of town.

An Assault on Belyy itself fails to take the town, causing casualties on bot sides.

**as usual I don't show all battles in the screenshot by any means.

Farther south along the road from Yartsevo to Vyazma, the entire Soviet 16th Army is still out of supply due to air interdiction from the Luftwaffe, and grimly hanging on. Many units are entirely unable even to move due to lack of fuel and supplies.

[jjdenver]

Turn 5 (cont):

Pz Gruppe 4 is also advancing on a very broad front in the south.

The left wing has advanced out of Shui and turned north, hoping to trap all of Soviet 24th Army which is strung out to the northwest. 2 Pz, 11 Pz, and 3 Motorized divisions knock around the Soviet 211 and 103rd Rifle divisions but are not able to make a lot of progress through lightly wooded terrain north of the highway.

The central thrust of 4 Pz Gruppe assisted by a couple of infantry divisions advances northeast toward the important junction of Kuzeruki, the gateway to Vyazma in the south.

Near Kirov on the right wing of 4 Pz gruppe the SS Das Reich and a German infantry division assault Kirov, causing heavy casualties to the Soviets defending the city.

A breakthrough near Kuzeruki and Kirov seems possible so several Soviet divisions are moving south at top speed to reinforce the area.

[jjdenver]

Pz Gruppe 3 slogs forward in the woods - losses about even on both sides. Not much ground gained.

[jjdenver]

4 Pz Gruppe threatens to outflank all of the Soviets strung out defending the rail line north of Shui. Soviet formations quickly retreat east on the important junction town of Kuzeruki.

Farther south at Kirov, Das Reich and accompanying divisions attempts to push forward to surround the town. Soviet defenders maintain the narrow supply corridor to the east. The town must be held as long as possible since once past Kirov the advance gets a lot easier for the Germans.

[jjdenver]

Turn 10:

The game has stopped - I honestly can't remember why we stopped. Here are some screenshots to show ending position on turn 10, running from north to south.

Overall it felt like the Soviet defenders were too few and Soviet units were usually at half or less strength. There are also not a lot of reinforcements scheduled for the Soviets. If the game had continued, I can hardly imagine that the Soviet defenses would not have collapsed. The Soviets don't get replacements and even though I defended in difficult terrain and caused a lot of German casualties - the Soviets with few reinforcements and no replacements must eventually just be shattered.

But as the game ended I think it could hardly seem to the German commander like success was possible since the Wermacht had not advanced far, had taken many casualties, and hadn't achieved any breakthroughs. It was tough fighting all game long.

Here's the northern advance north of the swamps.

[jjdenver]

Here's 3 Pz Gruppe after turn 10:

[jjdenver]

Here's the advance in the center around Yartsovo, along the Vyazma-Moskva highway.

The Soviets here faced constant supply problems due to interdiction and were eventually winkled out of their fortified lines by German infiltration from the north and south that threatened complete encirclement.

Many German casualties were taken in failed frontal assaults.

[jjdenver]

Here's the position of 3 Pz Gruppe after turn 10.

Note that Kirov still holds out, and the important junction town of Kuzeruki has stron defenses in place but is being flanked to the north by the Germans as they advance directly toward Vyazma. Any German advance toward Vyazma must face supply problems though until Kuzeruki is taken.

[Henri]

Nice AAR.

I haven't seen any large encirclements from the Germans. If they have to face the whole Soviet Army in front of Moscow, they will NEVER get through to the city.And if a significant number of those Soviet units can get behind German lines, it could mean bad news indeed for the Germans.

In my game against the AI, I have most of the Soviet army either destroyed (over 50%)or encircled except for the Moscow garrison, but the mud has set in and given a grinding advance in mud against small detachments, not to mention that large pockets take many turns to annihilate, it is not clear that I can take Moscow before time runs out. Half my army is still near the start line grinding down large pockets of Russians.

Henri