AtD2 maps and description

[henri51]

A good source of information for this battle is HPS' Smolensk 41, since both games cover exactly the same time and area. The HPS site has free situation maps and history of the campaign which give a very good overview of the battle and can be useful for AtD2 to have an idea of when where and with what Soviet counterattacks will occur. The maps and summary are in a package on the HPS Smolensk 41 site. One of them is a nice printable map showing roads, rail, towns and forests that I have on my desk next to my computer.

From those maps that show the units with arrows at various stages of the battle, you can see that the AAR game between Keating and Tempest pretty much followed the historical situation, with the Germans forging ahead along the South shore of the Dnepr while Hoth's Pz Grp fought further North, then forging to Yartsevo on the North and Yelna in the South to attempt a Smolensk pocket, that the Soviets managed to keep open and to withdraw while fighting with the help of hastily assembled battle groups.

I think I remember that the manual recommends controlling both roads along the Dnepr shore to avoid Soviets escaping over the river, but it is debatable whether or not Guderian's 2nd Pz Grp has enough forces to cover both sides of the river, and Hoth's group could only forge along the North bank of the Dnepr by foregoing going after Demidov and giving up the possibility of being the northern pincer of the Smolensk encirclement (because he would be hitting heavily defended Smolensk head on when and if he got there).

However I vaguely remember in the original AtD, I sent a significant faction of Hoth's forces down the rail line that goes between Vitebsk and Smolensk, butI don't remember how that turned out. Could Hoth forego Demidov and get to Smolensk faster thus reducing the pressure on Guderian and reducing Smolensk before Rokosovski can get his act together? I dunno, you tell me...[&:]

Anyway those maps may help you work out your strategy.[:D]

Henri

The guy who said "it doesn't matter whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game" probably had won the game...