Alfonso vs Russian AI. Road to Smolensk

[hgilmer3]

I have been playing this scenario, too.  You are doing much better than I did.  I had a Group up North but they were on withdrawal schedule.  I thought I could push them through to Vitebsk along the Northside of the river and seemed to be doing OK, but then they were withdrawn.

It did not end well, I must say for the German commander.  Back to Berlin to face Hitler.

[alfonso]

Turn 9: I have crossed the Dnieper east of Smolensk with all forces available. However, with hindsight I observe that there is much contact between my armour and the enemy, which according to the manual makes fatigue recovery less than optimal during the logistic phase. Forces of 2nd and 3rd Panzer Group have been intermingled during the last confused battles, but I had no more Administrative Points to sort the mess out. This time I have attached more support units to my divisions, but I dont know if they have really made a difference this turn. I feel they have, but it could be a placebo effect.... If this was a campaign, it would be tempting to transfer some armour to 4th Army to try a double pincer movement against the Soviet forces south of Smolensk. As it is, even the bakery company and regimental music band are to be sent towards Viazma next (and last) turn...

[alfonso]

Finally, I could not take Vyazma....[:@]

[Flaviusx]

Alfonso, you did very well here for your first try. You got this, just reset and avoid some of these little mistakes (like forgetting 2. Army, oops) and a victory will be yours.

[erigra]

Good AAR, thank you!
I had a first try as well, and ended up with a minor german victory (normal difficulty).
My panzers didnt advance as fast as yours in the beginning, but my infantry was catching up quicker I think...
Also the AI did some stupid things, like abandoning Minsk and even Smolensk when I broke through his defending line behind the major rivers...
Anyways, heres a screenie of my endturn...

[alfonso]

A second try in the same scenario, again against normal AI.

This is the situation at the beginning of turn 5. Compared with my previous attempt, more support units have been attached to front line divisions, and I have made a more careful handling of rail reparations. The results: about 1-2 additional hexes per turn in the last turns. I am only converting the railroad Kaunas-Vilnius-Minsk and then to Smolensko. I use my 2 rail-repairing units in tandem. I thought that I could make 6-8 reparations per turn, but it seems that there is a limit in 5 for a single portion of the railroad. Anyhow that is better than the usual 3-4. I think this can be corrected adding more construction support units to my FBD units, so they can work farther from the previous railhead.

This time 2nd Army is already on the way. Before any battle makes them unavailable (because they fly ground suppport), I now use the level bombers to transport supplies. This time I am also using the third Ju-52 group, which at the beginning of the scenario is in the national reserve ( I did not check this the other time). The basic strategy is the same: 2nd and 3rd Panzer Groups to Vyazma, both passing betwen Orsha and Vitebsk: 4th Army to cross the Dnieper in Mogilev, whith the utopic goal of reaching Gomel.

In a campaign game I think I would have do it otherwise: 2nd Panzer would approach Smolensk from the south, after crossing the Dnieper at Mogilev, to trap the Soviet forces located in the triangle delimited by the Mogilev-Smolensk line and the Dnieper river. After capturing Smolensk in a grand campain, I doubt which solution is better: 1) to go for Viazma with 2nd Panzer Group or 2)sending it to the south.

The amazing fact is that with this game it is not only possible to understand the dilemmas faced by the commanders at the time, you can also FEEL those same dilemmas...

[alfonso]

During this 5th turn Smolensk has been surrounded, 9th Army has taken positions previously held by 3rd Panzer Group and 4th Army has reached the Dnieper. The infantry elements of 2nd PzGroup are being re-routed by train (Brest-Litovsk/Kaunas/Minsk). Air Transport keeps supply levels within reasonable limits.

[alfonso]

Turn 6: Once surrounded and out of supply, the Smolensk garrison was defeated. Next objective: Vyazma...

[Flaviusx]

Outstanding performance on the second try.

Don't forget to grab Gomel. Or one more objective besides Vyazma, but Gomel is the most obvious one. Actually, you've got a good shot at Rhzev and/or VL here...

[alfonso]

Turn 7: German forces are now at the gates of Vyazma. 3rd Panzer Gruoup is heading towards Rzhev, while one corps of 9th Army and an Inf Corps from 3rd PzG are exploring the way towards Velikie Luki. Unfortunately, Gomel has been more or less discarded, because my plan includes to connect as soon as possible Minsk with Smolensk by railroad, and that would mean that supply for advancing 4th Army towards Gomel would have to be traced across the Dnieper, which I think affects supply efficiency and would stress my motor pool. However, 4th Army will make some attacks, in order to lure the AI algorithms away from Rzhev, and make the computer "believe" I am going for Gomel, to at least attract some Red Army Divisions away from the North. I don't know if trying to deceive a computer is philosophically sound, though.

[alfonso]

Turn 8: Vyazma fell under a pouring rain of fire and death, brought upon by several crack PanzerDivs, lavishly equipped with all kind of support battalions, and with generous Howitzer and HeavyNebelwerfen support provided by a promising Corps Commander, brought specifically for this task…one Manstein if a recall correctly…

East of the Dniper, both German PanzerGroups have then turned north, towards Rzhev, avoiding battle with a strong concentration of Soviet forces southwest of that city. Two different pockets are on the making…

The possibility exists of isolating all Red forces west of Rzhev, and capturing Velikie Luki from the rear fighting with inverted fronts.

[Flaviusx]

You've got the minor victory for sure now, well done. I'm going to point out this thread to other newbies having problems with this scenario: you've cracked it.

[alfonso]

Turn 9:

The surrounding of Rzhev has been accomplished. After helping to create the pocket, 3rd PanzerGroup has been hastily redeployed westward, in some instances across the Dvina. The Mot SS Div has made a remarkable countermarch from north of Vyazma towards Velikie Luki. Most importantly, all Soviet forces north and west of river Dvina are supposed to be isolated, and my objective for the last turn is therefore threefold:

a) To force the capitulation of the Rzhev garrison

b) To take Velikie Luki by a coup de main. As forces defending the city are isolated, the capture of the city seems more a question of MP available than of force brute

c) To force the surrender of the Soviet divisions facing my army in the general region of Vitebsk. In preparation for this, I have eliminated his foothold south of the Dvina, west of Vitebsk, and I created my own, north of the river, with a reserve Division of 2nd PanzerGroup, which was redirected from its scheduled mission of relieving the forces just east of Smolensk. Air recon has showed that there are no significant forces behind that Soviet screen opposite Vitebsk.

[alfonso]

Finally Velikie Luki fell, Rzhev was conquered and many soviets units were forced to surrender. Minor Axis victory. Surprinsingly, some units north of Dvina retreated instead of surrendering, and I had to chase some of them to definitively kill them off. Had I known that, I could have transferred a couple of Motorized units to Vitebsk the previous turn to improve the hunting.

I acknowledge that the last couple of turns are a strategic "frivolité", but..well..it is also a game, isn't it?

Next challenge, road to Leningrad! Stay tuned...

[Flaviusx]

Can you post a final screenshot of the VPs? I'm curious how far short of a major you were. I'm guessing this was deep into marginal victory territory, well above the 1.1:1 minimum. 2:1 nets you a major, btw.

A very nicely done AAR, I look forward to your future efforts. You're doing some yoeman work here.

Also, RtL is an easier scenario for the German than this one, imo. This is one of the harder ones.

[alfonso]

Capturing Gomel or Bryansk should lead to a (narrow) major victory, if casualties are not very high.

[Flaviusx]

I think we are fiddling around with air losses due to flak and operational losses. That should give the Germans more VPs. Losses due to these (and not the Red Air force) are running rather too high in 1941 imo.

With a little more tweaking, I believe you could get Gomel next time around.