Soviet GC vs. AI - WiTE Version 1.02 beta

[Redmarkus5]

I now launch the northern ground force across the airborne bridgehead and seize my primary objective with a fast armoured unit.

A series of subsidiary attacks widens the corridor and allows me to push additional units forward.

Next, I bring up the first of my reserve forces ("Res") which will further reinforce the west side of the pocket that is now forming, and prevent any attempt by the enemy to break in.

(Note - I could have dropped right on top of the empty city hex, but I chose not to in obedience with my personal 'House rules').

[Redmarkus5]

And finally, the southern pincer moves out and my second reserve army closes up behind, ready for action on the next game turn.

I have pocketed 12 Axis divisions and two Korps HQs, along with a separate infantry Regt and some railway troops.

If I can keep this pocket sealed and reduce it in the next two turns, I may have torn a gap in AGC large enough to allow an advance to the line Vitebsk-Mogilev this summer.

I was surprised that the AI made no attempt to avoid being pocketed here, even though the situation developed over a period of 3 turns. I was less surprised the find the AI's main administrative hub for the central front barren of even the smallest security unit. Once again, I regard this failure to garrison cities to be one of the most important flaws in the game at present.

KEY OBSERVATIONS

1. Your paratroops land with a combat value of 0 or 1, so you must have a plan in place to relieve them during the same turn that they drop in.

2. Make sure that you build up reserves and hold them close to the intended point of attack, as Axis ZOC costs will severely limit how deeply any penetration of the front can go.

[Redmarkus5]

The strategic situation in the defence and liberation of the Motherland, 16 July 1942 showing the immediate aftermath of the Smolensk Airborne Operation and my current short-term and medium term strategic-operational planning.

the ebb and flow of this game is dramatic and my planning has had to be highly adaptive, taking advantage of opportunities as they are presented and not sticking to rigid pre-conceived operational parameters.

[Redmarkus5]

Summary of key operations this turn.

[Redmarkus5]

Turn 58.

The AI has resupplied it's Smolensk Pocket by air (always impressive - good coding) but clearly has no forces in the area to facilitate a breakout. No ground attacks have been made by the AI anywhere else in the theatre.

[Redmarkus5]

Despite the resupply drops, the CV on these pocketed units looks very low. I hope to be able to eliminate the pocket this turn and start pushing west and south-west.

I could do with a couple more reserve armies, so I will take the chance of moving my reaction force up from the Dnepr Bend to serve as an additional reserve echelon here in the centre.

[Redmarkus5]

A Soviet Tank Corps with 43 MP. The highest I have seen so far!

[Redmarkus5]

The Smolensk Pocket is eliminated after only 1 week. 100k prisoners by my estimate and I've just encircled a futher two infantry divisions that seem to have been heading for the front.

My advanced guard is approaching an undefended Vitebsk, with a German security unit sitting in the useless clear hex next to the city.

Two more Soviet reserve armies have arrived by train from the Ukraine. They will bolster my left flank as I drive SW into the rear of the remains of AGC, hopefully triggering a full scale retreat all along the line.

[Redmarkus5]

Axis units destroyed this turn. A mini Stalingrad in Summer '42

[randallw]

I'll try to remember that about the airborne guys.
 
Nice job on beginning the payback against the Germans.

[Redmarkus5]

Thanks!

Turn 59 and I have taken Vitebsk (undefended as usual - I have not yet had to fight for a single city hex in the entire campaign, as far as I can recall).

Mogilev is my next objective, with some initial rolling up of the German flank potentially on the cards, though I may need to stop and reorg first.

The AI is only putting weak security units in the line to block my advance, even though he still has strong Panzer forces sitting on the line to the south - see the red circles.

The question is, is this a Soviet first Kharkov, or is it Bagration come early?

[randallw]

If the computer wants to keep putting security regiments ahead of you to be killed, oblige it. [:D]
 
Personally i'd consider pushing to where that HQ is, then head southeast, grabbing the rail hexes; that gives you supply as you make a pocket and force the computer to use the rail south of there to keep it's own forces supplied.

[Redmarkus5]

Yes, that makes sense and the rail junction that HQ is sitting on looks pretty strategic. It also sits right on my intended axis of advance toward Mogilev.

Anyway, it's also time to apply pressure with local attacks at other points, in order to keep the AI pinned down and prevent him from moving reserves to the centre

[Redmarkus5]

If I can take Mogilev from the north and east, and if the AI thins out his line along the Dnepr south of Gomel in response, I am poised to strike north through Chernigov toward Gomel and thus seize the last remaining rail supply link for AGC.

After that I will have no substantial forces remaining in reserve, so I may be forced to sit tight and wait for Spring '43.

[randallw]

Some of the other parts of the German line are not that weak; there's 3 hexes south of Briansk that look good to attack.  You may not be able to break through but you can force the computer to commit some forces to help block you.

( edited for spelling )

[Redmarkus5]

Yes, the small red arrows show where I have already done that. Maybe a few more probes there this turn.

Turn 60.

The AI shows now sign of being about to thin his line in the south, or pull back to safer positions. He has moved a Pz Div into the line near Vitebsk... I will be flying extensive recon along that flank of my advance as it's the most exposed should the AI muster more troops.

[Redmarkus5]

My MPs are affected by supply now, and the tempo of the advance has slowed, but Mogilev is almost within my grasp.

I have also achieved more encirclements and am close to a third east of the Desna, which will trap 7 divisions, including one Pz Div.

[Redmarkus5]

As suggested by randallw, a series of local attacks around Bryansk succeeded in breaching the Axis line in 4 places. This should keep the AI tied down.

[Redmarkus5]

As also pocketed 4 more German infantry divisions and one of those immortal Corps HQs just south of Lake Seliger.

[Smirfy]

Dunno if this is the place to ask your opinion but do you feel that maybe the AI (since its not defendiing them) should set up fortified regions in towns, especially the German AI to simulate their propensity to establish K/Gruppe in critical situations. Not sure what the trigger would be but the admin cost should be lower because it is in a town and the size should be larger because of the likelyhood of more personel loitering about on whatever buissness. The Troops and equipment could be deducted form the pool.