German 1941 GC - normal - Finished (DV - T56)

[CharonJr]

T7 follow-up:

10 additional Soviet units surrendered with 78k men, 0.8k guns and 0,2 AFVs.

In an act of utter stupidity I managed to forget about my railrepair unit FBD1 for about the last 4 turns, it was sitting safe and sound in Tarnopol under a bunch of other units. I pretty much only found it by accident during turn 8 when I was looking for 2 security units where only 1 is needed.

T8 north:

The Finns force the 2 Soviet units around Vyborg to surrender and manage to complete their encirclement of the 2 airbases and 1 rifle division.

Dang, it looks like my little breakout around Vitebsk started a Soviet retreat at the Velikie Luki salient, hopefully they will hold their new lines and not retreat any further. Well, at least this frees up about 2 infantry corps.

The remaining 2 units around Pskov surrender.

The Narva is crossed and the infantry keeps pushing towards Leningrad.

With the large number of forces already in place around Leningrad and the river Volkov I have to start to really focus on driving north now and the best way still seems to be swinging north from the south of lake Ilmen.

XXXXI Panzer is well rested and establishes a bridgehead across the river south of lake Ilmen. 18th Mot manages to widen the bridgehead to 3 hexes while LVI Panzer and the remaining forces of LVII Panzer prepare to rush through the gap on the next turn.

With the railhead being 2 hexes east of Pskov now the supply situation should be OK.

For some reason the Soviets have forgotten a bunch of units during their pullback around Velikie Luki, those are surrounded.





edit: Hmm, will have to work a bit on those colors for the drawings, they do look more clear while using Paint

[CharonJr]

T8 center:

As expected the mobile units left to AGC are in fairly horrible shape, but the pocket held.

Infantry move into the line and the mobile forces are pulled back for some rest while Smolensk is caputured along with about 25 units, 200k men, 2k guns and 0.7k AFVs.

XXIV and XXXXVI Panzer are pulled back towards the north for some rest. They will stay with AGC for now.

As expected the Pripyet Marshes were fairly clear of enemy troops except at the eastern end. 15 additional units have been captured there this turn with 73k troops and 0.8k guns.

[CharonJr]

T8 south:

West of Kharkov additional units are fed into the gap in order to keep it open. In the meantime III/XIV/XXXXVIII Panzer are resting up in the relative safety of the channel provided by the infantry.

South of Nikolaev the first units - mainly Romanians - are crossing the Dnepr.

The main plan here is not really about taking Kharkov (but I will if it an easy opportunity presents itself), but to pull Soviets units to me which can be encircled later on.

While Plan A calls for the encirclement of the Dnepropetrovsk/Zaporozhye area with the help from the units crossing the Dnepr in the south (mainly the German corps) Plan B involves a short dash to the NNW once XXIV and XXXXVI Panzer are back in shape (maybe even next turn already).

I will try to carry out both plans, not just one of them, but it will depend on the AI's reactions, too. Without a decent number of Soviet forces to be trapped Plan B would be useless.

[CharonJr]

T8 results:

Walter Nehring is the new commander of XXXXVII Panzer, sadly losing -1 Pol and -1 Ini due to the promotion. Since I lost twice the number of stats with an earlier promotion it seems to be random based how many stats are lost.

A good turn again, the 2 pockets are cleared and while having forgotten about this rail repair unit will still hurt me for a number of additional turns I have been able to keep decent supply levels, but often had to wait more than one turn to get my units back to speed.

My main focus is now on the north and the drive to isolate Leningrad. The center is in consolidation/rest mode for now while I try to form a good pocket (or maybe even 2) in the south.

Again the Soviets lost more troops than they could replace (-217k), but this will not last since currently there are no pockets left. In addition they lost 2.9k guns and 1k AFVs, but replaced 0.4k more planes than they lost.

With the exception of planes (-0.1k) German levels are basically the same as before.





edit: The only color which I have no problem with is yellow, the other ones are pretty bad.

How do they look like to you ? (will try to play around with the colors a bit till I have about 3 colors I can use for drawing and writing)

[CharonJr]

Hmm, do you know a decent freeware/shareware drawing software?

I just took a look at the other colors Paint offers and it looks like they are even worse and their number is fairly limited.

CharonJr

[CharonJr]

Since I have run out of security units I ask myself whom to assign to the unoccupied cities.

Do the Italians or the Romanians (infantry divisions) make better occupation forces (or the other way around, whos units are more useful on the attack/defense) ?

CharonJr

[CharonJr]

T9 north:

In Finnland the surrounded units are attacked and the rifle division surrenders, the 2 airbases are displaced with barely any losses.

Next the units the AI has left back west of Velikie Luki are taken care of.

The AI retreated even further towards Velikie Luki, I just hope this this line will hold till my armor is back up in shape to cut them off.

And it looks like the AI tries a hedgehoge defense, it has left 3 units behind again, sadly due to terrain I fail to surround them this turn.

For the big push across the Pola river south of lake Ilmen the infantry starts to break the Soviet line and widen the bridgehead, next the mobile units are pouring through.

Essentially I keep looking at how many MPs each unit will be left with when they reach the new position and choose the one with the lowest remaining MPs, this way I should be able to cover the greatest distance - which turns out to be not that much .

The initial push of XXXXI/LVI/LVII Panzer leads roughly 90 miles to the NE with some of the units providing flank protection. This is far from ideal tank terrain, but at the moment I am fairly confident that their firepower should carry the day.

Along the whole Leningrad front the Soviets are pushed back (mainly) by determined infantry attacks. But once the ring of heavy fortifications around Leningrad is reached all my hopes rest on the armored thrust towards Finnland.

With the terrain infront of the tanks and lack of supplies I think it will take them 2 turns to get there, more if the Soviets decide to throw large numbers of troops in their way - currently there is still 1 railline left intact.

XLII corps is switched from AGC to AGN's 16th Army in order to lower the load of AGC.

[CharonJr]

T9 center:

I try to keep open a gap in the Soviet lines to the NE of Smolensk for an armored thrust up there. In addition the airbases up there make for a nice target, especially if I manage to damage some planes during ground support operations. The main problem might be frightening the Soviets too much so that they abandon their positions before I am able to strike.

East of Gomel infantry attacks keep the Soviets from forming a fortiefied frontline (or any frontline at all at the moment). This is the area where I want to push through my armor on their way to create a pocket to the west of Kursk (Plan B).

Other than that XXIV & XXXXVI Panzer around Gomel and XXXIX & XXXXVII Panzer around Smolensk keep resting, at least for the initial thrusts they should be close to their maximum MP.

Depending on their actual MP I will have to see how far they are able to move, with 1st Panzergroup facing the same problems in the south. The more MPs they have the further to the east I will try to link them up.

[CharonJr]

T9 south:

The initial gap pointing towards Kharkov is widened by infantry.

All of 1st Panzergroup is no waiting inside the gap for the the push during the next turn. I stacked their 3 HQs which should help with getting air supplies to them.

It looks like only Plan B will be executed next turn since the infantry moving NE along the southern bank of the Dnepr will take at least 2 turns before they get close to Zaporozhye.

The Italians arrive at the front and will support the Romanian forces in their push towards Sewastopol.

[CharonJr]

T9 results:

Expect for the push in the north not that much happened during this turn except some preparations for additional pockets.

But the push in the north is essentially. If I am able to isolate Leningrad and get the Finns involved it should be much easier during the winter. Since I have not played any winter turns yet and from what I have read here I will need all the help I can get.

Due to the fairly low intensity of this turn the Soviets managed to regain some manpower (+100k), but Germany managed to regain some manpower as well (+30k). And with the armor mainly resting the AFV number actually went up a little bit for Germany.

[*Lava*]

[X(]

Nice job!

I really like your "operational" approach and free wheeling, hell for leather style.

You may be grinding your panzers down but you are doing some major league dismemberment of the Soviet army.

[CharonJr]

Actually I am a bit schizophrenic about my Panzers, either they are well protected and cared for behind a wall of infantry or they are out there doing major pushes, there is usually not much in between

I just ran turn 9 and a couple of new possiblities might show up.

CharonJr

[*Lava*]

Well, you seem to being doing a good job of it.

Are you a TOAW player?

I've played a bunch of TOAW and I think at first I approached this game as if it was a super TOAW. But almost immediately I could tell it didn't have the same feel. I've been groping around trying to figure... what's different?

I'm feeling like ZOCs are vastly more important here and I've been changing my style accordingly. I think your play shows how to get the most out of your units by creating excellent ZOCs.

Still experimenting and am keenly watching your AAR.

[CharonJr]

No, actually I dont know why, since I like strategy/wargames, but I have never played TOAW.

ZOC are very important IMO, but the problem is that - depending on the enemies MPs - they can be penetrated, but since the early Soviet are seldom able to do so you get a wrong sense of security. I think that my fronts with 1 free hex between units will stop to work at some point, hopefully not hurting me too much before I realise it

CharonJr

[*Lava*]

ORIGINAL: CharonJr
I have never played TOAW.

That explains a lot. [;)]

Keep doing what you are doing. [:)]

[CharonJr]

T10 north:

As feared/expected the Soviets are bothered about my attempt to link up with the Finns and throw some forces my way, and I am afraid this is just the beginning.

My supply situation for the thrust is as bad as feared as well, I will need some additional infantry for the last leg of the push.

But before continuing here I have to take a shot at something in the center...


T10 center:

Here is what I saw:

XXXIX Panzer was having 40+ MPs for each of its 4 divisions and the area south of the thrust to Finland as barely protected (1 SEC division). So I opened a gap with infantry into the line NE of Smolensk (as has been planed anyway), but instead of swinging left I send XXXIX in in a straight line, only turning left after crossing the Volga and following it NW up to lake Seliger.

8th Panzer with the help from some infantry and LVII Panzer is able to cross the river Shina NW of Vyshny Voloch and link up with XXXIX.

This pocket is far from secure, but it might hold and will give the trapped units some movement problems.


T10 north:

Ok, back to the north now, well, now it is time to move some infantry anlong the line of the armored thrust, both as protection and for some additional punch - due to the terrain they will most likely be more mobile than the mobile forces running on low fuel. And with the trapped units largely unable to move I have freed up additional infantry to support the thrust towards Finland.

With heavy air support my tanks start to push the Soviet defenders having rushed to contain the thrust away. 1st Panzer managed to dislodge 3 units from 3 surrounding hexes, without any MPs left it will serve as protection fow now.

8th SS Cav even has some MPs left after its rush, but I want to kept them no more than 2 hex away from friendly units. The remaining MPs are used destroying 2 railline hexes, maybe slowing down Soviet reinforcements a little bit.

9 divisions with a combined (unmodified) CV of 84 (1 of them does not have enough MP left for a deliberate attack) are draw together and attack the 2 rifle divisions behind level 4 fortifications (CV 43) with air support.

Well, it did not work, again showing how much I need that isolation move to work.

[CharonJr]

T10 center:

Since I have only used one of the 4 Panzerkorps currently with AGC and XXXXVI Panzer is fairly rested as well (40-46 MP. FAT mostly below 10) those airbases around look like a nice target.

Again infantry creates a breach in the Soviet line and the armor pours through. I leave my %-to fly at 70% now since I hope that I will damage some additional Soviet planes.

After some additional resistance (%-to fly down to 50%) I manage to reach Kaluga and capture it, but most likely only for a short while since I dont want to compromise my line by moving any unit more than 2 hex appart from another one. 430 planes were destroyed during this operation which was the main goal. In addition I see some possibilities to form another pocket on the following turn with the forces driving towards Kursk.

East of Gomel infantry creates another breach in the front and secure a river crossing. XXIV and XXXXVI Panzer cross the river and the leading element only stops once they have passed Kursk.

In both drives more about 20 Soviet divisions have been either routed with about 10 retreats, very heavy combat this turn and it is not over yet. As usual most of the fighting is done by the infantry, with the Panzers mainly driving unopposed toward their objectives.

Again around Kiev I bring up divisions from the rear to take the places of those at the front who in turn move towards the intended breakthrough area, this time north of Poltava.

9th Panzer from AGS links up with Das Reich from AGC to the east of Kursk, this is another pocket that is not foolproof (the area NW of Belgorod is a bit weak, more than the area to its north due to the proximity of units/towns), but I am hopeful that the AI will not be able to break all encirclements.

[CharonJr]

T10 south:

The remaining armored korps of AGS keep resting for another turn while the infantry south of the Dnepr slowly gets closer to Zaporozhye.

In addition some additional infantry is moved to the east of the river Vorskla in order to provide both protection for the armor and have a better starting point for the push towards Zaporozhye.

[CharonJr]

T10 results:

If I were to play this one again I would surely leave LVII Panzer with AGC instead of sending them north.

In addition I would only use one panzercorps for the thrust to isolate Leningrad with some additional infantry support (as I am essentially doing now - I still think that the initial speed advantage of mobile forces is worth including them for the first turn) and use the second panzercorps of AGN to create a pocket to the east of Velikie Luki (as I am doing now).

Overall very low casualties again for the Soviets, but unless they manage to break the current pockets and prevent the new ones this will change within the next turns - hopefully this is the calm before the storm.

Despite the large number of battles German forcelevels staxed the same with the Soviets gaining 100k troops. And despite the large number of planes lost Soviet industries were nearly able to produce enough new planes to compensate.

[CharonJr]

I am thinking about launching some additional attacks on the units NE of Gomel, hopefully routing a fair number of them to prevent them from escaping the potential pocket, wehat do you think about it?

In addition I will move one infantry division east of Dnepropetrosvk back a little bit to protect my airbases, the Soviet armor is a bit too close for my taste even if I am fairly confident that it will pull back instead of tryig to overrun the bases.

CharonJr