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

[CharonJr]

After pondering my situation and making some minor adjustments to troop placements I decided to go for the attacks mainly to the NE of Gomel and a few around Kirovograd losing 1.2k troops in the process with the Soviets losing 24k, 0.3k guns and 0.1k AFVs in addition to another unit.

And most important there are less units that are able to run during the AI's turn now.

[CharonJr]

This is the situation at the beginning of turn 11 for the drive to isolate Leningrad.

The Soviets moved a fair number of units in my way and I am afraid it will get rather harder than easier the longer I wait/the more slowly and careful I move.

I am tempted to launch some probing attacks with 1-2 of the infantry divisions and see if the eastern route can be taken, or if due to terrain and/or the units (2 divisions are NW of my Cav while the other units are located in heavy woods - fort level is 1 in most hexes) it seems unlikely to break through there.

The western route should provide less resistance, but involves crossing at least 2 swamp hexes and 2 rivers.

edit: I should be able to free up 1-2 additional units from further south and replace units protecting the flanks with them.

Any ideas ?

[Mynok]

If you can drive to the Baltic to the NW with the 18th army then you should. Lots of units to be isolated there.

You need to widen your supply line into there. Your trucks are going to get massacred supplying your units. Rout those two inf divs in the swamps. And I would setup to bust through his line along the middle east-west rail line where those NKVD units are. Your panzers can move ok in the woods and isolate more units opening a NE route to Lake Ladoga for your infantry.

[CharonJr]

How effective are tactical bombers is light/heavy woods? I might bring in some Stukas and fighter cover closer to the front - southern edge of the screenshot.

CharonJr

[karonagames]

I would use HQ buildup on the PZ corps and use the 50 MPs to punch through the unit NW of the motorised division and push for the port on the Finnish border. This is precisely the situation where burning the trucks and reducing your overall supply is worth the risk to get the grand prize.

[CharonJr]

Will the units be isolated even if the one port is not taken/isolated also?

I would prefer to do it without using HQ buildup, but considering that I lack the movement to penetrate the Soviet line at the Finns anyway saving 1 turn might be well worth it.

Good ideas, thank you.

CharonJr

[karonagames]

If the ports can't access a railhead themselves, then they can't ship supply anywhere, but I'd need to check the bridgehead supply rules to see if they would apply, but I don't think they would.

[CharonJr]

Just read up about the HQ buildup here, the units will be only supplied on the next turn, so essentially I would not be able to isolate Leningrad during this turn, but on the next one.

So all I can do now is trying to create a good position (hopefully right next to the Soviet forts at 1 or 2 points and break their line on the next turn. I hope to be able to achieve this without HQ buildup, but Mynok has a very good point about making the roads safer for my trucks.

This is the situation after the initial cleanup, I think I am comitted to the NW thrust now but will have to make up my mind about how many units I want to use for holding the eastern line.

And if to try to harass the Soviets with my remaining mobile units or use them to protect the flanks of the "real" thrust - I tend towards guarding the flank.

[Mynok]

Whoops...I thought the earlier map was of a different area. Definitely head northwest.

[CharonJr]

Was nearly thinking so due to the comment you made, one of the reasons why I made this one larger

The opposition in the NW was even lighter than expected.

CharonJr

[randallw]

You might want to grab that area where the rail line heads east then turns north, to help those units trying to cut Leningrad.

[stewartbragg]

Have the finish corps blow those forts. They won't be able to move into them but they can "shatter" them!

[CharonJr]

"Have the finish corps blow those forts. They won't be able to move into them but they can "shatter" them! " - interesting, anything special I need to get them to attack across the no-attack-line? Cause simply right-clicking does not do the trick for me.



T11 north:

With a little help I decide to tackle the Soviet forces around the swamp and manage to move some units up to Lake Lagoda.

Hopefully 1st Panzer and 269th Infantry will be enough to capture Sviritsa after the Soviets move to bring in reinforcements, the last remaining port connecting Leningrad to the rest of the Motherland. If I have to I will throw every unit in the area at the fresh defenders and since there is no railline I hope there will not be too many of those.

One attack is performed on the Leningrad front, hopefully forcing the Soviets to move in additional units here which will not be avaiable further north. Another 2 by the Cav, having no chance vs. the SEC to its NE, but managing to rout the infantry to the east. The rest of the Leningrad front remains static for now, waiting for its isolation.

About 500 tons of fuel and supply are dropped for XXXXI Panzer and XXXVIII Korps, hopefully enabling them to face anything the Soviets might throw in their way.

Around Velikie Luki the pocket is slowly compressed.

Along the western front V and VI Korps take up defensive positions and part of the mobile forces are moved back towards Smolensk.

[CharonJr]

T11 center:

Around Bryansk/Orel the Soviets have largely abandoned their positions, rightfully being afraid of a potential pocket it seems, but the pocket is formed anyway. I doubt there will be many fish left inside the net in the end.

Protection at the pocket's northern flank is quite light considering the proximity to Moscow, but I can not spare any additional units there at the moment. And if the AI does try to break through this should create another opportunity to pocket those units, too.

XXXXVI Panzer is mainly staying in place for some rest.

[CharonJr]

T11 south:

Reduction of the Kursk pocket is begun with some infantry heading towards Kharkov. And with III Panzer having enough MP left Kharov is "surrounded", but this is a pocket that simply can not hold.

In the south LIV corps reaches Zaporozhye and XXXXVIII Panzer moves south linking up with them. I doubt that there will be many units left in the newly formed Dnepropetrovsk/Zaporozhye pocket.

Infantry heading towards Dnepropetrovsk/Zaporozhye pocket face no opposition, sadly this will mean that I will have to fight those units elsewhere soon.

The defenses at the Krim look bad, I will have to move some German infantry to the south later on.

[CharonJr]

T11 results:

2 new pockets have been created (most likely barely containing any units) and 2 pockets are currently being reduced - capturing about 150k men and destroying 1.5k guns (barely got any armor and what I got was mostly from outside of the pockets).

The Soviets have been unable to compensate for the 171k men they lost this turn (down -129k) while Germany gained 20k.

Next turn should be fairly slow again, but if the isolation of Leningrad succeeds it will get ugly for the AI after that one.

[stewartbragg]

I'll have to check my game and see if I can remember what I did that allowed the Fins to attack. Was that a deliberate or hasty attack? I seem to remember I did a hasty.

[CharonJr]

Tried both, nothing worked, but I could have move a Finnish unit into the former fort hex (but didnt). Maybe you had taken (part of) Leningrad?

CharonJr

[CharonJr]

BTW, when should I start to dig in for the winter, around now?

CharonJr

edit: phrased that poorly, I mean buying fortifications as a 2nd line of defense.

[stewartbragg]

Yes start digging in your line of defense. I was Playing the Road to Leningrad Scenario when I was able to attack the there. I'll try and reproduce this this weekend.