Operation Barbershop - Carnage(Ax) vs. Redmarkus(Sv)

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 1

Well, the usual shock-horror of Turn 1 is compounded by Carnage driving his armour to the Romanian border and activating that front.

On the plus side, I am able to cut his supply lines at a few points. I don't know if this will slow him down at all, but maybe it will help.

My air losses were 'lower' than I feared at 4,700 AC.

We shall see if I can last until the mud arrives...

[Redmarkus5]

Operations in the centre...

[Redmarkus5]

And in the south...

[Ketza]

You took advantage of his mistakes blocking the pockets. Valuable lessons learned by him I am sure.

[Redmarkus5]

I just hope it's enough to save some of my comrades!

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 2

This turn is a 'battle of the pockets'. As shown, several Soviet pockets remain intact at the end of Turn 2 and many of them were in supply at the start of the turn, so they contain units still at combat strength.

The pocket around Lvov has managed to re-open its supply line again this turn, so it should continue to be a problem for the enemy.

Riga, Minsk and Lvov are still in Soviet hands, although the enemy has pushed far to the east of these cities. We will see what the impact of failing to take them turns out to be.

My lines in the north are in chaos. In the centre I have managed to push reserves forward around Vitebsk and Smolensk, but the line there is very weak. In the south I still have a cohesive defence and I have pulled back the units facing the Romanians to a new defence line behind the Dnestr.

Troops have been assigned to hold Kiev, Zhitomir and Odessa, even if pocketed. I believe that delay is the enemy's worst enemy at this stage.

My admin points have been spent building a few forts and artillery sub-units. Factories are being moved east as cities come under threat and rail cap allows. Zhukov has been placed in command of STAVKA.

The Red Airforce doctine is set to 110% and I am pulling all of my airbases back to safety. I will do a full reorg and set the doctrine back to 60% when the mud arrives.

[comsolut]

Looking forward to picking up some hints for playing the Russians.

[randallw]

Those defensive lines you are setting up are pretty forward.  Haven't tried it yet.

[Redmarkus5]

ORIGINAL: randallw

Those defensive lines you are setting up are pretty forward.  Haven't tried it yet.

I'm trying to use tactics that are reasonably close to those employed historically. A fighting retreat in the south, if possible, and a strong defence of Smolensk (the Battle of Smolensk and Timoshenko's Counter Attack).

[BletchleyGeek]

Some thoughts about what I'm seeing on the map - perhaps you're already aware of all the things I say.

I'd abandon Riga and Estonia ASAP. Consider amphibious transport to get those troops out of Riga. The forces in Pskov will probably get encircled next turn, be very careful, the Narva line can be outflanked and made irrelevant easily. Novgorod is also a key position, it should be defended.

I see you tried to slow him down on the Daugava. That's a very good move - it can buy an extra turn for the RKKA to deploy properly on the approaches to Leningrad.

In the center you've done pretty well, although I always try to defend the Beresina River to then fall back on the next turn on the Dnepr. Those panzers have gotten near Vitebsk very early. Velikiye Luki lies open - another key position which is hard to defend.

In the Ukraine I'd advise you to have your reserves - if possible - placed nearby - 4 or five hexes - your main line of resistance in the South. It's very possible for AGS panzers to break through the middle of the lines of the SouthWestern Front between Rovno and Tarnopol. Nearby reserves could be needed to open up supply routes and/or isolate panzer spearheads. Digging on the Dnepr line is good, but I think is better to get there with the SouthWestern Front in shape and order.

I also see that you scattered the Mech Corps assigned to Southern Front all long that Front line. I would advise against that: better to have it sitting together around Proskurov, ready to react to possible breakthroughs.

Good luck Polkovodets Markus!

[Redmarkus5]

TURN 3

The battle of the pockets continues. Riga, Minsk, Lvov and several other key points have held for a critical third turn. The enemy is having to put considerable effort into clearing his lines of supply.

In the south, the Panzer Div that activated the Romanians is now cut off, although it will probably be rescued next turn.

My lines are slowly building, but a good push will break through them. I am trying to follow BG's advice and concentrate my reserves, but it's easier said than done!

The key question is whether the enemy has the resources to do this in the next turn, or whether he must turn west and clear up the rear areas...

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4
My lines are slowly building, but a good push will break through them. I am trying to follow BG's advice and concentrate my reserves, but it's easier said than done!

I know it's easier said than done [:D] this is from GC against sitito, on turn 5:


T5_North_Ukraine


T5_Center_Ukraine

In my situation, my reserves almost were irrelevant: it all came down to 2 mere MPs that I could save the SW Front right flank (two armies) by routing the MotDiv north of Zhitomir...

[TulliusDetritus]

Ouch [:(] He's almost destroyed most of the Northwest and Southwest Fronts. I hope the units trapped in the Rovno pocket make it. That may be a big problem, because you will need to fill these now two empty fronts with the STAVKA reserves (which I used in my PBEM to create a big mass in the Western Front, to protect Moscow).

You will have to use the STAVKA strategic reserves carefully [:)]

[Redmarkus5]

And there I was thinking that I wasn't doing too badly...

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4

And there I was thinking that I wasn't doing too badly...

Cheer up! You're doing "well" [:)] Your SW Front right flank encirclement is stronger than the one in the pictures I attached, but you can isolate those PzDs and get out most of your troops. Such a move will alarm him enough so to be more cautious in the future...

[Redmarkus5]

That's my cunning plan, as long as he doesn't fill the gap with infantry. My MPs just never seem to be enough to get across the final hex to cut him off...

[BletchleyGeek]

ORIGINAL: redmarkus4
That's my cunning plan, as long as he doesn't will the gap with infantry. My MPs just never seem to be enough to get across the final hex to cut him off...

You're always short of MPs. It's always hard to have to wave goodbye to five or six divisions encircled because your attacks to open a escape route weren't strong enough because of lacking MPs... That's perhaps the hardest of playing as the Soviet in 1941: having the stomach to take all those blows and not losing your mind.

[Redmarkus5]

I messed up the Turn 4 screen shot, so here is the start of Soviet Turn 5, before I move anything.

As I hoped, the enemy was forced to turn back and finally deal with my pockets, although I still have survivors in parts of the south.

Turn 4 saw me reinforcing my line in the centre and starting to dig in. This turn I will strengthen the defences on the Narva and at Pskov, as well as Leningrad and Novgorod.

In the south, my reserves interfered with the Panzers around Zhitomir, although much of my armour was pocketed this turn. I will pull back my infantry to defend Kiev. I am also pulling back behind the Bug to form a continuous line to the Black Sea. the next phase line lies behind the Dnepr, but that will lengthen my frontage considerably, so I want to wait 1-2 turns and bring up more forces.

I am deliberately allowing both Tallin and Odessa to be besieged and I have placed some good units there. My thinking is that this will further delay an opponent who should now be wary about leaving forces in his rear, and mess with his supplies for a turn or two.

My command reorg is well under way and most front commanders have now been replaced with more effective generals. The evacuation of industry is also going well. I generally move my reinforcements up first and then evacuate the factories in the greatest danger second, as moving troops takes a lot less rail MP.

[Redmarkus5]

Ok, that turn went pretty much as planned and the lines continue to form. In the centre and at key points I an stacked 2-3 units deep, with some forts, and with a second line or mobile reserves immediately behind.

[Redmarkus5]

I can see that some of the enemy units are really suffering from low supply and reduced CVs, so I am hoping that the requirement for yet more pocket clean up operations will mean that Turn 6 is relatively quiet. If there is action, I expect it to be around Pskov and in the area of Vitebsk/Smolensk/Mogilev.

In the north the enemy needs to move up to and then clear the port of Tallin, while in the south he is tired, still has pockets to clean, is a far from my next line and must also clean out Odessa.