41 Campaign - Cannonfodder (Soviet) vs Arnhem (Axis)

[KenchiSulla]

Here we are

I am not a brilliant writer but I will try to report my mishaps and fortunes in this thread . Feedback is highly appreciated!

I play Arnhem in WitP:AE (I am Japan, he is the allies - our game started in december 2009 and in game it is now februari 1943) so we know each other a bit...

Will it be Berlin before 1945 or Moscow in 1942?

Stay tuned....

[KenchiSulla]

Having played the AI on normal and challenging for the first 15 or so turns I know the Soviet position in 1941 is vulnerable. My goals for the summer 1941 campaign are simple and realistic.

- Hold Leningrad in the North while preventing a link up between German and Finnish forces
- Hold Moscow in the center while trying to keep my main forces out of pockets
- Hold a line from Kharkov to east of Nikolaev (behind the Dnepr river) if practicable. I want to see his commitment in the south. I am prepared to fall back all the way to Rostov if he pushes hard.
- Restructure the Red Army to something useable
- Artrit the Luftwaffe where possible. My airforce will commit to the fight while keeping strong reserves in NR for build up.

Priority will be bolstering the Northern and Center defenses while Southern area will receive less reinforcements.

I will take BigAnoraks advise on defense to heart - Depth, delay - Dig! This is something I learned in my campaigns against the AI - I did not dig, I did not have enough depth!

[karonagames]

Good luck and have fun! You will soon see big differences between the AI and human behaviour.

[KenchiSulla]

Беда́ никогда́ не прихо́дит одна́ - When it rains, it pours

The fascists have crossed our borders... They took the fight to us....

Turn 1:

The initial actions clearly are showing axis supremacy in terms of quality and now also local quantity of men, planes and tanks. At a 30:1 lossrate in men they came smashing through our initial defenses.... (In other words, no suprises)

I have disbanded some Corps HQs in reserve armies. I also disbanded several forts and motorcycle regiments. I am creating +/1 10 RR construction units. It will eat up some manpower but they will help the fronts with building up fortifications. If it turns out I build to many I will start disbanding some.... only loosing some AP.

Airforce - Losing almost 4000 aircraft in the initial fights I have decided to do the following: most Regiments assigned to SAD type bases have been sent to NR to rebuild and receive some modern equipment. I have chosen to commit all the other regiments to the fight. Exceptions are severely depleted units and the IL2 regiments. They will train up for better times... SB-2 units in operation will switch to nightbombing or recon roles...

North - Arnhem formed a solid perimeter around about 30 % of our Northwesterfront forces, rendering them fairly immobile, but coming just short of Riga . They are not isolated and I have some hope in recovering parts of the battlegroups strength. Nonetheless the front will have its handfull to delay the tanks surely aiming for Leningrad.. because there is a hole in my line the size of... well... Russia

Center - A pocket has been formed with its eastern edge at the Neman river. I have attempted to relieve the pocket but came just one hex short... About 50% of Western front troops are encircled and are presumed lost... Remaining troops are digging in around Minsk in an attempt to delay AGC.. Arnhem is still around 100 km from the city so we will see how aggresive he is next turn..

South - Arnhem suprised me by taking a shortcut. He is trying to to form a pocket with its limit at Lvov (or isnt he?).



The picture shows my deployed delaying defenses. If he tries to cut south or southeast he will run into some fairly effective divisions.... but there is fairly large opening north of Tarnopol

[raizer]

dont stack, it just gives the germans an easier time to kill your stuff...make him move to kill individual units...each time you stack something its less hexes he has to travel to destroy your units-and no matter how big you stack them, he will destroy them

[KenchiSulla]

Order of battle and losses

[KenchiSulla]

Its not really stacking, its more running out of the forming pocket and stay in the way of the panzers... but thanks for the advice!

[Q-Ball]

I don't like that AGS opening from your opponent. I mentioned this to CarnageInc as we are playing a PBEM, but someone should start a thread on the best Turn 1 AGS moves, because that certainly ain't it.

Seems to me you need to either move East fast, or pocket units, or both, and in that case, he did NEITHER.

There are several options in AGS area, including using part of Pz Gp 2, but these options deserve some study.

[Klydon]

Interesting opening in the south for sure. I will be interested to see what the turn two casualties are, but so far they seem very light. The Germans are potentially going to pay for all those tanks getting away in the south. The Russians start with some really mean units (well for 1941 Russians) and can lay some hurt or if nothing else, there is going to be that many more T-34 equipped brigades running around later.

As a side note, I have been working hard on a AGS opening and think I have a good one. Will post it at some point.

[KenchiSulla]

Interesting comments.

Added benefits (right up there with T34 and KV1 preservation for later museum display): The move he made in the south is enabling me to set up delaying positions towards Kiev.. This will buy me quite a lot of time for my southern defense...

I do believe he will strike east next turn because there is not that much to be pocketed left.. He will be fairly exposed if he does so because his infantry hasnt really advanced yet.

[TulliusDetritus]

ORIGINAL: Cannonfodder

I do believe he will strike east next turn because there is not that much to be pocketed left.. He will be fairly exposed if he does so because his infantry hasnt really advanced yet.

You can't really hurt him that early: few MPs, the Soviet units hardly enter in an enemy controlled hex. Unless he makes a big mistake, of course. Good luck! [:)]

[KenchiSulla]

Где то́нко -- там и рвётся - The chain is no stronger than its weakest link!

Turn 2:

Stavka reserves are released. Some rifle divisions have immortalised themselves by holding against determined fascist attacks.... upsetting Arnhems infantry advance. Several motorised and tank formations have been made static in good defensive positions.

North: Arnhems spearheads have made some progress in the north but his infantry is still tied down by my "Riga" group. I am forming defensive lines behind smolensk (in sort of a hook form, using the marshes and rough grounds available to me where possible. I hope this will give me a chance to "guide" is tanks to obvious places to attack).

The plan is to delay his spearheads by forcing him to wait on the infantry





Center: Minsk is threatened but I have a sizeable force in place (and now digging in) to slow him down in the center. Reserve armies (supported by enough artillery and construction units are preparing secondary lines of defense). Smolensk will receive some "cadres" next turn. They will dig in for further delaying actions...

[randallw]

That seems to have been a conservative first turn by your opponent; he didn't make progress north of the marshes ( the Minsk area ) as well as the computer does.  He's given you a choice of trying to make a line there or just to the east at the Berezina.

[KenchiSulla]

South Arnhem has tried to go further east but my Southwestern front is holding its own. Reserves already started to dig in 100's of miles behind the front line. By the looks of it I will be able to delay him for quite a while as I have good divisions in good positions (dug in). I managed to cut off two panzer divisions, severing his line of supply... Anything to slow him down, even if it costs me a few cavalry divisions (I know, I will go to hell...)

[KenchiSulla]

Вы́ше головы́ не пры́гнешь - You can not jump above your head

Turn 3:

First partisan cadres have received supplies. I expect them to become active in maybe a turn or two... withholding the tanks of some supply and fuel. I have posted several fighter regiments behind my lines. Arnhem is resupplying his tanks by air mail and I managed to shoot down quite a few bombers and transports. As long as his fighers are not within range our brave airmen are getting some target practice!

North - Arnhem is pushing slowly in direction of Pskov with at least parts of one panzerarmee. If he wants to take Leningrad he will have to dedicate more infantry and armor to the cause.. One of his armies and perhaps parts of another are still fighting near Riga. My troops are now mostly isolated/beach head supplied but will stall him for one more turn, allowing me to dig further.

Leningrad militia digs in in the city + critical surroundings

[KenchiSulla]

Center - Only a fool would think he wouldnt cut off those units in Minsk (me).. Arnhem used his armor to cut off Minsk and isolate about an army worth of troops. It will take him the better part of the week to clear out that pocket and so the sacrifice of the 13th army will not go without reward.... as he will have to collect his infantry after reducing the pocket before he can punch through my lines and aim for Smolensk (if he plans to do so, I will be keeping an eye on his armor movements)...

[KenchiSulla]

South - Small scale tankbattles are errupting as Arnhem breaks my grip on his units (easily). He managed to isolate parts of the SW front but in my turn I broke the line again and connected them to the main army.. managing to isolate a Panzer division. He will have to attack a strong russian division to break it free. It is only temporary but it will delay him even further in the south...

Romanians supported by German infantry are making assaults all along the southern front. Results are mixed but I decide to skirmish them back towards Odessa (taking up positions in the fortifications behind the Dnestr river....

18th army taking defensive positions on the Crimean Peninsula (6-8 divisions)

[KenchiSulla]

There are also medals to be distributed. I declare the regimental commander of 182 IAP Hero of the Soviet Union, after 3 weeks of heavy combat against the Luftwaffe...... I will keep a close eye on this unit

[Klydon]

Very nice on that air unit. Guards status soon anyone? [:)]

Looks like the Axis did not get off to a very good start in the south and is paying for it.

[Oleg Mastruko]

Have to be perfectly honest here - these are terrible opening turns for the Axis, especially in the south. I wish my Axis opponents were like this [:D]