Blitzkrieg at its finest - German GC - Normal

[atheory]

So after a week or two of postulating about what to do, I decide to sit down and begin a serious game. One where having learned what I thought was all I could learn from past games that this would be the one to finish regardless of what happens.

The first few turns were predictable and similar to the many AARs already posted. But as the turns hit 6 and 7 and 8 I began to notice something I've not experienced yet, an advance beyond my most wildest desires.

Summaries


AGN: Panzer Groups 3 and 4 pushed rapidly towards Lenningrad, stopping to wait for the infantry just east of Pskov by turn 3. Turn 5 the 2nd push east under Lake Ilmen commenced. Some of the Panzers had built up supplies allowing them the resources to by pass the hastily erected defenses SE of the lake. By turn 7 infantry began pushing north around Lake Ilmen while the panzers rested and gathered supplies once again. Turn 9 saw the panzers unleashed and the dash towards the finnish border ensued. Strangely the soviets seemed to have ran out of manpower to throw in front of the tanks. An opportunity I wasn't going to pass up. Tanks from the 3rd Panzer Group beat those from the 4th in reaching the Finnish border ensuring the complete isolation of Lenningrad and all its defenders. And on turn 11 the assault on Lenningrad began in earnest and it was to capitulate on Turn 15. Finally with only brigades in front of my forces, they just pushed eastwards.

3rd and 4th Panzer Groups are in the process of redeploying to AGS after a refit and passing of winter in preparation for the Summer Offensive.

2nd Army was instrumental is securing the flanks for the drive to Lenningrad. Reinforced with a Fresh Corps and finally thrown into line by Turn 9. 8 Infantry Divisions in 2 Corps pushed eastward protecting the southern flank of the drive to cut off Lenningrad. Now they stand just a few km from the doors of Moscow.

16th Army has been also pulled out of the line and is redeploying to AGC in preparation for the winter defense and eventual summer campaign. A weakened corps was detached and given to 2nd Army to extend its front in the North. 16th Army is expected to be back to full strength in Divisions by March.


AGC : Without additional forces and minus a Panzer Corps that was sent to AGS, the 4th and 9th Armies with the rest of 2nd Panzer Group surged forward. As the advance slowed down upon reaching Vitbesk as the Armies regrouped and waited for stragglers to face the building soviet defense, a surprise developed. After Vitbesk fell the soviet line weakened slightly north of Smolensk. A gap opened allowing for rested infantry to pour through to now threaten Smolensk from the rear. With an added kicker the Gomel Area had been pacified due to the Kiev falling soo quickly, the 2nd Panzer Group launched north and encircled 3 pockets of Soviet troops. The cleanup was quick and the advance eastwards began in earnest again by Turn 11. Now the 9th Army with the 2nd Panzer Group threaten to enter the streets of Moscow !!


AGS : The Soviets did not know what hit them and their defensive coordination suffered. Germans appeared outside their large cities and industrial centers before they could even react. Kiev fell by Turn 5. Over 1.5mil soviets have fallen on the Southern Front thus far. With the open terrain the Panzers seem unstoppable. Aside from the dirty weather. Elements of the 11th Army pushed into Northern Crimea unopposed. But supplies and lack of reinforces stalled the advance to Sevastopol. Now the little area has become a slogging match as Soviets continue to pour forces into the region.

Panzers from the 1st Panzer Group reached the outskirts of Rostov only to be turned back from lack of supplies and the onset of the mud season looming. The commanders from the 6th and 17th Army stated with just one more month of good weather they could be knocking on the door to Stalingrad itself!!




Defensive lines have been in the progress of being built. Now its a matter of well I can weather the Blizzard. Wish me luck !

[atheory]

North

[atheory]

Center

[atheory]

South

[atheory]

Destroyed Units

[atheory]

Casualties

[atheory]

I welcome all suggestions and ideas on how to handle the winter. I think I got it covered, but we'll see heh.

The 1942 Summer Campaign will see the Panzers go amuck all over the south (hopefully)

[FredSanford3]

I wonder how many people just quit playing due to acute blitzkrenis envy?
 
That's quite a showing. [&o]

[Mynok]

What on earth happened to 16th army? It doesn't even exist for all practical purposes? [X(]

[atheory]

After Lenningrad was mopped up, I transferred a Corps to the 2nd Army and railed the rest towards AGC area. You can see it entrained in the center of the picture.

[2ndACR]

That is one, long front to try and defend during the blizzard. You got the Finns, so you might survive.

[Ketza]

What settings is this on? In my AI games on normal it is very difficult to make headway at a certain point especially around Leningrad and I am wondering what I am doing wrong when I see an AAR like this one.

Oh NM I see in the title its on Normal. I guess Im just bad [8D]

[atheory]

Just as the blizzard started, I actually encircled moscow and have taken 3/4 city areas. The blizzard is preventing the taking of the last, but I doubt it won't be long before the red army pushes me out of the city all together.

My front is long, but a casual withdraw will be permitted. I expect to lose 6-12 areas all along my line during the blizzard. Hopefully no more than that. I'll throw up pictures after the blizzard is over to show where things stand from my sensational drive.

[castlebravo]

ORIGINAL:  Ketza

What settings is this on? In my AI games on normal it is very difficult to make headway at a certain point especially around Leningrad and I am wondering what I am doing wrong when I see an AAR like this one.

Oh NM I see in the title its on Normal. I guess Im just bad [8D]

I'm wonder if it's changes made with the 1.03 beta too.  I just don't see how it's physically possible to get that many Soviet units destroyed on turn 2 and turn 3 on 1.02, at least on normal.

I'm currently on turn 5 of a game where things have gone nearly perfectly for me in the north.  My lead panzer army is maybe 6 hexes away from Leningrad, and the only reason the aren't literally knocking on the door is because on turn 3 they ran out of gas, and I spent turn 4 restocking supplies with HQs. Next turn I should at the gates. Smolensk could have been mine as well as Novogrod, but I'm not letting any thing pull me off of Leningrad.

The Baltic pockets have been eliminated, as well as the pocket west of Minsk, and a large pocket to the south.  And I've come nowhere close to eliminating 80 units in a turn, much less 2 turns in a row.

My drive for Kiev has stalled because the Russians have stacked a line literally 8 hexes deep, so I am about to do a strategic loop down the Romanian front with my armor (had to delay because my infantry was mopping up the Tarnopol / Proskurov pockets, and I couldn't form a secure line prior to that.

Compared to my first abortive games, this game has gone swimmingly well.  As an example, in an early game I had 2 Panzer Corps stopped cold for 2 turns by the Soviet 10th Tank Division (odds were 8 to 1, defense HELD one turn, so I surrounded and spent the next turn liquidating it), which kept me from forming a good pocket, and let a lot of units escape.  Nothing like that has happened this game.  This past turn, I failed to form a sustainable pocket that would have trapped 6 units (not enough movement to seal off the last hex), but other than that, victory, victory, victory.  And I don't see how it's feasible to eliminate 70 units.  

Not that I don't believe his screenshots, but it would be nice to see a good explanation of how he managed this.