War Reports from the Eastern Front: Carnage vs Redmarkus

[Flaviusx]

He can't advance with the units used to attack; but if he's set up right, he can advance with other units. Leapfrog technique. (Or echelon tactics.) That's what I do anyways.

[Klydon]

Yeah, after looking over the maps with the entrenchments (thanks for including those btw), I agree with Flaviusx. You are going to get hammered I think. A lot of your troops are in the open as it is with low/no fortifications and you have long sections of your line that you have no back up entrenchments to fall back to, so once he kicks you off your single main line, the rout will be on in those areas.

I do think you have the right idea to try to reduce the number of 3 hex attacks he can make (3 hexes worth of attackers on a defender). Those are pretty much certain to kick out whatever German unit they are attacking unless it is incredibly nasty terrain with a strong defender in heavy fortification, etc.

What support did you give your mountain units by chance? From what I understand, whatever is attached to them is considered "mountain unit" proof against the weather as well. You will likely need them sooner rather than later unfortunately. I would consider having the Rumanian mountain units up to help with the defense while you try to get dug in on your weak spots.

Going to be interesting to see what happens.

[Encircled]

Certainly is

I like the idea of this regimented defence, though I'm a bit concerned that they will get overwhelmed too easily

Am I right in thinking that you have one rgt at the front in the fortification (if you have one!) and the other two directly behind it, and you rotate when you get the chance?

Great AAR by the way, and the maps are superb

[karonagames]

It is easy to get confused with all the conflicting advice coming out about blizzard defence. The most important thing to my mind is that you have got the panzers out of the front line, and you need to keep them there for the March snow turns when you can take back 3-6 hexes from whatever you lose in the Blizzard turns.

The game is designed so that the Axis units will not rout until strength drops to 7-8k or even lower for higher morale units, so they can hold the line quite well - retreating, but maintaining linear integrity. My approach has always been to hold a solid line that can only be attacked from 2 hexes for as much as possible. If a gap appears the SU can exploit this ,and this is when things go tits up and you have to give more ground than you really need to. Front line units will become unready, and that is when you rotate reserves that have been refitting at railheads into the front line.

The regimental "Linebacker" defence is the best way to ensure that the SU can't get his cavalry/tank brigades through any gaps in the line if a unit does rout. If a linebacker is there you are guaranteed to only have to retreat one hex per turn. the way you are set up now probably means a linebacker is not viable, so you have to rely of linear integrity and rotation.

Accept you will be retreated 6-9 hexes in the north, but plan to take back 3. 9-12 in the centre but take back 3-4. The south is where you will need to plan for the strongest counter attack. You may lose 12-15 hexes but a strong backhand blow could trap units against the Sea of Azov as I did in the Field Marshal Noob AAR.

[raizer]

Dinsdale was a gangster who greatly feared a giant hedgehog named spiny norman.  Spiny Norman would roam the streets of london, being 12 foot long from snout to tail, searching for DINSDALE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZkWL-XvO0U

[karonagames]

Those were the days!

[raizer]

spiny norman defense for THE WIN!!!!

[CarnageINC]

I need some feed back on this. I was pressed for time and threw together this map. I was contemplating doing these kind of maps for the duration of the Soviet winter offensive. I think its a little less informative but I think it gives a better overall strategic picture of what Red is up to. What do you guys think? Should I go back to the smaller Frontal maps or try this for awhile?

What info should I provide on the big maps, reserves, Corps boundries, what needs to be here do you think?

[randallw]

Arrows and text notes are probably enough.

[Flaviusx]

I really doubt you're going to be able to keep Leningrad blockaded.

Your situation south of Lake Ilmen could get ugly. You have no forts to fall back on.

The center is solid.

His advance in the south is surprisingly tentative. Where is all his cavalry at? If I was doing this, I'd be going nuts with my cav down there. He is possibly thinking that tank brigades are the mobile unit of choice...not so. It is the cavalry which unhinges German lines at this stage.

Make sure to dig in behind those mountain troops. They'll buy you some time. You can cover a dozen or more hexes with a mountain checkerboard, backstop them, and be digging in behind them.

[CarnageINC]

A few turns back I slaughtered his cav in the south, plus he was expending them unwisely probing my lines for some reason.  WOOT for me 

[Klydon]

Yeah, I would be smiling every time I make cav go away for good as a German. The Russians need to look to employ it for decisive actions or dig with it, not use it for throw away defensive units.

I think you have been doing great with your maps. Keeping fortifications on during this stretch is helpful I think. I would not worry about such details as corps markers, etc. It would take a lot of time for you to do and it is not a big deal in terms of a AAR imo.

[notenome]

Pull 2nd Army back into Kerch, you are way too stretched and there's a real chance they may become isolated. (just a 2 hex advance for that to happen). There's a 3 hex sequence around the straights where there's only one hex of frontage, that's where I would defend, if I were you.
 
Also, due to the small frontage, one mountain division up north could have a decisive impact. I'd rail one up to Leningrad to buff up the defense there.

[Flaviusx]

Yeah, you might as well pull back into the Kerch chokepoint.

I think it's probably too late to lock down Leningrad sending a mountain div up there at this stage. And he really does need them in the south.

[notenome]

The way I was thinking Flav, the south is too vast and too open for the mountain divs too hold the soviet advance. They can definetly slow it down. On the other hand the Leningrad front is very concise, and ground is much more valuable, so one could feasibly hold that front if they dedicated some mountain reinforcements up there.

[Klydon]

Good point on the Leningrad area ground. The two mountain units available to the Germans would seem to make the most difference there compared to other places, especially since most of the defensive terrain up there goes in the crapper with the cold weather (no rivers and reduced swamp benefits). The Germans are going to have some mountain units in the south regardless (Axis allies). 

[Flaviusx]

Disagree. Terrain and unit density in Leningrad ought to be sufficient to stymie the Soviet. The only reason to send them up there is if he wanted to stop the Soviet cold and prevent a deblockading of Leningrad. The opportunity for that is gone, he would have had to put them in place there from the getgo.

If he has to send mountain divisions up north, the area south of Lake Illmen is probably a better place.

Mountain divisions in the south can exercise a greater influence on the course of the blizzard because of the lack of terrain and forts. This is the most dangerous area in terms of potential advances by the Soviet. Although the apparent lack of cavalry down there is hurting the Soviet.

[Klydon]

I agree for this game on the mountain units going to Leningrad that it is too late. Was thinking in general terms. 

[CarnageINC]

So far so good, no major trouble with units being boxed in. Red may need to develop his enveloping tactics instead of using a sledgehammer assault against the entire front IMO.

[CarnageINC]

Here is another entire theater map. I have labeled all major events and stuff that I thought were important.